The Local Lens – Kid-Friendly Food Options in the Village

By: Kayla Anderson

Everyone knows that kids can be picky eaters, but sometimes you just want to go out and enjoy a nice meal at a place where you don’t have to cook and do the dishes. Fortunately, these restaurants offer delicious dishes for everyone: 

The Alibi Ale Works- Incline Public House, 931 Tahoe Blvd., IV

While out with a group of friends, a seven-year-old in the group ordered a pretzel…and it came out shaped as a mustache just like in Alibi’s logo. Within minutes, the mustache pretzel was consumed by everyone, and we had to order another one. 

Drake says it’s an adult food that kids happen to love, and even though Alibi is mostly known for its beer, it’s always been a family-oriented establishment.

“When we opened the Truckee location in 2017, we had a pretzel on the menu, and it was selling well,” Alibi Ale Works Owner Kevin Drake says. “Then in 2018, a line cook came up with the idea to shape it into a pretzel. We work with Truckee Sourdough to produce it, and it’s been a huge hit ever since. It’s warm, soft, a little buttery, and it comes with the cheese and mustard dipping sauces. I honestly can’t eat any other kind of pretzel now.”

The Alibi Incline Public House also has a nice big kitchen where it can make full-size pizzas and keep a dedicated kids menu with cheeseburger sliders, chicken tenders, a hot dog, and a grilled cheese sandwich on it. 

“We have all the basics covered for kids,” Drake says. “[But] the mustache pretzel has become pretty iconic at Alibi.” 

Sage Leaf Tahoe, 893 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 600, IV

Our very own IVCBA’s Mike O’Neill says his kid Finn loves the Sage Leaf kids burger with the restaurant’s logo branded into the bun, but the French toast sticks, quesadilla, and pasta are popular, too. 

“We make all of our own pasta fresh in house daily,” says Sage Leaf Tahoe Owner Lara Hammett. “And we use organic flour that isn’t enriched or bleached with additives. The cool thing about the French toast sticks is we use Truckee Sourdough and dip them in creme bruleé batter and the kids love it. It’s served with Vermont maple syrup.”

However, the kids burger is still the fan favorite as well as unique to the Reno/Tahoe area. The meal consists of a 6-oz. Niman Ranch patty nestled in a Truckee Sourdough brioche bun and served with hand cut housemade fries for about $12. 

Inclined Burgers & Brews, 901 Tahoe Blvd., IV

On a warm summer day, Inclined Burgers & Brews was packed with people on their lunch break as well as what seemed to be multi-generational families. Inclined Burgers’ menu is robust to say the least, with variations of burgers, fried chicken, and breakfast filling a decent-sized TV screen above the bar. A kids version is in the lower corner of that menu, even though anyone of any age can order from it. 

While hamburgers are understandably the most popular item on the kids menu, they also offer grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken nuggets meals. I got the chicken nuggets, which cost $14.95 with a small fry and drink included. I made myself an Arnold Palmer out of the soda fountain, and within minutes my chicken nuggets came out piping hot, with a heaping number of shoestring fries and housemade buttermilk ranch with it.

I was halfway through my meal when I noticed that Inclined Burgers & Brews also serves an alcoholic Frosé drink (made of rosé wine, vodka, and watermelon-strawberry slush) and “Incline Loaded”, spicy, and garlic parmesan chicken nuggets along with the classic version, making this a place eager to come back to. 

Notable Mentions:

T’s Rotisserie, 901 Tahoe Blvd., IV- The Swing family have been pillars of the community for generations now, continuously keeping Incline locals and visitors well-fed with its affordably delicious Mexican food, so it’s no surprise that they keep a kids menu. The tacos, burrito, and cheese quesadilla provide perfect portions for young’uns, and while T’s Owner Jamie Swing says that his own kids are super picky, his daughter will eat the cheese quesadilla and bean & cheese burrito. 

Bowl Incline, 920 Southwood Blvd., IV – Bowling alleys aren’t typically known to serve unique upscale fare alongside the pins and polished lanes, but having a Sam Choy’s Ohana Diner within Bowl Incline makes it the exception. While the poke nachos or spicy pineapple salmon bowl may be too adventurous for little taste buds, the “Future Bowler Menu” for kids 12 and under provides favorites such as a hamburger, popcorn chicken, teriyaki chicken, or cheese/pepperoni pizza. 

Mofo’s, 868 Tahoe Blvd., IV- I’ve always loved Mofo’s for its salad bar and buttery pasta, but it turns out kids are a fan of it, too. Named to evoke the idea of getting “more for your money,” this 40-year-old restaurant serves a kids menu with tried-and-true favorites like cheese pizza, lasagna, homemade pasta, and meatballs made from longstanding family recipes.