The Windy City has its share of restaurants that accommodate the unique tastes of parents and kids alike. From indoor playgrounds and live characters to burgers arriving on the caboose of a toy train, Chicago family eateries offer fun for kids and serenity for adults.
Family Grounds Cafe
- Family Grounds Café opened in 2005 as a place for families with small children to enjoy a sophisticated and fun outing together. While parents indulge in espresso, tea, sandwiches and other café fare, children can play in the café's indoor playground, which includes a Victorian playhouse, mini basketball court and stations for creating arts and crafts projects, all within the confines of a trendy Chicago café. Other menu items at the North Side Chicago restaurant include bagels, pastries, soups and gelato. The innovative eatery has garnered features in publications like "Time Out Chicago" and on the website Daily Candy for its ability to accommodate both parents and children.Family Grounds Cafe3652 N. Lincoln Ave.Chicago, IL 60613773-281-0785familygroundscafe.com
The Choo-Choo
- The Choo-Choo is an American cuisine eatery in Des Plaines, a suburban community in the greater Chicago area. The diner's history dates back to 1951, when an entrepreneurial couple decided to serve hamburgers on a moving model train to distinguish their restaurant from then-emerging chain burger joint McDonald's. The couple's novelty idea remains as popular today as it was then, especially amongst kids. Today, when Choo-Choo's patrons order any of the restaurant's burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches or other menu items, they arrive on the bed of a colorful model toy train. Meals can be paired with French fries, onion rings, turkey chili or a soup of the day. For dessert, guests can indulge in brownies, ice cream sundaes or Choo-Choo's "train cupcakes," a homemade version of the miniature treat topped with a train whistle.The Choo-Choo600 Lee St.Des Plaines, IL 60016847-391-9815thechoochoo.com
Rainforest Café
- Rainforest Café has restaurants in several states throughout the country, including a downtown Chicago location in Illinois. The restaurant is designed to mimic the environment of a rain forest, and features waterfalls and indigenous wildlife to help define the ambiance. Rainforest Café's Wild Bunch are a gang of jungle animals that travel around the kid-friendly eatery to make sure everyone has a great time. In addition to entrees like Caribbean coconut shrimp and pepperoni pizza, the café has a kids menu for children under 10. Pizza, pasta and kid-sized portions of shrimp, turkey sliders and grilled cheese are available on the kids menu.Rainforest Cafe605 N. Clark St.Chicago, IL 60654312-787-1501rainforestcafe.com
