35 Best Kid-Friendly Family Restaurants in San Diego

San Diego has no shortage of kid-friendly restaurants with great food for the whole family. You can find family-friendly restaurants from Oceanside to downtown San Diego and everywhere in between! 

What Makes A Restaurant Kid-Friendly

Here are some things that make or break a family-friendly restaurant: the kid’s menu, the seating, and the food.

First up, is the kids’ menu. Are there menu items for picky eaters? My children will tolerate chicken tenders, hot dogs, or a cheese quesadilla from any culture. If we go out I do not want to feed them again or swing by Mickey D’s on the way home. I also look for good prices and options that are $10 or less. 

A kid-friendly restaurant needs outdoor seating or picnic tables. Bonus points for live music, a fire pit, lawn games like bocce ball or corn hole, a grassy area, arcade games, or a kids’ play area! With plenty of outdoor space, my husband and I can enjoy our meal while the kids run around after they take their customary one bite of food and say they are full.

It’s Gotta Have Good Food

Another important component of family restaurants is the food MUST be good. I can visit the rat casino (no shade to Chuck E Cheese, we’ve spent many a fun afternoon there) if I want pizza. There is nothing more disappointing than spending your hard-earned money on subpar food. Every restaurant on this list is somewhere I would eat without kids. The entire family matters and I need delicious food to feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth. Oh, and some decent ice cream on the dessert menu is never a bad idea. 

Last and most important is a family-friendly vibe. Is anyone going to glare at me when I roll in with three kids? Is it a casual vibe? Kids and white tablecloths don’t mix. I also prefer a lively atmosphere so the noise of my children blends in instead of standing out. 

How I Built This List

Okay without further ado, here is my list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in San Diego. Shoutout to my amazing Instagram San Diego mom community for helping me create this list and map. I hope you use it often when you are out and about. 

The maroon / purple are restaurants I have personally tried. The blue are recs from the best community on Instagram, the San Diego moms! I aim to turn them all red as we try each one. I think we can do it!

Here are the best restaurants to take your kids to in San Diego!

1. Corvette Diner in Liberty Station Point Loma
2. Panama 66 in Balboa Park
3. Dukes in La Jolla
4. Harumama
5. Crack Shack Encinitas
6. Del Mar Highlands Sky Deck Food Court in Del Mar
7. City Tacos Ocean Beach
8. Pizza Port
9. Fish Shop
10. Barra Barra Old Town
11. Stone Brewing Escondido
12. My Yard Live San Marcos
13. The Green Dragon near LEGOLAND California
14. Kaminski’s in Poway
15. Hamburger Factory Poway
16. Fish Market Solana Beach
17. Beach House Mission Beach
18. Flower Child Solana Beach
19. Mendocino Farms 4S Ranch
20. Monarch Ocean Pub Del Mar
21. Naegi Oceanside
22. The Landings at Palomar Airport
23. Brine Box Oceanside (got burned down in the 2024 fire, but they will rebuild so I am keeping it on the list!)
24. Tony Pepperoni’s
25. ARLO at Town and Country
26. 7 Mile Kitchen at The Sheraton Carlsbad
27. Pesto Craft
28. Nate’s Garden Grill by City Farmer’s Nursery
29. Rubio’s Coastal Grill
30. Novo Brazil Brewing Imperial Beach
31. City Tacos Ocean Beach
32. Station Tavern South Park
33. Waypoint Public
34. Filippi’s Pizza Grotto Little Italy
35. Del’s Hideout

1. Corvette Diner in Liberty Station Point Loma

We are starting with my favorite and the first kid-friendly restaurant we discovered in San Diego. Corvette Diner is a San Diego staple. It’s located in Liberty Station in Point Loma and is a ton of fun! They have dancing waiters, sassy waitresses in poodle skirts, an arcade, old school retro diner decor, and they go all out for every holiday!

It’s a great place to celebrate a birthday or gather with family. Note that they do not take reservations. You put your name down and then wait for them to call you. We like to put our name down and then walk around to explore Liberty Station!

2. Panama 66 Balboa Park

This casual eatery in Balboa Park serves American food. It is perfect for dining out before or after exploring Balboa Park. The pulled pork and tuna sandwiches get good reviews. If you are going before a show, make sure to leave time as sometimes waits can be up to 45 minutes. They have a decent kids menu and some outdoor dining where kids can wiggle around. Sometimes they also have 

3. Dukes in La Jolla

There’s no playground here, but I love this spot for dining out with a family! First off, the salads are AMAZING. The kid’s menu is huge. You are right on the water and it’s fun to walk around and visit different surfboards. The lunch menu is a little less expensive than the dinner menu. Make sure to stop by and visit the La Jolla seals afterward at The Children’s Pool!

4. Harumama La Jolla

This is a chain with a few different locations around San Diego. The kid-friendly appeal here is their character buns! They have a series of various sweet and savory buns made to look like cartoon characters. They are almost too cute to eat, but we managed to eat them anyway. 

5. Crack Shack Encinitas

There are a few locations for Crack Shack, but the one in Encinitas has a sand pit and lawn games out back. We went on a Friday night and when I tell you that place was teeming with kids… we felt like we fit right in. The food here is top-notch. All of their sandwiches are good but we especially liked the Double Clucker. Extra points for the kids’ menu being as delicious as the adult menu. 

6. Del Mar Highlands SkyDeck Food Court in Del Mar

This isn’t one specific restaurant but tons of restaurants at Del Mar Highlands. The Sky Deck is located above Sprouts. What makes this kid-friendly is you can order anything from any restaurant and then eat it out on the patio by the fire!

My favorite place is the ramen spot in the back left corner. Down the escalator, you will find dessert. We love Batch & Box and we LOVE Handel’s ice cream. My husband asked for a pint of the Orange Dreamsicle for his birthday. At Christmas time they have amazing decor including a surfboard tree right at the entrance to Sky Deck. 

7. City Tacos Ocean Beach

We have not visited this spot yet, but I have been following their Instagram for a while and we want to make it there soon. It’s a taco place but there is a giant enclosed patio filled with kid games and things to do!

8. Pizza Port

This pizza spot is great for adults and kids. There are multiple locations all over San Diego and even one inside Petco Park.

9. Fish Shop Encinitas

Ok this place is a GEM. There are three locations, Encinitas, Pacific Beach, and Point Loma. The food is AMAZING. Like stand-in-line even though I hate lines with small kids amazing. You must try their Fish Shop shrimp and anything with Fish Shop Seasoning. They sell it for seasoning your fish at home! I love that the kids’ menu is a miniature version of the adult menu. They have coloring and they are very family-friendly, especially the Encinitas location. We like to stop by Moonlight State Beach after and play on the playground there!

10. Barra Barra Old Town

Barra Barra is our favorite spot to eat authentic Mexican food in Old Town San Diego. One kid eats free per every paying adult. We loved the enchiladas and the churro ice cream at the end. The location is in an ideal spot in Old Town for wandering around between when you order and when you eat your meal. I like to get a spot on the patio and let my kids wander just outside of the restaurant. Sometimes I even feed them through the fence like dogs. 

11. Stone Brewing Escondido

This restaurant up in Escondido is massive. Kids can wander all over the back patio which feels like a magical forest. I loved their burgers but also their salads!

12. My Yard Live San Marcos

This one comes up as the number one kid-friendly restaurant on everyone’s list and for good reason. There’s a beautiful playground on the back deck. There is also an arcade and great indoor outdoor seating. Every time we come the place is PACKED with families. They also do events here such as karaoke and they are even introducing children’s entertainment as well. The burgers and pizza here are both really good. 

13. The Green Dragon near LEGOLAND California

The Green Dragon is a Revolutionary War museum AND a restaurant. The food was so good. The steak and potatoes were the best thing here. Take your kids on a turn around the museum while you are waiting for your food! It is especially great for 5th grades who are learning about The American Revolution. The restaurant itself is designed to look like The Room Where It Happened (shameless Hamilton quote), aka where all the great minds thought up our country’s government. Make sure to notice all the art on the walls! Each is from a different scene in the American Revolution. 

Makes a great stop before or after LEGOLAND, The Flower Fields, or The Carlsbad Strawberry Company. 

14. Kaminski’s in Poway

Super kid-friendly and delicious spot in Poway. They hand out full on board games and coloring books while you are waiting for your food. They also have a lawn where kids can play golf or cornhole. This is one of our favorite places to take our family to in San Diego. Please get the BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese Sandwich for me. Or if that’s not your jam, I love the wedge salad. 

15. Hamburger Factory Poway

The Hamburger Factory in Poway is ideally located to visit after a train ride around Old Poway Park! It has good food, but the thing to get here is the milkshakes. We tried all of them and our favorite was the strawberry milkshake! I also liked the burger with jalapenos. 

16. The Fish Market in Solana Beach

The Fish Market has a few locations. We have been to the one by The Del Mar Fairgrounds. It makes for a great option as a healthier alternative to all the heavy fair food. We tried the swordfish here on a recommendation from our server and it was so good! I also loved the salmon. The breaded fish is light and similar to chicken nuggets. Ended up finishing my kid’s meals (and they ate my salmon!). Do not miss the snickerdoodle brownie for dessert with ice cream. 

17. Beach House Mission Beach

This one is a mixed bag. They have NOT kid-friendly concerts (think drinking and the Spring Break type crowd) BUT if you can catch them in their off time it’s amazing. The restaurant is right on the beach which makes for great people watching. There is sand at the base of the table which my kids happily played in for a long time. They also have outdoor games like cornhole.

The restaurant is right by Belmont Park which is great for younger and older kids alike. They offer poolside service to The Plunge with no extra delivery fees. They just assign a server to The Plunge. It’s amazing to not have to get out of the pool and dry everyone off to feed your kids and yourself a delicious meal. 

18. Flower Child Solana Beach

This place is SO good and they have the cutest little kid dining area with games and a chalkboard. They serve super healthy salads and sandwiches with a dressing that is to die for. The Turkey Cobb Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette is amazing and worth a trip to the restaurant. Many San Diegans claim Flower Child as their favorite brunch spot and I have to say I agree. 

19. Mendocino Farms 4S Ranch

Mendocino Farms has tons of additional locations around San Diego. They serve delicious salads and sandwiches that aren’t gut bombs. Before I had my third kid I worked in healthcare and this is always where everyone ordered their lunch from at the hospital. Our favorite location is the one in 4S Ranch on Craftsman Way. There’s an outdoor play area right by the restaurant. I crowd-sourced everyone’s favorite orders and here’s what they said: superfood quinoa salad, Thai mango salad, Philly shroomsteak, chimichurri steak, not-so-fried chicken salad, or sandwich, chicken prosciutto sandwich, and the pork or vegan banh mi.

20. Monarch Ocean Pub Del Mar

This popular spot overlooking Del Mar is perfect for a family. The inside is a little crowded and not super-kid-friendly, but go out back and you will find a big patio perfect for dining with kids. The patio has the best ocean view! When we went they played live music. We had so much fun dancing together as a family!

21. Naegi Oceanside

Japanese sando (that means sandwich!) casual restaurant spot up in Oceanside. It’s kind of near Oceanside Transit Center. The draw here is they play anime projected on the wall. If you ask nicely when you arrive they will change it to Pokemon! My boys loved eating Japanese food and watching their favorite Japanese characters on the big screens.

22. The Landings at Palomar Airport

This one will win you all the points with an airplane lover in the family. It’s located at Palomar Airport right next to the landing strip. You can eat your food while your kids watch airplanes take off and land! Some days they have live music and dancing. I honestly can’t remember exactly what I got here. I think it was the cobb salad. 

23. Brine Box Oceanside

This restaurant was unfortunately affected by the Oceanside Pier fire in 2024 so it’s not open right now. However I have high hopes it will be again so it’s staying on this list!

This tiny box of a restaurant is located at the end of Oceanside Pier. The food is so good! I love their Ahi tuna fries and fish and chips. The restaurant itself is only about 100 square feet, but there are tables outside to dine at. We had a great time here dancing to the music at the end of the pier and eating delicious seafood. There’s also a playground at the beginning of the pier in the sand. Try to time your visit with the sunset for the most magical time!

24. Tony Pepperoni’s

Ok I had mixed feelings about including this one as it’s a simple pizza place and the pizza is nothing to write home about. HOWEVER, it is my kids’ favorite and they are always asking to go here. It is great for gathering after sports games or for birthday parties. It’s easy to order for large groups.

There are a few locations around San Diego and each has an arcade. It reminds me of the pizza places I used to go to when I was a kid with big church groups, sports teams, or after completing a theater show, so it feels nostalgic!

25. ARLO at Town and Country

A great spot downtown! The food is upscale, however it is family-friendly! This hotel has a giant waterslide (for people who stay there only, unfortunately) so it draws families as their primary customers. The restaurant has a giant hill where kids can run up and down while waiting for their food or while their parents finish eating. 

26. 7 Mile Kitchen at The Sheraton Carlsbad

This spot is right by LEGOLAND so it makes a great stop before or after a park visit. It’s actually in a hotel, but you don’t have to stay at the hotel to eat there. The food is AMAZING. The burgers were so good! The real winner is it has an enclosed courtyard right next to the outdoor patio dining area. So our kids went absolutely wild with the other diner’s kids and we got to finish our meal. This hotel is known for being family-friendly (it has a private entrance to LEGOLAND after all!) so you will feel welcome there when you come with your family. 

27. Pesto Craft (they can make their own pizza!)

The best Italian restaurant I have found in San Diego so far! Kids eat free on Wednesday nights and they can make their own pizza and watch it go into the oven. My kids were so proud of the pizza they made and devoured the whole thing after making it themselves. Maybe I should have them help me cook more. Or not, they are so messy. I LOVED the pesto pasta here. It’s a must-try. 

28. Nate’s Garden Grill by City Farmer’s Nursery

This place has decent food, but the real draw is the location. It’s right by a beautiful nursery with animals. Spend a morning at the nursery and then eat at Nate’s Garden Grill for lunch!

29. Rubio’s Coastal Grill

Rubio’s is a chain but is entirely worth visiting because it’s one of the best San Diego restaurants. I love their Mexican Corn Salad, in fact it was one of the few things I felt like I could eat while pregnant. They often have kids eat free promotions and $2 Taco Tuesday. I love their kids’ menu and it’s fairly priced. You can find them all around San Diego and they all have family-friendly vibes! Make sure to try their fish tacos, they are famous! We have been to the one down in Chula Vista by Sesame Place and a few more around San Diego. 

The following restaurants are places I have not yet visited, however, the moms on my page brought them up multiple times so on the list they go. Reviews incoming.

30. Eastbound Bar and Grill Lakeside

Another one that was submitted multiple times by my San Diego mom community. It has great space to run around and play and wonderful food.

31. Novo Brazil Brewing Imperial Beach

The moms on my page mentioned this one multiple times for having a great space for kids to run around the patio. You are right on the beach too! Perfect for a family date night watching the sunset. The burgers and the mac and cheese with Brazilian sausage are both great. 

32. Waypoint Public

We have not visited this spot yet, review coming soon.

33. Filippi’s Pizza Grotto Little Italy

We have not eaten here yet, but lots of people mentioned it as kid-friendly.

34. Del’s Hideout

Submitted by many moms, we haven’t gone yet! They have a playground. 

35. King’s Fish House Carlsbad

They have the best kid’s coloring books which come with tattoos, nice kid cups and if your child starts crying the staff will cheer them up by taking them to go look at the lobsters. Per one of the moms on my page, they told her a lot of the staff have kids and so go out of their way to be nice to children. Plus the food is amazing! Makes a great stop before LEGOLAND.

Allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Camille! I am a San Diego stay-at-home mom who is never ever at home. I share a lot of fun things to do around San Diego including parks, restaurants, LEGOLAND, the zoo etc.

My goal with my Instagram account and blog is to make any mom feel prepared for any outing with her kids so that she doesn’t have to stay home unless she wants to. Getting out with my kids was key for me for learning how to enjoy motherhood, so I try to pay it forward by sharing what we do to help other moms in a similar situation. Read more about my story here.

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