Cattlemen's Steakhouse -- No slick banker's steakhouse, this homey, well-worn place in the heart of the Stockyards has several separate rooms, and kids get placemats adorned with barnyard animal stickers, a kiddie menu, and a lollipop treat. And parents get what they come for: a good-value steak.

Frank Tolbert's Chili Parlor -- Kids love chili -- and if they don't, they should. Jump-start 'em with a big bowl of Texas chili, with or without beans, and they'll be fired up for a day out on the town. You can ride DART to get there, and hit the West End MarketPlace afterward.

Highland Park Pharmacy -- This old-time soda fountain and lunch counter serves the kind of food a kid and nostalgic parent should love: grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken salad, followed by a milk shake or root-beer float.

Kinkaid's Grocery Market -- Burger heaven in Fort Worth is an old-time 1940s grocery store that makes just about the best burgers in Texas. Kids are sure to be entertained by the protocol: You place your order at the open kitchen in back, get a white paper bag with your name scrawled on it, pay at the register, and then pick out a spot at a communal table beneath a jungle of inflatable toys hanging from the ceiling.

La Calle Doce -- This cheery, brightly painted Mexican home is sure to delight the kids. The parents can sample affordable but well-prepared seafood dishes, while the kids pig-out on enchiladas and other familiar Tex-Mex.

Railhead Smokehouse -- A Fort Worth barbecue fave that draws families every night of the week for its tasty barbecue and relaxed atmosphere. The place is noisy without rising to the levels of a Chuck E. Cheese's, and excellent-value children's plates will keep the kids happy.

Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse -- Kids may wonder if they're really on vacation when they sit down to eat at a one-armed school desk at this atmospheric little shack, but the beef sandwich with barbecue sauce, a heckuva sloppy joe, should keep them from squirming.