11 Foods and Drinks You Should Never Serve at an Outdoor Party

Sushi

Save the sushi for an indoor event or your favorite restaurant. It might look pretty on a platter, but it has an incredibly short shelf life. Not only does the taste go bad quickly, but it has the potential to make guests sick. 

“Most varieties contain seafood or a protein that should not be left at room temperature for more than one or two hours before spoiling,” notes Melissa Park, a global event producer and founder of Melissa Park Events.

What To Serve Instead: For Asian flair, make some veggie or tofu rice paper rolls.  You could also opt for a vegetarian “sushi” option.

Ceviche

Similarly, it’s a good idea to keep fish-based ceviche off the menu at your outdoor gathering. “You can put it on ice but the risk of food poisoning is still very high once it’s in the sun since it’s exposed, even when on ice,” warns event planner Valerie Bihet, founder and director of VIBE Agency.

What To Serve Instead: “One option is oysters that are on ice then only opened and served on-demand, creating a guest engagement element,” Bihet says. “Another is to serve chilled crustaceans. These have shells that will protect from the sun better than exposed fish.”

Ribs or Wings

As tasty as they are, ribs and wings are downright messy. Unless that’s the theme of the party—and you’ve got all the supplies on hand for a seamless cleanup—don’t serve this food at your outdoor event. An outdoor party often warrants casual seating and standing. You don't want to offer your guests food that requires a lot of effort and logistics to enjoy. 

What To Serve Instead: “Boneless chicken bites or meat that is pre-sliced and easy to eat would be better alternatives,” says Mariah Grumet, founder and instructor of Old Soul Etiquette. “You can give your guests the same flavor experience that you were hoping for—without the big mess.”

Sangria/Punch Bowls

A light and fruity cocktail in beautiful weather is the perfect way to get the party started, but sweet things also have the tendency to attract flies and mosquitos. “An open bowl of sweet juices and alcohol will give your guests a front-row seat to the dead bug pool party,” warns Diane Kolanović-Šolaja, owner and creative director of Dee Kay Events. 

What To Serve Instead: Instead, Kolanović-Šolaja says to purchase already-made canned cocktails to prevent bug swarms. You can also serve the punch or sangria in a closed container, but you’ll need to swing around periodically to clean up any spills.

Dairy Dishes

“I know it may sound extreme or hard to do, but all dairy-based dishes need to be chilled until they are served,” Park says. “If you don’t have refrigeration facilities available, the dishes should be discarded within one to two hours max.”

What To Serve Instead: Dress your salads with olive oil, pesto, or vinegar instead of ranch. For sweet dairy dishes, switch to fruit instead.

Pasta

Whether we’re talking spaghetti, penne, or a chilled pasta salad, you're looking at trouble for an outdoor event. “Pasta is difficult to cook and control the quality of on a large scale. Add in the toppings and sauces, and it’s a recipe for disaster,” says Samantha Leenheer, creative director at House of Joy. 

What To Serve Instead: Leenheer says, “Try pulling from those core flavors that you love and do a deconstructed version with a different starch, or try building it into a container to minimize mess.” 

Mayo-Based Items

Mayo is made from oil, vinegar, and emulsified egg yolk, and must remain chilled prior to consumption. Dishes or dressings that involve lots of mayonnaise—like egg salad, potato salad, aioli sauce, and deviled eggs—are all at risk of making people sick if they sit out too long, warns Bihet. 

What To Serve Instead: Vinegar-based foods are a better option to serve outdoors. It’s a lighter flavor that doesn’t come with the risk of spoilage.  

Large Cheese & Meat Platters

Although platters of food are easy to whip up and accessible for big crowds, you may find yourself overwhelmed trying to keep the temperatures safe. The free-for-all-grab can also start to create an unsafe food situation. Furthermore, platters also need to be covered outdoors to prevent flies and bugs from landing on the food, Kolanović-Šolaja says.

What To Serve Instead: “Instead of big platters, take small, disposable shot-sized glasses and make individual charcuterie, crudité, or fruit cups,” Kolanović-Šolaja suggests. “These can be stored easily in a covered cooler, and your guests can lift and grab them. It keeps the food temperature where it should be, keeps dirty hands from touching the rest of the platters, and makes for easy disposal.” 

Ice Cream

When you work tirelessly on preparing a wonderful event and menu for your guests, the last thing you want is to be dealing with melting desserts. Grumet says, “If you are having an outdoor party, avoid any foods that will not be able to stand in the warmer climate—including ice cream.” 

What To Serve Instead: Swap in a scrumptious dessert that’s more outdoor-friendly, such as a fruit tarts or pies, Grumet suggests.

Deep Fried Chicken

Generally speaking, don’t serve deep fried foods at an outdoor party, including deep fried chicken. “Anything fried can be slippery when eating due to the oils that it’s cooked in,” explains Leenheer. “This can invite mishaps and accidents that can leave hue stains on your tablescape and your guest’s attire.” Plus, any flaky scraps that make it to the floor are an open invitation for animals or rodents to join your event. With deep fried chicken, in particular, you also have messy bones to deal with.

What To Serve Instead: Try deboned grilled or baked chicken instead. You’ll still get the chicken flavor, but without the same amount of mess. Just make sure to keep it properly chilled.

Hard Chocolate

It’s not quite as bad as ice cream, but hard chocolate has a low melting point. That said, truffles, chocolate bars, and other chocolate items are prone to melting in the sun. “This means guests picking up a dessert will find themselves with chocolate on their hands,” says Elizabeth Goel, executive chef and owner of Bite Catering Couture. “Also, as the chocolate softens, your beautiful display will turn into a gooey, melted mess.” 

What To Serve Instead: For that chocolate kick without the mess, you can’t go wrong with a delicious brownie. Goel suggests a refreshing, cold, chocolate-mint brownie as a nice warm weather pick.