Brian Nagele
Are you and your family traveling to San Francisco soon? If you are looking for kid-friendly restaurants, I have got you covered.
I have compiled a list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in the sunny city. You will not have to worry about planning meals with this helpful list, and your family can enjoy the best family restaurants in the area.
Entertain your kids with beachfront scenes, or enjoy an indoor restaurant with city views. These restaurants are for the whole family, and parents can enjoy a local brew while kids eat chicken fingers and lemonade.
San Francisco is a kid-friendly city, and the restaurants are no exception. Check out my list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in San Francisco below!
Foreign Cinema
2534 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415-648-7600
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Foreign Cinema is an upscale Californian-Mediterranean restaurant in the Mission District of San Francisco. A few streets away from Mission Dolores Park, the restaurant is on 21st St and Mission St.
It has a unique ambiance, and you and your kids can watch an independent film in the outdoor screening garden.
I like to visit Foreign Cinema for brunch and order the lavender-baked goat cheese from the Sunday picnic menu. The local Sonoma farm eggs are delicious, especially when you eat them with baguette French toast.
If you visit for dinner, you can watch a film at dusk while eating exotically spiced duck breast and California sea bass.
Pacific Catch
Multiple locations
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Pacific Catch has locations in the Marina District and the Inner Sunset neighborhood. The Marina location is on Chestnut St and Fillmore St, by Marina Middle School, and the Inner Sunset location is by Golden Gate Park on Lincoln Way and 9th Ave.
The restaurant has a casual vibe and serves local seafood that your kids will love. I recommend ordering a taco platter with a spicy tuna roll from the sushi bar.
Families will enjoy the mixed grill meal for four with salmon, sea bass, and jumbo shrimp, or you can order from the kid’s menu and treat your children to the coconut shrimp or teriyaki bowl.
The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
1 S Park St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415-243-0107
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Visit this upscale grilled-cheese kitchen in South Park and order dishes your children will love. The restaurant is on 2nd St and Brannan St, not far from the South Beach Harbor.
It has a friendly, welcoming vibe, and it is a great place to take your family. Parents can try the Moscone sandwich with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and lavender-basil pesto.
Kids will enjoy the kids’ grilled cheese with cheddar on sourdough. Visit American Grilled Cheese Kitchen in the morning for egg and cheese sandwiches on whole-grain bread, including bacon, ham, and veggie options. You can also try the avocado cheese toast, my personal favorite.
Waterbar Restaurant
399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-284-9922
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Waterbar is a classy beachfront restaurant in The East Cut. It serves upscale seafood and faces the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.
Waterbar is off of Folsom St and The Embarcadero, and it is a restaurant you and your kids will not want to miss.
I like the chai coconut seafood stew with local calamari and diced halibut, with a side of oven-roasted baby carrots.
Pair your dish with an organic wine made with biodynamic practices. Kids will like the ricotta cheese ravioli with butter sauce and the kid-sized chilled shrimp cocktail. Kids can top off the evening with homemade ice cream.
Bistro Boudin
160 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone: 415-351-5561
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Bistro Boudin is a casual bakery in the Fort Mason neighborhood of the Marina district. It is on Jefferson St, and it is just across the water from the historic Alcatraz prison island.
The cuisine is classic bakery and cafe fare, and you can sample fresh bread and pastries with light American buffet food.
Order a fresh pizza or a loaded baked potato. You can choose the buffet and fill your plate with salad, mashed potatoes, chicken, and seafood.
Kids will like the simple clam chowder in a bread bowl or classic crispy chicken, and you can take home a box of fresh baked goods for your family.
Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop
Multiple locations
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Treat your family to a fun dessert at Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop. There are several Ghirardelli locations in San Francisco.
Order ice cream at Market St and New Montgomery St in the Palace Hotel in Soma, near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. It has a creative and casual vibe, and it is one of the best places in San Francisco to take your family.
Order a warm Treasure Island brownie sundae with whipped cream and almonds, or try the raspberry sorbet.
The ice creams have fun, California-themed names, like the Gold Rush, Ocean Beach, and Lands End.
Hikari Bullet Train Sushi & Bar
1734 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-872-9116
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Hikari Bullet Train Sushi & Bar has a unique conveyor-style bar that will entertain and delight your kids. The restaurant is in Japantown at Post St and Webster St, and it has a modern vibe.
The cuisine includes traditional Japanese meals, sushi, and selections of Kiran beer. It is near the iconic Japantown Peace Plaza.
Grab an iced green tea to beat the California heat, and order a red dragon roll with an udon soup on the side.
Food lovers will adore the spicy salmon Gunken and spider roll with deep-fried crab. Kids will enjoy the California rolls with imitation crab, pork teriyaki rice, or Philly rolls with Philadelphia cheese.
MAC’D
2127 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
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Go to Nob Hill for a build-your-own macaroni and cheese experience. MAC’D is one of the best restaurant options in San Francisco for families with kids.
It is on Polk St, between Broadway St and Vallejo St, near Helen Wills Park. The restaurant has a casual vibe and is very kid-friendly.
I usually order the vegan gouda bowl, and I like to add roasted mushrooms and corn on top. The savory pesto is also excellent, but you can add meat and try a Drunken Pig with pork. Kids can start from scratch and build their mac and cheese the way they like.
Park Chalet
1000 Great Hwy, San Francisco, CA 94121
Phone: 415-386-8439
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Visit Park Chalet in Golden Gate Park for Californian and New American cuisine. The restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating, and it is on the Great Highway across from Ocean Beach.
It has a casual vibe and hearty-sized portions to keep your family satisfied. There are many options for kids at Park Chalet, including Atlantic salmon with mashed potatoes and veggies, fried chicken tenders with fries and fruit, and pasta with tomato sauce or butter.
Adults will enjoy the white cheddar Park Burger with an oak-grilled chuck brisket blend. Visit on Taco Tuesday for specials, or check out the brewery.
Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen
401 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-400-5453
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Head down to the Mission District for Venezuelan cuisine in a casual environment. Pica Pica is on 15th St and Valencia St near the 16th St Mission subway, and it is an arepa kitchen where the chefs make corn tortillas from scratch.
Order the sweet plantains with queso fresco or taro chips with avocado dipping sauce to start your meal.
I like the sweet corn crepe Cachapas, but you can also choose the classic arepas, crispy corn pockets stuffed with delicious fillings.
Pica Pica also serves soups with corn, pineapple, avocado, and passion fruit vinaigrette. Kids can order chicken strips, a mini cheese arepa, or a cheese Cachapa.
Pier 23 Cafe Restaurant & Bar
23 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: 415-362-5125
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Try local seafood at Pier 23 Cafe Restaurant & Bar, a family-friendly restaurant in the Northern Waterfront area.
The relaxed environment with live music will set your kids at ease, and they will have fun watching seagulls and views of the ocean.
It is on The Embarcadero, a few streets away from Coit Tower. I like to dine on the patio and eat the pulled pork sandwich with kimchi on a brioche bun.
The banana bread is perfect for dessert, and parents can sip a Boochcraft strawberry lemonade while they watch the waves. Children will like the house cheeseburger and fried fish tacos.
Tacolicious
Multiple locations
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Tacos are fun for the whole family, and Tacolicious is one of the best taco spots in the city. It has multiple locations, and the hip environment and casual tacos-tequila cuisine will make everyone happy.
The Marina location is on the iconic Chestnut St and Avila St, and the Mission District location is on Valencia St, near The Chapel music venue.
Tacolicious has creative tacos ranging from Spring Veggie to Vampiro taco-tostadas. Kids can choose from a taco or quesadilla with beans, rice, and a cookie.
Visit Tacolicious on Taco Tuesday for special deals, or catch the bar at Happy Hour on weekdays from 3 pm to 6 pm.
Yank Sing
Multiple locations
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Yang Sing is a classy, upscale restaurant that serves dim sum. The waiters at the Chinese restaurant serve the dim sum from traditional carts, and your family will be delighted by the creative, modern environment.
The East Cut location is at Stevenson St and Ecker St near Golden Gate University, and the Financial District location is on Mission St and Steuart St, near the waterfront.
You can try both contemporary and traditional dim sum, and the chicken mushroom dim sum is my favorite. Everything is served family-style off the dim sum carts, and kids will love the noodles and rice.
