Caterman Catering

serving in : San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California.

About this vendor

With over 25 years of experience in the food & beverage industry, the professionals at Caterman Catering are dedicated to providing you with complete satisfaction, from an international kitchen with professional chefs, we offer delicious food, customized menus, and much more. From tables and chairs, linens, fine china, and silverware to decorations and entertainment of all kinds.

Details

Business Attributes

Asian-owned Business
Black-owned Business
Hispanic or Latinx-owned Business
LGBTQ+-owned Business
Native American-owned Business
Pacific Islander-owned Business

Cuisine

African
American
BBQ
Cajun
Chinese
Eastern European

Dietary Options

Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Halal
Kosher
Nut Free
Organic

Food & Catering

Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Family Style
Menu Tastings

4.2

out of 5.0

12 reviews

Search reviews

10/05/2024 • Joel B

My wife and I had the most amazing experience choosing Caterman’s as the vendor for the catering of our wedding. It was a rather large wedding of around 250 guests and somehow, they were able to ensure everything was executed flawlessly. We were going back and forth between various catering vendors but were so relieved we went with them. Many of our guests gave raving reviews and compliments after regarding the quality of food and many even said it was the best filet minion they had ever had. From the moment we connected with Carmen, he ensured all our anxiety and questions were relieved. His communication was always prompt, detail oriented and professional. On wedding day, their team was so professional and the head chef orchestrated everything to perfection. I would give the highest recommendation to Caterman’s for anyone searching for a catering vendor for their wedding. 10/10

1/19/2022 • Biancca P

Went to ask for a quote for a friend's upcoming wedding, stated we were thinking burgers/tacos and beverages. Very casual. Thought they would be a good fit considering it says they do American and Mexican food (last I checked burgers and tacos was American and Mexican but what do i know) and hey declined us saying "would love to work with you but we're not a taco truck." First off, whats wrong with taco trucks? Second, why advertise you do American and Mexican food if you dont do American and Mexican food?

7/12/2019 • Christine H

If I could give 10 stars I would! Mike was the Captain that day and he made sure everyone was taken care of even us. He was very attentive to the guests as well. Ruth, was amazing from the beginning. She left the company for her own reasons but she was still there to make sure my big day didn't have any hiccup. So you can't go wrong having them. All the guest loved the food. Wedding was June 22, 2019.

12/10/2018 • Scott W

My wife and I selected Caterman Catering for our wedding in November in Gilroy, CA, and couldn't be happier with the level of service and food Caterman was able to provide. They went above and beyond to make our big day amazing. Kayla, the catering coordinator, was absolutely amazing and available every step of the way for any questions we had. The food at our wedding was delicious and we received many compliments from friends and family about the great food and service. The staff was very professional, friendly, and efficient. Everything was set up beautifully. Our venue was cleaned up perfect as well. Overall, I would definitely recommend Caterman Catering and working with Kalya.

4/07/2015 •

We highly recommend Caterman Catering for your wedding! The number one reason being that they were extremely helpful and easy to work with. It seemed that everything we requested received the response of, "Yes, absolutely, no problem." Our coordinator, Kayla, was always extremely pleasant and answered all questions/concerns quickly and thoroughly. The number two reason being that the food was delicious and we got an overwhelming number of compliments regarding the quality of the food from our wedding guests. Caterman provided quality that many of our guests said was way better than what you normally expect to get at a wedding. Because of the venue we rented for our wedding ceremony and reception, we were required to pick a catering company from their list of preferred caterers, or else be charged an additional fee. The majority of the companies on that list were out of our price range ($100-150/person for food alone). We were looking for someone who could do food for about $20-25/person, plus service, rentals, etc. Only three companies on that preferred list could accommodate our budget, and Caterman was one of them. From the get-go, Caterman was the only company (out of those three) that, we felt, behaved professionally. Kayla gave us a proposal with a price estimate and answered all our questions almost immediately (within a couple days, if we remember correctly). In comparison, one of the other companies spent an hour on the phone with us, told us they'd get a proposal in about 3 days, and a month later we still hadn't heard from them and when they finally got back in touch they had to re-ask us all the same questions as if they had failed to take notes the first time around! The third company never got back to us with a proposal and soon stopped returning our calls and emails. And Kayla and Caterman were hands-down the easiest group of people to work with. Oh, also, they have a ridiculously extensive menu to choose from. We first met with Kayla for a food tasting and an initial discussion in June 2014. And the tasting was free! Yep, free. The ONLY company that we researched that offered that. And every question we had, Kayla had an answer to off the top of her head. After choosing to go with Caterman, Kayla did a site visit at the venue with us in January 2015. And basically walked around with us that morning with the venue event coordinator, and we planned how tables would be set up and where the buffet line would go and the color of our linens. And, again, everything was very, "Yes, absolutely, no problem." One of our biggest concerns for our wedding was that we didn't hire a day-of coordinator, but we had designed these very intricate table centerpieces and decorations, and were worried our hand-made arts and crafts might not end up in the right places. And when we expressed this concern to Kayla, again, her response was along the lines of, "We'll help you, just tell us what to do, no problem, etc. etc. etc." The wedding was mid-March and on the day of everything went 100% smoothly. The only thing we were slightly disappointed about was that we didn't realize that Kayla wouldn't be there the whole time. Which wasn't a problem at all, we just thought, as the coordinator, we were under the impression she'd be there throughout the event. Caterman did an amazing job with our wedding, went above and beyond what the majority of catering companies will do, and we highly recommend them to anybody!

8/29/2014 •

I went for an initial meeting, and the place doesn't have a sign board so it was a little confusing. I spoke with a lady about my wedding, my colors my likes for a menu, and she took notes and we decided on a tasting menu. I had to ask her about linens and table ware etc. This seemed unexperienced. I asked if they had their own kitchens and she said yes, and mentioned it was in the same complex, but she didn't tell me where. A week later we scheduled a tasting for two weeks from them, over email. When it came time for the tasting I showed up at their office 5 mins ahead, and the door was locked and shutters drawn so I called the only number I had which was their main line. I spent about 10 mins calling and knocking, no answer, so I emailed her and said I was there and no one was around after calling and knocking. She emails me later and says she mentioned the tasting was in the kitchens area, which she never showed me, she never took a phone number from me and never gave me her cell number, or even had call forwarding on their line. It was highly unprofessional, so I decided to go with another caterer. I wouldn't trust them with my wedding if they can't do minor details like that.

10/08/2011 • Emily M

Caterman catering offers good discounts if you book over 1 year before your wedding. If you book them they also give you the tasting for free. I met with Caterman catering over 1 year before my wedding and after tasting their food, we decided to book with them. The food was super good and the price was fair. After 6 months, I emailed the person I had booked with and got a response saying that person had left and I was reassigned to another person. This made me nervous because they never emailed me of this change, but nevertheless, we met with the new person and it seemed like it would be good. To make a long story short, here are the pros and cons to using this catering company: Pros: 1. Food is great 2. Price is fair (and they offer discounts) 3. On the day of, the servers were very friendly Cons: 1. Make sure to double/triple check your contracts. They made a mistake twice on the contract that could have cost us hundreds of dollars. 2. On the wedding day, the prime rib we ordered ran out before 3 tables (about 30 people) were able to even taste it. We originally thought we'd have 200 people, but on the day of we had around 174. It was pretty disappointing that the catering company would underestimate so largely on their food. 3. On the wedding day we asked the staff to box my husband and I a plate of food and they said they would, but after the wedding we never got it. 4. On the wedding day, we asked the staff to box the top part of our wedding cake and they said they would, but after the wedding we never got it. 5. On the wedding day, we had 18 tables and 5 of them had to walk up to the buffet because the person who said he would tell all the tables when to go up, forgot to tell them. 6. There was only 1 buffet line for 174 people, even though we were told that they would have 2 tables. Some people had to wait over an hour for their food and at one point there was a huge line. It was kind of embarrassing. 7. When people were waiting for their dinner, it would have been a good time to go around with the appetizers again, since we had noticed that there were appetizers left after the cocktail hour.

8/23/2011 • Annamarie D

My sister found that catering through something else. Then I learned that it was part of The Knots. I have to tell you all. You have to hire caterman catering. Everyone had second help! Also she recommended a bakery in San Jose. I am SO GLAD she told us because their RED VELVET is DIE FOR! Thank you so much! A and D Prince

8/16/2011 • Nam D

My heart goes out to Caterman. We found them on Yelp. What an honest, friendly and enthusiastic company. They had the most affordable buffet (ranging from ~$18-75, with really good food selection in the $25 sections). Rene is the most adorable chef ever at our tastings. Yes, we got 2 tastings (free if you end up booking with them, otherwise its a mere ~$60-total, NOT per person!), since Rene came out the 1st time and had suggested we try changing the green beans to another recipe instead. So we (my husband, his sister and myself) came back and got another FULL tasting, not just of the green beans. He was so enthusiastic, we demanded that he would be at our wedding at our carving station. He agreed and we booked that night. We also worked with Erika, who made me feel like I got a free wedding coordinator along with our catering! She was very understanding of our budget. She never made me feel like I was cheap for cutting costs, in fact she was happy when she found ways for us to save $. She was SO easy going. We loved them, just because they seemed eager to please and in the wedding world, where everyone seems to triple their prices, scam you, make things difficult by forcing you to use their chefs, their alcohol, not allowing you to bring your own food (another company said "no" when I asked them if we could bring our own food)- Caterman was a refreshing company that loved their profession and really wanted to help you in your day. Everything we asked about was "sure, we can do that", sometimes at a cost that didn't cost an arm and a leg. We were able to bring our own alcohol, pick and choose from different menus, they threw in a cheese plate and had great ideas on set-up. Gomi, their event "spacing" guy made really GOOD suggestions regarding where the head table should be, dance floor, etc. We took all of his great insights for our wedding that was in my parent's backyard- a tough feat, since I had NO IDEA how much space 170 would take up! They ensured me, after doing a thorough walk through of my parent's house that a wedding there would be possible. To be honest, we were a bit scared at 1st-were they just being nice upfront and our wedding day would turn out horrible and the food awful when it would be cooked on a larger scale? No, they delivered. Every staff member (servers, bartenders, etc) were professional and enthusiastic. When Erika realized they had misplaced a tray of green beans, she emailed me right away and the reimbursement to us was taken care by Tuesday after our wedding! Very honest! BTW, Erika = a miracle worker! She was able to calmly (even when I wasn't) find us a tent 2 DAYS before our wedding b/c of predicted thunderstorms (she tried to hold off to save us $). When we found out we couldn't use the 10 heat lamps ($125 each) we had ordered in the new tent, Erika was able to convince her "equipment" guy Jaime and we got reimbursed for ALL of the $, even though it was already in our contract! ERIKA is AMAZING! Our guests LOVED the food and had a GREAT time at our wedding. Many guests went back for thirds and my bridesmaid still talks about how good the potatoes were 3 months later. The decor was BEAUTIFUL (and I am VERY particular with colors). We are very happy with them! Book them- you'll SAVE SO MUCH money and get great food and service!!! It was $25/head for us, with kids being cheaper, FOR BUFFET- that is UNHEARD of in the SF bay area, I'm serious!

8/16/2011 • Candy G

8 months after our special day, we STILL get compliments on our caterer! Caterman fell into my lap one day when the owner happened to come into the bakery I worked at and dropped off a business card. I had already looked into soooo many caterers and then I saw the light! Caterman has the most user friendly website and I was able to navigate and pick and choose my own menu. I worked with Erika Keller and she was AMAZING! Our communication was constant and helpful. She was so accomodating to our budget, and we still got all the bells and whistles. Once we had a plan, we had an amazing tasting and met with Chef Rene who made an amazing meal for me, my fiance and my super picky pregnant maid of honor. Thumbs up from everyone and we were ready for the big day! Erika and her staff were on hand at the site visit and gave us amazing ideas. Since our ceremony and reception was at the same venue, the transition was seamless. Caterman provided everything, gourmet meal (brushetta & stuffed mushroom appetizers, tri tip & chicken with asparagus with cheese tortellini and salad), linens, chairs and bar service. Since my inlaws were making custom linen diamonds and I was designing our centerpeices, Caterman gave us our space and time to do so. After the 5 star meal, they served my inlaws portuguese desserts! They didnt even let my mother in law in the kitchen, Chef Rene assured her he would take care of it and the staff did. I heard so many people tell me "You're going to be so busy during your wedding, you won't have time to eat!" I would respond "For this meal, I will!" We were waiting with a fork and knife in our hands when dinner started. Erika had appetizers sent over (which we ate) We received our amazing meal (which we ate entirely) and they even came to serve us our favorite drink(Root Beer) in our glasses. Caterman had amazing bartenders who kept up with the demand our our guests. I saw Erika walking around pouring wine and champagne to amazed guests! Throughout the night I saw Chef Rene talk to family and friends personally asking them about their meal. Writing this review, is jogging my memory of all the amazing, extrordinary things Caterman did for us. They MADE our wedding. I could not have imagined a better night of great food, wine and family! I am so happy I could write this review for such an awesome catering company. I wish I could get married every weekend to experience the utter relaxation I had knowing Erika, Chef Rene and their crew were taking care of our wedding. I can't wait for another event when I can use Caterman, I won't accept any other! I know how stressed out a Bride can get (I'm OCD and a little neurotic) but I never had a doubt about Caterman. Erika saved me when I had no hope about how I was going to feed and wow 200 hungry Mexican and Portuguese family members. But like I said in the beginning, Caterman went above and beyond any and all expectations. I'm proud to give them 5 Stars, if I could give them 10 Stars I would. XOXO Caterman! Candy Garcia Borges

8/15/2011 • Courtney Y

Last night I had the best dream ever. It was my wedding day again. I couldn't be more bummed that it's over. All the hard work and planning definitely paid off. We had about 400 guests and all my dreams wouldn't have been possible without Caterman. They truly made my wedding what I wanted it to be. We worked w/ Erika and she was wonderful. From the first time I talked to her on the phone to seeing her at the event. We set up a tasting before deciding on a caterer and my mother is allergic to almost everything: wheat, eggs, dairy, certain greens, pork, and chicken. Basically anything that tastes good my mother is allergic to. So for our tasting they made her a special plate of food w/ everything she can eat. Then we had two site meetings to tour the facility. She was always on time and so easy to talk to. Everything I asked of her was performed w/o question and with a tone of "of course, it will be our pleasure" There was really nothing more I could ask for. On the day of the event all the tables and drapery looked awesome and they even let my Aunt who was doing the centerpieces share their work space in back to prep. She even made some vegetarian plates for the few vegetarians we had and brought a special plate to my mother for her to eat. All of the wait staff that they hired was so nice and friendly. The food itself was awesome. We got three different passed Hors d'oeuvre: Chicken Pinewheel, Eggplant Bruschetta, and a Stuffed Mushroom. Everyone seemed to enjoy them all and they even brought us some on a plate to the head table to eat. For dinner we had a mixed green salad, roasted vegetables, tri-tip, salmon, and mashed potatoes. Everyone seemed to really enjoy their meals and the salmon was perfectly cooked. The only bummer of the night I found out about later was one of our guests had a peanut allergy that they think was in the salad dressing. I let Erika know and she was very said and talked w/ their chef. There were notes in the order which I was told they are really good about following. I know mistakes happen and I'm very fortunate my guest was able to get the help he needed in time. Even despite this mishap I still love Caterman though and would use them for any of my future events

7/16/2011 • Michell L

I used this catering company for my wedding. The food was the best I have ever had catered. The staff was all very professional and catered to everything thing that my husband and I wanted. Decorations and food were top notch.