Places to eat in Denver when you're with kids

July 3, 2014 10:47 AM

Hi, we will be in Denver next weekend as part of a family vacation. Can you recommend somewhere that serves good food and is family-friendly? We like most kinds of cuisine that are commonly available in the U.S.

My wife and I would like to have a couple suppers or lunches at restaurants that serve tasty, well-made food. However, we will also be with our three children (ages 8, 6, and 3) and don't want to go somewhere too fancy or where the waitstaff or other customers will give us nasty looks. Our kids are generally well-behaved at restaurants, but they aren't silent or perfectly behaved. A kids' menu would be nice.

posted by Area Man to Food & Drink (15 answers total)

In the Uptown neighborhood, Vine Street Pub is awesome. The food is so good and fresh and there are always a lot of kids there. They also have a selection of board games you can borrow from. The downside of this place is that they only accept cash and there can be wait times if you go at rush hour.

Also in Uptown, Tony P's is usually my go-to restuant when I'm with my nephews because they're crazy about pizza. The food is pretty good and our wait staff usually gives the kids balls of raw pizza dough to play with until food arrives. Sunday afternoons they have gospel brunch- I haven't been there for that but I've heard the singing from outside and it sounds like fun.

If you're going to be here on a Sunday evening, I highly suggest grabbing your picnic blankets and going to City Park Jazz in City Park. They have a decent selection of food trucks there if that's your thing, otherwise you can pack a picnic and a bottle of wine.
posted by shornco at 11:01 AM on July 3, 2014

Where are you staying? Denver is full of good food, and basically everyone here has either kids or dogs or both and takes them everywhere, so your options are pretty broad.
posted by peachfuzz at 11:03 AM on July 3, 2014

It's pricey and not really more then basic food but this would be cool with kids - the restaurant in the aquarium
posted by lpcxa0 at 11:10 AM on July 3, 2014

Response by poster: We are staying in Englewood, but I know we'll be driving around on Saturday and Sunday doing different things including going to a Rockies game.
posted by Area Man at 11:15 AM on July 3, 2014

Like peachfuzz said, Denver is really laid-back and there aren't many places that would frown upon kids, as long as you're going someplace where entrees are less than $30 or so (food is cheap here). I'll recommend Buenos Aires and get gelato after - it's near-ish to the stadium.
posted by umwhat at 12:03 PM on July 3, 2014

Last summer some friends of mine roadtripped through Denver with their kids, ages 2, 11, 14. They went to Casa Bonita which was pretty ordinary tex-mex restaurant cuisine, but the place had spectacle turned up to 11: every 15 minutes there's a show of some kind which inevitably ends with someone falling into a pool. (There is also a diving show which is nothing but.) Also, it appears, hourly puppet shows. They all had fun by all accounts.
posted by Sunburnt at 12:16 PM on July 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Park Burger is a cool family friendly burger place with gourmet burgers and good beer and milkshakes. There is one not too far from Englewood on South Pearl Street.
posted by Clustercuss at 1:07 PM on July 3, 2014

I was going to suggest Casa Bonita too, but "good food" is one of the stated criteria, and the awfulness of Casa Bonita's food is universally attested.

However, it's a great place for kids, and worthwhile as a weird, one-of-a-kind experience. If you go, keep your expectations for the food nice and low.
posted by sleevener at 1:37 PM on July 3, 2014

Best answer: It's been a while, but I went to Steuben's and ate great mac and cheese there and it was a fun, laid-back place.
posted by PussKillian at 1:52 PM on July 3, 2014

The food is not good at Casa Bonita but go anyway. You can fill up on the endless supply of sopapillas. Your kids will love it and it's one of those experiences you should have. Part of the experience is talking about how bad the food is. You don't go for the food and the all you can eat sopapillas make up for it. If you like South Park they did an episode on it, here it is if you are interested. If you like thrift shops there is a good one in the same parking lot called ARC.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:52 PM on July 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

If you do go here is a Casa Bonita Survival Guide and coupons. The Taco salad is indeed probably your best bet.
posted by BoscosMom at 3:11 PM on July 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

For a quick meal, try Tocabe. It's kind of similar in idea to Chipotle, but with fry bread tacos. So. Good.
posted by freezer cake at 3:15 PM on July 3, 2014

Oh, and if you like ribs, Hickory House.
posted by freezer cake at 3:26 PM on July 3, 2014

We really liked the Cherry Cricket.
posted by schyler523 at 7:14 AM on July 4, 2014

Response by poster: Thank you everyone. I wish we were staying longer and could try more of your recommendations.

I just can't bring myself to go to Casa Bonita. Fortunately, my kids are Minnesotan and have never heard of the place.
posted by Area Man at 6:47 AM on July 13, 2014