A place at the table?
More than a few restaurants don’t want kids in the dining room, but they’re not always clear about their policies online
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
There may be more restaurants than you think in Pittsburgh that either ban young children or frown upon them.
But good luck figuring out the policy before you get to the restaurant.
The issue resurfaced after NPR “Morning Edition” host Steve Inskeep was turned away by an unnamed Pittsburgh restaurant over the weekend when he was told his family was not welcome; its policy does not allow kids under 6 years old into the dining room.
There are the obvious restaurants that won’t allow kids, such as Burn by Rocky Patel on the North Shore. No one under 21 is allowed inside, says an employee. It’s more of a cigar bar and a club than a restaurant.
There’s nothing on the Burn website indicating that minors aren’t allowed.
Tequila Cowboy, located next to Burn, hosts children during the day, especially on its outdoor patios in nice weather, but no one under 21 is allowed after 9 p.m.
Grandview Saloon and Coal Hill Steakhouse on Mount Washington implemented the no-kids policy for children under 6 “five or six years ago,” said an employee — and it’s primarily for safety reasons. There are “a lot of stairs, banisters and railings” that could be hazardous for young kids, especially if they’re running around out of arm’s reach from their guardians. The restaurant doesn’t note the policy on its website, but the policy is noted on signs outside the restaurant and on the host stand.
The policy for restaurants in North Shore’s Rivers Casino is less clear. It took two days for a spokesperson to respond to a PostGazette inquiry.
“No one under age of 21 is allowed in the casino or parking garage,” was the initial response. That also means at the restaurants — Andrew’s Steak & Seafood, Wheelhouse Bar & Grill,
Grand View Buffet, and the soon-to-open Flip’t, a fast-casual burger spot.
When a restaurant doesn’t articulate its child policy on its website, Facebook, or Open Table pages — or even upon entering the establishment — it sets up diners with kids for an embarrassing, or at the very least, inconvenient exchange.
So you can’t blame Mr. Inskeep for his online tone when he was rejected from the first spot he tried on a recent visit: “Pittsburgh restaurant turned us away because they don’t allow children. This worked out well, because I no longer want to allow them my money.”
While no-kid policies may seem inhospitable, a restaurant has a right to such rules, provided it is not discriminating against a protected class, such as gender, ethnicity, religion or race, said Witold “Vic” Walczak, legal director of ACLU of Pennsylvania.
And when it comes to no kids, some diners prefer it.
Last year, Caruso’s, an Italian restaurant in North Carolina, implemented a policy when a little girl wouldn’t turn down the volume on her iPad, the Washington Post reported, despite requests from staff.
The owner told the Post they asked the family to leave. Following the no-kids-under-5 ban, the restaurant saw “a dramatic increase in reservations,” said owner Yoshi Nunez, who at the time said Caruso’s has seen a spike in diners, “from about 50 per day to around 80.”
There’s a local example, too, when Mike Vuick, owner of the now-closed McDain’s restaurant in Monroeville, said that he, too, saw an increase in customers in the two years he implemented the no-kids policy. (He closed the restaurant in 2013 for health reasons.)
Some restaurants have less cut-and-dried rules, such as taco and tequila destination Round Corner Cantina in Lawrenceville, a go-to summer spot for its inviting outdoor patio. Owner Derek Burnell said the restaurant doesn’t allow children after 8 p.m.
And then there’s the issue of restaurants that seem like they wouldn’t allow kids that are actually kid-friendly — like Bigham Tavern, where Mr. Inskeep ended up taking his family. “@BighamTavern upheld Pittsburgh’s honor, served everyone, and put fries on top of the salad,” he tweeted.
“By the name of the restaurant you wouldn’t guess that it’s kidfriendly,” said co-owner of Bigham Tavern Joe Rewis, but it adheres to the original name of the place prior to when the partners took over in 2010.
Bigham Tavern, he says, is about 5,000 to 6,000 square feet that includes a big bar, an expansive restaurant and outdoor seating, two of three that are hospitable to children. And “all of the [three family] partners have kids,” who often visit the restaurant.
There might be an assumption that fine-dining restaurants in elegant settings don’t welcome children, but that’s not the case.
One of the city’s fancier restaurants, Altius on Mount Washington, often hosts children.
“Just last week, I spoke with two different tables with children,” said head chef Jessica Bauer. “And they wanted to become chefs, and they loved dining at our establishment!”
To a table with children, a server there will recite a brief children’s menu that includes children’s pasta with marinara or butter, chicken tenders and french fries, or a burger and fries. And there are high chairs available.
Among other higherend restaurants, Downtown steakhouses like Morton’s allow children. So does Red the Steakhouse as well as The Carlton Restaurant.
Longtime Carlton employee Janet McClelland said, “I can’t tell you how many babies we have in here.”