A family day out in Tacoma can involve a surprising amount of negotiation. Someone wants pizza. Someone wants seafood. Someone who ate crackers eleven minutes ago is now facing what appears to be a food emergency.
Fortunately, Tacoma has kid-friendly restaurants for a range of appetites and attention spans, from a pizza place with arcade games to waterfront dining where the children's menu leaves room for both salmon enthusiasts and committed butter-noodle people. Here are eight places to work into your next family outing.
Menus checked September 2026. Check each restaurant's current menu and hours before heading out; call ahead for high chairs, larger groups, or dietary needs.
Farrelli's Pizza: Pizza with an arcade side dish
3518 6th Avenue | A good fit for: pizza night and a little built-in entertainment
Pizza already has a respectable record of settling dinner disputes. At Farrelli's on 6th Avenue, the family-friendly restaurant side adds an arcade game area to the argument. That gives the evening something to revolve around besides repeatedly asking when the food will arrive.
The location also has a private party loft, worth asking about if your family dinner has grown to include cousins, grandparents, and the person who always brings another person. Choose the restaurant side for a family meal; the nightlife description belongs to a different kind of evening.
Cooks Tavern: Breakfast has no age limit
3201 N. 26th Street | A good fit for: waffles, comfort food, and a neighborhood outing
Cooks Tavern makes room for the child who considers breakfast a perfectly reasonable answer to every meal. Its kids' menu includes an all-day breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast, plus a waffle slam for anyone who believes syrup improves the situation.
There are butter-and-Parmesan noodles, chicken fingers, burgers, and grilled cheese, too. Meanwhile, the grown-up menu leaves room for a more adventurous order. Check the current menu, then pair your meal with a look around the Proctor area.
Shake Shake Shake: Small burgers, serious shake decisions
124 N. Tacoma Avenue | A good fit for: a simple burger-and-shake stop
For a child who treats lettuce as an unauthorized passenger, the plain mini burger at Shake Shake Shake is a useful starting point. The menu also lists a mini classic burger and larger burgers for larger appetites.
The shakes, as the name has been trying to tell you three times, deserve consideration. This is a straightforward choice when the day's plans call for familiar food and a sweet finish, without turning lunch into an elaborate production.
Dusty's Hideaway: A house that welcomes the whole crew
723 E. 34th Street | A good fit for: a casual McKinley Hill meal
Dusty's Hideaway occupies a converted Craftsman house on McKinley Hill, and the restaurant explicitly welcomes all ages. Its outdoor space accommodates families and dogs, which is helpful if your traveling party has both small shoes and paws.
The kids' menu keeps things recognizable: a burger, nuggets, PB&J, grilled cheese, and chicken strips. Adults can explore the bigger burgers, sandwiches, and vegan choices. For a larger gathering, call first about seating; a house has a different relationship with space than a banquet hall.
McMenamins Pub at Elks Temple: Look up between bites
565 Broadway | A good fit for: a downtown meal with plenty to look at
The Pub at Elks Temple offers tall windows, Foss Waterway views, and chandeliers that give curious diners a reason to inspect the ceiling. The pub welcomes all ages and has a dedicated kids' menu; make this your family destination within the larger Elks Temple property.
Children can choose pizza, mac and cheese, chicken tenders, or a burger. The menu also includes hummus with pita and veggie sticks, giving the table another option beyond the familiar fried-food delegation. The pub welcomes large groups and asks that you call ahead when possible.
Southern Kitchen: Comfort food for the table
1716 6th Avenue | A good fit for: a Southern-style breakfast or lunch
Southern Kitchen brings fried chicken, catfish, corncakes, and other Southern staples to 6th Avenue. It's a useful choice when the adults want a meal with some character and the younger diners need their own kids' menu.
Look over the current breakfast and lunch offerings together before you go. Pancakes and waffles appear on the regular breakfast menu, while the larger meals offer a chance to introduce something new alongside familiar favorites. Leave the possibility of peach cobbler open. Some decisions can wait until after lunch.
WildFin American Grill: A waterfront meal with the kids covered
5115 Grand Loop, Point Ruston | A good fit for: a sit-down meal during a waterfront outing
The Tacoma WildFin menu gives children choices including fish and chips, grilled cheese, chicken strips, and fettuccine with cream sauce or marinara. Its kids' meal package includes a starter, entree, beverage, and ice cream sundae, with a choice of fruit, fries, or vegetables alongside the entree.
That makes planning a little easier when you're fitting dinner into a day along the waterfront. Take a walk before or after the meal, and give the family a chance to appreciate the view at a pace that doesn't require everyone to remain seated.
Harbor Lights: Salmon for one, butter noodles for another
2761 N. Ruston Way | A good fit for: seafood and a Commencement Bay view
Harbor Lights lets a family order along the full spectrum of seafood enthusiasm. The kids' menu includes chargrilled wild salmon and fish and chips, with a burger, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and butter noodles available for those keeping their relationship with the ocean strictly visual.
The Ruston Way setting makes this a good option for a more leisurely family meal. Pair it with a waterfront stroll, and you've got an outing that gives the grown-ups a view and the kids a next thing to do.
Make a day of it
Choose your restaurant around the part of town you're exploring, and keep a backup in mind for busy weekends. If a specific dish, high chair, or outdoor table is essential, a quick call can settle that before everyone gets hungry.
For the hours between meals, explore our family-friendly things to do in Tacoma and Pierce County. Planning a longer visit? Find a place to stay and spread the exploring over a weekend. Eight restaurants should at least buy you a little time before someone asks what's for dinner.
