San Antonio’s Top Kid-Friendly Restaurants: Round Two!

San Antonio's

When we launched in 2013, we posted our favorite San Antonio Kid-Friendly Restaurants. This is one of our top-viewed posts and includes The Cove, Big’z, MoMak’s, Purple Garlic, Two Brothers BBQ, and Chris Madrid’s. Since then, we’ve had many San Antonio parents share other kid-friendly spots that either were undiscovered by our team when we wrote our first post or have opened since then. As parents, we all know a restaurant you can enjoy with your whole family is a true treasure, so we’ve decided to post a Round Two! Know of others we haven’t included? Be sure to share them in the comments below!

Alamo Cafe on 281

Location: 14250 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78232
Mom Approved: This Alamo Cafe location has a great outdoor area where the kids can hang out, and the service is quick.
Menu Recommendations: Queso and warm tortillas—need we say more?!

Beefy’s Backyard

Location: 25900 U.S. Hwy. 281 North, San Antonio, TX 78258
Mom Approved: A massive outdoor play area, complete with playscapes, a fenced-in soccer field, and a basketball court, AND an indoor game room are sure to keep the kids busy while parents can watch from neighboring picnic tables.
Menu Recommendations: You can’t go wrong with the 1/4-lb. Classic, but the Atomic Burger is a must for those who like a little spice. As for sides, go with the curly fries!

Beto’s

Location: 8142 Broadway St., San Antonio, TX 78209
Mom Approved: The food at Beto’s is different from your standard local Tex-Mex joints, but the place has a similar vibe. Beto’s has a great little patio with picnic tables and a playscape. They offer a varied children’s menu with $4.25 entrees like grilled chicken strips and bean & cheese tacos that come with carrot sticks and Jell-o cups—a nice change from the typical French fries!
Menu Recommendations: Try the empanadas (both sweet and savory), the chicken nachos, or their top-notch burger.

Blanco BBQ

Location: 13259 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, TX 78216
Mom Approved: Blanco BBQ has good food, a kids’ menu, and a fabulous playscape and kids’ area outside. They have plenty of seating under the trees and can accommodate large parties. See ACMB’s blog post about Blanco BBQ here.
Menu Recommendations: The brisket is very moist and flavorful. As for sides, get the mac ‘n’ cheese, beans, and creamed corn.

Blanco BBQ
Blanco BBQ

Dog & Pony Grill

Location: 1481 S. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006
Mom Approved: Dog & Pony is great. They have a playscape and basketball court outside that provide ample space for kids to run around to work up an appetite. Inside, they have video games and a little prize vending machine that amuse the older ones.
Menu Recommendations: The sliders and turkey burger are excellent, the waffle sweet potato fries are not to be missed, and the kids mac ‘n’ cheese is out of this world.

El Chaparral

Location: 15103 Bandera Rd., Helotes, TX 78023
Mom Approved: A view, a patio, and a playground—done!
Menu Recommendations: Go for the fajitas or the stuffed poblano pepper with queso.

El Machito

Location: 7300 Jones Maltsberger, San Antonio, TX 78209
Mom Approved: El Machito has recently added a Rainbow playscape to their fenced-in yard. Their colorful hula hoops and patio are perfect for a fun meal.
Menu Recommendations: Order appetizers for the table as your meal. The Volcanes, Queso Fundido, and tacos are great!

El Machito
El Machito

La Cabana

Location: 170 Buffalo Place, Cibolo, TX 78108
Mom Approved: A fenced-in patio with a play area allows diners to grab a table outside and eat a nice meal with friends while the kids play. On the weekends, they sometimes have a band playing and always have mariachis.
Menu Recommendations: Get enchiladas verdes or a burger. Their tortilla soup is also good.

La Gloria

Location: 100 E. Grayson St., San Antonio, TX 78215
Mom Approved: On a nice day or evening, La Gloria is the perfect spot for al fresco dining. Set along the San Antonio River, kids can play in the grass, watch the ducks, and take a stroll along the San Antonio River after dinner.
Menu Recommendations: Go for the ceviche or cochinita pibil panuchos.

La Hacienda Los Barrios

Location: 18747 Redland Rd., San Antonio, TX 78259
Mom Approved: A HUGE patio, live music, and a playground make this Barrios Family restaurant a plus.
Menu Recommendations: There’s a reason this place is known for their puffy tacos.

Longhorn Cafe

Multiple Locations: 17625 Blanco Rd., San Antonio, TX 78232; 23775 W. IH-10, San Antonio, TX 78257; 3150 SE Military Dr., San Antonio, TX 78223; 1003 Rittiman Rd., San Antonio, TX 78218; 1667 Hwy. 46 (intersection of Loop 337), New Braunfels, TX 78132; 369 S. Esser Rd., Boerne, TX 78006
Mom Approved: Each Longhorn Cafe is a little different, but most have great kids’ meals, video games, and patios with a playset. On certain nights, there’s even live music on the patio, not to mention cold beer for the parents and amazing food to boot! The Boerne location has a fenced-in play area with a big train in the middle and picnic tables.
Menu Recommendations: You just can’t beat a good greasy burger from Longhorn Cafe! The bean burger is a beef patty burger slathered in refried beans and cheese and topped with crunch Fritos—seriously good.

Mama’s in Boerne

Location: 30775 IH-10 West, Boerne, TX 78006
Mom Approved: Mama’s has an arcade area inside, a playscape, and a field/basketball area outside—great to keep kids of all ages entertained!
Menu Recommendations: Order the chicken fried steak and fried okra—you won’t be sorry!

Perico’s

Location: 1439 E. Sonterra Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78258
Mom Approved: Good food, good drinks, great patio, and the kids love the playground. You can have a margarita and relax while they play.
Menu Recommendations: Order the smothered chicken tacos or, for something lighter, the tortilla soup.

Random Beer Garden

Location: 11 Upper Cibolo Creek Rd., Boerne, TX
Mom Approved: Food trucks, a bouncy house, yummy beer on tap, live music, a fun family atmosphere, and it’s one door down from Boerne City Lake! Makes for a great full day with the family. See ACMB’s blog post that includes Random Beer Garden here.
Menu Recommendations: Check their Facebook page for the food truck schedule.

Random Beer Garden
Random Beer Garden

Scenic Loop Cafe

Location: 25615 Boerne Stage Rd. (at Scenic Loop), San Antonio, TX 78255
Mom Approved: Scenic Loop Cafe has a Hill Country feel and great patio with a playscape. The menu is more varied than our favorite kid-friendly burger joints.
Menu Recommendations: The Shrimp en Brochette is a delicious starter, and the Chicken Poblano and Braised Pork Shank are ahhh-mazing!

The Point Park & Eats

Location: 24188 Boerne Stage Rd., San Antonio, TX 78255
Mom Approved: The Point Park & Eats has outdoor play areas, a rotating schedule of food trucks, and great music and bars for the adults. See ACMB’s blog post about The Point Park & Eats here.
Menu Recommendations: With a constantly changing schedule of food trucks, there’s always a huge selection to choose from.

the point
The Point Park & Eats

Tribeca

Location: 4331 McCullough Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212
Mom Approved: A sophisticated menu, great food and cocktails, and a kids’ dining room that has toys and a television with kids shows make Tribeca great. There is limited seating for adults in the kids’ dining area, so be sure to make reservations.
Menu Recommendations: You can’t go wrong with either the mussels and fries or duck and sweet potato gnocchi.

Tycoon Flats

Location: 2926 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio, TX 78212
Mom Approved: Most weekends, Tycoon Flats has live music. They offer an outdoor eating area with a kids’ play area and good food.
Menu Recommendations: Great burgers that you can add just about anything to, and the nachos are amazing. The fried pickles are also delish!

Willie’s Grill & Icehouse

Multiple Locations: Hill Country Villiage—15801 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio, TX 78232; Shavano Park—4051 N. Loop 1604 West, San Antonio, TX 78257; 151—8739 SH 151, San Antonio, TX 78245; Leon Springs—24200 W. IH-10, Leon Springs, TX 78257; New Braunfels—2966 Coldsprings Dr., New Braunfels, TX 78130
Mom Approved: Willie’s has a sandbox for the kids to play in that they love! The patio is great, and the atmosphere is definitely accepting of a rowdy table full of kids.
Menu Recommendations: The blackened Baja Fish Tacos are super yummy!

Brooke
Brooke graduated high school from right here in San Antonio. After twelve years of living everywhere from Colorado to Greece, London to Atlanta, she and her husband have made San Antonio home and have become parents to their daughter and son. Brooke loves finding undiscovered activities around the city and dragging her kids along! She is a runner, an amateur cook that loves trying out San Antonio’s growing culinary scene and is actively involved in non-profit organizations in San Antonio.

5 COMMENTS

  1. The Cove is pretty awesome. The sustainable food is delish and the kid’s playground is nicely covered and centered so parents can sit on the fan cooled patio tables while enjoying food, drinks, and watching their kids play. Kids do have to be aware of the dogs though, not every doggy wants to be squealed over 😉

  2. Viola’s Ventanas on Westover Hills is also a Barrios restaurant and has a playground, patio, and live music.

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