17 of the Best Food Bar Ideas
Make your own food bars are a great addition to a birthday party, baby shower, graduation party or even a simple Friday night dinner with friends.
Main course food bar ideas
1. Nachos
Who doesn’t love nachos? With a nacho bar, you set everything out and let guests decide what they want piled on top of their crunchy corn chips. Plus, you can use the punny phrase “This is nacho your average party!”
2. Pizza
Who doesn’t love pizza? And the toppings are endless! The only thing tricky about this party bar idea is to think through how the pizzas will be baked.
3. Burrito bowls
For a healthy option, whip up chicken and add avocado, peppers, corn, lime, beans, and rice. For more details, check out The Handmade Home.
4. Mashed potato bar
Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes? Let guests choose from toppings like cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, chives, and mushrooms. The possibilities are endless. image via Imaginary Wedding.
5. Pasta
Boil up a variety of noodles and add sauce! See more about how to make a pasta bar at Somewhat Simple.
Breakfast Food Bar Ideas
6. Oatmeal
Gather cranberries, brown sugar, raisins, and nuts and display in glass containers for a simple, hearty breakfast that each person can make their own. Oringially from Echoes of Laughter.
7. Cereal
How cure are the plastic buckets filled with cereal and the empty milk carton filled with crepe paper flowers? Plus, who doesn’t love cereal? And the Froot Loop garlands are pretty cute too. Find more at The Purple Pug.
8. Biscuit bar
A biscuit bar would make be perfect for brunch. Bake up the biscuits and add Nutella, honey, jams, and peanut butter. Find out more on Kojo Designs.
9. Yogurt
For more details, check out Pretty Providence.
10. Crepes
Fill a crepe with whatever you please for a sweet or savory crepe. For more check out Kojo Designs.
Dessert Food Bar Ideas
11. Cookie Bar
Cookies are always a good idea and I love that cookies can double as party favors.
12. S’mores
This S’more bar is cute and scrumptious! Set everything up in glass cylinders for easy access. See more at Secret Agent Josephine.
13. Candy bar
Display the guest of honors favorite candy in clear containers. Done and done. Image via 27 Pineapples.
Drinks & Snacks
14. Root beer floats
Consider subsisting Root Beer for your fizzy beverage of choice. Coke floats and Sprite plus Sherbet are delicious too. Find out more at A Crafty Spoonful.
15. Banana pops
Simply chop bananas into pieces and supply a ridiculous amount of toppings. Delicious! See more at Bakers Royale.
16. Hot chocolate
Add a hot chocolate party to any winter party for instant fun. There is no wrong topping for a hot chocolate bar. Consider peppermint bites, sprinkles, coconut, marshmallows, cinnamon, and caramel sauce. See more at Kevin and Amanda.
17. Trail Mix
I love that the trail mix supplies is set up in brown paper bags. So sweet and simple. Oringially found at Jacks and Kate.
Comments & Reviews
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We do a stir-fry bar for our family of 6 nearly every night. We change up the options, but mainstays include chicken, ham, tofu, sausage, potatoes, baby corn, spinach, and various other veggies, eggs, and a variety of sauces. We give everyone a bowl, let them put their protein and veggies in, we stir-fry it and they pick a sauce. They have a choice of putting it on a tortilla, rice or noddles. Cooking for a huge party would take forever, but it works well for our family to be able to get the kids to eat what they won’t normally eat. A HUGE one is the tofu, as well as spinach.
I like this… wait I LOVE THIS A LOT! I am thinking about a taco bar. A MAJORDOMO TACO BAR! I am inspired all because I chanced upon this awesome post! Serendipity at it’s finest!
So do I, I like the taco bar. Ahaha.
I love the idea of a trail mix bar. It is so unique! I had never heard of it before. Setting up a trail mix bar is perfect for a country western/ rustic party theme. I love the inspiration!
One of my favourite party bar is a brunch bar. I have a big family and usually to feed everyone the quickest way we have a do it yourself wrap station with scrambles eggs, ham, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, etc. and we have a bunch of sauces 🙂 we also offer a do it yourself fruit salad station 🙂 thank you so much for all the other ideas! they are quite inspiring!
I’ve done a chili bar. Served regular chili with cheese, onion, mashed potatoes, spaghetti (Chicago style chili), and crackers. Was a great party for cold weather. If I had more slow cookers I would have made white chili or a vegetarian option. Most of my friends are omnivores, though, so that would have only been for variety.
I do a lot of themed bar ideas for my entertaing. One night though I wanted a potluck style theme, so I called it ‘garbage salad night’I asked all my friends to bring whatever they had in their crispers, fridge or pantry to throw in the salad! I provided the big bowl of lettuce, the many random bottles of dressing i had in mt fridge, and homemade bread. Everyone loved it! No one bought anything new!!!
I love this lists! Found it on pinterest;)
Yay! Glad you found it 🙂
I ran these idea’s by my 10 year old daughter and she wants to have a Nacho Bar at her Candyland Party birthday party. I think it’s a great idea but is there a need to have any additional item’s? I ask because my daughter would also like to add in a mini burger bar. How was your party set-up, did you offer additional food items?
I had a quesadilla station at a fiesta themed party I threw several years ago. In addition to all of the typical ingredients (grilled peppers, sautéed onions, a variety of meat, etc) I also had atypical ingredients such as goat cheese, fresh figs, etc. Make sure to include a variety of toppings, such as salsas, sour cream, avocado slices, BBQ sauce, etc. I had several electric griddles plugged in and it made it soo easy. It was a huge hit. I’ve also done a shish kabob party with shrimp, marinated beef, marinated chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. Everyone put their own skewers together to be cooked on the grill. Also a hit-as long as there is plenty of grill space and snacks to munch on while waiting for your skewer to be done. 🙂
I’m loving all of these ideas! I’m doing a chili bar for my daughters birthday on Sunday. I’m making 2 different chilis: a traditional with beef and beans and then a white chicken option. For toppings I’ve got: doritos, fritos, black bean/ roasted garlic tortilla chip, goldfish crackers, oyster crackers, pepperjack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, monteray jack cheese, sour cream, white onions, green onions, and three different hot sauces. We live in IL so the weather is a bit suspect this time of year so I wanted something that people would still be able to eat while milling around the house if we can’t be outside.
We had a chili bar. We made a big pot of chili and then put out lots of fixin’s – shredded cheese, sour cream, fritos, salsa, hot sauce, rice, pasta, corn bread, onions. Then we made a big salad and put out some clementines. It was a hit.
We have done an omelet bar at my house. We take zip lock baggies and crack 2 eggs in each. I have all kinds of veggies chopped up in their own containers. we go around and put in what we like. Zip it up and drop the baggie in boiling water, in about 2 – 3 ,minutes (depending on how much stuff you add you have fluffy omelets ! of course squish the eggs around and add a slash of milk salt & pepper ! easy and no clean up.
So many great party ideas