Hosting Girl Dinner: DIY Salad Bar Night
Hosting Girl Dinner is a great party anytime of year! Making it a do-it-yourself salad bar is even better!
I love hosting! That’s not a surprise over here on Sweetpea Lifestyle!
However, this “Girl Dinner” night with a DIY salad bar, crunchy seasoned French fries, and scrumptious chicken skewers was just the evening I needed with a group of girls.
The best part of this party idea? Everything is made ahead. You could make every single item the day before, then either reheat or “plop and go.”
Never heard of Girl Dinner?! Olivia Maher founded and created this concept, and the internet has more than embraced this lifestyle.
How to Host a Girl Dinner Salad Bar Party Everyone Will Be Talking About
Spoiler alert: this isn’t your average salad bar.
I threw a “Girl Dinner”–style party with a DIY salad bar, chicken skewers, and crispy little fry cups — and let me tell you: it was a HIT. ✨
Whether you’re planning a dinner party, bridal shower, or just gathering your girls for a fresh, cozy night in, this setup is effortless, elevated, and endlessly customizable. Here’s exactly how I pulled it off (and how you can too).
Let’s start with the table and party decor.
🌿 The Vibe: Girl Dinner Goes Garden Party
Think Farmer’s Market Chic meets Hot Girl Supper Club.
The mood was laid-back but lovely, with little luxe touches and a whimsical, build-your-own vibe. Guests got to craft their dream plate while mingling, sipping, and piling their salad bowls with all the crunchy, creamy, savory things they love.
Everything on the table and serving areas I already owned. This year, I’m determined not to buy (too much?!) new decor anytime I host something!
Shopping your home first is always my go-to!
Decor Details:
- Color palette: Striped tablecloth — super simple, but spring-forward!
- Textiles: Paper napkins and placemats.
- Lighting: A Simple rechargeable lamp, right in the center of the table.
- Plates: I love, love, love my Golden Rabbit Enamelware Pasta Plates. I have yet to serve pasta in them. They’re shallow, and make the best plate for scooping and eating!
🥗 The Food: Big Salad Energy (With Fries, Obviously)
The Star of the Show: The Salad Bar
I set up a long table with a build-your-own salad station that would make Elaine Benes weep with joy.
Here’s what I included:
🥬 Greens
- Greenhouse Crunch lettuce from Gotham Greens
🍗 Proteins
- Juicy chicken skewers — grilled to perfection and served warm or room temp
- Hummus
- Chopped Bacon
🧀 Cheese
- Unexpected Cheddar cubes
- Parmesan shavings
🥕 Veggies + Fruit
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Shaved carrots
- Green Onions
- Pickled shallots
- Sliced apples
- Chopped up dates
✨ Crunchies
- Croissant Croutons (homemade!)
- Nuts & Dried Fruit Combo
- Pizza flavored Parmesan Crisps
- Pita Chips (for the hummus, or however they wanted to eat them!)
- Cheez Its
🥣 Dressings (served in cute glass jars)
- Ranch
- Balsamic vinaigrette
- Caesar Dip
Before you ask, “Where did you get these serving pieces?!” They’ve all been thrifted! They’re all lazy-susans, and are the perfect way to serve a little bit of many things! I love them.
Etsy offers these exact ones I have!
The Secret Crowd-Pleaser: Air Fryer Fries
I mean… is it really a Girl Dinner if there aren’t fries involved?
I served crispy air fryer fries in individual fry cups — like grown-up Happy Meals. You could hear actual gasps of joy when I brought them out.
I knew I would love using these fry cups from Kate Spade x Target’s collection! They’re sold out, but I did find some cute ones on Amazon!
- These cute kraft paper ones, that double as charcuterie cups!
- Plain white fry cups that are just like restaurants.
- Little pink and white striped fry cups!
🍷 Drinks & Extras
Since I hosted this on a “school night,” we had a booze-free evening.
- Sparkling water
- Church Lady Punch
💡 Hosting Tips
- Prep ahead: Chop veggies + make dressings the night before. Grill chicken skewers same day and keep warm in foil until serving. I air fried my chicken skewers!
- Label everything: A couple of say before, I labeled all of my serving platters!
- Add height + texture: I stacked cookbooks up, and set a few of my platters and serving pieces on them. I wanted people to have room to set their plate down so they could use both hands to make their salad creations!
📸 Instagram-Worthy Moments
- The fry cups were the sleeper hit of the night — they looked adorable lined up on a tray.
- The salad bar layout was perfect for grazing and mingling. No one felt rushed.
Final Thoughts
This was one of the easiest, breeziest parties I’ve ever hosted — and everyone left full, happy, and asking when we’re doing it again.
If you’re looking for a fun, fresh, low-stress dinner party idea, this Girl Dinner Salad Bar setup is it. It’s customizable, colorful, and guaranteed to spark joy (and probably a few second helpings of fries).
