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Colin Moore, age 12, enjoying his favorite–the Tijuana Taco Dog–from Toby’s Dog House.
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Food for Thought offers a wide variety of customizable menu options for kids and adults alike. The friendly waitstaff and quick service make this a go-to family favorite.
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Five Forks Café cook Michael Holloway is all smiles as he whips up a delicious breakfast spread six days a week 7am until 3pm. Lunch available 11am until 3pm.
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Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que Pork BBQ dinner is a stick-to-your-ribs and fill-your-belly kind of meal.
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Chopsticks Pho with beef meatballs and eye round is filling and kid-friendly.
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Toby’s Dog House is full of good eats and good times for even the littlest food critics.
Young people are famously hard to impress when it comes to dining options. Anyone who has ever presented a plate of unfamiliar food to a toddler knows that success and disaster balance on a knife’s edge at mealtime. Restaurants present a special set of challenges, where wiggly, choosy kids can force even the most battle-hardened parents to forswear eating out until their children leave for college.
So, what’s a Williamsburg family in need of a night out to do? Proceed with confidence to these local establishments recommended by children, for children.
1. Food For Thought
Siblings Ethan Krems, age 7, andAlexandra Krems, age 5, endorse Food For Thought, a Richmond Road eatery that urges its patrons to “Eat, Drink, Think.” Their mammoth menu includes a page of options for vegetarians and an array of interesting kids’ choices. Considerate chefs are always game to make substitutions or special orders for sensitive eaters. Dining tables sheathed in butcher paper and stocked with sharp, new crayons invite creative play to occupy the little ones until the food arrives. Tabletop trivia cards will test older kids’ capacity for cleverness.
"I like the kids’ pesto pasta because it’s delicious and they always bringextra parmesan if I ask for it. My favorite thing about Food For Thought, though, is that you can draw right on the table cover! That's so fun,” said Ethan Krems.
"I like the sauces. They have good tartar sauce for dipping your fish and chips or barbecue sauce for the ribs.The honey sauce for the sweet potato fries is definitely the best! I also like drawing on the paper on the table,” said Alexandra Krems.
2. Five Forks Diner
You might bump into Ezra Parks, age 5, and his dad at Five Forks Diner, a traditional grill that’s been open at the corner of Ironbound and Route 5 since 1981. An open griddle fronted by chrome barstools offers the best view in the house, while wide booths are serviced by waitstaff who’ll remember your regular order eachtime you return.
“I like to go to Five Forks for guys’ breakfast with my dad and my grandpas. Sometimes we let my mom and little sister come, too. The Rainbow Pancake Special is the best,” Parks said.
3. Chopsticks Pho and Grill
chopstickpho.wixsite.com/chopsticks/menu
Pleasing one kid is hard enough, but imagine finding a place to eat that can satisfy a huddle of four. Quan Nim, owner of Focus Field Hockey, knows that every successful endeavor rides on a full stomach. The kids—Dakota, Gaby, Brady and Chase—span from kindergarten to 8th grade, and they live with some restrictive food sensitivities. Chopsticks Pho and Grill on John Tyler Highway in the Williamsburg Crossing Shopping Center at the old Florimonte’s location satisfies this big family with filling and fun dishes.
“My kids are allergic to eggs, milk, and nuts, but they can all eat the number five at Chopsticks—Pho with beef meatballs and eye round,” said Nim.
4. Pierce’s Pitt Barbeque
Local kids’ affinity for Pierce’s Pitt Barbeque may stem from exposure in utero, as many a pregnant mama took herself to this famous Williamsburg institution to satisfy a craving for the smokehouse’s singular sauce. With undertones of apple cider, a hit of bright tangy tomato, and a spicy finish, this irresistible preparation elevates tender pork and smoked chicken to new heights. Find them on Rochambeau Drive, a few miles past the Walmart shopping center.
“I like to eat barbeque. The sandwich is good but the French fries are my favorite,” said 5-year-old Elsie Hunter, who has been frequenting this storied spot since before she could walk.
