June 28, 2026
Made for the metro.
Take Them To

Kids in tow

Two adults, one or two small humans, and a need for an actual meal in a place that will not collapse around children.

Updated June 28, 2026 · Independent and locally run. Our picks aren't for sale; any paid placement is labeled.

  1. A morning out
    Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
    St. Paul

    Free, indoor and outdoor in one stop, a polar bear in one wing and a hundred-year-old Japanese garden in the other. Strollers welcome, bathrooms accessible, nap-friendly schedule.

  2. A no-stress lunch
    Pizzeria Lola
    Linden Hills, Minneapolis

    Serious pizza in a room that genuinely welcomes children. Big tables, a wood oven you can watch from the bar seats, a kid menu that does not condescend. The Lady Zaza is the move.

  3. A quick afternoon
    Lake Harriet bandshell + paddleboat
    Southwest Minneapolis

    A short walk, a paddleboat ride if they are old enough, the Como-Harriet Streetcar if they are not, and a Sebastian Joe's cone on the way home. Three things in two hours and everybody wins.

  4. An early dinner
    Cossetta's
    West Seventh, St. Paul

    Cafeteria-style Italian which means kids do not have to wait. Pick what you want from the line, sit in the high-ceilinged dining room, end with a cannoli. The sound of children does not register over the lunch crowd.