There’s no doubt about it. We’re witnessing a golden era of restaurant and catering quality.
As reported by The Atlantic, there’s never been a better time to dine nationwide. From the comfort food trends in Portland, Oregon to the southern cosmopolitan cuisine of Atlanta, Georgia, it just keeps getting better and better. In the Bay Area, San Francisco has so many restaurants per capita that Eater notes Oakland’s rise in under-the-radar restaurants is worthy of attention, too. And so to make sure you’ve got the top intel on the best catering in Oakland, we’ve rounded up the top ten Oakland catering restaurants keeping East Bay customers fueled.
1. La Salsa (14th St, Oakland)
With build-your-own taco and fajita bars and party platters galore, La Salsa delivers never-fail fiesta fun. But the best catering in Oakland knows breakfast meetings need to dazzle, too, and that’s where La Salsa particularly shines. Set up a wow-worthy buffet with Mexican-style eggs, spicy chorizo and eggs, creamy chilaquiles, and fixings of rice, bean, guac, sour cream, and more. Or go for individual breakfast burritos filled with steak, veggies, chicken, or sausage. It’s crowd-pleasing food from morning to night.
2. Powered By Pork (Thomas L. Berkley Way, Oakland)
If you’ve never tasted the one-two punch of Mexican and Vietnamese flavors in one bite, now’s your chance. Powered by Pork delivers Oakland catering customers seriously delicious twists on the traditional Taco Tuesday. Think chicken tacos with fried shallots and mustard green salsa verde. Or tortillas filled with a veggie succotash of hominy, black beans, bell pepper, squash, and pumpkin seeds. The bamboo shoot salad in bright cilantro-lime vinaigrette adds side-order crunch. A swap out of traditional corn salsa for elote – roasted corn with cotija cheese and a sprinkling of Mexican oregano – seals the flavor deal.
3. 475 Cafe (14th St, Oakland)
Being the best catering in Oakland means coming through for your customer, no matter what. That’s why Oakland catering customers trust the team at 475 Café. Last-minute orders, substitutions, and dietary restrictions are no problem here. Whether it’s protein-packed breakfast buffets of eggs, yogurts, and oatmeal bowls you need, platters of luncheon sandwiches, or hot dinner entrées like chicken stew or Alfredo pasta, you can be sure Sam and his crew will deliver with utmost service and a smile.
4. Royal Kitchen Indian Restaurant (98th Ave, Oakland)
The rich, comforting flavors of India get the royal treatment at this Oakland catering favorite. For a never-fail order, start with a platter of crunchy vegetable pakoras – the little fritters teem with fragrant garam masala, curry, and chili flavor. Then move onto buffet trays of butter chicken, vindaloo, curry, tikka masala, paneer, and biriyani. Family-style dishes come ready to feed vegetarians and meat eaters alike, and spice level options mean everyone can take the heat.
5. Cafe Colucci (Telegraph Ave, Oakland)
For over twenty-five years, Café Colucci has brought traditional Ethiopian dishes to Oakland catering customers. They import exotic spices custom blended for them in Modjo, Ethiopia. Then they source raw and organic materials from local suppliers. Together, stewed meats, vegetables, and lentils come fragrant with turmeric, garlic, and the Ethiopian spice blend berbere. Shared platters designated for meat eaters and vegetarians all come with chewy injera – a fermented bread perfect for pairing with the flavorful entrees. Café Colucci is comfort food at its finest.
6. Sheba Dining (13th St, Oakland)
Marrying African and European flavors, Sheba Dining takes Oakland catering to the next level. Their Ethiopian-Italian fusion menu starts with appetizer favorites like Ethiopian-style hummus and flatbread, and sambusa – lentils and spinach seasoned with garlic, ginger, and cardamom and piled into crispy filo dough. Then the massive luncheon buffet menu includes options like stuffed mushrooms, mini pizzas, meat or vegan lasagna, and a Linguini Alfredo customers can’t stop raving about. It’s fresh, flavorful food that crosses continents and cuisines.
7. Le Cheval (Clay St, Oakland)
Since 1985, Le Cheval’s has featured a menu of French, Chinese, and Southeast Asian-inspired Vietnamese dishes. Combining fresh ingredients with exotic spices, family recipes balance healthful combinations of tofu, meat, noodles, rice, vegetables, and broth. Individual servings make for easy specific ordering. Customers can’t get enough of their Singapore-Style Noodles, overflowing with stir-fried vermicelli, broccoli, bell peppers, curry, and a choice of protein. For their greatest hits, try a combo dish with pork kebabs, prawn kebabs, fried chicken drumettes, an Imperial roll, and French rice.
8. BOXiChef (25th St, Oakland)
BOXiChef delivers perfectly-portioned comfort dishes that both fuel and fortify. Taco bars, burger bars, classic Italian dishes, and a whole slew of desserts make ensure that taste always comes first. But as each meal features high-quality, super-fresh ingredients in recipes with a focus on packing in the nutrients, eaters get the most from every bite, too. Buffet and boxed lunch catering cater to those with specific dietary restrictions, so team members with allergies and preferences are beyond well-fed, too. It’s chef-created food for hungry, working bodies.
9. Core Kitchen (14th St, Oakland)
Core Kitchen believes delicious food can make you feel amazing, too. As a produce-only restaurant, every ingredient at Core starts in-house as a fruit or vegetable. Their full menu of breakfast bars and puddings, sandwiches and wraps, hot entrees, soups, and sides are made without canned goods, oil, sugar, or chemicals. Customers can’t get enough Organic Coconut Cashew Zoodles with fresh-spiralized zucchini noodles, vegetables, and a coconut-almond sauce made from coconut milk that’s cracked daily from fresh Thai coconuts. Core Kitchen knows the best catering in Oakland needs to impress the most health-conscious, taste-fueled foodie. And they go above and beyond to deliver the goods.
10. Blessed Garden Chinese (15th St, Oakland)
Feeding a crowd with high-quality, classic Chinese dishes has never been so easy. At Blessed Garden Chinese, crispy egg rolls, fragrant beef and broccoli, sweet orange chicken, and crunchy salt and pepper prawns await in more than ample portions. Appetizers, entrees, rice, and noodle dishes are fused with crave-inducing flavors. And house-made desserts like fried bananas and the customer-favorite chocolate cake make for a sweet reward to every indulgent spread. It’s the bounty of Oakland catering… plus a little extra to snack on later.
Where will the best catering in Oakland take you?