The city of Boston offers a wealth of things the whole family can do, from walking the famous Freedom Trail to visiting the world-class New England Aquarium and the Boston Children's Museum. Less well known are the city's kid-friendly restaurants. You might want to investigate them if you're planning a trip to the Boston area.
Friendly's claims that it was founded on ice cream but built around families. One look at the menu, which is shaped like a video-game controller and divided into levels of hunger, tells you that this is a kid-friendly restaurant. Menu items come in different portion sizes and include kid-pleasing favorites like chicken strips, mac 'n' cheese and cheeseburger sliders. Friendly's offers activity books and crayons, drinks with color-changing straws and tons of ice-cream treats.
Friendly's
5 Austin St.
Charlestown, MA 02129
(617) 242-2971
www.friendlys.com
Featured in Gourmet, Child and Boston magazines, Full Moon is the winner of several "Best of" awards. The sister-owners, Sarah and Cary Wheaton, felt the need for a restaurant that appealed to adults and children, so they opened Full Moon in 1997 as an alternative to fast food and restaurant chains. The restaurant serves European-American bistro food in a café atmosphere. While the adult menu change seasonally, the kids' version remains the same, with favorites like cheese pizza, hot dogs and chicken fingers. What makes Full Moon truly kid-friendly is its full-scale play area with buckets of toys. Tucked out of the way in a corner of the restaurant, it still lets parents keep an eye on their kids.
Full Moon
344 Huron Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 354-6699
www.fullmoonrestaurant.com
O'Naturals serves up healthy natural and organic meals and supports local farmers and businesses. The café, in Brigham and Women's Hospital, is a draw for young families and offers brunch, lunch and dinner. Children's menu choices include mac 'n' cheese, shells in tomato sauce, grilled cheese flatbread, hummus and veggies, and chicken and greens. All are $5. O'Naturals has a play area for kids, with doll houses, trains, blocks and child-size tables to keep them happy while parents eat in peace.
O'Naturals
75 Francis St.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 232-6200
www.onaturals.com
Sixteen miles south of Boston, the Rainforest Café offers a jungle adventure for the whole family. The themed restaurant recreates a rain forest, with waterfalls, aquariums, mist and animatronic robots of animals and insects. Every thirty minutes, a symphony of animal sounds and movements makes the place come to life. The kids' menu includes chicken fingers, popcorn shrimp, mini turkey sliders, grilled cheese and other choices. After dinner, check out the gift shop's jungle-themed clothing, stuffed animals and other items that would make great mementos of your visit.
Rainforest Café
75 Middlesex Turnpike
Burlington, MA 01803
(781) 272-7555
www.rainforestcafe.com
