After contacting (far too) many caterers, we chose Joshua Charles for my daughter's Bat Mitzvah Celebration in San Francisco on 9/20/14. Now don't think of this as an event for children, though there were 50 kids, this was just as much of an adult event as it was a children's celebration! While we were thrilled with the tasting Josh arranged, the actual execution at the event just blew my family and friends away. You never know if the food will be as good when you are serving a lot of guests, as when you have a small tasting. I can honestly say that the quality of the food went far beyond my expectations. We had a very complex menu with 5 different passed appetizers plus tabled appetizers, and multiple choices for entrees. Josh and his staff completely outdid themselves. Not only was the food exceptional, but his staff was impressive, especially his event planner, Marian, who was amazing. She was incredibly attentive before, during, and even after the party. I had some problems with the rentals and she stepped in and got everything rectified for me, even though I had not gone through Joshua Charles for that piece (Never again will I choose to take the rentals on myself, rather than have the caterer do so.) We had a large staff present at the event and each and every individual Josh sent to us was courteous, attentive, professional, and happy to be there. Every single one of my guests asked which catering company I used because they were so impressed with the quality of the food, which we also served to the children (and they loved it). If my father said it once he said ten times that he was blown away by the fact that the kids ate "such sophisticated food." That's a true testament to how extraordinary the food was. After having such an extraordinarily perfect experience, I feel compelled to comment on Jamie N's review. Josh is very clear up front and in his contract (there's no "small print") that the staff costs are estimated, will be tallied up after the event, and invoiced once the exact hours are known. We had some additional hours added, which were entirely appropriate, and in hind sight, considering the time his event planner, Marian, actually spent working with me, I think I was undercharged! I have now thrown no less than 14 major events of this caliber in my life (weddings, Bat Mitzvahs, huge holiday parties, etc.), and can honestly state that I will never, ever use anyone but Joshua Charles. Here's our to die for menu: Passed Hors d'oeuvres: Tuna Poke Spoons with wasabi crema and crisp wonton Butternut Squash Gnocchi in brown butter Beef medallion seared rare and thinly sliced, on baguette crostini with horseradish cream. Forest mushroom strudel with goat cheese and 12 year old balsamic vinegar Bellwether Farm's Carmody cheese croquettes with membrillo relish Tabled Hors d'Oeuvres: Bruschetta Trio - Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomato, Pesto Artisinal, local cheeses with house fig compote, candied pecans, walnut bread and breadsticks Buffet: Grilled flat iron steak with black truffle aioli served with baby artichoke and marinated feta salad Grilled Tuscan Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary Caesar Salad Heirloom tomato salad with 15 year old balsamic vinegar micro-farmed basil, summer savory and Parmesan grissini Baby Lettuces Salad with Pine Nuts, Pears, & Chevre Pasta Alfredo with peas and parmesan If you want to impress your guests. Call Josh!!! Ask any Jewish Mother, nothing is more important than the food!!!!!!!! read more

We just had an event at my home for 25 people. We had some challenges because we intended to have an indoor/outdoor party because our house is not that big for entertaining. Unfortunately, it ended up raining a bit so we had to stay indoors. Joshua Charles Catering reassured me that they would maximize the space in my home and everything would be fine. They were right. With the addition of 2 high top bar tables with gorgeous linens, we made it work. The team arrived early and handled everything. The food was incredible and lots of people raved about it. My husband and I were able to enjoy the party and not worry about a thing. I cannot recommend Joshua Charles Catering high enough and I truly look forward to working with them again in the future. Please go no further. This operation is flawless. read more

I decided somewhat belatedly that I needed a caterer for a celebration/thank you party for 45 work colleagues. I wrote to several. Josh got back to me promptly with clear explanations of menu, procedures, services. Compared to others he was warm, patient, helpful and responsive throughout our discussions. We chose JCC, and we are so glad we did! Josh turned me over to Marian for the logistics -- she came down, viewed our somewhat awkward site, ensured she knew what we wanted, and was gone in less than 30 minutes. On the day of, the team (Marian, 2 cooks, barkeep and additional server) showed up promptly. David and Ryan helped my husband I set up out back, Amanda and Jimmy set to work in the kitchen. By the time our guests started arriving 2 hours later, food was starting to stream out. The team made everything run smoothly, and were awesome with my friends. Any time I thought of something I'd forgotten, Ryan jumped in to help. People need to stash wraps? He'd already scoped out the spare bedroom. Bugs starting to bother people? he was there to light the citronella candles. My husband and I both had time to socialize and enjoy the party -- not our typical experience! By the time we'd finished saying goodnight to our guests, the team had everything cleaned up, packed up, and in the van, leaving us a few fabulous leftovers (but not too many -- the quantities were generous but not wasteful). But really, when you hire a caterer, you want good food, and JCC wowed us. We had all finger food/small plates, since our property wouldn't really incorporate everyone sitting down. From the melon gazpacho to the sabayon, everything was sensational. My friends were snatching up their business cards right and left, and were still oohing and aahing at work today. Our favorites, in addition to the gazpacho and sabayon included the slow roasted pork shoulder, the gravlax, the AMAZING wile mushroom risotto skillets (we had some left over, and it's just as good the next day) and the Grasshopper Bars for dessert. There was nothing wrong with the turkey meatballs, the peanut butter pork belly, goat cheese or ceviche either. In fact, we enjoyed everything. We will definitely call JCC next time we need a caterer! read more

What a wonderful experience! After an exhaustive search for the perfect caterer for a weekend graduation celebration in Atherton, we found Joshua Charles. Not an easy feat living on the East Coast and planning parties at an Airbnb. Marian took charge and we put together a perfect casual BBQ one night and a more elaborate dinner for the second night. Their staff was friendly, accommodating and the food was delicious. They even provided after party goodies. We highly recommend Joshua Charles Caterers. read more

Wow! Josh and his team left us speechless. Hands down the best food we had from a catering company. Let's start with how easy they were to get a hold, got in touch thru Yelp, they responded within minutes, coordinated a quick call and I had a proposal in my email right away. Communication was flawless, all planning took place when I was on business trips. I landed back home a few hours before the party and yet this was the best party we ever thrown. The team was incredible, starting with the most amazing chef who stayed with us for the duration of the event and went above and beyond to make sure everything was flawless. Food was unbelievably amazing, the crostinis were delicious, the burgers simply perfect, the summer vegetables perfectly cooked, the kids food was also so good that saw many parents enjoying it too. Now the desserts: those mascarpone fruit tarts! Will dream about them for weeks. Highly recommend them and I would not thru a party in California without these guys. read more

Joshua Charles Catering was superb. Their service exceeded my expectations in every way. The food was excellent, and the service phenomenal, but that isn't even the best thing about them. Without Marian Ashworth, the party planner that works with them, I would have been lost and the party would have been a flop. Marian guided us through parts of the planning that I hadn't even thought of, performed several site visits to plan set-up, liaised with several of the vendors and worked closely with me on the rest, and most importantly brought her crew to perform hours and hours of decorating. She even helped us cut costs by providing her own supplies where she could to keep us within budget. The food was delicious, the staff was cheerful, the party was a success, I got numerous complements on how it was much better than in previous years, and everything went off without a hitch. All the thanks and praise go to the JCC team, and they were worth every penny at every step of the way. I give them all the stars, and then 5 more. read more

I am so thankful to Joshua Catering for saving my last minute go away party. Our chef was so wonderful and professional. He managed to cook for 30 people all by himself. Isn't it impressive? He even made us a small tasting plate before our guests arrived to ensure we were happy with the menu. Absolutely loved every dish, I even ate lamb which normally I wouldn't touch. I wish we discovered JCC much earlier. read more

Hired Josh for a nonprofit event. He was great to work with and made everything look classy and taste amazing. I think that nonprofit leaders are not used to such excellent food, based on all the exclamations I heard and the number of people who chased me down to ask who the caterer was! I received this note from a board member after the event: "P.S. I'm not a particular foodie or one to comment on it but the food was exceptional for a large group event. Beautifully presented, (all the colors), very healthy (mostly), unique and absolutely delicious! That caterer is a keeper!" read more

I chanced upon Joshua 'a Catering Services on Yelp. I was to host a dinner for 50 people and I was looking for a cuisine that was vegetarian but not Indian. Josh responded to my query promptly and we talked about possibilities . We agreed to have a tasting and voila I was sold! The team at the kitchen Mark, Marian and super chef were not only cordial but very efficient and personable. They also helped with coordinating the rentals like tables, linen, heaters and some cutlery . On the day of: Josh's staff came in early to set up as per our discussions and everything was performed immaculately ( I call it a performance because that's how it felt! ) Our guests loved the staff, their charm and composure, their personalities and their efficiency . Ah, and not to forget , the food was delicious !! Thanks Y'll! Would love to have an encore! read more

We hired Joshua Charles for an office open house event we were hosting for around 220 people. They did a phenomenal job and were extremely attentive to all of the guests by constantly monitoring all of the food and beverages. The food also tasted very good and we received many compliments on it. I would definitely work with them again! read more

Dependable, professional, helpful and delicious. I have worked with Josh on several events and every time they deliver top quality product. They take care of a ton of the planning and logistics making it easier for me to concentrate on the rest of the event planning. They are always willing to work with me and are super flexible. I will not work with any other caterer. read more

Awesome crew and food!! Had a large event at my office for an open house and contracted these guys. They saved us as we had concurrently contracted with a food truck to supplement the experience for the guests. 2 hours before the event the food truck cancelled!!! After much scrambling the chef went to the store and purchased up more food and prepared it on the spot to save the day. The service and food was just fantastic. We Did not see Joshua but his crew was so professional that he did not need to be there.. Great work team!! Thank you!! read more

We hosted a dinner for my husband's 50th birthday and chose the services of Joshua Charles Catering for the event. Marian, the event planner, was impressive. She handled every detail smoothly and proficiently with no prompting, and knew exactly what to do. What a gem. Kelly, the bartender, made my husband's favorite cucumber martini with muddled cucumber, which he appreciated, and served wine at the dinner table in a competent and pleasant manner. Every course of (French) Chef Scott's dinner was delicious, uniquely flavored, and elegantly presented. The evening went beautifully, and the team did a great job cleaning up afterwards. All in all, we were delighted with the quality of the food and service offered to us, and we would definitely choose to work with Joshua Charles Catering again. read more

Just finished planning two more events with Marian - Parents 50th wedding anniversary and a backyard family bbq. We worked with their chef Mark to come up with another unique and tasty menu that maps to all the places my parents lived together and for the bbq did two different menus, one for the kids and one for the adults. Over the last 8 years JCC has pulled off every event spectacularly in every aspect. read more

We worked with Joshua Charles Catering for an "Office-Warming" party, hosting partners from our East Coast offices, important clients and friends. Delicious bite-sized hors d'oeuvres made it easy for our guests to snack while still carry on conversations and walk around to explore our venue. JCC helped organize and serve a fresh oyster bar, which was an unexpected surprise for our guests and a fun addition to the usual staples of a cocktail party menu. Each member of the JCC staff was friendly, professional and attentive to each of our guests. Topping off the evening were the array of miniature desserts including Italian wedding cookies, chocolate covered bananas, white chocolate mousse and mini blueberry tarts - allowing each of us to indulge in a small bite of everything. From the friendly service to the amazing food - everything made working with JCC a fantastic experience. read more

Joshua Charles Catering is a wonderful catering service. Food was amazing the chief that cooked for us had 17 years in the industry ---really knew how to cook an present the meal. The staff that put it all together was really friendly and helpful too! Overall a really great experience. read more

Josh, Kelly, Marian, and the crew took care of my surprise engagement proposal, and did so with simplicity and ease. The best part of working with them was that nothing was secret, they shared all necessary information with me, and kept open communication at all times via email/phone. And...their quote was half of what other similar catering services were offering me at the time. Food was unbelievable and perfectly chosen for the event. I proposed to my (now) fiancé on a sailing yacht, so Josh knew just what would work best in terms of the size of the boat and what could be accommodated. He dispatched his employees to help communicate with the boat owners and had them get in touch with me to tell me everything along the way. There was a lot of stressful planning for my proposal-- but Josh and his team wasn't part of that. They emailed all paperwork, payment, and quotes to me and made life just a little easier during planning. In the end, his employees went along with my surprise so that my fiancé would have no idea what was happening up until the last second. They all played along and had a great time during the surprise. Food was delicious and Kelly made sure to make many rounds so that no one was left with empty hands or champagne glasses. Couldn't have pulled off this great surprise without their help. We won't forget it. read more

Joshua Charles catered our company launch party. It food and service were both excellent. Our staff and guests raved about the quality of the food, and days later the team is still talking about how good it was. Marian ran the show in-house and it was flawless. read more

Joshua was hired for my "Surprise Birthday" party two weeks ago, I am still getting calls about the food and the beautiful setup from that night. People kept coming up to me telling me how delicious everything was from the plated appetizers that were being passed around to the delicious buffet table that was set. Marian and her staff were exceptional that night as well from helping to maintain the bar and making sure everyone had a drink in their hand. I even walked into the kitchen for a moment and the chef and his staff stopped what they were doing and happily said, "Happy Birthday" to me. I cannot convey how much they went above and beyond just being another catering company out there to be hired. From the feeling that I get, they take into consideration every event and the different people that acquire their business and make everyone feel just as special as I did that night. I was so very pleased with the outcome of it all and hope to meet them again with many many more events. I could not have imagined a greater night of great friends, great food and great music. Thank you! read more

Joshua Feinbloom and the JCC staff helped make my wife's 50th birthday so memorable. Based on the cuisine preferences I described, the menu Joshua created for me was astounding. So many of our guests complimented the quality and flavor of the passed appetizers and dinner buffet. Marian Ashworth was so helpful with the logistics, party rentals, timeline, and beautiful center pieces. I was difficult and asked not only for one cake but two of my wife's favorite cake flavors (chocolate with chocolate ganache and lemon with lemon buttercream) and Michelle Cabrera the patissiere delivered. They were "life changing". All of the JCC staff was so helpful and attentive to the guests needs as well as understanding the flow of the birthday timeline. read more

Of all days you want to work with the best, your wedding day is the one, and we found that in Joshua Charles Catering. Being horrible procrastinators, my fiancée and I found ourselves just 6 weeks before our wedding still without a caterer. I found Joshua Charles Catering on Yelp, and contacted them immediately based on their high reviews and the sample menus on joshuacharlescatering.com. Josh got back to me right away by email, and thankfully was not only available on our wedding day, but was extraordinarily helpful and said meeting our budget and food ideas would not be a problem. He promptly sent a proposal and got me in touch with his event manager, Marian. I cannot say enough wonderful things about working with Marian. She went out of her way to come to the event site multiple times when we weren't able to get in the first time, helped design a beautiful space layout and tablescape, coordinated all the rentals, and provided us with great suggestions for the bar. We knew we were in good hands with Marian, and that relieved a tremendous amount of stress. Most importantly, on the day of the wedding, both the food and staff were perfect. Everyone who attended remarked on how delicious the food was, and we appreciated that the staff kept the event moving on the timeline and that they all were cheery and helpful to the guests. I cannot thank Josh, Marian and the catering staff enough for giving us wonderful memories of our reception! read more

Joshua Charles Catering was so helpful in terms of their awesome staff and making sure our event ran smoothly! So many components had to go into a recent launch party that my office put on and Marian and team helped ease my worries and make the catering and flow of the event the last thing I had to worry about. I'm so grateful for their help and would recommend them to anyone and definitely use them in the future if possible. read more

Excellent food and staff. Very helpful and pleasant. I especially liked a few of their recommendations that I wouldn't have chosen - very good. Many compliments from the guests. I will use them again!!! Party was approx 150 people and they handled extremely well. read more

I love Joshua Charles Catering. Their food is delicious with a beautiful presentation. We had Josh Cater a fundraiser and our guests were so pleased with everything from passed hors d'oeuvres to salads & entrees. The service staff was wonderful too! This is a top notch caterer! read more

Sent them an email inquiring about catering a small baby shower. No reply! This is the first sign that they are not responsive. Even if you think my gathering is too small for you, have the courtesy to respond. I've moved on to other caterers who are more responsive. read more

Joshua Charles Catering was the first vendor to get back to me for our wedding. The were able to accommodate the special dietary needs of some of our guests. My Dad said it was the one of the best weddings he had been to that he could remember! read more

These guys are great! Used them for a week long company/lunch meeting. They were on time every day and food was great. Definitely found my go to catering company. read more

Josh catered (with short notice) a wonderful baby shower this weekend. The food was delicious and I received many compliments. I've used Josh before and continue to be impressed with his food selections, staff professionalism and how easy he is to work with-- I wouldn't hesitate to work with his team again. read more

I just went to a wedding in August 2007 catered by Joshua Charles. His group provided a great fusion style feast, served family style to make it a great experience. Would reccomend highly.The abundance, variety and quality of the various amuses-bouches led me to worry that the main food would not be able to surpass them, but I have never tasted better lamb chops in my life, to say nothing of the various salad/risotto and other courses. The cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries capped a memorable event! The servers were especially pleasant and spirited in contributing to the production. read more

Getting married in 19 days and my caterer for our wedding welcome cocktail hour decides to call us and say she's doubled booked... You can imagine how livid we were. I jumped on Yelp and found J.C.C. and was blown away on how fast I was contacted, given an array of menu options, and quoted. Nothing but professionalism, promptness, and eagerness to help. FANTASTIC! Thanks again. read more

This is a pile on review - I'm the Brother in law in Veronica H's review. I've had my share fine food in restaurants, catered events, and hotels. Joshua delivered a menu that had variety and choice. I was supplied with a list of options in the various courses and had options that would have appealed to a broad audience of palettes. I had expected 1 or 2 stand outs, hoping for the best during the main course. I was surprised by the quality and flavors of each morsel. Four apps - each an experience. I left the evening with a memory of the meal as an event, it was a delightful building of a meal. I'm going to close on personal touch of the Joshua Charles team. "Joshua" was the conductor for the evening and he ensured every aspect of the meal was perfect. Here is the nuance I would really like to share - the meal was spectacular, however, the staff made it a part of the event. Truly elegant - You will not be disappointed! read more

I found Joshua Charles Catering on YELP and could see the same themes running through many of the reviews...attention to detail, flexibility, great follow up and follow through, love,care and pride in presentation and food--all of the things I was looking for in a caterer for my son's Bar Mitzvah. My son and I went for a tasting, met Josh and his crew, and hired them after a delicious afternoon! Josh was completely attentive to our needs--budgetary, look and feel, and of course, food. He takes tremendous care with everything he does and takes great pride in making his clients happy. Our Bar Mitzvah planning took some twists and turns and Josh was always on top of it, always attentive, always flexible--and always with good humor! We just had our event, and everything was wonderful. Josh and his team were on the ball, on the details, and ready and willing to do whatever was necessary to make it all be what we wanted. Things were handled so well and went so smoothly at the evening event that we felt like guests at our own party--the ultimate success! Many compliments on the food, bar service and organization--I would highly recommend JCC for any type of event and will use them again. read more

We worked with Josh on my daughter's Bat Mitzvah luncheon and dinner. We first met him months before the event, and all of the preparation, e-mails and phone calls really paid off. The event went off spectacularly well. The food was amazing, which is exactly what we expected after our tasting with him. I can't recommend JCC highly enough. He works within your budget, delivers exactly what he says he will, and is a pleasure to work with along the way. I couldn't be happier. read more

JCC was an absolute delight to work with. The food was presented like works of art and it all tasted amazing to adults and kids alike. JCC created an incredibly delicious cake for us which was devoured within minutes of being served. Thanks for making our event extra special. I would definitely use JCC again. read more

We enjoyed this catering at a friend's get together. The presentation and food was outstanding. It was really creative and the staff was terrific. We are likely to hire them for our next event! read more

Outstanding food and service! We had an "Irish themed" St. Patrick's Day event at our home for 45 people, and the folks at Joshua Charles caterers developed a wonderful menu. The food was fantastic, the service was fantastic, and the entire evening was perfect! Five stars for sure! read more

My company recently moved to the Bay Area and needed a caterer for two events. The first was a cocktail reception for industry folks, and the other was our company's Christmas party. We hired JCC for both events and were thrilled at the food, service and attention we received. Josh did a walk through at our office prior to the first event and made sure we had a good flow for the parties. He then coordinated the entire event for us, from rentals to the menu and staffing. His staff set up, tore down, and cleaned up perfectly. I was so thankful to have all of the logistics just handled by his team - as the hostess, I didn't have to worry about anything! Plus, Josh made sure that I got to eat during the event between running around and greeting people. When he noticed there was no music, he kindly reminded me that we had forgotten to turn on the speakers, helping us get the party revitalized. The food was excellent for both parties. It was fresh, flavorful and received many compliments from guests. Both hot and cold foods were excellent, and the handmade desserts were amazing. Josh worked within our budget so that we knew what we were getting into. Unlike other caterers I've worked with, Josh never pressured us to do anything we didn't want, and never tried to upsell us on something unnecessary. He was a true gentleman and someone that we trusted to do the job right. We're really picky, detail oriented people, so we appreciated Josh's immaculate attention to detail. We will hire Josh for all of our events in the future, hands down. read more

Joshua Charles Catering catered our wedding at Thomas Fogarty winery this past July. We are very happy with their food and service! It was on par with the beautiful scenery at the winery. We had our food requirements: one side of the family is Chinese, and another side is Jewish, and there were vegetarians and vegans among the guests, many of whom were coming from out of the state and even out of the country. We wanted food that highlights fresh California produce, that is western style but also pleases the Chinese palate. We also needed enough variety to meet the different diet requirements. Josh's food was delicious and exciting, and exceeded our expectations. We had flat-iron steak, Chilean sea bass, and polenta with mushrooms as the main entrees. They were delicious and beautifully presented. Josh used interesting and top-quality ingredients such as forbidden rice, fig with cambazola cheese, feta with baby artichoke. We also loved the heirloom tomato salad. Many of our guests also told us afterward the food was excellent! Josh, the owner, was very pleasurable to work with. He has a great sense of humor and really seems to enjoy what he does. He was very easy to communicate with and was extremely quick to grasp and resolve any concerns we had before and during the wedding. He has a really good understanding of people, which is important in this business. I (the groom) was quite nervous on the wedding day, not because of any doubts or fears (we were actually already legally married and the event was more for the family and friends) but because I kept worrying about the details of the day, trying to make sure everything went smoothly. At some point Josh came by and simply whispered "Smile. Otherwise people think you're not happy." Thanks for that, Josh! I think it really helped me. Although we hired Josh as the caterer not a wedding planner, he went above and beyond his duties in making sure everything at the wedding went as planned. He drove out to the venue, did a walk-through and a rehearsal with us. He asked in advance for the contact information of all the vendors, contacted them, coordinated the wedding schedule with them, even informed them of driving directions to the venue (!). He gave us a clear explanation of what the day would look like, what our options were, what to expect. On the actual day he was fully synchronized with everyone and saved us a lot of worries. Looking at the wedding photos, we notice him and his staff were stationed throughout the venue, attentive to every detail of the party. read more

I engaged JCC to create a private Valentine's dinner at my home for me and my fiance and have hired him for our upcoming wedding. In researching caterers on Yelp, I was impressed at JCC's consistently high ratings and praise his company earned. I realized after my first conversation with Josh why he should be your first and only call...he is easy to contact and talk to, he listens to your vision and comes back with fabulous options and ideas, and his food is to die for good. Our Valentine's dinner was amazing--his Chef prepared a creative, delicious dinner in my kitchen and cleaned it all up afterward--it was such a treat. I highly recommend the prawns saltimbucca, and the s'mores--wow! I am thrilled to get to work with him again for our November wedding...our mouths are already watering! read more

Just to add another 5-stars to their 5-star line up. Their food is amazing. I had them cater an event for 50 at my business (Float Matrix) and they were prompt, the food was presented nicely, and was reasonably priced. Thanks for the extra effort :). read more