Looking for Help - "Affordable" 20 person birthday dinner?

Hey all -- hoping for a little help from the browsing culinary masses. I'm hosting a birthday party in early Feb at the Green Door Tavern and looking for a great place for a large group to eat beforehand. A few stipulations:

- Needs to accomadate ~20 people (and therefore must take reservations, at least for large groups).
- Must be "affordable." I'm a young guy with mostly young, cheap, poor, grad-student like friends. $20-$40 per person would be great.
- Location - hopefully within a few miles of the Green Door (678 N Orleans Street, Chicago)
- BYOB helpful but not necessary

I've considered: Mariscos El Veneno (probably at the top of the list right now), La Madia, La Cocina Boricua de la Familia Galarza, Piece Pizza, Tango Sur (not sure they take reservations?), and probably a few others that I'm forgetting right now...

Any and all recommendations are appreciated. Thanks all!

I live down the street, and Scoozi's is pretty good for groups. They even have a private room. Consistent italian food, and reasonable prices keeps me going back...

For a group that size, I strongly recommend a place that has a private room of the appropriate size, and one that is within a few blocks walk of the tavern. It will make everything so much easier.

When you have one or more candidates identified, discuss your needs with their banquet coordinators (sometimes that's the person's title, sometimes you're dealing with the owner, etc). Places are often willing to create a menu that fits within your budget. There are ways to keep the price down (such as fewer courses, serving appetizers buffet style, having a cash bar so you're not paying for alcohol, etc).

Nxtasy - great recommendation. Much easier for a bunch of half-drunk revelers to wander a few blocks than waive down 4-5 cabs. I'll keep it within a 1/2 mile of Green Door Tavernn

Nacional 27, the excellent Latin fusion restaurant, is kitty corner from Green Door Tavern, and they have a private room that holds 20-60. I don't know if they can do something for your price range, but it's definitely worth asking! (Lots of places can do things that are very affordable at off hours, less so if it's prime time Saturday night.) You'll find more info on their website at nacional27.net

Tapas are always a good option for a larger group. Cafe Iberico has party packages for as few as 20 people ranging from $18 - 27.50 pp, including a couple of glasses of Sangria. It is only a couple of blocks away.


Cafe Iberico
739 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 573-1510
http://www.cafeiberico.com

Cyrano's Bistro on Wells (600 N.?) has a private room that can be booked & a bunch of prix fixe options on the regular menu - the chef there is really good at designing menus for groups in your budget, if you talk to him in advance.

It's worth noting that, while website menus can give you a good idea of what kinds of food a restaurant normally serves, don't feel nailed down by the prices there. Even if the website prices are beyond your budget (after adding in sales tax and service charges), a restaurant can often come up with a custom menu that will fit your budget.

BTW, Green Door Tavern can prepare food for private parties, too, with moderately priced options shown on their website (thanks, lbs!).

d4v3 wrote:Tapas are always a good option for a larger group. Cafe Iberico has party packages for as few as 20 people ranging from $18 - 27.50 pp, including a couple of glasses of Sangria. It is only a couple of blocks away.


Cafe Iberico
739 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 573-1510
http://www.cafeiberico.com

Iberico does a great job with stuff like this, and is downright cheap for the quantity of food and alcohol they throw in. It's hectic, and your group might be crammed into a smaller space than you'd like, but I still think it's an excellent choice.

It is much farther away than your request, but Sun Wah can't be beat for price/value/deliciousness for large groups... I've held my wife's birthday there the past two years for groups of 20+ and never topped $320 (which included a very generous tip).