The Pink Flamingo Play Cafe

I took my four year old and 13 year old here for the first time today. I already knew my oldest wouldn’t be able to play as she’s too big, which was cool with her. She only came for the snacks and coffee and a little time away from her brother. My youngest had a blast. It was absolute chaos when we first arrived for our reserved time slot (11 am). Not a huge deal, it’s a small space with up to 25 children at a time. There was a staff member walking around cleaning up toys and putting play areas back together. There are plenty of benches around the play space for parents to sit. I chose to give my son the freedom of independence and I sat at the bar area where I could see him the whole time. Did I have to take my shoes off to step in during his disputes? Absolutely. Grippy socks are key here. I bought him a pair and should have for myself, so that’s a lesson learned. Next time I can bring his grippy socks and get myself some. My daughter sat at a table by the window to give other parents the chairs at the bar. I like that they have a small cafe area not in view of the children. It’s blocked by the cafe itself. This area gives parents a chance to calm their littles down away from their peers. It’s also nice for childless people to come grab a quick bite to eat and a coffee without having a staring contest with a two year old. That being said, parental supervision is a must, especially for little ones. Yes there is a toddler area gated off, but the bigger littles want to venture in sometimes. And then the little littles get out. There’s also plenty of signage saying no food or drinks in the play area but that doesn’t seem to stop anyone. I get it, parents need to eat too, and the child doesn’t want to step out of the play area, but the no food rules keeps the crumbs down in the play area. Standing in the play area holding your sandwich over the gate into the cafe doesn’t count and you’re blocking everyone from coming and going. The coffee and food was great. $12 for two hours of play is affordable.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great day for some inside fun, staff is nice and they have great coffee!! Never had a bad time there and it's a great place for birthday parties!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such a wonderful place for families! The coffee & snacks are also delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The Pink Flamingo is such a fun and welcoming spot! It’s bright, cheerful, and full of personality perfect for families looking for a place to relax and enjoy time together. The atmosphere is upbeat and inviting, making it a place where both kids and adults feel comfortable and excited to be.

The staff are kind and attentive, and you can tell they work hard to make sure everyone has a great experience. The menu offers something for everyone, with plenty of tasty options that make it easy to please the whole family. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and served with care.

What I love most about The Pink Flamingo is that it feels like more than just a place to eat it’s an experience. The fun décor and lively energy make it memorable, and it’s the kind of place you’ll want to return to again and again.

If you’re looking for a family-friendly destination with great food, a positive atmosphere, and wonderful service, The Pink Flamingo should be at the top of your list. Highly recommend bringing the whole family!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The pink flamingo play cafe is a fun place for kids. My kids 7 & 4 had a lot of fun. This was our first time visiting. If we lived closer we would visit more often. I love the idea & wish we had one in Roanoke!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Today was my first time here bringing my 17 month old. She did have fun but I doubt we will return. I was disappointed in the lack of cleanliness. I understand that in the play area it is a no shoe zone as it should be because shoes carry a lot of germs, but outside of the play area where you walk in and the cafe part of it people wear their shoes which is fine.. but the young girl who was putting up the toys behind them had shoe covers on but what is the point of that if you wear the same shoe covers in the shoe zone and then wear them into the play area? You’re just bringing that dirt into the play area. New shoe covers should be put on each time or your shoes just taken off each time. The other young lady came in there at one point with her shoes on and then said let me take my shoes off and walked back and took them off. My daughter had clean white socks on when we got there and when we left the bottom of her socks were black. She had a few stumbles as well so her hands were also on the floor and then in her mouth. We have a no shoe household and clean floors that are regularly mopped and her feet and socks are never black and dirty at home and I would expect the same in a play zone for children or maybe that’s unreasonable? I don’t think so. The young lady who was putting the toys up and going back and forth from the back to the front also left the gate open more than once and my daughter made her way through the gate and tried to do it a couple more times as well behind her. Once she realized this she then started locking it but I think it should be kept locked at all times. My daughter has recently become fascinated with our trash can at home and also tried to touch the trash can there in the play area and it was nasty. It looks like the outside of it has never been cleaned. There was also crumbs of some sort in one play area and that wasn’t taken care of or cleaned up the whole time despite the employee being in there to put toys away. There was visible dirt and grime on the benches as well. I see online the playtimes run back to back, maybe there should be a 10-15 minute break in between them for staff to ensure the play zone is a little bit more cleaner, check for messes left behind, quick clean ups, etc.? Overall just pretty disappointing.

I LOVE the Mingo's coffee! Did you know that you can stop in and order a coffee from their menu without bringing kids to the play cafe? I don't have kids, but I stop in some days just to get myself one of their yummy lattes. If you live in Lynchburg and haven't tried their coffee yet, go treat yourself!

I used to frequent this location before having my third. Obviously with having a newborn, we didn’t go out anywhere until recently when she reached three months of age. “Shoeless” with a slippery floor? Insane! SO many kids getting hurt in just the thirty minutes we were here! They do nothing except say “we have grippy socks” - the grippy socks at Get Air and Bounce are better equipped for this floor than the unsafe ones they force you to buy.
Appalling and disappointing. Kids just face-planting left and right.

EDITED TO ADD: We also initially had an injury on the doors entering the play area - my son tried to open them and his finger was cut pretty deep. Lots of blood, but we tried to power through it, only to have it turn out even worse in the end.

Atmosphere: 1

Service: 1

The Pink Flamingo is exactly what our town needed! A place for the kiddos to get some real imaginative and physical play in a safe environment, while also allowing the moms to sit and have a cup of coffee or a delicious snack! The Pink Flamingo is my go to for when I have pictures to edit, or training to complete as I can sit at the bar on my laptop and still be able to keep an eye on the kids! The staff is incredibly sweet and accommodating, the atmosphere is welcoming and clean, and you can’t beat the price. So grateful for this little piece of Heaven in Forest! ❤️

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Thank you so much to Madi and Rachel for hosting us for our daughter’s third birthday at the Pink Flamingo! Everyone had a great time and we appreciated the attention to detail and service that helped the party go super smoothly. Worth every penny!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My absolute favorite place to bring my kids on a hot day or a rainy day or honestly any day!! Great coffee and treats and so much fun for my kids!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

So much fun, worth every penny

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

We hosted my kid's second birthday at the Mingo and everyone had a blast! The drinks were great, the snacks available for purchase were kid appropriate, and most importantly, the kids had fun! The children's play area is large enough for the kids to explore and play with plenty of room, but set up so the parents can watch or play with their kids. Will recommend to everyone!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Such a great place to take our kiddo! This is an amazing place for both us and our children. They get to play in a safe atmosphere while we enjoy great coffee. Highly recommend to any parent looking for a perfect way to brighten up their routine.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My grandkids absolutely love when we bring them here. It's very well designed, clean, and unique in the playtime opportunities that it offers for young children.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 5