Staten Island is a study in suburban living and it is not at all surprising that so many families call this New York borough home. This explains the cornucopia of family-friendly restaurants complete with reasonable price ranges, convenient locations and family friendly hours.
At the top of the list is Bario’s Catering at 446 Nome Avenue (the nearest cross street is Richmond Avenue. Open for lunch on weekdays from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and for dinner from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Offering traditional Italian fare, the $6.25 per person lunch special is sure to fill small and large tummies and the friendly atmosphere is conducive to the family dining experience.
If your family includes older kids (4th graders and up) the Adobe Blues eatery is a good choice for lunch. Located at 63 Lafayette Avenue since 1992, lunch is served daily from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Capitalizing on Southwestern food choices, families will enjoy spicy buffalo sausages, mini tacos, corn nuggets, and Buffalo wings along a plethora of main courses. Take the kids there for dinner at your own risk as the eatery’s clientele gravitates more heavily to the saloon side of the biz.
An oldie but goodie with respect to family dining is Applebee’s and the one on 2720 Veterans Road West is no exception. This restaurant offers the kind of food choices kids love and you will be hard pressed to find any other restaurant in the vicinity where even the youngest and pickiest of eaters will not find something that appeals to their taste buds. Although chain restaurants are somewhat of a hit or miss proposition, Applebee’s is exception to the rule and family dining was never easier!
For those in the mood for pizza, the Valeno Grill is the destination of choice. Located at 530 Forest Avenue, this restaurant is closed on Mondays but open for lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays. Known for al fresco dining, this is a great place to take teens and older kids, and if they fancy themselves something of a singer, then open mike karaoke will be a great family activity for everyone involved!
Families with kids of all ages will enjoy Perkins Family Restaurant at 1409 Hylan Boulevard. Much like Applebee’s, this chain has tried and true kid friendly recipes and seating options and since it includes bakery items it is a perfect place for breakfast or brunch as well as lunch and dinner. Sign up for the kids’ birthday club and your young one will receive a coupon for a free kid’s meal during the week of her or his birthday.
With two locations on Staten Island, Nucci’s is another premier Italian restaurant. Visit them at either 616 Forest Avenue or 4842 Arthur Kill Road, and enjoy most generous portions of pasta, chicken, pizza, and also seafood. Even though there is no separate children’s menu, the servings are large enough to share with small children, while older kids may wish to consider sharing a dish. Although not cheap, the prices are very reasonable!
If the grandparents are accompanying you or if there are some German roots in your family tree somewhere, keep going on Arthur Kill Road until you reach 4254 and Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn. Traditional German dishes such as Wiener schnitzel and Sauerbraten are waiting, but for the young ones who will prefer fish & chips, there is that on the menu as well. Show up Thursday night, and the kids eat free!
If your family has a hankering for Chinese food, the place to choose is the Lobster King Restaurant at 1367 Forest Avenue. Open since October 2007, this restaurant serves a cornucopia of seafood specialties with a Chinese twist. There are scallops, lobsters and sea bass, but also pork, beef, BBQ ribs and of course pan fried noodles. No MSG is added and due to a specialized cooking method there is a lot less oil used to prepare your meal. Kids of all ages and families of all sizes will love this place! Open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Friday and Saturday until 11:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM, this is sure to become a family favorite!
