In this month’s Parents magazine, editors surveyed 50 “fast-casual” restaurant chains looking for the most family-friendly dining experiences. “Fast-casual,” as defined by Parents, is a hybrid of a pricier sit-down restaurant and a bag-it-and-go fast-food joint.
Among the criteria used to measure the family-friendliness of these restaurants were healthy menu options for children, as well as relevant conveniences for the parents (booster seats available, changing tables in the restrooms), and opportunities for children to keep themselves occupied before, during, and after the meal.
Coming in #9 on this exhaustive list was the popular Mexican restaurant, Taco Del Mar! Parents magazine applauded Taco Del Mar for offering authentic, healthy options for kids, and for including programs like teacher and librarian-led storytimes during dining hours.
What’s just as exciting as this honor from Parents is the promotion that Taco Del Mar is running through the end of July. For the rest of July, the Taco Del Mar Loves Kids! special means that all children’s (12 and under) meals are free with the purchase of an adult meal after 5pm. That’s every day, at every participating location. Check here for a location near you.
And if that’s not enough…I have a little something from Taco Del Mar for one of you to keep handy in your wallet – a $5 gift card and 4 BOGO coupons for their famous mondo burrito. One lucky winner takes it all! Hey, that’s a lot of good grubbin’ for a fraction of the price. To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me: what’s YOUR favorite place to take your kids for dinner? All entries are due by midnight (CST) Friday, July 24. Good luck!
You might also enjoy these related posts from Tree, Root, and Twig:
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- CLOSED: “Ready, Set, School” Sweepstakes with Nestlé Family {Spotlight & Giveaway, ends 9/27}
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Gina
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 11:43 pm:
Yeah…I was just thinking about what to do for dinner tomorrow night & saw your post. Think we’ll go to Taco Del Mar. The kids love it as much as we do.
We’re pretty lucky that our kids are used to going out to eat (& both have backpacks full of fun activities to entertain during the wait) so we can take them anywhere. Our recent favorites include PF Changes & Gustav’s for their great happy hour specials every day, Pastini Pastaria, Tapatio & La Fogata for neighborhood food and Mississippi Pizza Pub for good beer, pizza and music for the whole family.
LCM
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 2:18 pm:
There is an awesome restaurant chain that we thought was just a NW one. It’s called BJs and there’s one over by Willowbrook mall. When I drove past and first saw it, I had to call my husband and tell him how excited I was. It has the best pizza, sandwiches and salads. YUM!
sarah b
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 7:30 pm:
i love red robin! unlimited fries for my husband. mandrian oranges for my son, and a darn good burger for me!
etirv
on Jul 11th, 2009
@ 8:03 pm:
Taco Bell or Jack in the Box — so convenient and never fails!
Carla
on Jul 15th, 2009
@ 7:32 pm:
My kids love going to Rubios!
Please count me in the giveaway!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
dag888888
on Jul 15th, 2009
@ 7:33 pm:
California Pizza Kitchen is the teen’s favorite!
Joseph
on Jul 16th, 2009
@ 11:44 pm:
My favorite restaurant to take the kids for dinner is HomeTown Buffet – the kids get their choice of what they want to eat and this makes everyone happy.
MRS.MOMMYY
on Jul 17th, 2009
@ 4:05 am:
seriously right now home- finances are tight and we eat where there are coupons and deals
Sandi Smith
on Jul 18th, 2009
@ 4:44 pm:
Taco Bell every time.
Jacob LaFountaine
on Jul 20th, 2009
@ 9:19 pm:
McDonalds if I have youngins around
Shelly
on Jul 21st, 2009
@ 1:22 pm:
Like to go to Joes BBQ, a local place
Pat
on Jul 22nd, 2009
@ 9:46 am:
We like Wendy’s.
michelle rosborough
on Jul 22nd, 2009
@ 5:23 pm:
We love the Olive Garden
venus m.
on Jul 23rd, 2009
@ 12:22 am:
Our favorite place to take our kids for dinner is Peking Deli.
K. C.
on Jul 23rd, 2009
@ 5:00 pm:
We don’t go out much so when we do my kids usually love whereever we go as long as they have french fries. They like Chili’s or Wendy’s a lot.
Kenny
on Jul 23rd, 2009
@ 6:10 pm:
Hukilau Cafe is the favorite place for a good meal.
Amanda S.
on Jul 24th, 2009
@ 12:58 am:
We love to go to Blue C Sushi! Who doesn’t like their food on a conveyer belt, lol!
Theresa
on Jul 24th, 2009
@ 3:33 pm:
We have a local 50′s theme restaurant called Corvette Diner. It’s loud, fun, & always a hit!
Aniela R.
on Jul 24th, 2009
@ 8:37 pm:
This may not qualify as a place to actually take them, but my kids love Papa John’s pizza. If we’re strictly talking a place to eat at, then they would say McDonalds.
Janet
on Jul 24th, 2009
@ 9:01 pm:
Taco Bell
Lily Kwan
on Jul 25th, 2009
@ 12:23 am:
We like Jack in the Box.