How to Find the Best Group Dining in Raleigh
If you’re planning a group dinner in Raleigh and are looking for an upscale restaurant where group dining is both delicious and fun, you’re in luck. Here’s the secret to planning a group dinner that goes down in history as an incredible meal and fantastic party: Choose an established restaurant where everyone on the staff has the skill, experience, and panache to navigate group dining. By asking five simple questions, you can tell if a restaurant is clueless about groups and is just going to push some tables together and try to wing it, or if the restaurant actually has the staff, infrastructure, and knowledge to seamlessly serve groups of all sizes.
5 Questions to Help You Find the Best Restaurant for Group Dining in Raleigh
- How do chefs handle food allergies and dietary restrictions?
At least one person in your group probably has food allergies or dietary needs that might influence your restaurant choice, so find out in advance whether the chefs will accommodate your guests’ needs.
If the chefs are willing to work with you, make sure to specify all food allergies and special diets when you call to make reservations.
- Do groups order from the main menu or a set menu?
The answer to this question will provide an important clue about whether a restaurant understands the science behind successfully serving a group.
Restaurants with experience of serving large groups usually offer a prix fixe menu with a curated selection of the chefs’ favorite and freshest dishes. When chefs design a prix fixe menu, they offer a selection of dishes that require similar cooking times for each course, which means Bob from Accounting won’t have to watch everyone eat while he awkwardly waits for his time-intensive order to arrive.
If a restaurant seems surprised that you’re even asking this question, or if they tell you that of course groups order from the main menu, proceed with caution. If you’re dining with a large group and everyone orders off the standard menu, you’re more likely to experience lengthy delays and messed-up orders.
- Do you have special seating areas for groups?
Restaurants that have semi-private dining areas and/or a completely private dining room probably serve groups frequently, so everyone on staff should know how to work together to make your group dinner a fantastic experience.
Restaurants that don’t have dedicated seating areas for group dining probably don’t serve groups very often, and most likely won’t have a streamlined system for serving groups effectively.
- Do you assign dedicated servers for group dinners?
If you’ve ever had to flag down a random waiter to ask for a napkin during a group dinner, you already know that service is what makes or breaks any group dinner. While smaller groups may not require dedicated servers who are focused only on the group, large groups certainly need their servers’ full attention.
- What is your payment policy for group meals?
If you want to end your group dinner on a high note, leave a credit card on file in advance so you don’t have to worry about the bill after your special event. Most upscale restaurants require a deposit when you make reservations for private parties and semi-private parties, so it’s easy to place a card on file when you call to make reservations.
Margaux’s has been a local favorite for group dining in Raleigh for more than 30 years, so we’ve had decades to perfect our methods. When you make reservations for a group dinner at Margaux’s, give our award-winning chefs a heads-up about any food allergies or dietary needs, and we’ll keep that in mind as we create your custom three-course prix fixe menu.
Margaux’s has a fully private dining room for large groups (up to 46 people) that includes a dedicated, staffed kitchen and bar, along with dedicated servers for your group. Groups of 12 to 18 people can relish the intimate exclusivity of Margaux’s semi- private dining area while still soaking up the positive vibes from our main dining room.
If you want to plan a group dinner at the best Raleigh restaurant for groups, call and make reservations at Margaux’s today!