Gas station snacks in a parked car with your people beat a fancy dinner with nobody to laugh at.

Enjoyment depends on who is present far more than on what is being consumed. A good meal with the wrong company is an expensive way to be uncomfortable, while bad food in a parked car can produce an evening you describe for years. The variable that matters is almost never the one being paid for.

When you have a choice, choose for the people rather than the venue. Invite the friends and let the setting be whatever it is. If a plan is expensive mainly because it is supposed to be impressive, that is usually a sign it is aimed at the wrong thing.