Best Wallet Friendly Places to Eat with Your Child in Saratoga Springs

Dinner is always more peaceful if it is a restaurant that caters to children. Saratoga Springs is known for its romantic spots, but do not let that fool you. There are many child friendly restaurants in the area.

Saratoga of course is home to all those chain restaurants; Applebees, Friendly's, and the Golden Coral. Each of those restaurants are great; hey they even come with little crayons and sometimes balloons. However, when you are dining in Saratoga you want something with a little more charm. Here is my list of the top four child friendly places to eat in Saratoga Springs that do not break your wallet.

Circus Cafe
392 Broadway
www.circuscafe.com/

When you enter the Circus Cafe you are immediately immersed into a land of fun bright colors and decor that is centered around the Circus. Red velvet curtains divide the tables and pop corn bowls line the tops. Your child's imagination jumps into overdrive with the whimsical decor coupled with the interesting lighting.

At the Circus Cafe they have a great child's menu full of fun to say offerings like; "Bear's Bite Grilled Cheese," and "Lion's Fare Cheeseburger". Each child's meal comes with circus fries, carrots and celery with ranch dipping sauce. Every child meal comes at a great price; $5 to $6.50 including a drink. For dessert children will love a two foot tall homemade cotton candy with rainbow sprinkles. The grilled cheese is my favorite; it is big, gooey, and toasted just right.

For adults made to order salads and wraps cannot be beat. Or order a house favorite such as the Big Top Chicken Pot Pie or the Mad Hatter Fish and Chips. Late night bar is available seven nights a week. Summer hours (July/August) are as follows; Sunday through Wednesday they are opened from 11am to 10pm. Thursday through Sunday they open at 11am and close at 11pm.

Now you will not find any crayons on the table or free meals at the Circus Cafe, but it is still an inexpensive and great choice for children. The Circus Cafe recently was voted Best Family Restaurant by the Saratogian Reader's Choice Best of Awards. Besides being family friendly the location cannot be beat. After your meal head over for some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's (located right around the corner) or over to Cold Stone Creamery (up the street). If the weather is nice head down to the park for a quick ride on the carousel or for a chance to feed the ducks. Make it a whole day of fun; The Circus Cafe is a great place to eat on your way to a fun filled day with the children.

PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q
112 South Broadway (Route 9)
www.pjsbarbq.com

What could be more fun for a child than a picnic? Head over to PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q. They opened in mid April for their 27^th season in business. You can enjoy the Bar-B-Q as early as 11am. Indoor seating is available, but there is a great outdoor grassy area for children to run around in.

All the food is cooked over an open fire pit; real charcoal is used! The aroma of chicken, hamburgers, and hotdogs fill the air. Have your choice of many different salads; chicken, potato, macaroni, garden, and Caesar. Side dishes are a hit among all. Pick from cole slaw, Saratoga Chips (deep fried thick potato chips), and BBQ Nachos (nachos topped with pulled pork). There are a ton of beverages to choose from. Lemonade, iced tea, cold beer, malts, coffee, vanilla and cherry coke, pitchers of soda, wine, and 50s specialty drinks. My recommendation for a drink is Loganberry. Loganberry is the original drink by PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q, it is a non-carbonated fruit drink. My recommendation for a meal here would be the BAR-B-Q "Trifecta" Sampler. This sampler consists of two ribs, chicken, and your choice of smoked pulled pork of slices of char-grilled sausage for $15.65. Parents can also enjoy themed nights such as classic car night and bike night. Chill out and enjoy rock and roll music as you enjoy the night.

Child size proportions of all food is available. Children can also choose from macaroni and cheese and chicken tenders. The real draw here though is the desserts. Sundaes for $4.25, milkshakes blended with your favorite candies for $5.25, and sweet potato pie and red velvet cake for $4.75.

PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q was voted "Best BBQ" in 2010 by the Saratogian Readers. This is such a great place for children because this is actual one place where they are encouraged to run free. Let them put their elbows on the table, it is okay for them to blow bubbles with their straws, and yes eating with your hands is encouraged!

Bailey's Cafe
37 Phila Street
www.baileyscafe.com

Bailey's Cafe has a sophisticated feel, yet it is totally child friendly. Parents can relax and enjoy good conversation while their children can enjoy making their own smores. Outdoor seating is great in the summer. Live music is played on the patio. Hours vary with the seasons, so it is best to call ahead for the most current operating hours, 518-583-6060.

Food can get pricey; Bailey's does not even advertise their price online. Their sandwiches do not come with salad or chips; they are sold separately.

Bailey's offers a great child's menu which consists of PB & Jelly, PB & Fluff, grilled PB and banana, grilled cheese, cookies, and milk. For the adults the menu consists of so many sandwiches; NY Strip Steak, Buffalo Chicken, Cajun Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Philly Cheese Steak, and Portobello Mushroom. Popular choices for dinner include the Lobster Bisque and their over sized Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. My favorite here would be the Cheeseburger. It is cooked to order, juicy, large and filling, and comes with fresh toppings. Sip on wine, cold beer, soda, espresso, coffee, and tea. Amazing cheesecakes are available for dessert; raspberry crumble, caramel turtle, triple chocolate, and Reese's peanut buttercup.

Here, even though the prices may be steep, the proportion sizes are generous. You can easily share your meal with your child. If not the child's menu is offered at a reasonable price. All child's menu items are under $8. Great place for children to feel like they get to go out with their parents. It is a different vibe than the regular run of the mill children restaurants. If you do not have a babysitter for date night then head over the Bailey's with the children.

The best thing about Bailey's would be the Smores platter. You are given a little table top fire pit and the items needed to cook your own smores. What is more memorable than spending a summers night listening to music cooking smores under the stars with your children?

Mama Mia's Pizza & Cafe
185 Balls ton Ave
www.mamamiaspizzaandcafe.com

Mama Mia's is a fabulous family run restaurant that offers gourmet pizza and other Italian specialty dishes. Here you will find a great family friendly environment that has the "at home vibe". What child does not love pizza or spaghetti? The children can even watch pizzas being created right before their eyes as you wait for your table. Other menu choices for the children consist of chicken tenders, burgers, macaroni and cheese, and mozzarella sticks. For adults they can choose from steaks, calamari, and specialty pasta dishes.

When it is dinner for two ask to sit in the back. The back of the restaurant offers a more intimate setting with the lights dim and the flicker of candle light all around you. The prices here at Mama Mia's vary widely. However, their pizza prices cannot be beat. They offer gourmet pizza at competitive prices. The child's menu offers all meal choices for under $10.

Put a spin on the traditional Friday family pizza night in front of the television. Head over to Mama Mia's Pizza & Cafe and you are sure not to be disappointed. Order one pizza for the entire family or individual pizzas for all. The children will have a blast picking our their own toppings. Call ahead to request a menu for catering or for the current hours they are open, 518-583-7783.

Sources:
www.mamamiaspizzaandcafe.com
www.baileyscafe.com
www.pjsbarbq.com
www.circuscafe.com/