We worked long and hard (and drank a lot of tasty beer) to cultivate this list for parents looking to unwind and let their kids be, well, kids.
By Stephanie Thara Metzinger
After a long week of the daily grind, you probably want to unwind with a nice cold glass of craft brew. But where can you go if you have two young kids without being bound by the constraints of a restaurant? The answer: a brewery!
My son was two years old when my daughter was born, and after a few weeks of juggling between newborn life and toddler tantrums, my husband and I needed a break. That’s when the Babies & Brews Tour was born.
Orange County is home to some of the best craft beer, with approximately 50+ breweries at any given time, and we wanted to taste as many as we could in our daughter’s first 1.5 years of life. We traveled up and down Orange County visiting breweries in search of the trifecta. We looked for venues that:
Allowed us to enjoy a brewski in a safe environment. Criteria included:— Seating where kids could not easily fall off
— No severely sharp corners
— A lot of open space where children could run around, but not go too far out of sight Let our toddler express his creative voice and movements. Didn’t make anyone feel annoyed or uncomfortable when our baby would cry for a moment to let us know that she was hungry.
We worked long and hard (and drank a lot of tasty beer) to cultivate this list for parents looking to unwind and let their kids be, well, kids.
Below are the top 8 kid-friendly breweries in Orange County.
1. Hangar 24 Craft Brewing
Photo courtesy of Hangar 24 website17877 Von Karman Ave, Unit 110, Irvine, CA 92614; Website
Hangar 24 is the kid mecca of breweries. Key features:
We visited nearly all of OC’s breweries—from Seal Beach all the way to San Clemente—and Hanger 24 in Irvine was unmatched for being the best location for a brewery playdate. With so many children running around at any given time, the layout of Hanger 24 allows you to have a beer, speak to friends (and meet new ones!) and keep a close eye on your little ones even if they are running and playing in the distance.
2. Brewery X
3191 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806; Website
Brewery X’s huge selection of tasty brews, expansive biergarten and notorious pizza selection make it a fast favorite for beer-loving parents. Between the two taprooms and sprawling outdoor area, children of all ages are always floating around. The brewery always keeps the atmosphere lively on the weekends with live music and occasional “sip & shop” events where small businesses sell hand-made goods.
3. Golden Road Brewing
2210 E Orangewood Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806; Website
Golden Road has two OC locations: Anaheim & Huntington Harbour. Pictured: Stephanie and her daughter at Golden Road’s Huntington Harbour brewpub.The massive beer garden at Golden Road in Anaheim lands the brewery in the #3 spot. The patio area features games (cornhole, oversized Connect 4, Jenga, etc), a mini beach-like area, an outdoor bar and kid-friendly seating with umbrellas/heaters. The taproom is less ideal for children as it’s filled with mostly high-tops, but it does have a vast beer selection and large food menu.
4. Green Cheek Beer Co.
2957 Randolph Ave, Unit B, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; Website
Green Cheek in Costa Mesa sports a covered patio that is outfitted with artificial turf and rows of bench seating. There are also two additional sections where you can sit inside, but families at the brewery tend to stick to the outdoor patio. The beer selection is always solid, and the in-house kitchen offers a variety of burgers and fries.
Photo by Stephanie Metzinger 5. Salty Bear Brewing Co.
2948 Randolph Ave, Unit C, Costa Mesa, CA 92626; Website
Salty Bear not only offers a massive selection of high-quality beers, but it features spacious indoor and outdoor seating areas that can accommodate children of all ages. Whether it’s parking a stroller at the edge of your table or having your toddler cruise his monster trucks along the stage or through the gravel, you will be sure to enjoy a craft brew while keeping your children entertained.
6. Radiant Beer Co.
1566 W Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA 92801; Website
Radiant is much more low-key than the previous breweries featured, but I love how the brewery offers chalk and coloring pages for the kiddos. Radiant also has a game room in the back with foosball table, couch and lots of open space. There is also a good-sized outdoor patio that’s adjacent to a rotating food truck. Plus, it has a fun drink selection – everything from lagers and IPAs to beer slushies and hard smoothies.
Photo courtesy Radiant Beer website7. Flashpoint Brewing Company
7302 Autopark Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92648; Website
Flashpoint is on the smaller side compared to the others on this list, but with free juice for kids, an outside patio and a generous 5-taster beer flight, this brewery is definitely a contender for a top kid-friendly brewery.
8. The Bruery
717 Dunn Way, Placentia, CA 92870; Website
From a Tequila barrel-aged imperial stout to a hoppy Belgian-style golden strong ale, the unique assortment of beers at The Bruery is unmatched. In addition to the vast array of beer varieties, The Bruery features an outdoor area that is creatively closed off with a wall of barrels, so children are safely enclosed. The patio also features artificial turf and a selection of kid-friendly tables that are amply spaced apart as well as live music and food trucks on most weekends. And best of all, there is a lot of parking!
A common theme that all these breweries have is that they all have a beer garden or large patio area where kids can roam free. Luckily for us Southern Californians, we are blessed with incredible weather for the most part and can take advantage of being outdoors all year round.
Have we missed any kid-friendly breweries that you feel should be added to the list? Share them below in the comment section, or email us at socalcraftbeer@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Until next time, cheers!
— Stephanie
@stephzinger
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniethara
Stephanie Thara Metzinger is a Southern California native and currently resides in Huntington Beach with her husband, two kids and 16-year-old dachshund. Her passion for craft brew runs deep and she’s a sucker for a tasty Saison. When not enjoying time with her family at a local brewery, she is knee deep in all things public relations as the owner of her consultancy, Zinger Public Relations. Stephanie is an avid snowboarder, social media enthusiast, foodie and beer/wine aficionado.
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