RFK Rankings · Salt Lake City
Best Restaurants for Family-Friendly in Salt Lake City (2026)
Family dining · Salt Lake City · 6 rooms ranked · Updated June 2026
Compiled by the Restaurants for Kings editorial team · Published May 22, 2026 · Updated June 18, 2026 · Reviewed by Fredrik Filipsson, Editor-in-Chief · How we rank · Corrections
The mole flights still draw a line down North Temple at Red Iguana, and a few blocks east The Pie carves its sourdough pizza out of a basement near the University. Salt Lake has the youngest population in the country, so eating out with kids here is a settled craft: festive rooms, food you share and somewhere to absorb a restless table. These six, ranked, are where to bring the whole family when the cooking still has to satisfy the grown-ups.
1.Red Iguana
Utah's famous mole flights in a festive room; take the kids to North Temple for the puntas de filete.
The Cardenas family has run Red Iguana since 1985 at 736 West North Temple, with a second room next door. The seven-mole sampler and the puntas de filete negras are the orders, with most plates roughly $15 to $24.
The festive, colorful room and the well-known moles make it a family favorite, and Red Iguana 2 next door gives more elbow room for a stroller. The famous line moves fast and reservations help. Book at Red Iguana 2, order a mole sampler for the table, and let the kids pick a milder dish.
2.The Pie Pizzeria
Hand-thrown sourdough pizza from a basement near the U since 1980; take the kids underground and build your own pie.
The Pie Pizzeria has run since 1980, with its original Underground room at 1320 East 200 South below the University Pharmacy. The hand-thrown sourdough-crust pizza is the order, with build-your-own toppings and most pies roughly $18 to $30.
The graffiti-covered basement is a novelty for kids, and the build-your-own format lets each one pick a topping. The loud, casual room forgives a young table near the University. Take a basement table, hand out the topping list, and split a couple of the sourdough pies.
3.Crown Burgers
The Utah pastrami burger Salt Lake has eaten since 1978; take the kids to the 200 South room for a Crown Burger.
Crown Burgers has run since 1978, a Greek-American family chain with a room at 377 East 200 South. The pastrami-topped Crown Burger and the gyro are the orders, with most plates roughly $7 to $13.
The casual, sit-down burger format and the low prices make it an easy family stop, and the pastrami burger is a local rite. The forgiving room handles a restless table. Take a booth, order a round of Crown Burgers with fries, and add a gyro for the table to share.
4.Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade
Biscuit sandwiches and fresh mint limeade kids chase; bring the family to 1700 South early for the breakfast biscuit board.
Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade grew from a farmers-market stand into a room at 54 West 1700 South. The biscuit sandwiches and the fresh-squeezed mint limeade are the orders, with most plates roughly $10 to $16.
The all-day breakfast format and the made-to-watch limeade are an easy sell to children, and the bright room is forgiving of a young table. Weekends build a line, so come early. Get there before the rush, order a round of biscuit sandwiches, and let the kids watch the limeade get shaken.
5.Tony Caputo's Market & Deli
Made-to-order sandwiches and a candy-bar wall in a downtown deli; take the kids to Broadway for a sub and a chocolate tasting.
Tony Caputo's Market & Deli has run since 1997 at 314 West Broadway downtown. The made-to-order Italian subs and the famous chocolate wall are the draws, with most sandwiches roughly $9 to $15.
The deli-counter format is quick and casual, and the wall of imported chocolates gives kids a reward at the end. The market setting lets a family browse between bites. Order subs at the counter, take a table in the market, and let the kids pick a bar from the chocolate wall.
6.Hook & Ladder
Curly fries and a downtown patio that win over picky kids; take the family to 200 West for the firehouse room.
Hook & Ladder runs a firehouse-themed room at 254 South 200 West downtown. The curly fries, the burgers and the wings are the orders, with a kids' menu and most plates roughly $13 to $20.
The casual American menu and the curly fries win over a picky table, and the downtown patio puts a family in the middle of the city. The loud room forgives a restless child. Take a patio table, order a round of burgers and the curly fries, and let the kids work the kids' menu.
Not for the kids
Great rooms, wrong night for a family
Log Haven. The mountain-canyon dining room up Millcreek Canyon runs a refined New American menu in a hushed, special-occasion setting. It is a strong evening, but the drive and the pacing suit a date over a restless child.
HSL. Chef Briar Handly's downtown room is a tasting-leaning New American table built for a slow, adults-only dinner. Save its quiet, ingredient-driven menu for an evening without children.
How to dine out with kids in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake's family rooms spread across downtown and the east side. Crown Burgers, Tony Caputo's, Hook & Ladder and Sweet Lake all sit within the downtown grid, so a meal folds into a Temple Square or Gateway visit. Red Iguana anchors North Temple to the west, while The Pie's original room pulls the map east toward the University.
Most of these rooms run loud and casual, so timing matters more than reservations. Red Iguana and Hook & Ladder take bookings, while The Pie, Crown Burgers, Sweet Lake and Tony Caputo's run on first-come tables or counter service. Arrive early for weekend breakfast and for Red Iguana's famous line, and keep Liberty Park or the City Creek Center in your back pocket for restless kids.
Frequently asked
What is the best family-friendly restaurant in Salt Lake City?
Red Iguana on North Temple is the marquee family pick: a festive Mexican room famous for its seven-mole sampler, with most plates between $15 and $24 and a second location next door for more elbow room with a stroller. For a casual night, The Pie's graffiti-covered basement near the University lets each kid build their own sourdough pizza, and Crown Burgers serves its Utah pastrami burger at family prices.
Where can families eat pizza with kids in Salt Lake City?
The Pie Pizzeria's Underground room at 1320 East 200 South is the family pizza pick, hand-throwing sourdough-crust pies since 1980 from a graffiti-covered basement near the University, with most pies between $18 and $30. The novelty room and the build-your-own toppings let each kid design a slice, and the loud, casual space forgives a restless table.
Which Salt Lake City restaurant is best for breakfast with kids?
Sweet Lake Biscuits & Limeade at 54 West 1700 South is the breakfast pick, with biscuit sandwiches and a made-to-watch fresh mint limeade that kids chase, and most plates between $10 and $16. The room builds a line on weekends, so arrive early, order a round of biscuit sandwiches, and let the kids watch the limeade get shaken at the counter.
Is Crown Burgers good for kids in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Crown Burgers has run since 1978 and serves its signature pastrami-topped Crown Burger and Greek gyros in a casual sit-down room, with most plates between $7 and $13. The low prices and forgiving room make it an easy family stop, and the pastrami burger is a Salt Lake rite. Take a booth, order a round of Crown Burgers with fries, and add a gyro to share.
Which Salt Lake City restaurants should families avoid?
Skip the quiet, special-occasion dining rooms. Log Haven up Millcreek Canyon runs a refined New American menu in a hushed mountain setting, and Briar Handly's HSL downtown is a tasting-leaning room built for a slow adult dinner. Both are strong evenings, but they are built for an adults-only night rather than a meal with children.
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Browse the full Salt Lake City dining guide, compare the city's weekend tables in the Salt Lake City brunch ranking and its celebration rooms in the Salt Lake City birthday ranking, see the walk-in options in the Salt Lake City walk-ins ranking, or open the full RFK rankings index.
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