A family restaurant can be a perfect place to visit for a casual night of dining with your immediate family. The low-key environment gives everyone a chance to talk about their days at school and work, before digging into some simple and tasty fare. If your family has a big appetite, it can be fun to begin your meal by sharing one or more starters. This food will help to satisfy your hunger before your main courses arrive in a short amount of time. Family eateries have lots of starters that your family can enjoy, including these things.

Chicken Tenders And Dip

While chicken wings are a popular starter at many restaurants, you might favor a chicken dish that is a little tidier to eat if you have young children. Chicken tenders can be a good option, as most kids love this fare. Provided that your children haven't ordered chicken tenders as their main course, you can order a platter of tenders and a couple of dips. Barbecue sauce, sweet and sour, and ranch dips can all pair well with the lightly breaded, fried chicken tenders that are available at most family eateries.

Potato Skins

You'll see potato skins on the starter section of the menu at many family restaurants, and this can be another tasty dish to order for your table. Potato skins can vary a little from eatery to eatery, but they generally feature a potato cut in half, with the flesh removed, mashed, and mixed with butter and spices. There will often be melted cheese, bacon pieces, green onions, and other ingredients on top of each potato skin. This starter can be filling, which is ideal if your family has a big appetite.

Garlic Bread

Although garlic bread is a starter that is synonymous with Italian establishments, it's also popular to find at lots of family restaurants. A starter order of garlic bread will typically feature several pieces in a basket or on a platter, which will be enough to satisfy the hunger of your family members. You'll often be able to choose between a few different garlic bread products. Some simply feature garlic, butter, and herbs, while others have one or more types of cheese melted on top. You'll occasionally be able to include a dip with your garlic bread order, with marinara sauce being a popular choice. Consider these and other starter options when you visit a local family restaurant such as National Coney Island.