Lainie and co. have catered a number of events I have had the good fortune to attend over the years. I have been consistently impressed with the flexibility of the menu items (appealing to everyone from meat eaters to vegans), the professionalism and efficiency of their setup and teardown, and the overall pleasantness of interacting with Lainie on all business and logistical matters. The food is always fresh and delicious and there is always a little bit of an unexpected surprise: there were *pickled vegetables* in my last meal! A piece of Baklava found its way into my Mediterranean feast. I would highly recommend G&G to anyone needing a broad range of catered events handled without any stress or frustration. read more

I loved the food! It was amazing and the kitchen was so kind. I had the best time just chatting and the food is very fresh and nice!

Chef Lainie/G&G catered our Oakland High School class of 1970 reunion picnic up at Robert's Park for 80+ alums. They helped make it a wonderful event with sliders, several salads, all the fixin's, drinks and desert and had plenty for everyone and within our budget! G&G helped make this a great event! read more

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I have worked with Chef Lainie on two school auctions now. She has done beautiful and delicious food even on our limited budget. She is friendly and easy to work with. I would definitely recommend! read more

I once again want to come back and sing the praises of Lainie and her crew at Gather & Grub. She just help create a pandemic-safe lunch for our football team's end-of-the-season banquet and we were so pleased. Lainie, a parent herself, understands how squeezed we are on these budgets and she is so adept and doing all she can to work within that, still producing good food. She really CARES that we have a good experience while also uber-conscious that we are all on shoe-strings here. She comes in, rolls up her sleeves and creates a beautiful spread, many times in unknown and questionable spaces! And always with a sense of spunk, humor, and style! We love Gather & Grub! read more

Chef Lainie catered an amazing wedding shower with bites to pair with champagne from around the world. It was delicious and everything paired perfectly! All of the Gather & Grub crew were attentive and delightful. I highly recommend for all your catering needs. read more

Gather & Grub - Caterers Near Me - Alameda, California

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All I can say is "WOW". Well, I could say a lot more, but I'll keep it brief. These folks have created something much more than just a business. It is a service, in the highest possible regard. One can feel, taste and experience the love that goes into their craft. They were so gracious, passionate and caring of us during the entire experience. It was an Experience. Capital E. A perfectly curated one. Every course was its own Event, yet everything was tied seamlessly together. 100 stars for Gather & Grub! read more

Lainie is fantastic!! She's prompt, efficient, professional and sooo easy to work with. And she carries a great sense of humor which we all appreciate. Her set up and teardown was wonderful and thorough. I couldn't have asked for more. I would highly recommend her and her team to do your next event. read more

Gather & Grub - Caterers Near Me - Alameda, California

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I was at an event last night and Gather&Grub catered it. The food was so good. Everything was tasty and unique! The owner is super friendly, I'm sure easy to work with. I will use them on my next event!!!! Great job ladies! read more

I attended a benefit concert and party where Gather & Grub catered the food - so delicious, so beautifully presented, and the service was excellent too. They were great to talk to as well during the event. I love supporting local businesses that have such a high quality offering! read more

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Chef Lainie and her crew were the best. Lainie worked with me on the menu for the wedding celebration I was hosting and made sure everything was just right.They came in my home and set up everything - it was perfect. It looked and tasted amazing. All my guests enjoyed the food sooo much. I would recommend Gather & Grub for any occasion they are the best! read more

I recently had the pleasure to enjoy to separate offerings from Gather & Grub. The first was a Mediterranean dinner box with all manner of savory delectables including mini chicken kabobs, hummus, mixed nuts, olives, and fresh pomegranate! The other delight came in the form of a take & bake pie that was offered as a school fundraiser during shelter in place. Each was thoughtfully created with maximum flavor and absolute satisfaction. I highly recommend anything that Gather & Grub would put forward. read more

Gather and Grub catered our party with a wonderful kale caesar salad, caprese sandwiches and custom personal pizzas.

Absolutely Fabulous! We hired Gather & Grub for a 40th bday party celebration and they put together a gorgeous spread. Everyone raved. Highly recommend! read more

Chef Lainie and crew are amazing! We have used their catering service for all our large school functions. Everyone is always pleased with their menu options. I can always rest assured that the process from meal selection to service goes as expected. She goes above and beyond! Don't hesitate to inquire and then hire! read more

We love Lainie and her staff! This was our second annual employees picnic and our second time catering with Gather & Grub. Professional while completely down to earth. Great food and beautiful presentation. Lainie even returned after the set up to bring us the garbage bags we forgot. We highly recommend!!! read more

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Chef Lainie is wonderful, as is her amazing food!! Gather and Grub was slated to provide the catering for our school's auction this past spring....which of course didn't get to happen due to the pandemic. By the time we cancelled our event, it would have been unreasonable for us to receive our deposit back. However, Lainie let us apply it to an order of mini lasagnas for all the teachers and staff during Teacher and Staff Appreciation week! Not only did the staff get a fantastic meal, but it was a huge help, as sorting out how to show appreciation during the early days of the pandemic was tricky! I received multiple emails and messages from very satisfied folks who raved about the meal! And, in addition to that, working with Lainie during our event preparation was a breeze! She was knowledgeable about all the needed event logistics, worked within our budget and brought creative and fresh ideas to the table! I look forward to working with her again! read more

Okay Gather and Grub is the best! They catered my wedding a few weeks ago. From the moment I talked to Lainie on the phone I was put at ease. She wanted to know what kind of food I wanted at my wedding and what kind of experience I wanted. I told her we wanted these kinds of foods and she just made it happen. It was amazing! So professional! And her team handled all of the little hiccups that came along. We were late getting out of the ceremony and taking pictures and so the timing for everything was pushed back a bit and Lainie just took care of everything. Amazing! Plus I mean, the food was great! After the tasting my now husband and I figured people would like the food the best, and we were right. Everyone was coming up to me afterwards telling me how good the food was. Hire this crew and you will be sooooo glad you did. I know I was. read more

My daughter just graduated from Mills College in Oakland and these lovely ladies were the caterers for her and her friend's joint private picnic celebration held on campus. The most impressive feat of the meal for me was their ability to navigate around my wide range of fairly severe food allergies. Gather and Grub was able to gracefully accommodate each and every single one of them without compromising their food's quality and taste! And that is a first for me! Bravo, ladies! Bravo! The menu was extremely colorful and varied; the food was very fresh, flavorful, plentiful and delicious; the presentation was absolutely mouth-watering and Farmer's Market quaint; the service was outstanding; and people were continually lining up for repeat servings until it was all gone. THAT speaks v.o.l.u.m.e.s. about the quality of the food. I would recommend Gather and Grub for any event. I am a fan! ~ Gina J. read more

After seeing a recommendation on my local parent's network, I took a chance on Gather and Grub to cater several appetizers for a dinner party. On the night of the event, our friends and family were impressed by the taste, quality and display of the food. We indulged in wonderful deviled eggs, pulled pork sliders, kale and farrow salad, and a few other items. I couldn't be happier. Lainie also made sure there was a sampler plate for me to eat while getting ready for the party. Lainie is warm, thoughtful and a great communicator. Not once did I ever think our food may be late or not show up. Her team was on time and fast during the set-up. I highly recommend Gather and Grub for your next event. The prices are very reasonable for the great customer service and quality of food. read more

If you are looking for a private chef for a intimate dinner party or someone to cater a larger event, you can't go wrong with Michele Horn Davis, Executive Chef. Each year, we host an annual day after Thanksgiving brunch for about 40 family and friends. This years was the best ever. The food was absolutely outstanding. There was hardly a morsel left, and guests were even stuffing their pockets with Michele's famous short-bread cookies. My personal favorite was the homemade brioche bread and potato frittata. Michele and her team did an excellent job keeping the buffet table well stocked and serving guests and the kitchen was spotless when they left. Thank you Michele for making the event a memorable one. read more

Gather and Grub ran the cafe at the 2014 Holiday Fest at Temple Israel. My husband surprisingly ordered their Kale Salad and he loved it. Said it was the best he ever ate and didn't take an hour to chew. At another event he got to eat their pulled pork sandwich and will be a lifelong fan I am sure. I am a vegetarian and am really impressed at how varied and fresh their vegetarian options were at that Fest and two other events I have seen them cater. If you need to follow kashrut or kosher-style, they know how to do that. So nice to have this option in the East Bay. Very happy our paths have crossed. Plus the owners are really nice, fun people! read more

Michele was an absolute BOSS for my wonderful birthday party. Her catering and management of all the food for a ton of guests with different dietary needs was splendid. She was available at all times pre-party to discuss plans, food and price options, and was a delight onsite as well. Thank you Michele for doing such a great job! read more

Gather & Grub catered our high school music department fundraiser recently and it was simply fantastic. We were mostly offering finger foods but the spread turned out to be more substantive than anticipated. We all thought the food was delicious. And not only were their table displays lovely, they even re-arranged donated foods that parents brought in on their own G & G platters to make it all look great. Their staff was very friendly. All of that for a most reasonable fee. I would absolutely use them again. read more

The food is delicious, the set up is great, and the staff is amazing. I've had catering from them a few times and I highly recommend them. Excited to be calling them back for this new year of events! read more

Working with Lainie and her team was wonderful from start to finish. She is very accommodating, from meeting me at the location to know just what we needed, to designing a menu specific to our health needs, to throwing in her own ideas to make things easier and more beautiful. We (my friend and I) threw a joint graduation party and were having a hard time finding a caterer available for our date. Our food was flavorful, plentiful, and beautiful. My guests are still raving about it days later! She also has a keen eye for presentation, which I appreciated. Lainie's prices are more than fair for all the personalized attention and ingenious craft that goes into her work. She is willing to go the extra mile to make her clients happy. I only wish all caterers were this pleasurable to work with, because she is truly a diamond in the rough. I am so glad I went with a friend's recommendation to call Gather and Grub! She made our special event even better. read more

Gather and Grub catered my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Lainie and her staff were fantastic. The food was both delicious and was beautifully arranged. Lainie was easy to work with, was responsive to our needs and was very reasonably priced. The staff was super helpful and very nice they day of the event. Highly recommend G&G! read more

We used G&G for our school auction. Lainie was amazing at staying on top of things on her end. I had my hands more than filled with all the other details of the auction. It was so nice to know that she had everything covered on the catering end. Lainie and her staff were so amazing and helpful the night of the event. Best of all, the food was amazing. I am definitely planning on using G&G for any and all of my future events. Everything was more than perfect!! read more

Gather and Grub was my partner in crime as we planned and executed a surprise party in my home for about 30 people. Lainie understood the concept of "make your own spring rolls" and made it so much better with her thoughtful tweaks and additions. The food presentation had WOW factor and was the talk of the party. Lots of personal and professional touches and advice to make me feel good about the menu, presentation, logistics and price. read more

Lainie and her team are the absolute best. I have used Gather and Grub a few times, twice for a holiday non-profit event I host and once for a private fundraiser dinner event. Every time I've hired them, the experience has been top-notch, from start to finish. I love the way Lainie personally works to design a menu that matches the theme of the event, while showcasing fresh, organic and local ingredients. I find that the visual presentation of the food is beautiful, creative and fun. My guests gobble up the delicious food, from savories to sweets. The experience is one I will repeat again and again; Gather and Grub is my go-to caterer; the team always comes through and makes me delighted to have hired them. I give them my highest recommendation - you can't go wrong with Gather and Grub. read more

Michele did a great job catering my small event. She responded quickly to my email and was easy to work with. We had a bruschetta, salad and ricotta cake. All were delicious! I would recommend Gather and Grub without hesitation and look forward to using her again for my next event. read more

Gather and Grub catered my family reunion at Washington Park and they helped make it a truly fun and memorable event. Lainie was so receptive to what we wanted but she had plentiful options for us to choose from. She was very helpful too in crafting options that best fit our budget without compromising quality. The G&G staff went all out in setting a beautiful lunch buffet. Most importantly the food was delicious especially the specialty Caesar salad and roasted veggie salad. We would use G&G again in a heartbeat. read more

I've used Gather and Grub for two events so far. To echo another reviewer, Lainie and her team are the absolute best. She was really great to work with on several counts. We had some food restrictions that had to be followed, a tricky third-party vendor who is great but needed some management on her part, and several change requests from me. With all of these she was completely gracious and professional. She and her team were prompt, took care of all the details, and generally made sure we were so well-taken care of that we didn't even have to think about the catering -- it was just all handled. I would absolutely recommend her. read more

Lainie and her team did a great job catering a birthday luncheon for us. She visited our location in advance, had excellent ideas to maximize space and flow for the party, and created a unigue and beautiful setting and delicious meal for all. She is a rare combination of warmth, professionalism and organization, while being a fabulous caterer. Clearly her staff has been trained to reflect Lainies's way of doing business, and they are friendly and professional. I highly recommend Gather and Grub and will absolutely use them for our next event. read more

I use Gather and Grub for work and have found them to be very excellent choice. They use quality ingredients and provide a great range of choices for entrees, sides and salads. From traditional to unique options. One of my favorites is the Thai basil cucumber salad. They are extremely easy to work with and will accommodate special requests. I recommend using G&G for work or for personal/home caterings. Yum! read more

My (now) husband and I booked gather and grub to cater our wedding. My husband is originally from Uganda, and wanted to make sure his mom was well fed and happy. Lainie and Michele didn't even hesitate to offer to try their hand at a new cuisine, and they totally nailed it. My husband's mom, who eats nothing but the most authentic Ugandan dishes was very impressed, as were we, and all of our guests. Lainie and Michele were delightful to work with, very personable, and went above and beyond to make sure they were prepared even before the big day arrived. I would absolutely use gather and grub again if I needed to cater an event, but also just want to be friends with the fabulous women who run this business. Thank you so much lainie and Michele! read more

It does not get any better than this! Lainie is an amazing chef who created the perfect menu for our evening. We requested that the menu encourage conversation and become somewhat of an activity. G&G did just that! It was just incredible food and such a perfect menu for our event!!! There was so much wow factor and the presentation was gorgeous. Can't wait for an excuse to cater again! read more

One of the best caterers around! Very friendly and professional; they really worked with us on what we wanted and helped us make some really excellent choices for our event. To say the food tasted good is an understatement ! All of it was great ! I would certainly use them again ..and again. read more

Lainie recently catered a board of directors dinner for 14 people. She was easy to work with, offered great menu suggestions, was super flexible and the food was DELICIOUS. Her prices were very reasonable as well. I highly recommend working with her. read more

Lainie and her team were such a joy to work with. She really listened to what we needed and worked wonders with our budget. We had a 1940's themed party and before we even met she researched the particular food of that decade to bring great ideas to the table. We will definitely be using them again. read more