"Fantastic service and delicious food! Everything exceeded my expectations -- highly recommend!"

Chef Eric & the misfits really pulled my best friends party that I planned, all in!! The staff was so kind & just all around awesome! The food was amazing! Sliders, tuna tartare, carpaccio, chicken tacos, just to name a few were a huge hit with every single person at the party! Photobooth was a great touch too! Easy to use and looked awesome! Thank you so so so much Chef Eric, couldn't have done it without you!! read more

Chef Eric brought his team to my house for a bachelorette party I was hosting. They made an incredible meal that everyone loved!! They were all super friendly and entertaining. I had a party of 13 ladies and he was so great at catering to many different food allergies and preferences. I can't thank him enough for making it such a special evening!!! read more

Our first experience with Chef Eric was a dinner party for 10. We were so impressed we had him do two big family Christmas dinners that were amazing. He offered up some great suggestions for menu ideas. Our family and friends raved about his food. We look forward to enjoying his fabulous culinary skills for years to come. read more

We hired Chef Eric and his team at Culinary Misfits to take care of the catering for our dinner party of 10. This was the first time i've hired a catering service to come in for a party because I usually like to cook. However after doing that for several years I realized I was missing out on a lot of the fun and conversations with my guests. Chef Eric and his team showed up about an hour early professionally dressed of course and unpacked their gear to prep everything and chat . We had opted to have an extra staff member come with him and she took care of serving, pouring drinks etc. which was invaluable I would highly suggest doing this as she walked around with Hors D'oeuvre and was such a delight to the ambiance. All of the food was incredible as one might expect, steak, fish, salads, polenta cakes and much more was perfect. Dessert was SERIOULSLY good - the Carmel Budino (photo attached). Aside from the delicious food and wonderful service we appreciated the extra mile the team went to completely clean everything and put the kitchen back to exactly as it was, they even swept the floor. I couldn't believe it. I highly recommend any menu from them and i'll definitely be using Culinary Misfits again in the near future. The icing on the cake was not only did they prepare, plate and serve everything but he memorialized the event by making a cool TikTok video which I am SO HAPPY ABOUT! Give him a follow on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@culinarymisfits/video/7190437522856529198 read more

Chef Eric James - Caramel Budino - Personal Chefs Near Me

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I hired Chef Eric originally for one day for a girls trip in Palm Springs. After looking through his menu, the girls and I decided to book him for an additional night. When I tell you the food was amazing, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! 10 out of 10!!!!! On top of eating great, Chef Eric was personable and entertaining. We will be hiring him again! Thank you so much Chef Eric! If we could've packed you in our suitcase we would have! read more

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Yup, what you're reading in all these reviews is true. Chef Eric is a master at his craft, and created 3 delicious meals back-to-back for our multi-day corporate team event of 22 people with extremely specific dietary restrictions and preferences. But don't think of him as just your catering vendor - as soon as you contact him, you'll realize that Chef Eric is a wonderful soul, passionate about feeding people and providing a good atmosphere, professional yet creative and flexible in his approach. Below are a few more reasons why we're 100% happy clients of Culinary Misfits: - Quick response and easy communication via text and email - Transparent pricing and easy online payment system - Photo booth and birthday cupcake tower add-on were a hit - Intuitive adjustments to portions and menus once he got to know our group - Since none of us are local to Austin, he volunteered to take our unused supplies, unopened snacks, and leftovers to a local shelter on the last day so they wouldn't go to waste Thank you for being a huge part of making our corporate event a success. read more

Chef Eric/Culinary Misfits was amazing to work with. I am a corporate event planner (@joltevents) and hired Eric for a 28 person private residence dinner. He was so easy to work with, professional, personable, and the food was superb. Highly recommend and hope to get to work with him again in the near future. read more

"We contacted Chef Eric James in September to request his service for a dinner party for 12 guests at our home. From this first contact through the event itself, it was an absolute pleasure to interact with Chef Eric. He is extremely knowledgeable and professional in all areas. He was always prompt in responding to our inquiries. He worked with us in detail regarding menu item selection, providing his expert advice to optimize our choices. He and his supporting staff of two helpers arrived on time. The helpers provided excellent table service with style, grace, and professionalism. Chef Eric prepared the food in our kitchen and came to the table to describe each menu item in detail as it was being served. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and expertly served. We and our guests immensely enjoyed this fine dining as well as fun experience. Chef Eric and his staff handled all the kitchen equipment, dishes, glasses, utensils, etc., returning our kitchen to the way they found it. We were very pleased and impressed with Chef Eric and his staff. We have contracted for his services again for a holiday party in our home. read more

I cannot recommend Chef Eric enough! The food, service, and experience all exceeded my expectations. His mix of professionalism and personality make for an unforgettable event. I can't wait for my next work, family, or social event so that I can enjoy his amazing food again. Board dinner, baby shower, private dinner (birthday, bachelor/ette) 10/10. read more

Chef Eric James - Crab meat bearnaise covered filet on a bed of parmesan risotto with asparagus and sun-dried tomato succotash - Personal Chefs Near Me

I wanted to say "hello" to my last year in my 30's with something I REALLY like: eating food. So, I decided to host a birthday feast. To me there's nothing better than sharing a meal with friends. Unless that's sharing a meal I DIDN'T have to cook or clean up after. Chef Eric is a personal chef without the hefty price tag. (I didn't want to start my new year by adding to my student loan debt.) He made the meal memorable, deliciously perfect, and within my price range. AND his crew did the serving AND the cleaning. WIN TRIPLE WIN WIN WIN! The kitchen in the hotel apartment rental I rented wasn't the most modern, but Chef Eric excelled at overcoming this obstacle. The other hurdle that the hotel allowed for only 6 guests in a room. I had 17. We had to host in the first-floor event room. Chef Eric and his team navigated cooking on the 16th floor (where my hotel room was located) and then bringing down the food down to the 1st-floor event room. Even though it had a long journey, the food still looked stunning, was still hot and tasted delicious. Instead of looking beleaguered and haggard by this very major inconvenience, Chef Eric's wonderful servers still looked beautiful and were graceful, tasteful and fun as well (Bless them!) I don't know if I'd have been able to muster that much grace and provide superb service with a smile if I were in their shoes.) The steak was cooked perfectly and people wanted to take shots of the oh-my-gawd sooo good chimichurri. I was skeptical about squash as a side that Chef Eric suggested to compliment my steak selection, but it was deliciously prepared with no hint of squashiee-ness that squash often has when cooked (i.e. microwaved) at restaurants. And don't even get me started on how delicious that key lime pie was! It was served in a cute round jar and I wanted to lick the jar to get all of its goodness. I probably could have gotten away with that social faux pas since I was the birthday girl, but alas, I declined the temptation. Unfortunately, I had six people who couldn't attend because of unforeseen circumstances and Chef Eric boxed up the leftovers for me to enjoy. He even heated up some of them for a couple of hungry guests that showed up for the "after-party" in the hotel room. Chef Eric's waiters helped set up the rentals (dishes, silverware, linen and tables) and when the dinner was over, food was swiped from the linens, linens were folded neatly, the rental dishes were cleaned and stacked back nicely into the creates. When I entered back into the hotel room, the kitchen was spotless and sparkling. I enjoyed not having to clean after the party so I could enjoy my guests that stayed for the after-party. What a perfect way to celebrate the start of the last year in my 30's! Thank you, Chef Eric, and crew! I will definitely be calling upon you again for future dinner parties. And next time, I'll book a space where you don't have to travel up and down 16 floors. read more

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My fiancé and I was planning an intimate wedding dinner for ~45 guests at a local boutique hotel and we found Chef Eric after a lot of search on private chef. Out of all of the chefs we contacted, Chef Eric was the most responsive, friendly, and helpful in guiding us through what the menu and pricing would look like for the event. Even right up to the special event Chef Eric remained super attentive, patience, and accommodating to any of our questions and requests. Overall, we're so glad to entrust the important task of keeping our guests full and satisfied to Chef Eric because that's one of the highlights of the event that our family and friends keep gushing about--the food. From the small bite size appetizers (e.g., Tuscan Meatballs, Polenta Cakes) to the Caesar Salad, and the main courses (e.g., Chimichurri Roasted Chicken) everything was absolutely delish! My vegan friends also raved about his special vegan-friendly creations and were very appreciative of leaving the event with a very full and happy belly. On top of the great food, Chef Eric was quite generous in letting us borrow his portable photo booth at the event, which made the event extra special. Overall, Chef Eric is a culinary wizard and you will not regret in booking him to feed you and your guests for any special occasions. Thanks again, Chef! read more

Chef Eric James - Chimichurri Roasted Chicken, Mac & Cheese, & Roasted Squash - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Chef Eric James is a wonderful chef. He was our private chef for my friend's bachelorette getaway. The food was incredible! Chef Eric was easy to work with and fun to talk to. Thank you for making our event fun, delicious and memorable. read more

Chef Eric James - Personal Chefs Near Me

I hired this caterer for a breakfast for a conference. Eric is easy to work with and him and his team is professional, well organized, and a lot of fun. We had the waffle bar with eggs, bacon and fruit, which was excellent. I received many compliments from the group of 150 attendees. I will definitely hire them for another event. Thank you Eric, D and ladies for serving us breakfast and making the experience so seamless and enjoyable. read more

Chef Eric James - Waffle Bar - Personal Chefs Near Me

I cannot say enough good things about Culinary Misfits-- Chef Eric and Chef D. I hired them for a bachelorette party and everything from the booking process to the planning process to the actual dining experience was unbelievably incredible and so easy, not to mention FUN. It is nothing like the others and a one-of-a-kind experience. They well exceeded expectations by all 10 of the guests and I wish I could eat their meals every single night!!! 10/10 and highly recommend!!! The best duo. read more

Chef Eric James - Mini Chicken Chipotle Tacos - Personal Chefs Near Me

Chef Eric hooked us UP. We were a bachelorette party and he came and cooked for us and was extremely professional, fun, and kind! Food was absolutely incredible. read more

Eric is the man! We had him over to cook an intimate dinner with another couple and it was amazing! We did ceviche, heart of palm salad, A5 wagyu with asparagus and sun dried tomatoe succotash, and a strawberry shortcake for dessert. Everything was to die for. Eric cooked, cleaned, and provided excellent all round service. We will definitely use him again and recommend him to everyone. 5 stars. read more

Chef Eric's steaks are a mouth watering. I am not a big fan of steak but his process Sous Vide of encapsulating flavour and juices has really made me a fan of steak again. His presentation, warmth and humor was just the cherry on top of a wonderful private chef experience. Put this on your bucket list you have to spurge at least one for that special occasion. read more

We recently came to San Diego for a friends bachelor party and the personal chef we had booked and ready to go canceled on us last minute. Chef Eric and his team came through in a pinch and I have to say, wow! The menu, service and everything in between was Amazing! We had originally wanted to come to Austin and go to a steakhouse but because of our party size and the pandemic, they had to cancel us. We mentioned this to Eric and he created in amazing in home steakhouse with steaks done in the sous vide and all kinds of sides. I have to admit, this was far beyond what I expected and can't wait to do it again. read more

Chef Eric is wonderful! He cooked and served dinner and breakfast the following day for my husband's 50th birthday. The food was delicious and we all loved his company! He felt like part of our family! His assistant was excellent as well! Thank you! read more

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We had the opportunity to experience Chef Eric's amazing cooking at my MIL's birthday dinner recently. He came a few hours before dinner to prepare and we had a blast with him. He is a sassy dude and does not hold back. I loved that I got to see how my food went from raw product to a 5 star meal. The appetizers were crab claw shooters and mini tacos. Both were fantastic. I loved the crab shooters as they had this really strong shrimp paste flavor that reminds me of Vietnamese bun rieu. I loved the tacos because they were damn cute. We had steaks (one kobe beef), lamb, scallops and pork chops. He cooked all the meats to perfection (medium rare/ closer to rare- dont argue with me) using sous vide. My scallops were butter soft and not one bit chewy or fishy like poorly done scallops. We were wowed by the dessert. It was a chocolate cake with madagascar vanilla icing. I don't know how he made the cake so light...We all ate our personal cakes. I am still pissed because I always get leftovers from gram and relatives that are more calorie wary... none left. I know he plans on doing some pastry school classes in the future so I expect his desserts to get even better. read more

Eric prepared a delicious meal for my sister's 30th birthday party. Eric was very helpful in preparing the menu we wanted, he was on time, attentive and helpful, very clean, and the food was scrumptious. We had a Caprese salad to start, steak with a very tasty chimichurri sauce, and a delightful caramel budino. Wish I was eating it all again now! Eric was helpful and accommodating to anything we wanted, we all had a great time and happy bellies! Thanks, Chef Eric! read more

Eric was absolutely great. A super accommodating chef who really did everything he could to make our night special and make sure we had a memorable experience. If you wanna have a FUN event, he's definitely your guy. Aside from being just a cool, nice man - the food was spot on too. He even went the extra mile to cover details about my meal that just hadn't occurred to me like sauces and vegetable pairings. I'd also forgotten to mention some things about the kitchen, but he adapted like a champ & just kept in movin lol highly recommend. read more

Chef Eric knows how to throw a dinner party! Every single dish he served was top restaurant quality. He is charismatic and tells great stories, setting the stage for a fun meal. I would highly, HIGHLY recommend him for private events. Worth every single penny. read more

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Chef Eric is amazing! I hired him for my girlfriend's birthday party last week and he was great. Super friendly and very clean chef. The food was amazing and his flat iron steak with shrimp was a huge hit. He almost stole my girlfriend hahaha (jk). Great guy and great experience overall. read more

I recently visited my dear friend in Austin, Texas. She wanted to do something really special for our get-together. So, we hired Chef Eric with Culinary Misfits to prepare a 4 course meal in her home. What an exciting night! From the hearts of palm arugula salad to the perfectly seared scallops and ribeyes, everything was fabulously delicious. Chef Eric was entertaining and personable. The price was very fair - no more than going out to eat at a nice restaurant. It was the perfect answer to going out all "masked up" during this pandemic and it made us all feel pampered by having a meal prepared especially for us! Highly recommend! read more

Wow! What an amazing night! Chef Eric & his assistant were amazing tonight! I hosted a dinner party for 11 of my friends and we had the best time. The food was delicious, he met our dietary restrictions and kept the atmosphere fun! Can't wait to have him cook for us again! read more

Mind blowing culinary experience, one of my guests "wanted to sleep" in the succotash! Chef Eric is hands down one of the most professional, prompt, responsive chefs I have ever worked with and if you're looking for a unique, gourmet dining experience, look no further. Thank you for a wonderful evening, you will be my very first call when we head up to the hill country from now on! read more

Chef Eric James - Personal Chefs Near Me

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Chef Eric was absolutely amazing. He answered all my questions in a timely fashion. We were planning a surprise dinner for my parents, they decided to make plans the night of the dinner, I reached out to Eric to see if we could do the dinner a day early and he was extremely accommodating. He showed up on time, was very professional, and made one of the best dinners I have ever had. Everything was absolutely delicious and he was amazing. He had to overcome some obstacles which were toddlers running through the kitchen, but he handled it like a pro. I would recommend him to everyone, the food was so great, thank you again for everything! read more

We had a great experience using Waffle Bar Catering Co for our latest apartment event for our residents. Eric was extremely responsive to our inquiry and gave us a fair quote for our party size. Chef D & team were so professional and took great care of us. We love that they make their waffles & eggs fres. Our attendees were raving about it! As the host of the party, there was no cleanup involved on my part, they took care of it all- it was wonderful! I would highly recommend them for your next event! read more

I was looking for a fun and out of the ordinary birthday gift for my husband so I decided to have a personal chef come make dinner for the two of us. I came on Yelp to look up reviews and stumbled upon Chef Eric. With a 5 star review, how could I pass him up? I wrote him a message and right from our very first email he was nothing but polite and had me hooked. We collaborated together to come up with a menu for the evening based on things we liked/disliked/etc. My husband and I love Chopped and Iron Chef and are always so intrigued with the dishes these chefs come up with. We always said we would love to have a chef come make us things that he thought were amazing and that is exactly what Chef Eric did. I simply told him ingredients to steer clear of and he came up with the rest. It was absolutely DELICIOUS!! He did all the grocery shopping, prep, and cooking and all we had to do was sit and enjoy an amazing four course dinner. We started with a fresh salad of greens, tomatoes and radish, followed by crab towers, braised short ribs, and an apple pastry for dessert. As full as I was, I didn't want it to end. :) The taste aside, on of my other favorite things was how personable Chef Eric was. We decided to sit at the breakfast bar and drink wine and talk with him as he cooked. It was like we had known him for years. It was so relaxed and comfortable and we even learned some cooking tips along the way. Thank you Chef Eric for an unforgettable birthday dinner!! read more

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Can not say enough good things about our experience with Chef Eric! We had him come to our place to make us dinner for my bachelorette party. Eric made it an amazing experience! He was super fun and engaging and made us all feel relaxed. And the food! He made us a lovely 4 course meal that was amazing!! Everyone enjoyed their meal and was blown away by the amazing favor! Thanks chef Eric for make Austin that much more fun for us!! read more

Delicious waffles and excellent service! Eric was so prompt with my catering request and was accommodating with my timing. The entire process from quote, to booking, to event service and billing was easy and flexible. The food was hot, tasty and served with friendly and professional staff. A big win for my event! Thank you Waffle Bar!! read more

A personal chef sounds like a luxury, but in reality, once you figure out the cost of babysitters, parking, and the overall PITA hassle of going downtown on a Friday/Saturday night, the cost magically become pretty dang reasonable. The fact that Eric's cooking is restaurant-quality (and he doesn't need to be cooking on a $5000 range to make it so) is a bonus. If you get a chance, take a chance on Eric and Blue Fire Kitchen - it will be well worth it! read more

Chef Eric and his team knocked it out of the park for my 60th birthday party. The service was outstanding and the food delicious. They made everything fresh in our kitchen. We started with horderves then they made an incredible steak dinner. We had 3 servers who pampered us. I highly recommend Culinary Misfits. read more

We had Chef Eric cater our bachelorette breakfast on Saturday morning in Fredricksburg! He was amazing! He created a waffle bar with all of the toppings, bacon, and the BEST eggs we have ever tasted! Chef Eric is friendly, easy to work with, and his food was amazing! read more

Eric is an absolute gem. He catered my 4th of July gathering and not only was the food delicious, Eric was a joy to be around. He worked with me in advance to craft a menu and experience that met my budget and was very responsive throughout the planning process. Excited to have him back for our next event! read more

It's been an absolute pleasure to work with Chef Eric! From our initial first call, through selecting menu options, planning and finalizing our event....he has been patient, kind, accommodating and super knowledgeable. Not only did he provide delicious, beautifully presented food, but his personality and sense of humor made the entire process go from stressful and uncertain to fun and exciting. Don't know how he does it, but the food was amazing and it's hard to please so many different tastes and personalities. We look forward to our next experience working with him and highly recommend him for your personal dining events! read more

Chef Eric cooked for our group of 8 while on vacation in Austin and it was the real deal! Everything rocked from the armadillo eggs (sausage-stuffed jalapeno peppers wrapped in bacon) to the chopped salad and slow-cooked short ribs over mashed potatoes. Ultimately, every once in a while, we all deserve to have someone take care of the culinary heavy lifting. Delicious food at home with no slaving in the kitchen, no difficult menu decisions, and no clean up. What's not to love?! read more

We hired Chef Eric to do a private dinner for a girl's weekend / birthday party. They arrived at my house while we were out "playing" and had a beautiful dinner prepared when we arrived home. The appetizers were over-the-top and the whole meal went off without a hitch. Heather was also there to serve us and clean up ... well-worth the small extra fee. Our group would hire them again in a heartbeat!! read more