Got kids? portland’s top 10 restaurants for family-friendly dining |

Got kids? portland’s top 10 restaurants for family-friendly dining

Posted: 12/04/2012 08:25 am Updated: 12/04/2012 08:28 am

Parents, Grandparents, Nannies/Mannies, and All Other Sorts of Food-Loving/Kid-Having Peeps:

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You know the feeling. You’re looking forward to a nice dinner downtown when the phone rings and your babysitter sheepishly informs you she forgot she’s leaving the country the night she’s supposed to be watching your kids. So you’ve got two options: stay home and try to cook dinner for your family in your own home or pile those spawn into the car and make the best of a lost moment of whine-free dining.

Image via NickMom

For me, a solid family restaurant has to have fast service and a large menu to accommodate my kids’ random and ever-changing tastes, which is why it’s so tempting to hit a chain restaurant when I’m up against dinner time with three ornery kids. Fortunately, Portland has a ton of locally-owned family-friendly restaurants to choose from, and here’s the top ten list that I (and my food-loving and kid-having Facebook friends) recommend:

1. Flatbread Co.: pizza

2. Sebago Brewing Company: burgers, pub food, seafood

3. Pepperclub: seafood, meat, vegetarian, vegan

4. Taco Escobarr: Mexican

5. Great Lost Bear: pub food, burritos, wings

6. Silly’s: wraps, burgers, pizza, milkshakes

7. Nosh Kitchen Bar: burgers, charcuterie, poutine…and animal crackers with frosting!

8. Gritty McDuff’s: nachos, burgers, pub food, beer-battered seafood

9. Fuji: Japanese, hibachi, sushi

10. The Front Room: refined home style favorites like meatloaf, mac-n-cheese, and pork chops

Got any other sweet spots? Tell us all about it in the comments section. It takes a village…

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// About the Author

Erin Dow

Erin Dow is a caterer who used to cook for rock stars. Now she finds herself desperately trying to persuade her three kids to just try one bite of what she made for dinner. She's the Expert Chef for Maine-based Guiding Stars® and she consults with the state's public schools on how to serve healthy whole foods that kids will actually eat. And when Erin’s not researching, preparing, serving, photographing, teaching, or writing about food, you’ll probably find her in a restaurant eating a meal cooked by someone else. So she just might be the girl you need to know if you're looking for recommendations, advice, or insight into Maine's food scene. She's also very knowledgeable about firearms, in case you were wondering if she's a real Mainer.