30 Fun 80s Party Food Ideas for Your Themed Get-Together

1980s-themed parties can be a ton of fun. They’re vibrant, colorful, have great music, and bring out the nostalgia. If you’re in charge of hosting one this year, let these 80s party food ideas inspire you to throw a bash no one will forget.

80s party food ideas and snacks

One of the best things to come out of the 80s was an abundance of snacks and finger foods. These are bound to keep your guests going.

1. Potato skins

Potato skins are a cornerstone of 1980s snacks. Topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions, they’re easy to love.

2. Mini quiches

Individual quiches are the perfect 80s cocktail party food. Flavor them however you like—though we suggest mushrooms and caramelized onions for the filling.

3. 7-layer dip

Refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, and green onions come together to make this dip. Serve in individual cups.

4. Cheesy dip in a bread bowl

Prepare your favorite cheesy dip (creamy artichoke and spinach dip, anyone?) and serve in a large loaf of bread.

5. Pizza rolls

Make your own from scratch or cook from frozen—they’re a hit with children and adults either way. Serve with marinara sauce on the side.

6. Oyster sour cream dip on toast

Oysters and sour cream can be an acquired taste but go together perfectly in this dip, over ciabatta crostini.

7. Cheese fondue

Melt together Gruyère and Emmentaler in a fondue pot. Then, let your guests dip bread and pear cubes in this decadent appetizer.

8. Deviled eggs

Devilled eggs have been around for a long time and were all the rage in the 80s. Add a dash of paprika and pickle juice for an exciting touch.

9. Sloppy Joe nachos

Layer nacho chips with beef sloppy joe, shredded cheese, chopped onions, and jalapeños. Bake briefly to melt the cheese and crisp up the chips.

10. Saucy weiners

Like with many 1980s things, pairing small smokies (or weiners) with grape jelly and barbecue sauce may sound weird, but it’s surprisingly good.

80s dinner party food ideas

If you’re planning a sit-down dinner party, take some inspiration from these classic 1980s appetizers and mains.

1. Shrimp cocktails

No 80s dinner party is complete without shrimp cocktails. Display the prawns on a beautiful tall, wide glass over a pool of cocktail sauce.

2. Vol-au-vents

Hailing from France, “windblown” is a delicate hors d’oeuvre. Stuff the pastry with a creamy, savory chicken and mushroom mixture.

3. Clams casino

Even if your friends aren’t fans of seafood, they will probably like clams casino. Serve them broiled, buttered, and breaded.

4. Veal tonnato

This classic Italian antipasto took restaurants by storm in the 80s. It combines veal with a tuna sauce, an out-there mixture that somehow creates an upscale starter.

5. Jelly-glazed meatballs

80s cuisine had a thing for jelly, and this main dish is proof of it. Slow cook beef meatballs in ketchup and grape jelly until deliciously sticky and tender.

6. Pasta salad

Serve up a pasta salad as a light, refreshing side. Tricolor pasta tossed in vinaigrette is bound to brighten up any dinner table.

7. Pasta with vodka sauce

Popular with disco goers in the 80s, penne alla vodka is still much-loved today. It’s creamy, saucy, and slightly acidic.

8. Beef stroganoff

Beef stroganoff is a crowd-pleaser. Serve it with pasta, the traditional way, or over rice so it soaks up all that deliciously creamy sauce.

9. Apricot chicken

Sweet, tangy, and tender, this main dish pulls inspiration from Persian cuisine. It was a hit in the 80s and is bound to come back soon enough.

10. Blackened chicken

A strong spice rub is all you need to grill a chicken no guest will forget. This dish was a mainstay of 1980s dinner parties—and as soon as you taste, you’ll understand why.

80s desserts for parties and get-togethers

There’s always room for dessert, right? End your 1980s party with these sweet treats.

1. Mud pie

Mud pies are easy showy desserts to make. They’re silky, refreshing, and light while still being delicious.

2. Jello poke cake

One of the weirder desserts coming out of the 80s, Jello poke cakes are as tasty as they are versatile.

3. Ambrosia salad

Ambrosia salad was a hit in the 20s and 30s but came back in the 80s. It’s packed with fruit, coconut, whipped cream, marshmallows, and pecans for extra crunch.

4. Plum torte

The New York Times invented a recipe for a cake-meets-pie in 1983. It made ripe plums the star of the show and, throughout the decade, you could find them everywhere.

5. Frozen yogurt

In the summer, serve your guests a bowl of frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruits and compote. Top with toasted pecans.

1980s alcoholic beverages and cocktails

The 80s were a time for out-there drinks with often scandalous names. Here are some ideas of what to serve to over-21s at your next party.

1. Wine coolers

Wine coolers were one of the most popular boozy drinks in the 80s. While they went out of fashion in the 90s, they’ve made a comeback and deserve to be enjoyed at a themed party.

2. Blue Hawaiian

What would an 80s party be without the neon colors? A Blue Hawaiian cocktail checks off that box. Combine vodka, light rum, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and sweet and sour. Top with a cocktail umbrella and pineapple wedge.

3. Sex on the beach

1980s cocktail names were certainly provocative. This infamous drink is made with cranberry juice, orange juice, vodka, and peach schnapps.

4. Fuzzy navels

Mix peach schnapps with orange juice and serve over ice and orange slices in a tall cup. Don’t be turned off by the name.

5. Long Island iced tea

This drink may look like a regular iced tea but it packs a boozy punch. It’s made with vodka, white rum, silver tequila, gin, triple sec, syrup, lemon juice, and cola.

Focus on planning, don’t worry about the shopping

Planning a fun party takes time and effort. Focus on the fun parts of hosting (like decorating and creating music playlists) and leave the grocery shopping to Instacart. With just a few clicks, you can order everything you need for your totally tubular party without having to leave the house.

Grab it now on Instacart:

Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans (16 oz)

Hillshire Farm Lit'l Smokies® Smoked Sausage, 48 ounces (48 oz)

Kelchner's Cocktail Sauce (16 oz)

Food Lion Whole Chicken (per lb)

Plum (each)

De Kuyper Blue Curacao Liqueur (750 ml)

Instacart

Instacart is the leading grocery technology company in North America, partnering with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to deliver from more than 80,000 stores across more than 14,000 cities in North America. To read more Instacart posts, you can browse the company blog or search by keyword using the search bar at the top of the page.