Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 15:05     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
I once fainted in the bathroom awaiting dinner at my DH’s colleague’s house. I was 8 months pregnant and prone to wild blood sugar swings.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 14:38     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Food should be ready by the arrival time noted on the invitation. I have a cousin like Op's neighbor, and she is terribly disorganized. A few years ago, she invited us to her house for dinner, and not only was the food not ready, but she wasn't there. We waited outside for 30 minutes, and when she arrived, she began cooking the food she had just purchased.

If you invite me to dinner, I don't want to watch you prepare it. Everything should be ready by the time your guests start arriving.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 13:44     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So ... if you invite some neighbors over for dinner, which is burgers on the grill, and tell them to come at 4pm, at what point is it unreasonable if there is no dinner yet?

Invited over at 4pm for burgers, other neighbors were invited as well, and host decides to wait for other neighbor's grown kid to show up with their kids. It's 6:30, and they are just lighting the coals now at 6:30pm. FWIW, there were a few snacky foods out (cheese and crackers).

I'm hangry and trying to be civil, lol.
Next time bring nibbles and appetizers and get other neighbors to do the same.


OP here. We had asked what we could bring, and were told not to bring anything. It's rude to bring something when you are told not to.


You could have been like "oh, it's just for me, not the group lol." Enough with these hosts who want to control everything.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 13:42     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So ... if you invite some neighbors over for dinner, which is burgers on the grill, and tell them to come at 4pm, at what point is it unreasonable if there is no dinner yet?

Invited over at 4pm for burgers, other neighbors were invited as well, and host decides to wait for other neighbor's grown kid to show up with their kids. It's 6:30, and they are just lighting the coals now at 6:30pm. FWIW, there were a few snacky foods out (cheese and crackers).

I'm hangry and trying to be civil, lol.
Next time bring nibbles and appetizers and get other neighbors to do the same.


OP here. We had asked what we could bring, and were told not to bring anything. It's rude to bring something when you are told not to.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 13:41     Subject: Re:How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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?!


Op here and I don't consider a bbq dinner as people will have a hot dog here or a burger there while socializing.Then come back on hour or so later for something else. From the bbq's I've hosted it's grazing in between socializing and playing games. Everything is cooked and put on hot trays so people can take as they please at whatever time they choose to. If they arrive early there's food and if they arrive late there's still food to be eaten at there leisure.


OP here. And that ^^ was not me. Weird.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 13:39     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Who needs to eat at 4pm? Children? Adults eat dinner at 7pm or later where I am from.


I go to bed at 9. I’m absolutely having dinner by 6:30.


same
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 12:17     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:So ... if you invite some neighbors over for dinner, which is burgers on the grill, and tell them to come at 4pm, at what point is it unreasonable if there is no dinner yet?

Invited over at 4pm for burgers, other neighbors were invited as well, and host decides to wait for other neighbor's grown kid to show up with their kids. It's 6:30, and they are just lighting the coals now at 6:30pm. FWIW, there were a few snacky foods out (cheese and crackers).

I'm hangry and trying to be civil, lol.
Next time bring nibbles and appetizers and get other neighbors to do the same.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 11:14     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
There should be appetizers or snacks immediately and cooking needs to start by 5:15 or so. Don’t invite people at 4 if you don’t plan to serve until 6!
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 11:13     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Who needs to eat at 4pm? Children? Adults eat dinner at 7pm or later where I am from.


People who plan their day and have a late breakfast and then expect to eat at their invited dinner event around 4:30. Lots of us love just the two meals if timed well. We don't want to stuff our faces after 7 and sit around digesting and turning that food into fat.


Umm. Perhaps don’t “stuff your face”. Just eat like a normal human being.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 11:09     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
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."


What is a memorial weekend barbecue other than a barbecue that happens on Memorial Day weekend?
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 11:09     Subject: Re:How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
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?!


Op here and I don't consider a bbq dinner as people will have a hot dog here or a burger there while socializing.Then come back on hour or so later for something else. From the bbq's I've hosted it's grazing in between socializing and playing games. Everything is cooked and put on hot trays so people can take as they please at whatever time they choose to. If they arrive early there's food and if they arrive late there's still food to be eaten at there leisure.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 10:57     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:So ... if you invite some neighbors over for dinner, which is burgers on the grill, and tell them to come at 4pm, at what point is it unreasonable if there is no dinner yet?

Invited over at 4pm for burgers, other neighbors were invited as well, and host decides to wait for other neighbor's grown kid to show up with their kids. It's 6:30, and they are just lighting the coals now at 6:30pm. FWIW, there were a few snacky foods out (cheese and crackers).

I'm hangry and trying to be civil, lol.

You should have eaten lunch first and then had your kid announce that to the host.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 09:36     Subject: Re:How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Any party, any time - some munchies and drinks should be available to guests as soon as they come to your house.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 09:29     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Who needs to eat at 4pm? Children? Adults eat dinner at 7pm or later where I am from.


People who plan their day and have a late breakfast and then expect to eat at their invited dinner event around 4:30. Lots of us love just the two meals if timed well. We don't want to stuff our faces after 7 and sit around digesting and turning that food into fat.


Your preference for two meals is not the host’s problem. Eat a small lunch so you don’t melt down like a damn toddler.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2025 09:28     Subject: How Late Can You Be With Food As Host?
Anonymous wrote:
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.


There were “food apps.” What other kind of apps would we be talking about here?