After a long workday or busy weekend, sometimes the prospect of cooking for the whole family (and especially cleaning up) just sounds exhausting. But going out to eat with kids can become expensive very quickly. Here’s the good news — if you know the right restaurant deals and plan accordingly, you can find many “kids eat free” offers for dining at family restaurants. Not only will you save money, but it’ll give the kids a chance to get out of the house and create new experiences.
We’ve compiled a list of the best family-friendly restaurants where kids eat free. Most deals for free kids meals have an age cap (sorry, parents of teenagers) and require the purchase of an adult main course, which is perfect for going out to eat as a family. As most of these restaurants are chains, always be sure to double check with your local restaurant to make sure they’re offering the deal. And remember that many non-chain restaurants, pubs and beer gardens also do free or cheap kids’ meals.
TGI Fridays
Location: nationwide
Make the kids feel like they’re in an American movie at TGI Fridays, with wings, nachos, burgers, ribs and crowd-pleasing desserts. Thank God it’s … Monday to Thursday, when TGI Fridays offers a Kids Eat Free deal. Order a full-price adult meal (minimum $25) and get a kids’ main course from the Stars ‘n’ Stripes menu.
Vapiano
Location: Eastern Australia
You can never go wrong putting kids in front of Italian-style carbs. At Vapiano, order a full-priced pasta or pizza and get a kids’ main for a dining companion 11 or under — pasta Bolognese or simple butter and cheese, or pizzas in no-fuss Margherita or classic Hawaiian varieties. Any day of the week, except public holidays, with locations in Brisbane and the Gold Coast as well as Sydney and Melbourne.
Fratelli Fresh
Location: Sydney area
If another week is about to tick over but you can’t face cooking, Fratelli Fresh offers cheap family meal deals on Sundays, with free meals for kids under 12 for every adults’ main. Look for kids’ favourites like spaghetti Bolognese, pizza and chicken nuggets.
Bondi Pizza
Location: western Sydney
Kids eat free at Bondi Pizza on Thursdays, but with three western Sydney locations, you won’t need to head to the coast for a taste of Bondi. Little tackers 12 and under can choose from chicken nuggets, a range of pasta dishes and, of course, pizza — tomato and cheese or ham and pineapple. There’s even a Greek salad for the more sophisticated nipper.
Rashays
Location: eastern Australia
On Sundays, kids eat free at Rashays with every full-priced adult meal (10 and under). Family meal deals with cheeseburgers, fish and chips, margherita pizza and chicken schnitzel await kids at locations across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.
Holiday Inn
Location: nationwide
If you’re travelling, some hotel chains offer kids-eat-free (and kids-stay-free!) deals. There’s Holiday Inn, for example, with hotels in locations like Cairns as well as the major mainland capitals. Kids 12 and under can generally eat for free from the kids’ menu in the in-house restaurant with an adult who orders at least one main course; limit of four children per family, and two children per parent. At Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport, for example, kids can choose from a fun smiley-face tomato soup, DIY falafels and more.