Before the pandemic, we rarely ate out! For us, eating out was reserved for birthdays and special treats. And then came 2020 and after a long week, the last thing we wanted to do was cook and the worst part, the CLEANING UP! And thus, Friday Night Takeout was born.  There are a lot of great restaurants in our area, and besides the fact that it made Friday's easier on us, we felt good about supporting Green Bay Restaurants during tough times. And even as dining rooms have opened and things have started to return to normal, this tradition isn't going anywhere.

From us to the kids we all look forward to our takeout tradition and it gives us something to be excited about, even during some of those hard or busy days of the week.

Now granted, in the beginning (and still every week) the kids haven't really grasped the idea of branching out and spreading their foodie wings. We were a pretty dedicated Noodles family. The kids love the Mac and Cheese and refused to venture anywhere else! If it were up to them, I don't think we would have tried any other restaurant but we have enjoyed food at a number of local Green Bay Establishments. In no certain order, here are a few that are on our list:

• Noodles
• Mac's
• Panera Bread
• Panda Express
• Heartland Pizza
• Olive Garden
• Texas Roadhouse
• Los Magueyes
• Mr. Ginger
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Chives
• Drift Inn
• Shipwrecked (Door County)

Wow, once you start typing them out I see that we haven't strayed too far away from our comfort zone, hah! I think if Crystal and I had our pick, we would be trying every new place out there, but the kids always seem to rein us back in to their favorites.

I want to call out a few places that are particular in high rotation for us:

Heartland Pizza

We love Heartland Pizza. From the pizza, to the salads, to the garlic knots, everything tastes so fresh. This is a fairly new pizza joint in the Green Bay area but it has quickly become one of our faves. One of the best parts (besides the food) is that they do a wonderful job with fundraisers for local high schools.  Our personal favorite menu items are their salads and garlic knots.

Chives

I don't know what it is about this place but it just speaks to our souls a bit. It is definitely more on the high end of our list of places, so we don't eat here too often, but again, the food is so fresh and you can taste the difference. There are some places you just know that use fresh and local ingredients and only choose the best tasting vegetables and meats for their food, and Chives is one of them. 

Los Magueyes

Never been disappointed. Great prices, and LARGE portions. We never go hungry and there are always leftovers. This is some of the best Mexican we have ever had. My favorite is the "Fajitas Across the Border". It literally comes in like 4 different dishes and needs its own takeout bag. It is the best.

What are some of your favorite places? Where should we eat out next?!