The 15 Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale (That You'll Actually Love Too)

Because “kid-friendly” doesnt’ have to mean sad chicken nuggets and sticky booths.

When trying to find somewhere to eat with your kids in tow, you’re not just looking for a place that hands out crayons and sad nuggets . You want somewhere that won’t make you feel like you need to apologize for existing. You want good food, a vibe you can actually enjoy, and, dare we dream, a moment or two where you can actually sit still and eat!

Fort Lauderdale is genuinely brilliant for dining out with kids. Between the waterways, the waterfront terraces, the fish you can feed and the planes you can watch, eating out here doesn’t have to feel like something you’re just surviving until you can go home. It can actually be good. Like, really good. For YOU as well as for them.

I’ve been testing these restaurants out with my two toddlers in tow, which means I have very strong opinions about which ones are actually worth the effort, and which ones are going to end in a meltdown by the time the food arrives. Here are the 15 best kid-friendly restaurants in Fort Lauderdale that are great for the whole family and that my toddlers and I actually love!

1. Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor

128 S Federal Hwy, Dania Beach

I’m putting this one first because there is genuinely no establishment in all of South Florida that will make your children happier, and I feel strongly that you need to go as soon as possible.

Jaxson’s has been scooping homemade ice cream since 1956 and it is absolutely, joyfully unhinged in the best possible way. The walls are covered floor to ceiling in vintage license plates going back to 1911. There’s a miniature carousel out front. The country store on the way out is packed with barrels of penny candy, vintage toys, and nostalgic knick-knacks, so plan for that detour and just budget for it now. Over 50 flavors of ice cream are made fresh on-site every single day.

And then there’s the Kitchen Sink. This is a sundae with approximately one pound of ice cream per person, it has to be ordered by a group of four or more, and when it leaves the kitchen, a SIREN goes off. A siren. Lit sparklers. American flags. The whole thing.

There’s a dedicated kids’ menu and highchairs, which is nice. But honestly the real draw is that your children will walk in and immediately forget every bad mood they’ve ever had. It is sensory overload in the absolute best way.

Pro Tip: There is a country store full of candy, vintage toys, and nostalgic knick-knacks that your children will discover and refuse to leave without at least getting something. I am telling you this now so you can mentally prepare yourself and your wallet before you get there.

2. 15th Street Fisheries

1900 SE 15th St, Fort Lauderdale

This one is for ME as much as it is for them and probably my favorite place on this list!

15th Street Fisheries sits right on the Intracoastal and beneath the docks there is a population of enormous prehistoric-looking tarpon that are completely obsessed with being fed. You can buy bags of frozen shrimp from the fuel dock store for around $6, and then you take your children down to the dock and watch them absolutely lose their minds as fish the size of small cars launch themselves out of the water with their mouths open.

My two toddlers are completely riveted every single time. And then, and this is the important part, after a couple of bags of shrimp, they are happy and stimulated and ready to sit down. Which means I get to order a glass of wine and a bowl of mussels and sit on the dockside terrace watching mega yachts drift past on the Intracoastal while my children eat chicken nuggets and ice cream and don’t climb on me. Oh, and they also hand out the obligatory crayons in case of emergency!

The dockside area is casual, walk-in friendly, and perfect for families. You can also book the upstairs dining room for a nicer evening meal with older kids. Either way, this one is a non-negotiable Fort Lauderdale experience.

Pro Tip: Buy the shrimp FIRST before you sit down. Let them feed the tarpon until they’ve got it out of their system. Then bribe with French fries and ice cream. Works every time.

3. Mai-Kai Restaurant & Polynesian Show

3599 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale

If you have never been to the Mai-Kai, please stop reading and go and make a reservation right now. I will wait.

This place is Fort Lauderdale royalty. It has been open since 1956, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, and it is so completely and utterly over-the-top that children simply cannot believe it exists. Tiki torches. Lagoons. Waterfalls. Tropical gardens you can wander through before dinner. Eight themed dining rooms named after different Polynesian islands.

And here’s the thing that makes right now the absolute best time to go: the Mai-Kai closed in 2020 after a burst pipe caused devastating flooding and spent four years undergoing a $20 million restoration. It reopened in November 2024 and it is genuinely more stunning than ever. The gardens have been completely reimagined with better lighting and new walkways, the bar has been restored to its original glory, and the whole place has been brought back to life while keeping everything that made it magical in the first place. If you went years ago and loved it, go back. If you’ve never been, there has genuinely never been a better time.

But honestly? None of that is even the main event. You come here for the show. Dancers. Fire. Warriors. The longest-running Polynesian revue in the nation, performed nightly. Kids under 12 get in to see the show for FREE. There’s a kids’ menu and the food is genuinely good. And there is an extremely high possibility that you might actually get to sit down and eat an entire hot meal while your kids are entertained by the show!

It’s a special occasion restaurant rather than a Tuesday night situation. It’s on the pricier side and you’ll want a reservation. But for a birthday, an end-of-school celebration, a “we survived the week” dinner, or really any excuse you can find, there is absolutely nothing else like it anywhere in South Florida.

Pro Tip: Ask for a garden table if you have very littles, it gives you a bit more breathing room than being right up at the show. And arrive early to walk the gardens because that alone is worth the trip.

4. Jet Runway Café

5540 NW 21st Terrace, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport

Name a child who doesn’t want to watch planes!

Jet Runway Café is tucked right on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and it is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. You sit at tables with giant picture windows looking directly out at the runway and watch private jets, helicopters, and small planes take off and land while you eat. My kids are completely and utterly captivated every single time. The food is genuinely a step above what you’d expect, crab cake hash, triple-stack pancakes, crunchy brioche French toast, fish tacos, and the service is lovely.

It’s breakfast and lunch only (closes at 3pm weekdays, 2pm weekends), so plan accordingly. It can get busy mid-morning, so arriving a little earlier is always a good idea. But as a weekend brunch destination, especially with children who are into anything that moves and makes noise, this is one of the most genuinely fun dining experiences in Fort Lauderdale.

Pro Tip: It’s slightly hard to find because it genuinely is inside an airport. Use Google Maps and search “Jet Runway Café Fort Lauderdale” and trust it even when you feel like you’re driving somewhere wrong. You’re not. Keep going.

5. Regina's Farm

1101 Middle St, Fort Lauderdale

Right, this one is unlike anything else on this list and needs its own specific briefing.

Regina’s Farm is a nonprofit Brazilian dining experience held on select Saturday nights only, in a backyard farm setting in the Sailboat Bend neighborhood. Picnic tables in the garden. Food cooked over wood fires in big pots and pits right in front of you. Authentic Brazilian cuisine from the Minas Gerais region. Festive string lights. The warmest, most genuine hospitality you will encounter in this city.

And this is genuinely one of the best dining experiences for kids on this entire list. There are real chickens and rabbits roaming freely around the yard. There’s a rope swing, regular swings, tricycles, wagons, and a little train that chugs around the property giving rides. Toddlers run around with bubbles and toys while the food cooks over the wood fires, and there are even s’mores for the kids once dessert comes out. The whole evening is a solid three hours or more, and your children will genuinely never notice the time passing because there is always something new happening around them.

For toddlers and older kids alike, this is the kind of dinner they will genuinely remember. The wood fires, the communal tables, the chickens darting between everyone’s feet, the incredible food, the Brazilian atmosphere right in the middle of Fort Lauderdale. It does not feel like a restaurant. It feels like being invited to someone’s family celebration, which is exactly what it is.

Pro Tip: This is a nonprofit. The proceeds support local churches and community organizations. You’re eating an extraordinary meal and doing something good simultaneously. And the lively atmosphere is perfect for muffling toddler tantrums.

6. Southport Raw Bar

1536 Cordova Rd, Fort Lauderdale

A Fort Lauderdale institution since 1973, and the kind of place that makes you feel like a proper local the moment you walk in. Southport Raw Bar has been doing waterfront dining and live music for over 50 years, and they are not shy about the fact that they love having families here. Their own listing says “children friendly and pet friendly” and they genuinely mean it.

The patio at the back overlooks the Intracoastal, there’s live music seven nights a week, and the menu is full of fresh oysters, fish tacos, conch fritters, and comforting classics. You can arrive by boat if you have one, which is admittedly very Fort Lauderdale of you.

It’s casual, it’s welcoming, the prices are reasonable, and it’s one of those places that just feels right.

Pro Tip: Grab a spot outside and watch the boats go by. On a busy afternoon the waterway traffic alone will keep little ones entertained for the entire meal. Theres also Happy hour specials Monday through Thursday, 9pm–11pm if the kids are at grandmas and you need somewhere to go. I’m just saying…

7. Aruba Beach Café

For the days when you want to feel the ocean breeze, hear live music, watch the sea, and eat something good, all at the same time, without having to also wrestle a toddler through sand to get there, Aruba Beach Café is the answer.

It’s right on the beach in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea with indoor and outdoor dining and three tropical bars (for you, I mean obviously). Live music every single day of the week. Caribbean-inspired seafood, burgers, steaks, and salads. Very much “one happy restaurant” energy, which is exactly what it calls itself.

The fact that there’s live music playing constantly means that whatever noise your children are making is beautifully absorbed into the general vibe. Nobody is looking. Nobody notices. You can just… eat your fish tacos in peace.

Pro Tip: One of my favorite Toddler Parks in Fort Lauderdale is just 2 blocks away! Go to Freidt Park early in the morning to run off all their energy and then stroll the quick 5 minutes down to Aruba Beach Café for lunch!

8. Quarterdeck on 17th Street

I’m convinced that every Fort Lauderdale family has a Quarterdeck story. It’s one of those places that’s just been there, reliably good, reliably welcoming, for decades. Casual. No nonsense. Great seafood, good burgers, and the kind of staff who don’t make you feel like you need to apologize for having children with you.

Yes, Quarterdeck has a bunch of locations around South Florida, but my favorite and the one I keep coming back to is this one on Cordova Road just off 17th Street. The big open patio with its fake grass is genuinely perfect for toddlers and kids. There is something about that setup that makes little ones want to play underneath the table, and honestly? Let them. Especially on a quiet Wednesday morning when you’ve also brought the dog along for the chaos, and everyone is happily occupied, and you get to sit down and eat an actual hot meal while your toddlers decide that French fries under a table is the best thing that has ever happened to them.

They also show all the big sports games if that’s your thing, which means it works just as well for a Saturday afternoon with the whole family as it does for a low-key weeknight escape.

It’s not flashy. It doesn’t need to be. It’s the kind of restaurant you go to when you just need to get out of the house and eat something you didn’t have to cook yourself, and it never lets you down.

Pro Tip: The patio is dog-friendly and the fake grass situation means toddlers can roll around on it without you worrying. Who am I kidding, I’m a beta mom, I ever worry about stuff like that. Wednesday mornings are wonderfully quiet if you want the easy version of this outing. Go then. Bring the dog. Order the burger. Breathe.

9. La Mexicana Taco Bar

2430 NE 13th Ave, Wilton Manors

Colourful, bohemian, festive, and full of genuinely good tacos. La Mexicana in Wilton Manors is one of those spots that puts you in a good mood the moment you arrive, which when you are a tired mum who just wants to eat something other than the kids’ leftovers, is really everything.

The outdoor patio is bright and relaxed, the menu has a brilliant variety of tacos (fish, shrimp, chicken, al pastor, sweet potato, a really good selection of vegan options), the margaritas are handcrafted and very good, and the staff are warm and welcoming. Taco Tuesday is legendarily good value. Weekend brunch is its own event.

It’s on the livelier side, but in that fun, festive way rather than the chaotic overwhelm way. Kids tend to love the colour and energy of the place.

Pro Tip: The sweet potato taco is exceptional. Order it even if you think you don’t want it. You want it.

10. LauderAle Brewery

3305 SE 14th Ave, Fort Lauderdale

LauderAle is genuinely one of the most welcoming spots in Fort Lauderdale for families, and the reason I’m putting it on this list isn’t just the craft beer (though, excellent). It’s because of the monkeys.

There is a wild vervet monkey colony that lives in the trees directly behind the brewery. You might catch a glimpse of them. Your children will absolutely never forget this. Wild monkeys at the brewery. It is not something you can replicate anywhere else in Fort Lauderdale.

The brewery itself is tucked into a laid-back industrial nook near Port Everglades with serious neighborhood community energy. Kids are welcome with a parent, dogs are welcome too, and rotating food trucks handle the food side of things every day they’re open. The outdoor space is casual and roomy. It’s the kind of place where everyone feels at home.

And for older kids, keep an eye on their events calendar because LauderAle regularly hosts Micro Wrestling nights — yes, professional micro wrestling, live, at the brewery — alongside live music, trivia, yoga, and a rotating cast of other events that make every visit a little different. Just note that some Micro Wrestling shows are all-ages and some are 21+ so always check before you plan a family night around it.

Pro Tip: Check their social media for which food truck is on before you go, so you can get excited about the right thing in advance. And follow their events page because a Micro Wrestling night with older kids is genuinely one of the most unexpectedly brilliant evenings Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

11. Emily's Garden

327 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale

This one is becoming one of my favorite places in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a food hall and restaurant concept set in a 1920s Las Olas garden estate just steps from the Museum of Science and Discovery, and it is absolutely beautiful.

The outdoor garden space has string lights, palm trees, and a bocce ball court. An outdoor Piaggio Ape pizza oven fires up Roman-style pizza that comes straight to your table, which children love to watch happening. There are local food vendors and a rotating menu of steak, seafood, charcuterie and brunch dishes. And, very excitingly, there is a dedicated kids’ play area with a sandpit and some toys!! Which means you can actually sit down and have a proper conversation with another adult while the kids entertain themselves.

Weekend brunches come with a live DJ. The wine list is lovely and the prices are genuinely very reasonable for Fort Lauderdale.

Pro Tip: Go on a weekend for the full experience. The combination of the garden atmosphere, the live music, the pizza oven, and the kids playing happily nearby is genuinely about as close to a perfect family lunch as you can get in this city. Or come here after a playdate at the Museum of Science and Discovery so you can actually have a ( mostly) uninterrupted adult conversation!

12. Lucky Fish Beach Bar & Grill

222 N Pompano Beach Blvd, Pompano Beach

For the days when you genuinely just want to be at the beach and also eat something good, Lucky Fish in Pompano Beach is exactly what you need. It’s right on the sand at the Fishing Village next to the Fisher Family Pier, open-air, casual, toes-in-the-sand energy, fresh coastal food, live music daily, and tropical drinks that taste exactly right when you’re sitting next to the ocean.

Fish tacos. Smash burgers. Seafood. Bagels and grab-and-go breakfast if you’re there in the morning. The vibe is genuinely relaxed, you’re welcome in your swimsuit, the kids can be kids, and nobody is stressed. Sometimes that’s exactly the brief.

One of my favorite playgrounds in Fort Lauderdale is also right next door! So this restaurant is the perfect morning outing to get their energy out and then stop for a relaxed lunch!

Pro Tip: This is a great one to combine with a beach morning. Show up when you’re done at the beach and everyone is hungry and salty and happy and needs to sit down. If you don’t feel like salty you can always play at the playground, walk the pier or head to the jelly fish museum before stopping in for lunch or dinner!

13. YOT Bar & Kitchen

2015 SW 20th St, Fort Lauderdale (Lauderdale Marine Center)

Tucked inside the Lauderdale Marine Center on the New River, you dine dockside surrounded by multimillion-dollar mega yachts. There’s indoor and outdoor seating, a full outdoor bar, and a menu that leans elevated and beautifully done.

It is slightly off the beaten path in the same way that Jet Runway Café is. You pull up to the marina gate, they hand you a parking pass, and then you follow signs to what feels like a slightly secret destination. That’s part of the charm.

This one is better suited to older kids who can sit through a proper dinner, but for a special occasion or a date night that includes children because you’re a parent and that’s your life now, it is an absolutely gorgeous setting.

Pro Tip: Same idea as Jet Runway, trust the GPS even when it feels like you’re going somewhere wrong. You’re going to the right place.

14. Bass Pro Shops — Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant

200 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach

This one is a whole day out disguised as lunch, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.

The Islamorada Fish Company is the restaurant inside the enormous Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach. You can dine indoors surrounded by fish mounts and aquariums, or outside on the deck overlooking a gorgeous pond. The seafood menu is solid (fresh grouper, conch, shrimp, proper portions). But the real magic is everything surrounding it.

There is a 30,000-gallon freshwater aquarium in the store that children will stare at for a genuinely impressive amount of time. There is an arcade and a laser shooting gallery. There are fishing events and holiday events throughout the year. You can quite easily spend an entire afternoon here without anyone complaining or asking to go home.

That. Is. Priceless.

Pro Tip: Check the Bass Pro website for seasonal events. They do Santa’s Wonderland at Christmas, Easter events, summer fishing clinics, and more. Combining one of those with lunch here is genuinely one of the best family days out in Fort Lauderdale in the summer when its too hot to venture outside!

15. Le Tub Saloon

1100 N Ocean Dr, Hollywood

I’m putting Le Tub on this list because it is a Fort Lauderdale area institution and you should absolutely know about it, but I’m going to give you the full picture so you go in prepared.

Le Tub is a wonderfully strange, utterly beloved Hollywood landmark. A former Sunoco gas station on the Intracoastal that’s been transformed over 50 years into a rambling, open-air waterfront bar decorated with clawfoot bathtubs, driftwood, shells, and everything that has ever washed up from Hollywood Beach. GQ Magazine declared it America’s Best Burger. Oprah agreed. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. The 13-ounce chargrilled sirloin is genuinely legendary.

The setting is beautiful — boats on the water, leafy jungle canopy overhead, picnic benches everywhere, total old Florida vibes.

Now the important part: children are not permitted after 8pm. So this is an early dinner situation — arrive hungry, order early, budget for a 30–45 minute wait for the famous burger because the grill is tiny and it’s worth it. It’s brilliant for families who arrive early and treat it like the leisurely, beautiful waterfront experience it is. Just don’t try to make it a late evening.

Pro Tip: The thick-cut steak fries and the housemade key lime pie are non-negotiable. In that order. After the burger. Obviously.

Stop Scrolling and Go Eat!

Fort Lauderdale is an incredible city to raise kids. And part of what makes it incredible is this restaurant scene. Whether you’re watching fire dancers at the Mai-Kai, feeding giant tarpon at 15^th Street Fisheries, catching glimpses of wild monkeys at LauderAle, or watching jets take off over brunch, this city knows how to turn a simple meal into an experience.

You deserve good food, good vibes, and a table where you feel welcome. So does every tired, wonderful mom reading this right now.

Go eat something delicious!

And if you found this helpful, you might also love: 10 Fun Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale with Kids This Summer 100 Fun Things to Do in South Florida with Kids