Planning a Private Party for 20 to 40 Guests at Mi Casa

A private party is easier to plan when you know what the venue offers and what it needs from you. Mi Casa in Costa Mesa has a banquet program with a few moving parts. This guide covers the basics from the restaurant's published information, then points to the questions worth asking by phone.

What semi-private dining offers

Mi Casa offers semi-private dining for groups of 20 to 40 guests. Food can be served plated or as a buffet, and the posted price range is $25 to $55 per person. The wide range suggests the menu you choose sets the price.

The banquet menu is a three page PDF on the site. The website doesn't spell out what each price level includes, so read the PDF first and bring your questions to the call. A plated meal and a buffet feel different at a party, with a plated dinner suiting a seated celebration and a buffet suiting a group that wants to mingle.

What to have ready before you ask

The banquet request form asks for the details below. Having them ready makes the first conversation faster.

• Your first and last name
• Email and phone
• Company, if the event is for one
• The nature of the event
• The event date
• The number of guests
• Start and end times
• Any additional information

Settle the guest count as a range before you request a date, because the program is built for 20 to 40 people. Think about start and end times too. The posted hours are 11:30 AM to 9 PM Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11:30 AM to 10 PM Tuesday and Friday, 11 AM to 10 PM Saturday, and 11 AM to 9 PM Sunday.

The 18% service charge

The restaurant states that an 18% service charge is added to all parties of 8 or more. That covers every banquet. For a rough budget, 30 guests at $40 each comes to $1,200, and 18% of that figure is $216.

That's an illustration, not a quote. Ask whether the per person price is shown before or after the charge, what drinks cost and how they're billed, and what else gets added to the final bill. Getting those answers in writing early keeps the total from surprising you on the day.

A special evening: the Tequila Pairing Dinner

Mi Casa also hosts a Tequila Pairing Dinner, a multi-course menu paired with premium tequilas. The site carries a flyer for a Maestro Dobel pairing evening. Dates aren't listed in the published information, so call to find out what's coming.

A pairing dinner works as a guided tasting. Each course arrives with a different pour, so the food and the tequila are meant to be tasted together. It's a different kind of party from a seated banquet, and it's a good idea for a milestone dinner or a gathering of friends who like tequila.

Fiesta Fundraisers and donation requests

If you're organizing for a non-profit, Mi Casa runs Fiesta Fundraisers. On a designated day, 20% of the proceeds go to the non-profit group. Contact info@micasa1.com to set one up. It works as a way for a school group, team or club to raise money while its supporters have dinner, with no ticket sales for the group to manage on its own. The restaurant has also run an annual charity event, Mi Casa Cares, since 2008.

Donation requests follow a separate process. They are accepted by email only, on official letterhead, from eligible non-profits. Send proof of IRS 501(c) status, include a contact name, email and phone number, and send the request at least four weeks before you need an answer. The restaurant says it does not take requests by phone or drop-in.

The published information doesn't give a lead time for banquet requests, so ask how far ahead to book, especially for a Friday or Saturday evening when the dining room is likely busier. If anyone in your group has dietary needs, raise that when you plan the menu so the kitchen can talk through options with you directly. The menu names its items but doesn't make dietary claims, so a conversation is the safe way to settle it.

Getting started

Mi Casa is at 296 E 17th St in Costa Mesa. The dining room was updated in 2025 with new booths, tables and chairs and a more open feel, and remnants of the wagon wheel chandeliers from the 1972 building are still part of the room. Fill in the banquet form on the contact page, email info@micasa1.com or call (949) 645-7626.