1. Red Tail Catering

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San Marcos, CA

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Red Tail Catering

4.7 (70 reviews)
Open • 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Services - Red Tail Catering

Gluten-free catering

Kosher catering

Vegan catering

Red Tail Catering Photos

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Brea quesadilla pot sticker and empanada
Kristi G.

Red Tail catering was introduced to us by our wedding venue. We did a tasting with James and his crew and loved the food. When It came down to the wedding they food was just as hot and fresh as the tasting. We were absolutely impressed with the food and have many guests say that was really good food! The photos are from the tasting and the menu is what we made for our guests

Mackenzie D.

James and his team are amazing! My husband and I got married on September 5, 2021 at Los Willows and Redtail Catering did all our food. We had plated meals with the filet and sea bass. Oh my gosh, they were SO delicious! The appetizers they made were incredible as well! We didn't want a big cake so James offered to make us a cutting cake for pictures. We aren't the biggest fans of cake but it tasted so good. James and his team also did our chocolate fountain desert table. We chose the Ultimate Chocolate Fountain which included 3 fountains: white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. It also included SO many dipping options, everyone could find something they loved! Thank you so much James, you and your team made our wedding truly spectacular!!

California Rolls and their grilled veggie platter.
Stephanie B.

Our campus has Red Tail on the approved catering list, and they are a great company. I have hired them for two events and they are top notch. The menu is a vast array of choices for appetizers and entrees, desserts and more. Their servers are polite and very professional. I highly recommend the buffalo chicken and cheese dip. Amazing!

Birthday Spread
Adam Y.

We used Red Tail Catering for our daughter's birthday celebration and for our wedding, great food and presentation, always on-time, professional staff, owner James is very experienced and a super nice guy. Overall they are great for jobs both big and small.

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1 year ago

The food is amazing. The catering staff are very friendly and professional. Fast and very efficient. But believe me the food is wonderful!!

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

Positive people Working there. Food is great. Didn't meet everyone in the company but the vibe is awesome

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Ask the Community - Red Tail Catering

Review Highlights - Red Tail Catering

“I just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary on Friday and used Redtail Catering for Apps, Dinner and Desserts.”

Mentioned in 6 reviews

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Kaleis Kitchenette Catering - Chafing dishes with vegetarian pancit, huli, chicken, and teriyaki beef. Dessert not from Kalei's.

Kaleis Kitchenette Catering

(52 reviews)

Rancho Penasquitos

If there's one thing people remember about a wedding, it's the food. And people are STILL talking…read moreabout ours. Kalei's Kitchenette absolutely knocked it out of the park. The food was beautifully presented, incredibly delicious, and honestly one of the highlights of our wedding. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful and special. This wasn't just wedding food. This was **EPIC**. Chef Andy handled everything from start to finish, which meant my husband and I had one less major thing to worry about on a day when there were about a thousand moving parts. That alone was priceless. He and his team were professional, organized, gracious and simply incredible. I've been to a lot of events over the years, and I always remember the food, especially when it's really good. Kalei's is one I will remember for a very long time. When your guests are still talking about the food days later, you know you chose the right caterer. Thank you, Chef Andy and Khara and the entire Kalei's Kitchenette team, for helping make our wedding so memorable. You didn't just feed our guests. You WOWED them.

One of the best catering experiences I've had! Kalei's was so easy to work with, the people there…read moreare so friendly and helpful. We were planning an upscale backyard engagement party with a Hawaiian theme and the food from Kalei's just took it to the next level. Everybody raved about it, from the coconut shrimp and lumpia appetizers to the chicken and beef entrées, and the side salads and fruit tray... All amazing. But what put our experience over the top was the superior customer service. Just wonderful to work with! Highly recommend.

Culinary Kitchen Catering and Events - Baby Shower Grazing Table

Culinary Kitchen Catering and Events

(26 reviews)

I hate to do this, as I understand what a bad review can do for a small business.. but after seeing…read morethe other reviewer who stated that JP backed out of their wedding (who, I'm not affiliated with in any way), I think my experienced needs to be shared, as I hope this will help other couples. I gave JP (owner) an incredible amount of grace throughout the process and yet, he still managed to screw us. It was not a single issue, but a failure on multiple levels. THE SHORT VERSION: 1) he was very unprofessional overall in his communication. 2) he backed out of bar service a few days before our wedding and ghosted us after the wedding without a refund, 3) without exaggeration, some of the food at the wedding was inedible THE LONGER VERSION: The tasting went amazing. Ashley (who no longer works there) was extremely communicative. They asked for 50% as a deposit (which is pretty high) but the food was really good so we accepted. However, the tasting was the only good thing about our experience... 1. He was unreachable for months leading up to our wedding. The company phone number was either not taking calls, or went straight to voicemail. No response to emails. He finally got back to me about one month before our wedding (we thought we got scammed at that point). I gave him the benefit of the doubt despite all of this 2. He backed out of providing bar services a week before the wedding. I knew something was off when he wouldn't provide us with an shopping lists for our cocktails, despite following up. A few days before our wedding, our coordinator told us that his bartenders did not have proper certification and without one, could not serve alcohol (note: this was merely an RBS certification... EVERY OTHER bar service that we spoke with met this requirement). I specifically asked at contract signing if they were certified. Also, JP did not inform us that he was dropping out. I had to text him myself for confirmation, as I was unsure if he was going to hire other bartenders, if they would obtain the certificate, or if he was dropping out. Only then did he tell me he would not provide bar service. Again, this was 7 days before the wedding. He also took 3 more days to clarify exactly what service he would no longer be providing, when we obviously needed to know asap as we were scrambling to secure another bar service Even though this certification is the minimum requirement for many venues, he tried to pass the blame onto the venue, stating that he never encountered this requirement before (how is this possible? As a wedding caterer, he should have been familiar with these requirement, whether or not he met them). Huge red flag. Despite this, I didn't make this an issue 3. He promised to refund us for the bar service but ghosted us after the wedding. I disputed the charge and he finally responded, threatening to sue. 4. He was unreachable on the morning of the wedding. Again, poor communication.. 5. The food failed to meet even our lowest standards. The 50% deposit really had our hands tied and we couldn't back out despite the red flags. As long as he showed up and served food that was remotely close to our tasting, we'd be happy. However, he totally skimped out on the quality and quantity. For example, our passed appetizers were smoked salmon bagels. I'm not sure if he used old bagels or what, but the bagels were stale and rock hard. My friend tried to bite down on one and immediately spit it out. My aunt had to warn guests not to eat them. He swapped out some of the items that we paid for with inferior options (ie: we paid for a fig and honey roll... he just added a basic dinner roll). Guests told us they were confused that our menu did not match the food. Some guests got half a dinner roll (meaning they didn't have enough) The main entrées did not match the quality or size of the original dish we were promised at the tasting. I understand that preparing a meal for 2 people is not the same as 100 people, and there is inherently a drop in quality on the wedding day. However, this was completely different. Many guests attested that the salmon entree was inedible as it was incredibly dry and overcooked. Look at the photo of the tri-tip I uploaded and the difference between what we were promised and what we received We asked for leftovers to be packed but never received them. All in all, I was super understanding and even allocated 15% as tip for his team despite his poor communication. Despite this, the fact that he never gave us a refund for the bar service is appalling.

We chose Culinary Kitchen for our recent wedding in Julian, CA this past June and my husband and I…read moreare incredibly thankful that we got to work with Ashley and JP for our big day! Food and catering service were some of our highest priorities to get right during our wedding and Culinary Kitchen was phenomenal every step of the way. Our communication with Ashley and and JP before, during, and after the wedding was exceptional. From the very beginning, Ashley was very responsive and regularly checked in with us, which helped me feel less overwhelmed by all the catering decisions we needed to make. I tend to err on being extremely detail oriented and I asked tons of questions early on. Ashley was so patient and thorough with each email I had sent over even before booking. Before choosing our caterer, we did 3 different wedding caterer tastings and Culinary Kitchen easily was the best of all three (we're still thinking about the gochujang meatballs and the cavatappi pasta with fennel sausage!!). On our wedding day, the food service ran seamlessly and our guests often commented on how good the food was (guests were actually trying to sneak chicken tenders off the kids plates because even the kids meals were so good). Their team also helped us serve our desserts, did our bartending, and rented/placed all of our table settings, all at very reasonable prices as part of the entire catering package. The team also went above and beyond to accommodate all of our guests' special dietary needs while still helping us stay within budget and recommending a cohesive menu. One last thing - we did A LOT of research on different San Diego caterers before our wedding (I think we sent out inquiries to at least 10 other caterers) and Culinary Kitchen's catering packages felt the most "upscale" and comprehensive without leaving us feeling nickel and dimed for every line item. I truly felt like their team was on our side the whole way. THANK YOU Culinary Kitchen for catering our wedding day!! We wish you guys the best of success!

Buckboard Catering & Events - Bride and Groom

Buckboard Catering & Events

(135 reviews)

Amazing food and catering. Very affordable. We ordered everything well ahead of our party and…read morepicked up the day of. It was amazingly delicious and our friends and family raved about it!

What makes a great reception and wedding day, food and the bar... Buckboard was a true highlight…read morefor my husband and I, and our guests! The food? Absolutely unforgettable. Every course, from the appetizers to the main courses, was incredible and beautifully presented. Many of our guests reached out about how it was simply such good food. One of our deciding factors was the fact that Buckboard is actually a restaurant here in San Diego, so their food was not just "wedding food" but actually restaurant quality. We fell in love instantly after our tasting. Knowing they are a local San Diego restaurant gave us so much confidence in food quality, and they absolutely delivered. Their service on the day of our wedding was seamless. It felt like everything was handled effortlessly, which allowed us to enjoy the day stress-free. My husband and I planned our wedding on our own and one of the biggest reliefs for us was that Buckboard took care of so many details - from linens, plates, and bar service to the propane for the heaters. Having one point of contact for everything was a great aspect. We truly didn't worry about their services at all day of. Buckboard's familiarity with our venue was another huge plus. They worked in perfect harmony with the venue staff. And as a same-sex couple, we were deeply touched by how welcomed and respected they made us feel throughout the entire process. We wholeheartedly recommend Buckboard Catering for their incredible food, great service, and outstanding communication. They made our wedding day not just special, but unforgettable. Thank you, Buckboard, for everything, you're truly the best!

Red Tail Catering - catering - Updated October 2026

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