Kid-Friendly Restaurants
Stax Omega (Greenville area)
Serving breakfast all day long, these Greenville-area diners keep families happy with freshly prepared burgers, chicken fingers and spaghetti. Greek specialties like souvlaki, huge salads and an in-house bakery that turns out decadent cakes and pies round out the menu.
Overlook Grill (Greenville)
An outdoor patio and a gorgeous view of Reedy River Falls Park make this downtown Greenville eatery a great choice for families exploring Main Street. Kids can dig into the usual choices on the children’s menu; adults can chose from daily seafood specials or creative salads, sandwiches and wraps.
Duke Sandwich Company (Upstate)
Family-owned since 1917, these super casual sandwich shops are known for pimento cheese, chicken salad and chili-topped hot dogs. Locations throughout the Upstate make it easy to indulge!
Henry’s Smokehouse (Greenville)
The paper plates come piled high with succulent pork barbecue or ribs, baked beans, cole slaw and rice at Henry’s. There’s also smoked chicken and, of course, sweet potato pie for dessert.
Pop’s New York Style Pizzeria (Columbia)
One of the few spots where you can get pizza by the slice, Pop’s does it right: thin crust, hot from the oven, gooey with cheese. For dessert, try the fried oreos.
Eric’s San Jose Mexican Restaurant (Columbia)
There’s lots of room to roam at this large, inviting Mexican eatery. Guests will make you feel like family while they serve up plates heaped with the usual Mexican fare that’s been prepared with unusual care.
Rising High (Columbia)
Sandwiches on freshly baked bread—which is available for purchase—and a prime location in the heart of downtown Columbia make this stylish sandwich shop a winner.
Yoder’s Dutch Kitchen (Abbeville)
Mennonites all over South Carolina own restaurants that serve down home specialties like fried chicken, chicken bog and mashed potatoes that are still made from scratch. Yoder’s, in Abbeville, is one of the best.
Lizard’s Thicket (Columbia)
Kids and adults get to design their own meals at these legendary “Meat & 3” (meat and three side orders) restaurants from dozens of choices. On any given day, meats might include fried and baked chicken, meat loaf, short ribs and beef stew. Sides run the gamut from macaroni and cheese or rice and gravy to a green salad, collards or even jello.
Mama Fu’s (Mt. Pleasant)
If you’ve got a taste for Asian, bring the family to Mama Fu’s, where kids can feast on Scooby Foo (chicken strips with sauce) and Ninja Noodles (chicken teriyaki with noodles) or just plain macaroni and cheese.
Juanita Greenberg’s Nacho Royale (Charleston)
Macho Nachos, burritos and quesadillas—not to mention year-round Christmas lights shaped like cacti--will please the kids, homemade salsas, cold beer and pitchers of icy margaritas mean adults will love Juanita Greenberg’s Nacho Royale just as much.
Fleet Landing (Charleston)
This waterfront restaurant proves that sophisticated cuisine—think fried flounder with spicy apricot glaze—and a child-friendly environment can exist in perfect harmony. Little ones can play with an etch-a-sketch or crayons, while older kids can solve word games.
Dunleavy’s Pub (Sullivan’s Island)
For lunch or an early dinner, try this smoke free beachfront tavern where the popcorn machine cranks up around five every night and there’s always a game on the television.
Dagwood’s Deli (Myrtle Beach)
The humongous and freshly-made sandwiches at Dagwood’s are creative enough for adults, but the basics are always available too. Open until at least 6pm so you can duck in for an early dinner or subs to go.
Villa Romana (Myrtle Beach)
Down home Italian specialties at this rambunctious family-run restaurant come with homemade soup, bruscetta and baskets of addictive yeast rolls. There’s even an accordion player, who strolls from table to table playing everything from Broadway show tunes to Led Zeppelin favorites.