Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Forest Hills
27 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Nick's Pizza - Forest Hills
Brick-oven thin crust that stays crisp, balanced, and pie-worthy at scale.
Notable Picks
8.6
A Forest Hills destination for brick-oven thin crust that rewards ordering a focused pie (or two) and letting the char and sauce balance do the work. It’s built for sit-down pacing—salads and classic Italian starters land best when you keep the table tight and pizza-forward.
Must-Try Dishes:
Old Fashioned Pie (thin crust), White Pie, Calzone
What Makes it Special: Brick-oven thin crust that stays crisp, balanced, and pie-worthy at scale.
8.5
Vibes:
Date Night Magic
Birthday & Celebration Central
Family Friendly Favorites
Group Dining Gatherings
Old-school Italian in the best way—white-tablecloth comfort, generous hospitality, and a menu that leans into familiar favorites done with care. It’s the kind of place locals use for milestones, with a steady hand on pastas, seafood, and rich starters.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butternut Squash Ravioli, Burrata Mozzarella, Calamari
What Makes it Special: Classic Forest Hills Italian with an institution feel and a comfort-forward menu.
8.4
Vibes:
Sweet Treats Escapes
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Comfort Food Classics
An old-school ice cream parlor built around sundaes and house-made nostalgia—best experienced seated, at full speed, with a classic topping combo. The move is one big sundae split or one tight two-scoop order; it’s about texture, fudge, and the soda-fountain rhythm.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hot fudge sundae, Coffee chip ice cream, Banana split
What Makes it Special: A true soda-fountain-style parlor where sundaes are the main event.
#4
Tuscan Hills
8.3
A cozy, Queens Blvd Italian with a broad menu and a neighborhood regulars vibe—best when you order the house signatures and keep it simple. Portions are hearty, pastas land reliably, and it’s an easy pick when you want a sit-down Italian meal without making it a whole production.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cacciucco (seafood soup in bread), Buffalo Mozzarella Stuffed Ravioli, Tiramisu
What Makes it Special: Classic sit-down Italian with standout comfort dishes and strong local repeat traffic.
8.3
A long-running, full-service Mexican dining room above Austin Street where the menu leans traditional and the portions are built for a full sit-down meal. It’s strongest when you go classic—enchiladas or chilaquiles-style brunch plates—then finish with a signature margarita.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chilaquiles, Enchiladas, Lime Boat Margarita
What Makes it Special: A polished, sit-down Mexican option in the heart of Austin Street’s dining strip.
8.3
A long-running Forest Hills Thai standby that plays best for balanced curries and noodle dishes that stay bold without getting muddy. The room is comfortable for a proper sit-down, but it’s most consistent when you anchor the meal with one curry, one noodle, and a crisp salad to reset the palate.
Must-Try Dishes:
Penang curry, Drunken noodles, Som tum (papaya salad)
What Makes it Special: Classic Thai staples with curry-first reliability for repeat neighborhood visits.
8.3
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Group Dining Gatherings
Comfort Food Classics
Business Lunch Power Players
A Forest Hills Greek sit-down built around straightforward grilling and crowd-pleasing seafood, where the meal lands best when you keep it classic: one grilled protein, one bright salad, and one shareable starter. It’s the kind of neighborhood room people return to for dependable kebabs, octopus, and a calm, family-forward pace.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grilled octopus, Gyro platter, Stuffed grape leaves
What Makes it Special: Neighborhood Greek classics executed with steady grill-and-seafood reliability.
#8
Pho 99
8.2
A casual Station Square Vietnamese spot that wins on clean, aromatic pho broth and reliable noodle-soup comfort. It’s best when you keep the order classic—one pho, one fresh roll, and a banh mi for a crisp-herb counterpoint.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho tai (rare beef pho), Beef stew pho, Banh mi (house-style)
What Makes it Special: Pho-forward Vietnamese cooking with a broth-first, no-drama focus.
#9
The Bund
8.1
A Shanghainese specialist that locals use for dumplings, wontons, and noodle soups that feel like a real meal rather than a takeout fix. The move is to start with soup dumplings, add one savory staple (wontons or rice cakes), and keep the order focused so everything lands hot and textural.
Must-Try Dishes:
Soup dumplings (xiao long bao), Shanghai jumbo wontons, Rice cakes with pork
What Makes it Special: Shanghainese dumpling-and-wonton strengths in a neighborhood-friendly room.
#10
Bamboo Ya
8
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Group Dining Gatherings
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Trendy Table Hotspots
A full-service Japanese spot on Austin Street with a steady sushi bar and a menu that works for both casual rolls and cooked plates. It’s strongest when you mix one clean, fish-forward roll with one hot appetizer so the meal has contrast.
Must-Try Dishes:
Yellowtail jalapeño roll, Hamachi kama (yellowtail collar), Agedashi tofu
What Makes it Special: A versatile, full-service sushi bar that fits both groups and casual dinners.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A kosher Mediterranean room that leans into kebabs and hearty rice-and-grill plates, best approached as a skewer-first order rather than a menu-wide tour. The most consistent play is one signature kebab, one bright salad, and one side that keeps the plate balanced instead of heavy.
Must-Try Dishes:
Lamb kebab, Chicken kebab, Babganoush with pita
What Makes it Special: Kosher kebab-and-plate cooking that’s strongest when you go skewer-first.
A long-running Forest Hills Southeast Asian kitchen where pho is a real, dependable menu lane—not a token add-on. The move is a beef-forward Pho Bo (or the spicy version) and you’re set; everything else is optional support, not the main event.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup), Spicy Pho Bo, Roti Canai with curry dipping sauce
What Makes it Special: A full Southeast Asian menu where Pho Bo is a legitimate, repeatable order.
#13
Gloria Pizza
7.9
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
Family Friendly Favorites
A classic neighborhood slice shop where the smart order is targeted: one standout specialty slice and one simple baseline slice for comparison. It’s best as a quick hit—grab, go, and avoid turning it into a complicated multi-item order.
Must-Try Dishes:
Grandma Pizza, Pizza Bianca, Penne Alla Vodka Pizza
What Makes it Special: Old-school slice utility with a few strong specialty options.
#14
Asian Fortune
7.9
Vibes:
Business Lunch Power Players
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Hidden Gems Heaven
A cut-above neighborhood Chinese option with a comfortable dine-in setup and a menu that shines when you order the noodle-and-wonton staples. Best used as an easy lunch or low-key dinner: pick one soup noodle, one wonton/dumpling, and one classic stir-fry to cover all bases.
Must-Try Dishes:
Soup noodles, House wontons, Spicy shredded beef lunch special
What Makes it Special: Handmade-leaning noodles and wontons that outperform typical neighborhood takeout.
7.8
A steady neighborhood Japanese restaurant that plays best as a classic roll-and-teriyaki dinner rather than a trend-driven sushi chase. Order like a regular—one chirashi or sushi set plus one cooked plate—and it lands as dependable comfort.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chirashi bowl, Salmon teriyaki, Spicy tuna roll
What Makes it Special: A classic neighborhood Japanese menu that stays reliable on staples.
7.8
Vibes:
Comfort Food Classics
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
An old-school neighborhood deli that delivers classic NYC breakfast-and-lunch sandwiches with a friendly, regulars-first pace. Best used for straightforward staples—egg sandwiches, tuna salad, and Italian heroes—when you want comfort over reinvention.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bacon egg & cheese, Italian hero, Tuna salad sandwich
What Makes it Special: Classic deli sandwiches with a true neighborhood-luncheonette vibe.
A banquet-capable Indian-Pakistani room that’s designed for private functions—big platters, strong catering logic, and a menu that rewards choosing classics over deep exploration. Build the table around one biryani lane, one curry lane, and breads to keep the meal cohesive for groups.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken biryani, Butter chicken, Garlic naan
What Makes it Special: A party-hall setup that makes Indian-Pakistani group dining straightforward.
#18
Shogun Hibachi
7.7
A teppanyaki-style hibachi room that’s best for groups who want dinner-and-a-show energy. It delivers most consistently when you keep it simple: one hibachi entrée, one shared appetizer, and fried rice to anchor the table.
Must-Try Dishes:
Hibachi steak, Chicken hibachi, Hibachi fried rice
What Makes it Special: A hibachi-focused dining room built for group celebrations.
#19
A Sushi
7.7
Vibes:
Quick Bites Champions
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
Family Friendly Favorites
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
A straightforward Austin Street sushi bar that’s best treated as a reliable neighborhood stop rather than a trend-chasing place. Stick to simple nigiri and one or two rolls and you’ll get the most consistent, clean finish.
Must-Try Dishes:
Salmon avocado roll, Spicy tuna roll, Sushi lunch combo
What Makes it Special: A no-drama neighborhood sushi option for simple rolls and combos.
#20
Lillian Pizzeria
7.7
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Comfort Food Classics
A straightforward neighborhood pizzeria that delivers best when you order in the classic New York register: a couple of slices or a simple pie, no detours. It’s built for families and locals who want consistent comfort over trend-driven toppings.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cheese slice, Pepperoni slice, Sicilian slice
What Makes it Special: Classic neighborhood pizza execution built for repeat, no-drama orders.
#21
Mas Tortilla
7.7
A Queens Boulevard taqueria-cantina that wins on fresh-tortilla comfort and a focused set of crowd-pleasers. Order tacos as the baseline, then add one heavier item (birria-style) only if you’re splitting—otherwise it can tip the table into overload.
Must-Try Dishes:
Birria burrito, Chilaquiles, Steak tacos
What Makes it Special: Fresh-tortilla Mexican comfort that rewards a simple, taco-first order.
7.7
A small dumpling shop with a takeout-first vibe that works best for straightforward dim sum comfort—soup dumplings, shumai, and a simple noodle bowl if you need a second anchor. Keep the order compact and eat ASAP; this is about freshness and heat, not a sprawling table spread.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pork soup dumplings, Shumai, Pork noodle soup
What Makes it Special: A neighborhood dumpling counter that stays best with a simple, heat-forward order.
#23
La Dolce Italia
7.7
A neighborhood Italian bakery where gelato is a supporting player alongside cookies, pastries, and celebration cakes. Treat it as a quick in-and-out: one gelato to-go plus one classic pastry, keeping expectations aligned with a bakery counter rather than a dedicated scoop shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Gelato cup, Gelato pint to-go, Cannoli
What Makes it Special: A bakery-counter gelato option paired with a deep Italian sweets lineup.
#24
Village Grill
7.6
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Quick Bites Champions
Comfort Food Classics
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
A casual Mediterranean neighborhood grill where the best value is in the straightforward gyro-and-souvlaki comfort lane. It’s strongest when you order one platter, one salad, and keep it moving—simple flavors, solid portions, and a low-drama weeknight rhythm.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken souvlaki platter, Beef gyro platter, Greek salad
What Makes it Special: Straightforward souvlaki-and-gyro comfort built for reliable neighborhood meals.
7.6
Vibes:
Family Friendly Favorites
Comfort Food Classics
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
A classic neighborhood diner built for straightforward breakfast-and-lunch comfort, where consistency matters more than reinvention. Keep it old-school: a griddled breakfast plate or soup-and-salad combo delivers the best value.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pancakes, French Toast, Matzo Ball Soup
What Makes it Special: A straightforward Forest Hills diner that stays reliable and affordable.
#26
New Panda
7.6
Vibes:
Cheap Eats Budget Brilliance
Quick Bites Champions
Family Friendly Favorites
Solo Dining Sanctuaries
A dependable Chinese takeout counter that locals use for weeknight staples and straightforward delivery orders. The safest play is to order one classic protein-and-veg dish, one noodle, and one dumpling—simple, filling, and built to travel.
Must-Try Dishes:
Chicken and broccoli with rice, Sesame chicken, Pork dumplings
What Makes it Special: A reliable neighborhood takeout play for classic, travel-friendly staples.
7.6
An old-school neighborhood Chinese takeout style stop focused on big portions and familiar combinations. Treat it as a comfort-order place: keep it classic, add one soup, and prioritize dishes that travel well to get the most consistent experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
Sesame chicken, Wonton soup, Pork fried rice
What Makes it Special: Classic combo-plate Chinese takeout with strong portion-driven value.