BBQ Cookout Etiquette??

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  • jenmar222
    jenmar222 Posts: 9,271 Member
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    Honestly, I think it's kind of strange that people are so picky about BBQ etiquette... These "etiquette focused" BBQs sound no fun :joy:

    If I plan a BBQ, it's bc I want to hang out with my friends. I'll prolly ask people to bring stuff to make my hosting gig easier, but mostly, I just want people to come and have a good time. They can bring too much food, not bring any food, take their dish with them, leave stuff behind....I couldn't care less. My concern is having fun with my friends.

    I would say, the only thing is, don't leave me your dish to wash.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
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    I've never heard of someone leaving their food. My boyfriend and I host a 4th of July party every year and I would never expect someone to leave their food. I also don't WANT them to leave their food. I don't need the mess or tons of food. It looks like I'm in the minority though.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I'm pretty sure Dear Abby says you're supposed to leave leftovers that you bring. It would make sense to bring it in a disposable container. But if I was having 30 people over I would just hope they bring it home. In a small setting it would probably be especially rude of your friends, but at such a large party it doesn't really matter that much.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    We had a cookout in May. Most people brought their leftovers home at the end, which is what I expected, honestly (I mean, it's their dishes after all too!).

    But yeah, if you're planning to leave early... Bring your dishes in disposable containers and leave them there. Or that's just odd.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
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    I've never taken back food, whether I left early or not. However, I also take it in the inexpensive dishes that the host can just recycle afterwards. If I was hosting and someone took their particular thing, it's not like I would be upset though.
  • Karb_Kween
    Karb_Kween Posts: 2,681 Member
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    I think it's more rude to take back home than to leave it.

    Maybe come back the next day for the dirty dish. Make sure you bring a lid :+1:
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
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    JustinAnimal wrote: »
    hlltwin wrote: »
    If I brought my parent a bottle of wine for their anniversary and they open it and we have it with dinner, that's a gift and no, I'd never expect them to give it back so I can take it home. If I bring food to a wake, that's to help the family so they don't have to fight with cooking dinner on top of everything else and, it would be theirs to keep. Likewise a housewarming meal or treat. If I give a fruit basket I wouldn't take anything out of it for me unless the receiver offered. Those are gifts.

    If I go to someone's house for a picnic and bring my tortellini salad, I'm not really expecting there to be much in the way of left overs but if eight other people bring various kinds of pasta salads, there may be and, would you as a host want nine different pasta salads to store in your fridge (along with the six potato salads, three types of baked beans, five macaroni salads, two green salads, that strange thing with the broccoli and bacon bits, three kinds of meatballs, etc, that everyone else brought.

    As an attender of church suppers, a dish to pass is a dish to pass. People eat it and if it's gone at the end of the night it's gone. If it's not, unless the host has no food in their house, chances are good you can take it home. A gift is a nice bottle of wine. My tortellini salad is good but it's not a gift.

    My point would be that you default to the host's wishes, not what you think is best. And, like most have said, the host will probably tell you to take it home (for myriad reasons, like not wanting 18 iterations of pasta salad, or whatever the reason). Personally, I wouldn't assume that I'm taking home whatever I brought, because I was raised to consider others' feelings and ask them, especially when they just invited me to their party. Warning: this advice does not apply to "church shindigs."

    Yea, I would figure if the host did not want to have the leftovers or clean the dishes that they would voice it. I view bringing food to share is something gifted.
  • JeffreyMGiron
    JeffreyMGiron Posts: 3,582 Member
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    eat all their food so they dont have to take anything home :3
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
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    JeffreyMGiron wrote: »
    eat all their food so they dont have to take anything home :3

    but what if it doesn't fit your macros?! :o
  • bigpoppa_
    bigpoppa_ Posts: 207 Member
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    Do you like apples?
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,817 Member
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    When I've had bbq's I've encouraged people to take home as much or whatever they can because I just don't have enough room in the fridge for tons of leftovers.

    There's only so much leftover potato salad a girl can handle.

    But they really should use those disposable containers that are available now if they're so concerned about their Tupperwear. I mean, if they're already going to the grocery store to buy stuff to make for this BBQ, why can't they pick up some containers, too?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    I host a lot of BBQs and frankly, all I want is for everything to be gone. If there is something particular that I would like to have I'll ask if I can take some of that and put it in my own container. When most people bring stuff over it's usually in a crock or nice serving dish of some kind...I don't want to be responsible for washing all of that and frankly, I'm not going to eat all of the leftovers anyway and it all would just take a lot of space in my fridge.

    That said, the wine and/or beer stays.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    ive seen it done every possible way.

    i always take stuff in a cheap container that i dont care about leaving behind or tossing. that is the norm among the crowd i run with, so to speak.

    my friend and I host a huge halloween party at her house every year, and encourage folks to take a plate home, and even then i end up taking several plates home the next day for my kids (i always stay there overnight and the party is not kid friendly so they dont come) and she has TONS leftover even after that.
  • meredithgir199
    meredithgir199 Posts: 243 Member
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    I typically leave any leftovers from what I bring but I know that a lot of hosts don't want all the leftovers so I usually ask. In addition, I often will bring it in a disposable container/tray I bought at the dollar tree or just pick up my dish later.
  • Jonesingmucho
    Jonesingmucho Posts: 4,902 Member
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    Let's keep this simple...

    Side dishes in disposable containers will be left and host may eat, feed to pet ferret, or throw away.

    Side dishes in crock pots or grandma's china will be taken home only AFTER party is over.

    NOTE: If you have to leave early because you are a party pooper, then you forfeit all ownership to said dish and host may keep dish and use for next BBQ invitation to take food.

    All in favor, say aye....
  • finny11122
    finny11122 Posts: 8,436 Member
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  • Tigg_er
    Tigg_er Posts: 22,001 Member
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    I take my BBQ Seriously, Like Hogs at a trough - there ain't no leftovers-
    No worries B)
  • Behxo
    Behxo Posts: 1,190 Member
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    Surprisingly out of the 30+ people that came, not many seemed to have brought sides or desserts and was just enough to have very little left over lol. So no one brought theirs home this year to say the least :P
  • mysticatgal1
    mysticatgal1 Posts: 106 Member
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    I've done it both ways where I take it or leave it. I've gone to many events where it was understood you took leftovers and some where it was never said. Most hosts I know have so many leftovers they rather people take their food back home. Sometimes we do a bit of take others leftovers and enjoy the bbq food longer.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    I would do a sport/gladiator contest for who get to take home what.

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