Baked by Yael
Check out these best bets for family-friendly places to eat that your kids will love.
Here’s a guide to some of our favorite family-friendly restaurants, where you’re sure to find a menu that pleases both you and your kids.
Quick family-friendly spots
There is so much to see and do on a visit to Washington, DC, and for that reason, fast food often fits best into your touring schedule. Fortunately, there are many high quality food options near the National Mall.
Locations of Le Pain Quotidien serve delicious options for breakfast and lunch. Cava Grill offers a Mediterranean mix customized just for your taste buds. The steps are easy: you begin with a base, throw in a few delicious dips and spreads, stack it with a protein like braised beef or lamb, then top it off with crumbled feta, pita crisps, cucumber salad.
After visiting the National Zoo, stop in Baked by Yael. Kids adore the rainbow of cake pops, delicious cookies and the freshly made bagels. Take a seat in the colorful shop and sample one of their many cake pop flavors at this nut-free and kosher bakery.
Shake Shack has become a national sensation with its perfectly grilled burgers, adorned with soft potato rolls, crisp lettuce, ruby red tomatoes and legendary Shack Sauce. You can order yours at any of its DC locations.
Kid-friendly sit-down restaurants
A favorite of tourists and locals alike is Founding Farmers. The Foggy Bottom restaurant serves up a healthy, seasonal menu inspired by and sourced from family farms in neighboring Maryland and Virginia. While the name conjures signers of the Declaration of Independence, the dishes are all modern comfort food. Make sure to check out Farmers Fishers Bakers in Georgetown, too. Speaking of Georgetown: Pinstripes boasts bocce and bowling to supplement your delicious dining experience.
The iconic Old Ebbitt Grill is one of the oldest restaurants in DC. Established in 1856, this DC institution is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with to-go sandwiches, shareable desserts and signature raw bar. Not too far away in Penn Quarter is Carmine’s, an ideal gathering place for families serving heaping plates of pasta and Italian favorites.
Formerly a pharmacy with a soda fountain, Tonic at Quigley’s Pharmacy is located in a historic building in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood near the George Washington University campus. The restaurant specializes in hearty comfort food, and in good weather, Tonic serves meals on an outdoor patio and garden.
Oyamel Cocina Mexicana is one of local celebrity chef José Andrés' most popular restaurants, located in Penn Quarter. Specializing in fine Mexican cuisine, kids are enchanted by the tableside preparation of guacamole, while parents will relish the margaritas and mojitos. Dining here will elevate your experience with Latin American food.
There’s something reassuring about finding a Hard Rock Cafe in a new town. The menu, filled with American classics, is sure to satisfy a hungry family. The Hard Rock in DC is no exception. Kids will also be dazzled by the fun, star-filled decorations and memorabilia all over the restaurant.
Originating in Maryland, and expanding to Virginia, Silver Diner has touched down in DC's Navy Yard to deliver a classic diner experience, elevated with locally sourced ingredients. Standout menu categories include all-day breakfast, seasonal selections, hand-spun milkshakes and an award-winning kid's menu. For a similar experience downtown, grab a burger or rocket dog at the 1950s-inspired Johnny Rockets. And if you like pageantry and lance-shattering action with your feast, visit Medieval Times in Hanover, Md.
Museum cafes for everyone
For something altogether unique and memorable, have a Mediterranean-inspired lunch or coffee and cake at the Courtyard Cafe at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum. The breathtaking architecture and expansive open space provides room to explore for the little ones.
Located in the lower level of the National Museum of the American Indian, the Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe provides a stellar view and cuisine from different regions of the Americas. Native American chefs showcase distinctive food cultures with seasonally inspired dishes; try the fried bread, chili or buffalo burgers.
The National Museum of American History has a very bright and busy cafeteria called the America's Table Cafe on the lower level. Open for lunch only, the cafe uses sustainable food products to make their pizza, barbecue and desserts.
During the winter season, the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden offers meals at the lively Pavilion Cafe. Settle in to watch the spinning skaters while you enjoy pizza, pasta, sandwiches and soup. During the summer, the Pavilion has panoramic views of the fountain and gardens, and on Friday evenings in the summer, hosts live jazz for free.
Washington’s historic markets
Love exploring local farmers markets? If you do, plan to visit the famous Eastern Market, a historic community hub located on Capitol Hill. Inside, you will find vendors selling fresh seafood, flowers, produce and meats.
Pick up a spicy empanada, a custom-made deli sandwich or sample local cheeses. Find a table at Market Lunch and order their beloved blueberry pancakes. On weekends, the Flea Market at Eastern Market opens to include more locally sourced products and artisans selling handmade crafts. Kids will love the street performers, too.
And don't forget about Union Market, DC’s hippest feasting ground. This revived mid-century produce- and meat-selling bazaar is home to food stalls and informal restaurants with everything from Asian-inspired tacos and dumplings to made-in-DC sausages and Chesapeake oysters.
Notable hotel restaurants
Article One American Grill in the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill has a sunny five-story atrium and serves a deluxe breakfast buffet. In the evening, the Grill fires up the steaks and fresh seafood, but they also offer vegetarian and “Stay-Fit” healthy options.
The Marriott Marquis Washington DC, near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, has multiple dining venues. BeerLab DC is their family-friendly sports bar that serves casual fare.
A good meal and local brews
The District has many beer-centric pubs where kids feel welcome, and adults get to sample from an impressive selection of local, national and international brews.
City Tap House in Chinatown is known as a gastropub, because the dining room serves top-notch, family friendly fare along with 40 draft beers. On the Capitol Riverfront, Bluejacket provides beer lovers with an expansive range of lagers and ales, as well as kid-friendly starters and sandwiches.
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