Foodie
Kid-Friendly Activities in Lafayette — That Parents Will Love, Too
Lafayette has some active family adventures just 15 minutes from Oakland. Here are our favorite spots that are both kid-friendly and dog-friendly.
20+ Valentine’s Day Outings for East Bay Families
Love is love. Valentine's Day activities for families in the East Bay. We are excited to share this round-up of love- and heart-themed activities
Lunar New Year in the Bay Area is a Family-Friendly Celebration
As the Year of the Horse approaches, a handful of wonderful kid-friendly Lunar New Year celebrations pop up around the Bay Area.
Christmas Dinner To Go Options for East Bay Families
Order your holiday feast to go! Here's a huge list of local restaurants and chefs offering delectable menus for your family's table.
Thanksgiving Dinner To Go Options for East Bay Families
Want to cut back on some (or all) of the cooking for Thanksgiving? Order ahead from these East Bay favorites.
Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month for Kids & Families
Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15. We found a variety of ways to celebrate with kids in the East Bay.
Pomegranate Picking in the East Bay
It is pomegranate picking season and you can head out to a Bay Area farm and pick with your children for a terrific autumn outing.
What to Do With Kids on Berkeley’s Fourth Street
Berkeley's Fourth Street has the food, fun, and stuff to please folks of all ages. Up early? Love trains? Reptiles? Coffee? Toys? Come on.
Apple Picking with Children Near the Bay Area
Apple-picking season is upon us. Here are a few U-pick options and Bay Area apple orchards worth a visit with your family. Always, call first!
Hana Japan: Mega Eatertainment Fun for Kids Who Will Eat Rice, Veggies, and/or Meat!
I love an early dinner at Hana Japan as a birthday tradition with infants, barely-eating babies, crazy toddlers, and curious preschoolers.
Oakland Outdoor Dining: Kid-friendly Restaurants with Outdoor Seating
Great places to eat with your kids outdoors in Oakland. Restaurants with gardens and patios are perfect this time of year.
44 Best Activities for Teens in the East Bay & Beyond
What to do with East Bay teens? Our teenagers' Bay Area favorites include museum deals, hiking, beach day, little farm, & fire pits at ocean ...
East Bay Breweries & Beer Gardens Where Kids Can Have Fun, Too
East Bay breweries where parents can enjoy local beers while kids are entertained by charming environments.
15 Berkeley Restaurants with Outdoor Seating
Top kid-friendly Berkeley patio restaurants with outdoor seating where the noises disappear and the crumbs bounce away.
Best Ice Cream in Oakland, Berkeley, and Beyond
Our go to treat is always ice cream. Always. I've rounded up our local favorite places to order up a scoop. Did yours make the ...
19+ Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth With Kids
Celebrate Juneteenth, June 19th, with community gatherings, great meals, lively music, and cultural celebrations. Or a little of everything.
Oakland’s Magic Kitchen Returns to Fairyland
Fairyland is bringing the culinary delights of Oakland to its diverse children and families for special Saturday cooking events.
Peach Picking & Other Summer Stone Fruit in the Bay Area
The time is ripe for picking perfect peaches, amazing apricots, and nectarous nectarines in the East Bay!
It’s Free! The Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School
A stroll through the Edible Schoolyard garden is an ideal way to entertain visiting grandparents and small kids at the same time. Situated behind Hopkins ...
East Bay Home Delivery & Services Guide
Home delivery? Yes, please. Busy parents will be psyched to learn about these helpful services bringing everything from diapers to dessert to you.
Exploring Oakland’s Jack London Square with Kids
Things to do with kids in Oakland's Jack London Square, from food to play, there's a lot to do and see.
Friday Nights @ OMCA with Kids April through October
Friday night food trucks, gardens, live music, and a family-friendly vibe with twinkle lights within walking distance from Lake Merritt. Yes!
16 Best Boba Places in the East Bay
Check out some of the best boba places in Berkeley, Oakland, & Alameda with a beginner's guide to bubble tea flavors and combos.
Favorite East Bay Milkshake Spots
My favorite milkshakes from Oakland and San Pablo to Walnut Creek include organic, vegan, and extremely delicious flavors. Drink it in your car!
East Bay Farmers Markets Guide for {510} Families
Kid-friendly farmer's markets in the East Bay & tips to keep your produce fresh.
Global Cuisine Restaurants for the Whole Family
Thank goodness for these family-friendly restaurants who have helped our kids learn to love new flavors by making it accessible and delicious.
Where to Grab (Hip) Coffee with Kids in the East Bay
I've frequented a lot of coffee shops in Berkeley and Oakland with kids in tow, here are some of our favorites and why!
Best Pizza in the East Bay for Families
50 favorite East Bay pizza places beloved by kids & families sliced up by type of crust including 10 for half-baked!
14 East Bay Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free
Did you know there's a handful of restaurants where kids eat free? Skip cooking on Tuesday night and head to one of these places.
99 Kid-friendly Restaurants in the East Bay
99 kid-friendly restaurants to check out in Oakland and Berkeley from Breakfast for dinner to Mexican, Pizza, Asian, Diners, and lots more!
Visit the Grand Lake Farmers Market, choose your own adventure
My favorite farmers market is located on the corner of Grand Ave and Lake Park Ave. in Oakland every Saturday, rain or shine.
4 Kid-Friendly Breweries in Alameda
We love the breweries, wineries, and distilleries that have popped up at the old Navy Base and along Park Street.
Bay Street Emeryville: A Family-Friendly Destination
Bay Street welcomes families with new restaurants, seating, and free games to play.
25 Things to Do With Kids in Emeryville
25 fun activities, destinations, and places to wander with kids in Emeryville, CA. We love this little town with fab Bay views and hidden gems.
Take a Tour of the Boichik Bagel Factory
Take a FREE tour of the Boichik Bagel Factory in West Berkeley. Carbs, coffee, and heavy machinery - what's not to love?
Kid-Friendly Mexican Smackdown: Picante vs Tacubaya vs Cactus
Where to eat when the kids want Mexican food in North Berkeley. There are strong reasons for Cactus, Picante, and Tacubaya.
A kid-sized adventure to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Tour Krispy Kreme Doughnuts with a kid for a sweet factory experience (that is much easier than a real factory experience).
Best Places to Take Kids in Oakland’s Montclair Village
Montclair Village is packed with family-friendly restaurants, activities, and shopping. Here are 21 favorite places to go with little ones of all ages.
Headlands Brewing For Outdoor Dining or a Quick Date
This Berkeley taproom and beer garden, located on Gilman Street, features Headlands’ own brand of craft beers as well as food and a kids' play ...
Favorite Bay Area Donuts and Doughnuts
From El Cerrito to Downtown Oakland to San Francisco, here are our favorite Bay Area donuts (and doughnuts!)
Fun factory tours in the Bay Area with kids
Go behind the scenes at some of your favorite Bay Area companies to see how things are made!
Favorite East Bay Food Halls for Families
Choose your own dining adventure at a food hall. Here are our favorites with dozens of meal choices to please even the pickiest taste buds.
Hike to Pancake Breakfast at West Point Inn
Pancake hike was totally worth it! I tried to savor the perfect weather, these sweet children, and the epic view because I may never get ...
Eating Out with Kids in Berkeley: Toss Noodle Bar
In Downtown Berkeley, located near the YMCA and the Central Library, is a noodle bar that made even my picky eater happy.
Orinda: A Single BART Stop Past Rockridge
Start your morning at Orinda Village for a cafe, park, library, bookstore, and even a pizza joint if you make it until lunchtime. Here's a ...
Explore San Francisco’s Ferry Building
San Francisco's Ferry Building is a quick BART ride and an exciting option for a weekday adventure with your kids. Bring a hat, a jacket, ...
Follow the Tasty {510} Cookie Trail
Where to get delicious cookies with your kids, where to play, and how to sneak some for yourself after bedtime!
Things to Do with Kids in Oakland’s Park Blvd. Glenview District
In the midst of the tree-lined boulevard and rows of bungalows, comes a small but bountiful stretch of mom and pop shops, eateries, salons, small ...
The Temescal Farmer’s Market, Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt & Frog Park
This Oakland playground is filled on Sundays with folks who have walked over from the Farmer's Market. Try it any day of the week!
Tour TCHO Chocolate Factory in Berkeley
Tours of Berkeley's TCHO Chocolate Factory are ongoing for ages 8 on up. Book in advance for your $15 tour and tasting.
20+ East Bay Restaurants with Family Sized Take Out Meals
I love having curbside takeout or delivery once (or twice) a week. I especially appreciate the restaurants and caterers who sell family-size portions.
Berkeley’s North Shattuck Neighborhood with Kids
Favorite cupcakes, pizza, sushi, swings... Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto is a fantastic place for kids and their parents to eat, play, and eat some more!
{510} Family Faves with Beautiful Brown Adventures’ Angelica
Angelica, an Oakland mama to a 5-year-old, shares her favorite local places for boba, brunch, & beaches along with a passion for world travel.
Visiting Oakland (Overnight!) With Kids
Where to stay, eat, and play in Oakland with little kids. An itinerary with a jam-packed 2 days & 1 night plus tons more ideas.
Hidden Jewel: Mersea on Treasure Island
With a putting green, bocce ball, amazing views, and a cool upcycled container vibe, your family will find many reasons to enjoy Mersea on Treasure ...
Support Black-Owned Restaurants and Caterers in the East Bay
Eating at local Black-owned restaurants is a win-win-win. Here's a family-friendly list of some East Bay eateries doing dine in and carry-out.
East Bay Ice Cream: 5 Hidden Gems For Parents Who Want to Stay Cool
Do you love ice cream and trying new things? Check out this list of surprising underground-esque grab-and-go spots.
What to Do With Kids on Hopkins Street, Berkeley
The stretch of Hopkins Street in Berkeley from MLK to Monterey is full of kid-friendly goodness. Here are our favorites for parents.
What to Do With Kids in Berkeley’s Westbrae Neighborhood
The Westbrae Neighborhood of Berkeley, at the crossroads of Gilman and the Ohlone Greenway, is a perfect kid-friendly destination for a sunny day.
The Veranda: An Outdoor Mall in Concord With a Way-Cool Play Structure
The most exciting feature of The Veranda, a shopping center in Concord, is hands down the play structure, the Veranda Climber.
The Best Places in Piedmont, CA to Go With Kids
How to have the most fun with kids in Piedmont (fully surrounded by Oakland) and the main commercial street nearby, Piedmont Avenue.
Family-Friendly Restaurant: Monster Pho in Oakland
Monster Pho, a Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland, serves up delicious food with a family-friendly side of robots and games.
Day Trip: Sheep at Mission Ranch, in the Fairytale-esque Carmel-by-the-Sea
If you happen to be headed south down the coast on a Sunday, you must try the Sunday Brunch at Mission Ranch. It’s a quick, ...
Dinner on The Table: My Family and GreenChef
Starting in September 2021, and continuing weekly ever since, my family of 4* has been trying and mostly loving the meals from GreenChef.
A Weekend in Paso Robles With Kids
Kid-friendly attractions in beautiful wine country.
3 Easy Ways to Introduce Middle Eastern Culture to East Bay Kids
Thanks to Stephanie Meade for this guest post. Stephanie is the founder and editor of InCultureParent.com, a tremendous resource for parents raising global citizens. One ...
Best Places to Take Kids in Oakland’s Grand Lake Neighborhood
Nestled in the Northeast corner of Oakland’s Lake Merritt is the quaint, and easygoing Grand Lake neighborhood with so many places to push a stroller.
Family Roller Skating at Liberation Park in East Oakland
The UMOJA roller skating rink at Liberation Park in East Oakland is a rad spot to lace up your roller skates and sway to some ...
Kid-friendly Beer Garden: The Junction Beer Garden
The Junction Beer Garden in Mill Valley has a huge outdoor eating area, large play structure, 30 beers on tap, and fantastic pizzas and salads.
What to Do With Kids in the Elmwood (Berkeley)
Our favorite fantastic places in the Elmwood to enjoy with children including where to eat, where to play, and where to shop!
Chocolate and Chalk Art Festival
The sidewalks in North Berkeley will be bursting with color during the CHOCOLATE & CHALK ART FESTIVAL on Saturday, June 19, 2021.
Food Savings Tips to Save Time, Money, and Frustration
Our friends at StopWaste offer many insanely useful tips to stretch our food further to save time, stress, and money!
Delicious Strawberry U-Pick at Blue House Farm
Enjoy the fresh coastal air while picking delicious organic strawberries with your children, it is a practically perfect, stress-free outing near Half Moon Bay
Raddish Kids: Home Cooking Lessons in a Box
Raddish is a cooking club, culinary lesson, and mealtime solution with cute collectibles, quality tools, and commemorative patches for about $22/month. Ages 4-14.
This Incredible Spreadsheet of East Bay Food Sources Will Save You
Fresh ideas for getting food to your house, without anxiety-producing supermarket runs.
Tour Fentons Creamery in Oakland
Tour Fentons Creamery in Oakland on the arctic tour for age 6 and up. Brr.
Birthday treat: Unicorn donuts at Rainbow Donuts
Donuts that are delicious and magically beautiful!
Anytime experience gift: Edible Excursions in Oakland (DEAL)
Want to eat, drink, and be merry anytime of year? We strongly recommend the foodie tours of Edible Excursions around Bay Area neighborhoods!
Reader tip: Picante has easy pickup!
Picante ended their popular curbside pickup service in favor of brief parking and running in. Good but not as good. Apparently this is safer.
Celebrate National Taco Day any day
Celebrate #NationalTacoDay every day! Taco Tuesday (and any other day of the week) is a perfect time for Mexican food for families.
Cato’s Ale House: A family-friendly pub
Cato's Ale House on Piedmont Avenue is a kid-friendly joint that parents will love, too. Loud, fun, crayons, great food and beer!
7 Family-Friendly Wineries in Napa
Monday Sparkles shares the most terrific family-friendly wineries that they go to not just for the wines but for the views, activities, and treats
Kid Report: Indian Rock and Gregoire
Our kid reporter, Elie K. describes a special afternoon in Berkeley, climbing Indian Rock with food at Gregoire and iScream.
Kid-friendly Vegan Restaurants for Families
A round up of kid-friendly vegan and vegetarian restaurants for eating out with families in the East Bay. The easiest, tastiest, & kid-friendliest places.
Fortune Cookie Factory in Oakland
There’s a fortune cookie “factory” in Oakland’s Chinatown, and if you are not paying attention you’ll miss it. Tucked into the span of two small ...
Larson Family, kid-friendly Sonoma Winery
We’ve visited a handful of Napa/Sonoma wineries with kids in tow, and Larson Family is the one we keep coming back to. The dirt road driving ...
Brentwood farms fruit picking, tips for families
Monday, I drove four boys out to Brentwood to go fruit-picking. I was vague in my promises — berries, cherries, apricots, or whatever they have. You like ...
ME time: My favorite spots around the {510}
This post was sponsored by domain.ME who wants you to have more time for ME. All opinions and picks are my own. I recently wrote ...
East Bay restaurants for big family groups
When my visiting family was in town, I was at a loss for dining-out options that would be able to accommodate the nine of us. ...
A Parent’s Guide to South Berkeley: The Lorin District
The Lorin District is close enough to Ashby BART for train spotting, the library for storytime, and Grove Park for all kinds of recreation. The ...
We love Everyday Bento!
Local author and blogger, Wendy Copley, wrote and photographed my children’s current favorite book: Everyday Bento: 50 Cute and Yummy Lunches To Go. My sons ...
Support the food banks year-round
My friend recently told me about a program to replenish the food bank by picking up grocery donations from nearby homes on a regular basis, ...
Special outing to Crown & Crumpet tea stop
San Francisco’s Crown & Crumpet Tea Stop Cafe was a perfectly special outing for me and my two daughters to celebrate back-to-school. I think we ...
Gem of Oakland: James and the Giant Cupcake
My girls and I love James and the Giant Cupcake, on San Pablo near Alcatraz. I take them here when they deserve a special treat, ...
Little gems of Berkeley: Casa Latina
In a world where a single cookie at your local cafe can cost $2.25, it is delightful to discover a place where the whole family ...
Healdsburg: Wine-tasting with kids
My husband and I took an anniversary trip to Healdsburg for wine-tasting with our two daughters, and Heather asked me to share some highlights. My ...
New book about food and family features many Bay Area writers
The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage is a collection of essays about eating and how we learn to do it, with and from our families. Several ...
Sunday brunch at the Thai Temple in Berkeley
Brunch at Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley’s Thai Buddhist temple, at Russell St and Martin Luther King Jr. is a treat not to be missed. Since I ...
Cheap Eats in Eastlake
I’d like to introduce another new contributor to 510Families: Lisa is a journalist and mom to a seven year-old and also a Bollywood fan. Today, ...
Love or shove: Off the Grid with a kid?
As I was driving a carpool home from camp last month, I ran across another incarnation of the fabulous Off the Grid series of food ...
Dinner on the table: Fast food that’s super healthy
Or what the heck is a community supported kitchen? Three Stone Hearth is a worker-owned cooperative, offering nutrient dense foods to homes and families around ...
Dinner on the table: prepared meals from Berkeley Bowl
When the second Berkeley Bowl opened in West Berkeley, I started writing a post in my head featuring all the terrific prepared meals that someone ...
Eating while at Alta Bates Hospital
Whether you're at Alta Bates Hospital on Ashby for one night or several, there are many good choices for food that are better than the ...
7 solutions for when you can’t deal with dinner
What East Bay resources are other parents leaning on when they run out of inspiration or time?
Berkeley’s Off the Grid with a kid
El Cerrito mom, Sunny McKay, thinks that Off the Grid with a kid is a great idea! Here are her tips.
Homeroom: Temescal Mac & Cheese Restaurant
Temescal's popular mac and cheese restaurant, Homeroom, has the classics with a few extra touches that make it great for kids and parents alike. Outdoor ...
Local sweet potato pie queen: Mamie & Makhi’s
If you're hungry for a homemade sweet potato pie, read about how my friend Lois is taking the (510) by the belly.
New Kid in Town: Little Star Pizza
The third location of Little Star Pizza has been open on Solano Avenue since mid-summer, and until we went there over the weekend, I had ...
