If I’m being honest, I’m partly making this family friendly restaurants Charlotte list for myself. We often debate where to go, and of course, always have to keep the kids in mine. So now I have somewhere to look back to when we’re looking for good places to eat with the kids! Some of the places below we frequent often, whereas, other’s we’ve been to just a few times. However, all of the places had to meet the following criteria:

• Have a kid menu or kid-friendly items
• Have a place for them to hang out or run around
• Bonus: they give the kids something to do while they wait for their food

Believe it or not, when we first moved to the Charlotte area, we went out to eat with friends and had our oldest, who was only just over 12 months by then, and one of the restaurants we went to didn’t even have high chairs! Now that our kids are older, they may not need highchairs or boosters, but they have to have other things; see above. So, check out the list below for some of our favorites if you too are looking for family friendly restaurants in Charlotte or the Lake Norman areas.

Family Friendly Restaurants Charlotte & Lake Norman

Lake Norman Locations

Bad Daddy’s Huntersville, NC

Located in Birkdale Village, so there is lots to do. Milkshakes are SO good. Highly recommend ordering one with your meal. They give the kids a menu with a color page + crayons. There is also a location in Dilworth & Ballantyne. Very important: the kids menu mac isn’t spicy and doesn’t have bread crumbs. This is probably one of my favorite places to get a burger. My go-to is the All-American.

Novanta Pizzeria Mooresville, NC

Novanta is located just off the Langtree exit on I-77. They have delicious pizza, but their pasta dishes are my favorite. The best part is that they give pizza dough to the kids to play with while they wait. For sure one of my kids’ favorite places to eat for that reason.

King Canary Brewing Mooresville, NC

Located of Exit 33 in Mooresville, they have rotating food trucks for eats and lots of events like trivia, bingo and live music. It’s a super fun family area with cornhole and other fun lawn games. They also just opened a location in Davidson that has sit down food and a raw bar.

Alino’s Pizzeria Mooresville, NC

Alino’s has a great outdoor space that’s fairly closed in, and they are located in the old Merino Mill complex. They serve pizza, gelato and cannoli’s. The atmosphere inside and out is like a food hall. Long tables to be shared by the crowd. Barcelona Burger is right next door and also yummy. They just added a new taco place in the same complex we haven’t been able to try yet. It’s super close to downtown Mooresville if you’re looking to visit.

The Pickled Peach Davidson, NC

In a great downtown Davidson location, right near Ben & Jerry’s and Summit Coffee. There are lots of snacks to choose from, which the kids love and a great option when you’re looking for a lighter “healthy” meal. They serve farm-to-table food but still have a great kids menu. The service is also very quick, which is nice if you have impatient kiddos.

Mandolinos Artisan Pizza Davidson, NC

Located right near the above, The Pickled Peach, this is our go-to pizza place. The Grandma pie is our favorite. Basic, but so good. The kids also love the kid’s size pizza. Right next door is Ben & Jerry’s and Side Bar Bottle Co if you want dessert or a pre-dinner cocktail. They also have a menu that can be colored and crayons. It’s a great spot with lots to do!

Charlotte Locations

Sycamore Brewing Charlotte, NC

This is one of the top kid-requested family friendly restaurants Charlotte. It’s multiple floors and has lots of outdoor space. They have live music and some lawn games to keep the kids entertained. The food is delicious. Full disclaimer: we are early eaters. My husband went there later on a Thursday evening once and it was a totally different scene, so be aware when you go.

River’s Edge- Whitewater Center Charlotte, NC

River’s Edge is a newer-to-us spot, but we really love it. We were visiting the Whitewater Center one day and looking for a place to eat. We didn’t realize this place was located right in the complex, so there is lots to do and the food is pretty darn good for adults and kids alike. It’s so nice to not have to leave the Whitewater Center or eat quick-food while there.

Tupelo Honey Charlotte, NC

Another top-request from our kids for dinner is Tupelo Honey. We were frequenters of the old location, which I admittedly liked better. Parking was so much easier. But, it’s still worth it to visit their new location. They have a great kids menu and obviously the food is delicious. They recently added a QR code for gaming on the kids menu. A phone is required, but it takes you to a bunch of table games to play while you wait.

Optimist Hall Charlotte, NC

The perfect place when you have lots of people with different tastes. They have so many great options and the atmosphere and outdoor spaces are great. Fun tip: It’s also a great stopping point from the lake area before heading to Hilton Head Island or surrounding beaches.

I hope you found this list of family friendly restaurants Charlotte & Lake Norman helpful. If you’re ever in the need for some updated family photos, I’d love to help you out!