The Best Places to Eat with Kids in Washington D.C.
Traveling to any big city can be intimidating and overwhelming. When you add kids into the mix, you can quadruple those emotions! Half of keeping kids happy while traveling is keeping them well fed. Read on to see what we thought of some of the best places to eat with kids in Washington D.C.
Old Ebbitt Grill
I’m going to start here because if you ask anyone where you should eat as a tourist in D.C. they will name this restaurant! The Old Ebbitt Grill is touted as the city’s oldest saloon. It was founded in 1856. Although it has moved locations over the years, it still enjoys its historical significance to the city. The website had a kid’s menu so we thought we would give it a shot!
I would recommend making reservations ahead as it is not just a tourist hangout, but seemingly a place for business meals and locals. When we walked in I was extremely nervous about having my kids, stroller and casual clothes in such a nice place. However, we quickly saw other families and the staff was so friendly we were put at ease.
We found the pricing to be reasonable for a nice sit-down meal in the city and comparable to other restaurants. My kids were shocked at the service and ambiance. Our server treated them like little adults and they ate that attention right up!
Starters
The restaurant is famous for oysters and my husband and oldest decided they had to give it a go. They ordered one each and my husband said it was the best he’d ever had. My oldest was trying them for the first time and said, quote, “its a slimy booger”. I can’t say I disagree.
We had also noticed fried zucchini on the menu and had to try it. It was excellent and we fought over the last piece! (As of January 2024, this is not on the menu 🙁 )
Main Course
The restaurant, although formal in appearance, is also known for its burgers. I ordered the classic burger with bleu cheese. My husband went with an oyster topped burger, which again, no longer seems to appear on the menu.
My oldest also ordered (another apparently defunct menu item) off of the adult menu. He got a French dip. The burgers and sandwiches come with your choice of fries, mixed greens, Caesar salad or fruit. All of our meals were excellent!
Where to Eat in Washington D.C.. with Kids- Ebbitt Grill Edition
My younger kids ordered from the kids menu. Each meal came with a drink, a main dish and your choice of fries, applesauce or fresh fruit. My daughter ordered a chocolate milk and the servers made it soda jerk style with the chocolate syrup artfully coating the sides of the glass. She felt SO fancy!!
She ordered mac & cheese while my youngest went with pasta and red sauce. They both loved their meals as well.
In our opinion, the best meal in town is at Old Ebbitt Grill! 10/10
The Wharf
When eating with kids in Washington D.C., you may be tempted to go to The Wharf area. This is a nice place to walk around and has several different restaurants and shops. We were excited to try Gordon Ramsay’s Fish & Chips. We were so disappointed that I forgot to take pictures! The portion sizes vs. the prices were not what we were expecting. The service was lackluster and the ordering process was less than smooth. 2/10 Do not recommend for anyone, let alone trying to eat here with a family. If you’d like to check it out for yourself the website and menu are available here.
We also made a stop at Shake Shack for our picky eater. He ordered chicken and no shake lol. The Wharf location was on par with other Shake Shacks I’ve eaten in before. 6.5/10
Georgetown
Our hotel was in the Georgetown neighborhood. (Embassy Suites D.C. Georgetown 9/10, highly recommended). While there are a plethora of amazing cuisines and restaurants in the area, we were eating in Washington D.C. with kids, some of which only eat about three items, so our choices were a bit more limited. Again, I hunted down a restaurant with a children’s menu and we went to Pizzeria Paradiso Georgetown. It was POURING when we got there and the staff was very gracious about getting us inside and seated quickly. It is a small and cozy restaurant with outdoor seating available on nicer days.
We ordered the INSALATA FICHI-Mixed Greens, Buffalo Mozzarella, Prosciutto, Figs, & Honey Dressing
It was the best thing we ordered and I was sad to share!
We also ordered two pizzas for the table. MARGHERITA-Paradiso Tomato Sauce, Basil, Buffalo Mozzarella and a pie with just cheese, sauce and sausage.
Both pizzas were very tasty.
My daughter ordered from the kids menu- plain buttered noodles! (Insert face palm here).
While the food was good, the actual table service was just okay. When we got the bill and saw it was close to the same amount as Old Ebbitt Grill we were pretty disappointed. (Yes, of course we saw the prices prior to ordering, however seeing the grand total put things into perspective.) 6/10
The Cheapest & Easiest way to eat in Washington D.C. with Kids!
Obviously the city is overflowing with food choices. In fact there are countless food trucks lining the streets (HINT: Prices are NOT posted and vendors WILL charge you incredible amounts of money for food!). Knowing we didn’t want to blow our vacation budget on chicken nuggets or find transportation for every meal, we packed our own food.
This is the best choice we could’ve made. We did a grocery run before entering the city and had a mini fridge in our hotel room. At the store, we purchased bread, lunchmeat, PB & J, chips and the little bags of apple slices. We also traveled with Ziploc bags, ice packs and plasticware so we could prep our food in the morning. Our lunch bag is insulated and has a shoulder strap for easy transport. Just make sure yours is big enough to hold sandwiches for all! Ours is similar to this. I also bring a Sharpie so we can easily label everyone’s sandwiches.
We found ample park benches and grassy parks to take our lunch breaks. We also brought refillable water bottles and were able to refill them at most museums.
Make sure you double check the websites for the areas you are visiting each day. Some do not allow liquids, food or even bags.
Bonus: Mount Vernon’s Restaurant
While leaving Washington D.C., we stopped by Mount Vernon. The property has a food court, but they also have a sit down restaurant called The Mount Vernon Inn. We made reservations and I would highly recommend them! Again, three of us ordered mains from the regular menu with my younger two ordering from the children’s menu.
Adult menu items
Steak Frite-Marinated flank steak served with seasoned potato wedges and “hollandchurri” sauce
Portabella Caprese Sandwich-roasted, with fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil pesto and balsamic reduction on a ciabatta
Both of these items got great reviews, the mushroom sandwich being the winner of the afternoon. I ordered the Fried Green BLT- Lettuce, fried green tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, tomato aioli. It was only okay, not something I would order again. Sandwiches came with house made chips or you could upgrade to fries for $2.00.
Kids Menu Items at Mount Vernon Inn
My daughter went with the kid’s Grilled Flank Steak and my youngest ordered the Chicken Tenders. Kids meals come with fries, chips or fruit, drink was not included.
You can see that I broke the chicken tenders up to allow them to cool down faster. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed her steak, but the chicken and fruit were unimpressive. The food here was pretty hit or miss and the service unremarkable. I will say they had a huge party entering the back room at the same time as we were seated. I’m not sure if this affected anything. 7/10.
Where to Eat with Kids in Washington D.C.?
This post wound up being waaaaay longer than I anticipated! Taking kids to a new city and hunting down a kids menu can be so stressful. Hopefully this helps narrow down your choices. To review our rankings:
- Old Ebbitt Grill
- Mount Vernon Inn (for ambiance more than taste)
- Shake Shack
- Pizzeria Paradiso
- Gordon Ramsay’s Fish n’ Chips
Picnicking of course is the least expensive way to eat around the city!
Honorable Mention: Our hotel, Embassy Suites D.C. Georgetown, had an excellent breakfast every day. We filled up each morning and set off on our adventures with full, happy bellies. The rooms accommodated all five of us with plenty of space!
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