Eating out with kids doesn't have to break the bank. Here are three spots around the Eastside and North Sound with cool happy-hour deals and family-style fun where a family of four can do lunch or dinner for under $50. See also our article on Seattle cheap eats for families, Eastside coffee shops, and a round-up of where kids can eat free.
Beardslee Public House: Happy hour pizza, pretzels and IPAs
19116 Beardslee Blvd #201, Bothell, WA, 425-286-1001
John Howie’s new family-friendly eatery and brewery in Bothell features hand-tossed pizzas, fish and chips, handmade soft pretzels and other well-priced pub fare. At happy hour, pretzels are $3 and pizzas $6. Brewer Drew Cluley (formerly of Pike Brewing and Big Time Brewery) has curated a beer-lover’s dream menu, with styles ranging from IPAs and stouts to blondes, and $2 4-ounce tastings let you experience an array. Dessert here include sweet pizza, fresh-baked cast-iron cookie and seasonal fruit crisps. Yum!
Kid-friendly tip: Stop in nearby Wilmot-Gateway Park afterwards and check out the sculptures of local wildlife.
Blu Sardinia: Happy hour Italian style
8862 161st Ave. N.E., Redmond, 425-242-0024
This 1-year-old Italian spot in Redmond has a good happy hour from 3–6 p.m., offering items such as flatbreads, meatballs, fried calamari, pizzettes and pastas, mostly in the $7—$9 range. Otherwise, pizzas and pasta go for about $15 (while entrees are a bit steeper). Grab seats at the Chefs Counter, where you'll be close to the yummy sights and aromas of the wood-fired pizza oven.
Kid-friendly tip: Pop in at Edge Skatepark, just two blocks away, if you have young shredders in tow. Otherwise, it’s a short drive to the Sammamish River Trail, always a delight to walk or bike.
Stars in the Sky: Korean and karaoke
3830 WA-99 #121, Edmonds, WA, 425-582-8802
This is a two-fer: Introduce your kids to Karaoke and Korean food at Stars in the Sky, a popular spot on Highway 99 in Edmonds (just north of Costco, for reference). A private room to sing your heart out is just $15 for one hour if you order food. The must-try: The SIS "Half and Half” chicken, two chicken halves, which comes with fried and sweet-and-sour pieces for just $24. Besides the chicken plates, consider wings, udon noodles and Japanese gyoza and ramen for $4. For dessert, Asian shave ices come in tiny and huge portions, and are topped with fruits, red beans and condensed milk. Note: Stars in the Sky is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Kid-friendly tip: Make a day out of it and check out one of the region’s best tide pooling beaches at Marina Beach Park in downtown Edmonds: At low tide, a half-mile sand bar lets you explore the aquatic underworld. There’s also a play structure (at the south end of the beach), plus plenty of driftwood for climbing.
