The kids absolutely love it at Chuck E. Cheese's, there's plenty of things to do, and I am a fan of the grilled chicken sandwich, fries and, yes, a nice cold beer to wash them down.  And the kids ALWAYS wolf down the pizza there.  Chuck E. Cheese's is geared towards kids ages 2 to 12.

Make sure to check the Sunday newspaper coupons before you go because they have coupons in there all the time.  Or if you don't get the paper, just visit their website at www.chuckecheese.com, click "Coupons" and "Get a Coupon" to find discount coupons for the location of your choosing.

How about a quick walkthrough of the Thousand Oaks Chuck E. Cheese's.  Admittedly the video is lousy but gives ya a feel for what the place is like...when not PACKED with kids!

UPDATE 1/16/10: We went to the Thousand Oaks location today and, good news...they have a LOT of new games!  The bad news is that some of my kids' favorites, like the roller coaster simulators, are gone.  But there are a lot of brand new machines, like Guitar Hero, a large horseback ride, and more, that make it worth stopping by to check out. 

Chuck E. Cheese's is at 130 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks (805.497.2522) and 4714 Telephone Road in Ventura (805.644.9777).  Up until recently there was a Simi Valley location but no more.

More about Chuck E. Cheese.  They have been around since 1977 and have over 500 locations in the U.S. and Canada.  You can own shares of the company by purchasing stock symbol CEC.

And if you really have some time on your hands, here is a Chuck E. Cheese walkabout character guide circa pre-1990.  This is quite an, uh, interesting, training video.  Everything you did, or didn't, want to know about being Chuck E. Cheese!