To start, I’d like to tell a quick anecdote about the Sunny Street Café. After my wedding, my huge extended family wanted to get brunch together on Sunday morning in the Arena District. They hadn’t planned a formal brunch and I’m not kidding there were about 22 of them. My mother remembers walking into the Sunny Street Café and being seated immediately with my family and having a wonderful time. The staff didn’t seem inconvenienced at all. My family still talks about the delicious cinnamon roll pancakes. Most of my family was from out-of-state and the Sunny Street Café left a positive impression on my family as they headed home.
When I heard about Dino-Mite Kids Week, where kids under 12 can eat dinosaur pancakes for free (with the purchase of an adult entree), I was intrigued and excited. My fourteen month old son loves pancakes. My husband and I grew up in the Jurassic Park era so we think dinosaurs are awesome. It was a creative and winning combination.
The experience was as delightful as I anticipated, not only for my son, but for me and me and my husband as well.
The staff was having fun with the theme and there was lots of attention to detail without going overboard.
Why we LOVED our Dino-Mite Kids Week Experience:
- Sippy cup style lids for toddlers. It was thoughtful and very convenient. My son loved it.
- Super cute kid’s menus with triangle crayons. Because they aren’t round, the crayons don’t roll off the table. My husband and I could enjoy our meal without constantly picking up crayons as my son tested the theory of gravity.
- The front of the menu was for smaller kids and the back had an intricate coloring template for older kids and adults. Aren’t we all kids at heart?
- The pancakes came in several flavors including Oreo, blueberry, chocolate, and buttermilk. We opted for the buttermilk for my son. My son ate the whole pancake and did a happy dance while doing so. It was adorable. Being pre-verbal, this is pretty high praise.
- All kids receive a card that says “You’re Invited” with a sweet dinosaur temporary tattoo and a discount on the adult meal for the parents. I had delicious chipotle chicken quesadillas and my husband had a stellar reuben. His sandwich came with those fabulous crispy fries that I love and are great for sharing with your wife.
- We got to hear about the plans for the week at that location (each one is trying something different). The Arena District is offering face painting on Fridays and the Columbus Zoo is bringing animals to the next door Experience Columbus. They are also offering prizes and have games on site.
- The coffee was amazing. I enjoyed several cups of rich black coffee (which is the way I like it and let’s be honest it can be hit or miss). It was fabulous.
- The staff was friendly and attentive. It was a genuine niceness that wasn’t overbearing and it they were extra great making sure my coffee cup was filled with delicious coffee.
- The pancakes were so-so good. The stegosaurus shaped pancake itself was about an inch thick, light and fluffy.
- The meal came with a choice of bacon, sausage, or fruit. We opted for fruit which was freshly cut. It wasn’t the overly cold kind of fruit that has been sitting in lemon juice for a hot minute. My son particularly loved the watermelon.
- The games. My son enjoyed one game where he threw balls into a “nest.” He also got a dinosaur stamp on his hand which he loved. Sunny Street Café made sure they were games for all ages.
A lot of times when you dine out as a family it feels like kids are kind of an afterthought. Sunny Street Café created an atmosphere that was welcoming and not overbearing. Everyone in the restaurant (and there was a nice eclectic mix of people there) seemed to be having a good time.
Verdict: Go! Let your kids eat awesome dinosaur pancakes while you enjoy delicious food and coffee at this local diner. What a lovely way to spend a morning with your whole family. And there’s sure to be a Sunny Street Café close to your home, as they have locations all around Columbus including Blacklick, Westerville, The Arena District, Polaris, Upper Arlington, Dublin on Sawmill and Dublin on Avery, and Grove City.
