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Best Holiday Party Catering for San Diego

Every holiday has a flavor. For some, it’s cinnamon and cider by the fire. For others, it’s carving roast beef at a decorated table with colleagues or family. Whatever the celebration looks like, holiday party catering from Personal Touch Dining helps you bring it to life.

We take care of the menu, the presentation, and the timing, so all that’s left is to have fun and enjoy!

Talk With A Professional Event Catering Expert

Holiday Catering Options

That Fit Your Celebration

Full-Service Holiday Party Catering

  • Our full-service holiday party catering is made for moments that call for a little more.
  • Buffet stations, passed appetizers, carving displays, and servers who make sure everything stays on track. We arrive early, handle the setup, and keep your timeline smooth through the last toast.
  • Add on bar service, desserts, or even event coordination. We bring the pieces together so you can focus on the celebration.

Drop-Off Holiday Catering

  • Not every gathering needs a full production. Our drop-off holiday catering brings flavor aand simplicity straight to your door. Build your menu from a selection of seasonal à la carte dishes, herb-roasted proteins, creamy sides, sweet finishes, and we’ll deliver it ready to serve.
  • No setup, no servers. Just thoughtful food prepared for your group. A great fit for office parties, at-home dinners, and anywhere people gather.

Bar Service & Beverage Packages

  • No holiday party catering feels quite right without something festive to sip.
  • Our beverage packages include craft cocktails, wine, local beer, and non-alcoholic drink stations. Choose a setup that fits your group: full bar service, a cozy cider station, or a signature cocktail menu built just for your event.
  • Add-ons like a hot chocolate bar or mulled cider bring a personal touch. This is catering for the holiday party season with style, comfort, and plenty to toast!

Why Choose Us for Holiday & Special Event Catering in San Diego?

Trust Personal Touch Dining, San Diego’s award-winning holiday catering company with over 30 years of experience. From intimate family gatherings to large corporate celebrations, our team ensures every detail is handled with care, creating a seamless and festive experience for your holiday event.

Easy Customization

Personalize your holiday menu to match your theme and vision. Choose from chef-curated holiday packages or build a menu that reflects your traditions, with options for buffets, plated dinners, carving stations, and themed dessert or beverage bars.

Locally Sourced and Fresh Every Time

We believe the best holiday celebrations start with the freshest ingredients. Our chefs prepare every dish in-house using locally sourced produce, premium proteins, and artisan baked goods to deliver a memorable dining experience full of seasonal flavor.

Allergy & Dietary Friendly Options

Celebrate confidently knowing all your guests are taken care of. We provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and other dietary accommodations upon request, ensuring no one is left out of the holiday cheer.

Allergy & Dietary Friendly Options

Celebrate confidently knowing all your guests are taken care of. We provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and other dietary accommodations upon request, ensuring no one is left out of the holiday cheer.

Trusted for Holiday Parties Across San Diego

From office holiday parties to elegant New Year’s Eve galas, event planners and businesses across San Diego rely on Personal Touch Dining for dependable, high-quality catering. With full-service staffing, bar packages, rentals, and event coordination available, we’re your one-stop solution for unforgettable holiday and special event catering.

Easy Customization

Personalize your holiday menu to match your theme and vision. Choose from chef-curated holiday packages or build a menu that reflects your traditions, with options for buffets, plated dinners, carving stations, and themed dessert or beverage bars.

Popular Holidays We Cater

  • New Year’s Eve Parties – Champagne toasts, elegant passed bites, and late-night stations.
  • Christmas Parties – Holiday roasts, festive sides, and cozy desserts.
  • Thanksgiving – Classic turkey dinners, pies, and fully-prepared sides.
  • Halloween Parties – Spooky treats, themed bites, and kid-friendly menus.
  • Cinco de Mayo – Authentic tacos, guacamole bars, margaritas, and festive décor
  • Mother’s Day Brunch – Mimosas, pastries, and elegant breakfast stations.
  • Father’s Day BBQ – Grilled favorites like ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and hearty sides.
  • St. Patrick’s Day – Irish classics with a modern twist, plus festive bar options.
  • Fourth of July – All-American picnic fare and patriotic dessert displays.

Benefits of Professional Holiday Catering

Great food brings people together. A good catering partner lets you stay present while it happens.

Enjoy the Season, Not the Stress

Let go of the prep list. We’ll take care of the food, timing, and cleanup so you can focus on your guests. With our experienced team in place, there’s no need to manage ovens, trays, or last-minute plating.

Festive Menus for Every Palate

Classic comfort dishes and seasonal favorites come together in our menus to reflect the flavors of the holidays. We offer vegetarian, gluten-free, and kid-friendly options to make sure everyone at the table feels included.

Tailored Experiences, Big or Small

No event is too large or too intimate. We cater cozy family meals, company-wide celebrations, and everything in between. Menus and service can be shaped around your space, your crowd, and how you want the day to feel.

Holiday Party Enhancements and Customization

Every event tells a story. The right extras help yours feel complete. Some hosts love adding seasonal touches. Others want help behind the scenes. We offer both.

Custom Menu Planning

Work with our team to build a menu that fits your event perfectly. We create dishes that reflect your theme, your taste, and your guests’ needs. Gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-light, or kid-friendly, we’ve got you.

Themed Food & Drink Stations

Make it feel festive. A hot chocolate bar with toppings. A holiday dessert table lined with sweets. Even a s’mores station for something fun and interactive. These small additions leave a big impression.

Seasonal Décor & Rentals​

From table linens to centerpieces and chairs, we coordinate the look and feel of your space. We work closely with trusted rental partners to bring in exactly what’s needed, styled to match the tone of your gathering.

Event Coordination Available​

Need help keeping everything on track? Our coordinators can manage logistics, keep vendors in sync, and make sure your timeline flows smoothly. You stay with your guests. We handle the rest.

Mini tacos served as passed hors d’oeuvres for holiday party catering by Personal Touch Dining

Why Choose Personal Touch
Dining for Holiday Catering?

  • For over three decades in San Diego, Personal Touch Dining has been the go-to choice for memorable events. Founded in 1988 and rooted in local tradition, our team has delivered holiday party catering that feels effortless and festive.
  • Every event is backed by a dedicated in-house staff, from seasoned chefs to polished servers, ensuring consistency, care, and calm under any circumstances.
  • Our presentations win awards (including The Knot Hall of Fame) and start conversations, because food should look as exceptional as it tastes.
  • Each year, hosts turn to Personal Touch again and again, confident in a team with a proven holiday party success record.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Here’s what some of our recent customers have to say about their experiences with our boxed lunch catering service:

Kailey M.
We had such a great experience working with Samantha and the whole Personal Touch team. They worked with us on all our catering needs, bartenders, and rentals. Everything was executed flawlessly and the food was AMAZING. Our guests are still raving about their meals! Highly recommend working with them!
Elena W.
Personal Touch was great to work with for our wedding. They were very responsive to questions, updates, and requests. The service and quality of food day of was fantastic. We had several guests compliment the food. Their attention to detail to make a great experience was evident by including sparkling cider for kids in the champagne toast, the servers going out of their way to ensure we always had a drink, and the care package of food specific for us as bride and groom to take home separate from the other leftovers. Highly recommend Personal Touch Dining and will gladly use them for future catering needs.
Elizabeth G.
We used Personal Touch for our recent wedding and cannot say enough great things. The entire process was really easy from start to finish. On the day of the wedding, from welcome drinks to cocktail hour to dinner, everything went SO smooth. The staff were very professional and organized. Our guests raved about the food and fun drink options. Overall incredible value,- using PTD really elevated our event and we can’t thank the team enough.
Jacob M.
Our November wedding was perfect at Scripps Seaside Forum. We chose PTD because of the reasonable quotes and the fact we could trust them with all rentals. That was the best decision we made! Samantha handled everything from flatware to drapery. Our wedding day ran smoothly despite the downpour of rain. We loved that they knew the venue and worked seamlessly with our day of coordinator. The food was amazing we cannot stop getting compliments on the red wine demi glace short-ribs. Thank you to Samantha and her team!
Sydney R.
We had an incredible experience with Personal Touch Dining from start to finish and couldn’t recommend them more highly! They made the wedding planning process smooth, organized, and genuinely enjoyable, which made a huge difference during what can be a very overwhelming time. Communication was clear, thoughtful, and supportive every step of the way. We were getting compliments for days on end from our guests about how delicious everything was! We are so grateful to Samantha and the entire team for helping make our wedding day seamless, stress-free, and truly memorable! We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning an event!!
Nicole L.
Can't recommend PTD enough! We chose them to be our wedding caterer for our June wedding in La Jolla after getting quotes (and doing tastings) with multiple other caterers. We were blown away by their delicious food; the menu options were great and the team worked with us to make customizations throughout the process. Pricing was reasonable, especially given the quality. We really appreciated their flexibility with the bar package (other caterers were not willing to let us mix/match alcohols, and we were also able to supplement our own beer/wine with a few specifics that we knew our guests loved!) The staff were all super friendly and lovely to work with day-of. I really enjoyed working with Annalisa and Ashley during the planning as well-their patience and kindness throughout the process was much appreciated! Highly recommend PTD for any couple looking to elevate their wedding experience!
Aisling W.
Annalisa and the PTD team were AMAZING for our wedding back in March 2024! Our guests couldn't stop talking about the short rib, the mashed potatoes, and our churro station for months after. Annalisa was highly communicative throughout the planning process, and even offered support in finding other rentals vendors that they commonly work with. When we went to do our tasting, they put on a little date night for us with candles, soft music, and a fully plated meal, which was so sweet and such a nice surprise in the midst of a busy work week. PTD's entire staff at the wedding, from the servers to the bartenders, ensured our guests had everything they needed and were timely with all of the courses and drink requests. Choosing a caterer is one of the most important parts of a wedding, so I was SO relieved to find a company like Personal Touch that truly took what can often be an underwhelming part of a wedding to the next level!! Thank you again, Personal Touch!!!
Andrea B.
We found PTD to be very easy to work with, our guests continue to say that our wedding food was the best wedding food they'd had. I am vegan and shopped around a lot for an all vegan caterer but honestly PTD had just as many options as any other vegan restaurant and offered them at a very reasonable price. In the end we decided to do a buffet, our guests loved the Brussel sprouts, eggplant towers, and the tri tip (our non-vegan option). Working with Annalisa was a breeze, she was always available and very easy to communicate with. She also had great recommendations for other vendors (she sent me to the most amazing coordinator). All in all, couldn't have really asked for more!
Mandy S.
I am so happy that we went with Personal Touch Dining as our wedding caterer! They took care of the table/chair rentals, linens, lawn market lighting, draping, cocktail hour food, buffet, dessert and late night snacks for us. For tray passed bites, we chose, chicken & waffles, watermelon skewers and mediterranean herb shrimp. Our guests asked if they were going to bring more out because it was all so good! We chose the churro station for dessert and that was a really big hit with our guests. Thank you Annalisa for all of your help in making sure it was the perfect day for us!
Don O.
Personal touch was the most helpful experience we had. Our venue was very difficult and their team handled it with professionalism and grace. Annalisa settled our venue out and was great in a clutch. The food was phenomenal. Absolutely 5 stars. We had a buffet menu and everyone was absolutely amazed. The mushrooms were the best. I had a plate full by myself. Speaking of which, their staff handled us individually and made us feel special. It allowed us to speak with our guest's and not go hungry. Drinks too! Couldn't of asked for a better staff.
Bre F.
Annalisa and Ashley were absolutely amazing to work with at Personal Touch Dining. I highly recommend their services for any event! They were incredibly responsive to all of my questions leading up to the wedding, which made the process stress-free knowing they were there to support me. On the wedding day, everything was executed perfectly, from the linens and rentals to the food. We received countless compliments on how delicious everything was! Kudos to the chefs and the entire staff for making our day so much more special.
Alisa M.
Personal Touch Dining (PTD) was an absolute dream to work with. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, well-organized, and genuinely thoughtful in their approach. We were looking for a catering and bar vendor that felt elevated and polished—and PTD exceeded our expectations in every way. They coordinated seamlessly with our wedding planner, making the entire planning process smooth and stress-free. On the big day, every detail was executed flawlessly—from linens and flatware to custom bar signs and table numbers. PTD was a standout vendor that delivered both exceptional service and unforgettable moments. We’d recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone planning a big event.
Marie S.
This company gets five stars for a reason. Tasty food, great service and on time. We hired them for a corporate women's lunch yesterday. They followed the instructions and used our loading dock to bring up the food, and beautifully set it up in our kitchen, ahead of schedule. The food was delicious, salads, a sandwich bar, bagels, spreads, chips and salsa, potato chips, drinks all laid out perfectly. My only complaint, and it's small, was there could have been a bit more dessert. Desserts were bite sized and wonderful! We are so happy that we can count on this business!
Kelsea L.
Too good not to book! Personal Touch Dining made wedding planning a breeze! The venue was beautiful, the catering was delicious and they handled all the rentals. All we had to do is tell them what we liked/ wanted and they brought it all to life! The staff is also AMAZING! They were always on top of things, kind, patient and so helpful! Thank you Annalisa, Darcie, Danielle and the entire Personal Touch Dining Team!
Nora R.
Personal Touch was a wonderful caterer for our wedding! They were responsive in the planning stage, and everything was delicious the day of the event.
J.T
If you want a top notch caterer, professional service and some of the yummiest food then Personal Touch Dining is for you! From start to finish they were on top of every detail, answered all our questions and concerns and coordinated with the vendors, etc. They made us and our reception feel like we mattered to them. People are still raving about the food and the overall reception!
Ashley M.
Lauren, Annalise, and Brittany were a pleasure to work with throughout the months and days leading up to the event. The staff during our wedding was super attentive, no empty glasses! The food was absolutely delicious and just as good as the tasting. Our guests RAVED about how good the food was. They are super flexible to work with and pricing was super fair. Would definitely recommend them to anyone planning an event and especially for weddings.
Abby J.
Personal Touch Dining did a wonderful job with our wedding catering from start to finish. We requested proposals from 3-5 companies during our initial search and Personal Touch first impressed us with their affordability which was very important to us. Sometimes affordability can translate into lower quality for service/taste/etc. but such is NOT the case with PTD. From my initial email their sales representative was extremely responsive, courteous, and helpful. Everything tasted and looked great on the day of our wedding. Highly recommend this company.
Kailey M.
We had such a great experience working with Samantha and the whole Personal Touch team. They worked with us on all our catering needs, bartenders, and rentals. Everything was executed flawlessly and the food was AMAZING. Our guests are still raving about their meals! Highly recommend working with them!
Elena W.
Personal Touch was great to work with for our wedding. They were very responsive to questions, updates, and requests. The service and quality of food day of was fantastic. We had several guests compliment the food. Their attention to detail to make a great experience was evident by including sparkling cider for kids in the champagne toast, the servers going out of their way to ensure we always had a drink, and the care package of food specific for us as bride and groom to take home separate from the other leftovers. Highly recommend Personal Touch Dining and will gladly use them for future catering needs.
Elizabeth G.
We used Personal Touch for our recent wedding and cannot say enough great things. The entire process was really easy from start to finish. On the day of the wedding, from welcome drinks to cocktail hour to dinner, everything went SO smooth. The staff were very professional and organized. Our guests raved about the food and fun drink options. Overall incredible value,- using PTD really elevated our event and we can’t thank the team enough.
Jacob M.
Our November wedding was perfect at Scripps Seaside Forum. We chose PTD because of the reasonable quotes and the fact we could trust them with all rentals. That was the best decision we made! Samantha handled everything from flatware to drapery. Our wedding day ran smoothly despite the downpour of rain. We loved that they knew the venue and worked seamlessly with our day of coordinator. The food was amazing we cannot stop getting compliments on the red wine demi glace short-ribs. Thank you to Samantha and her team!
Sydney R.
We had an incredible experience with Personal Touch Dining from start to finish and couldn’t recommend them more highly! They made the wedding planning process smooth, organized, and genuinely enjoyable, which made a huge difference during what can be a very overwhelming time. Communication was clear, thoughtful, and supportive every step of the way. We were getting compliments for days on end from our guests about how delicious everything was! We are so grateful to Samantha and the entire team for helping make our wedding day seamless, stress-free, and truly memorable! We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning an event!!
Nicole L.
Can't recommend PTD enough! We chose them to be our wedding caterer for our June wedding in La Jolla after getting quotes (and doing tastings) with multiple other caterers. We were blown away by their delicious food; the menu options were great and the team worked with us to make customizations throughout the process. Pricing was reasonable, especially given the quality. We really appreciated their flexibility with the bar package (other caterers were not willing to let us mix/match alcohols, and we were also able to supplement our own beer/wine with a few specifics that we knew our guests loved!) The staff were all super friendly and lovely to work with day-of. I really enjoyed working with Annalisa and Ashley during the planning as well-their patience and kindness throughout the process was much appreciated! Highly recommend PTD for any couple looking to elevate their wedding experience!
Aisling W.
Annalisa and the PTD team were AMAZING for our wedding back in March 2024! Our guests couldn't stop talking about the short rib, the mashed potatoes, and our churro station for months after. Annalisa was highly communicative throughout the planning process, and even offered support in finding other rentals vendors that they commonly work with. When we went to do our tasting, they put on a little date night for us with candles, soft music, and a fully plated meal, which was so sweet and such a nice surprise in the midst of a busy work week. PTD's entire staff at the wedding, from the servers to the bartenders, ensured our guests had everything they needed and were timely with all of the courses and drink requests. Choosing a caterer is one of the most important parts of a wedding, so I was SO relieved to find a company like Personal Touch that truly took what can often be an underwhelming part of a wedding to the next level!! Thank you again, Personal Touch!!!
Andrea B.
We found PTD to be very easy to work with, our guests continue to say that our wedding food was the best wedding food they'd had. I am vegan and shopped around a lot for an all vegan caterer but honestly PTD had just as many options as any other vegan restaurant and offered them at a very reasonable price. In the end we decided to do a buffet, our guests loved the Brussel sprouts, eggplant towers, and the tri tip (our non-vegan option). Working with Annalisa was a breeze, she was always available and very easy to communicate with. She also had great recommendations for other vendors (she sent me to the most amazing coordinator). All in all, couldn't have really asked for more!
Mandy S.
I am so happy that we went with Personal Touch Dining as our wedding caterer! They took care of the table/chair rentals, linens, lawn market lighting, draping, cocktail hour food, buffet, dessert and late night snacks for us. For tray passed bites, we chose, chicken & waffles, watermelon skewers and mediterranean herb shrimp. Our guests asked if they were going to bring more out because it was all so good! We chose the churro station for dessert and that was a really big hit with our guests. Thank you Annalisa for all of your help in making sure it was the perfect day for us!
Don O.
Personal touch was the most helpful experience we had. Our venue was very difficult and their team handled it with professionalism and grace. Annalisa settled our venue out and was great in a clutch. The food was phenomenal. Absolutely 5 stars. We had a buffet menu and everyone was absolutely amazed. The mushrooms were the best. I had a plate full by myself. Speaking of which, their staff handled us individually and made us feel special. It allowed us to speak with our guest's and not go hungry. Drinks too! Couldn't of asked for a better staff.
Bre F.
Annalisa and Ashley were absolutely amazing to work with at Personal Touch Dining. I highly recommend their services for any event! They were incredibly responsive to all of my questions leading up to the wedding, which made the process stress-free knowing they were there to support me. On the wedding day, everything was executed perfectly, from the linens and rentals to the food. We received countless compliments on how delicious everything was! Kudos to the chefs and the entire staff for making our day so much more special.
Alisa M.
Personal Touch Dining (PTD) was an absolute dream to work with. From start to finish, they were responsive, professional, well-organized, and genuinely thoughtful in their approach. We were looking for a catering and bar vendor that felt elevated and polished—and PTD exceeded our expectations in every way. They coordinated seamlessly with our wedding planner, making the entire planning process smooth and stress-free. On the big day, every detail was executed flawlessly—from linens and flatware to custom bar signs and table numbers. PTD was a standout vendor that delivered both exceptional service and unforgettable moments. We’d recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone planning a big event.
Marie S.
This company gets five stars for a reason. Tasty food, great service and on time. We hired them for a corporate women's lunch yesterday. They followed the instructions and used our loading dock to bring up the food, and beautifully set it up in our kitchen, ahead of schedule. The food was delicious, salads, a sandwich bar, bagels, spreads, chips and salsa, potato chips, drinks all laid out perfectly. My only complaint, and it's small, was there could have been a bit more dessert. Desserts were bite sized and wonderful! We are so happy that we can count on this business!
Kelsea L.
Too good not to book! Personal Touch Dining made wedding planning a breeze! The venue was beautiful, the catering was delicious and they handled all the rentals. All we had to do is tell them what we liked/ wanted and they brought it all to life! The staff is also AMAZING! They were always on top of things, kind, patient and so helpful! Thank you Annalisa, Darcie, Danielle and the entire Personal Touch Dining Team!
Nora R.
Personal Touch was a wonderful caterer for our wedding! They were responsive in the planning stage, and everything was delicious the day of the event.
J.T
If you want a top notch caterer, professional service and some of the yummiest food then Personal Touch Dining is for you! From start to finish they were on top of every detail, answered all our questions and concerns and coordinated with the vendors, etc. They made us and our reception feel like we mattered to them. People are still raving about the food and the overall reception!
Ashley M.
Lauren, Annalise, and Brittany were a pleasure to work with throughout the months and days leading up to the event. The staff during our wedding was super attentive, no empty glasses! The food was absolutely delicious and just as good as the tasting. Our guests RAVED about how good the food was. They are super flexible to work with and pricing was super fair. Would definitely recommend them to anyone planning an event and especially for weddings.
Abby J.
Personal Touch Dining did a wonderful job with our wedding catering from start to finish. We requested proposals from 3-5 companies during our initial search and Personal Touch first impressed us with their affordability which was very important to us. Sometimes affordability can translate into lower quality for service/taste/etc. but such is NOT the case with PTD. From my initial email their sales representative was extremely responsive, courteous, and helpful. Everything tasted and looked great on the day of our wedding. Highly recommend this company.

Personalized Boxed Lunch Catering in San Diego

Personal Touch Dining is an award-winning caterer known for premium boxed lunches in San Diego. Our service is flexible and fully customizable, letting you create exactly the meal you want. We deliver directly to hotels, businesses, and event venues around San Diego, making your catering experience simple and reliable.

Ready to Plan Your Holiday Party?

Let’s bring the flavor and joy of the holidays to your next gathering

Frequently Asked Questions

We offer both full-service catering and convenient drop-off options for holiday celebrations. Whether you need servers, bartenders, and a complete event setup, or simply seasonal dishes delivered ready to serve, our team ensures your holiday gathering is stress-free and memorable.

Yes, our San Diego holiday catering services specialize in creating personalized menus that reflect your vision. From themed food and drink stations to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free options, we make sure every guest enjoys a festive meal tailored to their needs.

Absolutely, we cater a wide variety of holiday events, including Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, Halloween, and Fourth of July. Whether you’re planning an intimate family dinner, a corporate office party, or a large community event, our team has the experience to make it unforgettable.

With over 30 years of experience, award-winning service, and a reputation for excellence, we are a trusted name in holiday catering. Beyond delicious cuisine, we also provide rentals, bar service, and event coordination, making us a one-stop solution for a seamless holiday celebration.

We recommend booking holiday catering at least one to three months in advance to secure your preferred date and menu. However, our team can often accommodate last-minute requests whenever possible, always delivering top-quality service and festive holiday cheer.

Our Family

Event Venues and Companies by the Personal Touch Dining Team