Which restaurants have the most interesting kids menus?

[KateDrake]

Hey all!
I have seen a million threads about "which restaurants offer chicken nuggets", etc., but I want to start a thread that kind of goes the opposite direction. Which restaurants do you think have the most interesting/diverse kids menus?

I have nothing against chicken nuggets, pizza, etc., but after a week-long trip, my DD5 starts to get sick of them. We are hoping to try BOG and a few character meals, but what others offer some "non-kid friendly" items on the kids menu? Any places your adventurous (or even just normal) eaters love?

 

[o0quirkygirl0o]

I feel like this is a real weak point for Disney. Many people complain that there aren't enough chicken nuggets or mac'n'cheese. I think even some of the "non-kid-friendly" stuff is still too dumbed down.

My suggestion is to try Boma. It is a buffet so your little one won't be relegated to only nuggets. And, it has some more "exciting" African flavors.

Disclaimer: I do not have children of my own, yet. But, I do go to Disney with my sister's children.

 

[scrappinam]

We like Ohana. Not really a kids menu because it is family style but my kids love the potstickers, noodles, and meat skewers. The bread pudding dessert steals the show! Not your typical kids food but delicious.

 

[isabellea]

Great thread! I'm kind of disappointed when I look at the kid menu for a lot of restaurants. My kids don't like what seem to be staples in other families (pizza, hot dog, mac and cheese) and I find it a bit depressing that you cannot get steamed veggies almost anywhere as it is my youngest (1.5yo) favourite thing to eat.

 

[jmulvaney]

When our kids were younger we would often order one adult entree for them to split. They could only eat so much of the bland kids' offerings. They also liked the buffets a lot. Especially Boma.

 

[Disney Ron]

We have an upcoming trip and my son is really excited about the choices on Raglan Road's menu.

Silly Steak - 5 ounce steak with onion ring garnish. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $14.00

Grillin Chicken - Tender chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and veggies $11.00

Little Big Burger - Sirloin beefburger char-grilled and topped with Dubliner cheddar cheese. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Gold'N Chicken - 2 deep fried chicken goujons. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Dalkey Duo - Dalkey-battered cocktail sausages with a Dalkey mustard dipping sauce. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Atlantic Fish - Fresh Atlantic fish deep fried in crispy batter. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $9.00

Crispy Shrimp - Succulent deep fried shrimp. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $9.00

Macaroni and Cheese - macaroni pasta and Dubliner cheese. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $7.00

Young Shepard's Pie - Traditional shepherd's pie with out contemporary twist to this favorite dish $8.00

Raglan Chicken Risotto - creamy mushroom and pea risotto with grilled chicken. $10.00

This is off AE.net/ menus

 

[KateDrake]

LOL, you have all replied with some of my favorite restaurants! We love Boma, Raglan Road and we haven't tried O'hana yet, but it is on our list!

We may skip RR and Boma this trip though, just because I don't know if we will make it to DTD. And we may try Sanaa instead of Boma. But I agree, those are all great options!

I am also saddened by the "dumbed down" kids menus. Like I said, I have no problem with those foods, but they aren't what we eat at home, so it would be nice to have some variety. I'll add Biergarten as another of our family's favorites. I feel like they have something for everyone.

 

[MamaMeggie]

Great question! I've been appalled at the awful choices on most of the kids menus (as well as the attitudes by so many posters that there should be fewer healthy choices!). While I'm sure my kids will eat chicken nuggets during our stay, eating nothing but that will make them sick since that's certainly not how we eat at home. We may have to put Raglan Road on our list.

 

[jaberwock]

Love this question. My kids are 2 and 4, of course they will eat (and love) burgers, fries, nuggets ect. they will try anything and usually love it. I usually order them an adult entrée to split when we go out to eat so they can try something new. They always have to try both of our entrees as well. I call them my little foodies.

 

[Runnergal]

I remember The Wave at the Contemporary had an interesting children's menu(I can't remember what was on it though! All I remember is my toddlers grilled cheese on rainbow swirled bread. But there were definitely healthier choices.) Also garden grill- family style, but the kids selections are chicken drumsticks, sweet potato fries and broccoli, I believe. And my ds had soft tacos from the kids menu at hacienda at Epcot which he loved.

 

[DisGirl819]

My kids don't eat a lot Of typical kid fare. We like garden grill which is served family style and they can eat off the adult platter. We also love cape may cafe but my daughter could eat her body weight in seafood. My kids also like the wave and whispering canyon cafe.

 

[Disney Ron]

We like Kona choices too:

Cheeseburger - Includes choice of one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert $8.59

Hot Dog - Includes choice of one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert $8.59

Mickey Ravioli - Includes choice of one (1) Beverage and one (1) Dessert $8.59

Mickey Check Meals
Grilled Chicken Breast - Served over mixed greens with fruit and almonds and steamed vegetables; fruit salad. Served with choice of small lowfat milk or small water. $8.59

Grilled Fish of the Day - Grilled Fish of the Day served with Vegetable Rice Pilaf and Fruit Salad. Choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small Dasani� Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitution $8.59

Grilled Shrimp Skewers - Served with vegetable rice pilaf; fruit salad. Served with choice of small lowfat milk or small water. $8.59

 

[mimmi]

The one advantage of having to buy the adult dining plan for my soon-to-be eleven year old is that finally we aren't forced to order from the lacking kids menus anymore.
Last year, she was so fed up after 5 days with all those chicken nuggets and mac'n' cheese that she cried at Sanaa's. I was so grateful when the waiter suggested to bring a smaller version of an adult entrée (he got a huge tip), so I would suggest this restaurant, as I git the feeling that they are doing that on a regular basis.
The bread selection was wonderful and the curries, albeit significantly dumbed down to meet the masses' taste, were a welcome change.

 

[canadiandisneyfamof4]

My recommendations are Buffets and signature restaurants

 

[bangzoom6877]

My kids love the signature restaurants because they have steak on the kids menu. They also love Biergarten because they love meat and there's plenty of it there! I give the kids the option to share an adult meal as well, but they have yet to take advantage of that...most times they don't want the same thing. Kona has a nice kids menu also. I too wish they would just add maybe two more "grown-up" choices for the kids, in a child's portion.

I also told my kids that we could always share appetizers and entrees among the four of us if they want to have more variety.

Garden Grill is great. My kids love the food selections there. My little one loves fish and enjoys the fish they serve there. My big one loves steak and enjoys the roast beef there as well as the turkey. And they bring out steamed broccoli for the kids, a favorite in my house.

Kouzzina has Greek Lasagne (pastitsio) on the kids menu, which my kids love. Such a shame it's closing at the end of September but at least we get to go there once more.

All that said, my kids are adventurous but also enjoy typical kids' food sometimes. On a cruise last summer, my 6-year-old son got lobster tail for dinner one night with a side of chicken nuggets! And he ate it all!! And my older one (age 9 now), who has food allergies to shellfish and nuts, had the privilege of ordering the night before so they could make him an allergen-free meal. One night he was torn between the NY Strip steak and the hot dog...so they brought him both. He ate the steak and a couple of bites of the hot dog. And both boys tried frogs legs on that cruise and they loved them! Of course sometimes they just wanted a cheeseburger but this is not how they eat all the time, they love all kinds of food!

 

[MamaMeggie]

Putting Garden Grill on the list too!

 

[Haygar2]

The one advantage of having to buy the adult dining plan for my soon-to-be eleven year old is that finally we aren't forced to order from the lacking kids menus anymore.
Last year, she was so fed up after 5 days with all those chicken nuggets and mac'n' cheese that she cried at Sanaa's. I was so grateful when the waiter suggested to bring a smaller version of an adult entrée (he got a huge tip), so I would suggest this restaurant, as I git the feeling that they are doing that on a regular basis.
The bread selection was wonderful and the curries, albeit significantly dumbed down to meet the masses' taste, were a welcome change.

When we went 2 years ago, my son was 9. He was so upset with his choices. He is not a chicken nugget/hot dog kind of kid. We got amazing dinners and desserts. He didn't. Yes, the cost of our upcoming trip has gone up because he is an " adult", but he is so happy with his choices.

 

[Stefecatzz]

We have an upcoming trip and my son is really excited about the choices on Raglan Road's menu.

Silly Steak - 5 ounce steak with onion ring garnish. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $14.00

Grillin Chicken - Tender chicken breast served with mashed potatoes and veggies $11.00

Little Big Burger - Sirloin beefburger char-grilled and topped with Dubliner cheddar cheese. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Gold'N Chicken - 2 deep fried chicken goujons. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Dalkey Duo - Dalkey-battered cocktail sausages with a Dalkey mustard dipping sauce. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $8.00

Atlantic Fish - Fresh Atlantic fish deep fried in crispy batter. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $9.00

Crispy Shrimp - Succulent deep fried shrimp. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $9.00

Macaroni and Cheese - macaroni pasta and Dubliner cheese. Served with a choice of one side: mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad, Irish chips, or vegetable medley. $7.00

Young Shepard's Pie - Traditional shepherd's pie with out contemporary twist to this favorite dish $8.00

Raglan Chicken Risotto - creamy mushroom and pea risotto with grilled chicken. $10.00

This is off AE.net/ menus

Thanks for posting this!

Raglan Road & Shepherd's Pie are two of my favorite things! I've tried their contemporary version & was not impressed. I prefer the traditional version & never noticed they have it on the children's menu. I'm doubtful, but I will ask next time I'm there to see if there's a chance I could get the original, whether they want to charge me the children's price or not.

Also for the OP: I know it's nothing too original but Wolfgang Puck Express has pizza on their children's menu & that is one thing they are known for.

 

[tinkerhon]

Was bit worried about trying "Boma" for the first time--- turned out to be our dd8 fave restaurant, and a must-do for us now--- the kids section is amazing-- and telling you--- their pasta and meatballs our fave in all of disney!!!

Agree with "GG" as well--- goldfish Mac n cheese so good!!!

 

[o0quirkygirl0o]

On a cruise last summer, my 6-year-old son got lobster tail for dinner one night with a side of chicken nuggets! And he ate it all!!

I like your kid's style.