You and your six dearest friends would like to grab dinner together, but you don’t want to squeeze into a four-person table or end up stuck in an awkwardly placed chair (the one in the way of that harried waiter). There’s no need to bump elbows anymore, thanks to our list of Chicago’s best good-for-groups picks.
Buca di Beppo
File under: Hefty portions
Grab six, eight or even 10 of your closest friends and head out to Buca, where regular portions easily feed four and it always feels like a party. Families and friends enjoy the chatter-filled atmosphere, as well as some of the city’s biggest bowls of linguini. It may be gauche, but choosing elastic-waist pants could be a wise decision. Buca has yet to let a diner leave anything but stuffed.
Fill up on traditional dishes like baked ravioli, manicotti and eggplant parmigiana in Buca’s small and large sizes, as well as veal marsala, a variety of pizzas and extra-large salads. As a guideline, keep in mind that the “large” chicken cacciatore is touted as seven pounds (yes, pounds) of love. Most large prices fall in the $20 and up range, a relative bargain when dividing multiple ways. If it’s a special occasion, you may want to finish with a whole red, white and green celebration cake. So grab your posse, pile into a booth or set up shop at a table and prepare to feast.
Maggiano's Little Italy
File under: A family affair
The authentic Italian restaurant’s main dining room seats for two to 14; expect consistent service regardless of your size. Red-checkered tablecloths and family portraits project a “pre-World War II Little Italy” feel. If you’re dining with friends, order a bottle of red wine to accompany entrees like veal francese (parmesan battered over spinach with lemon and parsley sauce) and linguine with chicken and pesto pine nuts. Large families with hearty appetites can stick to full orders of four cheese ravioli and spaghetti with marinara. Further indulge with your choice of lemon cookies, Italian sorbetto, warm apple crostada, homemade tiramisu and New York-style cheesecake.
Groups of four or more may want to opt for the “Classic Family Style” dinner, a three-course meal including appetizer, salad, pasta, main course and dessert.
Merle's BBQ & Southern Kitchen
File under: Smoked food for six
If you like barbecue, you’ll love Merle’s Southern Kitchen. A model of kitsch, this casual and genuinely friendly Evanston restaurant serves up smoked everything (in keeping with its “If it ain’t smoked, it ain’t BBQ” motto). After smokin’ wings and Amarillo jalapeno appetizers, please your Southern palate with fried Mississippi catfish sandwiches, baby back ribs and double shot pork chops. (Don’t forget the wet naps.) When dining with a group, opt for a combo; the Barnyard Platter includes baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs, chicken, pork chops and three sides (like mac-n-cheese and Lexington slaw) at $18.95 per person. Have an adult evening with kids in tow, thanks to a menu just for tykes and a downstairs game room.
Boka
File under: Girls night out, a la Sex and the City
It’s a precious combination: Soak up this colorful restaurant’s comfortable, neighborhood feel while enjoying a visual flavor native to West Randolph street eateries. Groups will feel at home, especially those on the prowl for an evening that could be classified as hip. The menu features a variety of small hot and cold plates, as well as large plates, a raw bar and petite sides. Octopus, quail and foie gras dot the hot menu, while wild salmon and fresh salads are offered on the cold. Large plates provide an admirable cross-section of meat, game and seafood, such as duck, tuna, venison, calf liver and monkfish.
Bite Cafe
File under: Quite accommodating
Though Bite doesn’t beg for large groups, the staff will scoop up a table or two and create a table for six without a roll of the eyes. If you’re on a casual outing with your buds and want to enjoy something other than fast food, this Ukrainian Village spot is for you. (It’s a good choice when there’s a vegetarian in the group, too.) Where else are you going to find cous cous, spicy sesame chicken wings and burritos under the same roof? A workbook-like menu, art-clad exposed brick walls and cushy seating makes for a hip (read: awesomely grungy) feel. If you’re in a classic mood, sink your teeth into a burger and onion ring dinner or a plate of spaghetti.
Parthenon
File under: Opa!
After more than 35 years, this festive Greek restaurant shows no signs of slowing down. Friends, colleagues, families and large parties have gathered her for years to nosh on sizzling saganaki, the signature Parthenon gyros and a variety of Greek pasta, lamb and chicken dishes. The extensive menu ensures that there will be something for everyone; family-style dinners include appetizer, salad, main course and dessert and can be prepared meat or vegetarian. Two- and three-hour dinners are the norm, so don’t fret that you’ll be rushed. The open dining room features comfortably spaced tables, white tablecloths, high blue-toned ceilings and sparkling chandeliers.
Fogo de Chao
File under: For the carnivores
The pink, orange and purple catches your eye from two blocks away, and the flash doesn’t stop there. Once inside, the sounds and smells of Brazil fill this perfect-for-large-groups spot. The exposed-brick dining room’s six-, eight- and 10-person tables invite you to grab a seat and stay awhile. The lounging is an important component of the experience, which revolves around a $50 all-you-can-eat menu (lunch is priced at $25). Prepare yourself for meat, meat and more meat, including beef, pork and steak. The protein-punch is paired with sides like garlic mashed potatoes with shredded cheese, a fresh salad bar and turtle cheesecake and fried banana desserts.
Abril
File under: Authentic Mexican cuisine
If you’re truly sick of fake Mexican restaurants serving bland “Americanized” tacos, then mosey on over to Logan Square and check out Abril. Locals flock to this restaurant to get their daily taco, burrito or enchilada fix. Groups push their way in as well, hungry for the anything-goes atmosphere, not to mention the fresh basket of chips and homemade salsa the servers refill over and over again. Take the family here during the day to enjoy fajitas and specialties like soy sauce enchiladas. At night a younger crowd takes over, as dinner is served into the wee hours of the night.
Grand Lux Cafe
File under: Lose yourself in luxury
Forget about the tourists. The Grand Lux Cafe is the perfect spot for you and ten of your closest shopping buddies (sore feet welcome). With seating for more than 500 people, groups certainly aren’t a problem in this open, airy space. It really does emit a bit of “grand lux,” with its gold interior, velvet banquette seating, mosaic-tiled floors and patrons dressed to the nines. That said, the cafe is an extremely casual dining spot (it’s a sibling of the Cheesecake Factory). Polish, Vietnamese, American and Southern dishes dot the menu, as well as classic fare like burgers and sandwiches. Patrons may choose from a variety of different rooms; the Michigan Room, with its million-dollar view of the Magnificent Mile, is the way to go.
Japonais
File under: Elegant Japanese cuisine
With a variety of rooms to choose from, patrons can easily enjoy dinner for two, four, six or eight. The “Red Room” combines rich reds, oranges and blazing bronze to create a swank space perfect for sipping martinis and nibbling on tempura and spicy crab cakes. The “Green Room” offers shiny tables with plush sofa seating big enough for eight.
After making your way through a Asian-French fusion of fresh sushi, steak (still very popular) and desserts like dark chocolate cake and creme brulee, you may just find the place so stunning you don’t want to leave. If so, make your way to the lounge space, which feature an endless amount of lush, sofa-like seating arranged beneath colorful ceilings and intense lighting.
Green Dolphin Street
File under: A little jazz on the side
Large groups are a given at this popular jazz club, restaurant and bar. Lively, loud and almost always crowded, Green Dolphin Street offers fresh fish and seafood like ocean trout and striped bass along with lamb, steak, duck, and beef entrees. Appetizers run the gamut from lobster salad and asparagus to shrimp bisque and foie gras. If there’s a vegetarian among the group, don’t worry. The roasted sunchoke and ricotta agnolotti (Tuscan kale and black trumpet mushrooms with butter sauce) should do the trick. If you prefer a less formal approach, Green Dolphin Street offers a bar menu of burgers, pizza and chicken strips. And yes, there’s plenty of room for you and your buddies at the bar, too.
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