Our dear friends Jacqueline and Kirk have five children. Since they’re not made of money, dining out is not something they do very often. However, after we gushed about our Sundays at Barely and Hops in Frederick, Maryland, they agreed to meet us there this past Sunday for a late lunch.

As I’ve mentioned before, not only do kids eat free on Sundays, but their core beers are available in $2.00 pints.

Corralling seven kids, even the best-behaved, is always going to be a challenge. However, a combination of paper covering the tables, crayons, and build-your-own pizzas kept much of their attention.

But the biggest appeal was to us budget-conscious parents. Where else could a family of seven gotten an decent meal at a real restaurant for $20 plus tip? (Okay, granted, the youngest is still a baby, but still.)

The staff was friendly (and patient), the food delivered in a timely manner, and the beer was good.  The kids even ate most of their food (another challenge, as you parents already know).

If you go, I recommend the middle of Sunday afternoon. The lunch crowd has dispersed and the dinner crowd has not yet arrived.

All in all, I heartily recommend it.