Eating Out with Baby

Looking at the beautiful tree inside Farmer Boys restaurant.

After being with Baby for 7 months, I've learned a lot of things about a lot of things. This one's not a super important lesson compared to some of them--how to feed babies to keep them alive is kind of crucial, after all. But speaking of eating, at some point you'll have to eat out of the house with your baby. And I've quickly learned that some places are a lot easier to do this than others.

So here's a handy guide, based on my experiences, of the best--and worst--places to eat with Baby.

The Good: Fancy coffee shop, Leoné Café
Any place you can order at a counter with Baby instantly makes things easier because it cuts down on wait time--no waiting for a server to come take your drink order, then your meal order, etc. And with a baby, quick is always better. You never know when an impatient/hungry/fussy/tired baby might force you to make a quick getaway. And with counter service, you've already paid. Coffee shops also tend to get your order faster than regular restaurants as well because most food items are simple and quick to begin with. This lovely coffee shop at Tivoli Village (where I met my writing group with Baby) also has servers bring your order to you, which is a relief when you're trying to hold or watch a baby. It also had plenty of places to park a stroller, both indoors and out. The only downside was that the restroom was not inside the cafe. You have to travel down the street of this outdoor mall location when it comes time to change Baby's diaper. However, the bathrooms did have changing table stations (nice ones), and it was a quiet break from the hustle and clatter of the noisier cafe. Plus we could windowshop baby stores on the way back!

Leoné Café has space to hold a baby at the table,
and room for a toddler to work on her tablet behind him.

The Bad: Casual coffee shop, Dunkin Donuts
I met up with a friend at Dunkin with Baby, excited for their coffee and a sweet treat. Their lattes with almond milk are among my favorites, and while their donuts aren't quite as good as local businesses, they can do in a pinch. However, the location we went to was definitely not ideal for a mom (or dad) with a baby. First, I checked the bathrooms for baby changing stations. None. Which meant having to change baby out in the parking lot in the back of my car if Baby got wet and fussy. Doable, but not ideal. Next, I looked for a table and chairs that might work if I needed to nurse a hungry baby. There were very few tables to begin with and the ones there were either in the center of the donut shop (where prying eyes are immediately drawn to) or by the window. I don't mind nursing in public, but I don't exactly want to be watched by everyone when I do it. The chairs at Dunkin were also pretty small, standard dining chairs. And while I'm a small person, it's pretty hard to nurse a baby in a chair without arms or some kind of larger support. The alternative was bar-height chairs, which I normally love, but would definitely not want to try to balance on with a baby. Finally, Dunkin is not the kind of place where they bring your order to you--they just call your name from the counter--but we got lucky that day. A kind employee took pity on us when I hadn't responded to my name because I was struggling to arrange Baby, baby sweater, stroller, nursing pillow, and diaper bag with my friend all at once. He kindly brought my drink and donut to our little table, for which I was definitely grateful. But, of course, you can't count on that every time.

The Good: Steakhouse, Texas de Brazil
I wouldn't initially expect a high-end eatery to be the best place for balancing all that comes with a baby, yet the upscale Brazilian restaurant was one of the first places I ended up taking Baby out with family. Hubby's parents, sister, and aunt wanted to celebrate all the summer birthdays and Baby finally had his initial vaccinations and was graduating from newborn to infant. He could actually leave the house for a little bit at a time. Our restaurant host was kind enough to seat us at a table near the back, away from most of the crowds anyway. And while I didn't end up nursing Baby while there, the location would have been ideal. The restaurant itself is set up as an all-you-can-eat place, which is almost a buffet. You can choose when your food comes, which is a blessing with a Baby. Both meat and salad bar options can be plated immediately, saving time and giving me back a tiny bit of control. The other benefit of a fancy restaurant is that we typically would only go there for a celebration, which means multiple people, which means multiple hands to hold Baby while I eat. With Baby's first big restaurant outing I was a little anxious to hand him over so quickly, but it sure was nice to be able to sit and enjoy a warm meal! Super bonus points to Texas de Brazil for having changing stations in their (women's) bathroom! When Baby needed a change I was able to carry him away from the noise, into the quiet bathroom, and get him situated while calming my own nerves about the new experience. Would definitely go again.

The Bad: Korean BBQ, Master Kim's
Now I personally love the taste of Korean food. So when my friend was in town from California and suggested meeting up at a Korean restaurant, I was happy to give it a chance. I just didn't realize how un-baby-friendly it would be. This Korean BBQ restaurant turned out to be the type where you cook your own food in the middle of a pre-set table. Which, I should have realized would turn into a new-mom strikeout without any competition. Strike one: hot stove near baby. I managed to keep Baby away, of course, but it adds an extra layer of unnecessary danger in an already stressful outing. Strike two: cooking your own food, which means an extra step and extra time (and extra hands needed). Thankfully, my friends cooked all my food for me, but if I'd been there alone or with someone who didn't know how long to cook Korean meat--forget about it. Strike three: because of this setup, the table could not move. Which meant only booths inside the restaurant and only a limited amount of space (it would have been very hard to nurse or set up Baby's car seat given the seating area inside the booth, and there were no other table options). But those weren't the only problems. This type of restaurant not only had a big round stove in the middle of the table, but multiple little plates surrounding the stove for appetizers, and a conveyor belt that brought your raw meat straight to your table. So, there's no space on the table to set down any Baby items like bottles or food jars (or even your menu), and you're not allowed to set anything down on the conveyor belt (they chastise you if you accidentally try). My son ended up dropping both his toy and his spoon on the floor (the spoon managed to roll underneath the stove, which was especially hard to fish out). There were also no forks or small spoons for Mom to eat with or Baby to play with--only chopsticks. And while I consider myself pretty adept with chopsticks, the finger balancing does add another layer of difficulty when trying to hold a squirmy baby in place with your other hand. It shouldn't be this hard. Baby and I have eaten at sushi restaurants before, where I successfully fed myself using chopsticks while holding my son with my other hand--the difference was I had room at a table instead of having both of us (and the diaper bag) squeezed into a narrow booth that limited our range of motion. The restaurant earned a final bonus strike for having no changing stations in the bathroom either. Which meant I had to go back out to my car to change Baby. By this point my son was probably fed up with the whole thing too--it was the first time in a long time he peed on me when I removed his diaper. Maybe I shouldn't have expected a "fancy" Korean BBQ restaurant to be baby-friendly in the first place. But when you enter a restaurant and pass a whole corner of high chairs, you begin to think babies have eaten there before. They should have been able to do just a little better.

Delicious food, but ZERO space on this Korean BBQ table.

The Good and Bad: Starbucks
Since there's so many Starbucks in existence, no two are quite 100% alike. I've had both positive and negative experiences at Starbucks with Baby, so it ultimately comes down to finding a magical location with all the pros and none of the cons. For example--many Starbucks I've been to have at least one or two comfy chairs in the corner (think plushy armchairs) that are wonderfully ideal for nursing. In fact, one of my first non-appointment outings with Baby was to such a Starbucks. And though I was nervous as heck when the time came to nurse him, he actually fell asleep under my nursing cape, lulled by the sounds of a buzzing coffee shop around him. Unfortunately, not every Starbucks has these lovely chairs. Some are set up almost exactly like the Dunkin Donuts--right down to the lack of changing stations. But I have been to some Starbucks locations with changing stations, so that was a relief at least. There's just no guarantee. There's also no bringing the food and drinks straight to you. They call your name and you have to carry/push/drag Baby up to the counter unless you happen to be with another person who can grab your order or your baby. However, because there is a Starbucks on practically every block, it does make it an easy place to meet a friend and get out of the house!

The Go-To: Farmer Boys
While each Farmer Boys restaurant might be different, I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite places to eat because it's super close to our house, and one of the places we've frequented before Baby and after. Both the chairs and the booths are wide enough to hold Baby's car seat successfully. It's a counter service order but they bring your food to you. And they have coffee! In a real mug! But, best of all, our local Farmer Boys has the friendliest staff, who were super nice to us throughout my pregnancy and love seeing our little one when he comes to visit now. When the holidays rolled around, we were happy to bring Baby by to meet the staff and admire their festive decor. I actually can't wait to bring Baby here again.

Hopefully this guide will give you an idea of the types of places where a baby can easily tag-along and the types of places that would work better for when Baby's being babysat. And, of course, the list will change once Baby reaches toddlerhood--then I'll have to see which restaurants offer kids menus, crayons, and other distractions.

For now, I can say that navigating life with a baby can take a lot of work and planning, but that doesn't mean you can't get out every once in a while and treat yourself. Dining out should be an experience. And dining out with a baby is definitely a learning experience!