Best Family Restaurants in Forest Park

"From the jump more than a dozen years ago, urbanbelly has been serving flavorful Asian fast-casual food and it only gets better. Led by award-winning Chef Bill Kim and Cornerstone Restaurant Group, the menu lists signature dumplings, bowls and specialties such as the gluten-free and dairy free Coconut Curry Pho and Kim's signature ramen. Order slippery dumplings (stuffed with Korean BBQ beef, chicken red curry or edamame) by the piece and pair 'em with something crispy like Thai fried chicken or Togarashi fries."

"It’s fun to eat with your hands as a kid, which makes dumplings a great choice. For a fun mashup, Urbanbelly’s kids’ menu has a cheeseburger dumpling, but there are also more adventurous options like pork-cilantro or chicken curry fillings. Kids can also snack on edamame, slurp noodle soup or practice their chopsticks skills with a rice bowl."

"Its popularity inspired Chef Kim to open a second location just this year. Other than their famous dumplings, Urbanbelly favorites include the Phat Rice (or Noodle) and the Wok Fired Rice Cakes."

"Floriole functioned as a stand at Chicago's beloved Green City Market for nearly five years before it became a brick-and-mortar restaurant. As such, expect market-driven fare that prizes freshness and seasonality above all else. Those priorities manifest in menu items like late-season roasted tomato and swiss chard quiche, ricotta toast topped with plums and honey, and pea salad with radishes, turnips, and spring onions."

"The longest-established purveyor of canelés in Chicago, Floriole Café & Bakery's Sandra Holl may also be their least traditional practitioner. Holl produces her canelés without the use of beeswax, and has even been known to tweak the time-honored vanilla-rum flavor profile. (A chocolate version, for instance, makes an appearance in the café each February.) Traditional or not, her approach works."

"This bright cafe and bakery is known for their rustic French pastries, made using fresh ingredients sourced from local, sustainable farms. Head straight to the dessert case to choose from a rotating selection of from-scratch goodies, like croissants, Basque cake, fruit galettes, and more."

"Try Demera Ethiopian Restaurant for delicious Ethiopian food (and rich Ethiopian coffee), set in the vibrant Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Order spinach, cheese or lentil Sambussas for an appetizer and then family-style Messob with vegetarian options. Another popular dish is the Vegetable Bayanetu, which is a platter filled with all nine of Demera’s veggie specialties."

"Demera has some of the best messobs and injera in the city, and luckily, this Ethiopian spot also serves them to-go. This means you can order the messob dinner for four, and make it a dinner for one. Take it home, lay it out, and enjoy your giant meal all by yourself."

"Though Demera offers traditional meat dishes, they have a dedicated vegan menu that includes authentic Ethiopian fare. Family-style combo platters are available for diverse sampling from one of the best restaurants in Chicago. Demera Ethiopian | 4801 N."

"Close to both the Lincoln Park zoo and Lincoln Park, RJ Grunts is the perfect restaurant to park your stroller at after a day of running around. They have a stroller valet (and regular valet if you have a car) to keep everything safe while you enjoy one of their famous burgers with chips. They think about the little things here — kids’ meals come with unspillable cups, animal crackers and crayons on old-style cafeteria trays."

"Across the street from Lincoln Park Zoo, R.J. Grunts has the grand distinction of being the originator of the salad bar. It's also a great, family-oriented spot for over-sized burgers and sandwiches such as the patty melt, plus chicken fingers, taco specials every Monday, onion rings stacked on a stick, and hand-dipped shakes and malts. 2056 North Lincoln Park West, 773-929-5363"

"Strollers are aplenty along Southport Avenue so it's no surprise that Crosby's Kitchen is a haven for tikes in this Lakeview neighborhood brimming with young families. The best part is that it's not just friendly for the young ones, it's also great for older kids and adults dining sans kids, complete with a wine menu. Order yourself a Bloody Mary and the table some monkey bread to start and choose from a kid's menu or the regular menu for brunch, lunch or dinner."

"This kid- and pup-friendly patio is an ideal spot for people-watching and sipping lemonade with rotating flavors like hibiscus and mango. Popular plates at this Southport spot include lobster deviled eggs, iron-skillet cornbread, and avocado toast studded with lump crab. (And speaking of kid-friendliness, here’s a hot tip: children eat for free from 4 to 6 p.m.)"

"This family-friendly diner offers Midwestern-inspired comfort food that’s sure to please. The staff are very accommodating to children and work hard to make sure they have a good time. You can’t go wrong with their dinner menu, and definitely give brunch a try—no one can get enough of their signature monkey bread!"

"Located in the South Loop in a building that was once home to a printing press and then a bank before it became one of the city’s favorite diners, Eleven City Diner is a traditional Jewish deli that serves a variety of deli-style fare in a casual diner setting. Boasting neon lights and the crackle of WWII-era tunes, the diner takes patrons back in time to the 1940s and 1950s with leather-button booths where bowls of matzoh ball soup and latkes can be enjoyed. The deli serves a variety of deli-style fare such as gargantuan gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, mac and cheese, melts, and Reubens along with drinks from an authentic soda fountain, house-brewed root beer, and floats."

"Inspired by the nostalgia of trekking across the States and stopping into roadside diners full of charm along the way, Eleven City has that classic, old-school atmosphere you want to go with your burger and milkshake. Here, breakfast is served all day, including a make-your-own omelet bar, but don’t you dare sleep on their loaded mac-and-cheese either. Needless to say, Eleven City Diner has it all and more."

"Lettuce Entertain You’s pan-Asian specialist has an approachable menu consisting of items like potstickers, orange chicken, kung pao beef, and sweet and sour shrimp. Order here carryout and delivery."

"Big Bowl, a mid-sized regional chain with three restaurants in Illinois, builds upon the concept of generously portioned bowls of Chinese and Thai cuisine. The downtown Chicago ven..."

"Three Happiness serves up Szechuan shrimp at all hours of the day in Chinatown.|© jeffreyw / WikiCommons. Located in historic Chinatown, Three Happiness serves up authentic Chinese cuisine 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Zagat has this spot featured on both their lists of Best Dim Sum in Chicago and Best Chinese Restaurants in Chicago, so there’s definitely expertise behind the menu."

"Ongoing weekend programs at the museum include workshops for kids to learn about identifying rocks and minerals or learning how to make jewelry. Collections include gemstones, fossils and an ornate castle. Online activities include virtual jewelry classes and rock identification classes."

"DowntownWalk among the Warhols If the modern wing at the Art Institute of Chicago isn’t enough, lovers of modern art can’t miss the Museum of Contemporary Art. In fact, the building itself (home to the MCA since 1996) is a modern marvel and an ode to Chicago in both its nods to famous architects from the Chicago School and in its design, which was inspired by the city’s grid system. Featuring a collection that includes Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, and countless more modern art heavy-hitters, the museum will leave you dazzled for hours."

"Consider it the Art Institute’s brash, rebellious sibling, with especially strong minimalist, surrealist and conceptual photography collections, and permanent works by René Magritte, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol. Covering art from the 1920s onward, the MCA’s collection spans the gamut, with displays arranged to blur the boundaries between painting, sculpture, video and other media. Exhibits change regularly so you never know what you'll see, but count on it being offbeat and provocative. Illinois residents get free admission on Tuesday."

"$15, $8 seniors, students and teachers, free members and age 18 and under; advanced registration required. Family Days on the second Saturday of each month give parents and kids an opportunity to dive into art using different mediums. The program has continued online during the pandemic."