HI, Going to DC in April for a family vacation. What are the best bets fro family friendly places with good beer? Thanks! Sarah
How old are the kids? Small enough to sleep in their car seat or older? MatchBox has a decent beer list with some locals and good food. In Arlington Rustico and Fireworks with kids is good and great beer menus. Blue Jacket as well, if you get a table, and maybe even Right Proper.
Most of the spots are pretty kid-friendly imo. All of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group places have reservations and table seating (Rustico, Birch & Barley (below and attached to Churchkey), etc.), the brewpubs do too (Right Proper, Bluejacket), and so do Meridian Pint/Smoke & Barrel/Brookland Pint. Meridian Pint might even have some kid-specific stuff -- I saw sometimes in the winter that kids would get free hot chocolate, and I want to say they had something kid-friendly around Halloween but I could be misremembering. And all of these places are clean and welcoming, if the NRG spots can be a little stuffy.
I second BlueJacket (get a booth in the bar section) and RightProper. They both offer a fried chicken sandwich and were willing to deconstruct it for us. That means, a slab of fried chicken with all of the stuff that would usually be on the sandwich on the side instead. I've only been to each of these places in the daytime. Busboys and Poets is mostly family-friendly. They typically offer a couple of local choices. There are a bunch of neopolitan style pizza restaurants in the area that are family friendly. I haven't been to Two Amys in years but it used to have one or two notable beers. RedRocks has a good beer list and above average pizza. I've never loved the beer at the brew-pub Franklins in MD but they're definitely family friendly. These days, even restaurants that aren't beer destinations often have one choice that will interest you. A lot of restaurants might have 3 taps and one will be from DC Brau, Heavy Seas, Port City, etc....
Church Key is quite often called one of the best beer bars in the DC area, but in my opinion is not kid friendly unless you get there right at 4pm and leaving before it gets crowded and dark (as the bar is not well lit). No kids meals, unless you believe tater tots fall into that category.
Definitely agree on Smoke & Barrel and Meridian Pint... I'd add District of Pi and Comet Ping-Pong as places that will be good for the kids that also have good food and typically have some nice beers available...
You can do Churchkey, but as someone mentioned, on a weekday after 6 it gets crazy busy and packed. You could try an early Saturday lunch so long as it wasn't a big event day or something too. Right Proper is a good spot, while it's the same crowd there is more space and I have seen the odd kids and family in there. Excellent food as well. Meridian Pint is also another good bet too as I've seen kids there as well.
What about that new place near the convention center? I know it isn't "unique" to DC, but it sounds like a restaurant with a decent list.
City Tap house, it's solid, good food. A bit pricey and don't think they have a kids menu, but can find something for kids. It's a big restaurant as well, and loud.
You will be close to Menomale which has excellent Neopolitan-style pizza and a solid beer list. I've never seen a kid there but I've only been there for lunch on weekdays. It's a restaurant and not so much a bar, so they should be able to accommodate a family of 4 just like any other group of 4.
Ditto on Brookland Pint. One stop on the Metro and no walk really. Menu isn't great for kids, but they will do something. Its a smaller version of Meridian. And Busboys is now one block away.
