The Peckish Pig patio. Photo from the restaurant’s website.

You might think it was all weddings all the time around here, but I have also been known to plan other kinds of parties.  In fact, the very first planning job I had was for a birthday party right here in Evanston.  That was when I started researching restaurants with party rooms in town.

Well, the scene has changed over the years.  Pretty much all the places I found then are gone now, but there are a lot more party rooms–enough to ensure that Evanston party-throwers have plenty of good choices.

In South Evanston there are several good choices for party rooms.  Peckish Pig on Howard St. not only has a private party room that is large enough for 100 people (reception-style), but there is also a patio (and I’ve seen tents on the patio)–and their own brewery.  It seems to be a popular combination.  A lot of times when I go by the restaurant, the party room is in use.

For up to 50 people for dinner, Campagnola on Chicago Ave. has a quiet, second-floor party room.  As I recall from the last time I was there, the only way to get up to the second floor is by stairs, so the party room is not accessible to everyone.  If this is suitable for your party, though, it is a very nice room and the food is excellent.

An equally inaccessible but more casual option is the party room at Firehouse Grill.  (What is it with the second-floor-no-elevator party rooms?)  For a laid-back party with pub food and a bar, this would be a good choice.

Naturally, in downtown Evanston, there are even more options.  Terra and Vine has a number of smaller party rooms for parties as small as 10 or as large as 140 (seated) if all the rooms are combined.

Farmhouse Evanston also has some smaller rooms.  It looks like the largest dinner party they can accommodate is 55–or 65 for a reception.  I haven’t been to this second-floor space, so I don’t know much more about it than what is on their website.  It does look cozy.

Another downtown restaurant with small party rooms is Found Kitchen.  They are able to seat as many as 50 people for dinner.  I’ve heard raves about the food here, too.  That’s not surprising for a restaurant that is a fixture in this city.

And then there are the tiny rooms at Hearth Restaurant.  The largest room seats 30 people for dinner.  The smallest one seats only 14.  But sometimes that’s just the right size for your party.

Finally, Smylie Brothers Brewing Co. has more of a lounge feel in their second-floor mezzanine.  You could have 85 guests there, as long as they don’t all want to sit down at once.  There is also a private dining room that seats 30 guests.

As always, this is only a sample of what is available.  There are other restaurants, breweries, and probably various other establishments where you can rent a room (often for only the cost of the food and beverage minimum) and throw a great party.  Birthday parties, anniversary parties, baby showers, and even small weddings would be right at home in any of these locations.  And you have a host of styles and menus to choose from.