Thrifty Thurston Eats Out (On the Cheap) with Kids

peppers mexican
Kids enjoy the variety of options, from super spicy to mild, in Pepper's fantastic salsa bar.
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By Megan Conklin

duncan sponsorAs the parents of four small, but decidedly hungry children, my husband and I make the decision to take the family out to dinner very rarely. In addition to the incendiary chaos my brood tends to bring to any dining establishment, it is usually too expensive.

But there are those nights. The ones where I feel compelled to leave home at night simply to avoid my inevitable laundry “situation.” The ones where the idea of other people preparing and serving food to my family, and cleaning up afterwards, feels almost too good to be true.

Fortunately, here in Thurston County we have a variety of delightful restaurants that cater to families by hosting either a “kids eat free” or a “kids eat cheap” night during the week.  Check out the following five, super kid friendly eateries.  A few are ones my family has enjoyed of late and a few are ones we hope to try soon.

 

cheap family restaurant olympia
The wood fire in Farrelli’s pizza ovens has been burning continuously for over sixteen years.

Farrelli’s Wood Fire Pizza – Kids eat free on Mondays with every $10 spent by a paying adult.

While our kids were already big fans of Farrelli’s Thursday night Balloon Man (he can craft an Ariel from The Little Mermaid that will blow your mind), their Monday night’s Kids Eat Free event was new to us.  The added benefit of the Monday night deal are the pizza artisans who venture out from behind the ovens to help kids toss and shape their own do-it-yourself pies.  The wood fire pizza oven at Farrelli’s on Yelm Highway has literally been burning for 16 years. It doesn’t go out – ever. And they have used the coals from this same, original fire to light the pizza ovens at their additional six locations around Western Washington. Farrelli’s Monday night extravaganza was very entertaining and interactive – well worth the time and money spent.

Peppers Mexican Restaurant – Kids Eat free on Sundays (one kid meal for each adult meal purchased).

Peppers is a locally owned Mexican restaurant that has been an institution in Olympia for many years. Peppers has always been our family’s go to take-out and delivery option – we virtually lived on their food throughout the course of our kitchen remodel a few years ago. But, what we didn’t know was that, at Peppers, kids eat free every Sunday evening with the purchase of an adult entrée item. This offer is dine in only, but the amazing salsa bar – that my children manage to visit at least twenty times throughout the course of the meal – makes the dine in experience more than worth it.

The Mayan – Kids eat for $1.49 on Tuesdays and Sundays.

cheap family restaurant olympia
Kids and The Mayan Mexican Restaurant go together like rice and beans.

When my family visited the Mayan for their “Kids Eat for $1.49” Tuesday night special, we received exceptional service and didn’t even get dirty looks when my boys made several trips to the candy/toy machines at the front of the restaurant. While this is not a true kid freebie night, The Mayan’s “kids eat cheap” night proved to be even less expensive that most “kids eat free” options. This was due to the fact that any number of children can eat for $1.49 at the Mayan on Tuesday and Sunday nights.  Most establishments have a one free kid meal to one adult meal ratio, which works well for families with two adults and two children, but not as well for larger families, like ours. My kids loved The Mayan’s “Little Amigos” menu choices and we had very few leftovers to tote home.

Dickey’s BBQ – Kids eat free on Sundays (one kid meal for each adult meal purchased) – Free Ice Cream Every Day!

If your family has a hankerin’ for BBQ, Dickey’s in West Olympia is the place to go. Dickey’s has a plethora of tasty food options such as pulled pork, beef brisket, and ribs. The many traditional BBQ side dishes like coleslaw, mac-n-cheese, beans, and fried okra round out an indulgent and comforting family meal. In addition to feeding kids for free on Sundays, Dickey’s serves free ice cream with meals every day.

The Ram – Kids eat for $1 per adult entrée ordered on Mondays.

If your family is having a case of The Mondays, try the kids eat for a dollar menu available at The Ram in Lacey.  The options are plentiful and the atmosphere casual and fun. Additionally, The Ram has a Kids’ Birthday Club for youngsters and a monthly drawing that your youngsters can enter to win a free bike.

Thrifty Thurston highlights inexpensive family fun in Thurston County.  The weekly series focuses on family-friendly activities throughout our community.  If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@thurstontalk.com.  For more events and to learn what’s happening in Olympia and the surrounding area, click here.

 

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