Do you have room for a 15" counter overhang and ample space to walk behind people seated at the counter (in most cases 44")?

A photo would be useful

How informal is house's design and style? would stools on both sides 'fit it'? you could close off the kitchen/ FR with a rolling partition of some kind....Course depends how large the areas are....

A counter on either side for eating would work. Do you mind having food in the family room? Then put the counter and stools on the kitchen side, if there's room to navigate around them. If not, try the other side. If neither side offers enough walk space to make the pass through a viable dining spot, I would drywall it closed and use the new wall space for more useful cabinetry in the kitchen or improving the furniture arrangement in the family room.

njmomma - if you are leaving a blank comment to follow a thread you can achieve the same thing by "like"ing the original post.

Again, idk if it'd be odd in your house, but thinking of typical eatery [true, a home isn't a cafe].... but for a party, you could use one or both rooms / its stools; people do eat/ snack that close to each other!

I would need to see the kitchen if the stools are at the pass through then you need to leave the passthrough open what would you think would happen Maybe I am thinking wrong and the stoolsa re not at the pass through . That is the reason I need a picture.