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Top 10 Family-Friendly Restaurants

By Kyrie Collins, Highlands Ranch-Parker-Castle Rock Publisher January 9, 2013
My kids love going out to eat and I love having a night off from cooking, leftovers, and cleaning up (OK, my husband usually does the cleaning up part ... thanks, honey!). Here is our Top 10 List of Family-Friendly Restaurants (listed alphabetically, not in order of preference). Is your favorite on here? If not, leave a comment at the bottom of the article and share your recommendation!
  1. Casa Bonita (Lakewood): While my husband would prefer to NEVER go back because of the food (and everyone older than 2 is required to buy a meal to enter), this place is a Denver legend. If you remember going as a kid or a teen, you might take your children and think, "The food used to be better." No, it wasn't ... your tastebuds have evolved. While the food may not win any culinary awards, you can't beat Casa Bonita for the pure entertainment value. What other restaurant has a 30-foot waterfall, cliff divers, puppet shows, an arcade, and dancing gorillas? If you haven't taken the kids yet, perhaps it's time. Just stick with the sopaipillas - you can't go wrong with fried dough covered in honey. Check the Deals Page of their website for current coupons.
  2. Fargo's (Colorado Springs): A Colorado Springs classic, Fargo's is a pizza place with a Victorian-ish theme, complete with a player piano (requires quarters to play). The staff is dressed in period clothing, your order number lights up in the mirrors, they've got a good salad bar and decent pizza, and an arcade. It's a little kitschy, a little eclectic, and a lot of fun.
  3. IHOP (many locations, including Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Parker): Because breakfast for dinner is just how we roll sometimes! My kids will eat pancakes and bacon any time they are offered. Plus, children can eat free from the kids' menu every night (adult meal purchase required) at all the IHOP locations in Douglas County. January is all-you-can-eat pancake month. Follow on Facebook to stay in-the-know about all their special offers throughout the year.
  4. The Melting Pot (Littleton and Colorado Springs): The Melting Pot is an interactive, fondue experience. The four-course meal includes cheese fondue, salad, entree, and dessert. The food is outstanding and we have always had exceptional service. Kids 12 and under eat free on Sundays from 3:00-5:00 PM and Tuesdays from 5:00-7:00 PM (adult meal purchase required). It's a bit more expensive than most other restaurants on our list, but if you join the Club Fondue email list, you'll get great offers sent to your inbox. We've gotten the four-course meal for less than $60 per couple and combined it with a Kids Eat Free day and time. Just remember, the hot fondue pot is in the middle of your table within arm's reach so this is a better choice for kids who are at least preschool-age.
  5. Movie Tavern Breakfast and a Flick (Aurora): Movie Tavern is a movie theater, casual dining restaurant, and full bar all rolled into one. You get table service right in your movie seat. One of the best things they offer is Breakfast & a Flick on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM for select G and PG movies. For about the same (or less) as you'd pay for movie tickets, popcorn, and sodas for everyone, you can enjoy a full breakfast while watching a family-friendly movie together. Kids' menu items are $3.50; adult items are $3.50-$6; movie tickets are $5 per person.
  6. Mt. Fuji (several locations including Castle Rock and Parker): Mt. Fuji is a Hibachi restaurant with a full sushi bar too. If you aren't familiar with this type of restaurant, up to 8 guests sit around a large hibachi grill while the chefs cook your meal right in front of you. The chefs are very entertaining and the more receptive you are to their antics (e.g., big applause and laughs), the more fun they will make your experience. It's more expensive than most other restaurants on this list (adult Hibachi dinners with meat start at $17) but you get fresh, healthy food and entertainment. You can often find $25 gift certificates for $10 for the Parker restaurant on Restaurant.com; the Castle Rock location has coupons in a variety of print media. Please Note: For those of you in Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch, you might try Fujiyama for a similar experience but I've never eaten there so I can't vouch for it.
  7. Old Country Buffet (several locations, including Lone Tree, Englewood, Aurora, and Colorado Springs): If you've got a child in the middle of a growth spurt or teenage boys, you can't go wrong with an all-you-can-eat buffet, and this is the one most recommended by my friends. Soup, salad, plenty of sides, fried or baked chicken, plus dessert is included in the price of lunch or dinner. Participating locations have Family Night on Thursdays, when kids 11 and younger eat for 99 cents (two kids per adult purchase). Join their Crave Connection email list or Follow on Facebook to get other deals and offers.
  8. Pizza Doodle (Centennial): Pizza Doodle is a relatively new locally-owned restaurant that serves pizza, calzones, sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes. They don't serve alcohol but you can bring in your own wine to enjoy with your meal; there's even a liquor store two doors down. Pizza Doodle has a play room with lots of toys and dress-up clothes. At first glance, I thought my 9-year-old would be too old to enjoy playing in here but he thought it was "really fun" and fussed when it was time to leave. One of the choices on the kids' menu is a Build Your Own Pizza, which both kids did and loved. With several gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on the menu, this place is a blessing to families with food sensitivities and allergies - they even have a gluten-free, dairy-free grilled cheese sandwich for the kids! Everything is made fresh to order so it may take a little bit longer to get your meal (average wait time is 15-30 minutes), but the food was really delicious and worth the wait.
  9. Red Robin (many locations, including Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, and Parker): Burgers, sandwiches, shakes, and bottomless fries in a fun and energetic restaurant make this a family favorite for nearly everyone I talked to! Mark your calendars for the Savor the Dates Challenge going on now through March 1 - eat at Red Robin on specific days, order a specific type of food, and collect stamps to save money when you eat there March 20-April 19.
  10. White Fence Farm (Lakewood): Add your name to the restaurant waiting list as soon as you arrive (there has been a waiting list every time we've visited), then step out onto the grounds to enjoy a variety of family entertainment and farm activities. From a petting zoo to a treehouse playground to a two-story Pig Chute (slide), your kids will have a ton of fun before and after the meal. They specialize in family-style farm chicken served with your choice of potatoes and endless servings of beets, coleslaw, bean salad (yum!) and fritters (double-yum!). Join the Farm Mail list for special offers. Please Note: White Fence Farm is closed for the entire month of January.