Family-friendly patios in DFW
Patios where the grown-ups can sit down with a plate or a drink while the kids have something to do within sight.
How we picked
Children are welcome, there is outdoor seating, and there is something for kids to do in view of it: a playground, a yard or lawn games. Age policies can change late in the evening, so check before an after-dark visit. These are editorial picks, not a ranking: the order is not a score.
The Stix Icehouse
Less a patio than a 14-acre backyard: a treehouse, swings, sand volleyball and a nine-hole disc golf course, with fire pits on the patio and a kids’ menu. The Wilson Creek Trail runs right past it.
Wild Acre Restaurant & Beer Garden
A brewery beer garden with a playground and a jumbo jumper beside the seating, pedal karts and lawn games, and a menu with things children will actually eat.
Hat Creek Burger Company
A burger chain built around families. The Keller location pairs a big patio with its own playground, and most of the DFW locations follow the same patio-plus-play-yard layout if Keller is not near you.
Central Market Plano
The café has outdoor seating next to a barnyard-themed play area, which turns the grocery run into lunch. The slides catch the midday sun in summer, so this one is a morning stop.
Truck Yard
A big yard of picnic tables, rotating food trucks and live music that welcomes kids and dogs. The treehouse bar is adults-only. A renovation added covered patio space and fire pits.