Where To Eat In St. George UT With Kids

I'm so excited to share with you my sweet friend Andrea from the family foodie blog Small You Can Eat. When it comes to finding the best spots to eat and ordering the best food on the menu, this girl knows her stuff. If you are planning a trip to Southern Utah and you want to know where to eat and what to order in St. George well, this girl has got you covered.

Recently, my family and I took a long weekend getaway down to St. George. In addition to hiking, swimming, and splash pads, we ate our way around the St. George family dining scene. As a foodie family, it's what we do best and we wanted to share some of our favorite finds. We think there is a little bit for everyone -- from casual to downright adventurous!

VIVA CHICKEN

ST. GEORGE FAMILY DINING SCALE: CASUAL

If you've ever frequented and loved Cafe Rio, Zupas, Noodles, or the like, Viva Chicken is for you! They serve family-style or individual portions of Peruvian style fare. The dipping sauces are not to be missed. The Aji Amarillo, the yellow sauce, is the mildest and referred to as a "crowd favorite." Next up is the green Huacatay sauce that "packs some heat." It is a delicious combo of mint, cilantro, and jalapenos. And last up is the Roasted Rocoto sauce that they lovingly label the "gringo killer" with its red Peruvian hot pepper base. Seriously, you will want to pour them over everything. Yes, they are great on the roasted chicken, but that cilantro lime rice is the perfect vehicle for these three sauces. If you need to keep trying all of them to decide which is best, we won't tell.

We ordered the whole rotisserie chicken, which also comes with three sides for $23.95. We had heard on good authority that the plantains, rice, and green beans were tops. The green beans surprised me the most. Our son, Jude, loved them as did the rest of us! The whole chicken serves 3-4 adults and a toddler. You can see their menu here.

ANGELICA'S MEXICAN GRILL

ST. GEORGE FAMILY DINING SCALE : CASUAL AUTHENTIC

Previously, Irmita's, this Mexican stop is one I could eat at daily. So tasty! If you go on Mondays, this 4 small taco special is $7.95. Definitely add a side of avocado and it will come like so...

And then, you can add toppings from their salsa bar.

If you want to try something besides the tacos, go for the mulitas! I mean, it's practically a taco quesadilla with the meat sandwiched between tortillas. And, try not to drink the salsa it's that good! See menu and visit their website here.

PAINTED PONY

ST. GEORGE FAMILY DINING SCALE: CASUAL FINE DINING

This has long been a favorite restaurant in St. George. I was sold on the heirloom tomato BLT lunch special that came highly recommended. This is one restaurant where the lunch feels very different from dinner. They are both lovely, though the lunch is much more on the casual fine dining side and dinner sways toward true fine dining in both pricing and ambiance. Lunch entrees are around $10-$12 while dinner entrees are closer to $30. You can see their entire menu here. So, give it a go for lunch and see if you are ready to step it up for dinner later. We love the patio seating!

The beet salad is a wonderful shareable to whet your palate and uses heirloom beets in this fun "gateau" presentation. Whether you select an appetizer or not, be sure to take a good look at their drink menu.

Noteworthy are their Italian cream sodas and the raspberry iced tea that comes with fresh raspberries. These were both way too tasty!

As for your lunch entree, I would highly recommend going with any special. There are also some tried and true sandwiches like this grilled tenderloin burger or the Spanish Dip sandwich.

You get a choice of fries or side salad. I love fries as much as anyone, but this is one time you should go with the side salad. It is delicious! See menu and visit website here.

XETAVA

ST. GEORGE FAMILY DINING SCALE: ADVENTUROUS

Let me preface this one by saying that if you are dining with infants in car seats or kids that are older and can sit in a regular chair, you can immediately proceed to go and bypass the adventurous label. The food at Xetava is incredible and should absolutely be a stop if you can swing it. There are NO high chairs or booster chairs, which is the sole reason this gets the adventurous rating from me. Our son is accustomed to a high chair and does fab in them. When it comes to lap sitting on a patio, he instinctually wants to get up and wander.

Have I mentioned yet that the food is amazing? Everything we ordered was top-notch. This lemon dill salmon made a believer out of my stepdad and that is saying a lot from someone who doesn't usually love capers. The green curry mahi was also mwaaaah. The gyro and bread pudding also come highly recommended, though we haven't yet tried those ourselves. For the quality of food, the entree price range of $15-$20 is a steal! You can see everything they offer here.

I feel a little guilty showing you this next entree as it was a special, but these fish tacos are the best I have ever tasted. My guess is that if there is a special, you should go for it!

It worked out great to order a meal that was a little more interactive sans a highchair. Between lime squeezing and picking up the tacos, Jude sat through a lovely dinner on the patio.

About Andrea

I’m Andrea and this is my cute family that loves food as much as me. That is saying a lot! My hubby, Jared, has been my dinner date since 2001 (almost 17 years now!). And, our son, Jude, has been a gourmand-in-training for more than a year and a half. We started Small You Can Eat to detail our adventures in raising a foodie. Check out Andrea's foodie adventures in Salt Lake City on her blog Small You Can Eat and her Instagram.