Family Dinner in St. Johns, FL: Easy Ideas for Every Age

Short answer: For a family dinner in St. Johns, FL on a busy weeknight, order ahead from a made-to-order kitchen. Pick a kids meal for the little ones, burgers or tacos for adults, and one lighter plate. Takeout still counts as family dinner when everyone eats together at the table.

A family dinner is any evening meal the household shares at one table, whether home-cooked or picked up on the way.

Key takeaways

• Three nights is the goal: Eating together at least 3 times a week brings kids real benefits.
• Takeout counts: You do not have to cook for dinner to count as a family meal.
• One bag, four tastes: A wide menu lets each person order their own plate in a single pickup.
• Big groups need notice: Team and party catering needs at least 48 hours’ notice.

Why do family dinners matter for kids?

Regular family meals help kids thrive. Kids who eat with their families at least 3 times a week enjoy physical, emotional, social and academic perks (Source: HealthyChildren.org).

The same page makes a point busy parents will like. You do not have to eat every meal together, and you do not even have to cook. What matters is the time at the table, not who made the food.

How do you make a weeknight family dinner easy?

Make it easy by deciding early and ordering ahead. A set plan, such as “Thursday is pickup night,” removes the late-afternoon scramble.

Leaning on a restaurant is not cutting corners. Americans spent $1.41 trillion on food away from home in 2025, out of $2.51 trillion in total food spending (Source: USDA Economic Research Service). That is more than half of every food dollar.

Planning a family dinner in St. Johns, FL gets easier with a few habits:

• Pick the night in advance so nobody has to decide at 5pm.
• Give kids two or three choices instead of the whole menu.
• Order online for pickup at a set time, so the food is hot when you arrive.

Fresh food also travels better. Here is why made-to-order food beats fast food.

What should each family member order for dinner?

Order to each person’s taste rather than forcing one shared dish. Here is a simple guide using the Quig’s menu.

Family member	Good picks	Why it works
Young kids	Kids Burger, Chicken Tenders, Grilled Cheese, Grilled PB&J or Cheese Quesadilla	Five familiar choices made for kids
Teens	Bacon Cheese Burger or Tenders as a combo	A combo adds fries and a drink
Spice lovers	Snake Bite burger, or Traditional Jumbo Wings in Hot or Mango Habanero	Grilled jalapeños, habanero jack and real heat
Seafood fans	Fried Shrimp, or Shrimp or Fish Tacos	Tacos come fried, grilled or blackened
Lighter eaters	Tropical Salad, Veggie Wrap, or any burger as a lettuce wrap	Fresh greens and less bread
Vegetarians	Veggie Burger or Veggie Wrap	Meat-free picks on the main menu

Here is how that looks for a family of four. One child gets a Kids Burger and the other gets Chicken Tenders. One parent orders a Snake Bite as a combo, and the other picks a Tropical Salad with shrimp. That is four different dinners, one online order and one stop.

Doneness matters with kids at the table. Poultry, including wings and tenders, should reach 165°F. Ground meat like burgers should reach 160°F, and fish should reach 145°F (Source: FoodSafety.gov).

What are lighter options for family dinner?

Lighter options start with how the food is cooked and what sits beside it.

Mississippi State University Extension suggests choosing grilled chicken instead of fried. It also advises asking for salad dressing on the side, and trading fries for a side salad or fruit (Source: Mississippi State University Extension).

Those three tips map straight onto a family dinner order:

• Grilled, not fried: The Chicken Wrap and Chicken Tacos both come grilled or blackened, as well as fried.
• Less bread: Any burger can be made as a lettuce wrap instead of on a bun.
• A greener side: Choose a green salad, grilled veggie or mango wasabi slaw instead of fries.

Seafood fans can find more ideas in our guide to seafood in St. Johns.

Where can you get family dinner in St. Johns, FL?

Look for a family dinner in St. Johns, FL that fits a school-night schedule: close to your route, open after practice, and easy to order ahead. Here, school nights shape a lot of evenings. The St. Johns County School District counted 48,093 students on the first day of school (Source: St. Johns County School District).

With homework and practice in the mix, pick a kitchen that stays open late and offers online pickup. Quig’s Meats & Eats is at 100 Gateway Circle, Saint Johns, FL 32259, on County Road 210, and is open every day from 11am to 9pm.

Want more options nearby? See our roundup of restaurants on CR 210 or our guide to lunch near Durbin Park.

How do you feed a big family or a team?

Order individually packaged meals or catering trays, and give the kitchen at least 48 hours’ notice. Packaged meals keep each person’s food separate on a sideline or bus.

Team dinners are a regular job for a lot of parents. In 2020, 54.1% of U.S. children aged 6 to 17 played sports during the past 12 months (Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics).

Quig’s catering options for families and teams:

• Individually packaged Tenders with Fries meals, for groups of 5 to 10 people.
• Fried or grilled tender trays: small serves 3 to 5, medium 10 to 15, large 20 to 30.
• Jumbo bone-in or boneless wing trays in 40, 60 or 80 pieces.
• Side trays: medium serves 6 to 10 and large serves 20 to 30.

Try the math for a team of 12. A medium tender tray serves 10 to 15, so one covers the players. Add two medium side trays, such as seasoned fries and coleslaw, at 6 to 10 servings each.

Request a quote on the We Cater page, or visit school and team catering. Quig’s is an approved vendor for St. Johns County schools and also hosts Spirit Nights for schools and groups.

How does Quig’s make family dinner easy?

Quig’s Meats & Eats is a family-owned kitchen, so it plans around families too. Since 2023 it has cooked each St. Johns order when it comes in, rather than keeping food warm under a heat lamp. Read why family-owned restaurants stand out.

The burgers use 100% Angus beef, and any burger can be made as a lettuce wrap. Kids get five choices of their own. Adults can pick from burgers, fried chicken, tacos and jumbo wings with nine sauces.

You can dine in, order online for pickup, or get delivery through a third-party platform. To ask about a big order, call 904-784-7844.

Frequently asked questions

Does takeout count as a family dinner?

Yes, takeout counts. HealthyChildren.org notes that you do not have to eat every meal together, and you do not even have to cook. The benefits come from sitting down and talking, not from who made the food. Kids who share family meals at least 3 times a week enjoy physical, emotional, social and academic perks. So a pickup order eaten at the kitchen table works just as well. Put phones away and give everyone a turn to share their day.

What is a good family dinner when everyone wants something different?

Pick a restaurant with a wide menu, then let each person choose. A menu with burgers, tenders, tacos, salads and kids meals covers most tastes in a single stop. At Quig’s Meats & Eats, kids can choose a Kids Burger, Chicken Tenders, Grilled Cheese, Grilled PB&J or Cheese Quesadilla. Adults can pick a burger, wings with one of nine sauces, shrimp or fish tacos, or a Tropical Salad. Ordering online for pickup lets everyone add their own choice before you leave.

How late can I get family dinner in St. Johns?

Quig’s Meats & Eats is open every day from 11am to 9pm. That leaves plenty of time for dinner after practice, a late meeting or a long commute home. On a school night, the easiest move is to order online for pickup before you leave, so the food is ready when you walk in. You can also dine in, or use a third-party platform for delivery. Feeding a whole team after a late game? Call 904-784-7844 at least 48 hours ahead.

How far ahead should I order dinner for a team?

Plan at least 48 hours ahead, because every catering order at Quig’s Meats & Eats needs that much notice. It lets the kitchen cook a large order fresh. Individually packaged Tenders with Fries meals work well for 5 to 10 people. Tender trays come in small, medium and large sizes. Bigger groups can add wing trays in 40, 60 or 80 pieces, plus side trays. Request a quote on the We Cater page or call 904-784-7844. Quig’s is also an approved vendor for St. Johns County schools.

A family dinner in St. Johns, FL does not have to be home-cooked to matter. Order ahead, give everyone a choice, and sit down together a few nights a week. Browse the menu tonight, and find more local guides on the blog.

Sources

1. HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics): Benefits of Family Meals: Eat Together, Thrive Together
2. USDA Economic Research Service: Food Prices and Spending
3. FoodSafety.gov: Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature
4. CDC National Center for Health Statistics: Organized Sports Participation Among Children Aged 6 to 17 Years: United States, 2020 (NCHS Data Brief 441)
5. Mississippi State University Extension Service: Make Healthier Choices when Dining Out
6. St. Johns County School District: Opening Day 2026-2027