When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to visit area breweries. (See posts on Louisville, KY, Asheville, NC). We love that many breweries have fun outdoor spaces and a welcoming environment. Music City, Nashville has its own craft beer scene that is often overwhelming. There’s a new brewery opening every month, and many more that we keep meaning to explore but haven’t yet. I can’t speak well to the beer selection as I am a mimosa and long island gal. However, I can tell you about the vibe and kid-friendly-ness of the various breweries and other restaurants with decent beer selections.
How can I Tell if a Brewery is Kid-Friendly?
Don’t just find any bar and assume you’re welcome. Some bars limit guests to 21+ or even if they don’t explicitly ban children, you can tell by their furniture choice and menu choices, families are not wanted. We often find that breweries are surprisingly open to families. They know that much of their prime clientele is the younger crowd with kids. We have even had a birthday party at a brewery! Many restaurants that are not breweries still have great beer selections, and my kids will often request these restaurants on the regular. General tips for determining if a restaurant is kid-friendly:
- Do they have a kids menu? High chairs?
- Is there a changing table in the bathroom?
- What kind of food do they sell?
- Just ask!
Also, if you’re planning on spending more time than just a meal (maybe to watch sports or catch up with friends), prepare and bring some fun activities for the kids. Some places have their own games and activities, but we find you can never go wrong having a small stash of things ready to go.
Tailgate Brewery
This brewery has large outdoor spaces, including a huge hill to run up and down. They have pizza, ice cream, salads, and a wide creative beer list. They have large picnic table seating indoors as well, and we have had several large gatherings there for both adults and kids. Look up Groupon deals for pizza and beer!
Boombozz Pizza
At the East side location, there’s a large playground with some musical instruments to play with. We had Carter’s 5th birthday here in 2020 – pre-tornado and pre-pandemic. There are limited outdoor tables, but the playground is enclosed so it’s reasonable to send older kids (4 +) on their own while the adults hang back at the tables drinking beers and eating pizzas.
East Nashville Beer Works
Playgrounds for kids makes breweries very welcoming. East Nashville Beer Works has a small playground and a friendly outdoor space with multiple tables, an outdoor tiki bar and decent food selection.
Fat Bottom Brewery
This brewery has an outdoor area with cornhole and gravel for playing. The menu is slightly more elevated than others, and they have a fantastic happy hour (2 for 1)
Rock n Dough
We are regulars at the West Nashville location for trivia and guess the song events. The pizza is great, the beer is great, and they have big booths that are perfect for kids. They have some board games in the corner by the women’s bathroom but we often just bring our own. 🙂
Edley's
With multiple locations in Sylvan Park, East Nashville, 12 South, and others, there is probably an Edley’s close by. Not anything that screams kid-friendly like some of these other places, but they do have a kid’s menu with grilled cheese, pork sandwiches and corn dogs. And everyone loves banana pudding. In addition, all locations have changing tables thanks to a pushy customer several years ago (Spoiler: it was me). All locations have outdoor tables and a good beer selection from local breweries in addition to bushwhackers and mixed drinks.
Bonus Just Outside Nashville: Mill Creek Brewery
This brewery in Nolensville is about 30 minutes South from Nashville. There is a large open warehouse-style space with large games, burgers, and beers. In Summer months, there is a fantastic seasonal outdoor pool next door at the Williamson Rec Center.
