Rocky Top Catering

The food we had from RTC at our wedding was AMAZING!! It was so good we had guests raving about it. We couldn't recommend enough!

I really enjoyed working with Rocky Top! Jordan and Vicki were very responsive and helped me tailor exactly what I needed/wanted for my wedding day and guests. The food was awesome and everyone at the wedding thoroughly enjoyed it! It was awesome to have a complimentary tasting to ensure we loved our food for our big day. The only reason they don't get a 5 stars from me is that we ran out of vodka quite quickly during the open bar in the evening.

The food is so delicious! Everyone raved about the food and how great it was! The service was also great!

So happy we chose Rocky Top for our wedding caterer! Kevin was amazing to work with throughout the process and incredibly responsive to all our questions and changes! The food was amazing and we had several people during and after the wedding say it was the best tuna steak they have ever had! Loved our dessert selection as well via them! Definitely recommend a selection of mini desserts over a cake.

Our food and service from RTC was amazing! They were so accommodating to those in our party with dietary restrictions and we got so many compliments on our signature drink (Strawberry Basil Margarita.. 10/10). I would highly recommend RTC for your catering needs!!

Rocky Top was amazing to work with!! They made the whole process super easy. They have a wide variety of delicious food including vegan options. There was even a box of extra entrees and desserts packed up for my husband and I to take with us after the reception. We thought that was such a nice touch! Everything was so perfect and delicious. We really couldn’t have asked for a better catering company!

I had a disappointing experience with Rockytop Catering on my wedding day, December 14, 2023. The biscuits served during cocktail hour were dropped and wasted, creating an embarrassing scene. The chicken and beef served during dinner were rubbery, cold, and inedible. When we tried to address the issue, they claimed to have never made bad food in 19 years and offered no resolution. Potential customers should be aware that the food at the tasting may not reflect what will be served at their event.

I cannot speak highly enough of Rocky Top Catering and specifically of Vicki Tong and the service that she delivered on our wedding day! We had our wedding at The Upchurch recently and Rocky Top blew away our expectations. Our menu was constantly changing up until the very end, and Vicki was extremely accommodating, working with us to revise our contract and share any recommendations quickly. What impressed me most was the way that Vicki collaborated with our other vendors (venue, rentals, etc.) and brought any necessary revisions to my attention, this was extremely helpful! My dad has been in the catering industry for 20+ years and has been singing Vicki’s praises since we started the planning process with Rocky Top, the compliments only doubled after the wedding day once he had the food. We had both the mac and cheese bar and the sliders at our cocktail hour and we are still hearing about those two menu items from our guests. Guests have gone as far as to say “best mac and cheese I’ve ever had in my life” and “I still think about the sliders from your wedding and wish I could have another.” The food was a highlight for our guests and a highlight for us too! During our tasting the food was so good that my husband was eating the food off of my plate too and the portions were huge, the food was just that good! For our reception we opted for the potato bar and that was another hit with guests. All of the food was just as good if not better on the day of the wedding as it was at the tasting. We had an open bar and the drinks were delicious! Our bartenders and the entire Rocky Top staff at the wedding were extremely professional and friendly. Working with Rocky Top made me want to have another party just to eat their delicious food and drink their great drinks again! Choosing Rocky Top is a no-brainer! I enthusiastically recommend them if you want the food to be a highlight of your wedding day!

Rocky Top was so easy to work with. They listened to our vision, dietary needs, and budget and guided us through the whole process. TIP: Invite a couple of friends or family members to your scheduled tasting. It was FUN! They took our feedback and made some adjustments to the menu. On the day of - they arrived on time, set up everything, and quickly got to work prepping appetizers. Their servers were gracious and professional and took special care of us (the wedding couple). The guests gave us many compliments on the food! We totally recommend Rocky Top Catering for your wedding.

Rocky Top is top tier. We served them at our wedding (buffet) and people could not stop raving at how good the food was. We had chicken and waffle appetizers and they were AMAZING. Highly recommend - from communication to day-of execution, they were top notch.

Rocky Top catered our wedding at the Merrimon-Wynne House in May of 2023 and everything was a complete hit! We did a couple of tastings to really nail down our menu because the food was a big priority of ours on our wedding day. We also really loved the flexibility we had with tweaking some things with our menu, and the team was happy to work with us on making any changes. Our plated salad and entrees were delicious, just as we remembered from our tasting! Guests loved the passed appetizers (such good crab cakes!!) during cocktail hour and the surprise late night snacks (who doesn’t love pretzels and cheese after a few drinks?) on the lawn during the reception! And of course the mini desserts were a crowd-pleaser too, especially the Tia Maria Cookie Stacks! The serving staff was exceptionally polite and helpful to our guests, which was feedback I heard from multiple people! I would definitely recommend Rocky Top’s catering for a wedding or any event!

We used Rocky Top for our March wedding and LOVED them! The food was amazing and we got so many compliments on it. The staff was super attentive and made sure we had a plate of food to enjoy while still getting to spend time with our guests. There are so many options to choose from, and we were able to have some of our favorite foods served. You can never go wrong with a delicious potato bar! We highly recommend using Rocky Top for your catering needs. They strive to make your wedding catering experience both seamless and delicious. Thank you, Rocky Top!

We had so many amazing compliments on the food from our wedding thanks to Rocky Top! We went with a stations menu - shrimp & grits, taco bar, and sliders bar. The food was fabulous and the staff was professional. Some of the communication in the planning aspects were hit or miss, however, it all worked out great when the big day arrived!

Working with Rocky Top was an absolute pleasure! The pricing is very reasonable and we have guests who are still raving about the food weeks later. They provided excellent service and the food was just as good as we expected it to be. We would highly recommend them and hire them again in the future.

We appreciated the outstanding communication from Carley leading up to our event. The communication could not have been more reasonable and patient. During planning the chef(s) also accommodated tweaks to their listed dishes with no problem. And there were no surprise costs; it was all very transparent. Planning was so robust that catering wasn't really a source of stress at any point. On the day of, the hor d'oeuvres were absolutely top notch. Overall the food was good and guests had nice things to say! Day-of service was fine, though the team toward the end of the event were not quite as sure-handed or attentive as the account manager(s) we worked with up to that point. So we had to tend to things a little more than I'd hoped but nothing drastic. I think at RTC's price point the food and day-of service would have had to have been exquisite to be 5 stars, but overall things went very smoothly and the guests were happy.

Just used Rocky Top for a wedding: - Mac N Cheese Bar Station, Short Ribs, Fall Hash, Fall Salad, Arancini, Bar Service. All of it was incredible. Days after the wedding, all we could hear about was how great the food was. Everyone loved it and we had very little left over at the end of the night. Pricing was fair and staff was on top of everything. Rocky Top was also receptive and accessible as we moved through our planning process. We really enjoyed using Rocky Top and highly recommend that others do as well.

Kevin and his team were amazing. They were super friendly and easy to work with. I can’t even describe how delicious the food was; our guests are still talking about the food! You won’t go wrong hiring Rocky Top as your catering company.

Rocky Top was great! We had an untraditional goal for catering at our wedding. My husband and I LOVE food trucks so for the main meal, we had two separate food trucks serving our guests. We wanted to still have a traditional caterer for everything else to "class-up" the day so our guests still felt like they were at a wedding and not just a food truck festival downtown. They provided passed champagne prior to our ceremony, preset waters and salads for guests, full bar services, side dishes to go with the food truck meals, and desserts at the end of the night. While I was getting pulled around from person to person and didn't get to try everything, everything I had was great! Everyone we talked to said everything was great, even my mother-in-law who is not afraid to tell the truth lol. All of the staff were super nice. They didn't let me go without a drink in my hand the whole night. They constantly made sure my husband and I had everything we wanted.

We worked with Vicki at Rocky Top and our experience was incredible! The food was amazing and they executed everything exactly as we had envisioned it! Our guests have continued to rave about the food! Their staff was so attentive and kind and we never once saw them without a smile on their face! They went above and beyond on our wedding day and we are so glad that Vicki and her team were part of our day!

Go with Rocky Top! I am that bride that researches every vendor prior to making a decision on who to go with, and especially when catering and bar service are both such a cost to the budget and an aspect guests will remember. Rocky Top was professional throughout our pre-wedding planning and quick to reply to any emails or questions I had. Each person we encountered from their team was knowledgeable about our venue, space and menu items. Their servers and waitstaff were attentive and friendly to both us (the bride and groom) as well as our guests. The food was also DELICIOUS! I don’t know how each item from the passed hors d’oeuvres to each plated meal was consistent and tasted great, but they were. Guests raved about how great their meal was - we did shrimp and grits or the Mediterranean chicken - and made a point to share that with us. The bartenders were quick and professional. Overall, incredible value for the service and quality of food that we received. From start to finish, a 5-star rating from a high standards bride!

Rocky Top was the most amazing caterer for our wedding day! Their team was very professional, efficient, and skilled. We felt that everyone was working hard to make the day go smoothly and everyone had what they needed. The food was amazing, the display's we got were beautifully set-up, and the staff was attentive. All of our guests commented on how attentive the staff were as they ate dinner by asking them if they needed anything and making sure everyone was satisfied with their meal. It made us so happy to know that our guests were being taken care of. It was above and beyond of them and we couldn't of been happier with the team. Aside from the wedding day the team that helped us pick our food, promptly replied to us with any questions, and helped with the rental needs as well. This was our first time working with a caterer and we felt that the process was easy and organized thanks to them!

We got SO many compliments on how delicious the food was at our wedding. Kevin, Lauren and the Rocky Top team really went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. Leading up to the wedding Lauren was constantly in touch with me, working hard on special requests I had and pulling more than her weight when my brain went to wedding mush. The day of the wedding the Rocky Top team made sure that my husband and I actually got to eat, putting food and drink in front of us without us having to ask. Not only did they provide us with amazing food and people to take care of us, but the bartenders we had were amazing. They made sure to save me the drinks I had specifically requested and when asked to stay two hours later at the time they were supposed to leave they were happy to. They were so nice that they probably ended up in more conversations with our wedding guests then they thought they would. I can’t say enough good things about them, about Kevin and Lauren, and about everyone at Rocky Top Catering.

The best food and they were so kind and easy to work with! We are still getting compliments from friends and family!

Rocky Top and their catering staff brought our event to the next level. Our experience with them was nothing short of incredible. Their food was to die for and they accommodated every one of our needs. Our guests are still raving about their chicken and waffle appetizers.

The food was delicious and the service was amazing!

Wonderful food. Great service. Pleasant communication with Kevin. Thankful for their service for our wedding.

We recently used Rocky Top Catering for our 150 guest wedding. We had so many compliments on the food and the desserts! We loved how large their menu was when looking for options and we appreciated all the thought and effort that Jeff put into looking at our choices and coming up with the best choices to sample. We so appreciated getting leftovers to take home and enjoy the day after the wedding! Everything is so delicious here!

Delicious food and great service! After our tasting we knew we wanted to have Rocky Top cater our wedding. Jeff was easy to work with and super helpful! We had three menu options: fish, chicken and steak. Our guests loved every option we had! My husband and I also appreciated that Rocky Top send us home with some extra food so we could have all our menu options!

5 stars across the board! Everything from the initial interaction with rocky top has been has amazing! They were organized and professional, friendly, and so accommodating. The staff on site (particularly Justin!) was so attentive! Always making sure us and the wedding party had food and drinks. And the food of course was PHENOMENAL! Can't recommend enough!

Rocky Top did an amazing job for our wedding and reception. The food was fantastic and while we had a few hiccups (nothing major - just misscommunications), they made sure to make it right. I have already recommended them to people I know.

As wedding photographers, we have had our fair share of wedding meals and one of the easiest decisions was hiring Rocky Top for our wedding! Their menu offers a little bit of everything and we loved having the ability to mix and match sides and customize everything to fit our wedding. One of the best parts was the to-go box they packed for us with a little bit of everything. Everyone is still raving about our food and I will continue to recommend Rocky Top to all of my future couples!

From the moment we started planning, my husband and I emphasized the importance of the food. We talked to several caterers who struggled to understand our vision before we found Rocky Top and Vicki, who immediately got it and designed a perfect menu that reflected our desire for a casual vibe, but upscale presentation, through stations of Southern classics and enough carbs to soak up the open bar. We even were able to get oysters on the half shell for our cocktail hour in our budget, which I thought would never happen! Our guests raved about the food and I know no one went home hungry, plus everything was beautifully displayed. There were times throughout the process where it was difficult to get a response to questions and we would have appreciated reminders about payment dates and amounts, but ultimately, the final product was absolutely worth it and we are so glad we went with Rocky Top for our day!

Rocky Top catered our wedding at Merrimon Wynne and it was nothing short of spectacular. From the hors doeuvres to the entrees to the desserts, everything was amazing. The minute cocktail hour started, a waiter found my husband and I and set food aside for us. At dinner, the service was amazing and I looked around and saw our guests had eaten every last bite. Throughout the rest of the night and in the days following, guests kept coming up to us complimenting the food and telling us it was the best wedding food they've ever had. I cannot express our gratitude for Rocky Top enough and helping to make our day perfect.

We used Rocky Top Catering for our rehearsal dinner at 1705 East and the food was incredible! Everyone was complimenting it. We had the salmon and short rib! Great service and excellent food. I would definitely recommend them!

We used Rocky Top Catering for our wedding catering since they are affiliated with our venue. The food was delicious! We had a buffet with Southern food, and I’m so glad Rocky Top Catering was able to do it! The food was great and perfect for the atmosphere of our wedding. It really added to the day, and some of our out-of-town guests enjoyed getting to try Southern food at the wedding. I would recommend Rocky Top for wedding catering.

We got married 8/21/2021 and Rocky Top Catering provided superb service! I found Rocky Top through our venue, The Barn of Chapel Hill, as they are a preferred vendor. Knowing that they’ve worked many events there and after reading a ton of positive reviews, my now-husband and I scheduled an in-person tasting (since we live out of state and were unable to attend one of their regularly scheduled open house tastings). We had such an amazing experience and LOVED the food so much that we walked away feeling confident and booked shortly after. The Brown Butter Gnocchi is seriously the best gnocchi we’ve ever had, still to this day. As a former event coordinator myself, I also love that Rocky Top offers bar services, making them a one-stop shop. They were able to accommodate our special requests, including a champagne display for our ceremony, ginger beer (which wasn’t a standard mixer in our bar package), and a dessert table featuring a cutting cake and assorted macarons. On top of this they were also able to make us sheet cakes to cut and serve our guests, and a late night snack of the most delicious chicken and waffles. Both Kevin and Lauren from Rocky Top were AMAZING to work with and made the entire process stress-free. We had to postpone twice due to COVID, however, Kevin was extremely understanding and made it easy for us to update our date and contract both times. They joined multiple phone calls with our wedding planners leading up to the day in order to sort out final details, and provided outstanding communication. Lauren was on-site the day of and truly made us feel like royalty, bringing us drinks and checking on us throughout the night to see if we needed anything. The entire staff was phenomenal and we received so many compliments from our guests around the food. On top of all of this we also received the most thoughtful gift, showing how above & beyond they go for their clients. Words can’t express how grateful we are for the Rocky Top team, and we highly recommend them to others looking for the same experience!

The menu we chose from Rocky Top was absolutely delicious and many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed the meal! Kevin and Lauren were extremely responsive and professional throughout the process of working with them. We were particularly impressed with our trial meal experience, during which Rocky Top was very attentive and friendly as they continually checked in for our feedback on all of the aspects of the food we had chosen and made sure that everything was how we wanted. Rocky Top provided both our dinner and bar services and everything with service went very smoothly on the day of the wedding. All of the service staff members were extremely friendly and we were very impressed by the level of professionalism! We were very happy with our experience with Rocky Top and would recommend them highly!

Such a great experience working with this team, especially Quann! The food was delicious and they really worked with us to make sure everything they could control was perfect.

When my husband and I started planning our wedding, our number one priority was good food. The venue we went with had a preferred catering list and right away, Rocky Top came highly recommended. Since they offered family style dining, we decided to go with them. Their menu was seasonal and timeless. The food was delicious and everyone remarked they ate until they were stuffed. Thank you so much Rocky Top!

Food was amazing and we had such positive feedback from our guests!

We absolutely loved working with Rocky Top and would recommend them to anyone! The food is incredible and there are so many different packages and customization options to make your event exactly what you are looking for. We booked with Rocky Top for our September 2020 wedding, and worked with Kevin all along the way in our planning. When we had to postpone/reschedule due to COVID-19, Kevin and Rocky Top were so patient and accommodating which made a stressful situation so much easier. We were able to have a food tasting a few months before our wedding which was an added bonus to be able to try some of the items before the big day and make our final decisions. We also decided to add a "late night snack" of sliders last minute, and Kevin was so gracious and helpful with this! On the day of, Rocky Top's service was excellent and seamless. They are amazing at what they do and all of the food, from the appetizers, to the salad, to the main dish and late night snack are delicious. All of our wedding guests are still talking about it. Thanks for everything, Rocky Top Catering!

The food, the management and the customer service was top notch!! Vicki was great to work with and she made the process so easy and pleasant. I would definitely recommend Rocky Top for any catering needs!

I loved working with Jeff at Rocky Top! He was so incredibly helpful and patient. I sent him numerous emails leading up to the wedding, and he answered all of them! He came out to the backyard where we got married to help us figure out the layout of everything, which was amazing! He was there for the wedding, and everything went so perfectly! They made a plate for us, and made sure we got a little bit of everything. We did get a lot of food, but my goodness it was so good and worth every penny! Everyone talked about how good the food was days after the wedding. The grits bar was a favorite!

We cannot say enough wonderful things about how EXCELLENT Rocky Top and especially, Jeff Besselman, are. We chose Rocky Top before we even finalized our venue because we knew Rocky Top had top-notch food and an equally excellent reputation, but they KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK for our wedding. Our entire experience from moment one was outstanding. Jeff spent a significant amount of time getting to know us in our consult to make sure that our catering selections matched both our personalities as well as the type of experience we wanted to give our guests. He was always available by phone or email and was super patient with our multiple menu revisions. Our guests kept coming up to us during the reception to tell us how amazing the food was and how delicious the cocktails were. They are STILL talking about it two weeks later! The servers who personally attended to us during the reception were always there to make sure we had something to eat, and a drink in our hand. Rocky Top and Jeff went above and beyond to make sure our day was incredible and they far exceeded our expectations. We would give them TEN stars if we could!!

First and foremost, Vicki is one of greatest humans I've ever met. Hands down, she's a boss! So funny, responsive, professional, compassionate and incredibly flexible. She works with you to design the perfect custom package for your financial needs without going over budget. She even threw in an extra complimentary passed app. She was so amazing during the pandemic. She didn't ask for any deposit up front because she wanted to make sure I was financial sound while I was unemployed during the pandemic. I mean??? Come on!!! A class act through and through. Everyone at the wedding raved over the food. It was so delicious finger& lickin' good! Everything was made perfectly! The wait staff was so kind and welcoming. AMAZING EXPERIENCE from start to finish! Thank you RTC! Thank you Vicki, you badass you ;)

Rocky Top was AMAZING! Vicki helped us select the most perfect menu for our wedding. She also gave us the most real and best wedding advice. They genuinely cared and made sure we had everything we needed. Not only was the staff amazing, but the food was SO GOOD. 15/10 would recommend Rocky Top to anyone in the Raleigh area.

Rocky Top was my FAVORITE VENDOR at my wedding!!!! Their food was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I wish I could give them more than 5 stars!!! Due to the venue I picked, I had to use them, but I am so thankful for that. I knew I wanted barbecue at my wedding because my grandpa and his family owned a barbecue restaurant their entire careers. Needless to say, I am a barbecue snob, but they absolutely nailed it. I had a friend that attended at least 12 weddings in the past 2 years, and he told me that we had the best wedding food he had ever tasted. They can do any dish perfectly and everyone raved about how good the food was. Their service was also incredible and very professional. I cannot recommend them enough.

Rocky Top catered our wedding on 11.15.20. The food was AMAZING. When searching for catering in Raleigh, Rocky Top popped up everywhere! And they absolutely lived up to their reputation. As a Bride, everyone said “make sure you eat!!!!” Which I didn’t .... of course. But the servers at Rocky Top were always there trying to give me appetizers, and served us our plates (we had a buffet style wedding) to make sure that we ate. They were amazing, and were so happy we chose them to make our day even more special!

Rocky Top truly went above and beyond for our wedding day. From the very beginning, Vicky was professional, quick to respond, and took care of the behind the scenes work. She went with us to pick out our rentals to make sure nothing was missed. When covid-19 hit, they worked with me to make sure we were following guidelines and keeping everyone safe. All of our vendors told us how much they love Rocky Top and how easy they are to work with, which made the evening run so smooth. The food was also delicious! Several guests told me how good it was... especially the shrimp and grits. I would definitely use them again in the future!

The food was incredible, the delivery and set up was on time and the breakdown was quick! The process of picking out food was fun and easy and the bartender we had was so sweet and upbeat!!!!

We used RTC for our rehearsal dinner and our wedding. We had so many compliments on all the food that we served at both events. Vicki is so personal and coordinated everything from rentals, timeline, food suggestions, etc. We would recommend RTC to any couple getting married, office party, holiday party, or for any event! They were with out a doubt the best caterer we consulted with and we look forward to using them in the future!

This venue is perfect because it will save you a lot of time planning. The venue offers a convenient location in Raleigh, catering, management, and bar services all in one package to make it a one stop shop. Choosing this venue made our lives a million times easier to plan our special day. So do yourself a favor to eliminate the inevitable wedding day stress and choose 1705 because they will provide an unforgettable experience for you and your guests by offering you everything beyond anything you could dream. I want to genuinely take the time out to thank Rocky Top and 1705 East for their hospitality and service. The staff and management go above and beyond to fulfill any requests in a expeditious manner before, during, and after your event. All of my guests genuinely enjoyed their food and warm welcome from the staff. In fact, the groom and I are still hearing about how amazing our guests experience were weeks later. Our wedding has been acclaimed the wedding of the year thanks to 1705. And I want to especially thank a special server, Latoya for her outstanding efforts to cater to every need of both myself, the bride and my groom. Because of the beautiful venue, hospitable staff, and delicious cuisine we will have a lifetime of memories to cherish every time we think of our special day. And if there’s any details that we might forget, I’m sure that our guests will remember all of the rest. We can’t thank you enough for being apart of our special day. We look forward to hosting our future events here and even returning for our anniversary. Sincerely Mr. & Mrs. Lindsay

Rocky Top was amazing! We loved how customized we were able to make our wedding menu - we had stations of everything we loved! Vicki Tong was wonderful to work with and always made sure we were heard and getting exactly what we wanted. The whole team at our wedding was lovely and made the whole process so easy! We can’t thank them enough!

Not only was the food AMAZING, the customer service was also great! The RTC team made sure my husband and I had food and provided leftovers after the reception for us to take home. Our guests have been raving about the food non stop - we did a taco bar, slider bar, and salad bar. Everything was a hit!

People are still talking about how good the food at our wedding was! We couldn't have been happier with our experience with Rocky Top. We worked with Vicki, and she answered my hundreds of questions and helped us craft the perfect menu for our taste and our budget. The group tasting and private tasting were both such great experiences, and it was so hard to narrow down our choices from their huge menu of such awesome food. We definitely recommend Rocky Top (especially their chicken & waffle bites)!