Leave the messy pots and pans for another night, gather the family, and head out to a restaurant in Reno where kids eat for free.
Families with small children in the Reno area deserve to eat out from time to time.
Unfortunately, feeding kids at a restaurant is often expensive and frustrating, especially when your little ones are picky eaters, and a reasonable price tag for a meal on the kids’ menu adds up for larger families.
If you’re tired of food fights, uneaten meals, and a messy kitchen, but you don’t want to break your budget, you may want to check out restaurants in the Reno-Sparks area that offer kids-eat-free promotions. Many Nevada restaurant chains, as well as local joints, offer this promo from time to time.
Here are 7 places in Reno where mommy and daddy’s favorite little tax deduction eats for free. We did research to find these, but we still recommend you call ahead to confirm that these promos are running.
1. Flowing Tide Pub
Where: Multiple locations in Reno and Sparks
Promo: Kids eat free with the purchase of a regular price adult meal on Wednesdays
A pub in Northern and Southern Nevada, Flowing Tide Pub offers food, drinks, and entertainment, including video poker, big-screen TVs, and pool tables. The nautical-themed bar and restaurant are open 24 hours a day, and the dining rooms, except for the Longley location, are family-friendly.
In addition to a nightly happy hour, the pub has a variety of daily specials, including Taco Tuesdays, $1 Beer Fridays, and Bottomless Mimosas on Saturdays. On Wednesdays, “young sailors” get their choice of a free meal from the kids’ menu (normally $7.49). Kids’ meals include chicken wings, mac and cheese, fish n’ chips, grilled cheese, cheese quesadilla, spaghetti, sliders, and chicken tenders. With options like that, dinner is sure to be smooth sailing.
2. The Fox Restaurant & Brewery
Where: 124 Wonder St., Reno
Promo: Kids, age 12 and under, eat free on Sundays
A growing collection of food, beer, and community-driven restaurants and breweries, Fox Restaurant & Brewery prides itself on consistency and quality. Craft brews (there are over 40 to choose from) are brewed on site and served with a full menu of globally-inspired pub classics as well as the brewery’s handcrafted Awesome Sauces (a bottle costs $8.95).
The kids’ menu is packed with all your child’s favorite foods, including pizza, grilled cheese, burger, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, spaghetti (regularly $8.95). On Sundays, these selections are free with the purchase of an adult entrée.
3. Kids Cafe
Where: Various schools and community centers in the Reno/Sparks area
Promo: Free nutritious meal for children, ages 2-18
Every growing child deserves to eat a nutritious meal, and no kid should ever go to bed hungry. That’s the philosophy behind the Kids Cafe. A program of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, the cafe serves free after-school meals at various schools, libraries, and community centers in Washoe County.
Children don’t have to be involved in after-school programming to eat, but meals must be eaten at the school or community center. The meals—including fresh fruit, vegetables, grain options, lean protein, dairy, and healthy snacks—are served throughout the school year, including some during school breaks and summer vacation. To find a location for a free meal, check out the food bank and partner distribution locator.
4. Black Bear Diner
Where: 2323 S. Virginia St., Reno; 235 N. McCarran, Sparks
Promo: On Tuesdays, kids who bring a teddy bear eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée
A family restaurant in the American West, Black Bear Diner has an enormous menu of comfort foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the portions are generous, making the diner perfect for families and gatherings.
Kids will love the “Cubs” menu, which includes everything from chocolate chip pancakes to chicken strips (normally about $5.99), plus drinks like chocolate milk and lemonade. Bring along your favorite teddy bear on Tuesdays to choose a Cubs’ meal for free.
5. Famous Dave’s BBQ
Where: 4925 Kietzke Lane, Reno
Promo: Kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée on Tuesdays
Serving authentic, pit-smoked BBQ with made-from-scratch sides and dessert, Famous Dave’s BBQ is a slow-cooked meat lovers’ mecca.
On Tuesdays, kids enjoy a Lil’ Wilbur Meal and one side dish on the house (typically $7). Meals include the kids’ rib dinner, kids’ hand-breaded chicken strips, kids’ macaroni and cheese, kids’ cheeseburger, kids’ Georgia chopped pork sandwich, kids’ country-roasted chicken, or kids’ BBQ roasted chicken. As if that isn’t already a mouthful, kids also get to choose from a mountain of sides, including beans, coleslaw, rice, mashed potatoes, collard greens, and BBQ potato chips.
6. Denny’s
Where: Multiple locations in Reno and Sparks
Promo: Kids, age 10 and under, eat free with an adult entrée purchase of $6 or more
America’s favorite diner since 1953, with nearly 1,500 locations nationwide, Denny’s (originally Danny’s Donuts) is still a grand slam for the whole family for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, 24 hours a day.
The kids’ menu is packed with all your kids’ favorites, including waffles, pancakes, cheeseburgers, spaghetti, chicken tenders, and mac and cheese (typically about $6.99). Up to two kids can get a free meal, each with the purchase of an adult entrée and beverage. Restrictions may apply.
7. Red Robin
Where: 4999 Kietzke Ln., Reno; 4712 Galleria Pkwy, Sparks
Promo: Kids, 11 and under, eat free on the first Wednesday of the month with the purchase of an entrée, entrée salad, sandwich, or wrap from 5-8 p.m.
A fun place to eat with the family, Red Robin serves American dishes like burgers, salads, and sandwiches as well as fish and shrimp, pizza, chicken wings, and dessert. And don’t forget the bottomless fries!
The first Wednesdays of every month are Kids’ Nights when kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée. The menu at Little Robin’s has choices like a cheeseburger, mac and cheese, corn dogs, pizza, breaded chicken strips, and grilled chicken dippers (about $6.99 normally). Better yet, kids get a free ice cream sundae.
