A holiday party menu has to fit the room: the headcount, the venue, and the guests who don’t eat meat. Our holiday catering menu covers passed appetizers, grazing displays, Christmas buffets, plated dinners, chef-attended stations, desserts, and hosted bar packages. We’ve catered holiday parties across San Diego County since 1988, and every menu is built to your guest count and dietary needs.
If you are planning a San Diego Holiday Party, it is a safe bet that your guests will arrive hungry. After all, dining with friends, colleagues, and family is a big part of the holiday party experience. Nothing puts guests in a more festive mood than menus and beverages that bring out the flavors of the season. Having your holiday menu catered by an experienced and trusted company will elevate your event from normal to extraordinary. Bringing the meal front and center makes it part of the experience – one that your guests will surely remember.
The menu decides how your holiday party runs. A plated dinner seats everyone at once and sets a formal pace. A buffet or chef-attended station keeps guests moving and talking, which suits an after-work office party better than a three-course meal. Pick the format first, and the timeline, staffing, and room layout all follow from it.
Headcount and venue narrow it from there. A 40-person dinner in a private home and a 200-person office party need different menus, even when the dishes overlap. Some stations are fired on-site, so your space and guest count decide whether they fit, and a buffet has to be sized so the line moves and the trays stay full through the last plate. Our guide to planning a holiday party covers how many appetizers and buffet servings to plan per guest.
The style of the evening matters too. A formal company holiday dinner menu calls for plated Filet Mignon or Braised Short Ribs. A relaxed family gathering does better with Herb Roasted Turkey, Chicken Marsala, or Butternut Squash Ravioli off a buffet. We’ve built holiday menus across San Diego County since 1988, and the best ones start with how you want the night to feel, then work back to the dishes.
There’s a lot of variety when it comes to planning your holiday party menu. We offer you a sample menu to give you an idea of the kinds of catering we provide — but this is only the starting point!
If you have specific dietary requests or unique preferences, we’re happy to adjust our menus. Whether you’d like to feature seasonal favorites or family-inspired dishes, we can tailor everything to your guests’ tastes.
We love putting our own creative spin on time-tested classics. If you’d like inspiration or help deciding what works best, we’re always happy to share ideas and past favorites.
Choose between elegant seated dinners or festive buffet-style service — both designed to create the right atmosphere for your celebration.
Our plated entrées include Filet Mignon, Braised Short Ribs, and Pistachio Crusted Mahi Mahi. Buffet selections feature Butternut Squash Ravioli, Herb Roasted Turkey, and Chicken Marsala.
No matter your menu style, every dish is crafted with fresh, seasonal ingredients that capture the warmth and flavor of the holidays — with plenty of satisfying vegetarian options, too.
STEP 1
Consultation & Menu Planning
Every holiday menu starts with the basics: date, headcount, venue, and service style. We walk through the formats on this page, from passed bites and a Chef’s Market Table to a Christmas buffet or plated dinner, and narrow them to what fits your guests and budget. Dietary needs get settled here too, since every item on our menu is marked vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, or can be prepared vegan. You leave with a custom quote and a menu that sets the timeline and staffing plan.
STEP 2
Event Coordination & Setup
Once you approve the menu, we plan layout and logistics around your venue, whether that’s your office, a private home, or one of the venues we manage. Event rentals, staffing, and bar service all run through us, so you’re not coordinating separate vendors. Your dedicated event manager stays your one point of contact from the first call to the final headcount. Final pricing is set once your guest count is confirmed.
STEP 3
Holiday Party Menu Service
On party day, our team sets up before your guests arrive. Passed bites go out during the cocktail hour, carving stations and flatbreads are prepared on-site, and dinner service follows the timeline you approved. The bar runs on the same schedule, from the first pour to the champagne toast. The party should be about your guests. The catering should run itself.
STEP 4
After the Party
When service ends, our team breaks down and clears the catering and bar areas. The same planning process carries into your next event, whether that’s next December’s party or a spring company event through our corporate catering. You start the next event already knowing how we work.
Pick the formats that fit your party: passed bites, a Chef’s Market Table, a Christmas buffet, or a plated dinner. Every item on our holiday menu is marked vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, or can be prepared vegan, so mixed guest lists are covered. We cater offices, private homes, and our own managed venues across San Diego County.
Buffets and chef-attended stations handle large headcounts best. Chef’s Market Table add-ons are each sized for 50 guests, and flatbread stations cap at 100 guests because they’re fired on-site. For full planning on bigger events, see our holiday party catering services.
For an after-work office party, passed bites and a Chef’s Market Table keep people mingling without a sit-down meal. The Slider Bar and Street Taco Bar feed a full team without formal service. For a seated company dinner, go with the plated menu and a dual entrée. More options are on our corporate catering page.
Yes. Every item on our menu is marked vegetarian, gluten free, vegan, or can be prepared vegan. Vegan Paella, Baked Eggplant Stacks, and Chipotle Stuffed Peppers are full mains, not side dishes. For more info, see our specialty diet catering page.
A buffet includes 1 salad, 2 mains, and 2 sides, and guests serve themselves. A plated dinner includes 1 salad, 2 meat mains, 1 vegetarian main, and 1 side, served to each guest at the table. Buffets suit mingling crowds. Plated suits a formal company dinner. For more buffet menu ideas, read our guide to Christmas party buffet ideas.
Yes. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners at home run through our Christmas catering service, with drop-off and full-service options. The plated and buffet formats on this page work for family dinners as well as office parties.
Yes. Our hosted bar packages run 4 hours of unlimited service with a champagne toast. We can also serve alcohol you provide. Details are on our bar services page.
Send us your date, headcount, venue, and the formats you’re considering. We’ll respond within 1 to 2 business days. Final pricing for your holiday menu is set with your final guest count, and seafood is priced at market rate.
