The Gang’s All Here: Seven Philly Restaurants Equipped for Your Large Party

The Pabbit Room above Pub & Kitchen |Photo by Mike Persico

For the holidays, sometimes the greatest gift is one you give yourself—not cooking at home for all those guests. Here are seven Philly restaurants well equipped for handling large parties of revelers suddenly arriving on the doorstep.

Gyu Kaku
1901 Callowhill Street, Logan Circle

This Japanese BBQ joint is made for groups. It’s one of those places with the built-in tabletop grills, where you order various meats and vegetables and then cook them yourself, which makes it perfect if you’re with family and need a distraction so everyone’s not talking about Uncle Earl’s latest DUI. Plus, they have a special menu designed for parties of 10 (or more) that’ll cover all the bases without everyone arguing over how many plates of pork belly or spicy tuna volcanoes to order.

Distrito
3945 Chestnut Street, University City

Got a dozen friends and need a place to drink tequila with them? The Distrito crew knows how to handle that. With a bunch of extra space, private rooms and overflow seating, Distrito is the pro’s choice of place for a mobile party to settle.

Barbuzzo
110 South 13th Street, Midtown Village

What, are you crazy? Barbuzzo can often feel overwhelmed by a party of three, right? But you’re thinking about the first floor and forgetting that Barbuzzo opened a second-floor dining room not too long ago that’s perfect for big parties and overflow seating. Granted, it’ll take some planning, but with its own kitchen and bar, this is the perfect place to go when you need to get the extended family out of your kitchen and into someone else’s.

Han Dynasty Old City
123 Chestnut Street, Old City

Two things to know about Han Dynasty’s Old City location: First, all those big round tables in the main dining room? They’re made for your large parties, and the crew knows how to keep the food and drinks coming. Second, if your holiday caravan is too big even for one of those tables, there are two semi-private dining rooms just off the main floor that are available if you give the place a little warning.

Pub & Kitchen
1946 Lombard Street, Grad Hospital

The Pabbit Room upstairs at Pub & Kitchen is a bright and airy space that can seat up to 30 people and keep them away from the ebb and flow of the bar downstairs. Just remember: You’re going to have to reach out to the Pub & Kitchen team in advance to see if the room (which features its own bar) is available.

Alla Spina
1410 Mount Vernon Street, Fairmount

You probably already know Alla Spina for lots of things—the draft cocktails, the addictively good bar snacks, the very un-Vetri-like vibe. But if you’ve got a crowd with you and are looking for a place to settle in for the night, the lofted second-story space above the bar (lovingly referred to as “The Cage”) will seat up to 20.

Fette Sau
1208 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown

Between the long picnic-table-style seating, the cafeteria-line service, Fette Sau’s casual atmosphere and copious quantities of both smoked meat and brown liquor, it has everything you need for a night when the gang’s all in town but you don’t want them all at your house.

The List: The Gang’s All Here originally appeared in the December, 2015 issue of magazine.