We had our wedding on 9/30/16 at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto. It came off wonderfully. Continental Caterers provided for our reception and did a fantastic job. The dinner was presented beautifully and the food was delicious. Maricella from Continental Caterers coordinated the banquet on the day of the wedding and helped us lay out the logistics of the ceremony along with Paul from Continental and our wedding coordinator. They both did an exceptional job and laid everything out exactly as described in our pre-wedding meetings. We led off with a spinach, cucumber, and mandarin orange salad course, followed by a buffet-style spread with main courses of ribeye bourgignon and grilled salmon, accompanied by side dishes of spinach & mushroom ravioli, risotto, fruit, roasted vegetables, and asparagus. Maricella even stacked the cakes we ordered from Draegers. The food was delicious in every regard, everything went off without a hitch, and we received a number of laudatory comments from friends and family. We provided our own juice, beer, wine, and champagne, and Continental cheerfully handled it for us. Continental also helped us coordinate our furniture and linen rentals and their advice helped us reach a simple yet arresting effect that coordinated beautifully with our lighting. On the interpersonal dimension, Continental was a real pleasure to work with. The owners and employees were uniformly pleasant and helpful. We changed our guest numbers on them three times, the last time two days before the wedding, and they still worked with us without complaint. They were friendly and upbeat no matter what. We did have some slow email exchanges with them when we first inquired after their business, but this hiccup was more than remedied by the time the wedding rolled around, so we urge prospective customers to be persistent and a bit patient. We decided on Continental and made our food choices after attending two of their monthly tastings. Tastings take place at the start of each month, on the first Wednesday. Contact Continental to register for a tasting or to get information on menus for each tasting. Tastings cost $35 and are well worth the price. We met quite a few interesting people at the tastings we attended! We wholeheartedly endorse Continental Caterers for your next event! read more

AMAZING!! My daughters Wedding was exceptional due to the outstanding food ,service and staff provided by Continental Caterers! Looking for the Best Look no further!! read more

OMG cannot recommend this company enough!! They catered our 27 person wedding at a private residence in the Santa Cruz mountains. First the food was amazing, which was a requirement from this foodie family! The staff was so professional, and made our whole event feel absolutely elegant. They included a bartender, passed appetizers, plated dinner, chef and serving staff and made it all look effortless. The servers showed up right when you needed them, never hovered, and somehow served more than half the party perfectly cooked hot salmon at the same time. So impressive! On top of everything, it got unseasonably cold after dinner, so we had to move the party inside. They adjusted seamlessly, moving our cake indoors, and had staff walking around with hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate for everyone. I was expecting a thermos station, and we got such a luxury experience. They used our kitchen as the workspace, and left it immaculate. This team is so professional, their food is excellent and creative, and it really felt like they went the extra mile. People left our wedding asking for their business cards for their own future events! Thank you to the whole Continental Caterers team for making our day so special :) read more

Wendy is really great at making events easily planned with exceptional taste. She offers suggestions for other vendors with ease and is truly a nice, helpful, honest person who really wants your party to go off without a hitch. She is patient with changes and doesn't charge for some extras that are often tacked on by other caterers. I really have enjoyed working with her. read more

Continental Caterers catered our wedding at Kohl Mansion last September and I cannot praise them enough. We worked mostly with Paul Alexander throughout the process and he was an amazing, calming presence the whole time. We had a week-of coordinator but really it felt like Paul was doing that job, too. He had so much great input about the timeline of events and he met with us many times to make sure we had remembered everything to keep our guests happy and comfortable - not just well fed. And as far as feeding us...Wow. Every bit of food was incredibly delicious. We were dreaming of the food ever since the tasting, and of course we didn't get a chance to eat much during the wedding but afterwards he had packed some leftovers for our room which we devoured. Also, after the ceremony when our guests were at cocktail hour and we were taking our photos, he brought us over a plate of hors d'oeuvres to hold us over. Many of our guests said it was the best food they'd ever had. Our guests still bring it up, and they were all sharing tastes of their dishes on the night of. My husband and I are vegan and vegetarian and so were several of our guests - they were not disappointed! One of the best vegan meals I've ever had. This last weekend we were a guest at a wedding that Continental was catering so we got to experience Paul and his team as wedding guests. First of all we were stoked because we actually got to eat our entire delicious meals this time! And second of all everything ran so smoothly and his staff was incredibly gracious and attentive. It was a wonderful experience. Paul really knows how to coordinate a team of vendors (as well as parents) without offending anyone but he is not afraid to express his opinion. He will tell you if a piece of fabric doesn't look right or if a glass won't be classy enough. Although he's busy he never makes you feel like you're wasting his time. He gives you full attention and he is so thorough. You can trust him and you can trust that anything he is in charge of will turn out well. He was an incredibly reliable vendor and a joy to work with. read more

We are so glad that we chose Continental Caterers for our wedding! From the first tasting, I knew they would be a great company to work with. We did shop around with other caterers, but always came back to Continental. Paul and his team are fantastic! They are professional and very patient! We must have made changes to our menu a few times, and they were always willing to accommodate our requests. The food was delicious and presented nicely, and all of our guests enjoyed it. Our event manager was Mike Reinig. When I found out that Mike was going to oversee our event, I was a little concerned just because I had been working with Paul and Niloufer pretty much throughout the entire planning process, and wasn't sure if he would know everything that was discussed with them...but Mike was awesome!!! Even our guests loved him! He made the entire night run smoothly. He was very attentive, was always checking in with us, and wanted to make sure I was getting enough to eat. Since eating is hard to do with so much going on, they were kind enough to box up food for us to take at the end of the night. I highly recommend Continental Caterers! You will definitely be in good hands! read more

I would give Continental Caterers 6 stars if I could. They were absolutely amazing from start to finish. My wife and I had our wedding at Thomas Fogarty Winery for 150 people and everything went flawlessly. We did our due diligence on a number of caterers 7 months before the wedding. After we attended a taste test at Continental, we had some questions on what kind of fish we should serve at the wedding. Paul, the owner, took us through an entire "fish lesson" a week later. He was incredibly professional and informative, and that confirmed for us that we should go with Paul and Continental for our wedding. As we got closer to the wedding, all of our other vendors and even the venue managers at Fogarty would rave about Continental. They clearly have a great reputation in professional circles as well. To no one's surprise, Paul's team pulled off a flawless wedding. A numbers of our guests said it was the best food they ever ate at a wedding. I would recommend Continental Caterers to anyone in the Bay Area having a wedding or other special event. read more

Paul and team just catered our daughters wedding at the Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside for 150 people. The entire process went smoothly, the tasting was incredibly fun for my wife and me, and they ran the wedding flawlessly. True professionals, they are as good as any caterer we have used in the past and better than the vast majority. You will not go wrong using them. read more

Highly recommend Continental. We recently had Wendy and her team cater our wedding. They did an awesome job. People raved about the food which was both well presented and delicious, the quality was as good as any 5 star hotel which was impressive given she brought everything off site and had to get it out and served for 150 people. The food was as good as at the tasting and Wendy did a great job attending not only to the quality of the food but also the overall party flow. She and her team did much more than a typical caterer including helping with room arrangements, moving coat rack, flower displays etc. She provided great insights and wasn't looking to gouge us (which is rare in the wedding business as you'll discover). read more

Continental catered our wedding and I couldn't be more pleased. They were really helpful in the planning process. The food was fantastic, the buffet display gorgeous and the service excellent. Highly recommended! read more

Continental catered our wedding a few weeks ago in Palo Alto. The food and the service both exceeded our already-high expectations. Many of the guests were people who live in big cities and like to eat well; by the end of the night, they were actively comparing Continental's food to top-line restaurant fare. Highlights included: the salmon and orzo (entree), the smoked duck crepes (appetizer), and the rare ahi crisp (appetizer). In addition to providing impeccable day-of service, Continental also does a nice multi-course tasting every month (I believe it's on the first or second Wednesday night, but that could be wrong). Unlike many other caterers' "tasting" phase, this one costs money -- in the $30 pp range -- but it's so worth it. You get to try essentially the entire kitchen, and wine is included; you also get a good sense of their service style, which is professional but un-stuffy. Highly recommended! read more

Awesome Service. Professional as can be. Phenomenal Product. Less cost than all the others we trialed. They catered our wedding and were a huge hit. Highly recommend. read more

We are still basking in the glow created by Continental Caterers at our daughter's August, 2011, wedding at Fogarty Winery. So many of our guests commented not only on the food but also on the service provided by Paul and Michael and each of the servers. There was a great attention to detail, a professional efficiency and also a warmth of service unmatched in my experience. Moreover, the planning, helpfulness and price for the event far surpassed our highest expectations. I would enthusiastically give Continental Caterers a well-earned 5 stars. read more

Our wedding was October 1, 2016 at the gorgeous Elizabeth Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, CA. A couple of years ago, we fell in love with this garden, a hidden gem in the Bay Area, when we happened upon it after having a delightful Sunday brunch on University Ave. After our engagement, I immediately starting looking around for catering companies. Much to our delight, Gamble Gardens had a list of recommended caterers to chose from. After a failed attempt of trying to hire people we found on our own, (i.e. a freelancer who didn't have the appropriate licenses and stalled on telling us details of service, and then a company that showed up for a tasting with overpriced "toast points/bruschetta" that was cold and way too much food for just two people to try in a tasting!), we decided take a look at Gamble's list of recommendations. After checking Yelp reviews, we decided to meet with Continental Caterers (5 stars on each review!). Their website featured menu selections that were mouthwatering at first glance! And when we spoke to them, they offered selections not listed. Marciela and her entire staff made selecting foods and dealing with rental equipment (from AbcoRents) such a wonderful experience! The food and service were both flavorful and superbly professional! The lamb chops were the best we have ever had! (and I don't usually like lamb!) Continental Caterers and AbcoRents are on Gamble's list and have worked together quite often, which made coordination so hands-off, for us! Everything was set up better than expected for our wedding ceremony and reception. We had them serve our favorite wine and softdrinks (BYOB is required) and they served complementary lemonade and water a great compliment to our outdoor fall wedding! We MOST definitely recommend Continental and AbcoRents to anyone who wants to enjoy a stress-free experience for your wedding! Our guests are still talking about awesome the food was at our wedding reception! Thank you again to the chefs/staff of Continental Caterers and AbcoRents for creating such wonderful memories for us! Here is a short video with highlights from our wedding: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gq287vp1surhuiy/AAAFuV5RK6qvmEwX5tLGoDjra/Kim%20and%20Joe%20Highlights.mp4?dl=0 Kimberly and Joseph Minafra Married, Oct. 1, 2016 read more

I went to a wedding at Kohl Mansion last night, and I have to say Jorge and Gabriel - the two staffed at the bar - were such a joy. They were kind and engaging. I had the chance to chat with Jorge for awhile, and he was so enthusiastic in sharing how much he loves his job and interacting with the guests at the various events he works at. AND the food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend these guys! read more

Paul handled everythiing in a personal and caring way - his suggestions were very helpful and I would add essential to the success of our wedding reception held on May 14th 2016 at Peninsula Bible Church. Elara also was very nice to work with as she followed up on everything we asked her about and our emails were answered promptly - which made me feel at ease. I would defintely recommend working with Continental Caterers - we received many compliments on the food - how Paul himself took a personal interest in helping us to get the set-up right on the site survey. Steve and Debbie - newly married in Mountain View, CA read more

Isn't it wonderful when you find a caterer that not only serves excellently prepared dishes, but is also so efficient in every way that you can actually enjoy your party? This was our experience for the company's annual summer party that we held on 9/7/12. I worked with Hristo and could not have been more pleased with him. Every part of the process, from receiving the initial proposal to clearing away the last glass, was smoothly handled by him and completely stress-free for me. Oh, and the tasting dinner - just fabulous, it was one of the better ones I have attended. Hristo and the staff were simply amazing at the party. The reception area was beautifully arranged, and throughout the evening they handled every detail so perfectly that I was able to completely relax and mingle with the guests. I received quite a few emails after the party from guests who had a delightful time, several of whom asked me for contact info for the caterers. Hristo and Continental Caterers helped make our summer party a huge success; I would highly recommend them to anyone planning a special event! read more

Disclaimer: We booked Continental for our upcoming wedding in so they haven't completed the service yet, this review is based on the interaction we've had with them so far. So far, Paul, Eve and the rest of the staff at Continental Caterers have more than impressed us. Out of all the caterers we inquired with (4 total), Continental was the cheapest of them all. My fiance and I both considered the food at our wedding to be the most important thing, so we were not expecting that we would end up booking them and just inquired so we get a range of prices. This is until meeting with Paul and then doing the tasting. And in addition to giving us samples of what we requested on the menu, they also gave us additional appetizers, salads, and entrees to try, which was really helpful and we ended up liking some things that weren't originally on our menu and made modifications. And the food at the tasting were just as delicious as any of the other more expensive caterers that we did tastings with, and I was especially impressed with the presentations of the food. What i also liked about Continental is since they are a relatively big company, they have a full time staff so you can always reach them by phone and they answer emails quickly. Unlike some of the smaller upscale caterers that we considered, there are only 1 or 2 people you are in contact with and sometimes it takes them days to return your call. Overall, everyone we have interacted there are very accommodating to our requests (so I still feel that I got a lot of personal attention), very professional, and leave me the bride feeling relaxed and that I can trust them to go above and beyond at the wedding or any other catering events. read more

We recently had a backyard brunch for over 100 people. Continental Caterers was just outstanding. Niloufer is the person in charge. Everything we asked her about received a yes answer. Yes, she would do and could do everything we wanted done. And she did!! The food was excellent. The staff was also. They were very courteous and seemed please to do whatever a guest requested. They came on time and cleaned everything up on time. I can't imagine using anyone else. read more

We used them for our wedding and loved them. The price was great and we felt like we got a lot for our money. The food was great and so were the staff that showed up. We loved that we were able to buy our own beer and wine for them to serve, that saved a lot of money. read more

We chose Continental Caterer to cater our wedding reception, and they did an outstanding job. We got so many compliments from our guests on the catering. We can't thank Paul, Terry, Michael and staff enough for putting together such a great event. They really came through for us even with the short notice that we provided. We wanted to go with a quality caterer, and that's what we got. They advised us on many different aspects of the event in addition to the food and we were very pleased with their recommendations. read more

Continental caterers is the absolute best around! I had multiple rave referrals before checking them out and the second my husband and I checked them out to use for our wedding we knew they were the one! There food is delicious and Paul and his staff are wonderful! Professional, timely and provide great suggestions. Our wedding day went off without a single problem and the guests keep telling me how much they loved the food! Thank you continental for helping make our wedding the day we had dreamed! read more

Niloufer was absolutely AMAZING@ I know it's just been said but it is the only word to describe her! We had a surprise graduation party for our daughter in our backyard. She came over to our house, sized up the backyard and immediately set it up visually for us. It was perfect, beautiful, inviting and upscale casual! Simple elegance! We were catering to three different generations - 30's, 50's and 70-80 year old crowd. She made it perfect for everyone The food was amazing. We had tabled appetizers and passed hors d'oeuvres. We loved the scallops, the wild mushroom ravioli, crab cakes, just a wide variety of food that included vegetarian items. All of it was delicious! We gave her a list of all of our daughter's favorite foods and she came up with a beautiful menu. The presentation was gorgeous! She gave a simple suggestion that we put a few strands of warm white Xmas tree type lights in our trees and it became magical!!! In the months leading up to the party Niloufer immediately responded to any questions, ideas, etc. Her estimations were spot on. We felt so relieved knowing she would handle everything. It gave us peace of mind throughout the entire process, prior to our first meeting all the way until after the party. Because it was a surprise party, she had to make sure her staff and catering vehicles were out of sight when our daughter arrived. One of her staff even took the pictures for us as our daughter came in the front door! And...they turned out nice. :) Her staff was fabulous too. Greg, Eddie, David and Alma did everything possible to make the party run smoothly. They helped to bring food to the elderly group that were seated together, some of whom really couldn't traverse the lawn to get to the food. Our setting and party was more casual than a wedding would be but we wanted it elegant. The staff just fit right in! They were funny, kind, very attentive and anticipated our every need. They helped get us set up with the "after party" so the event was seamless as they transitioned out. When we asked about something, Niloufer and her staff already had it under control! She was 10 steps ahead every step of the way. Niloufer and her staff far exceeded our expectations. It made it so much fun and we were able to enjoy our own party, guests, the food, everything. She was creative and we loved all of her suggestions. She immediately sized up what we were looking for and ran with it. We would use Niloufer, her staff (and Continental Catering) again in a heartbeat. We can say without any hesitation at all that you need not look any further if you want a beautiful event, hands off, peace of mind and delicious food. Niloufer, Greg, Eddie, David and Alma: Thank you to all of you for a beautiful and memorable event. Our daughter wrote a beautiful thank you card to us and said she'd hire Continental Catering in a second and that you made her feel very special all night long. She said it is an event she will remember for a lifetime. :) read more

We got SO excited for our wedding back in April when we enjoyed an amazing tasting with Paul at Continental Caterers. Fast forward a few months, and we got to share this wonderful food with our loving friends and families at our wedding. Thank you for the beautiful and delicious food, and impeccable service! Many of our guests came up to us after dinner and just GUSHED about how much they loved every bite that they ate. It was really nice too to see Paul, the owner of the company, at our event as well. Thank you so much for everything! read more

We used CC for a small backyard wedding (about 40 people). They did an amazing and elegant job. Mike Reining was the manager of the event and he went way beyond the call of duty. He helped with every other detail even if not related to catering. The food was excellent. We had a buffet and everyone went back for seconds. It was very fresh and flavorful. I have used CC for large events (1000+) people in the past and was just as impressed with a small event. If you want your wedding/event to go smoothly (at least when it comes to the catering) use CC. You can probably find something a little cheaper, but you'll wish you had just paid the extra hundred dollars to use this company. read more

We used Continental Caterers for three separate events. Two years ago they catered a party in honor of my daughter's Bat Mitzvah and recently catered a luncheon and evening party for my other daughter's Bat Mitzvah. We worked with Wendy for all three events. She guided us through the process with ease and helped us with all major decisions as well as smaller details. She absorbed all of the stress and made sure we were at ease. She suggested we supply our own beverages and desserts to help keep our cost down which we appreciated. The food was fantastic and the staff was friendly. read more

At an event I attended we used continental caterers and one caterer especially stood out if I remember correctly his name was Frank Zolotoff. He was very friendly and professional read more

Wendy and Hristo were the most professional, reliable, and kind people we could imagine working with on our wedding catering. The tasting evening was amazing (it was funny, all the men at my table were stuffing our faces with the delicious food while our ladies took notes). They designed a menu that would suit everyone attending the wedding. They worked with my aunt, who was hosting our wedding at her house (they set up in the garage), to create a floor plan. The food was superb. They were flexible on serving times, as wedding photos ran a little late, and even then the food was served at the perfect temperature. Several guests (including my 80 year old great aunt) said this was the best catering they ever had. read more

Our office used Continental Caterers for the second time in about a decade. This event was a Madmen-themed holiday party. The food and service was great. But what was especially impressive was the ease with which Mike and his staff pulled off this whole thing from start to finish. We enjoyed no drama, even keel service that demonstrated these folks are pros. As just one example, Mike - knowing the quirks of Eichler homes with their mid-century electricity - asked for the location of our electrical panel. He then scoped it out and offered guidance on where the band could plug in to minimize the likelihood of any power failures while Mike's coffee pots were brewing. We couldn't have been more pleased. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Continental Caterers. Wendy is totally awesome, professional and helpful. The event turned out fantastic - the food was perfect and beautifully presented and the servers were attentive. Everyone really enjoyed themselves. I'd hire Continental again in a heartbeat. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Paul Alexander's Continental Caterers. I have used Continental for years and they know how to do it right. They figure out the rentals with you, order them to be delivered to you, and you pay the rental company directly. The servers do all the set up. They let you buy the drinks, a huge savings, and they set up the bar and provide a bartender. They served frozen margaritas for us and even brought the ice and blenders. The menu options are creative and you can pick from the options or make suggestions. They served ice cream on the desserts which was a big hit on the hot summer day. The staff is experienced and professional. They set up in my garage and it looked like a professional kitchen. Everything made fresh and beautifully served and displayed. The contract is clear with no gotchas and they are not the most expensive. The selections can fit your budget and there are no limits if you want elaborate. They do get busy, I book months ahead to avoid disappointment. paul_alexander@continentalcaterer.com 650 322 4189. read more

Could not have asked for more. Perfectly cooked steak and salmon, wonderful service, and heavy handed bartenders - everyone loved it all!

Mike Reinig was wonderful to work with. He made the bride's dream of a high tea reception come to life! Mike went above and beyond of what was expected! Thank you!! read more

We used Continental Caterer for a fairly recent event. I have to say I was extremely disappointed. The way they charged our event didn't make sense - I felt they pulled a price out of thin air. Most of their Americana cuisine was very salty, dry and bland. Most of their dishes weren't pleasant to the palate except for one International cuisine which we proceeded to have at our event. I gave them plenty of guidance and direction on how I envisioned things and they still showed lack of effort and creativity. I placed my faith in them to take ownership as if it was their own event and the end result was so disappointing. I felt the staff was not very friendly except for Michael who took initiative. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this caterer. If you are going to pay good money, use a caterer that will take ownership as if they were throwing the party for themselves. read more

Niloufer Bassa was our absolutely amazing event manager and sales exec for our Stanford event hosted by Continental Caterers. Of any caterer we have used in 20+ years, they have been the best: staff are extremely professional, food really fantastic and mouth-watering, displays of food were artistic and tasteful, everything was on time and as scheduled. With their extensive collective experience, Paul and Niloufer suggested a great layout for our backyard bar and dinner, and when at the last minute we needed heaters, Niloufer arranged them within 10 min. Nilfourer has a very impressive resume, experienced in both very large (up to 6000) and very intimate events (a 10-person wedding) in the states and internationally, and she was able to make ours very special. We want to thank also the chef, Gustavo and excellent servers Hart, Julia, and Moises. This is truly a top notch catering company and now that we've found them--and Niloufer--we will never change. read more

Continental Catering blew us away with their service, attention to detail, professionalism, friendly employees, and amazing food at our wedding this past August. Paul Alexander (owner) and team went out of their way to help us from the early stages of planning, all the way through the end of the wedding reception. They were flexible and easy going and made the process fun. We got to sample all the foods we were interested in and see a sample table setting (complete with linens, china and chairs) to assist us in making a decision we were happy with for our big day. Not only was Continental an excellent caterer, but they assisted with most of the wedding coordination tasks needed the day of and we avoided having to pay for a high priced wedding planner/ day of coordinator. Everything they did came with a wealth of experience and commitment to quality service. We highly recommend using Continental for your wedding or next party. read more