We've also availed ourselves of the options for "extra" catering for adults at our parties, so there's something like crudites, crackers/cheese, hummus, etc. for the adults, along with the obligatory pizza for the kids. As long as the adults are present, and the kids are eating a meal, I'm personally compelled to feed the adults. (We also offer coffee.) I'd definitely be interested in trying a venue with better/more interesting options for adults (or all guests).

That said, I'd never walk away from a party kvetching about how inadequate the adult food was. I'd just eat my pizza -- or not -- and have something else afterwards.

As a foreigner, I find it extremely odd that the default food for birthday parties and events, even adult ones, is pizza.

However, I manage to survive. It's tough, OP! Just kidding.

(We have home birthday parties and I never serve pizza.)

Anonymous wrote:Try Pinstripes in Georgetown.

Yup, this is the only place I've ever been to where they serve good food for adults as well. Best party I've ever been to for kids -- they had a great time and I actually did too!!

I don't go to kids parties here in DC expecting good food for the adults as well. In the south where I'm from, you wouldn't throw a kid's party without it -- every person who comes is considered to be a guest and is made welcome with good food.

I suspect OP is from the south or has southern friends...

In my experience most of the party places allow you to bring your own food/drinks (with some limitations that they specify in the contract) but often have "a recommended pizza/snacks delivery" that you usually just add on to your whole package.

Our last party's place specified that you had to order pizza through them but we were allowed to bring our own drinks/cake/cold items (they specified that no other hot food besides their "approved" pizza were allowed).

Since the party place was close to Wegmans and since I was already getting drinks/cake from them I decided to get some party trays from their Catering Department. BEST DECISION EVER. Kids devoured the "kids finger sandwiches" (very tasty, cute and adorable) and adults loved their "adult" wraps and sandwiches. Also some sushi and fruit.
This was my first experience with Wegmans catering and they were extremely professional through the entire process (and in now way I'm connected with the chain just thought it by far exceeded any expectations re "grocery store catering").

I probably spent about the same I would have spent on pizzas but after the party almost every adult came up to me and asked where did I get the food and told me how much they enjoyed the break from usual birthday party pizza routine.

Just throwing it out there (and I would not mind if it would start a trend )

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you kidding?

The party isn't for you. Buy your own damn lunch. And if the parents are thoughtful enough to provide pizza for the parents too, be grateful.

This is how I feel. When I take my daughter to a birthday party, I don't eat.

Same.

Really? So when you go to a party that's DURING lunchtime (11-1) and there's no food for adults, you don't think that's sort of strange?

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess, OP - your kids are about 3yo or younger? I remember when my oldest was young, I was determined to serve more interesting food at birthday parties - sandwich platters, quesadillas, etc. For a few early parties I did Lebanese Taverna mezze! But you know what? Kids like pizza. They eat pizza. It's an incredibly efficient way to make most of the people for whom the party has been organized happy, and it's not terribly expensive or complicated or messy. In retrospect, I look back on my earlier ambitious menus and kind of roll my eyes at my old self.

Anyway, as the kids get to elementary school, most of the parties are drop-off anyway, so why should you care what the hosts choose to feed their guests?

I'm glad it wasn't just me

We generally have a salad or a veggie tray & some fruit & cheese & crackers at our parties along with pizza & cake but I get that some venues don't allow outside food & some people just aren't up for providing extra food beyond cake & pizza. No big deal. Don't most adults like pizza anyway?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you kidding?

The party isn't for you. Buy your own damn lunch. And if the parents are thoughtful enough to provide pizza for the parents too, be grateful.

This is how I feel. When I take my daughter to a birthday party, I don't eat.

Same.

Buy your own lunch.

We order enough pizza for kids and parents and we also bring a fruit and cheese/crackers/bread platter for the adults (the kids also end up eating the fruit). We also bring lots of mini bottles of water (as it seems a lot of places only give the kids one juice box. It gets expensive though, so I don't expect if from other people--I'm just happy to have my kid entertained for a hour.

Let me guess, OP - your kids are about 3yo or younger? I remember when my oldest was young, I was determined to serve more interesting food at birthday parties - sandwich platters, quesadillas, etc. For a few early parties I did Lebanese Taverna mezze! But you know what? Kids like pizza. They eat pizza. It's an incredibly efficient way to make most of the people for whom the party has been organized happy, and it's not terribly expensive or complicated or messy. In retrospect, I look back on my earlier ambitious menus and kind of roll my eyes at my old self.

Anyway, as the kids get to elementary school, most of the parties are drop-off anyway, so why should you care what the hosts choose to feed their guests?

Try Pinstripes in Georgetown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why people are getting angry at the OP. She asked a very reasonable question.

Yes, I think that birthday venues should give a better choice for food rather than the standard pizza. Maybe they can collaborate with the next door eatery/restaurant etc.

I usually have parties at my house because I can serve a proper lunch for the parents as well as pizza for the kids.

There are also some venues that do not have any food but allow you to get food from outside. That allows you to have some sandwich platters and other appetizers brought in from outside as well as pizza and cake.

She didn't ask a question. She bitched about the pizza she's being served at birthday parties for children. Which made her sound entitled and obnoxious.

It's terrific that you want to go above and beyond and serve the adults a nice lunch. I am sure your guests are sincerely grateful and appreciative.

Well, it is difficult to figure out just from someone's post what they sound like. I did not find her entitled and obnoxious. I thought that she actually wanted ideas about how to serve more than pizza if parents come to the party.

I actually feel more grateful and appreciative to my guests for showing up to our kids birthday parties. I am SAHM, but most of my friends are WOHMs and their weekends are super hectic. They have to take out time to come to our MD home from all over DMV, and I am sure it is a hassle. Asking parents and siblings for the party actually allows all of us to catch up and they have some logistical flexibility too - otherwise, it is difficult to juggle all the kids activities, drop-offs and pick-ups, lunch etc.

Even this works if kids are ES age or younger. Once they are in MS - these parties stop, because the kids are just not available on the weekends, and usually they just want to take a few friends to a movie or a restaurant.

Alot of those places (kids party venues) do offer add-on foods besides pizza (i.e. veggie trays, chicken fingers), but when parents are already spending $300-400 for the party and add extra pizza to feed the parents which is usually the cheapest option I think it's absurd to expect them to pay for overpriced veggie trays or sandwich wraps for parents.

Anonymous wrote:Are you kidding?

The party isn't for you. Buy your own damn lunch. And if the parents are thoughtful enough to provide pizza for the parents too, be grateful.

Agree. It's not all about you, OP.