Do you know what the hardest part about being a parent is? It's expensive.

Whenever my family plans an outing we have to carefully plan since we know that we'll be paying a bit just to get in the door sometimes, and that's with just two kids. We went to Jurassic Quest and spent $80 just to get inside. We were flirting with the possibility of having only one parent go with our oldest child while the baby stayed home with the other parent.

Pete Christensen
Pete Christensen
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Going out to eat can be spendy for families too, which is why it's nice that some restaurants in Tri-Cities offer Kids Eat Free deals. Check these out:

Magill's Restaurant

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Google Streetview
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Not only does this local institution serve up locally-sourced favorites, but on Mondays, kids eat free after 5 PM.

IHOP 

IHOP To Buy Applebees Chain For $1.9 Billion
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IHOP comes in clutch for families. Not only does their "Hoppy Hour" fall under standard dinner hours, offering meals at discounted prices, but when adults purchase a regularly priced meal, kids under 12 can eat for free.

Denny's 

Denny's Offers Free Breakfast In Effort To Aggressively Promote Sales
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Like IHOP, Denny's is great for when the family wants breakfast for dinner. Also like IHOP, Denny's lets kids (10 & under) eat for free when an adult buys a meal. This runs from 4 PM to 10 PM. You can get up to two free kids' meals if you buy two regular meals.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit

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Google Streetview
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Make time this weekend for a family outing because kids eat free at Dickey's on Sundays!

Pacific Pasta & Grill

Photo by sorin popa on Unsplash
Photo by sorin popa on Unsplash
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Pretty much every kid loves pasta and every parent loves when their kids' pasta is free. This deal runs on Mondays from 5 PM - 8 PM.

Applebee's

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Now this one isn't quite free but it's close enough to add to the list. On Tuesdays at Applebee's, kids' meals are $1.99 when you buy an adult entree and it's limited to two.

Do you know of another restaurant where kids can eat for free that's not on our list? Please let us know so we can keep this information up to date for Tri-Cities families.

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