Eat N Park

We went there for breakfast on Saturday and it was pretty good. An adult buffet and the 1/2 prices one for a kid is still cheaper than 2 non-buffet meals. Though the Banana Fosters French toast my wife had looked yummy.

Free cookies at the end, always a winner. The Halloween ones were cute and the kids loved the candy corn-pumpkins for eyes. I was glad to see that the Steeler cookies were yellow with back eyes not black with yellow eyes. The all black ones last year made a horrendous mess.

Red Robin

This was a good night. I really liked the new Wise Guy Burger. The chocolate milk and the cokes were a bit weak, could have been a bad night or a cost cutting measure. So many TVs, the kids love the TV in the bathroom (no we cannot get one in our house).

The kids love the fries and if you ask for an order as soon as the waiter takes your order, then you can start shoving food in their mouths early.

Free balloons when it is over, and they are very pleasant about getting a kid their favorite color.

McDonalds - Waypoint

Sorry, I haven't been active lately, but I am back on track. Currently the McDonalds that are not free still have waypoint. If you ask the manager for a coupon, most will give you a free hour coupon. That was very helpful when I lost my home connection and had actual work to do online.

Giant A+ School Rewards

"Budgets being what they are..." is a phrase I am tired of hearing. The state hasn't passed a budget yet, school funding is dropping. I heard that in my in-service and Back-to-School Night at each of my 4 kids schools. In this recession, giving is down and funding is down and public school funds, while never plentiful, are even harder to find.

Giant Food Stores have had the A+ School Rewards for several years. They donate a portion of your total grocery bill to up to 2 schools of your choosing. So no fund raising, just free money for your schools. If you haven't already registered your school, then just click the link and register. If you don't have kids in school, then you can still register any school you wish. The school you live in, your kids went to or even the one you graduated from. Budgets being what they are...now is the time to help them out.

Personal Post

Buried Granddad today. I have no posts today. It rained before and after and sunny while I was playing taps. He will be greatly missed by us, but is welcomed by Granny in heaven.

Infinitos

http://www.infinitospizza.com/ is the new pizza buffet place in Union Deposit, where Lone Star used to be. It is spacious and the staff is very attentive, the best this is that I can feed the entire family (6) for s smidge over $30. There is a large variety of pizzas, drinks and a salad bar.

The family's favorite varies from the buffalo chicken pizza, cinimon buns, to the chocolate chip pizza. My only complaint is while there is a large variety - 8 or more - they don't change. I might like a sausage and mushroom, but they don' t have it .

Harrisburg (East) Mall

The Harrisburg Mall, which used to be the Harrisburg East Mall, which may change again since they were sold at auction is actually pretty cool for the kids.

Ok, this is just about the free play area and free WiFi. What an awesome combination, though when I whipped out the laptop, most people looked at me like I was nuts, but they do have free WiFi, though slow. I had an Excellent connection, but only 11MPs (not 54) speed. Not sure why they are doing that, but at least I can post this while here.

The playground is more an imagination playground, no real moving parts, but the kids can run and everything is padded. Most kids get bored after awhile and can get a bit rough, especially those kids that are dropped unsupervised, while the parents shop. I am not that callous yet toward the well being of my kids, even after 4, so not sure what that is about.

The Super McDonalds

It seems this is the week for McDonalds' posts. I just stopped at the McDonalds on Paxtang, near the Harrisburg (East) mall. It has the superhero theme. It looks like they remodeled it since I was there last. It seems less crowded. They have a station with 3 places to play video games and NO FREE WiFi. They have Waypoint, which seems to confuse the employees.

They also have no playplace, though they do have the cool graphics and the video consoles. While I am ranting, the McDonalds in the food court of the Harrisburg (East) Mall charges $0.52 for refills. Who has heard of a McDonalds charging for refills since the 70's? So I will now make a complete search of the area looking for free WiFi.

Arby's Free Wednesdays

I wish I had started this blog sooner to share this with you, but all summer Arby's has been offering something different for free (with purchase). At the beginning of the summer the 3 younger girls would only eat the kids meals and the free shakes. Today we went and everyone, but the 4yo, ate the chicken club. They are actually enjoying the food, Mcdonalds for the food, Arby's for the taste.

Anyway the one we have been going to the most is the one on North Progress Road at the 81 interchange. They even let us order chocolate milks as the drinks to get the sandwiches. The favorite is, strangely enough, the roast beef. The like the fancier foods, but the regular roast beef, plain is the one they like the best.

Garfields

Sunday we went to Garfields, at the Capitol City mall. I was pleasantly surprised. The food was reasonably priced and good. The chicken strips tasted like they were made in house, not bought frozen. They were juicy and tasty. The kids menu was pretty typical, but they liked it - Kraft Mac & Cheese for the pickiest. They also have the entire table covered in paper so the kids can use the entire table for coloring.

Sunday, all day, is also kids eat free. 2 kids per adult, which is nice, since some places we can't get the 3rd kid a meal with the free deal. The also have happy hour all the time, $1.50 drafts and you don't pay for kids drinks. Nothing worse than being surprised that the chocolate milk refill cost you an extra $2 (for 3 kids does add up fast). While this is out of our way, when we are down that way, it does give an alternative to Italian Oven.

Italian Oven

The Italian Oven in the Capitol City mall is one of my favorite places. I have never had to wait for a seat and Saturdays until 4pm, kids eat free. Free is always good. The table is covered in paper so the kids have the entire table to color on, there is free bread to keep them occupied and the kids menu is good. Not kiddy, the kids menu has things like grilled cheese - on Italian Bread, not white. You can also get a kids portion of any pasta/any sauce. I like Italian food, so I am currently eating my way through the menu.

The kids typically get grilled cheese and the older teen can get a meal for under $10 easily. The also have a deck, but we haven't gone out there yet. Milk refills are free and they can have a pasta straw, if you ask. The bathrooms are in the back of the restaurant, in plain view, so I let all but the youngest go by themselves, they like that. This place will be on my return list for awhile.

McDonalds – Front Street

If the McDonalds on 22 is the best IMHO in the area, then Front Street is the worst. To be honest, they could have improved, but I doubt it. This is the closest one, but they don’t have a playplace, which is good. A couple of years ago, we swore off going since 2 years ago they messed up 8 of our orders in a row. Every now and then I stop in for breakfast, since it is on the way to work, and I regret it every time.

They are slow, rarely get orders right and the front line people are more interested in the constant drama behind the counter than the people out front. No reason to take kids here, the times when I am looking for a specific toy to complete a set, they are usually less than helpful.

Halifax McDonalds

Halifax McDonalds currently has Happy Meals for $1.99 and they have a playplace. It is reasonably clean. The kids like it because of the slide and the legos and character seats. However, they do not have FREE WiFi (Waypoint), do not have the free kids cones and don't have a drink station. As a parent, I try to avoid this one, but I do work up in Halifax so it is nice to stop for lunch when I have the kids, but they seem to be behind all of the other McDonalds. They were the last to get the Mac card swipers and don't have a seperate McCafe area, though they do have the coffees.

Travelling & McDonalds

It really surprised me how accustomed I have become to free WiFi and McDonalds. Almost all of them in the Harrisburg Area (almost, only because I haven’t been to them all to check) have free WiFI. We went on a rolling vacation (mix of vacation with college visits across PA for a week) and none of the McDonalds had free WiFI and some didn’t have WiFi at all. I am typing this at a McDonalds in Clarion and they have Waypoint. Not sure how much it is, but it isn’t free. So I am connected to the Clarion Hospital Free WiFi 2 blocks away. It is slow, but at least I can check my email. So be warned fellow Harrisburg travelers, we have it good.

Pizza Hut

There is a reason this place is called Pizza Butt. It has been years since I last subjected myself to thier pizza, but I agreed to take everyone to try the new Hershey Chocolate Dunkers. Ok, they aren't bad, but everything else sucks.

Yes Pizza Hut now charges for X-tra cheese. No, not as a topping, but on top of a topping. I went to get the special the TV was advertising 2 med 1 toppic, breadsticks and chocolate dunkers. Xtra cheese didn't count as a topping, there was an extra fee. Just another way this company squeeses every nickle out of their customer. The dunkers were actually the 5 piece regular size, cut in half for the 10 piece. Wow, I am too stupid to figure that out. The waitress was rude, aren't they all, I had to run my card through twice. It was declined the first time and I had to get into an argument with the manager to get them to run it again and viola, magic it worked. I knew there was space on the card, I just was paid, but they made a mistake and refused to aknowledge it was their error. The pizza was greasy, but it was pizza hut and the tiny choloate dipping sauce containers must be shot it super zoom on the comercial, the dunker barely fit in the container, but at least they were good. Worst part was I have 6 in my family and they can't cut the bread sticks (or the dunkers, before the cut them in half) so I could have 6. That seemed to violate laws of physics for them. I do not fit the "typical" family model for them so one

McDonalds -22

On 22 near Mountain road is the McDonalds that has one of the best play places in the Harrisburg Area. The play area is separate from the main restaurant, though the automatic door is right next to the drink machine so it constantly opens accidentally. It has 2 touch screen games that are too high for kids, and signs that say do not stand on chairs. First, no one pays attention to the signs and the employees don't enforce the rule, second one of the is usually broken. It also has 2 lower level touch screen games, but one of those is always broken. The play area has a bit of a reach to get to the upper levels which has been a thorn in the side of my youngest. This is the first year she has been able to get up without my help. It also has a air hockey game ($0.50) that is working most of the time.

What I like best: It has WiFi, though no place to plug in a laptop.

What I like least: The design of the play area. If you are there for any time, someone WILL go out the emergency exit setting off the alarm and the automatic door is too easy for little ones to disappear, and I already said that it is next to the drink refill station.

What the kids like best: happy meals and this is the McDonalds they call "The playplace with the slide and rolly things" because of the obstacle course in the upper level.

What they like least: having to sit and eat, though if I were smarter I would eat in the main area and then play, but I like getting there and lurking for the best table.

Welcome To Harrisburg Parent

I have 4 kids ages 4-17, all girls and usually have adventures when I go out to eat. I have always said I wish there was a site I could go to find out more information about kid friendly (and unfriendly) places in Harrisburg. So I decided to create my own.

Bio: I am a teacher in the Harrisburg area, my younger kids are into soccer, dance, gymnastics, etc and my oldest is in the band's colorguard.

Disclaimer, I will not be making any money from the places I talk about, though I'd like to make enough to take the kids out for ice cream with the advertising by google. I also may be more critical of places that give me and my family a hard time, but that is also the point. I suffer so others do not have to. So anti-family establishments, watch out, I have been taking names and now I will post them.

While I do not get a kick back from any establishment I may endorse, I would recommend patronizing them, since they obviously did will with my family of 6.