This guide is sponsored by Mission Taco Joint.
While the days of taking your kids to Rainforest or T-Rex Cafe are over, there are still plenty of fun family spots to dine in Kansas City. We’ve compiled a guide to the best spots with fun activities, great outdoor spaces, and the places where kids eat cheap or free!
Mission Taco Joint
East Crossroads: 409 E 18th St. Kansas City, MO 64108
South Plaza: 5060 Main St. Kansas City, MO 64112
Park Place: 11563 Ash St. Leawood, KS 66211
Mission Taco Joint is a great spot for families with crowd pleasing starters like their dip trio
and carne asada fries. Adults can enjoy margaritas and other inspired cocktails and drinks. The kids menu has several options including burritos, quesadillas, beef and cheese tacos, and chicken fingers. Make sure you try the churros with dipping chocolate for dessert. If your family likes to dine early, happy hour runs from 3 PM – 6 PM Monday through Friday.
Pro Tip: The Park Place location is right next to the ice skating rink in the winter and the open grassy area the rest of the year where there are yard games and plenty of room to run around.
Restaurants with Fun Activities
- 54th St. Restaurant and Drafthouse at Zona Rosa in the Northland has a great patio and offers pickleball as well as HD golf and a multisport simulator.
Pickleball and yard games at 54th St in Zona Rosa - Atomic Cowboy near downtown Overland Park has a pool table as well as arcade and board games.
- Boulevard Bingo on Sunday mornings is a great family activity with delicious food and drink.
- Cardboard Corner Cafe locations in Overland Park and at Lenexa City Market have hundreds of board games available to play for free and a waffle-centric menu that kids love.
- Craft Putt in Overland Park offers indoor mini golf and has a kids menu.
- Dave and Busters in Overland Park and at the Legends in Kansas City, KS have tons of arcade games and a full menu to enjoy.
- Draftcade at Zona Rosa in the Northland has classic arcade games and $7 unlimited play wristbands. Kids are allowed before 8 P.M.
- Grimaldi’s Pizzeria at Prairiefire in Overland Park gives your child pizza dough to play with while they wait for their food.
- Fun House Pizza in Independence and Lee’s Summit have arcade games.
- Fritz’s Railroad Restaurant is well known for its location at Crown Center but also has
Food delivered by train at Fritz’s locations in Shawnee and Kansas City, KS. Trains deliver your food at all locations.
- Lenexa Public Market has Family Night every Wednesday with food specials and fun activities.
- Main Event in Olathe, Independence, and the Northland offers bowling, laser tag, and other fun family activities and has a full menu to choose from. Kids eat free on Tuesdays.
- No Other Pub in Power and Light has bowling, shuffleboard, yard games, and more. Bowling is even free on Sundays!
- Pinstripes in Overland Park, KS offers bowling and bocce. Sunday brunch is free for kids 5 and under.
- Pizza West in Shawnee, KS has a collection of pinball machines.
- Peter Piper Pizzeria at Ward Parkway Center in KCMO has arcade games to enjoy.
Restaurants with a Great Outdoor Area
- Char Bar in Parkville and Westport both have outdoor areas with yard games.
- Chicken N Pickle in the Northland and Overland Park have indoor and outdoor pickleball courts and lots of yard games.
Room to play at Strang Hall - Grinders Stonewall in Lenexa has a large patio surrounded by a grassy area so kids can run around.
- Iron District in the Northland has shipping containers with different restaurant concepts and shops and lots of room to hang out outside.
- Strang Hall in downtown Overland Park has something for everyone with their multiple restaurants on site. The outdoor area has cornhole and Jenga blocks and after eating you can cross the street and visit Thompson Park!
- SERV in Overland Park offers pickleball, yard games, and family movie nights in the summer. There are eight dining concepts to choose from.
Kids Eat Free
Typically dine in only with the purchase of an adult entree. Drinks are not always included. Always call ahead to confirm as these specials may change!
- Big Belly’s in Kansas City, MO allows kids 4 and under to eat free daily and kids 5-12 get $3 off.
- IHOP between 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. every night at select locations including South Olathe, Grandview, and Liberty. Offered weeknights only at the Overland Park location on Metcalf.
- Coco Bolos at Prairiefire in Overland Park on Sundays after 4 p.m.
Kids eat free on Sundays at Rock & Brews - Rock & Brews at Prairiefire in Overland Park on Sundays.
- Spin! Pizza at any of their eight metro locations on Sundays.
- Westport Flea Market Bar & Grill on Mondays after 5 p.m.
- Planet Sub locations on Mondays.
- Main Event in Olathe, Independence, and the Northland on Tuesdays.
- Pizza Ranch in Independence and the Northland on Tuesdays.
- Zarda Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q in Lenexa and Blue Springs on Wednesdays with an adult purchase of $14.99.
- IKEA in Merriam on Wednesdays.
Kids Eat Cheap
Typically dine in only with the purchase of an adult entree. Drinks are not always included. Always call ahead to confirm as these specials may change!
- Cinzzetti’s in Overland Park has a $4.99 kids buffet price on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- RC’s Restaurant and Lounge in Martin City discounts kids menu items on weeknights.
- Red Robin locations in Independence, Liberty, Zona Rosa, Olathe, and Overland Park offer 99 cent kids meals after 4 p.m. on Tuesdays. Two kids meals for every 1 adult entree.
