Catering companies in San Diego, CA

19 caterers are listed for San Diego, CA on TopCaterers. Elsewhere in California, Escondido has 3, Irvine has 18 and Huntington Beach has 15.

Listings serving San Diego are tagged Taco (3), Mexican (2), BBQ (1), Dessert (1), Greek (1), Indian (1), Italian (1) and Middle Eastern (1). The other 10 don't name a specific cuisine, so mention the menu you want in your quote request.

Counting the event types each listing names: weddings (15), corporate events (11), holiday parties (7), birthday parties (5), parties (5) and baby showers (4). Many caterers take more than one kind of event, so these overlap.

Use Get free quotes on this page. The form asks for the event type, rough guest count and city, plus optional date, service style and budget per person. We pass it to up to 5 matching caterers that serve San Diego, and they reply to you directly. It is free and there is no obligation. Leave “Also ask for sealed bids” ticked and up to 8 caterers can also send a sealed bid with a total and per-person price.

1 of the 19 caterers listed in San Diego offer drop-off catering, where food arrives hot in disposable chafers with serving utensils and the caterer leaves. It is the cheapest way to feed a group and needs no gratuity or staffing charge. Filter the results on this page by “Drop-off” to see only those companies.

Yes. Of the caterers listed here, 1 offer vegan menus, 1 offer gluten-free menus and 2 offer vegetarian menus. Give final allergy and dietary counts at least two weeks before the event. For a guest with celiac disease, ask specifically about separate prep surfaces and utensils rather than just gluten-free ingredients, and for strict kosher or halal observance ask which certifying body the kitchen works under.

For an office lunch or small drop-off order in San Diego, CA, 1 to 2 weeks is usually enough. For a large corporate event allow 2 to 3 months, and for a wedding allow 9 to 12 months, since the best caterers in any metro book their Saturday dates first. December and the May-June graduation window are the hardest times of year to book late. Many caterers will take rush orders inside 72 hours for a fee, and repast catering is routinely arranged in under 48 hours.

Nationally, drop-off trays and boxed meals commonly run about $15 to $30 per person, a buffet with setup about $25 to $55 per person, and a full-service event with staff and plated or stationed food about $50 to $150 per person or more. The three things that move the number most are service style, protein choice and guest count. Drop-off is cheaper than full service because there is no staffing, rentals or gratuity. Below roughly 40 guests, most caterers charge a flat minimum instead of a per-head rate.