Look who’s so fancy with their groups of acquaintances. Don’t worry. Someday, you’ll meet a bunch of people and panic when you try to go to dinner somewhere. Two or three is easy, but where do you go when you have a crowd to feed? Luckily, Oklahoma City isn’t the one-horse, two-cup town it used to be. Here are a few of our favorite spaces when dining with a big group.

— by Greg Elwell,

photos by Mark Hancock, Garett Fisbeck and Keaton Draper

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Keaton Draper
Large Beer on Fassler's hall Picnic tables in their patio area in Oklahoma City, Monday, July 6, 2015

Fassler Hall

421 NW 10th St.

fasslerhall.com

609-3300

Germans love to party, which is why they invented giant glasses and enormous tables. At Fassler Hall, you’ll find  plenty of space to eat, drink and be merry. Or play with Legos. Or play  Cards Against Humanity. People do all sorts of things there. Be sure to order a few sausages and pretzels to soak up  those towering beers, freunde!

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Garett Fisbeck
Juan Adame at The Wedge Pizzeria in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, July 1, 2015.

The Wedge Pizzeria

4709 N. Western Ave.

thewedgeokc.com

602-3477

If you’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, there are two great options: pizza and worms. (The latter is mostly appropriate only if you’re a bird.) Grab a couple of pies at The Wedge — it even has gluten-free vegan options — and head out to its beautiful back patio. There’s room for kids to run around and a nice selection of craft beers for the adults. Grab a Truffle Shuffle with chicken if you want to make it clear that you’re not a bird.

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Keaton Draper
timelaspe of private dining area inside Bellini's Ristorante in Oklahoma City, Monday, July 6, 2015

Bellini’s Ristorante

6305 Waterford Blvd., Suite 100

bellinisokc.com

848-1065

The Italian word mangia and the English word mange might look similar, but one means “eat” and the other is a canine skin condition. Leave your dog at home when you head to Bellini’s for a night of ultra-delicious mangia-ing. Best of all, it has plenty of room for big, boisterous parties of stereotypically Italian diners slurping fettuccine and dipping bread in zuppa.

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Garett Fisbeck
Montserrat Ruffin poses for a photo at Cafe Antigua in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, July 1, 2015.

Cafe Antigua

1903 N. Classen Blvd.

602-8984

Cafe Antigua is the perfect place for a big Guatemalan breakfast and a family reunion, or even a good place for a loner to pretend he’s part of a family reunion. “Who’re you again? Aunt Kenneth’s sister’s boy’s half-cousin Berf? Get over here, Berf! Have some of this motuleño! Did you try the machaca? Hey everybody, have you met Berf?!” Berf is so lucky.

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Koto Japanese Steakhouse, from left, Cecilia Haynes-waitress, Shingi Campbell-habachi chef, and Tri Vu-sushi chef. mh

Koto Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi

2203 W. Main St., Norman

kotook.com

321-5555

The worst part about big tables is all that room in the middle where nobody sits. That’s what’s great about Koto Japanese Steakhouse; when you have a seat at these tables with your friends, there’s already a guy right in the center, cooking your food and playfully tossing shrimp tails into his hat. Will there be an onion volcano? Of course. It might as well be against the law not to have an onion volcano at a Japanese steakhouse.

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
The Reid family group from Tulsa enjoys Louie's spacious accomodations, served by Kelly Menasco at the 412, S. Meridian Avenue location. mh

Louie’s Grill & Bar

412 S. Meridian Ave.

louies.ehsrg.com

942-1141

Long before it became a popular destination for big parties looking for fast-casual food, Louie’s was known as Louis’. Louis was strict and didn’t allow beer or laughter until a heart scare (turned out to be gas) convinced him to change, paving the way for the fun-loving and laid-back Louie’s we love. Is any of this true? Nope. It has always been a fun place for great service and delicious eats for groups large and small.

 
OKG Eat: big crowds
Keaton Draper
Food and Drinks at Zarate's Latin & Mexican Grill in Edmond, Oklahoma, Monday, July 6, 2015.

Zarate’s Latin & Mexican Grill

706 S. Broadway, Edmond

330-6400

Is it illegal in Oklahoma for somebody else to take a bite out of your hamburger? Finding an actual law forbidding it has proven difficult. But there’s one thing we know for sure: There are no laws protecting your nachos. And when you’ve got a big group like the kind that regularly pack into Zarate’s, you know someone is going to try to eat those tasty nachos. So order more. Remember, it’s never “just one chip.”

Print headline: Crowds welcome

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