8 Family-Friendly Summer Eateries
Both parents and kids will enjoy these spots.
Anthony's Seafood
Families flock like schools of fish year-round to Anthony’s for the freshest lobsters, haddock and clams. Place your order at the counter, then take a seat at a roomy booth accented by nautical kitsch. A simple lobster roll packs five ounces of fresh, never frozen, meat in a buttered, toasted roll with french fries and coleslaw, and the Portuguese-inspired shore dinner overflows with steamers, mussels, chourico, a hot dog and potatoes. There’s even a Minnow Menu including pint-sized portions of fish and chips and mac ‘n’ cheese. Stock up on seafood at the only fish market in town, but good luck replicating this deliciousness at home.
963 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, 401-846-9620, anthonysseafood.com
Blount Clam Shack
There’s no better restaurant for bringing kids than a place that’s all outdoors. Order clam cakes and chowder, hefty half-pound lobster rolls or fish tacos at the concession trailer, then grab a picnic table or Adirondack chair and wait for your buzzer to sound. Live music from acoustic artists happens Thursdays through Sundays along the Warren waterfront. The kids can go free-range, taking in the view or dancing to the music until food arrives, and everyone will go home full of whole-belly clams and fish and chips. Just be sure to get there before the last September weekend, as the clam shack closes up shop after summer’s official end.
335 Water St., Warren, 401-245-3210, blountretail.com
Monahan's Clam Shack By the Sea
With many seafood options, an outdoor patio right on the water’s edge, plus yard games and a fire pit, how could you pass up Monahan’s? Order the hot or cold lobster roll, coconut shrimp basket, ahi tuna tacos or the sweet Caribbean fish sandwich. Don’t worry, landlubbers: Monahan’s cooks up the basic options of a chicken tender basket, cheeseburger, hot dog and BLT for you. Sit down and eat with the entire family or take your meal on a walk down the sea wall to Narragansett Town Beach. There’s even an ice cream window to top off a perfect day.
190 Ocean Rd., Narragansett, 401-782-2524, monahansri.com
Pineapples on the Bay
Located within the Newport Hyatt on Goat Island, this al fresco spot suggests vacation mode. Arrive for live music on the patio (Friday through Monday) starting at 6 p.m. Let the kids cartwheel or lie on the lawn while adults relax in Adirondack chairs overlooking the Newport Bridge. The menu is casual, featuring options from seafood to comfort food, plus there’s a Little Minnows menu. Extend dinner with a no-filter-necessary sunset complete with a free Champagne toast for adults (but brace little ones for the cannon that’s fired!). There’s even an outdoor fire pit and s’mores kits can be purchased in the shop.
1 Goat Island, Newport, 401-851-2412, newport.hyatt.com
Champlin's
This oceanside eatery is the perfect place for families since the seagulls are likely to be as loud as the little ones. Tables both inside and outside allow for large gatherings, and the pay-at-the-counter service eliminates splitting bills. Take advantage of the raw bar (and fully stocked bar for adults). Order lobsters of any size or choose your own giant in the downstairs market to be prepared in the kitchen. You’re meant to get messy, so tie on a bib already. Kid-friendly choices include child-sized fish and chips, a hamburger or hot dog, though someday we hope they’ll dig into the all-out clambake experience. More Wet-Naps, please!
256 Great Island Rd., Narragansett, 401-783-3152, champlins.com
The Deck
With stunning views of the water and boats in Newport Harbor, dining at the Deck provides a picture-perfect setting. The patio menu is affordable and includes traditional New England seafood (try a lobster roll) as well as Seaside Snacks with kid-friendly options such as chicken fingers and fried zucchini. While it becomes livelier at night, during the day and early evening you’ll find a mellow, relaxed island scene. On the weekends, there’s often live acoustic music and enough room for the kids to dance or listen while sittin’ on the dock of the bay.
1 Waites Wharf, Newport, 401-846-3600, waiteswharf.com
O’Brien’s Pub
An outdoor bar where the kids can play too. You can thank the O’Brien’s staff when you get there. Go for a pub-style lunch or an early dinner to soak up the sun, enjoy a cold beverage (try the frozen mudslide!) and even some adult conversation, while keeping an eye on the kiddies “fishing” in the water fountain. Complete with poles and nets to catch fish and bobbing small boats, this local “watering hole” is a fun spot for the whole family, even your dog! Pups can lap at a water dish and nibble treats from a doggy menu.
501 Thames St., Newport, 401-849-6623, theobrienspub.com
Iggy's Doughboys and Chowder House
The lines leading from the counters and windows are a telltale sign that this is fare worth waiting for. Both locations — the seasonal restaurant in Narragansett and the year-round Oakland Beach spot — have been renovated to include new dining rooms and outdoor seating. The clam cakes are hot and crisp with plentiful clam bites — best enjoyed dunked in a cup of steaming chowder — while the fisherman’s platter gives seafood lovers all our saltwater favorites on one plate. Take food to-go or claim a table. If you’re in Warwick, put a cherry on top of your feast in the form of a doughboy sundae from the creamery, complete with heaping scoops of ice cream, whipped cream, sprinkles and more.
889 Oakland Beach Ave., Warwick, 737-9459; 1151 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, 401-783-5608, iggysdoughboys.com
