So you want to eat out as a family but need to do it on a budget and have had enough of fast food? I get it. Variety is the spice of life, and we need as many (preferably healthy) options as possible to keep our kids happy without breaking the bank. Fortunately, the Upstate of SC has a great selection of restaurants where you can get incredible deals on family meals.
So I’ve come up with a list of seven restaurants in the Upstate that have killer deals for families. Have others that you know of? Let us know in the comments!
- Mutts Barbecue – What’s better than pulled pork BBQ? How about an entire buffet of BBQ and southern sides! Mutts serves a delicious buffet all day every day and kids three and under eat free. Don’t have any three year olds? No problem – they also offer “family packs” of BBQ, fried chicken, or ribs that can come in as cheap as $5.50 per person. Location: Mutts has locations in Greer, Easley, and Mauldin, and you can find directions here.
- Southern Fried Green Tomatoes – Ever wonder to yourself where you can get two whole chicken breasts, two sides, biscuits, corn bread, and a drink for less than $13? Southern Fried Green Tomatoes has you covered, and there’s plenty of other southern food to go around in large portions. But the best part comes on Monday nights, Wednesday nights, and all day Saturday when kids 11 and under eat 100% for free. Did I mention their kids’ menu has a huge selection with large portions as well? Location: 1175 Woods Crossing Rd Suite 8 Greenville, SC 29607.
- Your Pie – Healthy food, fast service, craft beer, gelato, and kids meals don’t typically go together, but they do at Your Pie. (Ok, so technically, the craft beer doesn’t come with the kids meal, but they do have it for the adults.) On Wednesdays and Sundays, kids eat for only $0.99 with the purchase of an adult meal, and on Tuesdays you can get a 10 inch pizza and drink for only $6.49. If that wasn’t good enough, they will give the kids a piece of pizza dough to play with – a big hit with the younger ones. Location: 1461 Woodruff Rd Greenville, SC 29607.
- Tropical Grille – One of the fastest growing regional chains in the Upstate is Tropical Grille, and it’s not surprising to see why. Their food is healthy, inexpensive, and delicious, not to mention that they claim to use chicken that is free range, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free. And if you have kids, you can buy a delicious family combo for four people for $18.99, which includes a ton of chicken, four sides, and four drinks. (Larger families can double the meal to an 8-person combo for $34.99.) We get this meal all the time and always have leftovers. Location: Tropical Grille has locations in Greenville, Greer, and Easley, and you can find directions here at the bottom of the page.
- El Mariachi – Who doesn’t love some good ole’ Mexican food? El Mariachi fits the bill, and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, you can spend a little extra on that margarita because kids meals are only $0.99 after 5 PM. Location: 805 West Wade Hampton Boulevard Greer, SC 29650.
- Steak ‘n Shake – Adults and kids alike simply love a double burger with a chocolate shake. And your wallet will really love it now that Steak ‘n Shake has started a new promotion that kids 12 and under eat free all day everyday with the purchase of $9 of additional food (only one kid’s plate is free per $9 spent). Location: 499 Congaree Road Greenville, SC 29607.
- Papas and Beer – Two Mexican restaurants on this list? Well, I’d be remiss to not include Papas and Beer, not because of anything crazy with their kids meals, but because of their amazing portion sizes. When my wife and I were first introduced to Papas and Beer, we were told to buy a burrito and split it, and that advice was spot on. But it’s not just the burritos. Buy other delicious dishes like the Mexico City Tacos, and you’ll find that many dishes have portion sizes large enough to feed multiple children and, sometimes, multiple adults. Location: 317 Haywood Road Greenville, SC 29607.