With four locations around the Houston area, including this Garden Oaks/Oak Forest outpost, Local Table makes sure dining is a flavorful experience for all ages and diets. Adults can enjoy everything from slow-braised short ribs to spinach artichoke dip, crab cakes, and vegetarian lemon pasta, while kids enjoy their own menu of diverse options, like a falafel ball “happy bowl,” cheeseburgers, pasta, and chicken tenders. The best part? You don’t have to forfeit your love of weekend brunch. Kids can chow down on French toast, breakfast quesadillas, and mini-chocolate chip waffles while grown-ups chill out with a mimosa flight or a glass of frosé.

Families often flock to this spacious Heights restaurant. With its roomy and chill atmosphere, the whole family can comfortably enjoy its slew of Italian offerings, which include sharable hand-tossed pizzas, salads, and pasta, plus wine and beer on tap for adults. The Critters menu boasts grilled chicken, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti, chicken nuggets, and pizza for $6 to $7, but if you visit on Monday, the whole family can enjoy half-off pizzas. Best of all, kids can frolic and let out their energy on the 5,000-square-foot garden patio, which features swings and a ping-pong table for competitive spirits.

With barbecue being a Houston family favorite, a visit to Feges in Spring Branch is bound to leave everyone happy. Its kids' menu, which features a cheeseburger, grilled chicken, chicken tenders, and grilled cheese, comes with a choice of side, plus complimentary cookies, and if you visit on Wednesday between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., kids eat on the house with the purchase of an adult entree.

Daily brunch, lunch, and dinner menus filled with staples and cocktails, plus its multiple locations make Dish Society an easy choice for families with children. Its $7 “Littles” menu offers popcorn shrimp, quesadillas, fried chicken tenders, buttered pasta, and grilled chicken strips but their meals can be completely free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult entree, sandwich, or salad. Diners can additionally take the thought out of the dining experience with Dish Society’s family-style meals. Estimated to feed two adults and two children (or three adults), options include breakfast tacos, pasta, breakfast, and a Farmers Plate package that comes with your choice of chicken or shrimp and brisket.

Face it, when it comes to many kids, hot dogs are often at the top of their favorite food list, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Head to Good Dog Houston, where dogs can be as adventurous or as plain as you’d like. Choose from the festive menu, which boasts sandwiches, chili dogs, Chi-town style hot dogs, corn dogs, and its intriguing Benedict Franklin, a hot dog topped with a fried egg, brown sugar ham, a mustard cheese sauce, and garlic aioli. Meanwhile, kids can enjoy Corny Dogs, sliders, mac and cheese, tenders, or a Plain Good Dog with their choice of french fries or apple slices. Top off the experience with a milkshake or a scoop of Amy’s Ice cream.

Family-friendly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. With multiple locations, this local Houston chain is known to pack in the spice with Southern seafood specialties like crawfish, po’ boys, and etouffee — all in a laid-back, welcoming ambiance. The kids' menu, which also acts as a coloring page, offers mac and cheese, burgers, chicken tenders, and a large serving of shrimp and fries. Order a side of red beans and rice. It’s enough to share.

Kids will stay occupied at Saint Arnold’s brewery thanks to its expansive outdoor beer garden, which is outfitted with mazes, decorative art cars, and on-site yard games like bocce and corn hole. Even better are the finger foods and sharable eats like the cheesy pizzas, the soft pretzels served with queso blanco, and a variety of sandwiches. The extra fizzy root beer, made in-house, is a special treat, which can be easily transformed into a float with a scoop of ice cream.

Spend a day in Downtown’s Market Square Park and dine at Niko Niko’s walk-up Greek cafe. Adventurous eaters can order mini gyros or chicken kabob pitas off The Little Greek menu or opt for pita pizzas and chicken strips. Bring a Children’s Museum ticket stub for a 10% discount.

Sharing a delicious pizza with your choice of toppings is only half of the fun when at Luna. While waiting for your pie, grab a basket full of games and puzzles including tic-tac-toe and Magic 8 Ball to play with at the table. End your family-fun outing with a treat, like an apple tostada or the classic chocolate chip cookie.

Bring your kids and your imaginations to the Hobbit Cafe, where they offer “legendary” Tolkien-themed bites, over a dozen burgers to choose from, an outdoor patio, and The Hobbit/LOTR-themed memorabilia, including a perched Smeagol figure. Start with the Great Goblins platter, a sampler of shrimp rolls, fried pickles, jalapeno poppers, quesadillas, and the “dragon wings,” which are dipped in jerk and chipotle sauces.

Every Barnaby’s puts their love for kids on display right on their menu, which features kids’ fried chicken sliders, bite-sized burgers, corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, and more, plus their choice of dessert (Rice Krispie treats, strawberries, ice cream, or a cookie). But the Museum District location across from the Children’s Museum is especially perfect for family outings. Tykes can color, tinker with toy robots, or play games on the outdoor patio while they wait for their food.

Visit one of Jax Grill’s three locations, where burgers, finger foods, Creole fare, and plenty of patio space abound, making it an easygoing and enjoyable spot for all ages. Share its famous nachos or chicken wings, before diving into juicy burgers or platters of fried seafood. Kids have their own selection of menu items, including burgers, grilled cheeses, tenders, and corn dog bites. Insider tip: dine-in on Sunday, when kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entree.