Eating out with the kids – How we designed Meat:Stack to tick all the family friendly boxes

As a dad with a young daughter I'm faced with big choices when it comes to daddy daughter day or family days out. Being a huge food lover I’m always on the hunt for a child friendly restaurant which also satisfies my own cravings. This is why when we designed Meat:Stack I wanted to ensure that it had everything I have found I needed for taking your kids out, from birth to burger devouring age. The top 5 child friendly factors for me are:

1. Top quality food with a reasonably priced and flexible kids menu

2. Welcoming and engaging staff in a family friendly environment

3. Easy access from car parks and public transport

4. Easy to manoeuvre inside (Prams and Pushchairs as well as for toddlers!)

5. Key facilities (High Chairs, Baby Change, something for them to do etc.)

As such we put the following in place at Meat:Stack which we think makes it one of the best family friendly restaurants in Newcastle.

1. The Food

At Meat:Stack we are perfectionists when it comes to the food. We source the best local beef and produce to create our famous cheeseburgers and take every element seriously, including making our own sauces and seasonings in house. We therefore can guarantee that the food we serve is not only some of the tastiest you will come across in the North East but we can also tell you exactly what’s in it and stand by its quality.

This also applies to the children’s menu that at £6.50 for a cheeseburger (or plain burger) the way they like it, fries, a drink and a soft serve ice cream is incredible value. We can cater for any intolerances or preferences and our staff will happily put together a burger that suits, whether it’s just beef and bread or piled high with all the fixings. Not a fan of beef? Don’t worry you can get chicken tenders or a vegan option if you prefer.

The menu is available 7 days a week for lunch and dinner for under 12’s, click here to see it alongside the main menu. My daughter is a big fan already (especially of the beef dripping fries with dippy sauce) and if you give it a try I’m sure your little ones will love it too.

2. The Meat:Stack Team and environment

Here at Meat:Stack our dedicated team are super friendly and helpful and prove to be very popular with the little ones. Don’t hesitate to ask any one of them for help if you can’t decide what to go for or if there is anything else that you need. We make sure they are well looked after so they can concentrate on giving you the best experience whilst you are with us.

The restaurant itself is bright and clean with plenty of space so you can pick a spot and spread out as you wish, you can also strategically sit on the end of one of the benches to pen your littles ones in if you need to :-)

3. Easy Access

The third consideration on my list for a family friendly restaurant is how easy it is to get to. We are on the Groat Market (Just up from Collingwood Street) right in Newcastle city centre and as such are very close to central station and various city centre car parks. There are also a handful of 1 hour spaces just across the street on the Groat Market itself (which is dead handy as that’s plenty of time for burgers and ice cream). You don’t need to book a table to dine with us either so make your way in your own time and our team will get you seated.

We have outside seating as well if desired but we would recommend sitting inside with the little ones, especially if they won’t sit still like mine!

4. Inside the restaurant

Everything at Meat:Stack is designed to be comfortable and accessible. All our restaurant is on one level and there is a wide door and plenty of space to move (or run) about inside. We have a large accessible toilet and all the seating is well spaced out, so everything is pram and pushchair friendly.

5. Facilities

The final tick in the box for me is the facilities and at Meat:Stack we wanted to be sure we had everything covered. High chairs and unisex baby change are available for the little ones as well as crayons and activities for them to do whilst waiting on their food. This includes our retro arcade machine that is free to play for the older ones and the big kids like me!

I amongst many regular customers find that eating at Meat:Stack is both as child friendly and family friendly as it gets. We are always open to ideas and feedback so come and give us a try over the Summer Holidays and let us know what you think!