Many children possess a unique and often puzzling palate. As most parents know, a child’s eating habits can be one of the most challenging characteristics to help develop. Kids can be incredibly particular when it comes to what they want to eat, which is why taking your family out to eat can often be challenging. Thankfully, there are five common foods that are proven to consistently satisfy your kid’s taste buds, sans temper-tantrum.

The 5 Proven Kid-Friendly Dishes

There is one word to describe the ideal kid’s menu: simple. Children haven’t had enough time to develop a well-defined palate–even for the most adventurous foodie families–and when you combine this with being in a new place, chances are many little ones aren’t going to be too fond of complicated dishes with unusual flavors. One of the best ways to make a quick roundabout to a dinner-time debate with your children is to know what’s on the menu beforehand. There are five basic dishes that kids through every generation seem to love unconditionally and at Carolina Ale House, we recognize this preference (and the parental push for peace at the dinner table!) and try to bring the tastiest kid-friendly meals to our tables every single night.

Chicken Tenders

We’ve all seen a child order chicken tenders at the most obscure locations. Mexican restaurants, five-star restaurants, hibachi, you name it – a child has likely ordered chicken tenders there. It’s a favorite for kids and the kitchen, alike. After all, it takes sincere effort to mess up an order of chicken tenders, which is why most establishments will have them on hand for picky eaters, even if it doesn’t perfectly match their menu’s theme otherwise.

They are quick to prepare, versatile for flavors to add to the mix, and generally excludes ingredients that many kids could be potentially allergic to. Chicken tenders are so widely accepted and at Carolina Ale House, we offer fresh, hand-battered chicken tenders that can be either fried or grilled. They’re sure-fire winners.

Pizza

The imagination and unpredictability of a kid make pizza the perfect dish for them. You can’t go wrong with a simple cheese pizza, but for those who are branching out their taste buds, you can add a wide variety of toppings. It’s a safe foundational food to help start them expanding what they’ve tried and what they would like. For example, it’s a lot harder to say no to pepperoni when they’re nestled on top of delicious sauce and melty cheese instead of being tried on their own. Carolina Ale House provides kids with the option to choose between cheese or pepperoni pizza when they dine with us.

Grilled Cheese

A simple delicacy. Grilled cheese is easy to make, doesn’t involve many ingredients, and is incredibly delicious. You can choose from a variety of cheeses and bread, making this a creative, yet uncomplicated dish. The older they get, the more you can experiment with the “best” version of the sandwich. When your family eats at The Carolina Ale House, we do our grilled cheeses with American cheese melted between two huge pieces of buttery Texas toast.

Pasta

Pasta is revolutionary, to say the least. The variety of pasta, toppings, sauces, and herbs that are possible to combine makes this one of the most diverse dishes to ever exist. At Carolina Ale House, we know that the variety of possibilities may be a little overwhelming for our younger diners, so we keep the options simple: our shelled pasta options include plain, buttered, with marinara, or with cheese sauce.

Burgers

If your kids are fans of burgers, we recommend the kid’s menu burgers because they get not one, but two sliders with prime ground beef, American cheese toppers and pickle chips (but only if they want them). We always have favorite condiments on hand to help them make the dish truly their own. It’s hard for a child to turn a blind eye to two sliders.

Kids Night on Tuesdays at Carolina Ale House

Finding a restaurant where everyone will be content can leave your family in a stalemate for hours. At Carolina Ale House, we serve dishes that are guaranteed to please every member of your family. Our kid’s menu is certain to catch the eyes of your little ones, while you can relax with a drink and enjoy our wide variety of menu options & games on the TVs. Did we mention that on Tuesday’s kids eat for just 99 cents? Swing on by any of our locations and take advantage of this great opportunity for a family meal out! We hope to see you soon!