The Ultimate Guide to Austin Restaurants With Playgrounds

I love Austin for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is the huge number of restaurants that make it easy to go out to eat as a family with small kids.

In past cities we’ve lived in (get it together, Houston and Dallas!), kid-friendly restaurant options just meant that the restaurant was relaxed, tolerated kids and maybe had some space for kids to run around if you were lucky. In Austin there are dozens of restaurants that not only have plenty of room but have constructed playgrounds so kids can play and get their energy out while adults get to enjoy their meal!

Here are the more than 40 restaurants with playgrounds in and around Austin (and breweries too!), organized by area of town! Whether you’re visiting Austin or just looking for a new spot to try, you’re sure to find something both you and your kids will love.

More than 40 restaurants with playgrounds in Austin and surrounding areas

If you’re looking for my top recommendations, my top 10 favorites are:

Central Market North Lamar
Phil’s Icehouse
Hat Creek
Fieldhouse at the Crossover
Brentwood Social House
The Hive
Meanwhile Brewing Co.
Littlefield’s
Nomadic Outpost
Fitzhugh Brewing

Find one near you with this map!

In This Post

Multiple Locations

1. Mandola’s

Cedar Park

12100 W. Parmer Ln Ste. 200
Cedar Park, TX 78613

William Cannon

4301 W William Cannon Dr E-1

Austin, TX 78749

If you’re in the mood for Italian, head to Mandola’s Cedar Park location and let the kids run off their energy while you enjoy your pasta. There’s playgrounds and space to run around. Bonus: Kids meals come with gelato!

Mandola’s actually shares this playground space with Super Sap’s, if you’re more in the mood for Thai food than Italian!

2. Phil’s Icehouse

Burnet

5620 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78756

South Lamar

2901 S. Lamar Ave.
Austin, TX 78704

North 183

13265 US Hwy 183 N
Austin, TX 78750

Phil’s Icehouse is one of my favorite restaurants to go with my kids. I love their burgers and fries, and how each location’s playground is different.

They’re always next to an Amy’s Ice Cream (because they’re owned by the same people), so there’s no question of what’s for dessert!

3. Hat Creek Burger Company

Lots of locations

We’ve been to at least six of the Hat Creek locations around the Austin area, and they’ve all been great options. Even the Domain location, which can get a little crazy, is a great bribe to get your kids to cooperate on a shopping trip.

They serve breakfast and lunch/dinner options, so you can go in the morning and keep playing right through lunch (something we have done more times than I should admit)!

4. Waterloo Ice House

Burnet Rd.

8600 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX 78757

360 & 2222

6203 N Capital of Texas Hwy
Austin, TX 78731

Escarpment

9600 Escarpment Blvd.
Austin, TX 78749

If you’re on your way home from swimming or hiking at Emma Long Metropolitan Park, stop by the 360 & 2222 location of Waterloo Ice House for a meal or snack and let the kids play on the playground. Lots of space outside and lots of shady trees.

Fair warning on the Escarpment location — there are no tables in or right next to the playground area, so you can’t really supervise from the table.

Central

1. Central Market

4001 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin TX 78756

When we moved to Austin, everyone always told us we had to go to Central Market on North Lamar. I thought that was strange until we went there.

Huge patio with live music many weekends (you can check out the schedule online), restaurant and drinks you can order inside, a big-kid playground and a toddler playground, as well as a turtle pond with a huge low tree.

You can go for coffee on a weekday morning or drinks at night, they have kids meals, and you can pick up a few groceries while you’re there!

2. Whole Foods

525 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78703

On the roof of Whole Foods downtown, there’s an adorable little playground (recently replaced) — plus lots of shaded tables if you want to buy some food to eat up there and lounge chairs overlooking the street below. Whole Foods of course has grocery options, but also has lots of hot food to order if you want a proper meal.

There’s a parking garage underground and an elevator that can take you straight to the roof or inside the store.

1601 W Koenig Ln.
Austin, TX 78756

My kids love the pirate ship playground, and I love the small, fenced-in yard that makes it very easy to keep an eye on them. It’s a great spot for a parent to get some work done, have some coffee and get some snacks for your kids.

Pro tip: The house made mustard is amazing. Order the pretzel with the mustard and you’ve got a meal.

4. Littlefield’s

2401 Winsted Lane
Austin, TX 78703

This is the cutest place right in the middle of Austin in Tarrytown! Come get Cookie Rich or Veracruz Tacos from their permanent trucks here, grab a table and watch the kids play on the turf hill and tunnel.

Parking is tricky — the lot is tiny and most of it is reserved for residents of the little condos right there. You should be able to find plenty of street parking, but there aren’t a lot of sidewalks in the neighborhood, so be careful!

5. Home Slice North Loop

501 E. 53rd St.
Austin, TX 78751

Home Slice is an Austin classic — highly recommend if you’re visiting and looking for a pizza place with Austin vibes.

The play area isn’t a traditional playscape. It’s a bunch of turf-covered hills and tunnels, which children seem to LOVE. We have several of these turf/hill type places in Austin, and I’m always shocked by how well and long my kids will play on them.

6. El Mercado

1302 S. 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704

This Mexican restaurant has a little backyard playscape with a slide and a small area for kids to dig in the dirt and play with small toys.

7. Double Trouble

103 N Loop Blvd E
Austin, TX 78751

This is a great all-day spot! They serve both coffee and cocktails, plus tacos (including vegan options!). There’s a big patio with a stage and trees, plus a little play area set apart from the rest of the patio.

It is covered in turf with hills, tires, and colorful animals to sit on. The quirky murals in the play area give it the perfect Austin vibes.

8. Lazarus Brewing (Airport Blvd.)

4803 Airport Blvd
Austin TX 78751

Another spot that opens early and stays open late, the Airport location of Lazarus Brewing is so fun. They have a big turquoise pirate ship playscape and silly animals to rock on. Grab a beer, a coffee, or some Tex Mex food.

9. Camp Out

6700 Burnet Rd.
Austin, TX

This North Central spot is connected to Yard Bar, so your kids can see all kinds of pups running around the neighboring dog run (safely on the other side of a fence!). There’s a playscape and small soccer pitch with goal, so all ages can run around here.

10. Casa de Luz

Casa de Luz is a special spot — a wellness community/space with a restaurant and playground. Their menu is organic, whole-plant focused.

11. Redbud Ice House

2027 Anchor Ln
Austin, TX 78723

This East Austin spot that opened in 2024 is a great hangout! It’s got a big patio, complete with play area, which includes balance beams and a see saw. Burgers, soft serve and a kids menu — the perfect place to meet friends with kids.

South Austin and Suburbs

1. The Hive

10542 Menchaca Rd.
Austin, TX 78748

We love The Hive. It’s the ideal place to hang out with a beer on a weekend day or grab coffee with friends during the week. There’s a two-story barn playground built by the owners (with picnic tables right next to it) and a hilly turf area with a bunch of small playhouses perfect for toddlers.

They have coffee, beer, breakfast tacos, Bougie’s donuts, and more.

2. Madrone Coffee

6266 W. Hwy 290
Austin, TX 78735

This cool coffee shop at the Old Rock Store as you drive out toward Dripping Springs has live music, a food truck and a great playground for kids. Open 7 days a week, it’s the perfect weekday outing or a good idea for a stop on the way home from the zoo or some breweries on Fitzhugh!

3. Bouldin Acres

2027 S. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704

This colorful place is lots of fun for both kids and adults — a great place to meet up with child-free friends where they’ll still enjoy themselves! There’s a cute fenced-in playground for the children and drinks, TV and pickleball courts for the grown-ups.

4. Easy Tiger South

3508 S. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704

Relax at picnic tables under the big shady trees and let the kids play in the Little Tiger Den. It’s a turf area with chalkboards, balls and blocks, and a tunnel that’s just a little too big for kids to climb on.

5. Doc’s Backyard

5207 Brodie Ln. 100
Sunset Valley, TX 78745

Doc’s Backyard has an awesome playground — it’s like being at a park that has food and drinks. There’s a little playhouse, big playscape and even park-style swings!

6. Nomadic Outpost

3505 Country White Ln
Austin, TX 78749

This Sunset Valley spot is a beautiful place to hang out on a nice day. It has lots of picnic tables and chairs, and plenty of space to run around. There’s a small turf area plus a swing, ninja course, and a little playscape with really fun netting to climb and hang in.

They share their space with Slab BBQ and Daygos taco truck for your food fix, and they serve beer, coffee and cocktails.

7. Way South Food Park

11300 Old San Antonio Rd
Manchaca, TX 78652

This is a fun hangout to meet up with friends or even just grab a coffee while the kids play. There’s a great coffee truck — Doxa — that opens early plus a handful of other food trucks. Get a meal or dessert, and the kids can play yard games or run around on the playscape — a couple slides, different ways to climb up and several platforms to hang out on.

8. Progress Coffee + Beer Buda

750 FM2001
Buda, TX 78610

I love this cute place for coffee and beer in Buda! The patio is huge with lots of seating and an adorable little playscape in the corner.

9. Thicket Food Park

7800 South 1st Street
Austin, TX 78745

You could hang out here all day! There are lots of food trucks situated around a yard with a small playscape, little ride-on toys, a metal merry-go-round and more.

North Austin

1. Mesa Rosa

15515 Ranch Rd 620 N
Austin, TX 78717

Mesa Rosa has a huge covered patio, so it’s a great option even on sunny summer days. The yard is huge, the playground is a little bit different than your typical restaurant playscape, and you can watch with a margarita in hand.

You likely will have to go find the kids every once in a while because there are some spots that aren’t too visible from the tables.

2. Aviator

4005 West Parmer Lane, Ste. E
Austin, TX 78727

Aviator Pizza is one our go-to restaurants on a weeknight. It happens to be close to where we live, but I would drive farther for the good pizza, beer and patio seating.

The playground was a little too big for our kids when they were toddlers( the ends of the slides are kind of high off the ground), but there are also rocks and trees to climb on. The kids are always finding different ways to play there.

The whole patio is enclosed, but fair warning, the fence is just a couple railings, so we’ve seen some of the more adventurous kids climb through it.

3. Garbo’s

12709 N. Mopac Expressway
Austin, Texas 78727

Garbo’s moved to a bigger space in 2020 with a great patio and has added a play area to its offerings. The fenced-in play yard has a pirate ship playscape, swing set, and ninja course for kids to enjoy while you hang out and eat lobster rolls.

Connor’s Creamery is connected to Garbo’s too, so you can get a sweet treat after you eat.

4. The Boat

10931 Stonelake Blvd.
Austin, TX 78759

The Boat is a seafood restaurant complete with a boat playscape! It has a good sized patio, a couple of arcade games, and is just across the highway from The Domain.

The boat playground has a tube slide, secret hideout underneath for kids, and lots of ways to climb on board.

5. Bouldin Acres Braker

1806 W Braker Ln
Austin, TX 78758

If you like a sports bar vibe (complete with pickleball courts!) but need it to be kid-friendly, Bouldin Acres is your place. This is the new location that opened in 2023 and added a playground a few months later. It’s at the back of the property past the pickleball courts and totally fenced in (though the gate is probably left open) so kids can run around without disturbing anyone back there.

Northwest Austin

1. Rudy’s 620

7709 Ranch Road 620
Austin, TX 78726

Barbecue joints are pretty laid-back places as is, but add in a playground and it’s the perfect place for kids. If your kid won’t eat barbecue (no judgment; mine won’t!), there’s also breakfast tacos, sides and a range of desserts.

2. Oz Tap House

10601 RR 2222 Ste. H
Austin, TX 78730

This is one of the first playground restaurants we went to after moving to Austin, and we were so impressed! There’s a small covered patio with a playground to the side. There’s also green space outside the fence with cornhole.

This is a pour-your-own-beer place (but they also have pour-your-own wine and cocktails), which is a cool concept, but I think it’s a bit expensive and I’m terrible at pouring!

3. Oasthouse and Flores Mexican Restaurant

8300 N FM 620
Austin, TX 78726

Oasthouse and Flores Mexican Restaurant share a playground between their patios. It’s a cool option for parents to be able to choose between gastropub fare and Mexican food.

4. Ski Shores

2905 Pearce Rd.
Austin, TX 78730

This Ski Shores location is a great spot if you’re wanting to enjoy the lake, have a meal and some drinks, and let the kids run around. It is RIGHT by the lake, so you can even boat there. Fair warning: there’s no playscape, but it does have a kids play area. There used to be a playscape, but they remodeled, and replaced the playground with a fenced area of turf hills for kids, plus a sand area.

West of Austin

1. Winston’s

4900 Bee Creek Road
Lakeway, TX 78669

2. FairLane Cocktails and Coffee

29035 Ranch Rd 12
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

3. Route 12 Filling Station

31560 Ranch Rd 12 #214
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

4. Dreamland

2770 W Hwy 290
Dripping Springs, TX 78620

5. Angel’s Icehouse

21815 State Hwy 71
Spicewood, TX 78669

6. Waypoint Food Truck Park/Infamous Brewing

4602 Weletka Dr
Austin, TX 78734

Northern Suburbs

1. Kerbey Lane

2120 N Mays St.
Round Rock, TX 78664

Kerbey Lane is an Austin institution. It’s already great for kids because of the range of meal options, including special pancake flavors, but this Round Rock location ups the ante with a playground outside their patio.

Let the kids run free while you’re waiting for your food and enjoying a coffee or boozy drink.

2. Mighty Fine Burgers, Chipotle, Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe

201 University Oaks Blvd.
Round Rock, TX 78664

These three Round Rock restaurants share a playground outside of their patios. Mighty Fine Burgers is the closest and probably easiest to supervise your kids from your table (and closest to the entrance to the mostly fenced-in playground), but they’re all a bit separated from the play are.

I’d say this is a good option for playing before or after the meal when an adult can come actively supervise or for older kids you trust to be farther away from you.

3. Salt Lick RR

3350 East Palm Valley Blvd.
Round Rock, TX 78665

Right next to Dell Diamond in Round Rock, you can grab some barbecue and let the kids play on their playscape while you eat nearby outside. It’s a great place to meet up with friends before a Round Rock Express game!

4. Fieldhouse at the Crossover

1717 Scottsdale, Ste. 160
Cedar Park, TX 78641

This is a great place for both kids and adults to play! Fieldhouse at the Crossover has pickleball and volleyball courts you can reserve, cornhole, a soccer field and a shaded playground.

The Fieldhouse offers a ton of different drinks — beer, cocktails and wine — and there are several food trucks on site. Check out the website to find out who’s there now.

This place feels a little upscale but is made to be family-friendly. And the bonus to being in the suburbs — plenty of parking!

5. Brushy Creek Food Park

2301 Brushy Creek Rd.
Cedar Park, TX 78613

This relaxed/rustic Cedar Park property has a taco truck, breakfast sandwiches and Ukrainian-style shawarma and is BYOB. There’s a play area for kids to enjoy while you wait for your food.

6. Main Street Social

1651 Main Street
Liberty Hill, TX 78642

There is so much outdoor space (and an arcade!) at this food hall in Liberty Hill. Lots of food choices so everyone is happy and so many different areas to play. There are games, a playscape, monkey bars, and much more.

7. Liberty Tavern

3000 RR 1869
Liberty Hill, TX

This American cuisine restaurant has a nice little outdoor space with string lights and a fun playscape. It’s fenced in so you don’t have to worry about kids running into the parking lot.

Austin Area Breweries With Playgrounds

Find descriptions of all of these breweries in this post!

12. Oddwood Brewing

3108 Manor Rd.
Austin, TX 78723

Love a good deal? These restaurants offer kids eat free promotions (and some have playgrounds!).

2 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to Austin Restaurants With Playgrounds”

L

February 13, 2024 at 7:56 pm

How could you not include Lazarus on Airport?
- Austin With Kids
  
  February 16, 2024 at 2:43 pm
  
  I haven’t updated this post since they added the playscape, but I will soon — I have at least a handful of new spots (or new playgrounds) to add!