What is the best place to eat at in Portland Oregon with children?

Answer 1

Portland, Oregon, is seen across the US as a hipster-haven full of young up-and-comers whose intolerance for norms is surpassed only by their snarky passive aggressiveness. However, Portland is generally an open-minded and family-friendly place full of restaurants and trademark food carts that make dining with children a fun, or at least endurable, experience.

Of course, the answer depends on what kind of food you like to eat. Portland is known more for its local-foods circuit than for a cosmopolitan selection of diverse culinary experiences. That said, the Ethiopian restaurants in town are many, and just about all of them are staffed with incredibly sweet servers. They are usually low-key, not very crowded, and the food tends to be good for small children (just try to get something not too spicy).

Food carts usually provide the widest selection of international foods, and there are some food courts that provide relatively enclosed but spacious areas that kids can run and jump and play around in. The food court on 20th and Davis has different carts, from deep fried mushrooms to quesadillas and Vietnamese food, that provide cheap delicacies in the fun environment of an enclosed and converted parking lot.

As for restaurants that are particularly child-friendly, Old Wives Tales on 1300 East Burnside serves traditional American food provides a generous playroom for kids to climb around, yell, and meet new friends. The food is not delicious, but it becomes infinitely more tolerable with the kids at play.

For better food, I have heard that Laurelwood serves good brew-pub food and provides a play area, but it is a bit further east at the 5100 block of Sandy.

Last but not least, Portland is known for its coffee shops, and there are several particularly child friendly coffee shops around town. Bipartisan Cafe (7109 SE Stark) and Urban Grind (2214 NE Oregon St) are noteworthy for providing child-friendly spaces for kids to play and a well stocked menu of baked goods and menu items. However, even the very-hip coffee shops generally have a soft spot for kids making noise.

Last but not least, as I mentioned earlier, the local foods scene is big in Portland. Especially in the summer, the farmers markets throng with all sections of Portland society, and the parks fill up with sun-bathers. A great idea for families can always be picking up food at one of several farmers markets and staking out a good picnic site in a park. Most parks have playgrounds, and summers are short, so if you have the chance to be outside, it may be a good call to take it.