Our farm style wedding reception was spectacular! The food was beautiful and delicious. We had so many wonderful compliments about the 'derves as well. Service was friendly, organized and excellent. I only wish we didn't have to stop eating! Thanks to Dana for creating a menu that matched the style and graphics of the invitation. Nice touch! Kudo's to Cindy at the office for keeping us all on the same page! I highly recommend Primal Alchemy for any event. Best - Willetta read more

What a nice surprise to run into this pop up booth from Primal Alchemy today. Got the smoked brisket breakfast burrito which was awesome! Some of the most tender brisket I have tasted in a while. Had a good chuckle as well when I ordered my breakfast burrito with salsa on the side and the owner or chef was taken away by my request, like how dare I not trust him! Long story short the cook put the salsa inside my burrito anyway which was fine. Salsa on the side or inside it's still a great burrito and definitely will be back for their next pop up! Thank you for the laugh and delicious breakfast burrito read more

See all

I have had the immense pleasure of enjoying Chef Paul's catering for numerous events, parties, holiday celebrations, and personally catered gatherings at my home for the past multiple years! All I can say is that the food is of the highest quality and prepared to perfection every time! This past Thanksgiving holiday (2023), I showed up to their thanksgiving popup and picked up a number of my favorite items: Pumpkin Pecan Bars with Toasted Pecans and Oats, Eggnog Cheesecake with Citrus Shortbread Crust, the Organic Garlic & Rosemary Focaccia. And yes, the turkey.......PERFECTION! Do yourself a favor and do not hesitate to have Primal Alchemy's food if you are able. read more

Hmm ya his food is pretty good. But I was a guest at an event in Long Beach. I came up to a table to get a sandwich and I incountered a very. Rude man I'm assuming. Chef Paul.i asked him a question about the veggie sandwich if it had avocado he said. No ...Do You Need Glasses very rude. I said No I don't glasses wow a boxes were a distance from me w/small print .I couldn't tell what was in the sandwich. I never incountered just An Ahole. read more

I chose to use Primal Alchemy for my daughter's wedding. I cannot express well enough how delicious the food and service was. From meeting with Chef Paul, the planning and guidance given by Cindy in the office and then on the day of the wedding, they were an absolute pleasure to work with. Everything from the artisan breads, delicious olive tapenade, salads and entrées, all made with fresh locally sourced foods, were incredible. The quality of the food was noticeably fresh, elevated and delicious. The set up, service and breakdown went so smoothly...we hardly noticed their servers presence and yet every request was met and the service was impeccable. I would HIGHLY recommend Primal Alchemy over the other larger catering companies available in Orange County which in my opinion are very standard/average, even mediocre. If you're a "foodie" and expect delicious food and service, choose these guys. you will be so pleased you did!! I wish I had photo's of the food. It was so delicious, it was all delightfully consumed without us taking pics! read more

Primal Alchemy Catering - Wish I had photos of the food... It was too delicious and eaten without the thought of taking pics! - Caterers Near Me - Long Beach, California

See all

Updating my review after they contacted me. The cheese plate was an error made for one not for two and they are refunding. Also regarding my early delivery they are refunding the delivery charge. They did listen to my concerns and they making things right. Hopefully my next experience will be a better one. I will try them again. I do appreciate the quick response and the resolution read more

I attended a 12-person outdoor party during the coronavirus days and the hosts brought us Primal Alchemy's boxed lunches. The lunches were nicely packed with discreet packaging. We all had the citrus grilled skirt steak with arugula, roasted cherry tomatoes, shaved Reggiano cheese and a vinaigrette. There was some focaccia with olive tapenade and two salted chocolate chip cookies. The meat was tender and tasty. The only thing I am dinging them on is that there were no knives and even though the steak was sliced in slabs, it was super difficult to eat. Otherwise, seems like a class act and the hosts were very happy they chose primal Alchemy. I would recommend them too! read more

Primal Alchemy Catering - Citrus Grilled Steak boxed lunch October 2020 - Caterers Near Me - Long Beach, California

(June 2018) I hired Primal Alchemy to cater a 50th birthday party in my 1100 sq. foot home and back yard. After I cleared the kitchen counters for them, they took over my tiny kitchen and went to work! Uniformed servers set up the buffet outside, Paul and his team brought in their insulated warmers and put out the most delicious and appealing spread I could have hoped for! Mediterranean grilled chicken and vegetables, Israeli couscous, sides, spreads, a whole gorgeous feast. If you think your function is not big enough for Paul and Primal Alchemy, stop worrying and give them a try. They made my party a dream, clearing plates and cups, refilling the serving platters, and generally doing ALL the things I am usually doing as the host of my own parties. Thank you for an incredible and memorable event. read more

We had a beautiful celebration of life for my late husband catered by Primal Alchemy. Delicious food, and gorgeous presentation! Everyone commented on how wonderful the food and drinks were and how professional the staff were! We would highly recommend Primal Alchemy! read more

Ordered both white and dark Turkey for Thanksgiving. White was flavorless and chalky. Dark meat was meh. $31 each. Won't do that again. You guys taste your food before you sell it at top dollar? read more

A group of us volunteers were cleaning up a park in Long Beach after the looting in Long Beach and this really nice woman asked us if we would like lunch! She gave us the most amazing herb roasted chicken on a fresh apple/walnut salad with focaccia bread from Primal Alchemy. We were blown away by her kindness & the fantastic food - the salted chocolate chip cookies were great too! Considering the hardships that restaurants & caterers have been going through with Covid-19, it was such a wonderful gesture on their part to "volunteer" their delicious food. I hope everyone in L.B. supports them as we move forward. read more

Primal Alchemy Catering - Boxed lunch herb roasted chicken on salad. - Caterers Near Me - Long Beach, California

Short ribs dinner was delicious with mashed potatoes and carrots. Big fresh salad with a lemont dressing, and the cutest little tart selection: lemon, chocolate, and custard. Delivered in ready-to-heat packaging. Dinner for two was definitely the right portions! Thank you so much, enjoyed our meal immensely. read more

Once again Primal Alchemy Catering has wowed me. I had to schedule a rush lunch for guests to the office. The delivered boxed lunches and cheese and meat tray were fresh and thoughtfully put together. The guests complimented the quality of the food. Setting up the order was easy and Cindy always has thoughtful menu suggestions. read more

Wow!! So yummy, organic, fresh and they cure their own meats. I wouldn't have known to come to this cafe except that they had a canopy out front practicing the Covid rules! Their breakfast burritos were the best I have ever had!! read more

Primal Alchemy Catering - Primal Alchemy - Caterers Near Me - Long Beach, California

Chef Paul and Cindy in the office are just wonderful. We talked a few times before the party and the more I talked the more excited I became. Anyway the food and serving came out exceeded my expectations. My guests also said this was a memorable experience. I wish I could eat Chef Paul's food more often. read more

The team at PAC did an outstanding job of catering an event for 75 people at our home in Park Estates on November 8, 2023. There was a wide variety of food, it was delicious, and easy for guests to eat as they mingled. The service from their servers was excellent. We highly recommend Primal Alchemy Catering. read more

This is not a review of Primal Alchemy's food or event service. We never experienced either. This is simply a review of ownership and our experience with them. Primal Alchemy came highly recommended for our daughters wedding. Everything looked good and we signed a contract for services in 10/2019 for a 7/2020 wedding. Then Covid hit. We rescheduled for 7/2021 and with the continuing state mandated restrictions on gatherings, ultimately cancelled the wedding. With continuing state mandated restrictions on indoor gatherings, we had to move it and reduce the size and as a result, we would no longer need the services of Primal Alchemy. We gave 8 months notice for them to re-book the date. We had paid 50% of the contract and had 75% of that refunded under our contract. That meant that Primal Alchemy kept nearly $2,000 in exchange for doing a small amount of administrative work and scheduling. Did we sign a contract acknowledging that Primal Alchemy could keep 25% of our deposit? Yes. Were small businesses like Primal Alchemy significantly impacted by Covid? Yes. Do we have much of a leg to stand on? No. What we were looking for from the owner, was reasonableness in the cancellation fee. Nearly $2,000 for holding a date and some minor paperwork is a lot. We asked for a reduction in the cancellation fee, considering that the circumstances were unprecedented, with Covid. After attempting contact with the owner several times, our request for a reduction in the cancellation fee was summarily dismissed by him. Certainly the owner knew there was little likelihood we would ever use their services in the future, even if he was gracious in granting us a reduction in the cancellation fee, as we are out of the area. Certainly, the owner also new that not only have small businesses been impacted by Covid, but families, like ours, have been also. Is their event service top notch? I haven't read anything to the contrary. Is their food exceptional and creative? I bet it is. However, We wouldn't know for our nearly $2,000..... read more

Chef Paul of Primal Alchemy catered a Corporate lunch meeting for us - it was amazing! Everything was so fresh and flavorful. Primal Alchemy shops at local Farms and Farmer's Markets, so the food is local and organic. It was plated beautifully as well. Our team loved it! We definitely know who to call from now on to make a great impression with our customers! read more

Primal Alchemy Catering - Organic Greens & Shaved Radishes, Garlic Herb Chicken, Red Cargo Rice w' Kaffir Lime & Coconut, Asparagus w' Charred Lemon & Pecorino - Caterers Near Me - Long Beach, California

We used Primal Alchemy two nights in a row for entertaining while attending the ACT Expo in Anaheim. Chef Paul is amazing! We had guests coming and going for hours and he was continuously made fresh appetizers for each guest. Chef's assistant was a great help in the kitchen cleaning constantly and serving guests. Cindy did a wonderful job of communicating with me to make sure our event was a great success. read more

We used Primal Alchemy to cater our company holiday party at our home. Working with the staff at Primal Alchemy to develop the menu, arrange for staff for the event, plates, glasses, etc was a great experience. The day of the event the staff came in and set up in our home, prepped the food for service. Our on site chef was great at adapting to our kitchen, her assistant did a great job keeping food stations supplied and clearing plates. We had a bartender who was fantastic, interacted well with our guests, refilled beer and wine from where we had it stored. At end of their time (we had an end time for the caterers but not guests) they did a great job putting away extra food in our fridge, cleaning up and clearing out. Walking into our dining room where we set up the buffet and our kitchen after they left one would not know that we had a party for over 30 in our house. Enough about the staff...the food was absolutely terrific. We had appetizers, main meal buffet and dessert and all of our guests raved about every dish and morsel. In our office today (first work day after party) our staff kept saying, "can you believe how good the _____ was!?!" We looked like superstars with our company for having such a high class event with excellent food. I highly recommend Primal Alchemy for your catering needs. read more

Fabulous plated dinner service for our 14 guest wedding in September! We had our wedding in my parents backyard. The food was so delicious and the staff was incredibly kind. We felt very safe with their catering, and they were extremely professional and clean. They did tray passed appetizers, and brought our plates to us while being seated. Would HIGHLY recommend them again, and it was well worth going the "plated dinner service" route vs a buffet, especially for this intimate wedding celebration! My only regret is not taking a classic iphone pic of the food with my phone (or the staff! incredible staff!) read more

See all

Went to a small wedding and reception hired primal alchemy. Def 5 star. Highly recommend.

So good. I mean really, really good. Had our first family meal tonight (braised short ribs). We also had their brown butter green beans, garlic mashed potatoes (crazy good) and peach cobbler. Priced so reasonably. Quantity is just right for four people. Can't wait to try again (lol...have taquitos and ribs so it may be lunch tomorrow. Staff is really friendly which is always appreciated. read more

I've worked with Primal Alchemy a couple of times now and they are amazing!....Genuinely good people that really put careful thought into their menus, the ingredients, sustainability, and creating a great experience for everyone involved. They've provided delicious food for some of my small private parties as well as larger VIP events. I think one of my favorite menu items is the cured jamón iberico, but they crush the vegan selections too!!..it's so nice to have a farm to table catering company here in Long Beach!! read more

I happened to pass by during their Sunday morning pop-up, and ordered the brisket burrito as a post workout meal. Holy crap it was delicious and reasonable priced for the quality! They don't skimp on the meat, and even better it's farm to table. I look forward to trying out their pot pie and lasagna next since they pack for you to bake at home. Support your local small business, and save your cooking for another time if you can afford to! read more

We ordered from Primal Alchemy after seeing it featured in the "Favorite Things I'm Eating in Long Beach" column. During lock down, they are doing family styles meals every night of the week for delivery or pick up. We chose the Chicken Yellow Curry meal and it did not disappoint! Usually I don't care for rice and it had to have been my favorite part of the meal. Everything was bursting with flavor. Either I'm really tired of my own cooking, or the food was above and beyond. We will definitely be ordering again! read more

Wanted to give a shout out to Chef Paul for an awesome char site short rib meal that we picked up for dinner. The meat was delicious and melted in the mouth. SO glad we stopped by the pier to see what prepped meals he had for sale today. Awesome! read more

The food we ordered was delicious and the service and delivery were impeccable. Portions were generous and allowed us to enjoy a variety of meals from the brisket with smoked pineapple sauce. The chicken pot pie heated great and the pasty puffed to perfection. Looking forward to ordering again!!! read more

The Primal Alchemy team went above and beyond. We foolishly sceduled our party the same night as the Belmont Shore Holiday Parade. We had a parking crisis with the parade and chef Paul moved his car to our very narrow driveway, then crawled out the back to accommodate 2 other cars. We had and an employee bring a surprise plus one, and Christina set the table in seconds flat and Chef Paul and Cindy had food to spare - relief! However, the real gem was the cooking. The menu was superb in creativity, quality and over all deliciousness (and sustainable, bonus!). Appetizers: Five Spice Rice Crackers with Pork Belly Pumpkin Ravioli with caramelized onion Potato Chip with Duck Confit Colossus Organic Artisan Bread w' Creamy Olive Tapenade Roasted Delicata Squash, Persimmon Salad w' Buratta, Endive, Buckwheat Honey & Poppy Seed Vinaigrette Open Pastured Grass Fed Rib Eye, Miso Corn Puree, Ancho Butter Poached Carrots, Wilted Spinach Vegetarian option: Blistered Eggplant with Corn Puree, Ancho Butter Poached Carrots, Wilted Spinach Dessert - Salted Butterscotch Creme Brule w' Bourbon Candied Bacon Thank You Primal Alchemy - we will be calling you back! read more

Primal Alchemy and I go way back. My husband occasionally covered them at local events when he worked for the Post, and recently I competed in their Top Fish challenge. The thing about the catering company that keeps me so intrigued is how they look at food and the act of getting together around a table. They align themselves with farmers markets and chefs' own gardens to make dishes that go directly from farm to table, using the season to ensure the best flavors. One recent night, we sat around a table of 12 and ate a seven-course meal that utilized two pigs completely from head to tail. One was a 350-pound Berkshire raised by Rinconada Dairy in Santa Margarita, known for its handcrafted sheep and goat cheese. The pig was fed the whey and by-products from the cheese production along with acorns from the tree directly over the pen. The second pig was from Old Reminisce Farms in Mira Loma raised on open pasture grass. The breed of this pig is Kune Kune, a smaller pig originally from New Zealand. It was very tough for me to pick a favorite; every single course had something that had me going back for more, but I would have to say the house-made sausage took the cake-with every bite there was a new level of flavor. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to go back to eating sausage without looking for the complexities that this sausage had. Of course it was fatty but not in a greasy way--instead, in a comforting way. It was raining outside, and I warmed up eating a bowl of sausage served on the bed of the herb spaetzle; the brown butter really gave it an earthy flavor that I will try to accomplish at home. read more

See all

Primal Alchemy catered my very small wedding on 1/15/21. We wanted restaurant quality food and we were blown away. The appetizers were amazing and the servers even saved a plate for my husband and I, knowing we'd be hungry since we missed cocktail hour taking photos. The lunch was incredible. Everyone at the table was so satisfied. Chef Paul's short ribs are to die for. On top of the incredible food, the service was so good and they left my mom's kitchen perfectly clean. We will happily hire Primal Alchemy for another event in the future! read more

From booking our dinner party with Cindy until the day of the event, it was professionalism all the way. I can't say enough about the level of service, the positive and helpful attitudes as well as the quality of the food (the short ribs were amazing!). It was my first time using their services and will definitely use them again. Thank you for helping make our evening so special. read more

I just posted a five star review under Primal Alchemy Catering. During the Pandemic, they're offering some of the same dishes under the Pantry Take-out as the catering service. read more

Chef Paul Buchanan and asst Robert recently catered a gourmet dinner for us and 4 friends. It included a great deal of serious preparations: Foie Gras, Caviar, etc and then the rest of dinner with numerous wines for each course. Chef Paul is very communicative and very talented. The dinner could not have been better with everything made and cooked to perfection. It was a wonderful evening and we would recommend Chef Paul to any one who needs a dinner made and served to perfection. read more

Chef Paul and the entire team at Primal Alchemy are AMAZING! They catered my cousin's wedding this past weekend at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Everything went off without a hitch and people were raving about the food the entire night. The staff was professional and you can tell they really love what they do. The chef is hyper-local and focuses on seasonality and sustainability. When we were going over the menu, he knew exactly what was going to be in season (down to the week). They make their own cured meets, breadsticks, tapenade and pickles. They're also heavily involved in the local community, and Chef Paul signs up to cook meals for the less fortunate every year. You can totally customize your menu, which is great, because you don;t have to just pick off a list. It was awesome to get to brainstorm and conceptualize with the team. They were very responsive and the quality was top notch. My sister is dying to know how they make their vegetables! We'd recommend Primal Alchemy again and again. Do yourself a favor and hire their amazing team! read more

Chef Paul put together an amazing spread for our wedding at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He put together a menu that was fresh and delicious. Our guests came out absolutely raving about the food. He and his staff were able to manage the challenges that cooking at the museum posed. Could not recommend Primal Alchemy more, and we hope to use them for future events! read more

I wish there was 100 stars!!!!! Chef Paul and his crew are incredible. They catered my husband's 50th brunch and a business dinner at my home. I will NEVER use another caterer. I can't even express to you how delicious every single thing he creates is. His passion and talent are beyond. THE BEST! read more

Primal Alchemy catered our wedding in June and I'm still hearing about how good the food was!! Chef Paul and his staff did such a wonderful job!! The food is so fresh and delicious, we even had a guest ask for a doggy bag!! I love the family style serving, it fit our wedding perfectly! Wedding food is usually forgettable, but not with Primal. We're so happy that we chose them to be our caterers!! I would recommend them to anyone and I would love to use them again in the future!! Thanks Chef Paul, Cindy, and the rest of the team!! Also, special thanks to our bartender, he was awesome! -I wish I had a picture of the food/presentation, it was beautifully put together! read more

Everything was perfect. From the apps, caesar salad, and all the entres, Chef Paul did everything perfectly from start to finish and it was a completely stress free experience. Thanks for a perfect evening Paul. read more

See all

I can't begin to say enough about Chef Paul and his crew! We hosted our Daughter's Engagement Party for 80 last night & I had literally gotten out of the hospital for nine days with pneumonia, and had no energy to help whatsoever. They (along with a few friends for set-up) did everything! I never once worried about anything and it was such a wonderful feeling. It all ran so smoothly, and seamlessly, our guests were awed. I can't speak as much to the food, as not much appetite, but hardly anything left and people were raving about how delicious it all was, and continued eating all evening, which made me beyond happy. Thank you, Chef Paul and crew for making it so easy for me and letting me wake up to a clean kitchen and no clue they'd even been there! Never going to throw a party again without them running the show! read more