19 restaurants near Detroit where kids can eat for free

Dine at these Michigan restaurants in and around Detroit, where kids can get a free meal when you’re on a budget.

As a mom to five children, a large majority of my life revolves around food. If I’m not shopping for food, I’m planning what to feed them next; if I’m not cooking the next meal, I’m cleaning up from the previous one; if I’m not cleaning, I’m packing lunches and snacks for the next day. You get the picture.

Feeding kids is a part of life, and I have tried strategies to make it a little easier on me, such as meal kit deliveries or outsourcing to a restaurant. However, with rising costs lately, eating out is a luxury our family can’t afford very often. So when I find any sort of restaurant that offers a kids-eat-free promotion, I am all ears. Don’t get me wrong—dining out is still a treat for our family, but with the chance to save some money by having the kids eat free, it’s a treat that feels extra special.

We always recommend calling any restaurant you plan to dine at specifically to confirm they are still running a kids-eat-free special, but based on our research, here are 19 Detroit-area restaurants where kids can eat free.

1. Krave

Location: 195 W Genesee St, Lapeer

Promo: Kids eat free every day with a paid adult entree

Krave restaurant in Lapeer, Mich., is not in Detroit (it’s about an hour and a half drive north, actually), but it is in Southeastern Michigan, and it happens to be our family’s personal favorite restaurant. It’s also the only restaurant on our list that offers free kids’ meals all day, every day (with a limit of two kids’ meals per one adult meal).

Sometime around the truncation of SNAP benefits in 2025, the restaurant started offering free kids’ meals, all day, every day, and the program was so popular that they have continued it. The promotion is good for one free kids’ meal with the purchase of a fully paid adult meal. We love Krave’s food because it’s always fresh and they have innovative dishes along with seasonal items. My kids love the myriad of Nutella-laced menu items, such as strawberry and Nutella crepes, waffles, and pancakes, and I dream about their avocado toast.

2. Rugby Grille

Location: 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham

Promo: Kids eat free on Sundays, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

The upscale Rugby Grille in downtown Birmingham, Mich., offers a promotion on Sundays where kids can eat free from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The restaurant recommends some popular kids’ menu choices, like fresh pasta and chicken tenders. “We aim to please even the most discerning diners,” Rugby Grille noted on Facebook.

The fine-dining establishment serves a mix of modern American cuisine, often made with locally sourced ingredients from area farms. You can book reservations online and browse their dinner menu, which includes offerings such as oysters Rockefeller, build-your-own-pizzas with toppings like basil and bacon, and a double-patty smashburger with housemade sauce.

3. Dickey’s Barbeque Pit

Location: 4825 Carroll Lake Road, Commerce Township

Promo: Free kids’ meal with adult purchase of $15 or more on Sundays

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Commerce Township offers a free kids’ meal on Sundays with the purchase of an adult meal costing at least $15. You can redeem the deal online using promo code KIDS85 at checkout (you’ll need at least $15 pre-tax in your cart), or stop in to order in person. Unfortunately, the promo won’t work with delivery orders.

From purusing their menu, I can tell it’s easy to find mouthwatering options to fill your cart. You can choose from single dinners, like rib sandwiches, smoked barbecue sliders, and chicken, or grab a basket full of wings and sides to feed a family. The kids’ meal is also hearty and includes one slow-cooked meat, a side, and a drink.

4. Sick Town Hall

Location: 37 E. Flint St., Lake Orion

Promo: Kids eat free Tuesdays with a paid adult entree, 4 p.m.-close

Every Tuesday, Sick Town Hall in Lake Orion, Mich., lets kids aged 12 and under eat free with a paid adult entree. The promotion is valid only on Tuesdays from 4 p.m through close. Their kids’ menu includes a filling bowl of macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, or Detroit-style cheese pizza.

Sick Town Hall is housed in Lake Orion’s historic town hall building, and the owners are proud of the venue’s 120-year-old history and heritage, which bring community and car events to the area. It’s worth a trip, especially in the warmer months, as it offers rooftop hangs and, of course, plenty of adult beverage choices as well. Book a reservation online and don’t forget to ask about monthly specials when you visit for even more savings.

5. El Charro

Location: 21519 21 Mile Rd., Macomb Twp.

Promo: Kids eat free with paid adult meals on Sundays

El Charro, with locations in Fraser, St. Clair, and Macomb, offers kids-eat-free meals every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Kids can eat free with a paid adult entree, combination meal, or lunch special, with the offering applying to dine-in customers only.

The restaurant is famous for “the fluffy taco,” which comes straight from founder Delia Martin’s family recipe. Today, all four of Delia’s children and now, grandchildren, work to manage El Charro’s three locations and oversee cooking their many, many puffy tacos for hungry customers. When you dine in at the Macomb location, you’ll find menu offerings that include the famous puffy tacos along with less bulbous options, such as chimichangas and burritos.

6. Thee Office Pub & Cookery

Location: 128 South Main Street, Romeo

Promo: Free kids’ meal with adult entree on Mondays

Stop into Thee Office Pub & Cookery on a Monday, and you can pick up a free kids’ meal with the purchase of an adult entree. Thee Office Pub prides itself on being “Romeo’s Gathering Place” in operation since 1980 and pays homage to a nostalgic time in the past with free roasted peanuts for patrons to munch on as they gather. (And perhaps to take in a sporting event?)

The laid-back restaurant is known for its large portions and family-friendly prices, so come hungry. The kids’ menu includes under-12 favorites like pizza, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, a kids’ burger, and chicken tenders, while adults can choose from unique options like a meatball sub, a dill pickle pizza, pork pierogies, or gumbo.

7. Pitaway

Location: 1111 Summit Dr., Lapeer

Promo: Free kids’ bowl with paid adult entree

Pitaway has several locations in Michigan, but I can say with certainty that the Lapeer, Mich., location offers a free kids’ bowl with a paid adult entree. The chain restaurant serves fresh Mediterranean meals with ingredients like hummus, raisins, special garlic white sauce, and grilled chicken. My then four-year-old got to go down the line with me and choose her base, toppings, and sauce, and I kid you not when I say she still talks about it to this day, years later.

She just felt so cool picking everything out. And bonus: she tried food that she had never tried at home, including the rice and veggies. The kids’ meal was small, but it was definitely enough to fill her up, and we even had some leftovers to take home too.

8. Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill

Location: 11501 S Saginaw St, Grand Blanc

Promo: Kids eat free Tuesdays, 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

While this is another restaurant not directly in Detroit, I think it’s worth including because it’s such a good deal. Every Tuesday at “Aubree’s Nation” at Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill in Grand Blanc, Mich., kids eat totally free.

Aubree’s is a family-friendly pizzeria, so the deal makes perfect sense for a night when you need an easy dinner for the kids. The promotion is good from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and applicable to the Grand Blanc, Mich., location only. And if your youngster isn’t feeling pizza, rest assured that the kids’ menu is actually pretty diverse, with plenty of non-sliced options, like fish and chips, chicken wings, sweet potato fries, and the option to add on an ice cream sundae for only $1.50.

9. HomeGrown Brewery

Location: 28 N Washington St., Oxford

Promo: Kids eat free on Thursdays

According to past Facebook posts, HomeGrown Brewery in Oxford, Mich. (north of Detroit), offers free kids’ meals every Thursday with a paid adult entree. The brewery provides a fun and lively environment in downtown Oxford, with live music, small-batch craft brews, outdoor spaces with games, and a fire pit.

The entire goal of the venue is to help the average American—who, the restaurant notes, has an average of 7.5 hours of screen time per day—slow down and reconnect. HomeGrown Brewery also sources locally for many of their food and products, including items from local farms and producers.

10. Sullivan’s Public House Restaurant

Location: 23 N Washington St, Oxford

Promo: Kids eat free on Tuesdays

Rated the top Irish restaurant in Michigan by Travel & Leisure, Sullivan’s Public House Restaurant in downtown Oxford, Mich. (again, north of Detroit), offers free kids’ meals on Tuesdays. The restaurant happens to be closed on Mondays, so you could kick off the start of its week by popping in for a bite and a pint, all while keeping to your budget.

Sullivan’s lists a mac and cheese item made with “beer cheese,” and while I have no idea what beer cheese actually consists of, I’m going to have to say I don’t even need to know to want to order it. They also offer lighter fares, like an avocado cucumber salad, and a full brunch menu on Sundays.

11. Miguel’s Cantina

Location: 870 S Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills

Promo: Kids eat free on Sundays

In the mood for some authentic Mexican? Kids 10 and under can eat free with a paid adult meal on Sunday at Miguel’s Cantina in Rochester Hills, Mich. The promotion is good for dine-in customers only.

While you’re dining, we highly recommend the housemade guacamole (you can even have it made tableside for a few dollars more) and the Motown Marg, served with none other than Michigan Vernor’s and fresh lime. I admit, I’m intrigued. And if you want to stop in without the kids, Miguel’s also runs other weekly specials, like $3 Taco Tuesdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and Enchilada Wednesdays.

12. Rochester Mills Beer Co.

Location: 400 Water St., Rochester

Promo: Kids eat free on Mondays

Another Rochester restaurant, Rochester Mills Beer Co., has advertised kids-eat-free specials on Monday nights. The restaurant even implied that every child with a paid adult entree could eat free, so the more kids, the merrier! Any child 12 or younger is eligible.

Some of the kids’ menu offerings include: a kids’ burger, chicken fingers, fish and chips, mac and cheese, chicken wrap, salad, cheese tortellini, or mini hot dogs. All kids’ meals come with a side, like garlic bread, fries, sweet potato wedges, or fruit, and of course, you can add a dessert too!

13. Stony Creek Road House

Location: 3000 26 Mile Rd, Shelby Township

Promo: “Family Sundays,” kids eat free with a paid adult entree

With a fascinating history that began as a literal roadside horse stop to a family-friendly pub, Stony Creek Road House in Shelby Township has something for everyone. Some of their signature dishes include the jumbo coconut shrimp and their slow-roasted ribs with a side of slaw.

The restaurant has advertised that kids can eat free on different days in the past, but the most recent promotion is for “Family Sundays,” when kids can eat free with a paid adult entree.

14. Esplendido Mexican Cuisine Pizza & Spirits

Location: 50285 Mound Rd., Shelby Twp.

Promo: Kids eat free on Sundays with an adult entree

Just a stone’s throw away in Shelby Township sits Esplendido Mexican Cuisine Pizza & Spirits, where kids 10 and under can enjoy a free kids’ meal on Sundays (with a paid adult entree, of course).

Esplendido Mexican Cuisine Pizza & Spirits is the place you turn to when you can’t quite choose between Mexican and pizza, or have family members who want a little bit of everything. The restaurant offers both traditional Mexican dishes like burritos and tacos, along with a full pizza bar. You can also pick up other standard fare, like burgers and salad.

15. Olga’s Kitchen

Location: 332 E Jefferson, Detroit

Promo: Kids eat free on Sundays

Olga’s Kitchen, with a location in Detroit, is a Mediterranean restaurant that welcomes families to come in on Sundays to enjoy a free kids’ meal with a paid adult dinner. Diners young and old can enjoy classic Mediterranean dishes like feta and spinach pie, chicken and bread bowls, and gyros.

The kids’ meals include snacks like hummus and chips, as well as more options outside of the Mediterranean, such as corn dogs and chicken tenders.

16. Bob Evans

Location: 23729 Michigan Ave., Dearborn

Promo: Kids eat free offer on Tuesdays

You can snag a kids-eat-free promo through Bob Evans (which has several locations near Detroit, including Dearborn and Woodhaven) by downloading and ordering through the Bob Evans app. The promo is good for a maximum of up to three kids’ meals, and each meal needs a paid accompanying adult meal.

17. Big Boy

Location: Big Boy, 20710 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe

Promo: Kids eat free on Tuesdays, starting at 4 p.m.

There aren’t any Big Boy restaurants specifically in Detroit, but there are some in the surrounding areas. You can search for locations near you online and plan to stop in on a Tuesday to grab a free kids’ meal with the purchase of an adult meal.

The promo starts at 4 p.m. every Tuesday and goes until close. And in case you’re wondering, yes, Big Boy still has breakfast all day.

18. Cleopatra Mediterranean Grill

Location: 19027 Mack Ave, Detroit

Promo: Kids eat free all weekend

Cleopatra Mediterranean Grill in Detroit, Mich., recently announced a new kids-eat-free promotion on their Facebook page, with the exciting news that kids can eat free all weekend long. The special allows for one free kids’ meal for kids 12 years and under with the purchase of a regular-priced adult entree.

After you’re done dining, don’t forget to indulge in one of Cleopatra’s newest, mouthwatering desserts, including their Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberry cup, Dubai Chocolate baklava, or Dubai Chocolate cheesecake. (And please bring back some for my teenage daughter, who is currently obsessed with all things Dubai chocolate, of course. Thanks, TikTok.)

19. Grand Trunk Pub

Location: 612 Woodward Ave, Detroit

Promo: Kids eat free on Fridays

Grand Trunk Pub, located directly on historic Woodward Ave., is a building chock-full of Detroit history. The building once served as a railway ticket station for the Grand Trunk Railway, serving thousands of Detroit visitors and travelers. The building was then purchased by the Metropole Hotel and converted into a bar and kitchen before passing hands to the current owners in 2006.

The Grand Trunk Pub may have a rich history seeped in tradition, but it’s also one of service, and it continues that service by offering free kids’ meals every Friday with the purchase of an adult meal. The kids’ meals include homages to Michigan greats, like Great Lakes chips as sides. Kids can also take home a free Frisbee and Wikki Stix with their meals.