Melon's catered a celebration of life memorial we had for my mother at the Pool Pavillion of Filoli (beautiful botanical gardens in Woodside). Sheldon was fabulous to work with, coming up with a great menu out of the box. Some of our guests have celiac, and others are lactose-intolerant; all food was perfectly labeled so these people felt safe eating it. Many guests approached me to rave about the food afterwards, and this is a foodie crowd. Even the recommended beer and wines were just right. They set up the area perfectly, and the staff, overseen by the attentive and sensitive Roma, and were able to accommodate a few last-minute requests (e.g., an electrical outlet and extension cord; rearranging chairs to be out of the sun; extensive speeches that could have eaten into food time). We had a number of updates to our requests as close-in as days before the event, and all were accommodated with a smile. I add that I set this whole thing up from FL and CT, never setting foot on the property before the event. And all went off without a hitch. I recommend Melon's wholeheartedly! read more

I cannot recommend Melons enough, especially to people who need to serve a variety of food from different cuisines. My husband is half-Greek and half Indian; and I am Chinese. We wanted food at our wedding that reflected our cultures (and our favorite foods). We received catering contracts from several caterers, but Melon's was the only one where we really felt like they had worked with our ideas. Chef Stephen told me at the first call outright that he couldn't do "the most authentic", but he could make delicious food. He was right -- and all my guests (most of whom dislike fusion) were super pleased. People literally raved to me first about the food of all the things about my wedding, especially the red-cooked duck leg and the baklava. 2022 was a crazy year for weddings, and Melons was super busy and a bit slow in responding through the first half of that until the summer. So just be aware of that when you work with this vendor. We booked them without a tasting and pleased at our tasting to discover that we had chosen well. (And were again very pleased at our wedding when the food was exactly as it was at the tasting, except they had taken into account our feedback as well so it was even better!) Finally, the servers were all kind and so courteous and happy for us on the day of. The only sad thing is that I can't eat my wedding food again, to be honest. read more

Melon's catered our wedding in SF in June. They were terrific. They were easy to communicate with. We wanted the food to reflect both Indian and Western cultures. They were able to put together a menu which included both. They were very accommodating with food and wine tastings. They had everything ready by the time the event began. The food and service was very good. Their prices were reasonable relative to other caterers we contacted. There was a miscommunication regarding left over food, but Melon's made it right. We were very happy with them and would use them again if the need arises. read more

We had the good fortune of having Melons serve as our caterer for our wedding this past weekend. Throughout the entire process since reaching out to Melons, Darryl and Ella have been attentive to our every need, answering our every question and communicative to address any gaps. They have been professional in every respect. Following our wedding, our guests couldn't stop talking about how good the hors d'oeuvres were and how often the waiters/waitresses came around to offer them small bites and drinks. They couldn't stop talking about how good the entrees were. When the guests leave the wedding remembering the food, you know the caterer had nailed it. Additionally, because we had provided various frames, decor and items that we thought would look good for the wedding, Darryl and Ella, were able to find the best place for each of the frames and decor provided. We were thoroughly amazed when we saw how they had utilized each item. Overall, Melons was the best decision we made for our wedding. They are undoubtedly the best choice if you do happen to pick Villa Montalvo (Montalvo Arts Center) as your wedding venue. read more

Melon's Catering - Caterers Near Me - South San Francisco, California

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Food was excellent. Our guests loved it! Service was great on the day of our wedding. The Maitre D, Servers, and Bartenders were on their A-game and pleasant to interact with. They even ensured that we had hors d'oeuvres at the sweetheart table before we sat down and kept the food coming so we could actually eat at our wedding. Negative: communication leading up to the wedding was lacking and we had to go on faith and their reputation that everything would be correct on the day of. read more

Melons catered our wedding at the Flood Mansion in September and we highly recommend them. They were creative with the menu options and (most importantly) the food was yummy (especially the appetizers and house-baked bread) and the service was spot on. Our tasting was a lovely experience and the changes/notes were taken into account on our wedding day. Sheldon was a pleasure to work with and we felt he went above and beyond - he even offered to drop off linens we planned to rent from a separate company! They are definitely busy and it can take a few days to get back to you, but we always got the answers we needed. Highly recommend using Melons for your next event! read more

I sit on the board of an organization that decided to host a meet and greet for board, staff and donors. I was just under the wire for getting my order in and the staff at Melon's was nothing but gracious and I was able to get my order in. I was so busy that week, I had no idea what was on the menu, however, I was able to identify as Gluten Free, which meant I would be able to eat something. Little did I know I'd be receiving a mini gourmet buffet! Everything from the fruit to the salmon, to the quiche and breads were fresh and full of flavor. My GF scone was yummy! The capers, crème fraîche and pickled onions were amazing! I ate every bit of everything in delight! There was also a sweet rye bread that came totally sealed with information that it had gluten that I also enjoyed a bit of - it was delicious!! I was my gluten budget for a day, so I had a price throughout the week. Thank you for your wonderful service and delightful everything! read more

Melons catered our wedding, and we could not have been happier with how everything turned out. Our guests raved about the food, many of them saying it was the best wedding food they have ever eaten, and the day-of staff was top notch -- not a thing went awry. The servers were very professional and friendly, and the bartender was excellent (stiff drinks and a great attitude -- he even brought drinks to people's tables during dinner). Melons made our day so special and we are lucky to have found them! read more

Melons did a fantastic job on our pop up activation. We had a specific new food product that we were releasing to the public and we needed it to be the focus of the taste. Melon's created some incredible dishes with it that the public loved. The chef is incredibly creative - the dishes tasted amazing, but also looked beautiful. The entire melons staff was a pleasure to work with and spent so much time to help us make sure it was perfect. Looking forward to working with them in the future. read more

I had the pleasure to work with Melon's Catering at a wedding I was Djing at Villa Montalvo this past weekend. I can say that everyone on their team that I encountered was very professional and helpful. Their engagement with every guest came with a smile. From the food to the service, I can say they were nothing short of amazing. Their execution has really set the bar. I would highly recommend Melon's Catering for any event. read more

Melon's Catering is top of the line. This review is a little late, but I still dream about how amazing the food at our wedding was that I needed to write a review. I met with Sheldon and Ella to discuss catering our outdoor wedding (that was in October 2019) at their tasting space in South San Francisco. It was apparent immediately they would be my caterers. The food was exquisite. The chef actually came out and hand delivered our food to us, it was those touches that made me feel comfortable and right at home. I was by no means a total budget bride, but I was less interested in fancy place settings and more interested with quality food. We changed our menu multiple times, we wanted to accommodate our vegan friends which Melon's had many options for. We also had a lovely salmon entrée and chicken entrée. The food is plated to perfection and absolutely elegant. The most important thing to me was that Ella truly listened and understood what we wanted. I did not have to worry, they took care of everything. We had our reception in a horse arena and they we happy to accommodate our strange setting. Thank you Melon's catering! You made our day so special. read more

Usually when I have catered food, I'm hardly impressed...it's so...typical. In the past I've seen roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables on most catering menus, but at Melon's they really do a fantastic job of making the cuisine stand-out much more. I recently went to an event that was held at The Legion of Honor in San Francisco and everything was fantastic. I was welcomed with some amazing cocktails and then treated to some great cocktail food items: a small sandwich on brioche-type bread with seasoned shortribs, spinach and not-too-strong horseradish; I also had a nice grilled mini-sandwich of roasted duck and Swiss cheese on rye bread with a white bean soup - they were great. The desserts were also amazing - salted-caramel ice cream bon bons, fresh chocolate-dipped macaroons and gold-dusted orange-hinted truffles. What sets Melon's apart is the fact that they don't do ordinary food - they do something a bit more extraordinary, which is a refreshing change for catered food. On their website it looks like they can cater to whatever your needs are in terms of cuisine so if you are looking for something a bit more "ordinary" or typical, they can offer that too, but it's nice to know that this company can offer something a bit different that what everyone else is doing. read more

The entire staff at Melon's catering was very warm, accommodating, and most importantly: professional. In particular, Ann Lyons was really exceptional in her experience and knowledge of the site that we are using for our wedding. We were able to attend a group tasting on very short notice that allowed us to sample a number of hors d'oeuvres and a lamb entree. I have to say the environment that they set up for the tasting and the pleasantness of the whole experience (the entire crew sat with us and discussed our weddings) was really very pleasant. I felt like the team at Melon's was a close family of people who would work hard to make any occassion special. Unfortunately, we ended up not choosing them as our caterer for personal choices but I would still strongly recommend them to anyone who is planning a wedding in San Francisco! read more

I ordered dinner for 4 as a surprise party for my wife and neighbor who share the same birthday My friends wife hosted and it was an unqualified success and surprise. The dinner was spectacular!! The delivery was on time, and very reasonable especially for the exceptional quality of the food. What a wonderful and easy way to host a no hassle wonderful party!! read more

I was really bothered with the attitude I received when I called to inquire about a holiday party I am planning for my company. I don't know if it was because of the venue itself that made the gentleman respond the way he did, which is Go Kart Racing, but it was very odd. Go Kart Racing actually suggested Melon's as one of their "approved" catering companies and we want something fancy so I gave them a call. If Melon's has the perception that Go Kart Racing is beneath them, then why does Go Kart Racing suggest them? I asked how much it would cost to cater an event and the gentleman kept saying, "It's really pricey." "It's really pricey." He kept going in circles saying the same thing, that it was expensive, like I couldn't afford it. Then, to be more specific, I said, "How much would it be per person for the sushi bar." "It's really pricey." He said and I responded, "Can you just give me a number please?" He finally said, "$12.95 per person." Which is WAY less than what we are looking to spend. If anything, the menu pricing Go Kart Racing projected is way more. Once I said that this would be perfect, he said, "Well there are lots of other fees like set-up fees..." and listed off a bevy of "fees" that would make the price jump up from $12.95 to $46 per person. Which, for an amazing place, would still be a relatively fair price considering that we want a nice/fancy holiday party. He didn't [initially] ask me the proper questions to assess our needs like: -How many people? -How many hours? -What's your budget? (He did ask this at the very end.) Etc. He did mention that he wanted to transfer me to a sales person so perhaps he wasn't even the right person to be talking to? It was just very odd. Another thing that turned me off was that when he asked what kind of company it was and I said a tech company he asked, "So would you say there is more men than women?" What a strange question! I told him it was pretty even. Considering that I am clearly a woman, this question seemed HIGHLY inappropriate. He then tried to explain that usually there are more men than women in a tech company. Generalizations like that are really inappropriate. I don't see us giving them any future business, which I am really sadden with because I really wanted to try them out since they have such great reviews and they have done some great events in the past. read more

I never hired Melons. But as a guest at a very fancy wedding in the San Franisco City Hall Rotunda that used them, I was duly impressed. Of course, at this wedding price wasn't much of an issue, as it was very costly. But the catering I thought was very well done, professional staff, great food and drinks, perfect timing and blended well with the ceremony without taking over the spotlight. Starting off as we walked into the Rotunda were flutes of a 2005 Schramsburg Brut Rose Sparkling Wine. Small Hors d"oevres were also circulated, many different ones, including a purple pear and cracker treat, a vegetable rumaki like morsel and spanikopita. There must have been 6 or seven varieties for 100 guests. After the ceremony, we all went upstairs and had an open bar with wines and more appetizers that were elegeant and well timed, but not over done or stuffed. After the change of tables under the rotunda and the place settings positioned, we sat for dinner. The plate liners, silver and glasses were elegant and appropo for the occasion. Since the Groom was Greek, the featured appetizer was Dolmades. NIcely wrapped grape leaves with just the right sour flavor. This was followed by a first course of a Trojan Horse, or a classic Greek salad of a stuffed and peeled large red tomato, with Mykonian spices. There was a nice 2005 Constatin Gofas Nemea, Agiorgitiko from Greece, a nice red wine with good balance but not too strong, going well with either entre. The Greek Entre in honor of the Groom was Seabass on a braised bed of spinach greens and garlic, roasted baby potatoes, with an egg-lemon sauce. To honor the German Bride, the German entree was a Filet of Beef, red cabbage, spaezle, in a red wine sauce. The German wine was a 2007 Robert Wells Estate Riesling Dry, Rheinagu, Germany. Not too sweet and perfect for either entre as well. A Mediteranean mix and match with Rhineland selections for food and drink. Nice touch! For dessert, aside from the "I Dream of Cake" Wedding Cake, there was a Death by Chocolate Buffet and Espresso bar. These were large rounders, elegantly decorated with chocolate ldecorative swirls ike a large doily, with numerous chocolate selections that were delectable, even for a non-chocolate lover like me. I had thirds! And the espresso man was a nice touch, even able to make me a Soy Latte in nice cupware! The Melons team had to orchestrate all of this in 5 rooms on 2 levels of cavernous City Hall, and the prep areas were outside in tents. So I was impressed with the execution of the catering cooks and staff. I know the Bride and Groom and those helping are perfectionists, and if something wasn't right, it would be duly noted and expressed in no uncertain terms. But Melons passed with flying colors. read more

Melons catered the cocktail hour and family-style dinner at our wedding this summer and we were very happy with both the service and the food. We worked with Darryl and he was very pro-active about coordinating with their chefs to help us to create a totally vegetarian menu with both vegan and gluten free options for our 85 guests. Finding a caterer that can provide interesting vegetarian options is not very easy! In addition, Melons was competitively priced and didn't charge us extra for a lot of things like some of the other caterers we were considering (e.g. barware was included with the bar package we picked, there wasn't an additional 'production fee' added to the quote). We did a second tasting closer to our wedding date to confirm the menu and included some seasonal produce items that weren't available during our first tasting, which we highly recommend. Overall, we were very happy that we picked Melons to be our wedding caterer and applaud Darryl and his team for taking care of us and our guests on our big day. Thank you! read more

I've worked with Melon's quite a bit (mostly at a former job) and fully intend to use them whenever possible. They're not cheap, but the quality, professionalism and friendliness is totally worth it! I've also noticed that they don't have high staff turnover (some people who work events have been there for the 8 years I've worked with them), which leads me to believe they treat their employees as good as they treat their clients. They're happy to work with you on designing a menu - from upscale foodie appetizer extravaganza or downhome BBQ - or they can provide pre-designed menus. I really appreciate their suggestions on how to cut cost without impacting the overall experience (without making you feel like a cheapskate) as well as their innovative food - often interesting & unusual without being weird. They also offer flower arrangment & decor services for events, which I also highly recommend. read more

Melon's Catering is fantastic. Practically flawless! We recently hosted around 120 people for a dinner and drink reception in Menlo Park and they did a fantastic job! Once we did site visit to begin, Daryl was quick to send a quote and menu plan for us. He also used photos taken to demonstrate what the layout would be for our event. Day of event all staff was professional, ready, and friendly. Loved that once their things were set up they asked if I needed any additional help (even lighting candles around the space). They really made this evening a success and helped take any worry off of my shoulders. Thanks for great food, service, and execution, team! read more

I had the good fortune of working with Melon's to serve a 4-course wine-pairing meal for 300+ people. We had five wines to use, and were building three main courses and one set of 5-6 passed appetizers (which each also needed specific compatibility to the wines were were using). Chef Stephen needed no introduction to the concept of crafting food to pair with wine, as an unfortunately-large number of chef's fail to understand. (The popular myth is that you pair wine with food.) He is, in fact, a certified sommelier who, when hearing my analysis of each of the wines we were to use, was immediately able to build or modify food ideas to accommodate them. On execution: excellent results, with a near-perfect match to the small-scale food tasting we had at their office site. Reservations? None. My recommendation is unreservedly positive. read more

This review is based purely on customer service, or in my case, lack thereof. I contacted Melon's Catering via their contact form on their website for my wedding next year. When I finally got a call (it was so long after my submission that I had forgotten I had even contacted them), I was at work, and Eve left me a message. I called back the same day and was told that she was on the other line. I called back about 2 hours later, and was told the same thing. I asked for an email contact, as it is a better mode of communication for me. To my surprise, I saw that Eve had already emailed me before I could email her. I replied via email about my preferences, and stated that I would be available the next day to discuss further details. No call. In fact, not even a reply email. Two weeks passed, and I finally wrote an email to her, saying that she clearly did not want my business. She replied. No apology, only to say that she was sorry if I had left a message and she had not returned it. Seriously? SHE never checked in on ME. Needless to say, I see this as a reflection of the kind of customer service I would receive if I went with this catering company. I currently work as a cook at a luxury hotel, in the banquets and catering department. I know what catering means, and it doesn't just refer to the food. It's about the entire experience, from the first contact to the last goodbye. Based on other reviews, it sounds like I should have gotten Sheldon; this review may have been completely different. read more

I have been struggling with how I would rate Melons because we had such an interesting experience using them for our wedding this summer. We signed on with Fernando, who we adored at the start. But he became very unresponsive and spacey. Details he and I discussed multiple times would get omitted from the revised timelines and menus, which was really frustrating. Then, he literally disappeared...and we found out later that he had left the company! We were assigned to Heather, who we came to really love and who did a great job on our wedding and went above and beyond for us. I did feel the transition was not handled very well by the company, but like I said we really liked Heather who is a total wedding-pro so it ended up being fine. The food was delicious as well. People keep raving about the food to us and say it's the best food they've had at a wedding. So that was great too. So I have mixed feelings about our experience. All's well that ends well, but I do have to admit that working with Fernando was a frustrating experience and when we had concerns about our transition to working with Heather, we were not thrilled by the owner's response to us. If you hire Melons for your wedding, ask to work with Heather and know the food will be fabulous. read more

Here is the breakdown of my star rating from a review I left of Melon's elsewhere -- 1.8 out of 5.0 Quality of Service: 3.0 out of 5.0 Responsiveness: 0.0 out of 5.0 Professionalism: 0.0 out of 5.0 Value For Cost: 3.0 out of 5.0 Flexibility: 3.0 out of 5.0 We had a fantastic experience with Melon's right up until 2 weeks before the wedding. Our consultant had left unexpectedly so they put Heather with us. She was not responsive or professional at all. I spoke with Ann, the owner, who seemed very professional, a number of times and she assured me that it would be taken care of. Despite this, many of our requests and ideas for the wedding were not carried out as I was specifically told they would be. --To start off with a major issue. The food tent was supposed to be in the parking lot and instead it was put on the same patio that our guests were on pre-ceremony and during the cocktail hour. The tent blocked people from wandering up a beautiful pathway to see the nearby waterfall. (Yes, placement of the tent had been discussed with our old consultant, Heather, and Ann.) --To add to that the staff, including Heather, were in the tent talking about strip clubs while I was in the bride's changing room right off the tent and my guests were on the patio right next to them!!! --The tables were set wrong, although honestly, they did look fine. (Dinner plates were not supposed to be brought out until dinner since they didn't match our salad plates but they were already on the table when everyone arrived.) --We had previously discussed keeping the windows on and the a/c on so that the outdoor noise of the park (Lake Temescal) did not enter into our ceremony. I found out that that didn't happen as I was walking down the aisle. I almost cried when I heard what sounded like a lawn mower outside while I was saying "I do." --The lighting that we paid extra for was horrible and at times I (the bride) was the one correcting the problems. (This was especially disappointing because the lights were kept blaring in a room that was candle lit.) --We paid for a bartender and it was supposed to be open during dinner, but guests had to wait because most of the time the bar was left unattended. --We had specifically requested (because of the overall atmosphere of our wedding) that beer and coke be served in their bottles and they decided to pour them instead. --The one glowing feature was that the food was fantastic! --Luckily we did have a chance to eat some at the reception, because the box that we were promised to bring back to the hotel for "midnight snacks" was never given. (I should send them our $40 room service bill.) --I was told later that only some tables were offered seconds. (My parents were left a little bit hungry.) --Lastly, I spent the weeks and days before my wedding stressing over the catering. We had a lot of billing problems just days before the wedding with new costs being added. Everything else had been settled weeks before and I thought that the catering had too. We had to repeat every detail that we had gone over with Fernando with Heather, then again with Ann, and then again and again with Heather because it didn't seem to stick. I guess some of it never did, so much was lost. A few months ago I would have given them 5 stars based on a wedding that I went to that they catered and even the initial service I received, but sadly I am unable to do that today. --I have not heard from Ann or Heather since my wedding almost a month ago. I got a final bill last week by email that I suppose is my responsibility to print out. read more

First off, I am slow to post my review for the my wedding, which was in July 2011 - but I had written this review while it was still fresh in my memory. We sampled 3 caterers for our wedding. We had three different experiences. One sent us a list of options and asked us to choose what we would like to taste. Another created a tasting menu based on a conversation we had prior to meeting. Melons had a sit down meal with several potential clients and had a pre-printed menu for the meal, and served passed hors d'oeuvres in their kitchen before seating us. We started to rate which food we liked the best and were most impressed with, Melons was not the top of the list, but they hadn't catered to our whims at a tasting, but the passed appetizers were really something special. Then we got three very different proposals: both in cost and options. It took some deciphering to figure out what was included and what wasn't. This is where Melons started to really stand out. Sheldon created a very detailed proposal including every detail - even things we had not considered. In addition to the food, it included the bar, all the service ware (tables, chairs, linens, plates, etc), lighting, and all the other costs they might incur. Being able to see an idea of what the whole catering service would cost was greatly helpful, and we liked the idea of not having to deal with separate vendors for the various details. We spoke with Chef Stephen on menu ideas. We are definitely foodies, and wanted something tasty and memorable. In speaking with the chef (who cures his own meat and makes wine) we felt confident that his menu suggestions would be great. Choosing Melons was a great decision. We were able to choose all the tableware and linens, coordinate the lighting, they worked with us on the bar. Most importantly, the food was GREAT. Everyone at the event was impressed and keeps talking about how much they enjoyed the food. We asked to change an appetizer to include an additional vegetarian selection and each item was so good I could have eaten a whole meal of the passed goodies. We also asked the chef to include a non-alcoholic cocktail for our guests. They had a really yummy drink (I think it was called the Toscano) Peach nectar, cranberry juice and rosemary syrup. Such a lovely touch. The service was professional - including the server who made sure that we (the bride and groom) actually got to eat and drink. They artfully navigated our guests who hung out near the kitchen door to get first crack at all the appetizers. At the end of the evening, they made sure we had a little take home snack to enjoy later. I would recommend Melons to anyone who is looking for a excellent food and detailed service. read more

People who works here are no clean, not professional and their glasses are dirty . Don't know about their food quality but hey if you want to drink your cocktail , beer or even water use your own glasses . read more

I have only yelped once and it was a negative review. I recently got married on 5/26/12 at the Legion of Honor and utilized Yelp so much to help me choose vendors that it only seems right that I give back to the wedding community. We had the good fortune of choosing Melons to be our caterer. We primarily worked with Sheldon. My husband and I would like to say we are self-proclaimed foodies and Melons lived up to our vision for the evening. We really wanted a food experience at the wedding with a bit of a french twist and we were very happy with what Melon was able to provide for us. We did a total of 3 tastings: First was a group tasting to see if we liked the food style of the chef and the last two were to develop our menu and make sure it tasted the way we wanted it to. We really liked this whole piece of the process since the chef was able to tell us what would work well based on the set up and also what would be fresh based on the season. Sheldon was super professional and very easy to work with. I would recommend them to anyone. I had so many guests say that they would have paid top dollar at one of the many foodie restaurants after the meal. Food portion was very generous and great quality. read more

My fiance and I were looking for a catering for our wedding at the de Young museum. We didn't pick Melons as our caterer, but I had a really positive experience working with Sheldon on the proposal/quote. Sheldon was extremely helpful and friendly, and he always responded to emails promptly. The dishes sounded really delicious. I've found that it's sometimes difficult to get all the information you need from caterers - don't know if they're trying to conceal hidden costs or anything like that, but I never felt that way with Melon's. Their prices were definitely quite competitive. I'm sure Melon's would have done an amazing job if we had hired them for our wedding. We narrowed it down to Melon's and another company. Ended up going with the other caterer just because the numbers were slightly better. read more

We booked Melon's to cater our wedding on 7/23/16 through our wedding planner. They were responsible for the appetizers, dinner and the dessert. Everything was handled so well and the entire company is professional, caring and attentive. Sheldon was our main contact and he made sure everything was perfect. From the tasting, to the wedding, to the end of the night cookies they had put in our room.. Everything was tasty and well done. My husband and I could not have been happier. The wait and service staff were there whenever a glass needed filled or a plate cleared. They were present and friendly but made sure to put the guests first. The food was amazing. Every bite was like a five star restaurant. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be that good because most weddings I've been to have had average food. But Melon's was so good. I was totally in awe about how amazing the food was. All of our guests, even our most pickiest, said "wow this food is incredible". Everyone commented that they had never had food at a wedding that tasted so good. If you are debating back-and-forth on which caterer to use... let me help you solve the problem. Use Melon's!! You will not regret it. Thank you Sheldon and staff for helping make our wedding so memorable. read more

Finally getting to a long overdue review. My husband and I will be celebrating our 1 yr anniversary this weekend. We got married at San Jose Museum of Art and Melon's handled all catering, including bar service. This review is short and sweet. We were very pleased with Anne and her staff, including Sheldon and Charlotte. I (with much help from our event planner Kathryn @ Dream A Little Dream Events) planned this wedding while in the middle of grad school across the country. Tastings, emails, and phone calls went smoothly. Customer service was excellent. Most importantly, the food was fantastic and they respected our budget. Want more details? Have add'l questions? Feel free to email me! read more

I didn't hire Melons to cater my wedding. They were always quick to respond to my emails and questions. Very friendly and no qualms about their responsiveness at all. A big reason why we didn't hire them was because their tasting was a group tasting. At the tasting, my fiance and I were there with about 4 other couples and 3 staff members. The room was very nicely set up with floral centerpieces and Chiavari chairs. The whole ambience was really romantic and you could look at their previous work on a flat screen TV. The staff passed around 4+ hors' doeuvres of which I like about 2 of them. The rest were ok. I remembered one of the good ones was a "crab in crispy cone". When the rest of the couples arrived, we all sat down and were presented our menu for the night. Since, we couldn't pick what we wanted to taste, my fiance and I ended up tasting food we normally wouldn't eat. Melons did ask whether we were allergic to any specific foods before the tasting. Needless to say, I couldn't judge the food fairly. The presentation was nice, but I was disappointed with the menu since we weren't able to select what we wanted. I felt that most of the couples there were a little shy, like myself, since we all don't know each other. The wedding talk was a little forced and no one was comfortable enough to really ask questions about the catering. I know I wasn't comfortable asking my million questions in front of a dozen strangers. It seemed like others felt the same since no one really asked the staff anything. I spoke to my cousin afterwards, who hired Melons for her upcoming wedding, and she tasted something totally different. Food that I would be excited to taste! I didn't feel comfortable calling Melons and asking for another tasting since they'd probably think I was just trying to get another free dinner. They did follow up with me the next day, but I never replied back. The reason they offered as to why the tasting was a group experience was because it would keep their costs down and enable them to not charge us for it. Makes sense... except I was able to taste what I wanted served at my wedding and didn't have to pay for it with other caterers. I didn't even bother doing a tasting with caterers that charged a fee. I feel that it should just be expensed. So, my cousin's wedding passed (she loved Melons btw) and I would say Melon's service was fine. It was a casual wedding served buffet style. The food and hors d'oeuvres were just ok to me. Definitely nothing I would rave about. Melons' pricing was high too so I definitely crossed Melons off my list of potential caterers. Onwards! read more

We hired Melon's at the last minute for an corporate event in San Francisco. Our catering budget was cut and the current caterer was not willing to work with us. Melon's was happy to accommodate our budget and we are so happy they did! Darryl was the best account person I've ever worked with from any catering company. The venue we picked had terrible customer service and Darryl took care of all the items they should've been managing plus his own. The food was WAY better then i thought it would be and the service just excellent across the board. Highly recommend Melon's Catering for a business event or any event. read more

When my husband and I decided to throw a wedding together in 3 months we asked ourselves what were the most important things about our day. We decided it was the photography and the food. After going through several vendors we chose Melons because of their reputation not only with the food but the service as well. They were recommended to us by a friend who had used them before so we trusted his opinion. They also are very transparent with what you are getting in terms of food, service, linens and serveware, which I didn't get with other vendors (lots of superflous costs and 'cheaper' prices that turned out to be due to cheap flatware/serveware (think nice plastic). We also chose Melons because they use local and organic ingredients, when possible. This makes a big difference in the quality of the food and I like supporting local vendors. The menu is customizable so if you want something unique they'll make it for you. We wanted our atmosphere to be relaxed & friendly, so we chose a family style dining service, which turned out to be perfect. Everyone loved the food (there was nothing left). Our guests are still commenting, months later, about how great the food was. It really was amazing. It was even better than our sit-down trial/tasting. I also must mention Sheldon, the manager/coordinator. He is incredibly professional, calm and lovely to work with. He was very transparent at all times, on top of everything, and made our day run so smoothly. We really enjoyed working with him. I asked my husband if he was glad we spent the money for better food and he said, hands down, YES. So if a higher quality of food (and service) is important to you, I would recommend Melons. Oh, and if possible, make sure you get the polenta cake on your menu...amazing. read more

We absolutely adore Sheldon, Chef Stephen, and Melons. We had a wonderful experience with Melons; some of our guests are still talking about our food over a month later. Sheldon and Melons catered our City Hall reception and did a beautiful job. Our theme was Asian-fusion (or Asian-inspired dishes); the flavors were nailed perfectly. Sheldon worked with our planner, Lauren Geissler, from Downey Street Events, to come up with an initial tasting menu, most of which we loved. Sheldon was also very helpful in working with our planner to meet our budget needs for a 200+ wedding (including several kids), as well as to deal with our numerous guest-specific requests (meal accommodation for my wife's 94 year old grandma, lots of guest allergies, etc.). We gave Sheldon a lot of notes after our first tasting and all were incorporated beautifully on the day of. The original menu included a vegetarian meal that was fine, but because several of our guests are vegetarian and we wanted to make sure that their dinner was fantastic (not just fine), we knew we needed to make a change. We had a separate tasting for the vegetarian option and for the sparkling wine (we hadn't tasted the sparkling wine in our initial tasting and wine is very important to my wife). We were treated to 3 different vegetarian options as well as some additional vegetarian appetizer options, all of which were fantastic. My wife loved the vegetarian option we ultimately selected; it was so good she switched her day-of menu selection from the fish to the veggie. Working with Sheldon was an unbelievable pleasure. His southern charm and attentiveness both before and during the wedding did not go unnoticed. His staff was also very courteous, professional, and attentive. To our knowledge, all of our guests thought Melons was flawless. We couldn't have been happier with their work. We would highly recommend Melons as your wedding caterer, especially if you're doing events at a difficult venue such as City Hall. read more

Wow! Melon's Catering was the best thing about our wedding. With all the changes we went through due to the pandemic, I was SO happy to have Melon's as our caterer. Ann helped us through the entire process start to finish, and she really knows her stuff. They even were able to source a cigar roller 2 weeks before the event which was a HUGE hit! Our guests are STILL talking about how amazing all the food was and that it was the best food they have had at a wedding! The food, their professionalism, and their attention to detail makes them the best in the business. I can't thank them enough! read more

I recently had Melon's Catering do an event for a landmark birthday event in my home. In short, I couldn't have been happier. Sheldon was great -- very knowledgeable, supportive and generous with his advice. In the end the event went off without a hitch. The staff on site at the event (again, in my home) were courteous and respectful -- and could not have been nicer to work with. All of my guests RAVED about the food and the service. I have since used Melon's again for a charity event that I did and (even though we had a shoestring budget...maybe even only part of a shoestring) Melon's came through with some bare essentials and top-notch staff to run the event. Bottom line, catering isn't cheap anywhere. But if you want a group that will take the time to think through the event and do it right -- you won't go wrong with Melon's. read more

Melon's catered my wedding on 10/20/12. Our theme was figs and they did the most fabulous job incorporating it into our dishes. Every plate was off the charts delicious, the custom cocktail they made for our guests was amazing and we loved the overall presentation - everyone was raving about the food. I highly recommend them for any high end wedding. read more

Melon's catered our wedding two weekends ago at the Flood Mansion, and delivered 110%. Before signing with Melon's, my now-husband and I attended a tasting at Melon's at their offices in South San Francisco. To be honest, we did not think the food at the tasting was anything special, but we signed with them anyway because of how much we loved their personnel and because we had recently met people who had recently attended a wedding catered by Melon's and swore that the food was hands-down the best food they've ever had at a wedding. True to our suspicions, at the actual wedding itself my husband and I (as well as all the guests we spoke to) loved the food! Even my uber-picky, food snob of a brother remarked at how good the beef was. It's true that a few of my emails did not receive same-day responses. I later learned that this was because Fernando (our sales contact) had left the company in the interim, due to personal reasons. After this little mix-up was clarified, the entire staff -- especially Charlotte -- was highly responsive, incredibly sweet, and accommodating of my continuous requests to "tweak" things, even leading up to the last couple days before the wedding itself. I was particularly impressed when, after our eleventh-hour request for shrimp cocktail to be served at the reception, they were able to deliver a visually stunning array of huge, fresh shrimp displayed on an ice bar. Ann was also amazing. My husband and I were initially apprehensive at whether we could pull off the entire wedding without a wedding planner or wedding coordinator of any kind. All our fear were dispelled at our first meeting with Ann. She just radiates confidence and competence. Ann took charge from the outset, advising us on everything from placement of furniture to the timing of toasts; she also composed our entire reception timeline, and was present at the reception itself to oversee her staff and ensure that all the other vendors showed up and set-up on time. Except for the fact that we shortened the cocktail hour in order to prevent all our guests from freezing outside due to the cold, overcast weather, everything ran flawlessly thanks to Ann. Ann was also incredibly understanding of our budget constraints; when, in a last-minute freak-out over whether we would have enough food for our cocktail hour we tried to double the number of appetizers, she beat some sense (and cents!) into us. She was a joy to work with, especially if you bear in mind that yours is not the only event she is managing; she WILL pull through for you, particularly during the last week before the event when she seems to undergo some sort of Vulcan mind-meld with you to understand your needs 100%. All in all, we LOVED working with Melon's and can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Melon's Catering - Caterers Near Me - South San Francisco, California

Melons did a fabulous job on our office holiday party. Thanks so much to Sheldon!!!!! The food was delicious, the staff were gracious and accommodating and the entire party was a hit. Melons was able to completely transform our large conference space into a hip, swanky, lounge (with the perfect lighting and decor). When you are having a holiday party in your office it can be ho-hum, but not in this case! All our employees were wowed by the transformation and the party even went on much longer than expected. Thank you Melons for a smashing success! read more

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A friend recommended Melon's when I was planning a Halloween party. They were spot on from the very first phone call. Fabulous Shannon talked with me, asked great questions to understand my needs and then created a super delicious menu. They were timely, they followed through with menus and quotes and suggestions. They were super professional but also incredibly friendly and down to earth (not to mention super hip and cool.) The food was AMAZING, the presentation, the servers...and they cleaned up everything (even took the garbage and recycling for me.) The guests were so, so happy with the menu, the food, the atmosphere. I have found my catering company and look forward to our next chance to work together again. Highly recommend! read more

It's incredibly hard to find people you can trust when planning a wedding - but Melon's always had my best interest in mind. I worked with Sheldon, who not only made solid recommendations that fit my budget, but also was a true gentleman start to finish. Communication with the Melon's team was strong and they were honest in managing expectations and time. In many ways they went out of their way to accommodate me. I am a New Yorker who recently got married at the Flood Mansion on 11-11-11. Planning a wedding on the opposite coast was somewhat difficult. For example, tasting the food. We did an original tasting with a group of couples and fell in love with their food 3 bites into hors d'oeuvres. But when it came down to finalizing our menu a month out I couldn't make it out to SF. They were kind enough let one of my bridesmaids taste our menu to ensure we were comfortable and happy with the selections. The Melon's Team was great about working through finalizing the contract and incredibly patient as many ideas get tossed in and out. The day of everything came together beautifully. The staff was a pleasure to work with and my guests are still raving about the food and wine. Everything was beyond my dreams. You can trust Melon's to capture every catering element you are looking for when planning your wedding - but most of all, you can trust they have your best interest always. Thank you Sheldon! read more