Best Unusual Place To Feed The Kids
Chuck E. Cheese's
6130 E. Speedway
READERS' PICK: Okay, so it's probably not the food that gets kids
through the front door at Chuck E. Cheese's. For all but
the most hearty of eaters, the myriad of games, rides, ball pit
and climbing tubes are a far more enticing use of kids' time.
But once there, it's hard to imagine a menu that would appeal
more to the juvenile gastronome--plenty of cheesy pizza with their
favorite toppings, yeasty breadsticks with dipping sauces, sodas
to refill to their heart's and bladder's content and, for the
more health conscious, a sizable salad bar. Since the security
is so tight (you have to leave with them that brung you), parents
and other adult escorts can sit back and enjoy their meals without
worrying about whether little Johnny has just slipped unnoticed
out the front door. Very small children, however, will probably
want Mom or Dad close by at all times as the din and the boundless
activity can be overwhelming. The mostly young staff is quick
to spot empty plates and spill mishaps and is available to offer
assistance. Chuck E. and some of his friends circulate through
the restaurant, "working" the crowds. Adults might leave
the place with the same kind of ringing in their ears that they
experienced after seeing Deep Purple in the '70s, but every tummy
will be filled and the kids will lapse into a state of happy exhaustion.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Little Anthony's Diner, 7010 E.
Broadway, and the Dinosaur McDonald's, 6900 E. Tanque Verde
Road.
STAFF PICK: Sure, no one takes the kids to the Reid Park Zoo
for the food. And we suspect some of the staffers who voted for
this one were actually thinking we meant Best Place To Feed The
Kids To The Animals. But the zoo is a convenient feeding/dining
experience, and there's actually edible food there. After watching
what the monkeys and elephants do to their own food, anything
snack-bar-like looks appetizing. Soft pretzels and hot dogs are
favorites. Nothing goes to waste; what the kids don't eat, they'll
feed to the dozens of birds that wait around for the extra pieces
of popcorn and buns. For dessert the concession stand across the
way at the park has good Popsicles.