We've all spent a lot more time eating outdoors over the past couple of years. It's true that a lot of that "outdoor" dining happened in the dead of winter in tents set up in restaurant parking lots. But now it's the season when you're supposed to eat outdoors.
I don't know about you, but I've got a 10-year-old son who usually gets bored inside a restaurant and spends the whole meal bugging me for my phone. But take the whole thing outside, and kids seem a lot more interested in their surroundings -- the sun and the fresh air and the people-watching seem to invigorate them as much as it does us parents.
So where are the especially good outdoor dining spots around here that are also kid-friendly? Glad you asked. Because I just scrolled through a TinyBeans story called Outdoor Eats: 13 Kid-Friendly Restaurants With Patios. It's a great place to start your search for a family outdoor dining spot.
For instance, if you haven't been to downtown Seattle's OG tourist destination Pike Place Market lately, you'll find that the market is packed with visitors again, especially on the weekends. One way to feel like you're in the middle of the action without actually being in the middle of the action is to dine at Copacabana, which features one of the city's best patios, on the second floor, so you're above the hubbub, but still able to watch the passing spectacle down at street level.
Over by UW, I've always loved Aqua Verde, where the chips and salsa and enchiladas are great and you get a spectacular view of the kayakers and paddle boarders skimming the surface of Portage Bay just beneath you. My kid still has happy memories of being up there on a sunny summer day when he was, like, two years old.
The web post I mentioned also suggests Anthony's Home Port and their sister spot, Anthony's Woodfire Grill, up in Everett. Great water views, dependable Northwest seafood, kid-friendly . . . but in fact, I'm just going to say that any of the Anthony's restaurants around here --from Bellingham to Anacortes to Edmonds down to Gig Harbor, Point Defiance, Olympia, and everywhere in between -- are classic spots where they really know how to take care of people, especially families with kiddos.
Oh, and I'll put in a plug for a neighborhood spot in my neck of the woods -- McGilvra's in Seattle's Madison Park. They've upped their post-pandemic patio game, offering a sweet vantage point to watch the action at Madison Park Beach, and their pub-food menu is way better than you might expect -- great burgers or fish & chips, perfect fries, and my son swears by the chicken strips. (And don't get me started on the coconut shrimp or the wedge salad!)
Start with the link I shared, and go from there. And let me know about your family's favorite kid-friendly outdoor spot, too. Summer's not over yet!