RFK Rankings · Houston
Best Restaurants for Family-Friendly in Houston (2026)
Family dining · Houston · 7 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published March 29, 2024 · Updated June 9, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
Ninfa's has fed Houston families fajitas on Navigation since 1973, and Goode Co. has smoked brisket in a Kirby barn since 1977. Family dining here means the city's casual institutions: Tex-Mex, barbecue, deep-dish pizza and mesquite burgers, all built for a table with kids. These seven, ranked, are where to take the family in Houston without trading away the cooking.
1.The Original Ninfa's on Navigation
The definitive Houston Tex-Mex institution, lively and generous; come to Navigation for the fajitas with the family.
The Original Ninfa's sits at 2704 Navigation Boulevard in the East End, where Mama Ninfa Laurenzo is credited with popularizing the fajita when it opened in 1973; executive chef Alex Padilla runs the kitchen today. The tacos al carbon and the fajita platters are the orders, broadly in the $26 to $34 range, built for sharing.
The room is colorful, loud in the best way and generous with portions, with a patio and a long Texas Monthly pedigree. Children settle into the fajitas and enchiladas while the table works through a platter. It takes reservations and welcomes walk-ins, so come as a group.
2.Goode Co. Texas Bar-B-Q
Houston's barn-style barbecue landmark; come to Kirby for mesquite brisket and pecan pie with the kids.
Goode Co. Texas Bar-B-Q has run at 5109 Kirby Drive since Jim Goode opened it in a barn-style warehouse in 1977; his son Levi Goode oversees it today. The mesquite-smoked brisket plate is the order, roughly $18 to $24, and the pecan pie closes the meal.
This is a casual order-at-the-counter Texas roadhouse with room to spread out, no-fuss and easy with children. The brisket and the jalapeno cheese bread are the way to build the tray. It is walk-in service, so come hungry and grab a long table.
3.The Pit Room
A Bib Gourmand barbecue room with a sprawling patio; come for brisket tacos and let the kids spread out.
The Pit Room, from Michael Sambrooks with pitmaster Bramwell Tripp, opened at 1201 Richmond Avenue in 2016, near Montrose. The prime brisket, with tortillas made from the brisket trimmings, is the order, with plates broadly in the $18 to $28 range.
The Texas Michelin Guide named it a Bib Gourmand in its 2024 inaugural edition, and the shared patio gives a family room to settle. The brisket tacos and the chicken tacos are easy kid orders. It is counter service, so come and claim a patio table.
4.Molina's Cantina
Houston's oldest family-run Tex-Mex, multi-generational and welcoming; come for the queso and cheese enchiladas.
Molina's Cantina, run by the third-generation Molina brothers, traces to 1941 and anchors at 7901 Westheimer Road, the city's oldest continuously family-run Tex-Mex. Jose's Dip, a queso blended with spiced taco meat, and the cheese enchiladas are the orders, with combo plates broadly $13 to $20.
This is an old-school, casual room with long-tenured staff and a multi-generational following, easy with children. The queso starts the table and the enchiladas follow. It welcomes walk-ins and takes reservations for groups, so bring the whole family.
5.Feges BBQ
A veteran- and woman-owned barbecue room with a kids-eat-free night; come to Spring Branch for table service and brisket.
Feges BBQ, from pitmaster Patrick Feges and chef Erin Smith Feges, runs at 8217 Long Point Road in Spring Branch, a veteran- and woman-owned room with a large patio. The brisket with chef-driven sides is the order, with plates broadly in the $20 to $28 range.
Texas Monthly named it among the state's fifty best barbecue joints, and children twelve and under eat free on Wednesday evenings with an adult entree. The table service skips the usual barbecue line. It is walk-in, so come on a kids-eat-free night and take the patio.
6.Star Pizza
Chicago-style deep dish in a homey two-story house; come to Norfolk Street for a casual, kid-pleasing pizza night.
Star Pizza has run from a two-story house at 2111 Norfolk Street since two Chicago natives opened it in 1976, near Upper Kirby. The Chicago-style deep dish, with a whole-wheat or white crust, is the order, roughly $20 to $30 for a large, plus a weekday pizza-and-salad buffet.
The setting is a charming, nostalgic old house, casual and forgiving with children. The deep dish is the centerpiece, with a salad and the lunch buffet for younger eaters. It is walk-in, so come for a relaxed family pizza night.
7.Becks Prime
Houston's mesquite-burger institution with oak-shaded patios; come to Memorial Park for a fast, easy family meal.
Becks Prime, founded by Win Campbell in 1985, runs mesquite-grilled Angus burgers across the city, with flagship patios at 2902 Kirby Drive and on the Memorial Park golf course. The mesquite burger is the order, roughly $10 to $13, with hand-cut fries.
The oak-shaded patios at Kirby and Memorial Park give families room and shade, and the counter service is quick. The burger and fries are the easy order for any age. It is walk-in; note the Wilcrest and downtown branches have closed, so head to Kirby or the park.
Not for everyone
Famous, but not the family pick
Tatemo. The Michelin one-star contemporary-Mexican room runs a tasting-menu format that is a poor fit for a table with kids. It is a fine destination for adults, but not a family dinner.
Grand Lux Cafe. The Galleria's casual cafe was billed as easy family dining, but it closed in January 2026. Do not plan a family meal around it; head to one of the institutions above instead.
Becks Prime Wilcrest and downtown. Two Becks Prime branches, on Westheimer at Wilcrest and downtown on Travis, have closed. Only the Kirby and Memorial Park locations remain for a family burger, so point the car there.
How to eat well with the family in Houston
Houston's family map runs on its institutions. The East End has Ninfa's, Montrose has The Pit Room and Star Pizza, Upper Kirby has Goode Co. and Becks Prime, and Spring Branch has Feges. None demands a jacket, and all handle a table with children.
Most of these are walk-in, so timing matters more than reservations: come early for the barbecue rooms before the brisket runs low, and aim for Feges on a Wednesday when kids eat free. Reserve at Ninfa's and Molina's for a larger group.
Frequently asked
What are the best family restaurants in Houston?
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation is the definitive Tex-Mex family institution, generous with fajitas since 1973, and Goode Co. on Kirby is the barn-style barbecue landmark. For pizza, Star Pizza's old Norfolk Street house is the casual, kid-pleasing pick.
Which Houston restaurant has a kids-eat-free night?
Feges BBQ in Spring Branch lets children twelve and under eat free on Wednesday evenings with an adult entree. The room is veteran- and woman-owned, runs table service rather than a line, and has a large patio for families to spread out.
Are Houston's family restaurants walk-in or reservation?
Most are walk-in. Goode Co., The Pit Room, Feges, Star Pizza and Becks Prime all run counter or casual service, so timing matters more than booking. Ninfa's and Molina's take reservations, which helps for a larger family group.
Where can families eat Tex-Mex in Houston?
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation is the marquee family Tex-Mex, credited with popularizing the fajita, while Molina's Cantina on Westheimer is the city's oldest continuously family-run Tex-Mex, tracing to 1941. Both welcome children and large tables.
Is Houston barbecue good for kids?
Yes. Goode Co. on Kirby is a casual barn-style room with space to spread out, The Pit Room near Montrose has a sprawling patio and brisket tacos, and Feges in Spring Branch runs table service with a kids-eat-free Wednesday. All are easy with children.
Related rankings
More from RFK
Browse the full Houston dining guide, plan a celebration with the Houston birthday ranking, compare the city's no-reservation rooms in the Houston walk-in ranking and its counter seats in the Houston solo dining ranking, or open the full RFK rankings index.
Restaurants for Kings is reader-supported. Some reservation links are affiliate links with OpenTable, Resy or Tock; this never affects which restaurants we rank or the order they appear in. See our ranking methodology.