The 10 Best Chain Restaurant Kids' Menus If You're Done With Nuggets And Fries

Eating out is supposed to be both a convenience and a respite. It's supposed to allow you to relax and enjoy a good meal prepared for you instead of by you. But when you're a parent, finding restaurants with a decent kids' menu that your kiddos will actually eat — and with options you actually feel good about giving them — can feel like a lot of work. Just about every parent I know has fallen into the nuggets and fries trap (myself included), where it becomes the go-to menu option for the kids, no matter where we go. 

But it doesn't have to be that way. When you know where to look, there are plenty of quality kids' menus out there that will give you your night off and let your kid eat good food, too. We've done the work for you and compiled our list of the best kids' menus from popular chains. Many of these options are simply smaller portions of the regular menu, ensuring your kiddo is getting the same quality food for a reasonable price — all the menus we chose save one (lookin' at you, Cheesecake Factory) offered kids' meals from around $5 to $8. Every option on our list also provides a unique kids' menu selection with alternatives to nuggets and fries that kids will actually eat.

The Panda Express Cub Meals are a quick-serve option to pull your kids out of the nuggets and fries rut. The three Panda Cup menu items — Teriyaki Chicken, Orange Chicken, and Broccoli Beef — are based on USDA dietary recommendations for children and include fruit and vegetables, at least 11 grams of protein, and an excellent source of fiber in under 600 calories. You can also build your own Cub Meal and choose any junior-size entree and side. Cub meals include Honest Kids juice or bottled water. Customers say it's a great value for the portion and price.

Whether you're heading to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the kids' menu is loaded with unique options. Let them order breakfast all day from choices like mini chocolate chip or confetti pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a biscuit, or a biscuit breakfast sandwich. For lunch or dinner, the chain recently added Cheesy Mini Dumplins to the kids' menu, joining other options like grilled chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and fried shrimp. Kids can also choose from the extensive sides list to complete their meal, like fried cinnamon apples, cole slaw, or their favorite vegetable.

Olive Garden is a great option for a family meal thanks to the cozy ambiance, extensive menu, and varied kids' options. From cheese ravioli to alfredo to meat sauce and good ol' mac and cheese, there's a pasta dish for every kid's preferences, and many are served with the pasta of your choice. They also have a kids' cheese pizza and, yes, chicken fingers, if your kiddo isn't a pasta fan. You can add a protein to a pasta dish for an upcharge, and choose from broccoli, fries, grapes, or spaghetti with tomato sauce on the side.

Chipotle offers the best of its freshly prepared ingredients on its kids' menu with two customizable options. The first is the "Build Your Own" deconstructed meal that comes with two tortillas — crispy or soft — a protein, and two toppings of your choice. It also includes guacamole or queso. The other is a quesadilla with beans and rice on the side. Order it with just cheese, or add a protein for an extra 60 cents. Both options come with chips or fruit and juice or milk (both organic) to complete the meal.

Most kids love Chick-fil-A, and there are tasty kids' options beyond the nuggets and waffle fries. In fact, the chain just introduced the new Mac & Cheese Kid's Meal, which comes with a medium cup of its creamy Mac & Cheese (baked in the restaurant to ensure a delectably crispy top), a small side (like a Buddy Fruits Apple Sauce pouch or a fruit cup), a drink, and a prize. Chick-fil-A also has my favorite item on the kids' menu — grilled chicken nuggets — and I can't stop myself from polishing off any of my kids' leftover mac and cheese.

If you're craving a sit-down restaurant experience but worried about bringing the kids along, Cheesecake Factory has you covered. Let them choose from pigs in a blanket, grilled salmon, pasta dishes, flatbreads, and more off the impressive kids' menu. Parents report that the grilled cheese is a standout, and kids love that it comes cut into strips and stacked like a Jenga tower. Cheesecake Factory also offers kid-sized dessert options like a hot fudge sundae and strawberry shortcake. One warning: This is the most expensive menu on our list, with entrees ranging from around $9 to $15.

Subway not only offers healthy, kid-sized subs, it's also a great opportunity to let your kid practice ordering for themselves with the Fresh Fit for Kids menu. First, they choose from Black Forest ham, oven-roasted turkey, or Subway's Veggie Delite 4-inch mini subs, and then customize their sandwich to their exact specifications. Subs come with an applesauce fruit pouch and 1% milk or Honest Kids' Fruit Punch. Subway's standard Fresh Fit for Kids meals meet the National Restaurant Association's Kids Live Well guidelines by being high in fiber and protein and less than 350 calories.

Red Robin's kids' menu might have your run-of-the-mill options, but it makes our list because there is something for everyone. Choices include Grilled Chicken Dip'ns, bite-sized Corn Doggies, or a Donatos 7-inch pepperoni or cheese pizza. Pro tip: If your kid doesn't know the word "full," the kids' macaroni and cheese, steak fries, and steamed broccoli are all bottomless. Speaking of, there are also several fun bottomless kids' drinks to choose from, like the root beer float, purple lemonade, and dirty sodas, so let your kids fill up while you enjoy your own drink from the bar.

P.F. Chang's is another good sit-down option with a unique kids' menu to explore, with entrees that are smaller portions of regular menu items. From lo mein to sweet and sour chicken to teriyaki beef, patrons say the kids' menu is a great value. Most entrees come with white or brown rice, broccoli, and a side of fruit. Kids can even order their own California or avocado sushi roll.

Cava may only have one item on its kids' menu, but the build-your-own kids' meal is fully customizable, so the possibilities are endless. Choose a main, like grilled chicken or lamb meatballs, and a grain, like saffron basmati rice or black lentils. Then select three toppings and one dressing. Cava kids' meals also come with three classic pita chips or ¼ pita and milk or juice. Your little one can even have a kid-size cup of the chain's specialty juices made in-house, like strawberry ginger or blueberry lavender.