Shakes at Shake Shack. Photo by Evan Sung/courtesy of the restaurant.

Shake Shack - Garden City
860 Old Country Road
516-620-2880
The Westbury Shake Shack is the first Long Island outpost of restaurateur Danny Meyer's famous burger joint. Visitors can fuel up on delicious burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, beer, wine, and even snacks for the dog. While lines may be long, the food is always fresh and served hot. And it's just down the road from Roosevelt Field Mall.

Mac & Melts - Garden City
684 Stewart Avenue
516-246-9610
Even adults will enjoy this restaurant that serves up their own take on classic comfort food such as pasta, sandwiches, and salads. But their specialties are obviously their vast menu of mac-and-cheeses and grilled cheeses, offering up such options as a cheeseburger mac-and-cheese, a short rib mac-and-cheese, and even a fried chicken grilled cheese. 

Thomas's Ham and Eggery Diner. 

Thomas's Ham and Eggery Diner - Carle Place
325 Old Country Road
516-333-3060
It may look like your ordinary diner from the outside, but since 1946, Thomas's has been serving up some of the most unique skillet breakfasts on the Island, resulting in long lines and a strong fan base. But if you want to eat there, be prepared to wait and bring cash. Thomas's doesn't accept reservations or credit cards.

Cafe Baci - Westbury
​1636 Old Country Road
516-832-8888
This family-friendly Italian restaurant bills itself as Long Island's most popular Italian restaurant and it's easy to see why. For over 25 years, it's been providing warm and friendly service including an extensive kids' menu, high chairs/booster seats, and lunch specials along with their homemade traditional Roman cuisine updated with more contemporary flavors. Kids love the bendable wax sticks that are often issued upon seating.

West End Cafe - Carle Place
187 Glen Cove Road
516-294-5608
This Manhattan-style eatery changes its menu seasonally and uses only the freshest ingredients from local farms whenever possible. It offers New American cuisine, a lunch menu, takes reservations, and you can even get a gift card for the foodie on your holiday list. This venue definitely becomes a bit more kid friendly during the holiday season.

Mac and Cheese at Grand Lux.

Grand Lux Cafe - Garden City
630 Old Country Road
516-741-0096
From the founders of The Cheesecake Factory, comes Grand Lux Cafe, with a menu that they say spans the globe. With a large space, there usually isn't a long wait, and they have high chairs and boosters if you're shopping with little ones. All of their desserts are made fresh in their in-house bakery making it hard to turn down their Molten Chocolate Cake or even taking a box of their Warm Homemade Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies to-go. 

Patsy's Pizzeria - Garden City
630 Old Country Road (Inside of Roosevelt Field)
516-747-0590
This famous New York City pizzeria finds a home in the updated Dining District within Roosevelt Field. Shoppers can enjoy their famous family-style pizza with a casual neighborhood feel with barely taking any time out of their busy shopping schedule. 

Green Leaf's and Bananas - Garden City
630 Old Country Road
516-741-1581
Also located within the Dining District, this healthy spot offers a variety of choices from fresh tossed salads, wraps, Paninis, and homemade soups. Visitors can follow up at Bananas to grab fresh fruit smoothies, fruit frosties, and frozen yogurt.

Top image: Burger and fries at Shake Shack. Photo by m01229 via Flickr. Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of the restaurants.