Dining & Recipes
Stretch That Dollar! Restaurants where Kids Eat Free!
In these tough times when anything free is slowly becoming extinct, with everyone working harder and the economy struggling, there are still a group of restaurants dedicated to serving free meals to kids. Most of these places offer free food to kids with some restrictions, particularly the age of the child, specific days and the ratio of purchasing adults to the number of kid’s meals required. Restaurants at various locations may not offer these free specials or may present some kind of variation on different days. As these offers are subject to change, be sure to verify the information before planning a trip.
Things change. That’s why we’ve included phone numbers and Websites when available. Since most activities require advance reservations or have limited space, please call first to confirm dates, times and admission prices.
Bennigan’s
1760 Camino Del Rio N., Mission Valley
www.bennigans.com; 619-291-8853
Free kid’s meal with paid adult entrée Tuesday nights after 4 p.m.
Carrow’s
www.carrows.com; 619-424-6881
Kids (10 and under) eat free with purchase of each adult entrée on Wednesdays and Thursdays after 4 p.m.
Casa De Reyes
2754 Calhoun St., Old Town
619-220-5040
Kids eat free on Mondays with purchase of each adult entrée.
Chevy’s
(all locations currently participating)
Carmel Mountain, Del Mar, Mission Valley
www.chevys.com; 858-675-9292
All-day Tuesdays, children (12 and under) eat free with purchase of an adult entrée.
Cheesecake Factory
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
7067 Friars Rd., Mission Valley. 619-683-2800
2015 Birch Rd., Chula Vista. 619-421-2500
Free infant snack any day of the week.
Chick-Fil-A
Get a free kid’s meal with adult meal purchase on Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m.
Chicken Pie Diner
14727 Pomerado Rd., Poway
www.chickenpiediner.com; 858-748-2445
Free kid’s (10 and under) meal and drink on Tuesdays with an adult entrée and drink purchase.
Coco’s
13 locations throughout San Diego County.
www.cocosbakery.com; 858-485-9419
Free kid’s meal (10 and under) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 4 p.m. with each adult entrée purchase.
Denny’s
16 locations throughout San Diego County
www.dennys.com; 760-743-0920
Free kid’s meal (days differ by locations) from 4–10 p.m. with each adult entrée.
El Torito
8 locations throughout San Diego County
www.eltorito.com; 858-485-1905
Kids (12 and under) from kid’s menu with each adult entrée on Wednesdays.
Hooley’s Irish Pub
www.hooleys.com
2955 Jamacha Rd., El Cajon. 619-670-7468
5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa 619-713-6900
Kids (12 and under) on Wednesday, get one free meal with purchase of an adult entrée.
IHOP
2258 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista
www.ihop.com; 619-656-7780
Free kid’s meal with adult entrée purchase on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after 3 p.m.
Islands
www.islandsrestaurants.com; Multiple locations.
Free kid’s meal with adult entrée. Call for days and details.
Leucadia Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant
7748 Regents Rd., La Jolla
858-597-2222
Kids eat free Sundays with the purchase of adult entrée.
Marie Callender’s
Six locations in San Diego County
www.mariecallenders.com; 858-675-942
Kids 12 and under eat free on Tuesdays and Saturdays with each paid adult entrée.
Pat & Oscar’s
www.patandoscars.com
Kids 12 and younger get a kid’s meal (pasta, pizza or chicken) with adult purchase of $5 or more all day Tuesday.
The Brew House
871 Showroom Pl., Ste. 102, Chula Vista
www.brewhouseeastlake.com; 619-656-2739
Kids (12 and under) eat free with each adult entrée Mondays and Tuesdays with Leo from Cruzzing Balloons.
Yokoz Sushi Bar & Islander Grill
945 Otay Lakes Rd., Chula Vista
619-482-0134
Kids eat free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Zio’s
2940 El Cajon Blvd., North Park
www.ziosinnorthpark.com; 619-280-9467
Kids eat free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with coupon (available on the website).
-----------------------------------
Geeta Shreedar is a freelance writer living in Sabre Springs.
updated 6/23/11.
Cupcake Fruit Trifles
Try this fruit trifles recipe for Valentine's Day. It's such an easy recipe, the kids can help out!
Cupcake Fruit Trifles with Vanilla Mascarpone Custard
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 pint Graeter's Vanilla Ice Cream, thawed, refrigerated
1 quart heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
4 to 6 cups of fruit: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or oranges
Sprinkle of sugar
20 yellow cupcakes, using recipe of choice, remove liners & cut into equal thirds, horizontally
20 beverage glasses, 6 to 9 ounces
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PLACE the mascarpone cheese and ice cream in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Do not over mix.
FOLD whipped cream into mascarpone mixture, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble trifles.
SPRINKLE fruit with a small amount of sugar, to create a syrupy consistency.
To assemble trifle:
PLACE a small amount of custard in bottom of glass. Add some fruit, followed by the bottom third of the cupcake. Continue to layer custard, fruit and cupcake slices, using three cupcake slices per glass.
COVER with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with fruit just before serving. Note: it is best to make the trifle a few hours before serving, or the day before.
Recipe courtesy of Graeter's. To find Graeter's at a grocery store near you, or to order online, visit www.graeters.com.
Halloween Devil's Dip
Scare up your own good time with a Halloween party for grown up guys and ghouls.
Devil's Dip
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 can (4.25 ounces) Underwood Deviled Ham Spread
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup pimiento, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Trappey's Red Devil
Hot Sauce
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
MIX cream cheese, ham spread, green onions, pimientos and hot pepper sauce.
CHILL, covered for about 30 minutes. Serve with crackers, chips or vegetables.
More Halloween Recipes?
Click Family Recipes to find the following Halloween delights, Great Balls of Fire, Curry Chicken Stars, Dancing Bones Brownies and more!
Visit www.underwoodspreads.com for more tasty recipes!
More Articles...
Page 1 of 14