We were fortunate enough to spend a family vacation at a beautiful rental home in Joshua Tree/Twentynine Palms, California! Our good luck continued in that we were able to have an absolutely delicious multi-course meal , inspired, designed, cooked and present by Chef Jon from Merchain Catering. He worked patiently and closely with us , before our trip, to come up with a menu that would appeal to 9 adults . From beginning to end, it was truly a wonderful experience. His dessert was divine! We were only sorry not to have more meals prepared by Chef Jon. If you are in the Hi-Desert, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs area, do yourself a favor and either hire Chef Jon as your Chef in house or allow him to bring food to you! read more

Chef Jon was great! He was quick, friendly & polite , and the food was great for the most part; especially the steak, shrimp scampi & roasted potatoes. If you're vacationing with a large group and want to completely skip the hassle of cooking, I highly recommend him! read more

Great experience with Jon! The food was delicious, would recommend to anyone looking to feed a large party.

Jon was wonderful to work with. The food was OUTSTANDING! Thank you for making our family vacation and son's birthday so special!!!! read more

Merchain Catering - Bagel and Lox breakfast platter. Delicious!! - Caterers Near Me

See all

A colleague found this caterer while staying in Palm Springs and I have nothing but incredible things to say about the quality of food and the presentation. We requested a family style meal and it was such a comforting and special meal. I was staying in the area with an A-list celebrity family and they absolutely loved everything made. We had about 20 people to feed. Several months later I hired Merchain to cater my private party of about 15 people in Los Angeles, and everyone was so pleased. The food was fresh, light as we requested and his roasted marshmallow ice cream bar is out of this world. Merchain (Jon) is clearly a passionate cook and I look forward to checking out his spot in Palm Springs and hiring him for even more private events in future. read more

First time I met Jon, he cooked dinner for 6 girls for a bachelorette. Dinner was phenomenal!!! He really takes the time to get to Know your likes and dislikes. Us girls were not picky so we let him surprise us and he DELIVERED!! The food was fresh, tender, flavorful, and you know it was made with love! 2nd time, I called Jon for my work Holiday Christmas party of about 100. Once again, DELIVERED AND WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND. My employees were blown away and the food was absolutely AMAZING. This party was put together last minute and Jon was able to make a beautiful spread and presentation. Highly recommend and can't wait to book my next event!! read more

See all

Jon catered a brunch at my home and the food was phenomenal! He served enough for 50 guests within my budget and literally there was nothing I needed to worry about as there was plenty of food! He brought plenty of food and made endless omelettes. I was truly impressed and so were my guests! My review would have been 5 stars but Jon is in such high demand that the communication prior to the party was a bit lacking but everything turned out GREAT! read more

See all

Jon is the absolute best!!! very professional, super friendly , on time , food is amazing ! Everything's very fresh you can just tell with the flavors gets you every time ! He can literally make your wildest food dreams come true! And the prices ! As a foodie I know a great chef when I meet one! Thank you Jon! Keep being the best read more

I used Jon to cater my best friend's 40th Birthday celebration. Food was delicious and went above all of our expectations. Jon & his staff were professional & fun. I've referred him to many friends and clients alike. He always makes me look good as I get so many kudos for the great referral. I highly recommend! read more

I had scheduled an event for approximately 40 people, six weeks prior for taco catering. As the event came closer, Merchain became more wishy washy. Couldn't get a hold of him. Mailbox full. When I could get a hold of him, he said he would call me back. Never did. I would try again the next day or two, same scenario. This happened several times. I became more and more weary. It wasn't until the day before our company holiday party that I finally received liability insurance and invoice. Invoice was completely different than the notes I had taken regarding cost and payment. If there was any misunderstanding in communication, I get that but to not get any solid information until the day before and then the invoice comes through with all kinds of rules such as something like, "Be sure everyone knows to go through only once " You can not make a nacho plate for the table." There were just too many red flags. Would there be enough food? Price is substantially more than I had in my notes. Couldn't get a return phone call or written information to confirm everything. Would only text, I had to let him go. After I let him know I had to go a different route, I admittantly was frantically looking for someone else and found an awesome option which I gave a 5 star review to. They came through on short notice and outside of their operating hours. It was BBQ. Plenty of food. We didn't have rules. Everyone raved about the food. The business I went with was professional and absolutely went above and beyond with customer service on extremely short notice. I am so relieved I didn't follow through with this caterer. When you hire someone you don't want to be stressed if they will follow through or not. read more

Never had a problem with his catering. All menus and charges are up front. There are no hidden fees or costs. Honest guy. Great food. Well worth it. read more

My real estate firm takes a team trip every year. Last year, we went to LA and stayed at a private villa. We needed a private chef in the area and Merchain Catering did not disappoint. When people start a business, it takes guts and true effort to succeed. Some people like to free load, or try to shame people for things they didn't do, just to satisfy their own pride or be hateful. I seen some reviews on here that are dishonest and I wanted to come do the right thing. Merchain Catering is legit and they work their butts off. They also do a great job in the kitchen! read more

John always goes above and beyond everytime we have his company do our events. He always provides exactly what we ask for and even has extra just in case we are over booked. Bravo on your professional team and excellent service and food! A+++ read more

What a find in Palm Springs. Welcoming, cozy and the best food. If nothing interest you ask what he can do. Amazing. I go out of my to shop thete read more

Simply the best! John goes above and beyond to accommodate ALL requests. His food is outstanding and totally worth it. He has a booming business in PS and often sells out! Our entire community recommends his food and services. read more

THE BEST PRIVATE CHEF WE'VE EVER EXPERIENCED. The service was incredible and the food was to die for! We even finished our leftovers for breakfast before our flight the next day. I highly recommend chef Jon. He was just the best and even gave us some cooking tips. Thank you chef Jon for the amazing experience. read more

Unfortunately, we had a very disappointing experience with this caterer. We got scammed out of half of the food that was supposed to be provided. The owner became very unreasonable, and came up with lots of excuses for why he couldn't deliver, and is now refusing refunding our money. Very unprofessional, I highly recommend you look for another catering service. read more

Have you been looking for a caterer to do your event?Do yourself a favor and book Merchain Catering! Seriously if you're looking for high quality, authentic, and celebrity-tier food, this is the man for the job. I had the pleasure of trying Jons cooking at a group event and was blown away. He put out a variety of foods and every. single. bite. was beyond delicious. The service he and his team provide is friendly, kind and absolutely professional. I had to get his card. Although my event hasn't come up yet, I loved the experience so much that I recommend him anytime someone asks. Stop looking, book Jon Merchain! read more

I highly recommend Merchain Catering for any event. I did the private dinner for 15 for a birthday at our Airbnb. Jon was super easy to communicate with. He made the process of deciding what menu to have a breeze... (especially for me since I'm the indecisive type). Jon and his staff showed professionalism. Right when he entered, he started cooking. I was amazed how flexible and skilled he was because he literally works with what the Airbnb had. Food was AMAZING and I liked how while he was cooking, he asked questions to help cater the food to our group's taste. (Like spice for example). Everyone enjoyed the whole experience and we even had so much leftovers! (We were happy about how easy it was to save because of how he set it up in trays which is especially nice since we were in an Airbnb). They even washed and put back the dishes and cooking supplies they used so we literally were spoiled. Jon was also very kind, easy to talk to, and be around! 10/10 recommend! It was our favorite meal out of our whole trip! 100% worth it. read more

Everything went perfect for my 30th birthday !! The food was to die for !!! Salad, rice, potatoes, steaks! All from scratch. Such a talented and amazing chef ! Would recommend! read more

We had a fun Taco bar for our sons 25th bday over stagecoach wknd. We had requests that were met and implemented with hanging tacos and churros. Over the top...yummy and creative and lots of leftovers to boot!!! Dupont Estate Resort/Lynne read more

Top tier amazing food! The owner is thee kindest human on Earth!! I highly recommend this company. You won't regret it!

I highly recommend Jon and his crew! I went to a Palm Springs event they catered at and was shocked at the service and amazing food preparation. I'm from New Orleans and his gumbo was the closest thing I've have to authentic gumbo in a while. The food is fantastic. read more

This place is the most tastiest authentic restaurant I've been to in so long. 10 out of 10 recommend. Would invite all friends and family. Make this a. Stop when you visit Palm Springs. read more

I meant to write this review months ago. I was planning a surprise catered brunch for a bachelorette in Palm Springs and used Merchain Catering specifically because I knew they did chilaquiles and that was the bride's favorite dish. Who doesn't love a good mexican breakfast? I ended up being completely blown away by them. They arrived right on time, were super nice and set-up right in the house rental. It made things so easy on us. He made sure that the spiciness was to our liking and made sure any dietary restrictions were taken care of. He even heard one of the annoying guests complaining about how she liked her eggs (insert eye roll here) and went out of his way to make a special egg for her without saying anything about it. Props for the professionalism. Can we talk about the food? My god, the food. He made a creamy pork loin dish that I wish I had the recipe for because I still dream of eating it. I'm not kidding, it was that good. Every dish was perfectly executed and delicious. The drinks made in fresh pineapples were to-die for and made for some fun photos. I can't say enough good things about this company. Use them, you won't be disappointed. read more

Merchain Catering - Plate full of mexican breakfast goodness- Chilaquiles, cilantro rice, fresh guac, and the most delicious creamy pork huevos rancheros - Caterers Near Me

Very, VERY disappointing experience. I wouldn't recommend this catering company to anyone. It's a shame to leave a whole family with little kids hungry, take our money and completely ghost us on a planned evening. Don't ruin your mountain trip with losers like this. Save your energy and money for someone, who would value and appreciate you as a customer! read more

Alviro and randy and Alexis gave us the best night! Alviro served up so many delicious beverages and they provided excellent service. I highly recommend this company for all of your catering needs. We had a small party visiting from o of state and they came to our air B and B and served dinner and drinks. read more

Merchain Catering - Caterers Near Me

For my 50th birthday party during 2021, in the middle of covid, we had Merchain catering prepare our dinners for 17 ladies. Not only was the food delicious, the communication was easy and effortless. I would hire Merchain catering again in a heartbeat. read more

I'm Processional Palm Springs Event Planner and Merchain and Jon are desert favorites. Jon's attention to detail in communication, his exceptional service, food and presentation is an absolute. read more

This catering firm is professional and honest. Their food is always excellent and their goal is for any event to be a success. His Palm Springs business is well worth visiting for excellent value for breakfast and lunch. I would have no problem recommending them to cater events. read more

I have never had an issue with Jon. Every time I need him he is there and his menu is always on point. I highly recommend his services. I have been a client for many years and I would never go anywhere else. read more

I had a private function for a week in Palm Springs at Hotel El Cid. We were given 3-4 chefs to pick from for some of our meals. I chose Merchain Catering. When you pick from pictures, you see his food and enjoyment. When you get him on site. It becomes a friendship and you see his passion. We hired Jon for 6 meals and he impressed every single person. He was versatile with his menu. He adjusted on the fly and helped provide ideas without being pushy towards a specific cuisine. Highly highly highly recommend you have him do a seafood boil and tomahawk steak dinner. That was a change from what we originally asked for. Best decision ever. His first breakfast he did a Mexican flavor dish- amazing. read more

See all

I have to say I was most impressed with Chef John! He came in to our Airbnb and cooked us a meal from scratch! Everything was fresh and smelling good! We didn't even get one picture of the food because we all just scarfed it down. My girls were so impressed and you can tell everyone was in high spirits. Food is everything at a party! And it definitely was a big contributing factor for having an amazing time. Chef John even made sure to leave the left overs and drinks the rest of the day and came back the next to pick up his equipment. There never felt like a rush and he was friendly and super professional around 20 half naked women. I definitely recommend him! read more

Merchain Catering - The girls ignoring the male butlers because the food was ready lol. That's how good it was. - Caterers Near Me

Merchain catered a small bachelorette party for us and everyone raved about the food. AMAZING tacos and pineapple margaritas, plus he was able to bring our favorite beers along as well. Jon is a super nice guy with great food and good pricing. He gives you all the information you need and its a very straight forward process to book and choose his food. read more

Merchain Catering - Caterers Near Me

Chef John prepared dinner for my partner's birthday on a mini trip to Yucca Valley. He came highly recommended by the property manager of the house we stayed at. we arrived after John, and he was already inside preparing food. the house was immaculate. he purchased flowers and candles on his own accord. it was so romantic! we had several dishes prepped - steak, lobster tail, a nice pasta dish. it was an unforgettable experience and I'll call him again! read more

Jon and Merchain Catering is a 5 star review for me. I rented an estate for a private bachelor party weekend in Bermuda Dunes and we had Merchain on both nights to save us some time from cooking in the evening. We did the taco package Fri night and a selected course on Sat. All of the guests loved the food and it was delivered to us at the perfect temperature. Big thanks to Jon for making this a weekend filled with great food. read more

All I can say Wow!! Planing an event is very stressful. We wanted to make sure that the food was well made with good presentation and we got just that and more with Jon. I've never worked with Jon before this event or even tasted any of his food but I just knew that he would be able to deliver and he did. Every thing was full of flavor and made with the best ingredients. I felt like I've known Jon for years although we just met. He is the sweetest guy with a great sense of humor and major cooking skills! He made the some of the best chicken I've ever tasted. ( I'm picky with my chicken) The Charcuterie set up was Amazing with the tastiest bites all around. The Sangria was fresh and full of flavor.... All I can say is Merchain Catering is the best. Thank you Jon. We were very blessed to have you be a big part of our big day. May you continue to have great success! read more

Such a great experience with Jon. His story of his journey, his passion for his business, and his customer service were top notch. He was so pleasant and all of his staff were BEYOND sweet and friendly. I took on the planning of meals for a recent weekend long party in Palm Springs, and Tacos were the theme for Saturday night, while Italian (Sunday Family Dinner - thank you Jersey Shore) was the theme for Sunday . After searching for numerous vendors and options for food (on Labor Day weekend) - I landed on Jon's business. Quick response via email and text (just my style) SUPER affordable and very accommodating to our requests. Our menu was as follows: Saturday Jon served 20 of us: * Skirt Steak * Chicken Breast * Al Pastor * Chips and homemade Guacamole * White rice w/ Cilantro * Chorizo beans - * Pinto beans * Red & Green Salsa * Flour & Corn tortillas * Grilled veggies (Vegan option style tacos) * Limes * Onions * Cilantro * Fresh Veggies * Lemonade * Arnold Palmer Sunday Jon served 20 of us: * Lasagna - (Warning - this WILL put other lasagnas to SHAME!) * Chicken Alfredo - PERFECT sauce * Baked Ziti * Cesar salad - HIT with our group * House salad * French Bread Drop off was quick and painless, they brought the trays in ready to serve and provided the necessary items needed to keep everything hot. Jon provided all of the utensils needed to serve, plates, napkins and utensils to eat. We could not have asked for more from this business. It was an AWESOME experience. Payment was simple with Venmo. Deposit to lock us in and balance 10 days before. Considering I was a last minute planner for this, on Labor Day weekend, Jon was amazing and so flexible. If I am in the area again, Jon is first on my list. Don't forget - he also cooks on site, we chose for him to just drop it off. We were a rowdy weekend getaway crowd (alcohol can do that) and didn't want to be in his way in the kitchen. However, I would love to explore that option next time when I travel with my family. read more

Run away from this disgusting catering company. They did a large event for our community and it was a total rip off. I am suprised they have any positive reviews. The people that showed up to the event had no clue and I actually felt sorry that Jon Merchain sent them out when they clearly had no idea what to do. It was well over 100 people and it was so so sad. If you have an important event this is NOT a who to call. read more

Let me just point out that there would be an average of 5 stars for every individual on this page if it wasn't for the people who got confused with businesses and wrote a bad review for the wrong place.... All I have left to say is--the reviews speak for themselves. This food is THE BEST OF THE BEST. So if you have chance, you'll be LUCKY to hire Merchain Catering read more