Meant to post this a few months back, but better later than never! My husband and I hired them to do catering for our wedding and I am glad we did! We had roughly 100 people and everyone loved the food! We had our wedding at my in-law's house and they came in time ready to grill with a very attentive staff. The day of the event, they got started and didn't stop until the end of the night. They set up, served, cleaned up in a very friendly and efficient manner. Total pleasure to work with for this event. The food was great and the whole roasted pig was the highlight! I don't eat pork, but my husband, my parents and our dog could not get enough. The crispy pig ear was our pups favorite! We served at our wedding, grilled fish (which was done on site with the BBQ him and his team trucked in) prime rib and a whole roasted pig with salad, some 2 carby side dishes (which I am blanking on) bread and butter. Everyone loved it! They grilled on site, which really added a nice touch to our home wedding and made everything taste amazing! We served our food family style and the staff made sure that all the plates were properly full, they opened the wine bottles for each table, filled water bottles for each table ( we had a total of 12 tables with about 8-10 people at each one). I am so glad we hired them! They have a set price for how much everything costs, which was my favorite part. A day or two before the wedding, Doug came out to our location for a final check and made sure the plates we had gotten were just right. He helped us make sure that when we did our dish rentals that they would all be an appropriate size. If you are thinking of doing an event, give them a try! I am glad we did :) read more

Out Back Catering catered our client pizza party for about 100 guests and we were absolutely thrilled with everything. Glynda and Raul were very friendly and approachable. They expertly prepared the food on-site and then beautifully presented the vittles throughout the evening. All our guests raved about the quality of the food and were clamoring for the dough recipe. We can't say enough about this company and will be sure to recommend and use them again in the future. read more

Out Back Catering - Glynda and Raul of Out Back Catering. - Caterers Near Me - Van Nuys, California

Thank you for catrting my event. Clients LOVED the food. Plan to use you for all my events!!! read more

I had to think real hard about this review. In the past years we have used Doug for school events, and have not been completely satisfied with his quality of food and his service. We liked that he offered many options, but every time he would come our events he demanded that we supply lighting for him. Most recently he was at one of our events and his son was eating cotton candy and taking money, while serving food at the same time. While I encourage kids to step up, he saw nothing wrong with his son sticking his fingers in his mouth and serving food. This was unfortunate. Many of the parents also.complained that he was rude in his demneor, and appeared to be angry at requests by patrons. Most recently he got angry because he was told he could not sell his popcorn or cotton candy due to the school having another vendor, and he began to get nasty and upset. The Board and the committee felt it was time for h to no longer service or sell at our school. Oh and one parent was disgusted by the fact that he was pouring BBQ sauce from what she said was a smart and final gallon container. "8.00 for for a sandwich dipped in smart and final sauce, sad." One parent said. I know he may be good at catering non vendor type events, but he was not what our school and board wanted. Just beware he is not very nice when he does not get his way :) Update: Doug says he was called back 4 or 5 years...yet he was only called back for a total of 2 events, and after the second event with all that happened the board voted to not use him anymore. So BEWARE read more

Outback Catering provided the food for a large party we had at our home last weekend. I am slow to give anybody 5 stars, but they did such a great job and there is no meaningful way they could have done any better. Kudos ! We never used them before, so when they showed up about 30 minutes early and not late with excuses as we have experienced with other caters, this immediately put our fears to rest. They set up quickly and got right down to business. Again, their confidence and skill was encouraging. They brought everything they needed, and all we had to do was stay out of the way! The cool thing about these guys is that they didn't cook the food back in a remote kitchen and then bring it to us. Instead, they set up a huge grill and cooked our food fresh, right on the spot. Our entrees consisted of tri-tip, chicken, and salmon. All tasted wonderful cooked over a real charcoal fire on their grill. I got many complements about the taste of the food, and also the home made toppings offered. Also offered to our guests were appetizers consisting of mini-tacos, quesadillas, and nachos. The mini-tacos in particular were a huge hit and our guests really liked the fresh grilled carne asada they put inside. Outback also brought their old fashioned looking ice cream cart. Our guests had as many scoops of ice cream as they wanted combined with 8 different topping options. Again a line quickly formed for this popular treat. In addition to all the above, the staff of three who worked our event could not have been nicer and were a pleasure to work with. They were nicely dressed in matching black aprons and professionally worked all the tables clearing away used plates, and seeing to the general well being of our guests. When finished they quietly packed up and discretely disappeared without any disruption of the event. It was a real pleasure to not worry about any of the food related details that were all taken care of by this excellent company. I will use them again. read more

I would never do business with Doug from Out Back Catering. He is very unprofessional in running a business and trying to accommodate potential customers.. I don't want to sabotage anyone's business but there is to some extend that I would go as a business owner. Customer Servi read more

Doug has always taken care of us!!! He has been catering our teacher Appreciation brunch for years and has always gone above and beyond to help make our us happy! read more

I've used caterers for many types of business events & the experience of working with Doug Noland & his staff on a recent networking mixer for an organization that I'm with was (to quote a jeweler) FLAWLESS. First off, they're nice & professional to deal with, their wide variety of food choices worked out fantastic for our event from Pizza to Salad & Tri tip sliders. They have lots of other options, but this worked out best for us. Their pricing is very reasonable for the quality, their people are professional and friendly to deal with. This was a small event for only about 60 people, but I know they have experience working much larger events and their attention to detail for ours was just great. Best of all was that so many of our attendees just loved the food. So job well done, Outback!!! read more

We just had them cater our year end Thank you luncheon for about 120 employees . Because of the type of building we are in we could not have a cook on site event. Plus we've done the more BBQ type food the last couple of years and people wanted something new. So we went with the Italian feast menu. Pasta, Cesar salad, veggie skewers, lemon chicken and garlic bread. Heard great reviews from our employees about healthy choices, good food, Which is what you want to hear. The staff who worked our event was a wonderful team; they made this event one of the easiest set / clean up and most enjoyable I've done. We would use them again. Thank you Doug & team read more

ATTENTION: DO NOT USE THIS VENDOR - We used him for our event, and he completely ripped us off. His product was so bad that we could barely get enough people to buy it. On top of that, he was on his phone the whole time and refused to help serve the customers. He also charged the improper sales tax amount and an unnecessary excessive gratuity fee. BEWARE: he will rip you off and will show up at your door demanding full payment for the event before it even happens. NOTE: Do not give this man your phone number or any contact information, he will never stop calling you. He may even threaten legal action - take heed from my mistake. read more

Thank you Doug & Crew! We recently used Out Back Catering for a company event and would highly recommend! It was an outdoor BBQ so grilled onsite hot dogs, hamburgers and brats with toppings plus salad, pasta salad, veggies, and an ice cream sundae bar! Everything was delicious. Doug and his staff were all professional and considerate. We will be utilizing this team again in the future! Thank you! read more

Catered a birthday party for 80 people on my tennis court. The guests were raving about the food! We had a dinner options of Tri tip, custom pizzas, and chicken. Appetizers served before meal were great! Staff were very helpful and friendly. This is the third time I've used them and I'll use them next time as well. Money well spent! read more

I just went to a party catered by this company yesterday evening and I must say, I have never seen such rude attitude by the staff (which I am assuming is his extended family). They refused to serve me food because they thought I was in line for seconds even though I had just arrived to the party (late). I asked them what the problem was (even IF a guest wanted seconds) and they told me that they needed to save food for those who hadn't arrived yet. I literally had to beg for a piece of chicken. I managed to get a bite of the dry and tough piece of chicken when a friend sitting next to me snapped his plastic fork because it was so tough. I know this may sound ridiculous but he went through THREE PLASTIC FORKS until he eventually gave up. But then, I couldn't believe what I saw next. The catering employees started to make plates for THEMSELVES while still serving the last few guests arriving. A majority of them took their plates to the back area, but some of them just stood there EATING AT THE BUFFET LINE. WHO KNEW THEY WERE JUST SAVING FOOD FOR THEMSELVES??! Other guests quickly commented on this as they too were given small portions and refused seconds. Eventually, the staff seemed to completely disappear from the serving area and left it unattended and a bunch of us ended up serving ourselves the dry and under-seasoned fried rice and salad with lettuce that looked a bit aged. I don't want to hate on this family businesses, but in this case I could see how it negatively affected the service. When I raised a complaint initially about not being served by the older gentleman, two females servers quickly dismissed his mistake and defended him without hesitation. If you're thinking of hiring these guys, please think of your guests first. Their memories of your special event, like mine, will want to be completely forgotten. PS, I wanted to write this review yesterday but decided to sleep on it. I woke up this morning still pissed. read more

Warning: This is a rip-off!!! I talked to Doug who sounds very nice and helpful. I explained him what I need for my party and he sent me the quotation this morning which at first I thought he made a mistake. But turned out that it was not a mistake. Let me start by saying that I plan different parties for my office, charities and my home at least three to five times a year. This time I decided to go with a casual Brunch at my house and had Out Back Catering in mind to try. Below is what I gathered from their quotation compare to other caterings: - Mandatory 17% Gratuity(tip): No other catering charge for tip. That is something you will pay onsite based on catering service. When I told Doug about this he said "All Hotels have service charge". I made sure he understood that you don't compare hotel to catering!!! Hotel's charge is for location and they add service fee but catering use your own place as a location!!! - 5 hours minimum charge for staff $240+ $180 setup/ breakdown: I don't have any problem with 5 hours or $180 set up/ delivery. The problem is they charge separate for set up and 2 hours for the staff preparation. In other word you only have 3 hours of staff. Where other caterings charge for setup+ hourly staff. Example: I asked for omelette station starting at 1pm to 3pm and mini hamburger starting at 5pm to 7pm and have no problem paying them the minimum of 5 hours. They are charging 9 hours of staff for $432+another $180 for setup/ delivery. When I asked why 9 hours, he said they have to be there at 11am (two hours preparation for the omelette station + $180 setup/ delivery!!!!!! STAFFING CHARGE 2 _Staff @ $24 per hour each 9 Hours $432.00 ADDITIONAL ITEMS Delivery-Set up Charge $180.00 Buffet Linens- Please provide PROJECTED COST SUMMARY ADJUSTED COST SUMMARY Per Guest Total $ 900.00 $_______.___ Staffing Charges $ 432.00 $_______.___ Additional Items $ 180.00 $_______.___ Sub Total $1512.00 $_______.___ Tax $ 139.86 $_______.___ Gratuity $ 226.80 $_______.___ Total $1878.66 $_______.___ Less Deposit $ 900.00 $_______.___ Balance Due $ 978.66 $_______.___ read more

Just had an employee appreciation BBQ. These guys were so awsome! Food was amazing and the staff was friendly. Will be using them again! I have a whse of 50 hungry guys and it fed everyone completely. read more

I tried their 'cue at a party I was at in Santa Monica. They had what looked like a nice setup but the 'cue is another story. It was BBQ Chicken and Tri-Tip sliders but it was mostly a uber-thick Italian roll and it dominated the sammie. The chicken was OK but the Tri-Tip was pretty bad. There was sauce but you couldn't really taste it. Again, the domination of the bread. One slider I had the Tri-Tip was so gummy and/or gristly, I almost choked on it. Thankfully, it happened right near the bar and I had a Coke Zero to take care of it. The 'Cue isn't a zero but it's pretty close. The LA area has plenty of BBQ joints. Too bad most of them are about as bad as this. read more

Meant to post this a couple months ago as my party was on Nov 5, 2016. I hired Out Back Catering for my parents 65th anniversary party that we themed as a 1950's sock hop, diner style event. Doug and his staff were AMAZING! We ordered burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings (EVERYONE LOVED), grilled chicken burgers, grilled cheese along with veggies and dips. We also ordered shakes and ice cream sundaes. The staff that Doug sent to us for our event were the best. They showed up very prompt. Got started and didn't stop until the end of the night. They set up, served, cleaned up, friendly and was very effecient and a pleasure to work with for this event. The best part was hearing my guests talk about how good the food had been. Like I stated they loved the onion rings (not sure what they do but they are so delicious) and knowing it was exactly as I had wanted the food to be for this party I was thrilled. For me personally, the absolute best was smelling the grill when they got it started. Not sure what type of wood they used but WOW, so perfect. This was my first time using Out Back Catering and will definitely use them again and again. Job done right! Thank you Out Back Catering for participating in an event that my parents still talk about and they consider one of the best nights of their lives. read more

I hate to write this review because the service people were AMAZING! However the food, the price, and I'm assuming the owner weren't the best. Everything was done through email or mail. And since it was alot of $ I wanted to check it out in person, so I drove there. As a result I felt as if Doug Got upset, and started adding so many fees, long story short service alone was $600 plus a $200 gratuity, taxes another $200! I got hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and Philly sandwiches, which were nothing special, buy the pack at costco and do it yourself. I wish I can hire the people without having to deal with the business. read more

We hired Out Back Catering to cater at a work event, and everything was fantastic! I had a large last minute order that I had to change multiple times and they were very flexible. The prices were great, and there were so many options to choose from. When the time came for the BBQ, they were very punctual and were able to handle our large group of people with no issues. Our complicated orders were correct, and everyone loved the food! The Out Back team was extremely friendly and made our work party very fun. I would definitely call them back again for a a large work party, or even a small get-together. read more

We used them for our department Christmas party and were sadly disappointed. The first warning was when we were still trying to decide between them and another restaurant. The guy on the phone was rude and pushy and made us feel rushed. The food itself was crappy and cold. The corn muffins were hard. The ribs were the consistency of beef jerky. The salmon was an unappetizing grey color. The chicken was hard. It was a waste of money. My co-worker called to inform them of our dissatisfaction and they acted like they didn't care. I don't even think they apologized. Needless to say, we will never do business with them again. read more

Outback Catering catered our wedding of 250 people in April, and we were so happy we chose them! They were willing to work with us on the menu, and the presentation, taste, and service was EXCEPTIONAL. Doug and his team were extremely accommodating, and very thorough, which is great for a wedding because it was perfect. They really do cater "from boots to bow tie", and I would highly recommend their service. I look forward to using Doug and his team at Outback Catering again sometime soon! read more

love outback catering ! we used them twice now for both of my kids parties. We had a huge 50s bat mitxvah party for my daughter and Doug was awesome he gave us an amazing price and great food. we liked it so much we used him 3 years later for my sons Bar mitzvah ! great service , and they really work with you to get the party theme and food just right read more

Doug and his team have catered for our annual picnic for a few years now. They provide delicious food and above-and-beyond service. We'll definitely keep using them! read more

Great business, Doug is friendly, experienced and professional. Offering affordable, tasty and convenient catering. It's no surprise they've been in business for as long as they have. Would highly recommend! read more

Doug was the best, he took care of me when my other caterer dropped out right before the wedding. Food was great, service was great and he kept brining my husband and I drinks while we were doing wedding stuff to keep us calm and having fun. Great guy. Great good. Great company! read more

Doug and his team from Outback Catering did an absolutely fantastic job...even with the rainy day. Their presentation was beautiful with a display coordinated with my color scheme for the party The fruits and vegetables, cheeses and crackers...were all fresh, delicious and one even turned out to be conversation piece with the "foodies". The fruits were fresh and sweet and the melon wrapped in prosciutto ... far beyond what I have experienced at other events. The hot appepitizers were all hits! Rumaki ,chicken saty and teriaky beef skewers were flying off the platters. The mini quiche were lovely bite sized morsels and the grape leaves simply dissappeared! The staff was friendly, professional and helpful beyond their immediate tasks. Because of the rain we finished abit early, the servers asked if they help with the cake, which was huge and then when that was done, they asked if there was anything else they could assist with as there was still time on my party clock! My guests have been complimenting me, the food the caterer since Saturday. Thank you Doug. You made our party an unforgettable succcess. I will definetely call on you again as will our friends. Martha Lambert Mission Hills,Ca. read more

Awesome company, Doug was friendly and help me narrow down the menu within my budget. We got his traditional BBQ , it was great to watch his team cook the chicken and beef at the scene of the party. Very unique! The potato salad and tri tip were very tasty, the staff was also friendly and did a nice clean up job. Will use them again! read more

Doug was terrific! He BBQ'd the food for my daughter's pre-wedding family dinner. He was punctual, extremely helpful, adjusted with grace and flexibility to the general mayhem and helped serve, without having been asked to do so. I would certainly hire him again. read more

Doug and his crew are best. I have had the opportunity to enjoy their food at many occassions and it is the best. I highly recommend them for all your events, and they are really nice people to work with as well. read more

Outback catered my golf tournament and the food was fabulous! Having the smoker on site was a treat for our players and everyone was happy and ready to play after a great lunch! Great food, great prices. read more

We planned a Christmas bbq using Out Back Catering. It was held today and we could not be more pleased. They showed up right on schedule. The food was ready right on schedule. They made a beautiful presentation and the food was delicious. When lunch was over Doug and his crew cleaned up everything. I highly recommend Out Back Catering. I felt the prices were very reasonable. Check them out. You won't be disappointed. read more

this company was chosen for my outdoor wedding reception because of their competitive prices and wide menu variety. the previously posted review mentioned shady correspondence between her and the owner, but i had an event organizer helping me so I figured I wouldn't be dealing with that end of the transaction. the food service and the food were okay, but the bar service was somewhat annoying throughout the night. we had a fixed drink menu because we couldn't afford a full bar and this woman insisted on adding more drinks after digging through our cupboards for supplies. she used one of our punch ingredients (beverage chosen for our non-alcoholic drinkers) and made drinks with it so we couldn't make another batch of punch. and at one point she raided our house refrigerator to serve my dad a bloody mary with old V8 juice we use for our soup. at the end of the night, we gave the bartender and servers a modest tip because the food/service was mediocre and we didn't have a lot of money, and instead of just accepting something they weren't entitled to in the first place, the bartender pulled my husband aside and wanted to know why they didn't get more money. she then bummed a cigarette from our guests outside and complained about how cheap we were and how she didn't get any tips--and these were the very people that had been tipping her for drinks throughout the night. i'm not a fan of writing novels for reviews, but this bartender was a loose cannon and made the whole company look bad that night. i gave one star because the bartender stressed us out too many times--i would have given two if it wasn't for her because the food was decent but not great. read more

We hired Out Back Catering for our wedding this past weekend in Desert Hot Springs. They did an excellent job and the food was very delicious. Doug and his crew helped whenever it was needed during the event. The event was for 100 people and they also provided the ice cream cart for desert. Doug provided a lot of helpful insight during the planning process and brought things to our attention we may not have thought of. He specifically made sure my husband and I were happy and well fed during the event. The amount of effort put in by his team was worth every penny. We are very happy with our choice and would highly recommend this caterer. read more

Our son wanted hamburgers and french fries for his birthday party. A friend recommended Out Back catering to us and it turned out great. It was so much easier than trying to do it ourselves and enabled us to be able to spend time with guests instead of cooking. The guys arrived a couple of hours ahead of time to set up and were ready to go the moment the guests arrived. The pricing was reasonable. read more

Doug is probably one of the most un professional caterers we have ever seen. He shows up to events without proper lighting, extension cords, and other equipment that is needed. He has been to several events where he was rude to some of the customers. At one point he had his child collecting money, and eating the cotton candy with his fingers while serving it at the same time. His kid was also eating ice cubes out of a cooler, while serving beverages. 9NO GLOVES) He is very "needy" in a sense of, he will bring the food, but you need to provide him with the utensils. (All this was observed while at my kids school function, I just cant believe LAUSD would approve of such vendor read more

Got married Saturday - this company catered it. FANTASTIC food and service, and beat the "per-head" price of anyone else around by about $10 a person. We had BBQ Tri-tip, chicken, wild rice, salad, fresh fruit (garden wedding for 80). People kept telling me how yummy the food was. And Doug, the owner, stayed on-site the whole evening, making sure everything was going smoothly. Brought me water while I was getting ready. They stayed late to clean up after us! USE THIS COMPANY -- so many in the LA area are exhorbitant. If you want really tasty food, amazing service and NO attitude, Out Back is your caterer. read more

MANY thanks to Doug and Anna who so successfully catered my husbands 40th birthday. He went as far as to devise a foolproof plan to do this under the radar at a state park so that 40 adults could have a special dinner at our camping party. They showed up early, keeping in mind the sunset hour and timing of our meal. The set up was quick and impressive. Our guests were going on an on about how good the food was...all gushing about the ribs and chicken, the corn (in the husks, as he recommended) and the potato salad...among other delicious sides. Such genuine and friendly service. It was so nice to have them there with our group! I would absolutely hire Out Back again! read more

After calling several caterers and not feeling very confident I was going to find the right one, I spoke to Doug. He was responsive and helpful I creating the right menu for my party. He handled any changes quickly and followed up with me to ensure everything was correct. His catering team were on time and very friendly to me and my guests (50 people!). Everyone LOVED the food and wanted to know more about who the caterer was. I highly recommend Outback Catering read more

Doug and his team were amazing! We celebrated my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary with a large party and the food was absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. The menu included rosemary chicken, beef tri tip, rice pilaf, rosemary potatoes, grilled mixed vegetables and a mixed green salad with crumbled bleu cheese in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. All our guests raved about the food! The team arrived early and prepared the food quickly and in abundance. The staff were courteous and so helpful. Doug's service was exceptional. read more

We couldn't have been happier with Doug and the amazing, slow-smoked pig that he produced for my husband's 30th birthday party. First, the pig was absolutely delicious and succulent. It really added that "wow" factor to my husband's party. Second, Doug could not have been more gracious and helpful. He asked several times, "Is there anything that you need me to do? Or, can I help out with anything?" Doug is the REAL DEAL and I highly recommend him and his catering services the next time you have a party or gathering. You will not be disappointed!! read more