The holidays are quickly approaching, which means it’s time to prep for all of the upcoming holiday entertaining. My strategy this year is to outsource as much of the work as possible so that I can sit back and actually enjoy myself. One of the biggest tasks each year is figuring out what to feed everyone. So, I made it my mission to find the very best catering options available. After taste-testing catering options from a bunch of Temecula restaurants I have finally narrowed it down to these 7. Life is just too short to be spent in the kitchen!
Top 7 Temecula Restaurants to Cater Your Next Party
1 Lucille’s BBQ
Lucille’s BBQ is my go-to choice when it comes to catering. They offer delivery, drop-set, full service and grill on-site options. I tested their services at a recent baby shower and was floored by how seamless their set up process was.
They wheeled everything into the house in hot boxes ready to go. Their staff helped transfer everything to my chafing dishes, gave tips on how to set up the buffet and were a tremendous help!
We had chosen to do BBQ Pulled Pork and Chicken Sandwiches to keep in simple and lighter since it was lunch. However, for dinner, they offer entrees like smoked salmon, bbq chicken, ribs, tri-tip & more. Which is what I am thinking of catering in this holiday season.
Of course, they bring their famous BBQ sauces which are always a big hit. I loved that they brought full bottles so there was plenty of sauce to go around.
We tried several sides including sliced watermelon, honey roasted peanut slaw, Lucille’s garden salad, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and the fresh vegetable medley. They were all devoured very quickly and the guests couldn’t stop talking about how delicious they were! My personal favorite was the honey roasted peanut slaw- yummy!! Lucille’s thought of everything including disposable plates, to go boxes, service wear, wet napkins and Tootsie Pops just like you find in their restaurants. If you choose some of the other options they include chafing dishes, professional servers and linens too!
With so many different catering options + a menu that pleases every palate Lucille’s is my top choice for catering. Find more information about their catering on their website.
2 E.A.T. Marketplace
If you are looking for a Farm-to-Table type meal look no further than E.A.T. Marketplace. Their E.A.T catering and artisan cooking team can help you come up with a menu that will WOW all of your guests.
E.A.T’s menu of favorites is sure to please even the most discerning guests (aka your mother-in-law). Try their delicious appetizers, artisan sandwiches, farm to plate dinners, and hand-crafted desserts packaged up and ready to go. Find more information on E.A.T.’s catering here.
3 Rustico
Italian is always a favorite amongst guests plus, it’s super easy to serve at events as the dishes are easily converted into family style portions.
Rustico Ristorante & Pizzeria located in Murrieta is an excellent choice for catering. They have plenty of pasta options including many that are kid-friendly too. *Tip- their mac and cheese is a kid favorite in our house! Find more information on Rustico’s catering here.
4 Tabu Sushi
Another, more unconventional, option is to cater in sushi from Tabu Sushi. They can take large orders of Sushi as long as you call and speak with the chef well in advance. They do not deliver but you can pick up your order in store, ready to go.
This is an excellent option as a starter to an Asian inspired meal or served alongside miso soup, seaweed salad, and a few appetizers like vegetable tempura to make it a complete meal. Check out their menu online here.
5 Bamboo House
If you are looking for a full course meal that will delight and surprise your guests try serving Chinese food this holiday season.
Bamboo House offers a few different menu options that are priced per person and include appetizer, soup & salad, choice of several entrees, sides, choice of rice & even dessert! You won’t have to lift a finger. Find out more info here.
6 La Cocina
Another genre of food that pleases everyone is Mexican. La Cocina offers a variety of catering options from full service to do it yourself buffets which happen to be really affordable.
Choose their Fiesta Buffet option that starts at just $13.95 and includes a fresh garden salad, Spanish rice, refried beans, cheese enchiladas, chicken fajitas, chips & salsa, and tortillas. Or you can mix and match appetizers, sides, and entrees by ordering 1/2 or full trays of each. Or splurge for full service and have their professional staff handle everything for you. See details here.
7 Rubio’s Coastal Grill
One of my family’s go-to catering restaurants in Temecula, especially for more casual events like birthday parties, is Rubio’s Coastal Grill. We absolutely love that you can order this online, even day of if you give them a few hours, and they give you everything that you need to host a party. Their catering orders come with plates, serving ware, utensils, and napkins.
We love their Taco Bar and the Sampler Platter & Appetizers. *Tip- I find that ordering their Taco Bar for 10-12 + adding additional sides of meat and rice can really extend the number of people it feeds. For more information check out their website.
pin for later-
Which Temecula Restaurant would you choose?
*A special thanks to Lucille’s BBQ for catering our recent event for purpose of this article. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are 100% my own.
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Which Temecula Restaurant should I choose? a hard question to be answer. because you confused me with all these wonderful pictures!!! I will definitely check their website and then decide about my next party!
This food all looks so good! I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. Catering with sushi seems unusual but I bet it could be good!
It’s true, they are all pretty great! I love catering, leaves more time to mingle with all my guests and takes away all the stress too 😉
I love the variety of restaurants you chose to showcase – sushi, tacos, BBQ, spaghetti. I don’t know which I’d pick, but any one of them would make for a great party. Thanks for sharing!