Giggles 'N' Hugs

we came by last friday night for the first time with high expectations having read up on the website what this place had to offer and i have to say it definitely delivered and more! we came by just before 6pm and a DJ was setting up on stage- we had no idea we'd have such a fun night. The show started promptly at 6 with music and some of my kids favorite games and to top it all off lots of bubbles. I have a girl and a boy and both loved it. My husband was even dancing in the play area with them.

we all ordered food, which was delicious (which you don't tend to get when you enter anywhere that pertains to be "kid friendly or kid oriented". it felt wonderful not to be patronized as a parent with kids that just want to run around while you enjoy a meal out. the staff were very warm and friendly and all seemed to genuinely have as much fun working as the kids had playing.

In the middle of the disco we had a huge surprise as Mickey and MinnieMouse entered together.it was truly magical and so unexpected. A really nice touch as my kids haven't been to Disneyland yet and this was their first experience with live characters! I think the parents could give a knowing smile to the Play Area girls as they mysteriously disappeared before the characters came out.. that's dedication!

I never usually write about restaurants online but as a parent I feel compelled to share my thoughts on a place that has tapped into a previously unfulfilled void in the market for families.

Pros: unique experience, friendly staff and great food

Cons: the drive!

Posted 09/15/09

This has got to be the only restaurant that both the kids and parents want to go to. I cannot think of another restaurant like that.

Think of it, it keeps the kids busy and it has great food for grown ups and healthy menu for kids as well. Meanwhile, your kid/s are having the time of their lives.

The only drawback is that there is only one location. I would recommend to the owners to establish more locations throughout the city.

Pros: Great Healthy Food

Cons: Only one location

Posted 09/15/09

I recently met a friend here with my 20 month old son and we loved it. We felt right at home. The staff is extremely nice and accomodating. The food is excellent and the play are is safe and clean with a variety of toys to keep the kids occupied for hours. My son loved it and didn't want to leave. I highly recommend this place to all parents of little ones. It was just so nice to relax, have a cup of coffee, eat lunch and watch my kid play in a safe and fun place. I just wish they'd open one up in Hollywood now closer to where I live.

Pros: Great Food. Nice and clean play area

Posted 09/14/09

I was very excited to try Giggles n' Hugs, but completely disappointed and will never go back. I took my friend's child there for his first Birthday as part of our Birthday day together. I was astonished on how over crowded the play area was. I would never have allowed my child to play amongst so many kids crowded in--obviously we did not go in the play area. Isn't there some kind of health code or at least an ethical code by the owner/manager? I personally thought it was way too dangerous. I was also astonished by the high prices for food--that's not including the play area costs and $2.50 for parking. This is not even a full service restaurant. In addition, the food was awful tasting. And, they brought out one meal and 10 minutes later brought out the next--way too long if you have a small child and it was his lunch that came out last! I also was appalled by the patrons eating there. While I understand that $2.50 for a fountain soda is expensive, taking soda in the cups provided for water is not a good lesson to teach your children--both ethically and morally. Everyone around me did this. The worst part of my experience here was the manager/owner who went around to each table asking if they enjoyed their meals and how everything was--except me. I tried to figure out why and realized that I was the only non-Persian eating there and the only person not asked. This is racial discrimination in my book--something I've never experienced and was shocked by. Oh wait, it gets worse. I told said manager/owner that it was the child's Birthday when he announced Elmo was coming out. He did absolutely nothing. Completely non-responsive, unfriendly, and I would have to say--rude. There was obviously no Happy Birthday, no balloon, cookie, cupcake--NOTHING. P.S.. I noticed a helium tank and strings behind the counter. Any other restaurant would have done something. This was the worst customer service I ever experienced. This place does a lot of business and certainly doesn't need mine, but they definitely lost a potential customer and I will continue to let others know my horrific experience here.

Pros: None

Cons: Customer Service, Food, Prices, Overcrowded

Posted 08/18/09

I took my son there for a b-day party, within 10 minutes my son's eyes swelled along with 5 others kids, i thought it was what the cleaned the toys with, and it could have been, harmful chemcial based cleaners, but then i took a closer look and the toys etc, where filthy. wouldn't take my kid there again

Pros: good idea

Cons: filthy dirty and expensive

Posted 08/02/09

I love it there.Young or old,it's the place for you!Mike Allen,you are correct!!It IS rad!I'd bring a hot date there too.I can't find a single thing wrong with it!If you DON'T like this place you are crazy!!!!!!!It's the perfect place for any occasion(even for a bachelor party(wink,wink) )I love you Giggles 'N' Hugs!i REALLY DO!

Pros: PROS:everything!!!

Cons: CONS:cons don't exist with this place!

Posted 06/29/09

I took my kids here last week and we had a great time!! We saw a magic show that the kids loved. I thought the food was great, more upscale than I expected.

Pros: Food & Fun!

Cons: None

Posted 06/22/09

Never again. What if you are there with friends and family and you just want to catch up on family news, while your little one is playing with the other parent in the play area. We found out that they actually enforce a 1 hour maximum on all tables. They claimed we'd been there for much longer than one hour, but I know what time we got there and we were seated for just over an hour. If you are going to have a rule like that you better give everyone a silly little timer to put on their table so that they can stand up the minute it goes off!!! There was no line out the door...
Food came promptly, It was OK. Nothing amazing, nothing awful, just OK. The checkout women were very nice, as were the busboys, but others there should consider some lessons in etiquette. Go to VIP Seafood instead, they are friendly, the food is better.

Pros: Some friendly staff; toys for kids.

Cons: Time limit at tables that they enforce; noisy and food is only average. Family UNFRIENDLY

Posted 01/16/09

This place is super rad! Reminded me of what being a kid was like. While it was the little things that made me happy as a kid...I don?t think one could go wrong with a live DJ with ultra cool sunglasses, Royal Princesses all over the place (I'm 24 and seriously debating stealing one away for my next birthday party) Incredible pizza (the crust is the perfect amount of thin, and the sauces and cheese make for a perfect mouth watering blend) And out of the world macaroni and cheese that makes even the whole foods macaroni and cheese pale in comparison.
One thing that amazed me is the energy of the people that make this place happen. I heard that they had already put together three kid parties previous to the one I attended that day and they still managed to stay incredibly upbeat, personable, and very service oriented. Everyone had a great energy and I have nothing but utmost compliments for the owners over there.
If you have kids, seriously, go there now. Drop everything you doing, move your business meetings till tomorrow, call the wife, tell her you?re going to Giggles and Hugs. If you don?t have kids, do the same, head over there, and try incredible pizza.
Rumor has it; the older businessmen crowd around there sneak in and get to go boxes of their pizza, most times with overly large Aviator sunglasses and hats to prevent people from recognizing them because the pizza is soo good. Family Kid Restaurant or not, this place is sure to make everyone happy.

Pros: Great Pizza, Great Macaroni, Great Chicken Tenders and Fries

Cons: Its not closer to my place

Posted 12/15/08

if you have kids this is the perfect place for you! its a great atmosphere and entertainment for the family! i love everything about it, kid friendly and the name just makes you smile

Posted 12/07/08

My Kids absolutely love this place. It is a great place to hang out with the whole family. I come here at least once a month.. awesome

Posted 11/20/08

I haven't even been yet but one of my "mommy" friends loved it.
I just had to comment about the fact that so many reveiwers had only one review therefore it must be a scam.
HELLO - these are parents with young children (myself included) How often do you think we get to go out to eat??? So kuddos for them for writing a review. There are so few options for dining out with a 17 month old and I plan on trying this place this weekend.

Posted 11/07/08

My kids LOVED this place! I really liked the food and was happy to learn that they "sneak" healthy vegetables into the kids meals. My kids are aged 2 to 10 and they all had a great time. I met the owner who was very nice (and good looking) and went out of his way to make sure each of my kids got a special treat from his treasure box of candy and small toys. I would highly recommend this place to anyone with young children.

Pros: kids loved it

Cons: parking

Posted 09/01/08

My family and I went there on a Friday night, for the disco...it was SO much fun! I couldn't believe how amazing the staff was. EVERYBODY there LOVES kids and were SO good to us & our 3 kids. We felt like we were in Disneyland! There was awesome music, kids & parents dancing in the play area. The best part of the whole place was the FOOD!! I had the most amazing chinese chicken salad, my husband had the BEST pizza of his life, My kids had mac n' cheese w/squash in it (couldn't tell & ate it all). Also, the kids' portions are huge, so 2 of my kids shared one mac n' cheese and still there was left overs. I have no idea what some of these people are saying that it was expensive. I payed $20 for 3 kids to play, dance & have a BLAST for 3 hrs!! I payed $6.95 for TWO kids to eat dinner...NOWHERE can you feed two kids EXCELLENT, high quality, food w/veggies in it for $3.50 each!! Where do these people who think its expensive normally eat?? I took my kids to the mall & I payed $0.75 for EACH one of those little rides that lasts about 4 seconds!! I ended up paying about $20 for 3 kids to be entertained for about 10 minutes!! And my 6 yr. old boy was SO BORED. And yes, I still had to BUY dinner! And for the person who said everyone who wrote a review only reviewed one place so it's fishy...the people who wrote a bad review also wrote one review. We aren't restaurant critics. I have NEVER written a review before & probably won't again, but i HAD to share w/all the families out there about my AMAZING experience at Giggles N' Hugs. Obviously, the people complaining, don't get out much. Anyways, we had a BLAST, and more importantly, I got to spend Friday night w/my kids, yet my husband and I got to dance together, eat AWESOME food and actually feel like we were ALL having a great time, as opposed to us sacrficing so the kids have fun, like ususal. GREAT place and pretty damn cheap if u ask me. I would've paid $20 for the $9.95 chinese chicken salad I had!

Pros: Food, atmosphere, price, staff

Cons: There's only one!

Posted 08/22/08

I took my grandchildren to Giggles and Hugs tonight thinking that based on its internet site that this would be a fun time for all. However, it was unfortunately quite the opposite experience. The food is pricy, bland and unappetizing. The area designated for eating has few tables and even fewer chairs. In addition to paying for pricy food, which is poor quality, you are also charged $9 per child to play in their Play Area which is extraordinarily small - - (literally so tiny and congested that it was shocking). The toys and play equipment were dirty, broken and crowded into this tiny area along with too many kids whose ages ranged from 6 months to 12 years old. There were a number of kids vehicle type play equipment and trikes and no place for the kids to ride them. Thus, kids were driving / riding the equipment into others. The entertainment was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m - but did not begin until well after 6:30. I must, say though the kids seemed to like the entertainer once she finally began her performance.

MOST CRITICAL TO NOTE: The stage where the entertainment performed had two large speakers on each of the stage positioned on tripods. Kids were lying on cushions directly under these speakers during the performance and kids were sporadically jumping onto the stage during the performance at or near the speakers. Its a miracle the speakers didn't get knocked down on top of all the little kid. This is a catastrophic accident waiting to happen. There were two staff members in the Play Area but no staff controlling the play environment or stage to ensure its safety. Also, the older, who are bigger, were running over the smaller kids. It was obvious that parents thought that since the Play Area was fenced in - that everyone was safe within. However, it is precisely the opposite.

I would not recommend anyone to take their kids here, for Giggles and Hugs has horrible food, is unnecessarily pricy, is unsanitary, and a safety hazard.

Pros: None

Cons: Pricey, crowded, unsanitary and hazardous Play Area

Posted 08/16/08

I normally don't take the time to write a revue, but I was very impressed with this new place in my area!
Everyone was very friendly and helpful and my 2 kids had a wonderful time.
The food was also very delicious, I had a huge salad and my kids had pasta with pureed veggies - it's the restaurants smart way to get a serving of veggies to the kids, who are picky eaters....and my kids didn't notice the difference!
Thank you!
I will definitely be back!!

Posted 08/12/08

My daughter and I went there today at around Noon. The entrance fee is $9 and your kid gets to play with all the toys there. However, the whole playing area is very small (around 800 sf). Also, there's this one ride that the kids get on called the rollercoaster that kids keep bumping into other kids with. The layout is really horrible and seriously way too crowded.

Also, there were only 2 staff members watching the kids -- but there were like 15-20 kids running around. It was not enough people to just have the area safe. I noticed that alot of parents just didn't care and let their kids run wild..so, the 2 staff members were not enough to keep the kids safe.

Also, I ordered a salad and it cost $10. It was totally not worth it. It tasted terrible.

Overall, they need to work on increasing their staff and making better food for the prices they charge.

Cons: Crowded, bad food

Posted 08/10/08

Before I give my impressions of the restaurant, I'd like to point out that I clicked on the user name of every other reviewer and every single one has only left one review of anything ? Giggles N Hugs. So this is clearly a campaign by the restaurant itself. Not to mention that in all the reviews there is not a single negative comment whatsoever. Citysearch really should investigate this kind of clear abuse.

In any case, the pros are:
? It's nice to go out to eat and not worry that your kid is raising hell. It's expected.
? Some of the food is good, though some isn't. A lot seems like it comes from the freezer, while other seems fresh. It can be pricy for what you get, but some things, like salads, seem worth it. .
? They have "characters" sometimes there to entertain the kids.

Cons:
? It's $9 a kid to use the play area. I suppose this is necessary to cover the overhead, but it can make it more of a special occasion place (depending on your disposable income, of course)
? The restaurant is already worn around the edges in a lot of ways. Especially the built-in props, like a tree that has pieces breaking off.
? As someone mentioned on Yelp, the tables are very close together and can be difficult to navigate
? It's not their fault, but it's so much nicer to be outside.

Overall, I don't want to sound too negative. It's a very unique concept and seems popular with people in the neighborhood. It's a bit of a turn-off that they created all these Citysearch profiles just to give themselves positive reviews. Hopefully other people will chime in with their (real) opinions.

Pros: Nice place to bring kid, some food is good, owners are nice, good service

Cons: Worn around edges, tight seating, expensive, indoors

Posted 06/25/08

My husband and I have never experienced sitting down and having a nice relaxing dinner with our 4 year old and 2 year old at any restaurant, until we came to Giggles N Hugs! We get a chance to converse with one another while knowing our kids are in a safe, friendly environment having a fabulous time. We have pretty much tried every food on the menu, and not only is everything delicious, but healthy too. The owners are a delight and always smiling, making you feel like you are at home. The ambience, the staff, the weekly entertainment, and the cleanliness of the restaurant makes this the best kids restaurant in town!

Pros: Great ambience, great food, great staff, great service, clean, friendly environment

Posted 06/11/08

I never thought that my favorite restaurant would have a name such as, "Giggles and Hugs". But that is what happens when you have kids. A friend told me about Giggles and Hugs and I was very impressed to say the least. I finally got to go and eat with my 4 year old son and have some peace of mind. We both got to eat and then my son played for a couple of hours in their large and safe play area while i took care of my bills. Very clean, very safe for kids and great food at an affordable price. I would recommend it to all parents looking for some food coupled with relaxation with their kids.

Thank you Giggles and Hugs for thinking of "The Mother"

Posted 03/31/08

This place is truly one of a kind. We are already regulars there because we love it so much. It's the only place where parents can hang out, have a healthy and delicious meal while the kids play and have a blast. The play area is very nice, clean and spacious. There is enough to do for both boys and girls that they do not get bored. Their menu has a great variety of healthy options that both you and your kids will love and without the guilt. We also went there for a bday party and my boys had a great time. It's such a great addition to the neighborhood!

Posted 03/31/08

Great place for the kids to play and the food is delicious! Very friendly staff , service is great and would definitely go back.

Posted 03/31/08

This is the first restaurant I have gone to where I have actually THANKED the owners for opening up such a place. I am now a regular at this one-of-a-kind restaurant. My friends and I took our kids there for dinner, and after a while, we noticed that it was the first time in years we have gone to dinner anywhere without the kids jumping all over us! The kids have a blast at this place, as it is made for them - there is a large play area with all different kinds of activities, and kids get to play while parents get to have their one peaceful meal of the day. Obviously we all love our children, but it is nice to be able to go to a place where you can rest, have a good meal and have your kids really enjoy themselves as well. And the food is excellent too - by now, I have had almost everything on the menu, and it is all good - excellent salads, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and other fare, with their creative "Mom's Tricky Treat," where they sneak healthy foods into their meals. If you have children around the ages of 10 or under, this is absolutely a must-go experience, and you will not find another place like it anywhere!

Pros: Great for kids, great food, great ambience, delightful owners.

Cons: None.

Posted 03/31/08

Other than being a great place to take your kids throughout the week, this place is ideal for throwing private birthday parties for your little ones. We celebrated my daughter?s 4th birthday party there a few weeks ago and it was a blast! We rented the entire restaurant for two hours and they easily accommodated all of our guests which were over 100 people. The food was served buffet-style by arranging the tables in two rows, one for the kids with tiny tables and chairs and one row for the adults. Our guests left very happy and us, the parents, could just go home and relax and not worry about cleaning up after the munchkins!!! Highly recommended?.. great addition to the Westside.

Pros: Great location, valet parking, great food, entertainment for kids

Cons: None at all

Posted 03/31/08