I’ve written a lot about finding kid-friendly restaurants while on family vacation and getting your kids to eat when you’re traveling. That’s because I know how hard it is, and chances are you do, too: By age 2, half of kids have turned into fussy or picky eaters, according to their parents.  Here in Portland, we’re lucky to have a range of wonderful restaurants that everyone (including picky eaters!) can enjoy. That’s why I’m sharing our favorite North Portland kid-friendly restaurants.

After all, when you’re on vacation, the last thing you want is to spend hours on Yelp or feel totally embarrassed at a not family-friendly restaurant when your kid drops his silverware for the 95th time. You want to spend your family trip enjoying yourself!

So if you’re visiting Portland with kids, don’t stress over where to eat. Check out these North Portland kid-friendly restaurants instead.

5 North Portland kid-friendly restaurants the whole family will love

Portland has many diverse neighborhoods—and you can spend hours talking with Portlanders about which is the best—but just the basics: Portland is broken up into four areas. The Willamette River separates East from West, and Burnside separates North from South. 

If we’re talking about North Portland, we’re talking about the region on the east side. North Portland has a ton of amazing neighborhoods—Alberta, Hollywood, St. Johns and many more. And good news for Portland families and folks visiting the Rose City: These North Portland kid-friendly restaurants actually serve food you’ll  want to eat, too.

Here are our go-to North Portland kid-friendly restaurants. Make sure they’re on your list when you visit PDX!

Tin Shed Garden Cafe

The Tin Shed is a quiet oasis on one of my favorite streets in North Portland, Alberta. You’ll see neighborhood regulars flocking here on beautiful days to sit in the open-air patio and garden space—and to enjoy the delicious food, of course.

The kids’ menu is extensive, which makes this one of the most kid-friendly restaurants in North Portland. My girls ordered macaroni and cheese (because of course) as well as a kid-sized hamburger. Also, can I get a hallelujah that they make grilled cheese and PBJ on wheat bread? The Tin Shed also has healthier options on the kids’ menu, including jasmine rice, sautéed veggies and seasonal fruit. 

And don’t fret when you have to take your potty training toddler to the bathroom 18 million times; they have giant chalkboards on the bathroom door, so you can draw while you beg your kid to pleasepleaseplease just pee in the potty.

The grown-up menu is on point. When we ate dinner there, I ate a salmon burger with an incredible side salad—with a glass of Duck Pond Rosé. Their happy hour menu is not to be missed, especially because it’s from 3-6 every day—including weekends!

Here’s the cherry on top: Kids eat free on Wednesdays after 4. Boom. Now get yourself to this amazing North Portland kid-friendly restaurant today—or at least next Wednesday. Afterwards, get dessert at Salt n Straw, about 4 blocks up Alberta, for some of the best ice cream you’ve ever eaten.

Want even more to do on Alberta? On my other blog, I wrote a guide to a walking tour of street art on Alberta that my girls just loved doing!

Level 10 travel tip: If you arrive in North Portland before dinnertime, stop at Green Bean Books on Alberta. They have author readings, story times and craft playdates just about every day of the week—not to mention wonderful books to buy. 

Poa Cafe

Poa Cafe makes a point of saying it’s not a kid cafe, but it’s one of the more kid-friendly cafes in North Portland or anywhere in PDX. Its kid play area is spacious, filled with fun toys and within eyesight of every table in the indoor seating area.

The food is healthy and delicious—plus kid-friendly to boot. My girls like the applesauce and popcorn served with PBJs here; they also slurp down the healthy smoothies. Poa also serves mimosas and cocktails in addition to strong coffee and tea. They have an excellent selection of alternative milks for those with allergies.

Parking is tough on North Williams Avenue, but I’ve never had trouble finding free street parking on the side residential streets. 

Level 10 travel tip: While you’re in the neighborhood, visit SpielWerk Toys (which also has a play area) just 3 blocks down Williams. 

Moberi

Any place that gets my kids to eat something green is magic in my book. At Moberi’s North Portland location, my kids not only drank their kid-sized green smoothie; they continue to ask to go back for more. 

The smoothies aren’t only My Little Pony-approved; they’re also picky kid-approved. My 3-year-old doesn’t eat a single vegetable, and she won’t even drink the smoothies I make at home. She devours the smoothies at Moberi, though.

Also, did you know you can ride a bike-powered blender to whip up your smoothie?!

I like a good smoothie, but my favorite items to order at Moberi are the bowls. I like a little crunch with mine!

Level 10 travel tip: Take your smoothie to go and walk down just one block to the gorgeous mural on the wall of the Q Center, on the corner of Williams and Mason. Don’t forget to snap a picture!

New Deal Cafe

When I google North Portland kid-friendly restaurants, what I’m really looking for is a restaurant with a play area. New Deal Cafe on Halsey delivers: Their dining room is divided in two, and there is a large play space that’s within line of sight of all the tables on half of the dining room. 

New Deal Cafe also serves breakfast all day, which is great news for parents of picky eaters. Most kids will eat a pancake or scrambled eggs, so there’s always something for kids to eat at this North Portland restaurant. 

When the weather is nice, we like to get vitamin D along with a scramble and biscuits. New Deal has a lovely outdoor patio, which is behind the restaurant—i.e. not on the side of the busy road. 

Finally, I appreciate that the cafe makes a real effort to sell food and drinks made with local ingredients. I love supporting Portland-area small businesses, farmers and roasters.

Pizza Jerk

This kid-friendly restaurant in North Portland has just about every kid’s favorite: pizza. (Unless you’re my youngest, who is perhaps the only child who refuses to eat pizza. What gives?) Pizza Jerk has two locations, including one on NE 42nd, which has a totally laid-back vibe that is welcoming to families.

The real draw of Pizza Jerk, though, is its enormous outside seating area. Picnic tables give plenty of room for families to spread out, and there’s enough space between tables for kids to meander without bumping into other eaters. Kids may like the food, but they’ll love the play area. Umbrellas shade tables when it’s sunny, and the outdoor patio is next to the few parking lot spots in case your kids need to grab a left-behind lovey from the car. 

Pizza Jerk has all the regular pizzas your kids will probably choose, but adults who are more adventurous might want to try pizza with clams, broccoli rabe or eggplant parmesan. And their pepperoni couldn’t get more local: It’s made from Old Salt, which is across the street! They also serve spaghetti and meatballs—as well as a pizza Bloody Mary. I’m not kidding.

And for kids who eat a good dinner (and the grown-ups, too): Pizza Jerk offers about a half-dozen flavors of soft-serve ice cream! 

Where families eat in North Portland

These are just our 5 favorite North Portland kid-friendly restaurants, but there are so many more! If you’ve been to Portland with kids, please share where you all ate.

I’m curious—what do you look for in a kid-friendly restaurant? Share your must-haves—and your deal-breakers—below in the comments!

PS – If you want to learn more about how to feed your family on vacation, check out my post on finding a kid-friendly restaurant anywhere and tips to get picky kids to eat on vacation.