The Daily Grill, kid-friendlier than expected

A month of thanks giving: I am thankful for every opportunity that I have been given in this life time and remind myself daily not to squander opportunities.

Our previous dining experiences at the Domain have left us wondering if there is anything “noisy children” friendly aside from the California Pizza Kitchen and not terribly overpriced. We have dined at McCormick and Schmick’s, and I would never dream to bring my exuberant 1.5 year old boy because the idea of ruining someone else’s expensive dinner is too much guilt for me to bear. North is the same story, unless it is an “off” hour where the place is not so crowded.  Our latest adventure in Domain dining had us going to The Daily Grill on a Tuesday at 11:30 am for lunch as we were in the area, and our oldest wanted to have a lunch date with Daddy.

I sighed a big relief that the restaurant was not yet crowded, though by the time that we left, the place was hopping with the business lunch crowd.  The hostess found us a table quickly, asked if we needed high chair/booster seats, set the kids up with crayons. We were good to go.  My older child thought the paper table cover was the best idea ever.

Call me frugal, but I was surprised at the lunch prices (mostly $9-$15 per entree) though I don’t know why I should have been. It is the Domain after all. The kids menu had a fairly decent selection (including kid standards like mac and cheese, chicken strips, burgers) and reasonably priced ($5-$6).

We ordered the Mahi Mahi fish tacos ($9.95), Mahi Mahi fish sandwich (about $11 though this is not on the online menu), and the kids split one dish (2 slider burgers with fries) from the kid’s menu. The fish tacos, rice, and beans were really tasty with a good balance of fish to cole slaw in the corn tortilla, and this plate got the big thumbs up from both of my kids. The little one was a huge fan of the Mahi Mahi, just gobbling up one piece after another from the tacos. If you are a West Coast fish taco fan, these are not the fish tacos that you would find beach side, but they are still yummy. Hubby said the fish sandwich was just ok, and he didn’t care to elaborate anymore than that. The accompanying fries were better than the fish sandwich. The kids’ sliders though were delicious, and that child’s plate with two small burgers and fries were just the right portion size for my two small kids.

If I am ever in the Domain again around lunch time with the kids, for a treat I would consider bringing them back to the Daily Grill to share a kid’s plate. It comes out cheaper than two Happy Meals, and the food quality is better.  For a nicer-casual restaurant though, this one does get our thumbs up for kid-friendliness.

The Daily Grill is a good restaurant: clean, spacious, friendly staff, with so many options on the menu that look enticing. Like most of the restaurants in the Domain, expect to pay just a bit more than a comparable restaurant elsewhere around town. I suppose the justification is that you are paying for the ambience.

Related posts:

1. Kona Grill (The Domain)
2. ZuZu Restaurant (MoPac)
3. Sarah’s Mediterranean Grill and Market
4. Boat House Grill, casual dining with kid’s playground out back
5. NoRTH: Modern Italian Cuisine