Mel's Diner

A giant children's section downtown with storytime and artist-led sessions, and it costs nothing.

Noodle bar with mixed Asian flavors, where you dress your noodles or rice however you like, to eat in or carry out.

Jambalaya, mac and cheese, and beignets drenched in powdered sugar, at a downtown Berkeley staple.

Gelato made daily downtown, with dairy-free in the case too.

Wood-fired pizza on a big two-level garden patio that forgives kid volume, with downtown Berkeley bustle all around. The grown-ups get good beer; the kids get room to be kids.

Simple Mexican cooking built around fresh ingredients and fire-roasted salsas made by hand, with lots of them to choose from.