family restaurants - Stuff Parents Need

Piccadilly Lunch Upgrade: Coke and Dessert Added for $2.99!

June 20, 2014 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This post brought to you by Piccadilly Restaurants. All opinions are 100% mine.

Some of you may remember when I introduced you to a popular restaurant chain here in the Southeast called Piccadilly. You can see my entire Piccadilly experience with young children (spoiler…it was fun!). Piccadilly Restaurants are a bit different from most other restaurants in that it is set up like a cafeteria. You get to make your selections from dozens of different tempting items on display.

See what I mean? Now I’m hungry…

Treat Yourself

Piccadilly is also known for their family-friendly AND budget-friendly offerings. Right now, for example, you can upgrade your meal and add a nice cold Coke (any soda they have, really, but where I live all soda is called Coke) and a yummy dessert.

Now I will tell you, the I personally think that pecan pie is one of the best pairings with a cold glass of Coke, but you can go the cake route if you prefer. Or the pudding route. Or the pie route….

Beore you head out the door, though, take a minute to browse the Picadilly website, as you’ll find some other great offers like a free kid’s meal with the completion of a summer reading log, and family packs. This restaurant is always looking for new ways to help making the dining experience better for families, so definitely check out their special offers!

Do you have a favorite Piccadilly meal? I love to indulge on the coconut fried chicken tenders on occasion! And what dessert will you be pairing with your Coke?

Piccadilly Catering: Make Your Holiday To-Go!

November 17, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by Piccadilly Restaurants. All opinions are 100% mine.

For me, the best part of the holiday season is getting to have quality time with family. I have lots of memories of great talks I have had with siblings, fun adventures I have had with my nieces, and lots of laughs with my parents and in-laws.

And of course, food is part of those memories. There are several things my family eats around the holidays that don't really make an appearance any other time of year. The food evokes memories and comfort.

And can I be real? Now that I'm one of the main people preparing it, I know that is is also a pain in the rear to make. In order to have all that yummy food available AND to still get that quality time with family that matters so much to me, I've got to spend a LOT of time planning how to get the food together, and by and large, that means I have to get up early, or worse, stay up late, to get it done. Boo to that!

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So I've been pouring over the Holiday To-Go offerings from Piccadilly this year. You may recall the Piccadilly review I did earlier this year. They are a homestyle restaurant with a really fun buffet and lots of delicious food offerings. They have great packages meant to help the folks preparing family feasts get out of the kitchen and have more time with their families, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

for $54.99, you can get the turkey feast, which includes the following food, meant for 10-14 people

1 pint cranberry sauce
2 quarts cornbread dressing
1 quart turkey gravy
1 dozen rolls
1 whole or 5 lbs sliced turkey

The ham package is available for the same price, and also comes with 1 whole or 5 lbs sliced hame, a dozen rolls, and your choice of two sides. If your family gathering is smaller, there are also junior feasts available for families of 4-6, and those run $29.99 for turkey and $25.99 for ham.

And can I make a suggestion for maximizing this great offering? Pick up a gift card for yourself to cover the cost of the food you'd like Piccadilly to make for your holidays. For every $50 you spend on gift cards, you will be given a $10 gift card that is good in the restaurant during the month of January. Save yourself some time now, and some money later! 🙂

You can keep up with all the great happenings and promotions at Piccadilly through social media, so be sure to like Piccadilly Restaurants on Facebook and follow @EatPiccadilly on Twitter

Dining with Kids: Piccadilly Cafeteria Experience

April 8, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 7 Comments

Recently, I had an interesting conversation with a single man in his early twenties who recently moved to Chattanooga. He was looking for restaurant suggestions. I quickly let him know that once you start dining with kids, the things you look for in a restaurant are radically different from what you are seeking before. Pre-kids, I wanted a quiet place to eat with a beautiful atmosphere, and a decadent and inspired cuisine.

Now that I’m dining with kids, here’s what matters to me when choosing a place to eat:

1. Will other families likely be there?

2. Do you have a kids’ menu that my kid will actually try?

3. Is it affordable?

4. I will be taking my kid at least twice to the bathroom. Are they clean?

5. Do you have spill-proof cups for kids? Because a drink WILL be knocked over during the meal.

6. Can we get in an out FAST in the event of a baby meltdown?

I was recently contacted by Piccadilly Cafeteria, a restaurant chain largely based in the Southeastern U.S. that has a cafeteria-style approach. You go through a line to order your food, pay before you are seated, and then head out to the dining room with all of your food to enjoy your meal. I have never in my entire life eaten at a Piccadilly Cafeteria, so I thought it would be fun to give it a try and see if it can be a fun place to go out to eat with kids.

My entire family went out to eat together, and we brought along a mom friend of mine and her daughter, who happens to be BFFs with my daughter. As we were trying to find the restaurant (which was inside the mall in our city), my friend Stephanie observed that her directions information (I think perhaps on Google Maps?) noted that this restaurant was NOT kid friendly. I was very surprised to see that listed, especially since Piccadilly is currently promoting a fantastic special, which is that after 4pm kids’ meals are only $.99! And let me just say that the kids’ meals are very generous, including a meat, two sides a drink AND a dessert. Yes, for under a buck! Seems pretty kid-friendly to me!

The first thing I noticed, even before we got inside the restaurant, was a meal deal that was being promoted: chicken fingers or spicy cajun chicken plus 2 sides and a bread for only $4.99.

So let’s do the math really fast: if 2 adults purchased the chicken meal deal, and 2 kids got the $.99 kids’ meals, and everyone drank water, then a family of 4 could go out to eat at Piccadilly Cafeteria for just $12 plus tax and tip.

THAT IS AWESOME, PEOPLE!!!!

Now, I will say this: I have mixed feelings about bringing kids through this cafeteria line. It is very stressful, especially if you have never come to the restaruant before, to keep the line moving quickly and to understand exactly what you are supposed to be choosing for your meal. Tim and I actually both messed up and got one more side than we were supposed to, which made the overall cost of the meal creep up a bit.

But on the other hand, doesn’t this just look like a dream if you are a kid?

I will also say that I noticed the staff was particularly accommodating to us since we had children. The servers were very patient and very sweet to the kids, and extra staff was on hand to help us get our trays over to our tables. We were also rung up very quickly once we reached the end of the line. Three adults and two children ate a FEAST at Piccadilly for $31. We had those 2 extra sides, 2 extra desserts and a few drink orders in the mix. Check out what that money got us!

Yeah…just $31! We even had some leftovers that made it back home with us. And here’s a closer shot of the kids’ meal:

Her meal also included a pudding, which I forgot to include in the picture (had to keep it away from her at the start so she’d eat her dinner!). And yes, she is eating her mashed potatoes with her fingers. Gotta pick your battles, people.

My overall assessment of dining with kids at Piccadilly Cafeteria is this: it is a very kid-friendly place. They have very generous kids’ meals and they do offer some healthier choices than the chicken fingers, though I wouldn’t call their options “healthy” exactly. Their staff is very accommodating and helpful and the price was most definitely right for any family on a budget. Eating out at Piccadilly Cafeteria was fun and affordable. I’d love to see some coloring sheets and crayons made available for the kids, but other than that, I think it was pretty much perfect!

Have you ever eaten at Piccadilly Cafeteria? Would you consider it to be a kid-friendly restaurant? Do you know of any other places where you can get a meal like this for the price?

I received a gift certificate to put toward my meal expenses at Piccadilly Cafeteria in exchange for sharing my honest opinions, which I have provided.