Chef Ray and his team catered my husbands 50th birthday/ NYE party and were absolutely amazing. We did heavy appetizers all of which were delicious, just about everyone of our 75+ guests commented on how fantastic the food was. His team also included the best bartender ever! All around professional and delightful! Highly recommend! We will definitely be using Chef 805 for our next party! read more

We hired Chef Ray for our 21-person Thanksgiving gathering this year. OMG, was he good. I didn't realize our small kitchen could produce so much good food (although he was in there cooking most of the day). Every single one of our guests was impressed (as were we). Delicious appetizers, amazing traditional Thanksgiving meal, and delicious desserts to finish it off. This was our first time using Chef Ray and we will be a repeat customer. And have already recommended him to our friends. Extremely happy we entrusted our special family event to such a pro. And he's a super nice guy, too. read more

Requested several quotes from different businesses via Yelp for a personal chef for brunch in December for a small family. This business was the first one to reply back and requested a phone interview. When we spoke the gentleman was professional, motivated and excited based on my wants and needs. He mentioned he would put a menu together and send it to me within 24 hours. Well, my request simply fell short after, as I had to message him via Yelp requesting a follow-up with regards to the menus he had promised. He never replied and never heard back from them whatsoever. Did he not want my business? Was my request not profitable enough to follow through with? Were they to busy? Who knows but leaving a customer up in the air without at least saying "hey, got your message been busy, be with you soon" would have sufficed. The lack of response killed the professionalism. Not to mention the complete waste of time I took out my day to speak with him. Either way, found another great Personal Chef for what I needed and was booked and paid for in full. read more

What a wonderful night! We hired Chef 805 Catering for my mom's 70th birthday dinner while on vacation in Oxnard. It was a small affair, with 10 guests and no dietary restrictions. From the very beginning Chef Ray was responsive, friendly, professional, and a joy to work with. He was upfront about the cost and put together a delicious menu for us. Chef Ray and Carlos arrived hours before the dinner to prepare all the food. We enjoyed talking with them as they cooked for us and learning more about the process. Once it was time to serve appetizers, we were blown away. They were delicious. I especially liked the crispy artichokes and honey sriracha sauce, but the bacon wrapped dates and bruschetta were big hits too. The presentation was beautiful! We opted for a buffet style and were not disappointed. Again the presentation and the spread were amazing! I don't think I can even pick my favorite dish. Chef Ray and Carlos took care of everything! From handing us glasses to refill our drinks to cleaning up the kitchen and wrapping up the leftovers. My family was able to spend time together and not worry about a thing. What an incredible experience! read more

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I chose Chef805 Catering from his website and from the positive reviews he has received. I couldn't be happier with my choice. As requested, Chef Ray presented a great range of appetizers and a fantastic sit down dinner for 14 at a reasonable price. Having experienced many catered meals in their lives, several of my guests stated that this was the best food and presentation ever! The crew's friendly professionalism combined with exceptionally delicious food was a major factor in the success of my party. I recommend Chef805 Catering without exception. read more

We hired Chef Ray and his staff for our family Christmas dinner.. it was AMAZING!! He did a wonderful job explaining, well organized throughout our kitchen , VERY DELICIOUS from the beginning with appetizers, dinner entrees, dessert to end the night.. Chef Ray was very attentive to timing of every aspect of our dinner.. Chef 805 staff are hard workers & respectful !! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Good job Chef Ray & staff... read more

Chef Ray & his team are outstanding!! They catered our wedding reception which was held in our house & we, as well as our guests, cannot say enough about Chef Ray's food. Was amazing! Not only is his food amazing, but his personality & fun attitude cannot be beat. We will definitely be using Chef Ray & his team again. We highly recommend them for your events!! read more

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I really can't heap enough praise on Chef Ray. I could wax on and on about how amazing, beautiful, and stress free everything he was involved in was. Chef Ray and team were a perfect blend of professional and relaxed - I came away with the feeling like one of my close friends did something truly amazing for my wedding. Ray is an absolute pleasure to deal with, is extremely affable, and beyond skilled in crafting not only delicious plates, but they also are incredibly aesthetically appealing. When Chef Ray says he'll make it sexy, he means it!!! Every guest in attendance, even days later would not stop talking about the food Ray provided, not just how good it tasted, but his beautiful presentation. I plan use Chef Ray and 805 Catering for every event I have going forward, and you should too, you will not be disappointed. read more

Chef Ray knocked it out of the park for my son's wedding rehearsal luncheon. His presentation was beautiful and the food was divine. Ray is a great communicator and such a warm, friendly guy. He delivered a luncheon that was above and beyond: Look no further, Chef Ray is a rare gem:)) read more

Chef Ray is absolutely amazing and everything he served was amazing. We had a family party with a wide range of ages and he made sure the meal was perfect from the freshest salad to the best brownies I have ever eaten. He was very easy to work with and did his best to accommodate us all the way through the party including cleaning up everything afterwards. He also supplied all the tables and chairs for our party. I would recommend Chef Ray from his awesome food to his personal style to his reasonable prices. Our whole family agreed we would love to have him back for our next event. read more

Chef Ray has catered several of our events. He has done an exceptional job and always comes through. He is a very important part of our big events we have for our office. read more

I love chef Ray's food, and the cornbread is to die for! Very delicious and I'm very impressed with all the food, also very friendly!

We had Chef Ray and his team cater for our son and new daughter-in-law's rehearsal dinner for over 60 people and I cannot say enough about how much he added to the ambience of a magical evening! I had consulted with maybe about 7 other caterers before deciding upon Chef Ray, because I am a definite foodie and believe so much of the experience in a special event is through being served delicious food. And all of Chef Ray's creations melt in your mouth! Everything he made was excellent! I have received so much praise from the guests and have already had to give out his contact information. He made everything so much easier on me as well with his can-do attitude on my many requests and inquiries as well as handling all the equipment, linens, place settings, glassware and dishes being ordered and delivered. We live 2 hours away and everything needed to be provided to the rehearsal site and he handled all of that, making it so much more streamlined for us with all of our planning. He also has an artistry with how he presents his food. It looks so pretty and inviting and blends with the ambience. And on top of all of this, he does it all for a very fair price! I am so thankful we had Chef Ray cater this very special event for us! He will exceed your expectations and more! You do not need to look any further! He is it!!! read more

Oh my goodness! Chef 805 Catering is the best! I contacted Chef Ray just 2 weeks before my event, of course with the current Covid situation I waited to the last minute before deciding to host a birthday party for myself. Chef Ray was quick to respond and we discussed menu options. He was very accommodating in helping me select the menu, going over each item patiently and suggesting menu items to complement my main choices. On the date of my event, he arrived promptly and got to work preparing the meal. He and his assistant were so courteous, friendly, and so attentive to my needs. They prepared everything, set up the spread, replenished everything as needed so there was never any empty trays or cold food. Everything was so delicious and just over-the-top yummy. The braised short ribs fell off the bones, they were so tender and tasty. The lemon chicken was soft, tender, and deliciously savory. The cheese tortellini were a hit! Everyone's favorite! Dates wrapped in bacon stuffed with a goat cheese mousse were my favorite. He even prepared chicken nuggets from scratch for the kids! When we were done with our meal, they cleaned everything up, washing every single dish, packed up the food, wiped down all the counters and eating areas, and even cleaned the floor. They were amazing and provided much more than I had expected. I highly recommend their services and will use them again. Thank you Chef Ray for your awesome service and delicious food. You. made my event extra special. read more

Chef Ray was amazing to work with! I hired him for my 30th birthday dinner party in Santa Barbara! I contacted chef Ray days prior to the event and he was able to put together an amazing meal for 15 people. He was very responsive, kind and an overall great person to work with! Everything was perfect from the presentation to the taste! We had a variety of appetizers, entrees and dessert, which everybody thoroughly enjoyed. We will definitely be using Chef Ray again for our next event! Highly recommend!! read more

Chef Ray was an absolute lifesaver. I contacted him less than a week before our event, which was a catered dinner for my Mom's funeral service. He was incredibly responsive, suggested a wonderful menu framed around my suggestion of shish kebobs and handled all of the logistics with tremendous grace and sensitivity. He and his assistant were a wonderful presence to have in the kitchen (even doing all of our guests' dishes from earlier in the day!!) and was a positive force to have with us that day. And most important the food was incredible! Delicious, impeccably presented, and bountiful, all for an phenomenal price. We would 100% have Chef Ray cater our next event (hopefully a much happier one!). read more

We hired Chef Ray for a large dinner party in November and we were so impressed! The food was absolutely delicious. The food presentation was fantastic. There was a beautiful array of appetizers and and amazing dinner! All of our guests thought it was absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend hiring him for any of your catering needs! He knocked it out of the park. read more

We hired chef Ray for for my mother's celebration of life party in July, and I cannot say enough good things. From the moment we reached out, communication was clear and timely. He was present for multiple walk-throughs at the venue. He was flexible as our guest count changed and dietary restrictions popped up. Just before the event we realized we needed help providing wine and rentals and he handled EVERYTHING with just one text. He truly made the catering portion of this event something we literally didn't even have to think about, and given the nature of the evening, that was the biggest gift he could have given us. His staff was professional. He was kind and on top of every last detail. And the food was AMAZING. (At least 50 people mentioned the Mac and cheese was the best they ever had.) I can't recommend Ray enough, truly a heart of gold and so talented, and we will be using him for any and every event in our future. read more

Highly Recommended - Chef Ray and his team went above and beyond what I expected. We had a birthday party at Arroyo Verde Park in Ventura, which Chef Ray catered for about 20 people. My daughter had a detailed menu that she requested; vegan/vegetarian and gluten free dishes. It was beyond amazing, the presentation was phenomenal and all the food was delicious. Ray also made her a special lavender lemonade. I can go on and on how special he made my daughters day. We are so grateful for his kindness and talent. Chef Ray will defiantly be my first call for all of our events! read more

Chef Ray catered for my Sister In law's wedding last night and the food was absolutely incredible! He was asked to prepare a Thanksgiving meal (in May) for the dinner and he had everything fresh and prepared in the home with cranberries, the best turkey I have ever had (I'm a terrible vegan and had a small bite) homemade pumpkin pie, and the vegan options were incredible as well! He even made a killer green bean casserole that tasted like my moms. People talked about the food long after he packed up and cleaned the kitchen and we are talking about it again this morning as we eat what little there was was leftover. He was fantastic to work with and knocked the appetizers, dinner, and deserts out of the park! If anyone ever comes my way looking for an amazing meal, I will send them to Chef Ray. Thank you again Chef! read more

Absolutely phenomenal service!!! I could not have asked for a better experience! Chef Ray is amazing and the food was delicious!! I had a wine tasting party and my guests were BEYOND amazed by the professionalism and overall experience! You will BE MORE THAN satisfied and happy with Chef Ray!! read more

My husband and I got married about three weeks ago and Chef Ray catered our wedding. It was outstanding! We got tons of compliments on how great the food was. We loved it so much. Chef Ray was professional, kind and super flexible every step of the way. We talked to a lot of catering companies before we found 805 Catering, and none of them seemed to really understand what we wanted. Chef Ray came up with an incredible menu and it was like he was reading our minds. He made it so easy for us. His bid was super reasonable. He even came and did a site visit, listened to us and understood our vision. The food not only tasted good but it looked great and super inviting. He makes great non alcoholic beverages too! I was super touched that both he and his incredible assistant, Steven, checked in on my husband and I throughout the reception to see if we were hungry. We were so excited we could barely eat. They were super kind and made us a to go package and made sure to give it to use before we left. We went home a little tipsy to pack for our honeymoon and we were so happy we had the food! It was delicious. I'm so happy we found Chef Ray. He was so responsive, professional and his food was outstanding. You can't go wrong with 805 Catering. Thanks Chef Ray. If we had it all to do over again, we wouldn't change a thing! We will recommend 805 catering every chance we get. read more

I own an event / party rental company. I met chef Ray at an event where I supplied rentals and he catered the food. I had a card night (poker) at my home for friends. I decided to have chef Ray prepare some appitizers and finger foods for my guests. Wow, did he WOW my guests with his dishes. Especially his stuffed mushrooms. My friends and relatives rave about his food all the time. I am glad we met and I will continue to use his services at other functions and recommend him to all my clients looking for a caterer. read more

Chef Ray at Chef 805 is AMAZING! Very personable and the food was to die for. I felt so honored because he has worked with some of the best in the business. The experience comes out in the quality and flavor of his food. Thank you so very much Chef Ray for making our 25th Anniversary Celebration so special. Even without COVID, I would not have wanted to celebrate any other way. May business continue to come your way in abundance because you are very talented. We will definitely hire you for future events. Thank you again. Always, King Family read more

I hired Chef Ray to cater my husbands 50th surprise party and the food was amazing! We held it at Ventura Coast Brewery, so I wanted fun, spicy, food that would go well with the theme. It was delicious and not something you could just pick up anywhere else. We are foodies and he did not disappoint. We had beef empanadas, spicy Thai noodle bowls, BLT pizza, a beautiful charcuterie board, crostini, BBQ short ribs, shrimp shooters...is your mouth watering yet? I am looking forward to having him cater out next event...which I might have to plan sooner than later:) read more

My spouse, Terry wrote the following review but it was not showing as a recommended review. She wrote, "Chef Ray catered our daughter's wedding. Fabulous food, all freshly cooked right there at the little beach house. Incredible appetizers and he and his sous chef were very careful with staying in the guidelines for social distancing. The food was served on time and everything cleaned up better than they found it. It all included china and tables and linens. A great value. Our guests were blown away by the great dinner." I will add, Chef Ray provided all the drinks including beer and wine which we discussed so he would have our favorites. read more

Chef Ray is very professional. I had him cater my wedding. The food was my most important aspect in the reception. When I first started looking, I was very worried but Chef Ray made it very easy. He was very responsive, respectful, and helpful. He was very easy to work with and communicated very well. As far as food goes, it was more delicious than I can express. The appetizers were to die for and the Entrees were cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth. Although he had sauces he made to go with the Entrees it wasn't needed. They were that flavorful and good. All night long my guests came up to compliment me on the Chef and his amazing food. The next day we were still receiving texts and calls about how great the wedding was and how exceptional the food was. Chef Ray trully was a delight and very courteous. He was very communicative and definitely deserves more than 5 stars. He kept to the contract perfectly and helped me design an amazing menu that fit my husband and my styles. Will always choose Chef Ray for the future and especially as a wedding planner. He is the person to go to! Thank you Chef Ray you made our special day all the better with the savory melt-in-your-mouth food, perfectly made appetizers that blew us out of the water, and an amazing and kind service staff. Highly recommend! read more

Where do I begin... I was planning my wedding reception party that was two months away, and we still needed a caterer! By sheer luck I found Chef Ray's ad, and gave him a call. At that point, I had to have spoken to a dozen different types of vendors for preparing this event, but Ray was by far one of the most professional over the phone, and later in person. We had a larger guest list then we had initially planned, and he was willing and capable to cater to all of their dietary preferences. It was an absolute joy planning out and deciding on a menu with him. Ray was so flexible and worked with us to coordinate when we did the taste testing. All of the samples he brought over for it were so delicious, it brought the fun and excitement back into the final stretch of a very arduous 6 months of planning. He planned everything out with me ahead of time so intricately in that final week that I trusted him and his team 100%. So, while I was wrangling tipsy guests, getting stung by a bee, and directing other vendors on my Very Special Day, I knew that the food was abundant, the display was perfection, and my guests were happily fed and taken care of. That day was truly a success because I was fortunate enough to have hired Chef Ray and his friendly and very capable team. It has been several month since that day, and I am still getting compliments from my friends and family on how outstanding the catering team at my wedding was. Thank you Chef Ray & Team! read more

Chef Ray and 805 Catering were fabulous for our recent celebration with family and friends. From initial contact, where Chef Ray discussed our event and worked with me to create a perfect menu, to the day of when he and Carlos arrived and began set up and cooking, through serving and then clean up, it was all seamless and professional. The food was fabulous (menu included: several appetizers to choose from, all so tasty they could have been a meal; an incredible seafood and steak buffet with fabulous side dishes - seriously the scallops were amazing; and a fun brownie and cookies dessert table.). Presentation of everything was beautiful and perfect for our beach house setting. Chef Ray and Carlos were personable and great fun to converse with while they were prepping and serving, and they were wonderful with our guests and the children. Really can't recommend them enough. Five stars from start to finish! read more

Wow! Chef 805 Catering (Ray) is absolutely incredible. We have used him a few times for business events and private parties. He make the most incredible dishes and never disappoints. Our guest are always amazed when they taste his food and they look forward to coming to our next event. He makes everything so easy and takes all the stress out of having a party. I look forward to the next time I get to eat the empanadas, they're to die for! read more

I booked Chef 805 Catering for two business lunch events I hosted, and I'm really glad I did. Ray was very helpful in providing different menu options to select from. We were even able to offer some vegan dishes for some of my clients. The food was great, everyone seemed to enjoy it very much! I would definitely recommend them for any of your catering needs. read more