Toast To Dad: Old Fashioned Father’s Day Dinner Ideas

No matter how you celebrate Father’s Day, it’s a great opportunity to show the dads in your life how much you care. This year, why not surprise him with a special dinner that celebrates his favorite things in life? Let’s Toast To Dad with these Old Fashioned Father’s Day Dinner Ideas and Outdoor BBQ.

This outdoor dinner party is inspired by Old Fashioned Cocktails and can be adjusted based on your dad’s favorite cocktail, favorite food, etc.

In addition, to make the outdoor party extra special, decorate the table with all his favorite things.

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What Is An Old Fashioned Dinner Party?

If your dad is a bourbon fan, this is a fun theme for decorating the table based on Old Fashioned Cocktails.

Serve bourbon cocktails and food recipes enhanced by bourbon, such as smoked BBQ Pork Butt.

In addition, you will decorate your table and the surrounding area to include all your dad’s favorite things.

Each dinner party will differ based on your dad’s preferences, but today’s table and suggestions are based on what will make my husband feel special on Father’s Day.

However, don’t worry; you’ll see additional suggestions at the end.

Dad’s Favorite Things

Begin by asking yourself what are the top three favorite things your dad loves.

Since my father and father-in-law are deceased, I am planning this month’s Supper Club Themed Series based on my husband’s three favorite things.

I began with his favorite cocktail, an Old Fashioned, and decided that was a perfect theme to decorate the table.

Next, he loves to cook in the outdoor kitchen. Therefore, the Father’s Day Dinner Party will be surrounded by his grill and smokers. The smoker will be filled with BBQ, which will pair well with the bourbon.

One of his latest projects was repurposing the old bed cot into a utensil holder above the outdoor grill.

He also lives and breathes The University of North Carolina Basketball. So we will add Carolina blue colors and some memorabilia to be scattered around the setting.

Today’s tablescape is part of our monthly Supper Club Series.

If you are joining us for the first time, we are a group of friends who love to entertain, and when entertaining in person wasn’t recommended, we started a virtual supper club in January 2021.

We are from different areas of the country, and it’s always fun to see each person’s interpretation of the monthly theme. Meet the Supper Club Hosts.

• Stacy Ling, Bricks N Blooms from New Jersey
• Michele, Vintage Home Designs from Texas
• Jennifer, Midwest Life & Style from Nebraska
• Anne & AnnMarie, Simply 2 Mom’s from North Carolina
• I’m also from North Carolina.

Father’s Day Dinner Party Ideas – Outdoor BBQ

Let’s first begin with setting the table for a Father’s Day Dinner Party and outdoor BBQ.

Old Fashioned Centerpiece Idea

A fun way to decorate an Old Fashioned Father’s Day table is using vintage bourbon bottles for the centerpiece.

We have a couple of vintage IW Harper bourbon decanters that are perfect for adding a whimsical touch to the centerpiece.

The bottles are gathered onto an oval platter to anchor them in the center of the table.

Use your imagination for your centerpiece. Don’t feel you need a flower arrangement; instead, use items that pertain to your theme and made it fun.

Table Runner

Next is the table runner. With the Old Fashioned Bourbon theme, I opted for a chalkboard paper table runner.

Since the meal is a BBQ which can be messy, you don’t want to use your best tablecloths or table runners.

The Chalk Board Paper is inexpensive and can be tossed once the party is over. It comes in a large roll and includes a chalk marker.

To add a personalized touch, I wrote old-fashioned cocktail ingredients randomly on the runner. You could also write special messages or memories for your dad.

Depending on your theme, I suggest keeping the table runner or tablecloth simple. If your table is outside, be cautious of the chalk paper. It doesn’t hold up well in the sun.

Instead, you can use kraft paper runners and paint your themes with Sharpie markers. Take a look at this Kraft Paper Tablecloth for some additional Father’s Day Dinner ideas.

The Place Setting

Since the Father’s Day Dinner Party is being held outdoors and we are serving BBQ, the table setting is very simple.

If you have dishes that match his favorite team colors, it is a perfect way to pull the dinner theme together. You can also use paper plates for a casual BBQ dinner.

I used thrifted blue and white dishes and water goblets. You may remember the water goblets are from our Thrifting with the Gals, Southport, NC adventure.

Blue and white pillows are also added and help to soften the outdoor seating and add a touch more Carolina blue to the space.

My number one table-setting recommendation is to use what you have. You can mix and match dishes to have enough place settings for your dinner party. Shop thrift stores for similar patterns if you need a few extra dishes.

Father’s Day Food

Another fun idea is to plan the menu with recipes that use bourbon. There are many marinates that include bourbon and whiskey for fish, chicken, steaks, and BBQ.

I promise Dad will love this Old Fashioned Bourbon Bread Pudding for dessert. It’s my new favorite dessert and so easy to make.

Old Fashioned Bourbon Bar Set Up

Setting up the Old Fashioned Bourbon Bar was easy, with just a few Carolina touches. The basketball was added to a thrift store basket and included a pot of flowers on one side.

The UNC cooler was a previous Father’s Day Gift and added more Carolina charm to the bar setup.

A cocktail smoker kit was on his wish list for Father’s Day, and it is put to good use during the dinner party.

If your party theme includes cocktails, beer, or wine, be sure to set up a separate station for mixing drinks. This will keep the guest moving around from the appetizer table to the bar.

Add cocktail recipes to the bar. If you are serving one specialty cocktail, a fun detail is to add the recipe to the bar.

The chalk marker is easily removed with water after the party is over.

You can print out the cocktail recipes and plate them in a stand or use vintage chalkboards to include recipes.

Toast To Dad! Dinner Party

Whether your theme is old-fashioned cocktails or favorite recipes, these Father’s Day dinner ideas are sure to be a hit with Dad!

Let’s take the time to appreciate the fathers in our lives and show them a unique and exciting dinner that’s sure to make them feel special.

Resources

More Outdoor Kitchen Ideas

• 7 Vintage Outdoor Kitchen Decor Ideas
• DIY Metal Outdoor Utensil Holder for Above Grill
• Outdoor Kitchen Before and After

More Father’s Day Dinner Inspiration

Don’t miss all these amazing ideas. Next is Stacy at Brick N Blooms with her Casual Backyard BBQ Ideas. Click each link below to follow along on the tour.

Stacy – Casual Backyard BBQ Ideas / Michele – How To Create a Golf Theme Table for Father’s Day

Jen – How To Throw The Best BBQ for Father’s Day / Simply 2 Moms- Incredible Father’s Day Tablescape

Pasha – How To Set An Effortless Father’s Day Table / The Ponds Farmhouse – Father’s Day Dinner Idea

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