We learned early on that Mexican restaurants were a great match for dining out with a little one.  The places tend to be loud, have plenty for the child to look at, offer fast service and also provide tasty margaritas for the Mama and Papa.  Luckily, Columbus has plenty of fine Mexican-style restaurants to choose from.  When we need an especially quick dinner out, we head to Chipotle which is particularly nice for Mama’s of allergy kiddos (the ingredients are kept separate and the food is made right in front of you).  For table-service we head to one of the many Vaquero restaurants around town.  For a nicer night out, we try our is-our-kid-going-to-make-it-through-dinner-luck at Chile Verde.

If you go:

• All of these places have plenty of high chairs, but bring some wipes from a quick clean-up.  Salsa tends to get everywhere.
• If your child isn’t into spicy, bring along some other snacks.
• The two sit-down restaurants have crayons for the kids, but really meals are served quickly they are barely needed.