We hired Handheld to cater a combination 55th birthday and remodel celebration. As we haven't had caterers before, unless you count our wedding decades ago, we were new to the process. We couldn't be more thrilled with how the event went. With a full bar and bartender, five completely different yet equally delicious appetizers, and incredibly gracious staff, it's no wonder many friends said it was the best party they'd attended. The staff served a cake brought by a friend, and welcomed the addition of a homemade fruit and veggie platter that I decided to provide last minute. They handled the rental of some high top tables, linens, cocktail appropriate glassware. Just thrilled. My only regret is that I didn't personally take any photos of the set-up. The one I was able to borrow from a friend's photos doesn't do it justice at all.
Andi D.
Handheld Catering catered my friend's 50th birthday that I was hosting. Amazing end to end - from the first consultation (prompt responses, Zoom call). Worked with our preferences. Proposed menu based on budget. The food tasting experience was also fun and informative. The event went smoothly from start to finish (setting up and cleaning up!!). Shoutout to An Bui who was my contact! Even came with the staff to help setup and all that. Benny and Gama was the staff who helped us at the party!!The food was amazing! The sliders were my favorites. And.... The hot apple cider was the other winner!! Thank you Handheld team!!
Ding Ding
In fact, I rarely write reviews on websites, but Handheld catering makes me feel guilty if I don't. I firmly believe that Handheld is the best choice for your banquet. Let me tell you why:1. The person I contacted was An Bui, she was very helpful and responsive. We made many adjustments to the menu, many times I was embarrassed to even ask for it, but she was still very patient. I am very grateful to her, without her my party would not have been possible.2. It is obvious that Handheld has extensive experience in hosting banquets. Believe me, I asked a dozen catering companies, and most of them only provide food, and we need to find other equipment ourselves. Companies like Handheld that take care of the entire process for us are actually very rare. Moreover, it is obvious that An has a very good command of some details. For example, she enthusiastically gave us suggestions, such as where to best place the food, and how to control the time of the banquet to prevent the food from losing its taste.3.Handheld food is very delicious. Our guests specifically requested your name from us because they also wanted to order for their banquet.4. Your staff are great. At the end of the banquet, the staff who collected the food containers were also patiently waiting for us. Moreover, the day before the banquet, we suddenly wanted to change the time to 9 a.m., and you were very enthusiastic to help. thank you very much!
Elizabeth T.
Handheld catered our company fundraiser and they were perfect! Guests gave great reviews on the food and the staff went above and beyond. Highly recommend for anyone's events!
Peggy T.
Handheld Catering did a great job for my Dad's 90th birthday party. Everybody asked who catered the party. The food was all very good and very well displayed. I highly recommend Handheld Catering!
Mick J.
Amazing and professional job by the team. Polite, creative, flexible and very easy to work with. Had an amazing private event.
Ann O.
I am so blessed to have found Handheld and Team Anna & Lisa to help me host a high school graduation/empty nest celebration-June 2023. Handheld provided me with great guidance, a tasting in their Santa Clara offices, a site visit, and enabled me to make adjustments even days before the party. They were easy to plan with and excellent on the day of the event. Everything from set up to meal prep to party flow was exactly as we discussed. I have received nothing but compliments on the food, decor, and staffing help. My guests loved the sliders, salads, and desserts. Sadly, not a morsel was leftover. That is a sign of a great party! Thank you Handheld. I am so grateful for a successful party. I will be contacting you again.
Eric H.
I had contracted Handheld Catering for a corporate event. Lisa and Anna were super responsive and helpful with getting my event planned and organized. They were responsive via phone, email, and even came in-person to do a site-walk through. I liked how they handled everything from food, drink, organizing the table rentals, and everything around the event. They really made everything very seamless. The staff at the event were very professional and prompt too. The food and desserts were very tasty and they were above expectations. Overall, I would highly recommend Handheld Catering for corporate events. Thanks!
Teresa L.
I couldn't be happier with the service and quality of food we received from Handheld Catering. Ordinarily, I am extremely organized but due to a concussion, planning our holiday party seemed like an impossible task. I connected with Cameron at HHC, explained the situation, and he took over! He recommended menus, accommodated food restrictions, arranged setup and every other detail. On the day of the party, HHC arrived, setup, and disappeared in a flash leaving behind an absolutely beautiful buffet of delicious food that exceeded expectations in every way.Our holiday party was a huge success thanks to Cameron and Handheld Catering. I would recommend them to anyone who wants excellent food quality with stellar customer service at a completely reasonable price!
Sabrina S.
I was completely ghosted on a catering request. I got an initial reply & was connected with the appropriate contacts and then no one followed up despite me following up multiple times. So unprofessional.
As an event manager at a university I host catered events often. I love working with Handheld Catering! Whether the event is a formal sit down dinner for 60 or a small holiday party for 20 Handheld makes everything seamless and worry free. Their menu options are interesting and the food is fantastic!! The staff are kind, professional and downright fun to work with. I highly recommend them.
Chelsea Leopardi
I waited a long time to write this review to ensure I did not do so with anger and give myself time to reflect on the experience. I contacted handheld and it started off great - I even pressured my parents to go with them over a less costly service because I was convinced that they would be great and I wanted everything to go well. . . things quickly fell apart. Brenda Ayala, the woman we worked with, took several weeks to reply to emails and months to get estimates, she also missed scheduled phone calls. Each time she apologized and said she was busy. She was a very nice person but the service was atrocious. At one point, I was on the phone with her and vocalized that I was concerned that we were going over budget and wanted to review some of the decor suggestions/add ons that we had spoken about. Brenda said something like, "i'm sure your parents will get over it." At that point, I asked my mother to take over being the main point of contact as it made me extremely uncomfortable on top of the poor service. The day before my wedding we waited for most of the day for the tables etc. to be dropped off at the venue - they never came and we were late to the rehearsal dinner because of it. When the rentals did come they were not what we ordered. There were countless other issues that I don't think I need to detail here. Suffice it to say, working with Handheld nearly ruined my wedding day. The only bright spot was working with the main floral coordinator (not sure if that is her actual role). She was amazing and helped arrange a truly beautiful bouquet. She also came to the venue on the day of the wedding to supervise because there had been so many issues. Handheld gave us a few thousand dollars off of the final bill but that doesn't nearly make up for the stress and terrible service. I understand that May 2022 was a very busy time for wedding services but Handheld should not take on more clients than they can handle. Truly awful experience.
Kim M.
I used Handheld for my husbands 50th bday a few weeks back. I was a little behind and I found Handheld on Yelp. I sent an email and Krista responded very quickly and was gem from the go! The level of customer service/support/experience was nothing short of INCEDIBLE! Krista was very helpful picking the menu and listening what I was thinking for the event. This was a small event, only 18 people and we had it in our backyard. Krista organized everything from the rentals, to the bartender, food and the event was amazing and just what I wanted. Lisa was on site that day and she and the rest of the Handheld staff that help make our event awesome, we all wonderful and very friendly and attentive to our guest. I took a leap of faith when I booked Handheld and I cannot wait to use them again! Thank you Krista and team for a truly spectacular event!!
Robin L.
I had never had any event catered before. This was for a celebration of life, held in my back yard, and I was nervous! Krista was wonderful from the beginning, even coming to the house to scope out the layout of tables and the flow. Handheld catering rented the tables, umbrellas, linens, and of course made the food (which was delicious). Before the event, Lisa's skilled eye helped arrange flowers, pots, a large poster, and the tables/umbrellas into a harmonious setting. So thankful for her artistic sense and serene and capable presence. Everything was attended to, and that gave me the confidence and freedom to talk with our guests. At one point the very helpful and kind servers walked around and offered guests the exquisite little desserts (which were being ignored!) and I really felt like a guest at my own party. Favorite foods: the salmon bites braised in bourbon, and the mini chocolate mousses Many friends inquired about this caterer. I will quote one and say, "I would hire them again in a skinny minute!"
Geoffrey M.
This is my go to spot near the ballpark. Worth a special trip. All fresh ingredients prepared with care. Excellent margaritas. Service is prompt and very friendly. Miguel is a real standout with service!
We hired Handheld to cater a combination 55th birthday and remodel celebration. As we haven't had caterers before, unless you count our wedding decades ago, we were new to the process. We couldn't be more thrilled with how the event went. With a full bar and bartender, five completely different yet equally delicious appetizers, and incredibly gracious staff, it's no wonder many friends said it was the best party they'd attended. The staff served a cake brought by a friend, and welcomed the addition of a homemade fruit and veggie platter that I decided to provide last minute. They handled the rental of some high top tables, linens, cocktail appropriate glassware. Just thrilled. My only regret is that I didn't personally take any photos of the set-up. The one I was able to borrow from a friend's photos doesn't do it justice at all.
Handheld Catering catered my friend's 50th birthday that I was hosting. Amazing end to end - from the first consultation (prompt responses, Zoom call). Worked with our preferences. Proposed menu based on budget. The food tasting experience was also fun and informative. The event went smoothly from start to finish (setting up and cleaning up!!). Shoutout to An Bui who was my contact! Even came with the staff to help setup and all that. Benny and Gama was the staff who helped us at the party!!The food was amazing! The sliders were my favorites. And.... The hot apple cider was the other winner!! Thank you Handheld team!!
In fact, I rarely write reviews on websites, but Handheld catering makes me feel guilty if I don't. I firmly believe that Handheld is the best choice for your banquet. Let me tell you why:1. The person I contacted was An Bui, she was very helpful and responsive. We made many adjustments to the menu, many times I was embarrassed to even ask for it, but she was still very patient. I am very grateful to her, without her my party would not have been possible.2. It is obvious that Handheld has extensive experience in hosting banquets. Believe me, I asked a dozen catering companies, and most of them only provide food, and we need to find other equipment ourselves. Companies like Handheld that take care of the entire process for us are actually very rare. Moreover, it is obvious that An has a very good command of some details. For example, she enthusiastically gave us suggestions, such as where to best place the food, and how to control the time of the banquet to prevent the food from losing its taste.3.Handheld food is very delicious. Our guests specifically requested your name from us because they also wanted to order for their banquet.4. Your staff are great. At the end of the banquet, the staff who collected the food containers were also patiently waiting for us. Moreover, the day before the banquet, we suddenly wanted to change the time to 9 a.m., and you were very enthusiastic to help. thank you very much!
Handheld catered our company fundraiser and they were perfect! Guests gave great reviews on the food and the staff went above and beyond. Highly recommend for anyone's events!
Handheld Catering did a great job for my Dad's 90th birthday party. Everybody asked who catered the party. The food was all very good and very well displayed. I highly recommend Handheld Catering!
Amazing and professional job by the team. Polite, creative, flexible and very easy to work with. Had an amazing private event.
I am so blessed to have found Handheld and Team Anna & Lisa to help me host a high school graduation/empty nest celebration-June 2023. Handheld provided me with great guidance, a tasting in their Santa Clara offices, a site visit, and enabled me to make adjustments even days before the party. They were easy to plan with and excellent on the day of the event. Everything from set up to meal prep to party flow was exactly as we discussed. I have received nothing but compliments on the food, decor, and staffing help. My guests loved the sliders, salads, and desserts. Sadly, not a morsel was leftover. That is a sign of a great party! Thank you Handheld. I am so grateful for a successful party. I will be contacting you again.
I had contracted Handheld Catering for a corporate event. Lisa and Anna were super responsive and helpful with getting my event planned and organized. They were responsive via phone, email, and even came in-person to do a site-walk through. I liked how they handled everything from food, drink, organizing the table rentals, and everything around the event. They really made everything very seamless. The staff at the event were very professional and prompt too. The food and desserts were very tasty and they were above expectations. Overall, I would highly recommend Handheld Catering for corporate events. Thanks!
I couldn't be happier with the service and quality of food we received from Handheld Catering. Ordinarily, I am extremely organized but due to a concussion, planning our holiday party seemed like an impossible task. I connected with Cameron at HHC, explained the situation, and he took over! He recommended menus, accommodated food restrictions, arranged setup and every other detail. On the day of the party, HHC arrived, setup, and disappeared in a flash leaving behind an absolutely beautiful buffet of delicious food that exceeded expectations in every way.Our holiday party was a huge success thanks to Cameron and Handheld Catering. I would recommend them to anyone who wants excellent food quality with stellar customer service at a completely reasonable price!
I was completely ghosted on a catering request. I got an initial reply & was connected with the appropriate contacts and then no one followed up despite me following up multiple times. So unprofessional.
Restaurantji Recommends
As an event manager at a university I host catered events often. I love working with Handheld Catering! Whether the event is a formal sit down dinner for 60 or a small holiday party for 20 Handheld makes everything seamless and worry free. Their menu options are interesting and the food is fantastic!! The staff are kind, professional and downright fun to work with. I highly recommend them.
I waited a long time to write this review to ensure I did not do so with anger and give myself time to reflect on the experience. I contacted handheld and it started off great - I even pressured my parents to go with them over a less costly service because I was convinced that they would be great and I wanted everything to go well. . . things quickly fell apart. Brenda Ayala, the woman we worked with, took several weeks to reply to emails and months to get estimates, she also missed scheduled phone calls. Each time she apologized and said she was busy. She was a very nice person but the service was atrocious. At one point, I was on the phone with her and vocalized that I was concerned that we were going over budget and wanted to review some of the decor suggestions/add ons that we had spoken about. Brenda said something like, "i'm sure your parents will get over it." At that point, I asked my mother to take over being the main point of contact as it made me extremely uncomfortable on top of the poor service. The day before my wedding we waited for most of the day for the tables etc. to be dropped off at the venue - they never came and we were late to the rehearsal dinner because of it. When the rentals did come they were not what we ordered. There were countless other issues that I don't think I need to detail here. Suffice it to say, working with Handheld nearly ruined my wedding day. The only bright spot was working with the main floral coordinator (not sure if that is her actual role). She was amazing and helped arrange a truly beautiful bouquet. She also came to the venue on the day of the wedding to supervise because there had been so many issues. Handheld gave us a few thousand dollars off of the final bill but that doesn't nearly make up for the stress and terrible service. I understand that May 2022 was a very busy time for wedding services but Handheld should not take on more clients than they can handle. Truly awful experience.
I used Handheld for my husbands 50th bday a few weeks back. I was a little behind and I found Handheld on Yelp. I sent an email and Krista responded very quickly and was gem from the go! The level of customer service/support/experience was nothing short of INCEDIBLE! Krista was very helpful picking the menu and listening what I was thinking for the event. This was a small event, only 18 people and we had it in our backyard. Krista organized everything from the rentals, to the bartender, food and the event was amazing and just what I wanted. Lisa was on site that day and she and the rest of the Handheld staff that help make our event awesome, we all wonderful and very friendly and attentive to our guest. I took a leap of faith when I booked Handheld and I cannot wait to use them again! Thank you Krista and team for a truly spectacular event!!
I had never had any event catered before. This was for a celebration of life, held in my back yard, and I was nervous! Krista was wonderful from the beginning, even coming to the house to scope out the layout of tables and the flow. Handheld catering rented the tables, umbrellas, linens, and of course made the food (which was delicious). Before the event, Lisa's skilled eye helped arrange flowers, pots, a large poster, and the tables/umbrellas into a harmonious setting. So thankful for her artistic sense and serene and capable presence. Everything was attended to, and that gave me the confidence and freedom to talk with our guests. At one point the very helpful and kind servers walked around and offered guests the exquisite little desserts (which were being ignored!) and I really felt like a guest at my own party. Favorite foods: the salmon bites braised in bourbon, and the mini chocolate mousses Many friends inquired about this caterer. I will quote one and say, "I would hire them again in a skinny minute!"
This is my go to spot near the ballpark. Worth a special trip. All fresh ingredients prepared with care. Excellent margaritas. Service is prompt and very friendly. Miguel is a real standout with service!