Good restaurant for huge family lunch/dinner?

[medguy2008]

Hi everybody!

I'll be in GR this Sunday for Davenport's Graduation ceremony and will be accompanied by 14 other adult family members!

Was thinking of going out in the area to have a nice dinner or late lunch.

Does anybody know of any good restaurants for a large group of people like that?

We typically go to "Ponderosa" or "Bonanza" type restaurants that have an entree menu along with an all-you-can eat buffett as well.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Rhino6885]

The last time I had a big group meeting, we went to Mangiamo on Lake Drive. Italian food is good because even "meat and potato" types love Italian food (no offense intended). They were more than welcome to accommodate for the large party on short notice.

[twoshort]

Definitely not all you can eat, but myself as well as others on this board have had big parties at Bistro with a lot of success.

[suydam]

I concur: Mangiamo's is great because the food is good, they have something for everyone and there's plenty of room.

Congrat's on your graduation. In what did you major?

[GR Jackson]

I concur: Mangiamo's is great because the food is good, they have something for everyone and there's plenty of room.

Congrat's on your graduation. In what did you major?

[medguy2008]

I concur: Mangiamo's is great because the food is good, they have something for everyone and there's plenty of room.

Congrat's on your graduation. In what did you major?

[witulski]

Yeah, I think I know right where you're coming from on this one... while I like to eat at places more like Maggie's Kitchen, Bombay Cuisine, Green Well, San Chez, Rose's, and by all means Mangiamo, my mom comes to town and just wants a Bob Evans or a Bill Knapp's. Is that the sort of thing we're talking about?

[medguy2008]

Yeah, I think I know right where you're coming from on this one... while I like to eat at places more like Maggie's Kitchen, Bombay Cuisine, Green Well, San Chez, Rose's, and by all means Mangiamo, my mom comes to town and just wants a Bob Evans or a Bill Knapp's. Is that the sort of thing we're talking about?

[GRDadof3]

Ok, almost Witulski.... almost!!

If you're familiar with "Ponderosa Steakhouse" ... I'm looking for that type of restaurant. A restaurant that is fairly priced, has entrees, and an all-you-can eat (preferably) as well. Looking for a restaurant where there is NOT A MAJOR extremes of age on either side (ie not all kids or all seniors).

I feel like I'm being picky...but Im really not lol.

[fotoman311]

There's one up on Alpine Ave that my neighbor likes. Fire Mountain Grill or something like that? I know they have a buffet. It's just North of 4 Mile Rd on the West side near Flowerland.

[houseofdon]

Noto's on 28th near Cascade might be another option. They can handle just about any size group imaginable.

[plee30]

You could try Minado's, across from Celebration Cinema. Sushi, Asian food, some American dishes, and a very large dining area. Oh, and it's all you can eat.

[GRDadof3]

Noto's on 28th near Cascade might be another option. They can handle just about any size group imaginable.

[Rhino6885]

What about Z's? Wide array of food, not too expensive, and nice downtown location.

[mgreven]

I second (or third...) the Mangiamo thing because I think they have some sort of family night on Sunday nights. I was picking up a pizza there the other night and saw the flyer for sunday brunch and a family feast on Sunday nights. Couldn't find it on the website or remember specifics, but I remember that it was a hot deal.

[Veloise]

What's the location of the festivities? Might help us if we knew all y'all were going to be at M-6 and the Beltline, or DT, or...

[not a fan of troop movements and out-of-town platoons]

[rivegauche]

If you are near city centre, try XO Asian. We were there last night and saw several groups. (prom, birthday,etc.)

[witulski]

Well, seeing as how I have a Ponderosa-type family too, here's what I've come up with so far.

If I wanted to fully pander to THEIR tastes (and I have), honestly the first thing I thought of was Old Country Buffet. Next things I thought of were our famous Regional Family Restaurants, first Russ' Restaurants (russrestaurants.com, you can see their menu at the site) which actually might not work because it's closed Sundays and that's when many graduation ceremonies are if I remember right. Next thing I thought of was regional favorite Arnie's Restaurants (arniesrestaurants.com, menu also available online), which has quite a reputation around here. Caveat: I've never been to a Russ', and I haven't been to an Arnie's in several years, so maybe others here can advise as to the clientele. (I have a feeling both might have many a senior citizen, not that I don't respect my elders). Also, I can't speak to their ability to necessarily accommodate larger parties though I have a feeling it's possible. Oh yeah - one more thing I thought of was Perkins'. My family loves it, what can I say.

NOW. If I was seeking to drag my Ponderosa-style Bill Knapp's family kicking and screaming into a world more matching my own tastes... well, I second, third, fourth, fifth, and nineteenth Mangiamo, because as stated, everyone loves Italian. But if Mangiamo is a little too upscale, a couple great Italian places come to mind that are a little more approachable: Vitale's on Leonard, and Uccello's on Beltline. Both are sports bars with great (I mean GREAT) Italian food, and both have fine dining areas either attached or next door (I think Vitale's is next door, right? I usually just eat in the bar). Their menus are online at theoriginalvitales.com and uccellos.com. Both excellent places - I especially like Uccello's bolognese on farfalle. I imagine both should have no problem accommodating larger parties.

I don't know if any of these places commonly provide a buffet, but I do seem to remember seeing the setups for a buffet at Uccello's after hours... not sure. Anyway, that's what I got for ya. I also second BD's Mongolian Barbecue - if you think you can get everyone on board with stir-fry, it's a great interactive all-you-can-eat place.

Good luck and congrats!