How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6 or 6:30 is reasonable, but ideally there are appetizers to munch on - a vegetable tray, fruit, crackers and cheese, etc.

(Is anyone else now singing Summertime in their head bc of the lyric 'invited to a bbq startin' at 4'?)

And done eating by 6

Then six o'clock rolls around
You just finished wipin' your car down
It's time to cruise s

[Anonymous]

Latest without apology - 7:30. That’s still a perfectly reasonable dinner time. If you usually eat at 6 or 6:30, load up on apps.

With an, “oh shoot look at the time! I gotta light the grill, sorry folks!” I’d still be understanding of 8pm.

Any later, OR if there were inadequate apps, and yeah, I’d be frustrated.

[Anonymous]

6 pm.

6:30 or 7 at the latest if there are heavy heavy appetizers available.

Wtf did they expect yall to do from 4-7?! Spend 3 hours just sitting around waiting for dinner? Weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would expect to eat anywhere between 6-7, and would have snacked accordingly. Did you really expect to arrive at 4 and be handed a burger?

No.

But I didn't expect that the coals wouldn't even get lit until 6:30 either. Burgers are not on the grill yet, and it is 7.

Are you hypoglycemic or something? You're live-posting on your phone while at a bbq instead of focusing on bonding with the people in front of you. Are you ill? Be in the moment! Put your phone away!

I didn't have my phone out at their house. I came home to let my dogs out, given that it had been hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be heavy appetizers if food not ready at 4:00. I’d say on invitation, dinner at 6 but come early if you’d like a drink or apps at 5.

It wasn't a formal invite, and it wasn't a memorial weekend barbecue or something. Today at noon they said "we are going to throw burgers on the grill at 4, and these other neighbors are coming."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6 pm.

6:30 or 7 at the latest if there are heavy heavy appetizers available.

Wtf did they expect yall to do from 4-7?! Spend 3 hours just sitting around waiting for dinner? Weird.

They expected everyone to sit out on their porch drinking beer and talking about their bathroom renovation and the DW's medical issue. I got a headache and came home 15 mins ago (it wasn't a lie). Food was just getting put on the grill. DH is still there, god bless him.

[Anonymous]

From the bbq's I have hosted when we tell people it starts at 4 we will have some sort of food on the grill by 4:30 say hotdogs followed by burgers, steak then chicken.

We start with dogs and burgers because we know kids get hungry quicker and both are quick to cook.

We usually have the grill going for 2-2 1/2 hours. Plus we have fruit, chips etc out.

[Anonymous]

7 is too late for the main food to be served if you were invited over at 4. Id be annoyed too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the bbq's I have hosted when we tell people it starts at 4 we will have some sort of food on the grill by 4:30 say hotdogs followed by burgers, steak then chicken.

We start with dogs and burgers because we know kids get hungry quicker and both are quick to cook.

We usually have the grill going for 2-2 1/2 hours. Plus we have fruit, chips etc out.

Who eats dinner at 4:30?!

[Anonymous]

Kids. Which is why the PP says they start with burgers and hotdogs.

[Anonymous]

I would be so hangry! If invited over at 4, I would say 5:30 is the latest that they should start to grill.

[Anonymous]

What matters is the length of time between the guests' expected arrival and the meal you invited them for. Four+ hours between arrival and serving the meal is ridiculous.

Charcoal takes a while, it's not like a gas grill. So, no, lighting the charcoal at 6:30 and starting to cook the food at 8:00, four hours after your guests arrived, is not good hosting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6 pm.

6:30 or 7 at the latest if there are heavy heavy appetizers available.

Wtf did they expect yall to do from 4-7?! Spend 3 hours just sitting around waiting for dinner? Weird.

They expected everyone to sit out on their porch drinking beer and talking about their bathroom renovation and the DW's medical issue. I got a headache and came home 15 mins ago (it wasn't a lie). Food was just getting put on the grill. DH is still there, god bless him.

Omg Jim!!! You’re Jim! —ditching your spouse at the dinner party from Hell! Making up all kinds of excuses to cut and run!
Jim: “My apartment is flooded…”

Pam: “You can buy new stuff, Jim, but you can’t buy a new party!”

Obviously your DH wasn’t as quick on his feet as Pam, and as a result, you ditched him there!!! Lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be so hangry! If invited over at 4, I would say 5:30 is the latest that they should start to grill.

Seriously. This really IS an episode of The Office!

Pam/OP: “I don't care what they say about me, I just want to eat. Which I realize is a lot to ask for...at a dinner party!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There should be heavy appetizers if food not ready at 4:00. I’d say on invitation, dinner at 6 but come early if you’d like a drink or apps at 5.

+1 I assume there will be food apps near the start time of a BBQ..and actual grilling would start shortly afterward. Otherwise it should say on the invite. Especially if there are kids.