Do any of your families have a tradition of pizza every Friday night? My family did for a while, and I have heard of many families who spend quality time together once a week and have a fun pizza night. If you still haven't found the right restaurant for your family, look no further! I found the perfect spot! It is a family friendly pizza restaurant called Barro's, located in Laveen at 51 Ave and Baseline.
I was invited by the Barro's in Laveen to come try their food and experience the restaurant. I was excited because I had heard from others how delicious and kid friendly this location is. I was not disappointed!
When we walked in, I was happy to find that the atmosphere seemed very relaxed. After a very short wait, we got to the counter to order and were greeted by friendly, helpful staff. We were treated to a pepperoni pizza, some mild boneless wings, and a pizookie. All of the food was delicious! The wings had plenty of sauce (I love some extra sauce to dip the wings in!), and had a yummy crispy coating. I'm not even sure where to start with describing the pizza. I haven't had good pizza in a long time. This was definitely a great re-introduction. In fact, I'm not sure I need pizza from anywhere else anymore. I loved the thick, soft crust. It was hot, fresh, and very good! If you haven't tried their pizza, do it! Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. To finish off the meal, we had a pizookie. If you don't know what that is, it is a large cookie not fully baked to cookie-ness (is that a word?) with vanilla ice cream on top. The pizookie was nice and warm as it had just come from the oven. The ice cream started to melt onto it, and made it even better. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire meal!
I was pleased to find the restaurant very kid friendly. I have a 2 year old who doesn't like to sit at the table. He was in heaven having things to play with. The kids area included a television with kids shows/movies on, pay games that took quarters (and a change machine in case you forgot coins), and my son's very favorite, a kitchen play area. There was a play fridge, sink, oven, microwave, and a lot of plastic food! I think he could have played there all night. I saw other disappointed children not wanting to leave the play area.
So, what is different between this play area and those at other restaurants? This one is small. It feels safer to me. As a mom, I worry about things like my child being taken out the door by someone other than me or my husband. There is really no easy way for that to happen here. The play area is in a corner, away from the door. Parents can sit at tables that are right next to it and keep an eye on their kids while kicking back, relaxing, and watching a game on one of the many television sets on the walls. That is definitely more relaxing in my book. Just keep in mind not all Barro's locations have play areas. If you are looking to take advantage of that, be sure to visit the Barro's in Laveen, or check with the restaurant before you go. One more very kid friendly advantage is that they limit the amount of alcohol tables get, so you won't have to worry about your children playing in an area around a lot of excessive drinking.
Something that we used that you might need are booster seats and high chairs. They were easy to find in the kids area, and there seemed to be plenty available. Throughout our visit we were checked on several times, always by friendly staff willing to help with anything we needed. Everyone on the staff made the visit more enjoyable by creating a positive, helpful environment.
Barro's in Laveen is a very family friendly establishment, and if you have kids and enjoy Italian food, you will likely have a great experience. Check out their menu to see what all they have available. Take advantage of their specials, and treat your family! I highly recommend stopping by, and while you're at it pick me up some pizza!
Visit their website to see what they offer, and find a location near you. http://www.barrospizza.com/
Oh, one final thing... you know those claw machines that "nobody ever wins"? Well check out what my 2 year old won all by himself!
