The 18th-century building anchored by a huge fireplace feels just like home. Husband-and-wife owners (and parents) Edgar and Kim Alvarez treat you like one of their own with Cena Completa, a full Latin-American dinner for the entire family for just $30 to $40 (Sundays through Thursdays).

7402 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia (267-385-6857 or avenidarestaurant.com).

Blocks from the Santa Monica Pier, kids perch at a bar and make their own mini pizzas. But that’s just the backdrop to the adult enticements, like the bustling, sceney atmosphere, small but mighty wine list, and best spinach and kale salad west of the Mississippi.

2000 Main Street, Santa Monica, California (310-396-9250 or stellarosapizzabar.com).

Order your rotisserie chicken with a side of kitsch (check out the thrift store artwork on the walls) at this tiny Humboldt Park spot. Counter service, plenty of sides (mac ’n’ cheese, fried okra, corn pudding), and a chicken vending machine that hatches eggs filled with temporary tattoos and erasers make it an easy choice for Sunday dinner. Take cash (and quarters).

2803 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago (773-489-4600 or feedrestaurantchicago.com).

Roll your stroller in for a morning caffeine fix or hunker down for Sunday brunch. The lively restaurant butts up against an enclosed lawn, so kids can romp outside while you linger over huevos gauchos with sausage.

NorthPark Center, 8687 North Central Expressway, Dallas (214-987-2260 or laduni.com).

The Tenderloin’s cult favorite is like chicken soup for the preschooler soul. Southern favorites (beignets, buttermilk pancakes, potato hash) are simple, honest, and good for the whole family. The place is usually packed and loud (get there when it opens) — but it all comes in handy when you need to mask the sounds of a meltdown.

652 Polk Street, San Francisco (415-345-8100 or frenchsoulfood.com).

Little chicks are sold on this organic-minded spot before they even walk in; there’s a mesmerizing water wall outside its doors in NOMA Square. Mention the coloring books and crayons that wait and soon they’ll be doodling and sipping fresh fruit smoothies inside. There’s adult conversation at the bar, and “yard bird” (chicken) and dumplings for any generation.

220 North Main Street, Greenville, South Carolina (864-298-2424 or roostrestaurant.com).

The Dupont Circle fixture has an upscale urban-picnic vibe and food made with garden ingredients. Dig into root vegetable risotto and ponder another scofflaw while servers offer cookie-dough men for kids to decorate. The sweet little guys are baked and brought back for dessert.

1310 New Hampshire Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C. (202-861-1310 or firefly-dc.com).

This former elementary school feels like perpetual recess for kids and adults alike. On your way to the dining room, roam the halls and run around the gym. Once you’re seated (in a former cafeteria, natch), there’s a mind-boggling array of local art and decor to look at (I-Spy, anyone?). Other pluses: a killer beer list and revolving musical acts.

Kennedy School, 5736 Northeast 33rd Avenue, Portland, Oregon (503-288-2192 or mcmenamins.com).

Think beyond Goodnight Moon at Miami Beach’s bookstore/cafe, where you can page through the latest design and fashion books before settling on the outdoor patio with from-scratch soup and salad. Budding bookworms enjoy putting their noses in the healthy kids’ menu.

927 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach (305-695-8898 or booksandbooks.com).

The words “elegance” and “family friendly” usually don’t mix, but both apply to this sunny Boston-area spot that could be mistaken for a Nantucket beach house. On the unadvertised (but totally worthwhile) kids’ menu, choose from cheeseburger sliders and chicken fingers. Grown-ups are drawn to the grilled mahi mahi tacos and pleasant patio seating.

190 Linden Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts (781-239-1100 or cottagewellesley.com).

Mario Batali’s upscale pizzeria pacifies picky eaters with made-to-order pizzas and pastas. For you, there are creative salads, some of the better bruschetta in the city, and the chance to leave worries behind (servers are friendly and tolerant of undertable messes). Go at 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday to avoid a long wait.

One Fifth Avenue, New York (212-995-9559 or ottopizzeria.com).

Pack the whole clan at communal tables at Capitol Hill’s Greek hangout. The family lunch menu treats adventuresome palates to baba ganoush, hummus, and chicken or lamb skewers. As you ease young diners into the alpha-beta-gamma routine, they’ll revel in the area stocked with books and toys.

903 19th Avenue East, Seattle (206-329-3236 or vioscafe.com).

In the early 1900s, San Diego’s No. 2 trolley glided up to this former depot. Today, neighborhood folk pour into what’s now a modern, sustainable-minded restaurant with outdoor picnic-table dining and a play area with chalkboards and climb-in trolley. For parents, it’s beer and burger paradise.

2204 Fern Street, San Diego (619-255-0657 or stationtavern.com).