Our Favorite Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Jacksonville

Taking the kids out to dinner often sounds like a good idea… in theory. But inevitably, the crayons end up in someone’s drink, the booth behind you has gotten way too much attention from your toddler, and before you know it, you’ve surrendered your phone just to keep the peace. And while we all dream of enjoying a hot meal we didn’t have to cook (or pay a fortune for in this economy), the reality doesn’t always cooperate.

Thankfully, dining out with kids on the First Coast doesn’t have to feel like a survival mission. With our almost year-round perfect weather (#tgiflorida) and a growing list of restaurants built for families — think outdoor space, yard games, room to roam, and yes, adult beverages — enjoying a meal out can actually be enjoyable. Give us a place where kids can be kids and adults can relax for a minute, and we’re all in.

Here are some of the Jacksonville Mom team’s favorite family-friendly restaurants. Click the link below to skip straight to a certain neighborhood.

• Downtown Jacksonville
• The Beaches
• Northside
• Intracoastal West & St. Johns Town Center
• Arlington
• Central Jacksonville
• Ponte Vedra Beach & Nocatee
• Amelia Island & Fernandina Beach
• St. Augustine

Downtown Jacksonville

The Bearded Pig (1808 Kings Avenue): The Bearded Pig BBQ spot offers ample outdoor space, a large chalkboard for the kids to doodle, a playground, and a beer garden. Located downtown, it’s great for pre-gaming before Jags games and concerts.

Electric Dough Pizza Co. (1996 San Marco Boulevard): Located in the historic San Marco Theatre building, Electric Dough serves up the most electrifying, high-voltage pizzas on the planet! Their signature handcrafted square pizzas are loaded with toppings from corner to corner and a crispy, crunchy, cheesy crust, plus a full gelato case up front. The bar is tucked in the back if that’s not your thing, and they pay homage to the building’s history by playing movies on the wall. Bonus: Family Day is on Mondays when kids under 8 eat free!

Fishweir Brewing Company (1183 Edgewood Avenue S, Murray Hill): Fishweir Brewing Company is most known for its unique brewery and taproom experience, but it’s “The Backyard” that keeps families coming back. With tons of events, food trucks, and room for the kiddos to roam, this is a Murray Hill favorite! Check out their monthly schedule on Instagram, and don’t miss their special movie nights and Summer Splash Series!

READ: Guide to Family-Friendly Breweries Around Jacksonville

Myrtle Avenue Brewing (633 Myrtle Avenue N, Rail Yard District): The bustling Myrtle Avenue Brewery offers wine, seltzers, cozy seating with lots of shade, food trucks, and, most importantly, an indoor and outdoor play area with toys galore!

Strings Sports Brewery (1850 N. Main Street, Springfield): Family-owned and operated since 2019, Strings Sports Brewery’s covered outdoor area offers a spacious area for kids to roam and play games like Connect Four and cornhole. And there’s axe-throwing in the back, for adult nights out or date nights! They also offer fun family events like bingo nights — follow them on social media for event listings! Also located in Jacksonville Beach.

And stay tuned for The Block Jax, coming soon!

The Beaches

ABBQ (461 Atlantic Boulevard, Atlantic Beach): ABBQ is one of our go-to restaurants. The outdoor courtyard area makes it easy to keep an eye on your kids and is surrounded by fencing. Cornhole, Connect Four, and an open space to run… needless to say, we are regulars.

Cruisers Grill (319 23rd Avenue S, Jacksonville Beach): The newly renovated Cruisers is very family-friendly with outdoor dining options and is a great stop after a day at the beach. Kids can still look forward to the Tootsie Pops that come with the check.

Joseph’s Pizza (30 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach): Joseph’s Pizza is a family favorite for pizza and pasta and boasts a “create your own pizza” section of the menu where they let kiddos literally make their own pizza before it goes in the oven! Also located on the Northside.

Strings Sports Brewery (1618 Penman Road, Jacksonville Beach): The newest location of Strings Sports Brewery features the same spacious seating as their original Springfield location, in addition to a variety of arcade games the kids are sure to love! They also offer fun family events like bingo nights — follow them on social media for event listings! Also located in Springfield.

Northside

Billy Jack’s BBQ (9560 Hecksher Drive): Out past the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens lies Billy Jack’s BBQ! This barbecue gem is worth the drive for the food and for our kids to roam free by the water (supervised, of course). They also offer cornhole, Connect Four, and a toy box that any toddler would be thrilled to dump and explore.

Joseph’s Pizza (7136 N. Main Street): Joseph’s Pizza is a family favorite for pizza and pasta and boasts a “create your own pizza” section of the menu where they let kiddos literally make their own pizza before it goes in the oven! Also located in Atlantic Beach.

Intracoastal West & St. Johns Town Center

Chipshot (13164 Atlantic Boulevard, Harbour Place): The newly opened Chipshot offers golf simulators, indoor pickleball courts, games, and an amazing food and drink experience, making for the best adult playground experience — but also, bring the kids, they’ll love it and it’s super family-friendly!

Midtown Table (5016 Gate Parkway, St. Johns Town Center): Located in St. Johns Town Center, Midtown Table is a prime happy hour spot offering a desirable outdoor spot for both kids and adults, featuring a fire pit, putting green, life-size Connect Four, and other yard games that minimize the buzzing Gate Parkway just feet beyond. There may or may not be a kids’ menu (not shown online), but their wine list is extensive and their full bar offers amazing hand-crafted cocktails.

Arlington

The Lazy Manatee (3547 University Boulevard N): New to Jacksonville, The Lazy Manatee is a beloved family-friendly spot with a super-cute kids’ play area stocked with toys and a TV just for the kiddos (usually set to Bluey or a family-friendly flick). They feature craft beer and wine and an in-house menu featuring sharables such as nachos, flatbreads, brats/hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, and, naturally, a kids’ menu! Bonus: Their bathrooms are well stocked with diapers, wipes, and feminine products — talk about looking out for the community!

Central Jacksonville

V Pizza (12601 San Jose Boulevard, Mandarin): The V Pizza Mandarin location boasts an entire playground outside, along with walls to chalk on! They recently added an overhead cover to the play area as well. Also located in Jacksonville Beach, San Marco, Gate Parkway, St. Augustine, Fleming Island, and Palm Valley. 

Wicked Barley Brewing Company (4100 Baymeadows Road): Wicked Barley is probably the most likely place for your kids to finish their meal thanks to their “Lil Devil” menu. Think PB&J, grilled cheese, and ice pops. But they may be too busy running around on the turf outdoor area or playing on the boardwalk or sandy area along Goody’s Creek.

Ponte Vedra Beach & Nocatee

Mr. Chubby’s Wings (150 Valley Cir., Ponte Vedra Beach): If your family loves chicken wings and sports, Mr. Chubby’s Wings is a must. Dad can watch all the sports while the kids play in the arcade in the back. They have all-you-can-eat wings, draft parties, drink specials, live music, and every single Jags game… it’s a sports lover’s dream!

Palm Valley Outdoors Bar & Grill (377 South Roscoe Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach): Palm Valley Outdoors‘ outdoor patio offers a great view of the Intracoastal and lots of boat traffic if your little ones like boats. You can even rent a fishing pole and make a few casts a few feet from your table. Don’t forget to go into the bait shop to meet the resident rooster.

Siena’s Pizza (150 Fountains Way, Suite 12): Siena’s Pizza is a casual, family-run pizzeria serving up delicious signature pies in a cozy atmosphere. Plus, their “Cozy Kids’ Corner” is a must-visit — it’s well stocked with books, wooden toys, and smiles all around.

Timoti’s Seafood Shak (152 Crosswater Parkway #18, Nocatee): Timoti’s boasts a pirate ship playground on turf for the kids to play in while you’re waiting for your food, which won’t take long since it’s an order-upfront situation, but still boasts a decent local beer selection and full bar. Also located in Fernandina Beach.

Treylor Park (158 Marketside Ave #1, Nocatee): Located in the heart of Nocatee, Treylor Park is a sister location to the iconic Savannah spot and often has live music along with cornhole and a giant Connect Four on the outside patio. If your kiddos are old enough and trustworthy enough, there’s also a small playground and open field right next to the back patio in front of the Link.

Valley Smoke (11 S Roscoe Blvd., Ponte Vedra Beach): A modern take on southern BBQ, Valley Smoke has a great, closed-off outdoor area for kids to run while waiting for food. Their brunch options are out of this world, including delicious Bloody Marys or mimosas for the parents! Be on the lookout and make sure you bring a football; this is known to be one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite spots.

Amelia Island & Fernandina Beach

Cantina Louie (960062 Gateway Boulevard): Also nestled on the water with beautiful views, Cantina Louie offers an artificial turf kids area with a small soccer net, cornhole, and a big Connect Four game. Also several other locations throughout Jacksonville.

Shuckers Oyster Bar (96008 Wades Place): Shuckers is a true Florida experience with fresh seafood (of course, oysters!), on-the-water dining, and frequent live music. What makes it kid-friendly is the outdoor, relaxed atmosphere and nearby playground while you wait for your food to arrive.

Sliders Seaside Grill (1998 S Fletcher Avenue): The beachfront spot of Sliders is just steps from the beach and even has a playground and sandbox to keep the kids busy while the parents enjoy delicious local seafood.

Timoti’s Seafood Shak (21 N. 3rd Street): More seafood options with a completely fenced playground!? Yes, please. Timoti’s recently updated their playground. You order up front and then sit anywhere, which is SO MUCH less stressful with kids. They also have a full bar with tons of delicious cocktails and mocktails! Also located in Nocatee.

St. Augustine

Beach Comber (2 A Street, St. Augustine Beach): Beach Comber is a small beach shack right on the water that has great, local food and outside beachfront seating literally on the sand. It’s perfect for the kids to play until the food arrives. They provide beach toys, and it’s also fenced off, so the kids don’t have direct access to run into the ocean… not that they’d do that, right?

V Pizza (5700 US-1): This V Pizza location offers a huge outdoor artificial turf area for the kiddos to run, chock full of dodgeball, cornhole, giant Connect Four, and more…along with TVs outside for watching sports. They offer a kids’ Pizzaiolo Class and a variety of events throughout the week, like music bingo, trivia nights, live music, and cornhole tournaments. Also located in Jacksonville Beach, San Marco, Gate Parkway, Fleming Island, Mandarin, and Palm Valley. 

What are some of your favorite kid-friendly restaurants in Jax?

Editor’s Note: This is a recurring post and is regularly updated.