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Best Kids Menus In Baltimore

By Troy Petenbrink

With more than a thousand restaurants in Baltimore, it can be a challenge to narrow down where to take kids to eat. Luckily there are plenty of places that welcome little eaters with open arms. Here are five restaurants that have outstanding kids menus including some that are walking distance of Charm City's top kid-friendly attractions.

Miss Shirley's Cafe - Inner Harbor
750 E. Pratt St.
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410) 528-5373
www.missshirleys.com

Miss Shirley's Cafe has been profiled on Guy Fieri's popular Food Network show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and the Travel Channel's Food Paradise. Its Inner Harbor location is steps from the National Aquarium and a great spot to eat before or after a visit. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, Miss Shirley's Cafe has a special "Kids Box" menu option for children age 8 and under. It features both breakfast and lunch items such as mini Belgian waffles and benne seed fried chicken pieces.

Golden West Cafe
1105 W. 36th St.
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 889-8891
www.goldenwestcafe.com

Located in Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood and featured on Food Network shows The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Rachel Rey's Tasty Travels, Golden West Cafe has been attracting diners of all ages for more than two decades. It serves Americana cuisine and Southwest comfort food in a spacious dining room filled with colorful eclectic art and decorations. Golden West Cafe's kids menu includes such interesting dishes as a blue cornmeal banana pancake with blueberries, topped with crème fraîche and pine nuts with pure Vermont maple syrup; and a "Cactus Flower," consisting of green apple slices and peanut butter topped with powdered sugar. As a bonus, you can head a few blocks away to The Charmery ice cream shop for dessert.

Encantada
800 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 752-1000
www.encantadabaltimore.com

Partnering with local purveyors, Encantada offers Modern American food using the freshest seasonal ingredients. It is located in the award-wining American Visionary Art Museum, which is frequently listed among the top places in Baltimore for families to visit. Much like the adult menu, Encantada's kids menu features many vegetable dishes such as crispy chick peas with BBQ spices and fried cauliflower that is coated in a spicy hot sauce like Buffalo wings. Other dishes include a fancy grilled cheese sandwich made with a combo of Asiago, Fontina, Gruyere, and cheddar cheeses; and buttermilk fried chicken fries made with chicken breast.

Related: Miss Shirley's Cafe Gives Advice On Easy Breakfast Meals For Kids

Rusty Scupper
Inner Harbor Marina
402 Key Highway
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 727 3678
www.rusty-scupper.com

The Rusty Scupper is praised not only for its delicious fresh seafood but also for its prime location along Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It rises three stories above the water and has floor-to-ceiling windows that provide great views from nearly every table. During its more than 35 years of business, Rusty Scupper has become very well known for its crab cakes and features them on its kids menu (designed for children age 10 and under) along with fried shrimp and grilled salmon. The non-seafood options include a hamburger, penne pasta Alfredo, and chicken tenders. Each of the kids' entrees includes a choice of one side dish; unlimited refills of milk, juice, or fountain beverages, and a special dessert selection. Located less than a 10-minute walk from the restaurant is the family-friendly Maryland Science Center.

The Kabul Grill
55 Market Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
(667) 212-3303
www.thekabulgrill.com

The Kabul Grill serves authentic Afghan and Mediterranean cuisine using locally sourced ingredients including hormone-free chicken. Its main specialty is open-flame, marinated kabobs, which are very kid-friendly. In addition, The Kabul Grill has a number of menu items specifically for kids such as a chicken burger and chicken tenders. Port Discovery, considered one of the top children's museums in the county, is located on the same block.

Related: Best Cheap Activities To Do With Kids In Baltimore

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