Want to go out to eat with the kids in a carefree setting? Lucky for us, the Austin area has a lot to offer when it comes to dining out with children, including plenty of restaurants with play structures right there on their patio to provide a fun experience for the entire family.

With our friends at Yelp, we recently asked for your feedback on the Austin metro area’s best kid-friendly restaurants, and voting results are in! There’s a tie between Hat Creek Burger Company and Waterloo Ice House!  Read on to see what makes these spots so great and see a few of our other picks. Kick back and enjoy a night away from the kitchen.

Hat Creek Burger Company
Hat Creek is a family-friendly burger joint with unique play yards at all of their locations. With great menu options such as burgers, chicken, sweet potato fries, milkshakes and even breakfast tacos and pancakes, there’s something appealing to taste buds of all ages. But the best part is letting the kids play in enclosed areas while you can sit back with a beer and relax with friends.

Photo courtesy of Hat Creek

Waterloo Ice House
On the scene in Austin since 1976, Waterloo Ice House offers up a huge menu of salads, burgers, sandwiches, & Tex-Mex options. They have three locations where the kids can play outdoors (360/N. Capital of TX Hwy, Southpark Meadows, Slaughter Lane & Escarpment Blvd.). Kids can enjoy a playscape, sandpit, outdoor and indoor seating with plenty of shaded tables.

South Park Meadows location, photo from the Waterloo Ice House Facebook page.

Phil’s Ice House
Phil’s is one of Austin’s dreamy spots for burgers, playtime, and fun. It also helps that Phil’s is paired next to Amy’s Ice Creams at all three of their locations (Burnet Rd., South Lamar, and North Austin on 183). The menu offers up kid-friendly basics like burgers & fries, corn dogs, chicken tenders, etc. And take note that they have Parents’ Recess, which is basically happy hour Monday – Friday from 3-5:30 p.m. with discounted beer and wine specials. But the playground areas at each location are the big draw for happy families. Kids can go nuts on their colorful playscapes while you enjoy some comfort food. Just don’t forget to save room for ice cream!

Phil’s/Amy’s Burnet Road location.

Home Slice Pizza
When it comes to kids, you usually can’t go wrong with pizza! The North Loop Home Slice location offers an outdoor patio with children’s play area that gives the kids space to run off some wiggles and play some games of corn hole with mom and dad. It’s super cute! Of course, like the South location, kids are offered a big ball of dough to play with before the meal to keep those little hands busy at the table.

Outdoor play space at Home Slice North Loop. Photo by Kaylin Balderrama

Kerbey Lane Cafe
Even the pickiest little eaters can find something delicious to enjoy at Kerbey Lane Cafe. This kid-approved Austin classic has 8 area locations, you can stop into any Kerbey Lane Cafe for huge pancakes in a great variety of flavors, even with vegan options. And take note that there are little playscapes at both the Kerbey Lane in Westlake and in Round Rock, and the Mueller location is just a short distance to the Mueller Lake Park. Also note that on Tuesdays, kids ages 12 & under eat free all day with the purchase of an adult entrée.

Photo from the Kerbey Lane Cafe Facebook page.

Easy Tiger
From giant pretzels to sausages to classic items on the Kids Cub menu, Easy Tiger has great food to appeal to any kiddo. The outdoor beer garden atmosphere at all Easy Tiger locations makes this a perfect relaxed environment for all ages, even the family pups, too. The South Austin location even offers the Little Tiger Den, a designated play area for the kids.

Photo courtesy of Easy Tiger.

More reader-suggestions!
Y’all also recommended these great spots for family-friendly dining:

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