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A Sharper Palate is an event and catering business in Henrico that mainly caters for corporate events, social functions, and wedding receptions. The company offers a variety of event services, including venue selection, lighting and audio visual, production and execution, vendor management, floral, music and entertainment, as well as rentals. A Sharper Palate has been featured in Tidewater and Tulle, Richmond Weddings, and Belles & Whistles.
Alamo BBQ is a Richmond-based restaurant that specializes in authentic, Texas-style barbecue. The restaurant offers an array of Southwest-inspired dishes, including fish tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and tangy pulled chicken. Its team also caters for special events. Alamo BBQ has been featured on The Daily Meal, The King Agency, TimesDispatch, RVA News, Garden & Gun, and Richmond Magazine.
Autumn’s Custom Catering in Richmond is a professional catering service that serves prime comfort food. This company was established in 2003 and has since provided quality food and service for corporate lunches, cocktail parties, weddings, and formal dinners of any size. Autumn’s Custom Catering has appeared on WTVR 6’s Caramel Month Segment and on 103.7 FM’s Hersday Thursday Thanksgiving Segment.
Boka Truck is a gourmet food truck company in Richmond that is known for its Mexican grub infused with Asian flavors. The business has served its signature tacos, burritos, salads, burgers, and sandwiches since it was established in 2010. Its food trucks are also available for catering services. Boka Truck has been recognized by Style Weekly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond.com, Richmond Magazine, and Virginia Living Magazine.
Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue is a restaurant and catering company that serves traditional Texas barbecue to customers in the Richmond area. The restaurant has been cooking perfectly tender, seasoned barbecue dishes paired with traditional sides since it began in 1992. Its staff also handles catering services for events of all types. Buz and Ned’s Real Barbecue is highly recommended on Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Catering by Ukrop’s is a Richmond-based catering company that offers attractive platters of Southern-inspired dishes for large and small events. The company is known for its White House Roll sandwich trays, handcrafted salads, fresh fruits, and signature desserts, such as Chocolate Fudge, Lemon Chess, and Southern Pecan Tarts. Past clients commend the staff of Catering by Ukrop’s for their patience, professionalism, and remarkable attention to detail.
EAT Catering is a family-operated catering company that provides buffets, dinners, and hors d’oeuvres for events of all kinds and sizes. Its staff has over 25 years of experience in full-service catering and also offers a la carte food service in their restaurant. Past clients commend EAT Catering for its fresh, delicious food served by an excellent wait staff.
Edwards Catering is a family-owned catering company that has been serving patrons in the Richmond area for over 40 years. Its trained staff caters for a wide range of events, including wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, holiday parties, birthdays, anniversaries, and open houses. Edwards Catering boasts a five-star rating on WeddingWire.
Groovin’ Gourmet is a full-service caterer that has been serving patrons in the Richmond area for over 17 years. Its team of catering professionals handles events ranging from fundraising dinners to wedding receptions. They also offer food delivery services. Groovin’ Gourmet was voted Best of Richmond by Style Weekly readers in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
King’s Korner Catering is a wedding and social event caterer that has been serving guests in the Richmond area for over 30 years. Its team handles occasions ranging from corporate events to wedding receptions and is known for their scrumptious holiday menus. King’s Korner Catering is a member of the International Caterers Association (ICA) and National Association for Catering and Events (NACE).
Millie’s Diner is a locally owned eatery in Richmond that serves made-from-scratch, eclectic dishes from brunch to dinner. The restaurant opened in 1989 and has since doled out local favorites, such as soft-scrambled eggs with lobster and hollandaise, a gigantic spicy crab and egg enchilada, and Devil’s Mess frittata, paired with a Bloody Mary or a mimosa. The staff also caters for small and large social gatherings. Millie’s Diner has been featured in Style Weekly, Richmond.com, The Wall Street Journal Online, and Richmond Magazine.
Southern Smokin’ BBQ is a full-service caterer in Chesterfield that is known for its slow-smoked barbecue dishes. Its chefs use uniquely formulated seasoning and high-grade meats that are slow-cooked at a low temperature over a wood fire. The company is equipped with a full-service catering trailer and mobile smoker for on-location catering services. Southern Smokin’ BBQ has been featured on Thumbtack and Borrowed & Blue.
The Savory Grain is a restaurant and draft house in Richmond that is known for its New American-style cuisine and draft beer selection. The company offers a variety of food services, including in-house dining, food delivery, and event catering for both casual and black-tie events. Customers praise The Savory Grain for its generous food portions and remarkable service.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
