Birthday at the American Girl Bistro
Let’s face it, throwing a kid’s birthday party is stressful and time consuming, even if you opt to rent out a venue like a paint bar or an indoor trampoline park. It can also cost a fortune! Sometime between Tyler’s Chuck E. Cheese party and Kayla’s Muse paint bar party, we have decided that every other year, we’re going to substitute a traditional birthday party with friends and classmates for an experience with family. Surprisingly, the kids gladly obliged. And let me tell you -it was the best decision ever! When Tyler turned 8, we celebrated his birthday in NYC. You can read about our NYC experience HERE.
This year, Kayla wanted to have lunch at the American Girl Bistro in Tysons Corner. With summer activities in full force, my sister and nephew visiting, no elaborate party to plan, plus two puppies at home – I let it slip- and waited till the last minute to make reservations.? Lunch was no longer an option for the date we requested -we had to settle for an afternoon “tea time.” We had no idea what to expect. Sure, my sister and I love tea, but the kids and Chad- not so much. And even though we have been to the American Girl store multiple times, we have never dined at the bistro.
As we pulled in to the parking lot, I received a text message informing me that our table was ready. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and escorted to our table. The table was very nicely set up. Kayla’s doll was seated in a special doll-sized-highchair and given a placemat, plate, and a cup, which we were able to keep. Our napkins were tied with keepsake hair ties.
The afternoon tea started with a beverage. Our kids were very excited to find out they were able to substitute their tea with hot cocoa.? A few minutes later we were presented with a tower of goodies, including fruit kabobs, mini burgers, mini sandwiches, mini muffins, and 70’s style pig-in-a-blanket.
Everyone got one of each. My favorite was the Rebecca’s cucumber tea sandwich and Josefina’s Rancho mini burger.
After the ‘Savory Beginnings,’ we were presented with a tower of delicious deserts, including cookies, cupcakes, and chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse was our favorite.
Kayla enjoyed every second of this experience. The food was delicious and it was very reasonably priced per person. I would definitely go back to have lunch or dinner.
Things to know before you go:
- Book your reservations early.
- $50 deposit was required to hold our ‘tea time’ reservation.
- If your child doesn’t have an American Girl doll – no problem! They offer loaner dolls to dine with.
- Food is delicious and reasonably priced.
- Totally worth the experience!
Thanks for reading!
xoxo, Ania
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