The most kid-friendly Mexican dishes are the simple ones: cheese quesadillas, bean burritos, cheese enchiladas, soft or crunchy beef tacos, and plain rice and beans. They are mild, familiar, easy to hold, and they let kids try the flavors of Mexican food without a lot of heat. At El Chubby’s, those are exactly the dishes on our kids menu, and every kids meal comes with a sopapilla for dessert. We are a family-owned restaurant that has been serving Aurora since 1991, so we have fed a lot of Aurora families over the years.
What is on the El Chubby’s kids menu?
Our kids menu is for children 10 and younger, and it sticks to the dishes we know kids actually finish. You can see the full list in the kids section of our menu, but here is how each one tends to land with young eaters.
The bean burrito with rice is a plain burrito, which means no chili and no cheese, just our beans wrapped in a tortilla. Our beans are made in the pot, and they are soft, savory and gentle. For a lot of kids, this is the first Mexican dish they ever love.
The cheese enchilada with rice is a little more grown-up. Enchiladas are tortillas rolled around a filling and usually covered with a chili sauce, and a cheese enchilada keeps the filling as simple as it gets. If you are not sure how your child feels about spice, ask us about the chili. We have three choices, hot green, mild green and red, and we can put it on the side so your little one can decide.
The cheese quesadilla and fries is the safe bet for picky eaters. Melted cheese in a warm tortilla with fries next to it. It is hard to go wrong.
Popcorn chicken and fries is the one that wins over kids who are not in the mood for anything that looks like Mexican food at all. Sometimes that is the right call, especially on a long day.
The beef taco with rice and beans gives kids a small version of a classic plate. It is a good one for children who like to feel like they are ordering what the adults are ordering.
And yes, every one of those meals comes with a sopapilla. A sopapilla is a light, puffy fried pastry, and for many kids it is the part of the meal they talk about on the drive home.
How do you introduce kids to Mexican food?
Start mild and let them build up. Most of the heat in Mexican food comes from chiles and the sauces made with them. Tortillas, beans, rice and cheese are mild on their own. That means you can give a child the shape and texture of a Mexican meal without the spice, then add a little flavor as they get curious.
Rice and beans are a great first step. They show up on almost every plate, they are filling, and they rarely scare anyone. From there, a quesadilla or a bean burrito feels like a short hop. Tacos come next for a lot of kids, partly because eating with your hands is fun at any age. If you want to know whether a crunchy shell or a soft one will be the bigger hit, our post on soft versus crunchy tacos walks through the difference.
Letting kids taste from your plate also helps. A bite of your enchilada with mild green chili, or a single chip dipped in a little salsa, is a low-pressure way to try something new. If they like it, great. If they make a face, the quesadilla is right there.
Everything we make is made to order, and almost anything can be prepared the way you like. If your child wants a taco with only meat and cheese, or a burrito with nothing on top, just tell us when you order. Small changes are part of the job.
What makes a Mexican restaurant good for families?
Families need a few things from a restaurant: food the kids will eat, food the adults actually want, a relaxed room, and flexibility. Mexican food happens to be good at all of that, because so much of it is built from simple parts that can be combined in different ways.
We also try to make the practical side easy. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and our doors open at 7am Monday through Saturday and 9am on Sunday, so an early breakfast before school or a Saturday soccer game is an option. We offer dine-in, takeout and a drive-thru, which is a gift on the nights when getting everyone out of the car feels like too much. If your family likes a hearty morning meal, our post on why Aurora locals love our breakfast burritos is worth a look.
For the grown-ups at the table, there is plenty to look forward to. Our green chili is made fresh every day, and a smothered burrito is a fine reward for the grown-up who finally gets to sit down. Carne Asada Fries is our signature dish, and it is very easy to share around the table.
Tips for a smooth family meal out
A little planning goes a long way with kids at a restaurant. Coming a bit earlier than the dinner rush usually means a calmer meal. Ordering the kids’ food first, or as soon as you sit down, keeps hungry little ones from melting down before the plates arrive. A basket of chips can buy you a few peaceful minutes, too, though you may want to keep an eye on how many disappear before dinner.
Bring something small to keep hands busy, like crayons or a little toy, and let older kids help order. Reading a menu and choosing for themselves gives kids a sense of ownership, and they are more likely to eat what they picked.
Finally, save room for dessert. The sopapilla that comes with every kids meal is a nice built-in reward, and if the whole table wants to celebrate, our dessert menu has churros, fried ice cream and a sopapilla sundae. You can see them all in the desserts section of our menu.
Bring the whole family to El Chubby’s
Feeding kids does not have to be complicated. A bean burrito, a cheese quesadilla or a beef taco, a side of rice and beans, and a warm sopapilla to finish is a meal most kids will happily eat, and it leaves the adults free to enjoy their own plates. You can find us at 1191 S Abilene St in Aurora. Stop in, swing through the drive-thru, or order online for pickup or delivery on the nights when staying home sounds better.
