This is a guest post by Caroline Gelabert-Noh of Eat Drink LA.
Updated for 2025
Let’s face it: feeding kids can get expensive! That’s why we love places where Kids Eat Free. Going out to eat at a restaurant with kids can be tricky. Even if you find a “kid-friendly” place to eat, sometimes those friendly kids won’t eat what you’ve bought them.
Plus, kids generally don’t want to eat out at restaurants, so why should parents be paying (or paying extra) for them? To help make dinnertime more pleasant, we’ve rounded up a list of places where kids eat free (or almost free) in Los Angeles from A to Z. The letters spell out major savings for Y-O-U!
Los Angeles Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free from A to Z
A
Acapulco Mexican Restaurant Y Cantina — Kids 12 and under eat almost free on Wednesdays. Just add $1 to the purchase of your adult entrée, and you’ve got yourself a happy meal.
Applebee’s — From time to time, Applebee’s offers a promotion where you get a free, or reduced price, kids’ entrée for every adult entrée purchased — these sometimes run on select days of the week. Look for these offers in the summertime when you need more ways to entertain your kids anyway.
B
BJ’s — Encourage your children to try their best at school, and that could translate to free food! The program is called Awesome Achievement, and it rewards kids for positive behavior and academic success. Once they earn a certificate, it can be presented for a free kids’ meal and a bracelet. The only caveat is that your school needs to be a partner. A kid’s meal costs $6.75 on average, though, so if you pair that with a daily adult special, you could come out just as well.
Blaze Pizza — Fast-casual, healthy-ish pizza brand, Blaze Pizza, offers Blaze Rewards that allow you to earn points for each order, which you can use to “unlock free pizza, exclusive deals, and more” for your kids or the whole family.
C
Chevy’s Fresh Mex — Kids 12 and under can eat for just $1 on Wednesdays. This offer must be paired with the purchase of an adult entrée.
Chili’s — Chili’s is giving back to its rewards members by taking care of the kids. Sign up for My Chili’s Rewards to receive free kids meal rewards offers to redeem in the restaurant or online. They are valid on the Pepper Pals menu, which includes several different menu options.
D
Denny’s — Kids can eat free with a paying adult spending at least $6 on an entrée, but it varies by location. A popular day appears to be Tuesday for this offer.
Dickey’s Barbeque Pit — Dickey’s Barbeque Pit has Big Yellow Cup Rewards, which can add up to free pit-smoked barbecue, sides, and Big Yellow Cups, as well as other exclusive perks. Check the website on holidays also for similar offers.
E
El Pollo Loco — You can join Loco Rewards at El Pollo Loco to stack up points and redeem them for free food. Look for announcements for these deals and others on their Facebook page.
El Torito — The rewards program for this restaurant lets you earn 10 “chips”, or points, for each dollar you spend. The chips can be redeemed for free food items.
F
Fogo de Chão — Kids 6 and under can enjoy a free churrasco experience while little ones 7 to 12 get half off. An adult churrasco costs anywhere from $43.95 to $66.95 a person, so this is a great way to save.
G
Gladstone’s Long Beach — Mention the promotion on a Thursday, and your child can enjoy a complimentary beverage, entrée, and dessert along with your purchase.
Related: Restaurants with Family-Style Take out
H
Haidilao Hot Pot — Kids 5 and under can enjoy a free meal with a toy and an ice cream. Your kids will also love the dancing noodle shows.
I
IKEA — Up to two kids can eat for free every Wednesday with just one adult entrée purchase. That’s a lot of Swedish meatballs. Off good through August 5, 2025.
IHOP — If you want to eat a meal out for less, check out IHOP’s Rewards Program. You can earn PanCoins, which are crypto-pancakes you can trade in for free pancakes. Bonus: Check their Facebook for offers surrounding holidays.
J
Jinya Ramen Bar — Although kids don’t eat for free here, they will eat like kings and queens for a reasonable price. The regular kids’ meal includes Jinya chicken ramen with spinach and corn, chashu rice, crispy chicken, French fries, an orange, candy, and vanilla ice cream. There’s also a vegan kids’ meal.
K
Krispy Kreme — Join Krispy Kreme Rewards by downloading the app to start earning deals and rewards on your doughnut purchases. Use the points you earn on qualifying purchases for treats and perks.
L
Little Caesar’s Pizza — What kid doesn’t love pizza? While technically not free, pizza is usually a hit with kids and an economical meal choice. Little Caesar’s also frequently offers coupons to make your dinner even more affordable.
M
Mama’s on 39 — Kids 12 and under eat for free from the kids’ menu all day every Thursday with the purchase of one adult entrée.
N
Norms — While Norms no longer offers their kids eat-free on Monday specials, they do post coupons from time to time on their website and Instagram, especially for holidays.
O
Original Roadhouse Grill — You can become a member of their rewards program and get a $10 gift just for joining. You’ll also earn points you can use for tasty rewards. And throwing peanut shells on the floor and not having to pick them up will make you feel like a kid again.
P
Panda Express — Kids can eat almost for free at Panda Express, and adults will feel guilt-free with the healthier Cub Meal choices. For a little over $7, you can order a protein-rich meal with vegetables, apple slices, a starch, and a bottle of water or juice. You can also join their rewards program for additional savings!
Q
Quiznos — Quick, name me a restaurant that begins with Q in Los Angeles? Chances are, it’s Quiznos, and while their kids’ meal deals aren’t free, they are still less than $10 for everything from beverages to dessert. Choose a sandwich or flatbread, chips or a cookie, and a kids’ drink for $9.50 or less.
R
Ruby’s Diner — Tuesday is family night at Ruby’s Diner, where kids eat free from 4 p.m. on. Must be 12 and under.
S
Sharky’s — Sharky’s prides itself on offering healthy and organic food choices for the whole family. While they don’t offer free meals for kids, it’s hard to get anything organic in this city for less than $10, and all of their kids’ meals are under $9.00. Enjoy a protein with non-GMO brown rice and organic black beans, among other choices. And sign up for rewards to enjoy discounts on your favorites.
T
TGI Friday’s — TGI Friday’s has lots of delicious meal choices for the whole family and their kids meals are under $7.50. Some locations do offer free kids meals with the purchase of a full-priced adult entree on certain days of the week. Take advantage of these offers plus their specials and rewards system for additional savings.
U
Urth Caffé — While Urth Caffé doesn’t have free kids’ meals, they have several reasonably priced meal options for children as well as many low-cost regular menu items your young ones can choose from.
V
Veggie Grill — Trick your kids into eating their vegetables when you get them some “chik’n” at Veggie Grill. Their kids’ menu offers various choices for children 10 and under that cost $10 and under and include a dessert plus their choice of side. Sign up for their rewards app and get $5 off your first purchase.
W
Wienerschnitzel — Wienerschnitzel is flipping the script by letting parents be the ones eating for free. Visit them on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day to take advantage of a free chili dog meal. You can also get coupons on their website any day of the year, including a free corndog with a purchase offer. What kid wouldn’t be happy with that?
X
Xiang Bai Li Hotpot — This is another spot where kids technically eat for free because you don’t necessarily need to get them their own hotpot. Plus, they will love the interactive nature of cooking their own meal.
Y
Yard House — This restaurant has almost 10 different options on the kids’ menu, and they are all less than $11. I like to think of Yard House as the “after-school special” restaurant because they start happy hour at 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, during which all pizzas and select appetizers are half-off. Specials vary by location, so check before you go.
Z
Zankou Chicken — The family meal is the way to go at Zankou Chicken if you want to feel like you’re getting a deal. It includes one large rotisserie chicken, two sides, six pitas, and those incredibly addictive garlic sauces that you want to drizzle over everything for just $29.99.
Caroline Gelabert-Noh is the host of EatDrinkLA.com. She is the mom of two boys and the wife of one husband, and they all live together in Glendale, CA.
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