Widely regarded as “America’s Finest City,” San Diego offers a host of luxuries to suit any budget and preference for those planning their wedding. With white-sand beaches, picturesque oceanfronts, and what-more-could-you-ask-for weather all year round, San Diego is the perfect place to host your I Dos. But what does the city’s wedding catering front look like?
It’s numerous, with various menu options depending on your budget, preferences, timeline, and wedding theme and feel. So to save you precious time researching the hundreds of full-service catering options out there, we’ve scoured them for you.
Here’s our roundup of the top 5 wedding caterers in San Diego to help you ensure your wedding day is not only joyful and memorable but delicious and affordable, too.
1. Bekker’s Catering
With almost 50 years of industry experience, Bekker’s Catering is considered one of the best and most reliable caterers in San Diego County, according to the Union Tribune Reader’s Poll and the San Diego Regional Chamber.
To help you streamline your wedding catering planning, it offers popular, complete wedding packages—that suit a range of budgets, guest counts, and food preferences—such as A Day to Remember, Elegant by Design, Happily Ever After, South of the Border, The Knot, Always and Forever, Creating Memories, Country Faire, Wedding on a Budget, Traditional Faire, On A Shoestring. Most of these packages include appetizers, dinner, and other essential services and all of which can be customized for your special event.
Whether you’re planning to have a small, medium, or large wedding, no worries on if Bekker’s Catering can accommodate (Fun fact: This is a catering company that can feed up to 10,000 guests!).
Additionally, San Diego is the second-largest city in California, so whether you want your wedding to be at the beach in North County or at an indoor venue in South Bay, lucky for you, Bekker Catering can travel any distance within San Diego County. This way, you can truly live out your dream wedding catering—without pesky, geographical limitations.
Typical Cost: Approximate prices include $40/per person for plated dinner; $15/per person for buffet service; $20/per person for stations; $5/per person for hors d’oeuvres. Prices are based on group size, so inquire here for further information; additionally, there is a minimum of 40 guests for full catering service plus a 20% equipment and labor charge
Food Genres: American, Asian, French, German, Greek, Hawaiian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Mexican, Spanish, and more
Find Bekker’s Catering on Facebook and Instagram.
2. Eco Caters
For couples who are environment advocates and committed to supporting sustainable, organic agriculture, look no further than Eco Caters for your wedding fare.
As Green Caterer-Certified and a Fair Farms Partner, this San Diego, Los Angeles, and Washington DC catering company is also a District Sustainability Award winner that supports farmers who follow sustainable food practices. With 10 years of experience in the catering industry, Eco Caters has catered over 500 weddings sustainably and responsibly.
Whether or not you have a specific food genre or theme in mind for your big day, Eco Caters can whip up anything your heart (or palette) desires. From an heirloom tomato sprinkled with basil oil, salt, and pepper and an arugula salad with peaches and nectarines to grass-fed beef sliders with smoked cheddar and caramelized onion and a poached pear tart, all ingredients are fresh, seasonal, certified organic, and sustainably-sourced.
That way, you and your guests can not only enjoy the delicious combination of flavors and quality food but can feel good about them, too. No wonder it’s one of the best catering companies in San Diego.
Typical Cost: Approximate prices include $42/per person for plated dinner; $37/per person for buffet service; $36/per person for stations; $31/per person for hors d’oeuvres. Inquire here for up-to-date prices
Food Genres: African, American, Asian, British, Cajun, Caribbean, Chinese, Ethiopian, French, German, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, Local, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Russian, Southern, Southwestern, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese
Follow Eco Caters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
3. All Aspects Catering and Events
Voted a Top Pro by Thumbtack in 2017, All Aspects Catering and Events offers complete wedding catering packages to simplify and streamline each part of your culinary offerings, from fresh hors h’oeuvres and appetizers to satisfying dinner and beverages.
Though its wedding packages—First Comes Love, Happily Ever After, Tie The Knot, Wedded Bliss, Bacia La Sposa, A Fiesta To Remember, To Have And To Hold—include unique flavor and menu combinations that are sure to wow and impress your guests, All Aspects Catering and Events can be flexible and accommodate your specific catering vision, as well.
The chefs at this San Diego catering company take great pride in sourcing only high-quality ingredients and products from farmer’s markets so that your wedding fare is as beautifully presented as it is delicious.
From fresh dinner options such as grilled salmon, flavor-infused chicken, prime rib, and marinated tri-tip to complementary side dishes such as mashed potato bars, seasoned grilled vegetables, and summer salads, your catering experiences are limitless.
Typical Cost: Inquire here
Food Genres: American, BBQ, Chinese, Fusion, Greek, Hawaiian, Italian, Latin American, Mexican, Southern, Specialty
Follow All Aspects Catering and Events on Facebook.
4. Abbey Catering and Event Design Company
In business for 22 years, and designed to meet any couple’s catering budget, Abbey Catering and Event Design Company offers full-service, gourmet catering and inclusive wedding packages.
As an award-winning catering company that’s been on the San Diego A-List (not to mention 5-star reviews on Yelp), it offers affordable gourmet menus which can be custom-tailored to meet your vision, requirements, and budget for your wedding reception.
From tray-passed appetizers such as the Spicy Soyrizo-Chevre Quesadilla to the dual entrée main courses such as the Salmon En Croûte, Abbey Catering and Event Design Company is committed to sustainability, providing local, organic catering so all ingredients are fresh and all catering supplies and accessories are kind to Mother Earth.
In fact, in 2014, it even began AbbeyFarms, a local, organic farm based in the city of San Diego, which allows this catering company to source and grow its own food. Wins all around for your special day.
Typical Cost: Approximate prices include $80/per person for plated dinner; $77/per person for buffet service; $80/per person for stations; $50/per person for hors d’oeuvres. Inquire here for up-to-date prices
Food Genres: American, Asian, Chinese, French, German, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Seafood, Southern, Southwestern, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese
Follow Abbey Catering and Event Design Company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
5. Wild Thyme Company
Whether you’re looking for tableside or self-service, chef-inspired dishes, or mobile, buffet-style feasts designed for grazing for your San Diego wedding, Wild Thyme Company offers up signature and custom menus—especially if you’re hoping to get a little creative.
Think personal touch dining with grilled lamb chop lollipops, grilled beef medallions, mini chicken and waffles, and strawberry burrata crostinis that’ll probably wow the guests at your wedding (and make them salivate). This event catering company believes in creating innovative, one-of-a-kind culinary experiences that push the envelope.
But even if you’re just after classic dishes (or vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free cuisine for that matter) for the most important day of your life, the chefs at Wild Thyme Company are more than happy to accommodate with food service that’s fresh, delicious, and sustainable—so that your culinary celebration goes off without a hitch and is memorable for many decades to come.
Typical Cost: Approximate prices include $95/per person for plated dinner; $80/per person for buffet service; $90/per person for stations; $45/per person for hors d’oeuvres. Inquire here for up-to-date prices
Food Genres: African, American, Asian, British, Cajun, Caribbean, Chinese, Ethiopian, French, German, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, Local, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Southern, Southwestern, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese
