Baby-Friendly Restaurants

Ragdolls

What are your favorite baby-friendly restaurants in HoCo?  We're forever ending up at the same spots with DS and desperately need some variety....

mrs. remy

I like Red Robin because its pretty busy and loud with a ton of stuff to look at and it seems to keep him occupied. Kind of depends on what stage he is in-I think smaller babies are easier to take pretty much anywhere.  After DS turned one I had the hardest time taking him places. We basically had to shovel down our food, pay fast and get the heck out of there. He's just starting to get better with it now.

And you probably were looking for finer cuisine than Red Robin.....but its the first place that popped in my head, and also I am not in HoCo....so I am really no help at all to you 

KathrynMD

We've done brunch/early dinner @ Victoria several times.  Its fun.

Mamma Lucia's and Bertucci's are good.  We haven't been, but I'll bet Looney's would be good.  We've been to Greene Turtle a few times. And, you know, Red Robin, but its a little chaotic there. 

I like Houlihan's near Costco too.  Its sort of nice, but still kid friendly and I don't feel like I'm ruining anybody's big night out, but I can also have a nice adult dinner and a glass of wine/cocktail.

camdenfaithful

What about Coal Fire??  I love their pizza with the signature sauce.  Yum!

KathrynMD

oh - an of course diners.  I could eat at Silver Diner in Laurel every day.

Ragdolls

KathrynMD:

oh - an of course diners.  I could eat at Silver Diner in Laurel every day.

I was trying to talk my mom into going there with me yesterday!!  We ended up at J&P again.  I love their food - but lately it's just been an endless circuit between there and Looney's because I'm afraid of DS's delightedly hurling a handful of mushy puffs into the air in more uptight surroundings.

I think my Per Se days really are over.

FieryIrishAngel

We took Mia pretty much everywhere that wasn't a truly upscale restaurant.  If she made a mess, we cleaned it up, and if she got out of hand with her volume level in a more quiet place, we took her outside for a bit to distract her and give her new surroundings.  iPhones were a saving grace, though - she'd often play and keep herself quiet and occupied for a good while.

Ragdolls

FieryIrishAngel:

We took Mia pretty much everywhere that wasn't a truly upscale restaurant.  If she made a mess, we cleaned it up, and if she got out of hand with her volume level in a more quiet place, we took her outside for a bit to distract her and give her new surroundings.  iPhones were a saving grace, though - she'd often play and keep herself quiet and occupied for a good while.

Fair enough - but sometimes I'm not in the mood to deal with managing a 9 month old in a quiet or overly cramped place.  And he's much too young for an iPhone.  So what I need is a solid handful of spots in my back pocket for when I want to eat a meal without multiple trips outside to manage a baby who's doing nothing other than acting his age.

photo_nut

FieryIrishAngel:

We took Mia pretty much everywhere that wasn't a truly upscale restaurant.  If she made a mess, we cleaned it up, and if she got out of hand with her volume level in a more quiet place, we took her outside for a bit to distract her and give her new surroundings.  iPhones were a saving grace, though - she'd often play and keep herself quiet and occupied for a good while.

 we did this too. family friendly places I tend to avoid because they are crazy loud (Red Robin for example) we just take the kids to smallish places because it seems the bigger and louder they are, the worse my kids act - local owned seemed to be the best bet, usually the owners have kids and know how kids act. And we clean up after the kids - DH and I were both waitresses and there is nothing worse then cleaning up crushed crackers off the floor. I have never had a problem with taking both kids everywhere.

Ragdolls

photo_nut:

FieryIrishAngel:

We took Mia pretty much everywhere that wasn't a truly upscale restaurant.  If she made a mess, we cleaned it up, and if she got out of hand with her volume level in a more quiet place, we took her outside for a bit to distract her and give her new surroundings.  iPhones were a saving grace, though - she'd often play and keep herself quiet and occupied for a good while.

 we did this too. family friendly places I tend to avoid because they are crazy loud (Red Robin for example) we just take the kids to smallish places because it seems the bigger and louder they are, the worse my kids act - local owned seemed to be the best bet, usually the owners have kids and know how kids act. And we clean up after the kids - DH and I were both waitresses and there is nothing worse then cleaning up crushed crackers off the floor. I have never had a problem with taking both kids everywhere.

Um...yes...and these are the places I'm asking for!!!  We do less crowded local spots like J&P and El Azteca all the time.  I don't think I've ever even been to a Red Robin.  I just want a few more comfortable spots (ETA: with good food) to add to my go to neighborhood list since we're always at a loss when it comes time to run out for a meal. 

And rest assured - I'm on my hands and knees picking puffs off the floor every time we go out.  I'm uber-sensitive to these things, too.

 

KathrynMD

My neighbor raves about Hickory Ridge Grill for kids/families too, its mediterranean.  We went once and I wasn't blown away, but it was OK.  They also have an independent ice cream place in the shopping center - so that's a nice after dinner treat.

If you aren't feeding him finger foods yet, you might start that at restaurants, that's probably a good way to keep him entertained and engaged while you are at meals.  Also - ice was a huge fun thing.  Now that the weather's nice, you can always go anywhere outside - we've gone to brunch or lunch @ Clyde's outside alot.

When he's mobile, it'll be harder to go places b/c he'll want to explore everything/everywhere and will not sit - so take advantage of immobility now. 

Kaybee44

Eggspectation is a nice place to take kids. Someplace different as well. My parents love J&P. They live about 5-10 minutes away in Burtonsville. It's on the way to the theatre so they stop there all the time.

gabbride

We take DS (he's 16months, but we've taken him since he was born) pretty much anywhere...we just clean up so we don't feel too guilty!!  In HoCo, Mi Casa and Bare Bones near St Johns Lane, ummm Outback and Carraba's...Longhorn Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday's...we did Houlihan's once (they even let me use their back room to breastfeed!)

weezie825

I have found that Ethnic food restaurants tend to be a good place to take a little one. It seems that in restaurants where the local culture is less rushed they are also more tolerant of kids being kids. 

We have an Indian place we go (not in HoCo) where they treat DD like a princess.  We walk in the door and the head waiter has a mango lassi (smoothie) and a plate of samosas for DD as soon as we sit down.  And, what kid isn't going on seriously nosh on mashed potatoes and peas dipped in chickpea batter and fried?

Have you tried the Mongolian Grill in Columbia?  I love that you pick all your own stuff and then they cook it for you.  Plus watching the guys cook might be entertainment for LO.  https://www.mongoliangrillcolumbia.com/

And again, not in HoCo, but we found this place in Frederick and it was awesome: https://www.medgrillusa.com/  It is at the Westview Promenade (by the movie theater).  There is a little Russian bakery right beside it.  OMG_DROOL.  The only caveat was at the time we were there, DD was asleep in her stroller, so I can't remeber if they have high chairs or not.

madladybride

We've been to Victoria Gastropub twice and pubdogs...

terpsfan

weezie825:

I have found that Ethnic food restaurants tend to be a good place to take a little one. It seems that in restaurants where the local culture is less rushed they are also more tolerant of kids being kids. 

We have an Indian place we go (not in HoCo) where they treat DD like a princess.  We walk in the door and the head waiter has a mango lassi (smoothie) and a plate of samosas for DD as soon as we sit down.  And, what kid isn't going on seriously nosh on mashed potatoes and peas dipped in chickpea batter and fried?

Have you tried the Mongolian Grill in Columbia?  I love that you pick all your own stuff and then they cook it for you.  Plus watching the guys cook might be entertainment for LO.  https://www.mongoliangrillcolumbia.com/

And again, not in HoCo, but we found this place in Frederick and it was awesome: https://www.medgrillusa.com/  It is at the Westview Promenade (by the movie theater).  There is a little Russian bakery right beside it.  OMG_DROOL.  The only caveat was at the time we were there, DD was asleep in her stroller, so I can't remeber if they have high chairs or not.

Ditto on the ethnic restaurants.  We aren't in HoCo (but inlaws are) and frequent the Vietnamese joints down there and they are very kid friendly (Pho Dat Than comes to mind).  We've been going to a Vietnamese restaurant in Newark, DE since before I was pregnant with DD (so over 4 years now) and they LOVE when we bring in the kids...and DD loves to eat pho and eats her weight in cha gio so it's win win.  They seriously fawn all over her and treat her like the littler quarter Vietnamese princess she is  

SarahKate31

KathrynMD:

oh - an of course diners.  I could eat at Silver Diner in Laurel every day.

I love Silver Diner in Laurel! In college I honestly did go there every single day. That was where we went to hang out every night. I miss those days

KathrynMD

SarahKate31:

KathrynMD:

oh - an of course diners.  I could eat at Silver Diner in Laurel every day.

I love Silver Diner in Laurel! In college I honestly did go there every single day. That was where we went to hang out every night. I miss those days

Silver Diner was our first post baby outing - for unknown reasons I was DYING for corned beef hash and made G take us there.  It took about 2 hours to get out, but OMG, so worth it.