Looking for a serve-yourself idea for a party for 10-20 people.
A taco bar would be perfect, as it can provide a nice variety of foods and people can customize to their taste and dietary preferences, which can be quite varied. And the preparation and set up are pretty easy on the host's end.
However, I feel like taco bars are done to death and boring. What's something similar I could do? Preferably avoiding a big carb as the main show (such as pasta or mac and cheese).
If serving adult beverages, a fun Bloody Mary bar next to a chili bar sounds cool!
We have Bloody Mary and margarita bars at our family events. Big fan
Ooooh! We have done Caesar bars (big fan!), but a margarita bar?! What do you include for this?
We do silver and gold tequila, usually different mixes like classic lime, strawberry, mango. Then we do fresh and frozen fruit to add in if you want. Also sugar or salt for the rim.
Add some Tajin. Yum.
what’s a caesar bar? like caesar salad? what do you serve with it i love caesar!
You caught one of my fellow Canadians in the wild. A Caesar is a drink from up here like a Bloody Mary but instead of tomato juice we use Clamato, a mix of tomato and clam juice. I’m not kidding….and it’s better than a Bloody Mary….fight me.
Clamato is the standard in my US South Bloody Mary and “red beer”!!
thank you and how could I ever fight a Canadian!? my sister’s husband drinks a lot of Clamato. he’s Mexican and I also learned that caesar salad originated in Mexico.
I've caught a lot of flack over the years from my American friends and colleagues in the Bloody Mary vs Caesar debates.
I guess I'm just a little defensive. Haha.
If you like Clamato, you should consider trying a Michelada. Its basically a beer Bloody Mary, typically with a Mexican Lager. Sounds gross, but when they're done right they can be spectacular. I like mine with a splash of pickle juice and something darker like a Shiner Bock or Negro Modelo
Also, a nice crystal glass full of prilosec and tums
Haha I was about to comment that's a whole lotta heartburn. God, getting old is so fun!
Or Memosa bar! Momosa? Mimosa. I found it, it’s mimosa.
Chili bar is great, as is a sandwich bar tbh. I also just rly like sandwiches.
In Wisconsin you'll need entire pizzas, chickens and hamburgers. :D
Oooh and you could have small baked potatoes too
Nacho bar
What do you call a bar that isn’t yours? 😏
Well, it’s mine, but nachos.
😂 Hate that I laughed at this. Have heard a different version of this before.
Did this for a bday party and it was a hit! Other than getting vegan cheese it didn’t require extra effort to accommodate dietary weirdness.
You can have queso, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, hummus, ground beef, black beans, sour cream, black beans, peppers and either lay it all out on the table on some foil or little plastic individual boxes. It’s fairly easy
Tacos bars are done to death because they are good. Just do it.
Yeah that's what I think. I would be shocked if anyone came to the event and complained that there was a taco bar. If I showed up to an event with a taco bar, I'd be thrilled lol
If they complain, they are not your people!
The only wedding reception meal I have ever remembered was a taco bar. Absolutely amazing and good value for the newlyweds if they don’t want to break the bank on catering
I'd pick taco bar every single time over potato bar or pasta bar.
Baked potato bar, you could offer both russet and sweet potatoes. Toppings like chili, bacon, broccoli, sour cream, chives, shredded cheese, yogurt…
We had these in school once in a while and they were so great. Don't forget some jalapenos.
Had this at a wedding once. There were jokes flying around pre wedding about it, but it was a hit once everyone was there. Set up by professionals helps, of course, but done right it helped serve a lot of people.
A wedding I adored had a loaded mashed potato bar. God bless you, Reese.
We picked our wedding venue because of the mashed potato bar! I mean there were other things too but in the end it won because of the mashed potato bar. People absolutely loved it!
Also attended a wedding with a mashed potato bar. Served in martini glasses. People went CRAZY. They were a huge hit!
I went to one of these too! Martini glasses and all! It was HEAVEN. Need something that will sop up all the alcohol? MASHED POTATOES. Everybody loves mashed potatoes!
Especially Badger and everybody knows
We thought about doing this! Ended up just being out of our price range. We did fajitas though and who doesn’t love fajitas?
Shocked that fajitas were cheaper than a mashed potato bar.
Why in glasses. Why. Why. WE WANT PLATES. We deserve plates.
Oh man I had this at a conference once. The braised short rib with Gouda changed my life!
This is what we’re doing at my wedding! Glad to know it went over well. ❤️
Bbq would be great with a baked potato bar too
Mmmm! I once made pulled pork stuffed baked potatoes with cheese, bacon and pickled jalepenos. So good!
Yeah, don't forget to invite me the next time you do that.
Stooppppppp! I wasn't planning on cooking loaded baked potato tonight but might have to now!
Came here to say this! You can have both sandwich buns for those who prefer sandwiches, baked potatoes for those who prefer bbq stuffed potatoes, and then some like a sandwich or plain meat with a basic potato on the side. I’d serve both brisket and sliced sausage. Slaw, beans, all the traditional sides
I went to a wedding once that had a baked potato bar and it was amazing
Why not both, same ingredients choice of tortilla or potato for vessel
WHY NOT BOTH is the best answer
I've seen mashed potato bars as well, usually served in martini glasses, with all the same toppings choices. Much easier to eat than a baked potato. You can even eat it as you walk around.
We did a mashed potato bar at our wedding almost 20 years ago. People still talk about it!
Was gonna suggest the baked potato bar especially a steamed broccoli and cheese sauce (separate though)
"Preferably avoiding a big carb as the main show"
Uhhh yeah
This made me realize that a baked potato is kinda like a taco.
Potaco
Or mashed potato bars
Hamburger stroganoff, nacho cheese, blue cheese crumbles
Yep, pulled bbq pork and/or chicken as well
Roast beast makes an excellent topper for baked taters
Please add cheddar, horseradish, and pickled onion to my roast beast
Yes! My work cafeteria occasionally does baked potato bar, and it's the only lunch I get truly excited about. You could make yours extraordinary, and everyone will love it.
This can also be done with pierogies
We did a baked potato bar for my son's first birthday, absolute hit. Had bbq (pulled pork if you're not from NC), a taco filling style, and buffalo chicken, plus a lot of toppings. Very easy to prep, did the bbq ahead of time, and the chicken and taco day of, plus baked a ton of potatoes. Turned the leftover baked ones into twoce baked potatoes and froze them, wins all around.
We do this for meetings at work sometimes and it’s a big hit.
I came to post this. You got here first.
It is also hallal, kosher, and vegan friendly, even if some of the optional toppings are not.
Take my upvote !
A taco bar is never over done.
anyone who is tired of taco bars is tired of life.
They just haven’t found the right taco
Exactly. Add some nachos to the mix too!
Ya taco bar is fine by me lol
Taco bar? Where does the line start?
OP could mix it up as a fajita bar. Totally not a taco bar
I was going to suggest this because you can do pork and pineapple or chicken and bell peppers, get a little creative!
Agree, I would do tacos also. 🌮
Add nachos and now it’s a festival. Plus it’s cinco de mayo tomorrow. If you wanted to go authentic you could do a Crunchwrap supreme or chillito bar.
Having a custom made Crunchwrap at a party, with great people would be life changing.
We are friends now !
Agree. To make it a little more interesting, she could do elotes or something similar, get taco bowls for taco salads, get a bunch of cheap hot sauces to try, etc.
Agreed, especially if you go beyond like, American style tacos and have things like nopales and really well seasoned mushrooms and rajas con crema and like an elote filling…
Make your own Greek wrap? Everyone starts with a large pitta bread. Then it's a similar idea to a taco bar. You could prep various meat or cheese skewers, falafels, lots of salad ingredients, fries or potato wedges, pickles, dressings like hummus or tzatziki.
That sounds so good—love this idea!
Was thinking the same- like a Greek bowl station. Meats, rice, all the sauces and pita.
Greek bowl station
We need to make this a thing, like seriously
There used to be a restaurant like that near me. Darn Covid ruined everything.
It was like Chipotle but for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food.
Like Cava?
Roasted red pepper feta sauce!
Gyro bar? Basically the same thing but Mediterranean food
We have a Mediterranean restaurant here that prepares their gyros assembly line style much like moes/chipotle/subway.
Gyro bar would be just like that, and would probably be a huge hit
A rice bowl? You can have different choices like Mexican, Asian, or bbq?? You can have different grilled proteins (even grilled tofu for vegetarians) and grilled veggies.
Then add ins like beans, salsas, cheese, cream, guacamole,etc.
Different carb options: white rice, brown rice, quinoa
Imagine it like the Chipotle bar.
I can totally see this working with an option for a lettuce base as well to make salads with the same stuff for anyone avoiding grains.
Underrated comment. As a gf person, this would be amazing. And really, is there any culture in the world that doesn't eat rice at least sometimes?!
Inuit.
Fair point.
In Holland, they have a version of this, the Rijsttafel. (Rice Table)
Bibimbap bar? There are tons of veggies you can add.
I have a bunch of friends with various dietary restrictions where trying to pick a single meal that fits all of them requires an industrial strength constraint solving algorithm.
One time, for a big get together, I just did bibimbap and let people assemble them themselves. It was a huge hit.
I came here to say the same! Pick your veggies of choice, you can also do meat, eggs, or tofu, add extra hot pepper or sesame seed if you want.
I would go absolutely nuts for a bibimbap bar and may use this for my next dinner party - thank you! It’s unique, delicious, and accommodates food preferences well. Any ideas for cocktail/booze pairings?
From wine daily about what to pair with bibimbap--- "Many crisp white wines with less oak presence work well, be it a fruity New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, a light, mineral-driven Alsace Pinot Blanc, or a chalky, lemony Chablis"
Also don't overthink it, a nice light crisp refreshing beer might be really good too. Feel like a beer with lemony notes could be a hit here.
how about a DIY banh mi spread? Everyone likes sandwiches and the french roll is easy to find at delis/bakeries. You can even have vegetarian fillings.
I have friends that did Banh Mi for their wedding (among other favorite foods) but they just went to their local legit Vietnamese place and had them make up like 50-60 banh mi in vegan and omni versions and in the smaller size like a traditional banh mi, and then just put them out in catering trays all neatly wrapped in paper just like from the store.
It was a huge hit because you could just grab one and eat it like a regular banh mi, because they were just regular banh mi.
The banh mi is a relatively complicated sandwich to cram all the veggies and ingredients in there and keep it tidy and not a huge mess of prepped veggies and ingredients in a buffet style, and trying to make your own sandwiches in nice clothes is just asking for trouble and annoyances.
And then guests were invited to take one or two home if they wanted as the night went on.
I second this idea. I’ve had a Bahn mi party based off Andrea Nguyen’s handbook and it was so good and so varied.
Sliders bar. Beef, pork, chicken + veggie options. Disposable chafing dishes to keep warm. Everyone eats their choice at their pace.
You could even do breakfast for dinner sliders or just breakfast for dinner spread. Cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, tofu, fruit salad, waffles, mini pancakes, baked French toast, hash browns, sautéed veggies, baked veggies, spreads, jams, syrups.
Chorizo pancake tacos? Get little taco bowls for pancakes, add in the chorizo or bacon and some eggs! Idk lol
Dress up in Pajamas and make it a Pajama party.
Honestly everyone loves brunch and no one wants to say they want to do that for dinner, yet I’ve never had anyone turn down pancakes when offered regardless of the time :)
ya came to say a burger bar, slider bar is also a good idea
Man, I keep thinking of the worst ideas.
-A Fun Dip bar, where each person has one big sugar stick they can lick and stick into various trays of powder (the cocaine would need to be in the next room).
-Flavor your own gelatin bar
-Sugar-free Haribo candy center
-Make your own sandwiches: Miracle Whip is the only condiment.
Honestly? Stick with tacos or nachos. Now I want white trash Old El Paso tacos, thanks!
Calm down Satan.
Doxxed.
Miracle Whip
i grew up only having MW and while i quickly switched to hellman's once i discovered it, i still like to use MW to make tuna salad. some trash stuff just stays with you sometimes :)
I’ll dab a little miracle whip, no problem. It’s different but tasty.
You are evil! I would be so sad at a sandwich bar with just Miracle Whip. I hate it with every fiber of my being! It legit makes me viscerally angry.
Plus sticky handed people from the Fun Dip bar I would have a stroke!
I guess I have strong food preferences.
Have you ever put dill relish on your white trash tacos? It is amazing 🤩
Chaotic evil, I’m here for this
Mezze Bar!!! 6 kinds of hummus, baba ganouj and a million toppings, a variety of dippers, pickles, salads, rolled grape leaves, kofte, cheeses, 12 kinds of olives...
I went to a very upscale bat mitzvah where this was the food theme. It was very well received by all. Plenty to accommodate the variety of diets. All beautiful and tasty, and beautifully presented.
I love this idea. We did a 2 person version of this last weekend and it was delicious. Made for great leftovers too.
Yes! It’s freaking delicious, and super easy to make really filling bowls out of this if you include grains, chicken, and chickpeas. It’s one of my go-tos for corporate events since our team has several vegetarians.
We had something like that at the wrap party for a musical I did stage crew work for. Local Greek place catered, and the options were crazy, I loved it. They had some full dishes too, but damn if that grazing section didn't go crazy
I'd just stick with a taco bar because they're so good. But add some uniqueness to it. Meat alternatives, extra salsas to choose from.
Might be the best taco bar that any of the guests had.
And small bags of doritos for walking taco salad
And also have Fritos. I know Doritos are the "classic" choice, but Fritos are actually superior.
I prefer Fritos over Doritos but I’d still eat the F out of the Dorito version.
Yup - I was going to suggest tacos in a bag. I went to a wedding that had this for midnight lunch - it was great!
Place I use to bowl at has walking tacos during their midnight bowl. They have melted cheese, ground beef, pulled pork and shredded chicken for toppings.
Give options of shells hard, soft, and crunchy salad bowl shells. Tortillas chips, and crock pot with nacho cheese sauce. That way, taco salads and nachos are options for those not in mood for tacos.
Veggie options like roasted peppers, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, corn, roasted sweet potatoes.
Non meat options like refried beans, black beans, and my favorite lentils *seasoned like taco meat.
Absolutely!!
Like, level up.
Do a lentil walnut taco meat for vegetarians, grilled scallions, homemade pico de gallo and tomatillo salsa, pickled onions, guacamole, cabbage lime slaw and refried beans for sides.
Do a Mediterranean bar with falafel, kofta, kebabs, couscous, tabbouleh, a bunch of dips, pita, flat bread, olives, etc.
tabbouleh
every time i read that word i wince.
i attended a party decades ago where the host (who i barely even knew at the time) included a big bowl of tabbouleh among the offerings at the buffet table. i'd never had it before & became insanely overwhelmed by how much i loved it & proceeded to eat THE ENTIRE BOWL myself. i kept telling myself stop it! leave some for the others but i could not control the ravenous wildwoman i had become.
i attempted to apologize to the host for being such a pig, and tried to sneak out early, but luckily the guy (who i ended up becoming great friends with) thought it was hysterical and for years retold of my gluttonous behavior as proof he made the best tabbouleh in town.
just as embarrassing, i had previously done the exact same thing with a huge tray of artichoke hearts (again, it was my first time having them) at another friend's mother's easter dinner.
impulse control has never been my strong suit.
I would be so honored if someone loved something I made that much. This is a great story!
from that night forward we started becoming friends & every single time i went to his apt. for a dinner party (he hosted a big bash monthly) he'd send me home with a huge tupperware filled with tabbouleh even when it wasn't on that evening's menu!
There must be a lesson here but I'm not sure what it is, given the result was that you got a whole bowl of delicious tabbouleh and a new good friend
Baked Potato Bar!!! We’ve done it multiple times.
I went to a wedding that had a mashed potato bar. Mashed potatoes scooped into martini glasses and all the toppings you can imagine. It was amazing
A Brunch bar
A brunch bar - carve your own meats, add your own sides (vegetables, salads, sauces, dips) - avoid adding the big carb. A brunch bar can also have pre-cooked items like different types of quiche.
If you're outdoors, you can also have a "grill your own" bar (BBQ Bar?) - where guests can grill/bbq different meats or vegetables (prepped to cook fast) - different sauces, and marinades. Have appropriate sides.
Other bars - Sandwich bar, salad bar, pasta bar ...
Try a Tapas BAR but east Indian or middle eastern.
Choice of protein:
SCHWARMA style chicken Spicy Shredded beef Chana (aka chickpea) curry
Then you'd have your veggies similar to tacos.
Add Biriyani rice, Cous-Cous or Tabboulleh as one of 3 filling options for the pita bread (or not lol)
The best part would be the different types of homemade sauces that can drizzled on!
You can have a:
Yogurt based white sauce (plain yogurt, spices, dill!! You can use lactose free yogurt for ppl w/sensitivities) Creme Fraiche based sauce (try different spices like lemon grass and rosemary) A green sauce (cilantro, lemon, tomatillo, Celery, bell pepper, jalapeño, etc) Tomatoes based sauce And for some real serious fun Tamarind Sauce
The options are endless and you'll be able to cater to literally any food intolerance automatically!!!
Vietnamese Fresh rolls are fun. All the fixings and a bowl of water for wrappers. Different sauces.
Make your own pizzas is more work, but super fun! You could also do a pasta bar with different noodles, spaghetti squash, gnocchi, and a variety of sauces/mix ins
In girl scouts, we'd stuff pizza toppings in a pita, wrap it in foil, write our name on the outside in Sharpie, and chuck it in the fire. Personalized pita pizzas once they were heated up. Would do the same with the kids I nannied, occasionally. But we'd wrap them in foil, then stick on a baking tray and put in the oven.
Came here to say pizza bar! I make mine on tortillas, however the issue is not having enough stove space..
Asian style bar? Teriyaki chicken, Mongolian beef, kung Pao shrimp with lo mein noodles, rice, assorted stir fry veggies. Please don't roast me, I'm aware what I've suggested may be more Americanized versions and not authentic, but the idea is what counts. 😁
Bahn mi, vermicelli, rice bowl bar!
Sushi or Poke bar?
I did a sandwich bar for my birthday and it was pretty fire. Had about 30 different toppings to choose from. I did a gnocchi bar for a party once. Every gnocchi topping I could think of. A pita bar would be sweet. Pull topping options from Greek gyro toppings, kebab toppings, shawarma toppings, donair sauce, etc
that does sound good,
Seafood boil!
Oh! I got this. Hot dog bar. We’ve been doing this for years and it’s so fun that several of our friends started doing it too.
Basically get a bunch of fun toppings (onions, tomatoes, pickles, slaw, cheese, sauerkraut, cilantro, crushed chips, whatever) and all your favorite condiments (you can get really creative with spicy ketchup/mustard, whole grain mustard, curry mustard, etc) and let people go wild.
It’s really fun and lets people be creative. I came up with a “curry dog” with curry mustard, red onions, and cilantro that has become one of my all time favorites.
We had a shawarma bar recently. It went so well.
Pitas/wraps/rice for the base, chicken and beef shwarma options for the protein, harissa, a few variety of humus and tahini, pickles, tomatoes, garlic sauce, + as toppings.
tzatziki and pita chips, and fattoush salad as sides along with fresh fruit, brownies and baklava for dessert.
Poutine bar.
Big thing o fries, cheese curds, gravy and any topping your imagination can come up with. If you can think it, it's probably a viable poutine topping.
How about moving it a half step and have a nacho bar. We had a party once where we covered a kitchen table with foil and had the whole table as a "plate" of nachos. Like 10 bags of chips, multiple cans of beans and Olives, several heads of lettuce, and pounds and pounds of meat and cheese. It was epic.
We did fancy PBJ for my son's birthday once. Different breads, nut butters, cream cheese, jellies, marshmallow fluff, honey, granola, sliced fruit like strawberries and bananas. It was super cool!
Ramen cup bar with different instant ramens, soft boiled eggs, mushrooms/veggies/meats, crunchy garnishes like seaweed and crispy onions, and chili oil/sesame oil.
I've never been to somewhere that did a taco bar. And they're done to death? So left out. :(
We had a build-your-own kebab/skewer station once! There were bowls out with pre-chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, marinated beef and shrimp, pineapple chunks, etc etc and pre-soaked skewers. Guests could assemble their skewers and place them on a tray to bring out to the grill, and I would monitor everyone 's skewers and they don't overcook. After a few minutes, our guests could wonder by, and find their finished skewer on a tray next to the grill, or they could sit and have a beer with me while they waited !
Chili bar. You could have a couple kinds of chili plus a ton of toppings laid out.
Mediterranean
Breakfast
Indian
Maybe a southern barbecue depending on preferences
Any of those I would say you could tailor into a taco bar style format while also avoiding major carbs. If you have to cheat, a cauliflower rice works pretty well as a rice substitute
Gado Gado bar with noodles, rice, and salad as base and a range of proteins and veggies plus a few sauces, can easily be vegan and gluten free for some and meaty and glutenous for others :)
Cobb salad bar
Shawarma or gyros
Taco bars are over done because they go over well. Maybe do a nacho bar instead, it's basically the same so you know it'll be a hit, but you can mix it up with different varieties of tortilla chips - get some crazy doritos flavors in there and have fun with it
Have a “Souper” (I've done this a couple times for Superbowl). A couple pots of soups on the stove and another pot or two of soup/chilli in slow cookers. Prepare tray loads of sandwiches cut in quarters; subs cut in small pieces; wraps cut in half, etc Have enough mugs/ large Styrofoam cups on hand.
Pita bar? Different Hummuses, tzatziki, babaganoush, onions, sprouts, falafel, chicken, stuff like that
Steak tip bar. Great canvas. Bleu crumbles, caramel onions, any of the mother-derivitive sauces, peppers, mushrooms, red demi, parsley oil, chimichurri, chopped native(or bay) scallops. If you can't afford steak you could do pork skewers or grilled chicken breasts.
Pasta, baked potato, baguette / toast, rice bowls (my favorite), Asia noodles - soba, udon, rice, etc., hot pots.
Pasta bar! I do one with 2-3 sauces, chicken, bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, assorted cheeses, fresh herbs, steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, fresh or sautéed spinach, roasted garlic, buttered breadcrumbs. Lots of options- and can be done GF with the right pasta. :)
Once my old roommates and I hosted a grilled cheese party, that was pretty great.
My cousin had a burger bar at her wedding as the main course. Definitely the best wedding and wedding dinner I've ever been too(liked it more than the dinner at my own wedding).
Could easily add chicken patties, sausage, or veggie burgers for variety
Guys. I just read a million comments. I just wanted to tell you all… I love it here. You are my people. That’s all.
How about a pasta bar? You could do different types of pasta, different sauces, different meats, and even different cheeses (but I haven't done the different cheeses).
Vietnamese spring roll bar
This is really tasty, but has a bit of a learning curve to wet the rice paper--easily overcome with a bit of a note. Really fun for a small dinner party too.
Obvious fillings are mint, rice noodles, shrimp, bean sprouts, lettuce. But you can go all over with carrots, cabbage, avocado, mango, thai basil, cucumber, cilantro, tofu, smoked meats, jalapeño, other peppers, green onion, hard boiled eggs? tomatoes? Honestly, almost everything would taste good dipped in the peanuts sauce, but my favorite is avocado, mango, thai basil, rice noodles, lettuce, carrots.
The super thin beef that Costco sells for hot pot work great in them too. You could even set up an electric griddle to cook the proteins fresh.
Poutine bar!
Frito pie bar. Make a big batch of chili (and a separate batch of vegan chili if needed). Have various toppings--cheese, sour cream, green onions. Then some warmed up corn chips.
Pasta bar? Two types of cooked pasta, 2 or 3 sauces, a large bowl of salad?
We have done many of these types of things for Scout Conclave weekends. Feeding hundreds of teenagers. Taco and Baked Potato are good. Pierogies are another great one. Mac and Cheese is also good. These are all good because the base item is something that can be kept in a chafer or crock pot (nothing crispy that would require lights or a special holder, such as french fries).
What about burrito bowls instead of tacos? Easier to eat and less messy - rice, beans, protein, lettuce, tomato, jalapeno, cheese, etc. Easy for anyone who is vegan or gluten free.
My nephew got it from Chipotle the last time we got together, so good and the vegan was able to have a bunch of food.
Crepe bar. You can do sweet and savory, vegetarian and meaty, and the carb component is thin/less substantial. Plus all sorts of fun sauces! Ideally you'll want to be able to hot hold though, and maybe have a microwave nearby for reheating/cheese melting. Premade crepes hold very well under a damp towel. If you run low, they're also fast to make! Just keep some extra batter in the fridge/on ice.
I recently had a bunch of friends around had had a make your own Vietnamese Summer Roll.
Had loads of cooked noodles, raw carrot, raw peppers, coriander, mint, some toasted peanuts, then had some cooked chicken and shrimp.
Then had a bunch of chilli, some fried shallots and several dipping sauces. So people just made their own rolls
You could do a make your own subs- lots of different meats, cheeses and vegetables, and breads , a couple of bags of chips - top it off with a make your own sundae
It sounds like you really want a taco bar. It’s a win-win.
And btw, tacos are never overdone. It’s a crowd pleaser, easy, delicious, and easy to modify for varied tastes.
Build your own Niçoise salad bar. Give a prize for whomever builds the prettiest one. You'll need
Those not into salad can build a plate of fish, potatoes & green beans. Some of the things lower on my list aren't necessarily classic Niçoise ingredients, but you can make it your own. I've even seen Niçoise salad with white beans on it, a good vegan option, if needed.
Could do like a cava bowl or bibibop bowl party?
Like others said, baked potato bar or another, but add a buffalo chicken dip. Covers pickier eaters and acts as an appetizer
I have had good success with a salad bar a few times. Not like a restaurant with lots of different things called salads as that is too much effort for one person. I had a variety of lettuce types and spinach leaves, tossed salad toppings, six different bottles of salad dressings (less waste with bottles), and then toppings of sunflower seeds, walnuts, and croutons.
Baked potato bar
A lettuce wrap bar!! Thai flavor profile - shrimp, steak, chicken satay, with tons of toppings - shredded radish, pickled onion, sliced jalapeños, that type of thing.
Mediterranean food bar. Shwarma, fattoush, rice, hummus and garlic, falafel
How about a gyro bar? Same general idea, different origin and flavors.
Loaded fries/tater tot bar? Crepe bar?
I did a meatball bar once. Greek meatballs, meatballs in pesto and meatballs in a sticky Asian style sauce. Served with bread, pita, a couple different salads and various condiments and snacky sides. Big hit.
I just thought of another one. Waffle bar. Some sweet options, some savoury options. Something for everyone. A couple of waffle makers and a couple of pitchers of batter.
A bit more involved on the guests' front but we've started doing summer roll/ rice paper rolls (Gỏi cuốn?). The fillings are cold, all you need is a container with hot water into which the sheets can be briefly dipped. Huge variety of fillings too. People don't even mind if their attempts aren't perfect because the flavours and dipping sauces are so good!
Perogie bar! Caramelized onions, bacon, variety of cheese, sour cream, sautéed mushrooms, jalapeños, arugula, sauerkraut, tomato, banana peppers, olives, bean sprouts… anything you can think of !
Ugh now I want perogies
I think North America Taco Bars have indeed been "done to death". With that said if I went to a party and there was a big platter of pulled meat with the drippings and spicy sauce and a whack of Salsas and some queso and I may never leave your home and I will bring my sleeping blanket.
rijsttafel, I think it's called. You make a curry then have multiple bowls of things to add, sweet and savory, hard boiled eggs, sultanas , onions, rice of course, chili, peanuts, chicken.
I think it's a Dutch tradition adapted from food in Indonesia.
How about a salad bar? With an assortment of mix-ins such as chopped vegetables, diced avocado, mandarin orange segments, proteins (grated cheese, diced chicken, tuna in oil, lentils, chickpeas, etc), nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, pepitas, cashews, slivered almonds, etc), and crunchy carb bits like croutons, crushed tortilla chips, fried wonton strips or chow mein noodles. Provide an assortment of quality salad dressings (ex: Asian sesame vinaigrette, Southwest, poppyseed, etc). Aim for a mix of vinaigrettes and creamy dressings such as yogurt-based ones. Try a colourful coleslaw or broccoli slaw base, as well as mixed greens (lettuces).
I've been making meals out of those chopped salad kits in the produce section, lately, which is what has inspired this.
Omelette and crepe station. Kills every time.
Pita bar- mini pitas, gyro meat, grilled chicken, hummus, loads of toppings and sauces
A grilled cheese bar! And have a big pot of tomato soup. I had a party where everyone brought different ingredients and I had some George Foreman grills set up. Now I’m hungry.
The last chili cook-off I went to had a whole bar with every topping you can think of and also had hotdogs and fries you could use the chili for it was awesome lol