Do you remember the carefree days of eating out? Hopping in the car and heading to whichever restaurant you felt like, at whatever moment you were hungry? No babysitters to hire, no pre-meal snacks to pack into diaper bags, no rapidly-eating-and-not-even-tasting food so that you could jump up and change the baby/entertain the bored child/clean up the spilled milk.
Of course, I love my children more than all of the quiet, stress-free dining experiences in the world. But that doesn’t mean I don’t still want to go out and enjoy a good meal now and then, and more often than not, I want (or need) to bring my children with me. Apart from eating at places that cater specifically to children (think: VERY noisy with questionably clean play areas), where does a Tucson parent go for good food AND happy children?
A few months ago I posed this question to our facebook fans, and was pleased to get suggestions for some wonderful family-friendly dining options. I contacted several suggested local restaurants, and many of them got back to me with more detail about why they particularly love to be patronized by families. Not only that, four of these great restaurants: Create Café, Sir Veza’s Taco Garage, El Charro Cafe and Mama’s Famous Pizza and Heros, agreed to sponsor this article with gift certificates to give away to readers!
Read on for details about the restaurants and how you can enter to win a gift certificate!
Create Café and Catering (4660 E. Camp Lowell): A perennial Macaroni Kid favorite, Create is the ultimate in family-friendly dining. With an eclectic menu that should please any grown-up (and adult beverages available, as well) and yummy, healthy kids’ meals for $3.99, the food alone is worth a visit. Plus, you are greeted at the door with fish crackers and lemonade samples to keep little tummies satisfied until your food arrives. There are also small play areas both indoors and out, board games and other children’s activities available to keep the kiddos entertained. And for those of you with very young ones-yes, there is a diaper changing station! While Create is a great place to bring children any day of the week, Saturday family nights (from 5-9 p.m.) feature a jumping castle, $2 kids meals, and $1 draft beer for Mom and Dad. Create also has make-your-own pizza birthday party packages, for even more kid-friendly fun!
Our friends at Create are offering a $25 gift certificate to another a lucky Macaroni Kid subscriber! See details at the end of the article. Also, for participating in our restaurant suggestion contest, Macaroni Kid subscriber Aimee G. won a $20 Create gift certificate. Congrats, Aimee!
El Charro Cafe (5 locations): You probably know about El Charro’s delicious and distinctive menu (yum). Did you also know this Tucson establishment is family owned and operated since 1922? They KNOW the importance of family and offer great kids meal options (including beverage) for $3.95. Refreshingly, El Charro also makes readily available healthy substitutions, such as gluten-free corn tortillas and fat-free Charro beans. Best of all? Kids under 12 eat FREE all day Monday-Wednesday! There are also Kids Birthday Fiesta packages available. Have you taken YOUR child to El Charro lately?
El Charro is providing a $25 gift certificate to giveaway to Macaroni Kid subscriber. See the end of the article for details!
Mama’s Famous Pizza and Heros (four locations in Tucson): Any place with the name “Mama’s” has got to know a thing or two about keeping children happy! Mama's Pizza has plenty to occupy the kids: video games, water features, coloring sheets and crayons, and of course the family-friendliest meal of all: Pizza! Mama’s is also proud to say they are “noise and mess friendly” (phew) and there are diaper changing stations available if needed. Also, for Mother’s Day, Mama’s wants you to know they’re celebrating all the mamas out there with Mother’s Day specials, goodie bags, and a big raffle. See the flyer for details.
And for Macaroni Kid readers? The chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mama’s Pizza and Heros! See details below.
Sir Veza’s Taco Garage (4699 E. Speedway): The newest family-friendly establishment on our list, Sir Veza’s is a “garage-themed” restaurant that loves to cater to families. Kids enjoy the colorful setting, car decorations, great kid’s menu ($3.95) and arcade games while Mom and Dad try the fantastic tacos (and maybe a margarita...the "Horni Cucumber" is out of this world). Another fun note: Sir Veza’s specializes in root beer floats, which are FREE on your birthday. Sir Veza’s is VERY enthusiastic about having children visit. They say “We LOOOOVE having kids here. Make a mess! We’re a garage for crying out loud!”
Sir Veza’s is offering a $25 gift certificate to a lucky Macaroni Kid subscriber, so get ready to round up the kids and take them to the Taco Garage today!
Buddy’s Grill (two locations: 4821 E. Grant and 7385 S. Houghton): Buddy's embraces families with an "open arm policy. We never say no to any legitimate request that will help the experience be the best." Buddy's offers $3.99 kids meals, crayons for coloring the menu, and a diaper changing station. They are also involved with a reading rewards program with several schools in the Vail school district, allowing children to earn free meals by reading!
Some of the other family friendly favorites mentioned by Macaroni Kid readers:
- Risky Business (6866 E. Sunrise, 250 S. Craycroft, 8848 E. Tanque Verde)
- The Good Egg (4 locations in Tucson): The pre-meal Cheerios and apple slices are a big hit with kids and parents alike.
- Broadway Café (4330 E. Broadway): Kids eat free after 4 p.m.
- Nimbus Bistro (6464 E. Tanque Verde): Children love the monkey decor and the pizza dough they can make into their own dessert.
- IHOP (3 Tucson locations) got a shout out for friendly servers. Also, children get one free kids meal per adult entree between 4 and 10 p.m.
- Fuddruckers (6118 E. Speedway): Fun games for the kids
- Joe’s Crab Shack (410 N. Wilmot): You don't have to worry about your kids being noisy, because no one will notice...it's already pretty noisy!
- Sweet Tomatoes (6202 E. Broadway, 4420 N. Stone): Mats on the floor=less stress about mess.
Aren't you so excited to take the kids out now? And wouldn't it be great if you had a free $25 toward your meal?
We are giving away a $25 gift certificate to each of the following restaurants: El Charro, Sir Veza's, Mama's Pizza and Create Cafe. Here are the rules:
1. You must be a subscriber to be eligible (subscribe here).
2. How to enter (this is where it gets a little complicated...Read carefully): First-Go to the facebook page of each restaurant to which you'd like to win a gift certificate. Here are the links: Create Cafe. El Charro. Mama's Pizza. Sir Veza's.
3. Like them.
4. Post on their wall that East Tucson Macaroni Kid sent you.
5. Come back here and comment that you did this.
6. Leave a seperate comment for each "like". Your first comment might say, "I liked El Charro's facebook page," and your second could say, "I liked Mama's Pizza facebook page."
7. You may only enter once for each restaurant, with four entries TOTAL (any additional entries will be removed).
8. If you enter for more than one restaurant, I can't guarantee you'll get your first pick of restaurant if you win. Also, each winner can only win ONE gift certificate.
9. Contest ends at midnight on April 20th. Four winners will be chosen at random. Winners will be notified by e-mail and must reply within 24 hours or new winners will be chosen.
10. Good luck and happy eating-with-children!
