The Salt Lake ValleyHand-picked Salt Lake County happenings, straight to your inbox. No fluff, no spam, easy to leave.
Kid-friendly restaurants in Salt Lake City include Ruth's Diner, Benihana, The Old Spaghetti Factory and The Park Cafe, plus Archibald's in West Jordan and Oak Wood in Draper.
The Teddy Bear Pancake, with a whipped cream smile and banana eyes, heads the Just for Kids list at Ruth's Diner, 4160 East Emigration Canyon Road. The list also has Grandma Claire's mac and cheese, chicken fried fish sticks, a cheese quesadilla, chicken fingers and a pinto bean and cheese burrito. Daytime kids' plates come with Ruth's Mile High biscuit.
At Benihana, 165 South West Temple across from the Salt Palace, the chef cooks on a hibachi grill at your table, with knife work and an onion volcano. Kabuki Kids meals come with onion soup or salad, a shrimp appetizer, vegetables, rice and ice cream, and the main can be chicken tenders, hibachi chicken, shrimp or steak, or a California roll. Seating is at communal hibachi tables.
An old-fashioned trolley car sits inside The Old Spaghetti Factory at 189 Trolley Square, and guests can dine in it. The location page also lists booths and outdoor patio seating. The kids' meal has three courses: an entree, applesauce or salad, a drink, and spumoni or vanilla ice cream.
The Park Cafe, 604 East 1300 South, is table service, with food delivered to your table. Its site lists no kids' menu, but Liberty Park is across the street with its playgrounds, and the site tells families to take a quick walk there while they wait for a table.
Kids get their own chicken and waffle, with H&S potatoes, at Hub & Spoke Diner, 1291 South 1100 East. The rest of the kids' menu is a one-egg breakfast, French toast, a flapjack or waffle, a chicken tender, grilled cheese or a burger with American cheese, and the drink list has a kid's vanilla shake.
Archibald's sits in the flour mill and silo at Gardner Village, 1100 West 7800 South. The kids' menu has a grilled cheese sandwich, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, a burger and fettuccine, with milk, chocolate milk or water to drink.
Black Bear Diner in West Jordan, 7238 South Plaza Center Drive, calls itself a sit-down diner, and the patio has carved bears and benches. The Cubs menu has chocolate chip pancakes, the Happy Cub Cake, Sprinkle Cakes, a Mini Volcano, a build-your-own breakfast, Kraft mac and cheese, grilled cheese, a biscuit burger with fries and chicken strips.
Desert Star Playhouse, 4861 South State Street, stages family-friendly musical parodies, and you place your food order at your table once you are seated: pizza, burgers, salads and desserts.
Oak Wood Fire Kitchen, 715 East 12300 South, has a Little Ones menu with a Kids Traditional plate of one egg, bacon, sausage or ham, breakfast potatoes and a biscuit, plus a pancake, buttermilk waffle or French toast. The regular kids' list adds cheese or pepperoni pizza, buttered noodles, spaghetti with marinara or alfredo, and a cheeseburger.
Silver Fork Lodge, 11332 East Big Cottonwood Canyon Road, is full-service dining, and its kids' menu has Elmo's Little Loaf, the kitchen's own meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The rest is the Canyon Burger, Chicken Lick'n tenders, Oodles of Noodles and a grilled cheese, and dessert is vanilla ice cream or the Fun Day Chocolate Sundae.
Costa Vida at 5440 West Daybreak Parkway lists a Kids Meal on its menu, and its location page lists outdoor seating. The menu page does not say what comes in the kids' meal, so check the online ordering page before you go.
Pick by what your kid does at the table. A kid who watches does well at Benihana, Desert Star or the trolley car at The Old Spaghetti Factory. A kid who runs does better at The Park Cafe, with a playground a short walk away.
Read the kids' menu age cutoff before you order: Benihana and The Old Spaghetti Factory serve kids 12 and younger, and Silver Fork Lodge serves kids 10 and younger. Hub & Spoke, Oak Wood and Archibald's list grilled cheese, buttered noodles or mac and cheese for a picky eater, and Ruth's and Black Bear Diner lead with pancakes.
For a group of five or more, book where the site takes reservations, and call the places that say nothing about them. Archibald's texts you when your table is ready, and Oak Wood has a digital waitlist.
Keep exploring Salt Lake Valley: The Best Date Night Spots in the Salt Lake Valley · Free Things to Do in the Salt Lake Valley · The Best Farmers Markets in the Salt Lake Valley. Need a local pro? Browse Valley Approved businesses. Planning the weekend? See the Events Hub.
Free local picks, events, and openings in your inbox. From the team that wrote this guide.