No one knows the ins and outs of a kids' menu better than a kid! So Rachael enlists her friend Jesse, a 10-year-old with a "stomach as big as Manhattan!" to share which places make the grade in his book and why.

International House of Pancakes

Jesse thinks IHOP has the biggest kid portions for the money. "Look at this pancake," he says, "it's the size of your head!"

California Pizza Kitchen

CPK has at least three healthy options on its kids' menu, offering vegetables to go along with the staples. The pizzas on the kids' menus are 6 inches across, while the regular-sized pies are 10 inches.

Outback Steakhouse

Outback has lots of steaks on their menus in all portion sizes for both kids and adults. It's entertainment value also makes it a good deal; there are nine puzzles inside the kids' menu and some restaurants offer special tours for kids. Jesse's favorite are the chicken nuggets.

Additional tips from our pint-sized culinary guru:

• Kids don't like to be talked down to at restaurants by the waiters.
  

• Kids like big portions.
  

• Kids like food similar to what is on adult menus but "the simple stuff is what they love!"

• Kids like restaurants that have space to run around and lets them make some noise.