Best Catering Companies 2022
Demeris Catering
Since 1964, the family-owned Demeris Catering has been serving clients throughout Houston. Menu options include Hors d’Oeuvres, a pasta bar, a quesadilla station, a meat carving station, homemade meatballs, shish-kebab, chicken wings, fajitas, lasagna, enchiladas, salads, vegetables, potatoes, rice, breakfast, and more. Clients can choose from full-service, delivery, and pickup.
Citadel Catering
Citadel Catering provides food preparation and presentation services to clients in the Houston metro area. This company can accommodate events of any size whether large or small, personal or business-oriented. It also provides a variety of serving options including buffet-style distribution and seated arrangements. Clients have the ability to create custom menus fitting the tastes of their guests, and options can be arranged based on each client's budget and event-related needs.
RX Catering Houston
RX Catering Houston is a home & office catering company that serves clients throughout the area. The company has breakfast, sandwich, soup, entree, salad, drink, and dessert options available for meetings, events, holidays, and parties. Entrees include beef dishes, casseroles, chicken dishes, fish and seafood, pasta dishes, and vegetarian entrees. Seasonal fruit and veggie trays are also available.
Leibman’s Wine & Fine Foods
Leibman’s Wine & Fine Foods has catered to Houston clients since 1979. The company provides full-service, delivery, and pick-up catering services for intimate and large corporate events, cocktail parties, engagement parties, weddings, showers, graduations, and more. Menu items include Hors d’oeuvres, sides, salads, entrees, sandwiches, dips, meats, cheeses, and desserts. Entrees include roasted beef tenderloin, salmon croquettes, lemon herb chicken breast, and lasagna.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Sweetwater Farms, Events & Catering
Sweetwater Farms, Events & Catering is a farm stand, a market, and a catering service for clients in Houston and its neighboring areas. This provider serves customer favorites and delicious food options for all events, fundraisers, galas, and parties. It offers breakfast and brunch for showers, birthdays, and weekend get togethers. Buffet preparations from Sweetwater Farms are enhanced to feed guests with 0% food contact. Its staff undergoes continuous training on new and updated health policies, as the company prides itself on cleanliness and safety. As a family-owned and operated business, Sweetwater Farms was established in 1974 and has grown to become a trusted staple in the Houston area.
Italiano’s Restaurant
Italiano’s Restaurant is a family-owned and operated catering company and restaurant in Humble. The North Houston business provides catering for special events and corporate meetings. Full and half pan options are available for both salads and entrees. Entrees include lasagna, grilled chicken penne alfredo, penne ala vodka, chicken marsala, chicken parmigiana, and chicken florentine. Extras such as marinara sauce, garlic knots, and tomato vinaigrette salad dressing are available.
Los Cucos Mexican Cafe
Los Cucos Mexican Cafe is a family-owned restaurant and catering company that has served clients in Houston since 1991. Fiesta packs include chicken fajitas, beef fajitas, cheese enchiladas, carnitas, and more. All packages include rice, refried beans, Pico de gallo, chile con queso, flour tortillas, red sauce, green sauce, tortilla chips, paper plates, and napkins. Services include pickup, full-service buffet, self-service buffet, and delivery with setup.
Fleur de Licious Catering
Fleur de Licious Catering brings nearly three decades of culinary experience to serving authentic New Orleans cuisine to the Pearland community. Menus are available for professional gatherings, weddings, intimate gatherings, and outdoor adventures. The company also hosts several culinary courses. Menu items include cold appetizers, hot appetizers, buffet selections, carved meat, salads, bread, potatoes, rice, vegetables, and hot desserts.
Corporate Caterers South Houston
Corporate Caterers South Houston is a catering company that focuses on catering to other businesses so that their clients can make the best impression possible. Corporate Caterers has over 20 years of experience that their South Houston branch benefits from, providing trained, experienced staff and exceptional food. The company offers hot and cold menus, breakfast options, sides, appetizers, snacks, beverages and desserts, as well as new special menus every two weeks. Past customers review Corporate Caterers South Houston positively, remarking on their on-time delivery, excellent food, and lovely presentation.
Fajita Pete's - Hedwig Village
After realizing the people's demand for quality fajitas, Pete established Fajita Pete's in Hedwig Village in 2008. Serving Houston and the nearby areas, Pete offers catering services for parties, office lunches, and family gatherings. In addition to fajitas, the restaurant also serves a wide range of Mexican food, such as queso, tortillas, ritas, and chicken enchiladas. Dedicated to giving back to the community, Fajita Pete's supports faith-based organizations, schools, and nonprofit organizations with its 'spirit nights' fundraiser program.
Becks Prime Restaurant
Becks Prime Restaurant is a Houston fast food and catering company that has been a part of the community since 1985. Menus are available for small, medium, and large occasions. Menu options include burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chips, chicken, baked beans, and chocolate chip cookies. All packages include America, cheddar, and Swiss cheese, prime sauce, hickory sauce, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, chopped onions, sliced dill pickles, jalapenos, relish, sauerkraut, and homemade chili.
Revival Market
Revival Market is a craft butcher shop, cafe, and catering company that has has been serving the Houston community for more than a decade. The chef and co-owner has been named as one of the Five Best Butchers in America by Bon Appetit, People’s Best New Chef for the Southwest region by Food & Wine Magazine, and Chef of the Year by the Houston Culinary Awards. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner catering services are available. Selections include assorted pastry and fruit trays, boxed lunches, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, pasta, entrees, sides, passed desserts, and plated desserts.
Corelli’s Italian Cafe
Corelli’s Italian Cafe is a catering company that has been serving Houston clients for nearly two decades. Catering is available for holidays, office parties, business meetings, dinners, graduations, baby showers, and more. Menu options include antipasti, soup, salad, entree, pasta, sides, dessert, and beverage. Pick up, delivery, drop off, and full-service options are available.
Cafe Natalie Catering
Cafe Natalie Catering has been serving the Houston community for nearly 20 years. The company caters nearly 400 weddings and 2,000 corporate events annually. All buffet packages come with fine china, silverware, linen napkins, freshly baked rolls, water goblets, coffee, and cake cutting. Wedding menu themes include Mexican, barbecue, Italian, Southern, Cajun, and Vietnamese. Cafe Natalie Catering frequently receives accolades such as Best Caterer by The Best of Bridal Extravaganza Show, Couples Choice Award by Wedding Wire, and Best of Weddings by The Knot.
Backyard Catering
Backyard Catering is a full-service catering company in Houston. Menus are available for corporate events, social gatherings, weddings, church gatherings, holiday parties, and backyard celebrations. Drop-off, full-service, and food truck catering is available. Food packages include Texas barbecue, Tex-Mex, American grill, and steakhouse. Appetizers, desserts, and beverages are also available.
Casetta Catering
Founded in 2012, Casetta Catering is a full-service company in Houston that specializes in food services for intimate and large events, such as weddings and corporate events. It offers a wide selection of food items that merge modern culinary flavors and techniques with Italian cuisine philosophies. The company also provides consulting services for restaurant start-ups. Its owner and founder, Francesco Casetta, carries experience serving celebrities and has been featured in the Houston Modern Luxury Magazine.
Boudreaux’s
Boudreaux’s is a Cajun kitchen and catering company that has been serving the Houston community for nearly 20 years. Menu options include Bayou bites, boiled seafood, a carving station, starters, salads, pasta, desserts, sides, bread, and whole meats. Platters are also available, such as vegetable and ranch, vegetable and cheese, fruit and cheese, shrimp BLT, po'boy, and seasonal fruit trays.
Masraff’s
Masraff’s is a Houston catering company that serves American cuisine. The business is a recipient of a Diner’s Choice Award by OpenTable and has catered for Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance, The University of Texas, and the American Heart Association. Lunch, dinner, dessert, and bar menus are available. Dinner entrees include pan roasted Alaskan halibut, caramelized diver scallops, pan-roasted Peking duck breast, and herb roasted Australian rack of lamb.
Della Carts Catering
Della Carts Catering is a BBB accredited catering company in Houston that has been serving the community for more than 30 years. Menus are available for corporate events, cocktail parties, luncheons, weddings, buffet dinners, conferences, and other occasions. Food options include breakfast, box lunches, chicken plates, pasta plates, beef and pork dishes, seafood dishes, beverages, desserts, sandwich trays, fruit and veggie trays, and more.
Phoenicia Specialty Foods
Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a Mediterranean-style delicatessen and catering company that has been a part of the Houston community for nearly 30 years. The business is actively involved in many local organizations including Trees for Houston, Ronald McDonald House, Heroes for Handbags, and more. Catering items include hot boxes, salad boxes, sandwich boxes, and breakfast boxes for corporate events. Family catering entrees such as chicken, lamb, beef, and vegetable dishes are also available.
Kim Son Restaurant
Kim Son Restaurant is a Vietnamese restaurant and catering company. The business is a recipient of Best Vietnamese Restaurant Award by the Houston Press and has featured in Bon Appetit, Esquire, and Food & Wine magazines. Wedding and banquet menus are available. Banquet items include appetizers, beef and pork entrees, fried rice, lo-mein, noodle soup, poultry entrees, seafood entrees, soup, and vegetarian dishes.
The Heights Catering
The Heights Catering is a catering business that serves clients in Houston and surrounding areas. It offers menu tasting, allowing clients to experience customized dishes for their celebrations or event needs. Its team of chefs uses top ingredients and fresh products from local suppliers. The business also prepares and serves meals from its food trucks. The Heights Catering offers various types of cuisines including African, American, Asian, British, and Middle Eastern.
Expert Answers To Common Questions:
- Introduction
- Can a catering company serve alcohol?
- Are catering tastings free?
- When catering for a party, how do you calculate how much food is needed?
- When should you reserve catering services before an event?
- Do you tip the caterer?
- What is included with catering services?
- How many different catering styles are there and what are they?
- Do catering companies rent tables, chairs, tents, tablecloths?
- What is the best way to tell your caterer your event date has been changed or canceled?
- What are hidden fees that catering companies have?
- How do I start a catering business from home?
- How do I rent a kitchen for catering?
- How can I promote my catering business?
- What licenses are needed to start a catering business?
- How much do caterers make per event?
- Where can I find catering leads?
- Q: Introduction
- A: Catering is a convenient service that brings restaurant-quality food and beverages to a variety of social gatherings. It's beneficial to weddings, workplace celebrations, and other events because it invites guests to relax and enjoy a festive meal. While there are many dedicated catering businesses that transport food and equipment to their clients, many restaurants also offer catering as part of their dining services.For those interested in a career in catering, the flexibility to take your business anywhere is one factor that may make the industry attractive. Like traditional restaurants, caterers often specialize in one type of cuisine, and they can vary widely in price and capacity. Whether you're looking to hire catering services for your next event or you want to learn more about the profession, take a look at these frequently asked questions below.
- Q: Can a catering company serve alcohol?
- A: Just like brick-and-mortar restaurants, catering companies need a liquor license to serve alcohol to patrons. If a caterer is serving alcoholic beverages, guests under the age of 21 are allowed on the premises, but they may not buy or consume alcohol.
- Q: Are catering tastings free?
- A: If you're having a large event catered and expecting to spend a lot of money, having a tasting beforehand is often a good idea. Tastings are handled differently by catering companies; some may charge while others won't. In general, most caterers charge a fee, usually around the cost of a meal at a restaurant.
- Q: When catering for a party, how do you calculate how much food is needed?
- A: Caterers usually help their clients calculate food by offering a recommended portion size per guest. Taking this into consideration, all you need to do is multiply this portion by the number of expected guests to determine the total amount of food needed.
- Q: When should you reserve catering services before an event?
- A: The amount of time in advance needed to schedule catering services depends on the number of people and type of event. For weddings with 50 people or more, six to 12 months in advance is recommended. For smaller gatherings, a month or two should suffice.
- Q: Do you tip the caterer?
- A: Some catering services include tips in the bill, so you don't have to worry about handling this aspect on the day of your event. If the tip is not included, a minimum of 15% of the total bill is recommended, while tipping 20% is not uncommon.
- Q: What is included with catering services?
- A: In addition to the food you order, catering services can include delivery, linens, silverware or plasticware, plates and cups, a small heat source to keep hot dishes warm, and staff. When planning your event, it's always a good idea to confirm which of these items are included and necessary.
- Q: How many different catering styles are there and what are they?
- A: The three main styles of catering are buffet, plated, and family-style.
- Buffet-style catering positions food on tables, and guests are encouraged to serve themselves.
- Plated catering is usually for formal occasions where staff bring individual plates to each seated guest.
- Family-style serves larger portions of food served placed on each table to be split between guests.
- Q: Do catering companies rent tables, chairs, tents, tablecloths?
- A: Most catering companies provide the necessary equipment to serve food, such as serving utensils and chafing dishes, though not all have furniture, such as chairs and tables, to seat large groups of people. If you also want to rent dining equipment, a larger catering company is likely a good option.
- Q: What is the best way to tell your caterer your event date has been changed or canceled?
- A: If your event date has changed or needs to be canceled, let the caterers know as soon as possible so they can make the necessary arrangements. A phone call is usually the best option so you can speak with someone directly to ensure that your cancellation is confirmed. If sending an email, be sure to get a written confirmation.
- A: When budgeting your event, it's a good idea to be aware of some of the common fees catering companies may charge. The most common include:
- Hiring waiters and other servers
- Cake-cutting or uncorking fees
- Garbage clean-up fees
- Tableware and linen rentals
- Tax and service charges
- Q: How do I start a catering business from home?
- A: After putting together a business plan and getting licensed, you need some basic equipment, such as plates, bowls, silverware, and garbage bins, to get started with your catering business. This should be enough for a simple operation, though if you want to serve more people, acquiring staff and a kitchen is a must.
- Q: How do I rent a kitchen for catering?
- A: Renting a kitchen is an important step for caterers looking to expand their business. Look for a space in your area that is at least 70 square feet, and contact the owner for details on rent. Once you've signed the lease, the next step is outfitting it with the right equipment.
- Q: How can I promote my catering business?
- A: There are many ways to promote a catering business, though the most cost-effective for small businesses is social media. Here you can target specific demographics based on age, interests, and location to reach out to the ideal audience for your services. A press release can be another good way to inform local media outlets of your new business, while a blog can allow new and establish customers to follow you over the long term.
- Q: What licenses are needed to start a catering business?
- A: There are several licenses required to run a catering business. In addition to a basic business license (BBL), you may also need a county or city license for food handling and a safety certification. A liquor license is not a necessity but common for caterers who plan on serving weddings and other large parties.
- Q: How much do caterers make per event?
- A: The amount your catering business makes per event depends entirely on how much you charge for your food minus the cost of expenses, such as staffing and materials. These are all details to be worked out in your business plan, but a good rule of thumb is to walk away with at least enough profit to cover the time you spent earning it. The average salary for a caterer is between $18,000 and $42,000 per year.
- Q: Where can I find catering leads?
- A: Getting leads for any business can be tough, but there's no better asset than word of mouth. The best way to get new customers is to make sure you always offer top-level service to the ones you already have, so they recommend you to friends and family in the future.