4.9 out of 5 stars and 43 reviews
4.9
(43)Best of Weddings (2x).Orange County, LA, Riverside and San Diego
About this vendor
We are a full service catering and events company for all of Orange County. Chef Jim Douglas and his team look forward to creating an event that reflects your style and visions. We are Chef Driven with a very creative design team that allows us to meet any Budget.
Bringing you simply the best!
Details
Cuisine
- American
- Eastern European
- French
- Fusion
- Indian
- Italian
Dietary Options
- Vegetarian
Food & Catering
- Servers
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9
out of 5.043 reviews
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California Fresh is a great caterer, especially if flexibility and customizability are important for you! We hired them for our wedding in November 2024. The tasting experience was amazing- it was like a little date night for my fiancé and I getting a full sit-down dining experience. We even got to taste a few things we didn't initially list, and Jayme explained how different dishes could be changed/customized. Everything was delicious and plated BEAUTIFULLY, so we ended up choosing a plated meal service for our event. There was some breakdown in communication about 5-7 months ahead of our event so there was some misunderstanding about the menu options for our guests, but they made up for it and were able to accommodate and match what I listed on our invitations. On the day of the wedding, everything ran so smoothly. The food was as delicious and beautiful as when we did our tasting, and almost all of our guests said it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. There were tons of appetizers being passed around during cocktail hour and the dessert table was well stocked- nobody went home hungry, and we have some big eaters in our family! We didn't get to taste the desserts ahead of time but they were all stellar. Despite the occasional difficulties in communication, I would still absolutely recommend California Fresh and they made sure our guests were well taken care of on our special day.
We used them for our wedding at Casino San Clemente in July, and everything was amazing! Our guests raved about the food. Jayme and all the staff were very helpful and communicative throughout the process with questions, and accommodated dietary restrictions super well. We used them for our cake and cookie bar too, which were both phenomenal. I highly reccomend them.
Food was tasty. Communication was lacking but overall good food.
We had a brunch reception following our wedding and our guests loved the food by California Fresh Catering and Events. Also, the Mimosas and Bloody Marys were a huge hit! The wait staff was fantastic as well. They catered to dietary restrictions, no one had to wait for their food and they even let us serve the cake to our guests (something we really wanted to do). Lastly, their brunch menu offered a good amount of dishes for us to choose from but wasn't overwhelming.
ummmmmm Yum. The food at our wedding was amazing. All of our guests absolutely loved it. Working with Jayme was awesome. She is so kind and knowledgeable and accommodating. Our tasting was so fun. They made us feel really important and special. Their linens and flatware and glasses are so dang cute. We got the dessert table and boy was it a hit. totally worth it. I would hands down recommend this vendor. They were worth every penny. We even ate leftovers at our hotel after the wedding lol. So good.
We waited until what seemed like what was last minute to decide on a caterer, when our planner Katharine proposed we meet with CFC - it was a done deal. Julia and her team were AMAZING.
They are extremely accommodating to work within our budget and small time frame to get our menu prepared. We had some dietary restrictions for some guests and they were able to work that in as well. Our food was exceptional and everything that we wanted, we received so many compliments. They are a pleasure to work with and will do anything to make sure your day goes according to plan. We highly recommend meeting with them!
California Fresh is AMAZING. The whole team has been such a pleasure to work with from the very beginning. Everyone is very nice, professional, and caring. They catered my wedding and I am still receiving compliments on how delicious the food was. The head chef even brought mine and my husbands food directly to us, and we thought the world of it. We chose to have the coffee crusted filet mignon, chicken marsala, and the ravioli (for our vegetarians) and everything was delicious. My husband and I also received a pleasant surprise and got one of each of our food options during our wedding and got to take home some left overs! I highly, highly recommend them. You will not be disappointed in the slightest.
The California Fresh team was a pleasure to work with from the very start. They made every step of the catering process so easy and are so accommodating. Their professionalism, warmth and of course delicious food was one of the best experiences as part of the wedding process. Jayme and her team truly put the experience of the bride and groom first. All of our guests were very impressed by the food quality and service during the wedding. I would highly recommend them and look forward to working with them for future celebrations.
California Fresh was our caterer for our wedding at the Casino on March 2nd. We did a tasting with Jayme before we decided to go with them as our wedding day caterer. Jayme was extremely knowledgeable and really went out of her way to make sure our tasting was a positive experience. She helped give several menu suggestions and was awesome about working with us on price. We hired them as our caterer before the tasting was over. We had so many compliments on the food at our wedding and I would definitely choose California Fresh all over again. Jayme was also extremely responsive over email and text, which made it so easy to finalize details.
Jayme & her team at CA fresh were incredible to work with. From our very first emails, to our tasting, walk through, and wedding day. It was all great. We had a taco bar and it was everything we wanted and more. SO delicious! Jayme helped us so much and we are so grateful to her and her team. Thank you again!
Jayme and team were awesome to work with! Mexican food was amazing - people still comment on our food today (4mos later!). They really stepped in and helped out with floor plan, rentals, etc. and were extremely helpful. Jayme is calm. cool, and collected - just what you need during the craziness of wedding planning! We couldn't be happier!!
California Fresh sets the standard for elegant catering. The food for my daughter's wedding was beautiful, thoughtfully prepared and delicious...and hot! I don't even know how they do it. Jeanine & Jayme are complete gems with last minute additions and great attention to detail. We were thrilled!
Cal Fresh catered our wedding this last March, and it was done beautifully. Jayme was the coordinator working with me and was so responsive to ANY questions I had, no matter when I emailed her. She even showed up on the day of, to ensure that everything was set up properly and in place for the event to be successful. I LOVED working with her and her team to ensure that our day was executed just like we wanted.
The food was absolutely phenomenal- we did a tasting before hand and I was so impressed with their tasting room and professional-ness, as well as the actual food we tasted. Everything was delicious, and beautifully prepared.
And to the staff- thank you, thank you, thank you. They were all so sweet, accommodating and helpful, being very friendly and obliging to the guests, and also were so helpful with the set up and taking down of everything. We loved working with them. I would highly recommend going with California Fresh Catering for ANY event. They went above and beyond for everything!!
California Fresh and Jayme were an absolute dream work with. They were super responsive to all our questions and requests - like changing the whole menu to gluten free weeks before and educating us on the best way to make the day flow. I couldn't have asked for better service and the food! Oh my goodness. Watching people load up on those plates was a joy to my heart. It meant everyone was full and happy and we couldn't ask for more. I highly recommend California Fresh for all events. They were such kind and happy people, which only make you stress less on such an important day. We always felt we were in good hands.
California Fresh Catering and Events was one of the major reasons that my May 30th wedding was everything I had envisioned.
Chef Steven and Jayme, The event manager, were extremely attentive during the planning process. My husband and I wanted to do something different at our wedding but we also had a limited budget. Chef Steven helped us plan the perfect meal that was simply incredible and that fit our budget.
Jayme did two walk-throughs of my event space with me to make sure that everything would go off without a hitch. She was extremely patient with all of my questions and concerns.
The day of the wedding I did not worry about anything relating to the catering or service. Jayme and her team set up for our ceremony and after moved all of the chairs inside for the reception. Meanwhile servers greeted my guests with glasses of champagne and apps as they made their way inside. The bartender and servers were all extremely professional, friendly and efficient. The servers made sure to bring me food as I was so busy walking around and talking to all of my guests.
The service was above and beyond what I expected from a catering company.
Last but certainly not least the food was absolutely delicious! This was not typical catering food. It was fresh, gourmet, and innovative. My husband and I shopped around for a caterer and attended several tastings. Given the cost of wedding catering we were mortified by the poor quality and assembly line feeling of the food of many other local catering companies. California Fresh Catering is anything but assembly line catering.
All of my guests commented that our wedding was such a reflection of us and not a cookie cutter wedding event. I feel that Chef Steven, Jayme, and the rest of the team helped make our wedding unique. They did an outstanding job and we feel so fortunate to have found them.
I can't say enough great things about Jayme and Jeanine and the staff at California Fresh Catering! Jayme and Jeanine made everything so easy, They were so quick to respond to any question/comment/concern we had, and were genuinely excited for us. The staff and Chef Steven were very kind, and the food was beyond amazing!! Everyone we spoke with loved the food and the buffet dinner was delicious and presented and served very professionally. I would highly recommend any bride & groom to use California Fresh Catering on their special day. You will not be disappointed.
Let me begin by stating that I am a TOTAL foodie, who cooks a ton, and is super picky about things like catering and how everything runs. That's why I went with California Fresh for my wedding :-) After much research, I found CF and got in touch with Jayme. It was so nice to have a front of house person to speak with too, not just a Chef ;-) Their responsiveness was great, and when we had our tasting, we knew that was it, we found our caterer! Their sauces speak volumes of their care for how they prepare everything, and their bold flavors are refreshing. They were the first and last vendor we tried. My husband was actually a little bummed because he was hoping we would have to taste around a bit more (lol!), but their food makes it easy to choose. Lucky for him we ended up not only having CF cater our wedding, but also the rehearsal dinner, so he got to do numerous tastings ;-)
For the value, I still can't believe we got to serve our guests Steak and Salmon for what we wanted to spend. People are still telling me how great the food was, and I seriously cannot believe what a great overall value they are. I do not think you can find better quality for the price! Any time we need a caterer we have one :-) California Fresh makes me want to plan a big dinner just so I can have their tasty food again!! We will be clients for a long time to come :-)
California Fresh did an amazing job from start to finish.
The food was so good! Our guests gave us many compliments. We absolutely recommend this caterer!
Ericka and Alec Graham
We love California Fresh Catering!
They have delicious food and impeccable service. The Chef's made us the most elegant meal for our wedding. I couldn't believe the prices are so affordable. Jayme was our coordinator and she is wonderful to work with. Our wedding day was so lovely and we couldn't have asked for anything different! Thank you California Fresh! Jen and Jerry Gonzales
Great FOOD! Great FOOD! Great FOOD!
Service Amazing!!! our weeding was everything we imagined it would be. The food was a big deal for my husbands :)'s family and California Fresh Delivered!
Jayme and Chef Jim are so amazing! The whole California Fresh experience was 5 stars! We wish them nothing but the best! Amanda and Greg Clark
Beauty is very important to me. I am truly visual-- Jayme O'Neil , Chef JIm and their team at California Fresh Catering do things beautifully, elegantly, and with class. This catering company can do anything. Name it. They're truly flexible and provide for their clients across the spectrum-
I think the best part, though, is that in working with California Fresh Catering, you will get true, experienced professionals who care deeply about the success of your event, and have the ability to bring about that success through delicious food, attentive service and world-class presentation. Real people, who work really hard to please you, because you, your future business, and your referrals are ultimately the very best compliment.
I am so happy to write a review for this caterer!
From start to finish they gave 100%. They are nice, genuine, they make 5 star food. The servers were 5 stars. They didn't charge us for every little thing!
Our wedding was so fun and the food and service were perfect! perfect day! Thank you Cal Fresh!
5 Stars all day long! Ashley and Patrick- Fullerton Arboretum
California Fresh is such an awesome caterer! Their food is beyond good! The team at California Fresh is so accommodating and just made us feel so at ease.
Great day, Great Caterer! Five stars all the way.
Our guests were so complimentary of the food which was really important to us. Chef Alex and Steven did such a great job! Jayme is great! She and the team of servers worked so hard from beginning to end even with the extremely hot day we all experienced! Thank you California Fresh for a beautiful wedding!
California Fresh Is such a thoughtful genuine business.
They are so much more than a caterer. First of all they handled our bar, rentals, supported our florist and helped with a lot of little details. Chef Jim is so talented. We asked for specific menu idea's off the standard menu and they were amazing! Jayne was our catering coordinator and very easy to work with.
The day was picture perfect. The food was amazing. We couldn't think of one thing to do different. 5 stars on food, service and attitude! Kimmy and Miles
California Fresh Catering is amazing! We got married at The Casino in San Clemente. California Fresh was so helpful. They knew the venue very well, worked with our budget. Our tasting was so nice, we had both of our families there. The food is soooooo good!
We were so happy with the food and service!!! and our guests were really happy too!
Chef Steven really helped us in planning the perfect menu. If you have vegetarians it is no big deal they provided a very nice thoughtful; vegetarian meal. Kids meals are comped! Jayme our coordinator was so sweet!!! I probably emailed her 100 times and she was always happy to answer my questions.
This team is five stars all the way!
Serena and Josh
I cannot say enough great things about California Fresh Catering. Jayme worked with us the entire way. They were fantastic about staying within our budget, gave tons of input with practical ideas that worked out so well on the big day. Not to mention the food was absolutely amazing! Everyone is still raving about how good the food was at our wedding. California Fresh’s staff were so helpful and really made the even go off without a hitch from champagne toast to dessert and clean up at the end of the night. I would highly recommend them for your wedding!
California Fresh is the best!
Our wedding was perfect with the help of catering coordinator Jayme! The food was perfect! Our guests were so happy and are still saying how much they enjoyed the food.
California Fresh has such a nice team of servers and chefs. They were so on top of everything!
I would recommend them 100%
The kinsman's- Natalie and Sean
I wanted to thank you for your part in such a special day. Your team was wonderful to work with from our first email to the day of our wedding! The food was amazing! The staff was so polite and accommodating to our guests. We wish you tremendous success! You truly deserve it! Gary and Susan Kurtch
I can’t recommend Jayme, Chef Jim and the entire California Fresh Staff enough!!! They exceeded my very high expectations and knocked my socks off!!!
Now that I have your attention let me share with you my amazing experience. Once we made the decision to get married at our home with 60 of our closest friends and family I knew we had to have amazing food. My (now) husband and I love great food. Our first meeting with Jayme was so relaxed and we just talked about our vision of that day. She quickly understood that we didn’t want to have just a sit down dinner and she was able to visualize what we wanted. Jayme also helped with the vision of how to stage the house for our day and helped with tables/bar/all dish ware/glasses etc. It was so great to work with her and not have a disconnect between people.
We then had an incredible tasting with Chef Jim at our home which solidified our food choices.
The day of the event was completely seamless. After the ceremony tables and cooking station setup magically appeared. Several guests commented later that they didn’t even notice the setup occurring!
Now what you have been waiting for …… the food….
Pre-Ceremony they served a wonderful Chef’s table with amazing cheese, pate, bread, tapenade. Our guests were given a taste of the amazingness that was to come.
Post Ceremony cocktail hour - As they were setting up tables our guests were treated to more appetizers (several people told me later that they thought that was the meal :-)) - this included even more cheese choices and different tapenade, antipasto, tandoori shrimp, Vietnamese sandwich bites, an amazing pate (people were raving about it) and MUCH MORE. As a new bride - I was on such a high that I didn’t get to any of this amazing food - but my guests were amazed!
Then came dinner - our guests had three separate stations with amazing food. Most people hit all three stations multiple times!
Tomahawk steak (which they grilled on our grill to perfection!) with Mac & Cheese, Root Veggies, Baby spinach salad. Dramatic presentation and cooked to perfection.
Sesame salmon, rice, asian noodle / cucumber salad. Flavors absolutely exploded in my mouth! Not dry - perfectly moist. The cucumber noodle salad was spectacular!
Braised Osso Buco with marrow parfaits (yes it was amazingness!), Parmesan risotto, charred broccolini, and a wonderful beet salad with hazelnuts & goat cheese.
By this time I was over the nerves and I ate at every station. Chef Jim……You are AMAZING!!!
The amazing food continued - we decided against just one dessert - Yes - we had a dessert table with 9 different amazing desserts. Small bites that everyone went back again and again to enjoy which included: carrot cake, fresh macaroons (multiple flavors and colors), shortbread cookies, Mexican wedding cakes, peanut butter cheese cake bars, lemon raspberry mini tarts, confetti and almond joy cake pops.
At the end of the evening California Fresh cleaned everything up.
It is a week since our wedding and I’m still getting calls from friends and family letting me know how amazing the food was and that it was the best wedding ever!!!!! That truly is the best recommendation I can give. Thank you Jayme and Chef Jim for making our day so special!
We will use California Fresh for all our future home parties as they do small to large events and I’m recommending them to all my friends!
I was so impressed with California fresh, they were professional, fun, super easy to work with and had the most amazing food and beverages… my guests were happy and so was I. thank you California fresh for making my wedding day a little less stressful and a lot more memorable.
Can't say enough about this company. Their food and service was amazing! Jayme made sure everything was perfect and Chef Jim is in a league of his own! I would recommend to anyone!
California Fresh Catering & Events made my wedding a "taste to remember." Not only was our food mouth watering, it looked gorgeous and was beyond extraordinary. Their coordinator, Jayme was fantastic; she met our every need, never made me feel like a "bridezilla" and Chef Jim truly understood how to combine my husband's and my family's palettes.
Their execution was flawless, it was amazing to see my guests fed amazing cuisine Chef Jim created (which really represented us and our families).
I graciously recommend California Fresh to any Bride!
I normally don't write reviews, but I had an amazing experience with California Fresh. The food was delicious, the presentation was beautiful, and the staff was attentive and friendly. I received so many compliments from my wedding party about the yummy food and excellent service. I highly recommend this company to anyone planning a wedding or a big event.
Wow!!! I can't believe how wonderful everything was!!! The food was delicious and Jayme was especially amazing!!! She is so knowledgeable and easy to work with! She really went the extra mile! My day was perfect!!!
Working with Chef Jim and Jayme at California Fresh Catering really made our weeding a breeze. The food was fantastic! I don’t know how I would have gotten through our wedding without their help. The catering staff was extremely professional and provided everything our guests needed. Throughout the planning process Jayme was there for us with a prompt answer to every question. I would highly recommend California Fresh Catering to friends and family for any event.
The California Fresh team made sure our wedding was a wonderful experience. Jayme and Chef Jim were both amazing to work with and made it an easy stress free process. The food was delicious and they made sure our guests with allergies were well taken care of. The wait staff was prompt and professional. We worked with Jayme throughout the planning process and she was great. Any time we had questions or concerns she was prompt with an answer. Everyone was friendly and accommodating. We definitely recommend these guys if you are planning a wedding or any event!
California fresh catering was recommended to us, for our wedding, by a close family friend. They were awesome to work with and the food was amazing. Everyone loved the food and service. It was a beautiful day for us and we couldn't have done it without them. I would definitely recommend them. Excellent!
The food was amazing and on time!! I've never had so many people tell me how amazing it was. I didnt have to worry about anything.
Absolute dream Caterer, Chef Jim and Jayme or Coordinator along with the exceptional catering staff really made our wedding day perfect. Our August 9th wedding was everything we dreamed and even more. The catering staff was very patient with us throughout the process as our catering needs changed several times throughout the process. They were very accommodating with all of our guests. The food was amazing, and they drinks were exceptional!
We attended an August wedding in which the music was ok and the bride beautiful but my husband and I both feel like the food was what made the event over the moon great. Better than any wedding I have ever been to and there's been a lot. If you want a classy and yummy reception you must hire California Fresh catering. It's yummy and I would go to any wedding just to eat their food.
California Fresh catered our wedding and everything went great! Jayme was absolutely fantastic and helpful. She was the first caterer we met and she made an outstanding first impression. Even though the food at the tasting was delicious we felt like we should at least check another caterer. The food there was good too but the experience was nothing like working with Jayme. She had us back for a second tasting so we could try additional options and our initial instincts were confirmed. We knew we were in good hands on the big day and everything went off without a hitch!
From the very beginning, the experience was easy and the caterer coordinator Jamie was easy to get a hold of and was very thorough with any questions that I had. The tasting was amazing. They literally took over my kitchen and cooked the selections we wanted to try and additional items that weren't even on the menu! It was beautiful and so tasty! It gave a very personal experience and made me and my fiance, now husband, so special! The day of the wedding seemed great. They served my guests on time during cocktail hour and dinner. My husband and I were the first ones served during dinner which made things easy and would help with our hunger considering you don't really eat all day the day of your wedding. Everyone enjoyed the food and it was very fresh. But I did have a couple problems. I had a guest who was pregnant who asked for more mashed potatoes and was immediately denied. I understand that food is at a premium and there needs be food control, but asking for a little more of a side shouldn't be an issue. It wasn't seconds on the whole meal, just a side that could be easily accommodated. I just felt like this could have been handled better instead of just saying no. Also, I was expecting the dishes to be rinsed off without food on them by the caterer, but the wedding manager ended up soaking the dishes herself in hot water and power washing them to at least just get the food off because she knew there would be a cleaning fee charged by the vendor who provided the dishes if there was food left on the dishes. I am in customer service and I expect above and beyond considering the money we are paying for this experience and potential to use them in the future. Service was Ok, Food Quality was great, and value was Ok.
Our daughter was married at Casino San Clemente on 4/18/13. She found California Fresh, along with other catering vendors, while planning her wedding. From the very first emails she sent to the various vendors, Jayme of California Fresh was "on it!" as both the first responder, and being joyful in providing ideas and information. There was absolutely no pressure to select their services, and time and time again each question we had was answered happily and to our satisfaction. They also proved to be the most affordable.
After hearing their desires for an Italian style dinner, Chef Jim brought a full menu tasting to our daughter's apartment for a wonderful evening and they selected a most amazing five course menu:
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Spinach Salad with Balsamic Glazed Berries, Gorgonzola and Candied Walnuts
• Grilled Vegetable Caponata with Pesto Shrimp and Roasted Pepper Feta Sauce
• Boneless Short Ribs, Osso Bucco Style with Creamy Polenta and Citrus Gremolata
• Wedding Cake
Vegetarian meals were provided where requested
California Fresh assisted us in linen, glass and table ware selection, which they provided, along with patio warmers.
At the wedding, the food (including the cocktail hour's Chef's Table which was not even included in the pricing structure) was superb! We decided on table service rather than buffet, and the staff was super efficient and friendly. Days later, the guests are still talking about the incredible meal!
For us, we would choose California Fresh again and again. Our wedding coordinator, High Society Wedding and Event Planning was also so impressed that they've already been recommending California Fresh Catering to their clients.
Thank you, thank you Chef Jim and Jayme!!
Contact
15011 Parkway Loop E., Tustin, CA | Orange County, LA, Riverside and San Diego
California Fresh Catering and Events
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