As Patrick’s Grille becomes more and more people’s go-to for event catering, finding opportunities to engage with the community at the restaurant has grown increasingly important to the restaurant’s staff. In order to keep the community connected to the restaurant, Patrick’s Grille is hosting a suite of events for the whole family through the rest of the year.
“While our kitchen couldn't accommodate all of our private events, catering, and being a full-service restaurant, staying involved is why we keep the restaurant open on Wednesdays,” Patrick’s Grille General Manager Julie Krause said. “It's very important to us to stay involved in the community.”
The first event coming soon is the annual Thanksgiving to Go event which ensures a delicious Thanksgiving meal is ready for your family on the big day. During Thanksgiving to Go, customers can pick up pre-ordered individual or family meals including all of the classic Thanksgiving fare. Orders will be able to be placed via the restaurant’s website, Facebook page, or phone call throughout the month of November and picked up on Wednesday, November 27.
Once December rolls in, Patrick’s Grille gets into the holiday spirit with a Santa Brunch and gingerbread house-building event on Sunday, December 1.
“We do a nice brunch buffet which people can make a reservation for,” Krause said. “Afterwards, Santa and a few of his friends will join us to make gingerbread houses. Guests can go over as families, couples, or individuals and buy the gingerbread kit. They can build gingerbread houses in the restaurant, so the mess stays here.”
The following Sunday, Patrick’s Grille is partnering with local vendors to bring the shopping to you! Instead of facing the crowds at the mall, guests can head to Patrick’s Grille to get their Christmas shopping done.
“Local vendors come in and set up booths, letting you do your Christmas shopping, watch football, and have some snacks and beverages while you're shopping,” Krause said. “There’s no reservation required for this one.”
Both the Santa Brunch and the shopping event were started last year and are returning this year thanks to the community response. The Santa Brunch proved especially popular as Patrick’s Grille normally cannot accommodate families with children.
“We’ve never been able to have families or kids in the restaurant because of the liquor laws,” Krause said. “Now we can, and it's fun for us to be able to see the families and the kids interacting with Santa Claus. It's nothing we could ever do in the past, so we're glad to be able to do it again this year.”
As Christmas comes around, Patrick’s Grille provides its customers with more time to spend with their families through a Christmas to Go meal. Similar to Thanksgiving to Go, Christmas to Go takes the prep work out of a delicious holiday meal by offering pre-ordered individual or family bundles that can be picked up on December 24. In addition to these prepared meals for home, Patrick’s Grille also offers a Christmas Eve buffet if you’d like to enjoy fine dining with fine company. Both Christmas to Go orders and Christmas Eve buffet reservations can be made online or via phone call to the restaurant.
To conclude 2024, Patrick’s Grille will host a prime rib buffet on December 31. In the past, this meal has typically been menu ordered, but Krause and the team are excited by the added flexibility a buffet offers.
“We've always done a New Year’s Eve meal, but this year we're switching it to a buffet,” Krause said. “It's always been a reservation and order from the menu, but we want to try to accommodate more people.”
While all of these events are going on throughout the rest of the year, Patrick’s Grille will still be open from 4 - 8 p.m. every Wednesday. Reservations can be made by calling (219) 873-9401. Additionally, those looking to share the gift of a delicious meal can now purchase gift cards from the restaurant’s website.
“You can send them as gifts; it’s perfect for the holidays,” Krause said.
To learn more about Patrick’s Grille, visit the restaurant’s website or Facebook page. More information can also be found by calling (219) 873-9401.