Outback Steakhouse is an Australian-themed American causal dining restaurant chain and has been around since the late 80’s. They specialize in American steaks, but they also offer fish, pasta, burgers, and chicken dishes. They are well known for the “Bloom’n Onion” a delicious flowered deep fried onion treat!
Play area upstairs.
Outback Steakhouse is located in Tahlia Street in Teatro Mall. We have classified it as a family friendly dining facility because they do offer a small play area/game room for kids. The play area was pretty sparse but if you had a toddler it would be great as there is a little slide, swing and sea-saw for them to play on. They also have two video game consuls, but they were turned off during out visit so I can not tell you the games that are offered.
Great lunch specials are available for a fair price.
A great time to visit Outback Steakhouse would be during the afternoon for lunch (after 1pm) because they have an amazing lunch special. I believe you get a soda, soup or salad, plus a main course for 33-39 Sar depending on what you order. The kids menu consists for chicken fingers, burger, mac n’ cheese, pasta (red sauce is spicy), fish, or grilled chicken. The meals vary in price from 20-25 Sar depending upon what your child orders and include a drink and side dish. We have eaten at Outback Steakhouse several times, the first time we did the lunch special with the steaks and really were not that impressed. The steak is a sirloin steak on the special which is one of the toughest cuts of meat so we didn’t enjoy this special very much. However, we have gone back and had higher quality steaks and I had a lovely fish and shrimp dish last time I was in that I would defiantly order again. May daughter ordered the pasta, but found the red sauce to be too spicy they were kind enough to return it to the kitchen and bring her plain noodles instead. I would say the service is average–there times when our server was right there and other times when we couldn’t track him down.
Hours: 12pm-1am Saturday to Friday
Phone: 012-289-2990
UNO Chicago Grill is located on Amir Sultan in Al Nahdah District. This restaurant specializes in “Chicago Style” deep dish pizza, but they also have pasta, salads, burgers, chicken, steak and fish options so there is really something for everyone. I found this restaurant to be a great birthday venue as well as a fun family dining experience.
Deep dish Chicago Style pizza.
Our lunch consisted of one Chicago Style pizza, a lunch special and a kid’s pasta. The lunch special was a fantastic deal; for 39 Sar you get a drink (soft drink/tea), salad or soup and your choice of entree. The entree selection was great with several pizza choices, mini burgers, or chicken dishes.
My daughter did like the pasta but she told me several times that she thought the marinara sauce was “spicy”. I found it to have a bit of a kick as well, but really enjoyed the taste. I found the pizza to be fairly on par with what I have had in Chicago–nice deep crust, lots of toppings and quite tasty, though a bit short on sauce compared to what I have experience before. I found the service to be superior, compared to many of the restaurants I have experienced in Jeddah. We received our drinks in a timely manner, salads arrived before main course, dirty dishes were cleared as we finished—really top notch.
Playground at UNO Chicago Grill.
I consider UNO Chicago Grill to be a family-friendly venue because they have two activities that kids love: playing on a playground and making their own pizzas. I found the playground to be clean and well maintained it was partially shaded by trees as well. The kid’s menu has several choices, all for 18Sar: pizza making, pre-made pizza, mini-burger, nuggets, mac ‘n cheese, or pasta. The kid’s drink is NOT included in the price, nor is the dessert.
Children make the pizza at the table then follow the server to the kitchen where they watch their pizza be put in the oven.
BIRTHDAY PARTIES:
There is no set party package, but you can call ahead and reserve some tables with easy access to the playground and the kids can all make their own pizzas. You are free to bring in your own cake and of course, the friendly staff are willing sing. To make a reservation, for a party please call 012-622-1320.
Location: Al Nahdah District on Prince Sultan Road
Phone: 012-622-1320
Hours of operation: 1pm to 1am Saturday to Wednesday, 1pm to 2am on Thursday and Friday
Fakieh Aquarium is a small aquarium located where Sari Road meets the Corniche Road. There are three attractions for visitors: an indoor aquarium, a dolphin/sea lion show and an outdoor cafe.
Fish tunnel
The fee for entering the aquarium is 50 Sar per person, but children under 2 are free. Discounts are available, though.If you have the 2015 Entertainer Book, there is a coupon for buy one admission get one admission free and on their web page they are currently advertising 1/2 price aquarium admission on Sundays (please check the valid times). This aquarium is quite small, but has a nice variety of fish to view. They have many floor to ceiling viewing areas and the majority are low, so kids can easily see into the tanks. My favorite part of the aquarium is the fish tunnel. I loved watching sea creatures such as Blacktip reef sharks, sea turtles, groupers, and stingrays float by overhead.
For those who need a sweet snack, half way through the aquarium, there is a candy/toy shop. I would highly recommend planning your aquarium trip so after you tour the aquarium you then enter the dolphin area for the dolphin show. Depending on how “into” fish you are you will need between 30-60 minutes to view the aquarium.
When exiting the aquarium there is a gift shop and a small cafe where things like nuggets and burgers can be purchased. They do have shaded tables available in this area and in the courtyard where you can enjoy your snack or light meal before proceeding into the dolphin arena.
The dolphin show was really quite good. It began with the trainers bringing in two sea lions and having them do various tricks like catching rings, balancing balls, and walking on their flippers. After the sea lions 5 beautiful dolphins are brought out and the show begins with a series of impressive in-sync jumps with all 5. Lots of ooooh’s and ahhh’s were heard followed by a huge round of applause! The dolphins preform a series of tricks— some alone, some with a trainer in the water. The show lasted about 30 minutes and the fee for the dolphin show is 50 Sar per person (adults and kids) children under two are free. A small warning, this show is outside. We were there for the 11am show and though shaded it is still quite warm. I would imagine during the summer months the afternoon shows might be quite miserable.
Dolphin show.
Dolphin Show Times:
Sunday to Thursday: 11am/7pm/9pm/11pm
Friday and Saturday: 5pm/7pm/ 9pm/11pm
Holiday/Vacation: 7pm/9pm/11pm/1am
After the Dolphin show, particularly in the evenings it would be very enjoyable to find a table by the sea, order for their restaurant and just enjoy the fantastic view.
BIRTHDAY PARTY:
Fakieh Aquarium does host birthday parties, currently we have requested information and are waiting for return info.
Location: Al Shatae District along Corniche Road and Sari Street T
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10-11pm
Saturday 1pm to 11pm
Friday 130pm to 11pm
Holiday/Vacation Hours: 1pm to 1am (except Friday 130pm-1am)
Fee: Aquarium Tour 50Sar
Dolphin Show 50Sar
Free-children under 2
phone: 012 880 2081
Click here for the link to their web page.
Since I arrived in Jeddah, many people have recommended Stationery Fantasies. I finally got around to checking it out and I must say I really enjoyed all aspects of the facility. They are located on Amir Sultan very near Ruby Tuesday’s, Sultan Mall and Ice Land. There are essentially 6 parts to Stationery Fantasies: the water park, indoor activity area, children’s costume shop, toy store, stationary store and finally a housewares store. Plenty to keep the kids occupied as well as the parents!
Wave pool in water park.
The WATER PARK at Stationery Fantasies is a kid’s paradise. They have a variety of slides and a wave pool. Parents and nannies are not allowed to swim, however, each pool and slide has its own life guard for the safety of the children. I was unable to go into the water park during my visit but I did notice they had tables and chairs available and some of them were located in the shade. The water park as its own entrance at the end of the parking lot, opposite the shopping building. The water park opens daily at 4:30pm and closes at 10. The fee is 100Sar per child and 20Sar per adult. Please note once again that parents and guardians are not permitted to swim.
The INDOOR ACTIVITY AREA was really fantastic. I found the facility to be clean and well maintained. The activity area provides a variety of places for the kids to visit and careers to experience. There were 10 areas that the kids could visit and best of all they have a toddler area that was impressive for the little ones. What is really great about these activities is that they change from time to time, so it will always be a bit different each time you go. I found this to be a very affordable afternoon activity and a nice way to spend a few hours. I can happily report my daughter chose to do two activities and the entire, one-hour trip only cost me 22Sar.
Each room has a different fee, so you pay based on the rooms that your child wants to visit. Typically, the time limit in each room is about 20 minutes, unless they choose a craft activity, then they are allowed all the time they need to finish. The fee for the rooms changes based on the activities that are being offered. Have your child walk around and look at all the rooms and then you can go to the cashier located next to the cafe and pay for the activities they have chosen. The fees range from 7Sar up to 45Sar. The indoor play area opens at 4:30pm and closes at 10:30pm. I will also add that they do have a cafe available, so you can easily have a snack while waiting and watching the kids. They had a variety of sandwiches, pizza, pasta and drinks all for 22Sar or less.
3rd Floor Activities:
The first room I noticed was called Little Cook. Currently, the baking project is decorating a mini chocolate cake. The cakes looked delicious.
There was also a Professions Center where the kids were able to roam through a mini city and experience crawling through an ambulance, working in a bakery, TV studio, grocery store or boutique. They even had a kids’ gym inside where the kids could run on kid treadmills and such. (My daughter chose this room at 15 Sar for 20 minutes)
The Carpentry Shop looked promising to me. The kids currently are making wooden step stools. In my opinion, very cool. They make it, then get to take it home and have it as a functional item in their own house.
In the Art Works room, the craft was painting and decorating a tissue box. Lots of paints, glitter, and other crafty supplies to choose from.
The Sandy Beach play area
My daughter also chose to go into The Sandy Beach. Sandy Beach is a large room filled with sand, a small slide and lots of beach toys. For the low fee of 7Sar, she was allowed to play for 20 minutes. Upon exiting, the worker dusted the sand off of her feet and made sure her shoes were placed back on.
At the time of our visit, the Soap Making room was closed. I am not sure if the worker was simply not there yet or if they were in the process of changing the room into a different activity.
012–toddler play area.
012 was the toddler room. I really, really enjoyed looking at this room. I thought it was very creative. They have taken two school buses and placed them inside this room. One bus is a ball pit and the other is a sand pit. They have also placed toddler-sized jungle gyms and slides between the buses, so the wee ones can climb around and do some safe sliding as well. This room does have a height restriction so that the big kids can not go in and also an adult must accompany the toddlers in this room.
4th Floor Activities:
If your child likes fishing, the Fishing Pond may be of interest. It was closed and without water when we went, so I am unsure if it is under maintenance, or if it only opens on weekends.
For those who are hot-rodders, the Wheels and Muscles room might be their first choice. In this room, there are a series of go-cart looking vehicles that the kids can drive, thus the Wheels portion. For the Muscles, they had an entire kids gym set up complete with tread mills and weight machines.
Active kids would really enjoy the Climbing Hall. The Climbing Hall is a room filled with jungle gym equipment and monkey bars for the kids to run around and play on.
In the Shooting Gallery kids are in a giant ball pit/jungle gym room where the idea is to gather balls and race to a gun then try to shoot the other kids who are gathering balls.
BIRTHDAY PARTIES:
Having a party at Stationery Fantasies would be a great option if you need to host a large group. The parties are perfect for children 3-12 yrs old. The party program includes a private party room, meals for the children (chicken nuggets or pizza) and they also provide the plates, cutlery, and napkins if you bring in your own cake. During your party, the children will be taken to 5 different rooms: The Little Cook, Art Works, Sandy Beach or Professions Center, Climbing Hall and the Shooting Gallery. Depending on the number of children present, they may be divided into two groups. (NOTE: Party Packages can not be held at Water Park)
Largest Party room in basement. The most private.
There are three different party rooms available and one is located in the basement for complete privacy. The length of each party is about 2.5 hours and your party will not be mixed with any other parties occurring that day. Room decorations are not provided, but if you want to decorate yourself, you are most welcome.
Fees: 2350Sar for up to 30 children. Additional children are 60Sar each. Party Times: There are three different times available in evenings, with the first at 5pm. You can book a party from 12:30-4pm as well, but only during summer holidays. Phone: 012-682-7730 ext. 104 (English and Arabic)
SHOPPING at Stationery Fantasies can also be a lot of fun. The main floor contains a housewares shop with tea party accessories, table linens, trays, fancy baskets and boxes. Also, on the main floor is a costume shop with princess, superhero, and kids’ professional costumes, along with party decorations. The 2nd floor contains a small but very nice toy store with the nice quality items from retailers like Melissa and Doug, Fisher Price and Disney. Also on the 2nd floor is the stationery shop with paper, office goods, and crafting materials. The shopping center is open from 9am-12pm and then from 4:30pm-10:30pm. On Fridays, they are open from 4:30pm-10:30pm.
If you have been to Stationery Fantasies and are willing to share your experience please feel free to leave a comment below.
At our house, Chinese food is always a hit! Chun’s Bistro is a family friendly restaurant located on Tahlia, from Danube. This restaurant is run by a Chinese family here in Jeddah and the chef is also from China. The place as a true Asian feel with the red and black decor along with the Chinese lanterns found hanging outside. It is also a good sign when you see resident Chinese patrons already eating inside.
Family section, screens are available for more privacy.
We ordered a variety of dishes. My husband ordered the sizzling shrimp, hot and sour soup, and spring rolls while I ordered the dynamite shrimp and a garlic eggplant dish. My daughter wanted garlic fried rice and the beef noodle dish. We found the food to be quite tasty. Many times with Chinese, it is too salty for my pallet, but I really enjoyed the eggplant and noodle dishes in particular. My only complaint about the food is that it did seem to have a lot of oil. The oiliest dishes were the eggplant and the sizzling shrimp plate. The Dynamite Shrimp had a very light and tasty breading on it, but looked nothing like the picture featured in the menu.
Swing set available for children.
I have labeled Chun’s Bistro as child friendly because they do have a swing set available for children to play on while waiting for the food. The swing set is brand new, so it is in tip top condition. We were at Chun’s on a Monday evening around 6pm so there were no other kids using the swing set and my daughter had it to herself. However, come Thursday or Friday night this swing set could get packed and possibly unsafe with so many too many kids playing on it. The metal swing set is simply sitting on the ceramic tiled ground. If there are some big kids swinging hard, I would worry it may tip over. I usually prefer playground areas to have a bit of padding under them. An additional note is the family section is upstairs and there is no elevator, so if you are going with a baby, leave your buggy in the car.
Chun’s would be a perfect place for you and your family if you are craving Chinese and are having an early dinner. We found the food to be affordable. Dishes like the rice, noodles and egg plant were around 20-25Sar each and of course the prawn/shrimp dishes were more: maybe 50Sar-60 Sar. The portions were a nice size and we were able to take the eggplant and noodle dishes home to have for lunch the next day. Who doesn’t love left over Chinese?!
Location: Tahlia, across from Danube Facebook
Hours of Operation: 12:30pm to 11pm
Phone: +966126633558, 0530495333
I LOVE American Chain food restaurants and upon moving to Jeddah I was delighted to see that so many of my favorites were available here. Over the weekend we had extended family in town and decided to give the family friendly American chain Chili’s a go.
We arrived just after Asr prayer on a Friday afternoon. The place was packed and hopping with the great feel of a successful restaurant. Even though they were very busy we only had to wait 3-4 minutes before we were led to our table toward the back of the restaurant. Our table was clean and our server was quick to make sure we had enough place setting for everyone in our party (only 5 people), however that was when the speed and good service ended from our server.
After ordering we had to wait more than 20 minutes for our server to come back with our drinks. (FAR Too long from my perspective with 15 yrs experience in the restaurant business myself) and our food arrived about 25 minutes after ordering. We ordered a variety of foods from taco’s, to steak, and even a burger and sandwich. The steak was quite tasty, but both the taco’s and the chicken sandwich were rather blah, dry and tasteless. Our server never stopped by to check on the taste of the food nor did he ever come back to offer us refills for our drinks. We had to flag down random servers 3 different times simply to get drinks refilled. In addition, they only cleared the dirty plates after dropping off the drinks. Our server never came by to ask if we wanted dessert and we once again had to flag him down to get the check (15 minutes after our plates had been cleared).
Food wise Chili’s was a fail in my book–not even close the the quality or service received in America or other foreign locations I have been to (I have also tried the Roshan Mall branch with much the same experience).
Outdoor patio attached to play area
The only redeeming thing this Chili’s offers is they have a lovely shaded outdoor patio and a nice sized shaded jungle gym for kids to play on. I also really appreciated the fact that the Chili’s had a sign posted saying that parents must accompany their children to the playground and are NOT allowed to leave then unattended. I happily report that from what I could determine most parents were following this rule so the playground was a safe area for kids to play while we visited.
Shaded out-door play area
Chili’s does not offer birthday packages. You can come in with your own cake and order off the regular menu with your child and guests, but they provide no extra entertainment and do NOT have a private party room. In my opinion, the patio would be a great venue for an early afternoon (11am) birthday party on the weekend or possibly a weekday evening party (as long as this great weather is pleasant). They do have a great selection of food for kids. Kids can choose: quesadilla, pizza, grilled chicken, nuggets, beef burger, chicken burgers or Mac and Cheese. Kids meals also include a choice of side and drink for the fantastic price of only 20 SAR.
Kids Menu
If you have had a different experience at Chili’s Al-Andalus Branch please feel free to share your comments below in the comment sections.
Fuddruckers boasts it has the “World’s Greatest Hamburgers”. I would agree; they are very tasty and I also appreciate that they are a super family friendly restaurant.
Shaded out door play area Fuddrucker’s Tahlia Branch
We visited Fudd’s on a Saturday afternoon about 2pm and got in just before the “rush” . We were sat in a bright, sunny room directly beside the door that led to the outdoor play area! My daughter saw the play area and was out the door in a flash! I found it to be well-maintained with a clean, padded floor. The only bad thing was some older kids have done a bit of vandalism on the walls. This can easily be fixed with a bit of paint (I hope they will fix soon). Something that is very important, now that the weather is getting warmer, is that the playground offers a bit of shade from some trees and the wooden lattice-work over the playground.
Another great feature of the Tahlia branch was that the bathrooms were directly beside the play area for those emergency potty runs that we all experience with young children. The bathroom only had one toilet that I noticed and it was in the process of being cleaned. The women’s bathroom did offer a changing table for those who have children still in diapers.
I spoke with Raj, the Assistant Manager, about birthday parties at this location. He said they welcome parties and only need 24 hours notice to accommodate the party. They offer a room that you are free to decorate however you would like (however NO fireworks are allowed) and you are also allowed to bring in your own birthday cake. Guests can choose from the regular kids’ menu. Prices range from 21-26 SAR per kids meal and include a soft drink or bottled orange juice and a cookie. Meal choices include burgers, hot dogs, mac and cheese, spaghetti or chicken tenders. The only catch with having a party at Fudd’s is that they do not allow parties on the weekends, so if you want a party here, it will have to take place Sunday to Wednesday.
Store phone: 012-661-3146
Birthday party info: 050-230-1877 (Raj)
Emails: raj.raju@afs-sa.com or fudds1.jeddah@afs-sa.com
There is something to be said for when you walk into a restaurant and it brings back memories of home. When I walked into Al-Tazaj Fakieh BBQ Chicken restaurant, I was overwhelmed by the memories of fun weekends in the mountains with my family, grilling chicken and burgers for our evening meal.
Play area
Al-Tazaj offers a clean and family-friendly dining environment and is located on Tahlia Street across from SABB bank. They have a small but tidy play area located at the front of the restaurant. On the weekends, this small playground is packed with children of all ages and is frankly a bit unsafe in my opinion, as most children are not supervised while in the area. However, it would be a great place for a nice family lunch mid-week or during the day .
Their menu offers a variety of chicken dishes from BBQ’d on a spit, spicy, fried, chicken salads, kabobs, and sandwiches.
Children’s Menu
They have a children’s menu with chicken burgers, nuggets, kabobs, or Satay. The dining room is a maze of intimate little family friendly dining areas and there is a waiter who brings fresh bread around to each table.
Every child loves McDonald’s. There is no doubt about it! We recently visited the McDonald’s on Thalia which happens to have the largest indoor playground in all of Jeddah. We found the play area to be clean and well maintained at this location. Most people know you can have your child’s birthday party at McDonalds, but did you know you can also have the McDonald’s team come to your venue?
Tahlia Location: Play area
Parties at McDonald’s
McDonald’s offers a fantastic party package at all locations throughout Jeddah. The price will be the same regardless of which Jeddah store you choose. The fee for a birthday is 280 SAR for the first 10 children. If you have more than 10 children, there is an added fee of 23 SAR per child as a party meal plus the cost of a Happy Meal. The package includes:
Balloons and Decorations in a private party room
Face Painting
Character Appearance of either Hamburglar or Birdie, who will dance with the children
Fun Games like musical chairs, pass the balloon and Bring Me. There is also an adult game available so parents are entertained while children play.
Paper Hats
Invitation Cards
Special McDonald’s gift for the birthday child
Well-trained hosts who conduct the celebration
Private party room for 2 hours of fun filled entertainment
Happy Meal plus toy for all children in attendance (meals include either chicken nuggets, cheese burger, hamburger, or chicken burger)
Access to the indoor play area
When considering the best location for your party, keep in mind that the Tahlia location has the largest indoor play area at 3 stories high, but the newest McDonald’s with the largest party room is at the Arbaeen McDonald’s on Prince Miteb Street.
Tahlia location: 3 story play area
Corniche 2 Store on Corniche Road, Al Shate’e Area
K2 Store on the Corner of Kahlid Bn Walid and Wali Al Ahad Streets
Hamra Store in the Al Hamra Commercial Center, Hamra Area
Palestine Store on Palestine Street
Hera’a 1 Store on the corner of Madinah and Hera’a Streets, Near Hera’a International Souk
Waziriah Store on Al-Istad Ariydi Street, Madain Al Fa’hd District
Najran Store at Najran Park, King Saud Street, Najran District
Arbaeen Store on Print Miteb Street
Outside Party at a Venue of Your Choice
The fee for a party outside the McDonald’s establishment is a bit more expensive, but goes along with the McDonald’s philosophy that all children should be able to enjoy the fun no matter where they are. If you would like to have the party at your home, a park, or some other venue, the fee is 350 SAR for the first 10 children. If you have more than 10 children, there is an additional fee of 10 SAR per child. You will receive the following services for your party:
Balloons and decorations
Face painting
Character appearance
Fun games
Paper hats
Invitation cards
Special McDonald’s gift for the birthday child
Well trained hosts to conduct the celebration
Two (2) hours of fun filled entertainment.
PLUS: goodie bags for each party guest (children only)
To book a party at the Tahlia location you may call one of the following McDonald’s Hosts: Reden 054 008 0304 / Jennis 050 361 2792 / Mark 059 011 2260
To book parties at other locations, please click here.
Red Sea Beach provides hours of beach fun without the worry of getting a sunburn. The indoor sand pit and play area are located in the food court of the Red Sea Mall. The area is clean and well maintained with many sand toys available. The sand is soft and moist so that children can build with it. In addition to sand toys, they also have spring rides, sea saws and visual tracking games attached to the tables. Children must remove their shoes to enter the play area.
Sand pit play area.
At the back of the Red Sea Beach is another play area without sand. There is a reading/puzzle corner, ball pit, computers and super sized Connect Four game.
Back play area.
There are lots of things to keep your child occupied here for several hours. Children must be supervised, but there is a nice seating area where you can enjoy a coffee or snack while the keeping an eye on your child. This play area is ideal for children 2-8 years old. I would recommend taking either a towel or a second set of clothes with you to the “beach” so when your child(ren) are finished playing, they will have something clean to wear.
LOCATION: Red Sea Mall–back corner of the food court
PRICE: 35 SAR for unlimited play
PHONE: No phone number is available.
HOURS of OPERATION: 11am until 11pm Please Note: There was a bit of a language barrier, but the man I spoke with told me it was open everyday at these times. I would NOT count on it being open on a Friday morning, though.
Jeddah For Kids 