The Dos and Don'ts of Dining Out With Kids in Cleveland

When I was a kid, “going out to eat” meant digging into a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut or loading up on soup, salad and breadsticks (OK, mostly breadsticks) at Olive Garden. But the culinary landscape has changed since then, and so has the experience of taking kids out to eat. 

These days, many parents aren’t just willing to take their children to restaurants; they insist on it. But even as a longtime restaurant reviewer, I still haven’t totally gotten a handle on dining out with my son. And it seems I’m not the only one

“Our kids are tornadoes, so we don’t take them to non-kid places,” one pal recently lamented. Another takes her toddler twins out to eat every Friday, raving about some spots and recounting the horrors of others.

So how, exactly, do parents figure out which restaurants are worth the risk? It largely comes down to word of mouth and a little help from social media.

Jessica Cliff, who co-owns Matteo’s in Olmsted Falls, says her restaurant saw an uptick in family dining after being featured on @clewithkids. But it was featured precisely because the Cliffs have been so intentional about welcoming families. On Tuesday nights, Matteo’s offers a massive, family-style Italian meal, complete with a build-your-own sundaes bar — and kids eat free. 

“Before we owned the restaurant, our family basically only ate out at two different places,” Cliff recalls. “We wanted someplace for families to be able to go that felt a bit more high-end but still accommodating to kids.” 

RELATED: Cleveland’s Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants

Of course, other local spots have taken the opposite approach. In 2024, Forest City Brewery made waves with a Facebook post that read, “Due to a few bad apples and irresponsible parents, we will no longer allow children under 16 on the premises.” Many parents felt slighted by the ban. But as the mom of a loud, sprinting toddler, I can hardly blame them for wanting to retain an atmosphere of chillness.

Luckily, there are plenty of options for parents who want a meal they didn’t make while their kids enjoy a space that isn’t their own.

“We’re a brewpub with equal attention to our food and our beer, and that’s why families feel at home here,” says Andrew Revy of Immigrant Son Brewery in Lakewood. Craft root beer and cream soda are brewed in-house, while kids’ meals are half-off on Mondays.

In Avon Lake, Laughing Bomb Brewery at John Christ Winery caters to families with G-rated movie nights in the vineyard, knowing parents need the respite.

“We value family time,” says Brittney Laughbaum, owner of John Christ Winery and mother of two. “In a world that seems to go-go-go, it’s nice to offer a place where families can spend their time together.” 

At its core, successfully dining out with kids is about preparation, both in choosing where to go and being ready to pivot on a whim. Sometimes, that means scrapping reservations when you realize it doesn’t have highchairs; other times, it means paying the bill as soon as the food hits the table at Dewey’s Pizza because you anticipate that your kid is about to melt down. 

Because ultimately, the goal is three-fold: One, to have a nice time with the family. Two, to never be the “bad apples” who ruin a dining experience for other families. And finally, to teach kids how to be cool, responsible little humans who know how to function in society — one slice of pizza and bowl of pasta at a time.  

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