Looking 4 a fun SF restaurant for 21st Birthday dinner

[dmdc]

I'm not picky about the type of food but I am looking for a restaurant that welcomes a party of 15-20 people. Any ideas of a fun restaurant that welcomes a large party? oh yea and hopefully not too expensive??

[Eugene Park]

If you do some pre-planning with the folks at Circolo, you can get a pretty darn good 3-course meal in the $35-$40 range. I went to a bday party there that had about 30 guests, and was surprised at the quality of the food. As the place turns into a club/lounge after dinner service, it should be a fun place to be.

[dunstable]

Bill Addison recently wrote a review for Schnitzelhaus, for which he observed the birthday girl dancing on a table with the owner, drinking games taking place in the restaurant, all manner of assorted craziness. That sounded like a good place to have a birthday party, haha.

It's too bad he had middling things to say about the food.

[MuppetGrrl]

Pena Pachamama (complete review in the Bolivian post: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...) hosts a lot of big parties. Loads of sangria, comfort food and good music.

[ML8000]

For fun you might try Esperpento (20th?/Valencia). The food is average+ (i.e., non mind blowing, some good, some bad) but it's definately fun and not expensive. Been to a few informal quick birthday parties there. Lively but still and intimate feel.

[AmySherman]

La Rondalla on Valencia is a kitchy fun place for a party--reserve the "garden room". The food is pretty decent IF you order the right stuff, I always order the Asado or the pork chops which are good. Nothing says party like cheap margaritas! Your choice really depends on which you value most--fun, price, food.

[Robert Lauriston]

The problem with La Rondalla is that people won't do as they're told and stick to the three things that are good, and the other dishes are pretty bad.

[Atomica]

ACK! I think La Rondalla is wretched across the board, including their margaritas.

[Robert Lauriston]

The asada, chops, and one other dish I can't remember are OK. Mexicanized versions of Joe's-style short-order, more or less.

Not that they're reason to go there. Just useful self-defense information if someone drags you.

[ak45]

bissap baobab in the mission. cheap. fun. good. and good drinks. I've been there for a bday, and it was great.

[Hungryfina]

I forget the name of the place - but I went to a great moraccan restuarant while there was a 21st birthday party going on and they looked like they were having a great time. I'm sure any moraccan place would work - it's hard not to have fun when you're sitting on the floor and eating with your hands!

[Robert Lauriston]

The two Moroccan restaurants most often recommended on this board, Aziza and Tajine, don't do that.

El Mansour does. So does Tanjia, in Oakland, which is significantly cheaper.

http://www.elmansour.com
http://www.tanjias.com

[Chowsmurf]

I had a great meal and a good time with a party that size at Baraka on Cennecticut in Portrero Hill- Again, no floor sitting, but really fantastic food- they have a private back room. There is also a tiki bar, Lingba Lounge, across the street that is passable for big buckets of dragon-bowl style cocktails.

[Maya]

Baraka is not cheap!

[dunstable]

They do have an Early Bird special that's like $40 for a giant bowl of mussels, your whatever tagine, and a dessert. Wasn't earth-shaking, but I was satisfied with my meal. Servers were very friendly, too.

Also for Moroccan, there is Zagora, which is between Kiji and La Provence on Guerrero, which has an early-bird special for all of $18. I was planning on checking it out tonight...

[mrsricho]

Betelnut could be fun...
Suppenkuche is another fun option...

[Maya]

Betelnut is a good place for large celebratory groups and they have great tropical cocktails, as long as you're cool with the Marina.

[Frosty Melon]

Puerto Allegre on Valencia. Fun, decent Mexican food, great for big parties. Big pitchers of strong Margaritas.

[Robert Lauriston]

Can they really handle a party that big? It's a pretty small place.

[Frosty Melon]

I've seen plenty of parties that size there. Towards the back they put tables together to create a banquet as long as the bar.

[Husky]

Foreign Cinema.

[abe1329]

Very pricy, no?

[Husky]

You're right, definitely not cheap.
http://www.foreigncinema.com/food/din...

[kc72]

Thirsty Bear for tapas... then afterwards, go to Roe restaurant/lounge next door for more drinks/partying.

[Grubbjunkie]

21st Amendment. (Get it?) But seriously, it's a fun, raucous place with good pub style grub, the room is plenty big for a group that big, and not too pricey.

Or Tres Agaves, but that would be a little more pricey.

[Sophia C.]

I know Buca di Beppo is a chain, but its convivial atmosphere is great for groups, and the family-sized dishes are huge. Also, you'll likely spend between $20-$30 per person for food, drinks, and dessert.

Asia SF is really fun but our group ended up spending $60 per person w/o drinks. But if you consider it a dinner and a show, the price tag hurts a little less.

[peashoot]

I attended a very fun twenty first birthday party at Cafe Mums in the Japan Town Holiday Inn. Really the shabu shabu was only ok but at $35 per person for all you can eat shabu shabu and all you can drink beer and sake nobody was complaining. As I recall there were around twenty people in attendance and everyone had a great time.

[abe1329]

Fun party...

Mecca, Asia SF

[rtmonty]

How about Lulu?? They serve everything "family style" and it's pretty darn good.