Favorite Family-Friendly Restaurants in Champaign-Urbana

So many of our food and drink establishments in Champaign-Urbana welcome children of all ages; a few highlights stand out as the most family-friendly places to grab a bit in town

Champaign-Urbana has an incredible community when it comes to all of the different kinds of outings you can plan with your family. One thing we know for sure, families in this town love to try new food and return for their favorites over and over. While girls’ nights, date nights and other adult outings are popular, too, the reality is that we do things with our kids along for the ride as well.

Many establishments welcome children of all ages, but there are definitely some stand-outs for the most family-friendly places to dine in Champaign-Urbana.

Some of the places listed below are recommended for their kind employees, some for fast service (or in the case of Mexican restaurants, for bringing out chips right away), and some for the quality or size of the kids’ menu. These aren’t all necessarily budget-friendly, but we find that feature in some instances, too.

Many chain restaurants are literally marketed to families. Our readers are fans of Monical’s, Portillo’s, Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and more.

As with all of our “favorite” lists, we focus on locally owned restaurants around Champaign-Urbana and beyond. (This list is in alphabetical order.)

83 Vietnamese Cuisine, Champaign: Find a free Pac-Man video console and a TV that’s always playing vintage Nickelodeon shows. We find servers to be super friendly, the food is delicious and picky toddlers may love the pork belly sticky buns.

Aspen Tap House, Champaign: This is one of those “noisy enough to hide loudness” locations and there’s a kid menu for picky eaters, too.

Billy Barooz, Champaign: There are short and tall high chairs so you’re covered no matter what kind of table you get. There are crayons/coloring books for kids and a good kids menu also. It’s always loud in there so no one notices if kids get loud, too.

Briks Pizzeria, Mahomet: Pizza (and wings… and pretzels…) served hot at this ultra family-friendly establishment. Kids (and adults) of all ages will enjoy playing on the fenced turf area, with things to climb on, bags, ping pong and more.

Fiesta Cafe, Champaign: This is a friendly, easy-going place with cheerful servers (even if the kids make a mess). They always seem sincerely at ease with kids, not making a big deal out of them all the time, but also seeing it as normal for kids to act like kids.

Joe’s Pizza, Tuscola: Joe’s has a game room with air hockey, crane machines, motorcycle riding games, and a basketball game. It is very family-friendly!

Jupiter’s at the Crossing, Champaign: Not only does Jupiter’s have great pizza but they have fun games for the kids to play and bowling, too. Be prepared to spend a bit on games if you venture to the basement with your kids. Even if you dine upstairs, you will still find Jupiter’s to be family-friendly.

Riggs Beer Garden, Urbana: The selection of food trucks here is great on a regular basis or we can bring in our own picnic, our kids can easily get their favorite lemonade and root beer beverages, and they love running around the outdoor playground area with whatever other new best friends happen to be there. The selection of sweet dogs to pet is always a delightful bonus. You can even host showers, birthday parties and more at Riggs.

El Toro (multiple locations): El Toro features fast service, basic and good food, and you can get loud and nobody cares. A family favorite for to-go meals or dine-in, too.

Seven Saints, Champaign: We like to go early before it gets crowded, and the sliders are the perfect order for a child.

The Wheelhouse, St. Joseph: There are great kids prices here with excellent food, too.

The Yard, Urbana: We love the indoor turf and arcade games found at The Yard on Broadway. Bonus: with so many food stalls, there’s something for everyone here!

Temporary closure: Courier has been closed for many months due to structural issues in the building. We will update when they reopen.
Courier Cafe, Urbana: Courier features a kid-friendly menu, books and crayons, comfortable ambience. They have a pretty extensive menu — more than the usual mac and cheese, chicken tenders, and grilled cheese. Breakfast all day, too!

Is your favorite family-friendly restaurant not on our list? Send an email to let us know!

So many of our food and drink establishments in Champaign-Urbana welcome children of all ages; a few highlights stand out as the most family-friendly places to grab a bit in town

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