If the bottles are soft enough and the sauces thin enough, it'll work. Taco bar is next if (in)formality to backyard barbecue which is next to crawfish boil. Because the sour cream in a squeeze bottle is what they do on the corner pushcarts. After as non-holiday best as you can go. OTOH, there's something to be said for the amount of control, both in quantity used and where it goes, that's appealing. If it fits with your party, go for it. If people will be wearing ties and heels, just don't do it. Fill a tray with ice and put small bowls with mini ladles in it. You choose where the dividing line is.

All that aside, squueze bottles work best with medium thickness and viscosity. Think ketchup. Sour cream is too thick. Salsa picante is too thin. So think the sour cream with a little yoghurt or fresh cream. Thicken the salsa by puréeing with some vegetable matter or starch. And have toels handy for those who squit themselves. Oh! and if there will be kids there, or drink-too-much types, or growns with adolescent senses of humor, weight the probability that they'll start playing sword fight/water gun with the bottles against what you're perceiving to be ”easier”.

Try to make sure the party is fun for you.

Interesting. There will be no liquor.

Trust me, it'll all be done ahead of time.

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Oh! I didn't know they made commercial squeezy sour cream! IME, the branded bottles are less likely to be misused by impossible relatives. :) And, while quite casual, they wouldn't have that push cart look. Go for it!

The avocado lime sauce sounds tasty. I thought about the Daisy squeezers. If it would work for you, you might also check online, or elsewhere, for squeeze bottles with larger valve dispensers for thicker items like sour cream.

In my experience taco bars can be a little messy but fun!

Yeah I was thinking wide mouth squeeze bottles.

I'm okay with messy, I just want it to be fast.

For the thicker ones you could cut the tube further down where it's larger. I'd get the Salsa a brief swish in the bender and it will squeeze better.

Good luck! It sounds like fun.

Agree with the scissor action on the tubes, just snip a bigger opening on the bottle top

Dipute the sour cream a little with buttermilk if it's too thick to squeeze>

If yoou put a good amount of lime juice into your guac it won't brown quickly.

If you are going to have hot sauce as a condiment, you could have an assortment with different flavors and level of heat. One could be Habanero, one could be green chili, one could be mild, etc.

I agree, thinning sour cream might work well. I hadn't thought of cutting the squeeze bottles, but I love the idea.

Lars, I too had that thought. Along with both red and green salsas.

Black beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, cilantro rice, and all of the above listed. Mexican street corn salad (I'll make it https://www.servedfromscratch.com/mexican-street-corn-salad/#recipe ), and whatever other sides people bring.

I assume there will be lumpia and pansit since half the family is Filipino. Someone always brings a bucket of fried chicken (I assume for the grandchildren) and someone always makes either tiramisu (my stepmother's favorite) or a rice cake, might be called biko. So it's kinda hard to go one direction. Like herding turtles.

When serving sour cream for a crowd I thin it with half and half and then instead of a serving spoon I use a tablespoon size cookie scoop.

As for avocados I do hate how fast they brown. For the last breakfast ahead of time I cut them in half, removed the pit, and then cut/diced them leaving them in the skin. I put the halfs back together for later. Once setting up breakfast I used a big spoon to scoop it out. Doesn't take much time but still isn't ideal.

Or you can always make the fake guacamole. I haven't so I don't have any pointers.

If you are making rice then in the oven is the easiest. You can cook 6 cups in a 2.5" steam pan.

Grocery Outlet carries (today!) frozen avocado, which we've been using for several months for our Avocado toast on the weekends! Throw a handful in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, mush with hot salsa and yum! So you can do as much as you like!

The browning is oxidation. Put guacamole in a bowl with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice on top, then tuck plastic wrap down, touching the guacamole and the sides of the bowl. I may darken a tad, but won't go brown very fast. Uncover and stir, to serve.