I used Ral based on a coworker's recommendation for a work luncheon for 34 people on Dec15th. HORRIBLE communication - poor explanation of what he could do and it took him 4 days to respond to my 2 emails and voicemail. Significantly more expensive than other caterers I have used this year. Dour attitude. 17minutes late delivery!! The food was just OK (beef was chewy). I don't know how this guy is still in business. If he couldn't handle my event then he should have said "no" a week ago. read more

Ral's Fine Catering - We needed each meal individually packaged - Caterers Near Me - Houston, Texas

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My company recently had an event catered by Ral's and they did a great job! We were invited ahead of time to sample some of the entrees and sides and drinks that they offer (I couldn't make it *sad*). They had a broad selection of chicken entrees as well as a pork dish and chimichurri beef. While I didn't get to sample the entrees beforehand, one my entrees of interest was chosen for our event: pecan crusted chicken with firecracker cream sauce, as well as the chimichurri beef. The chicken was ok, and I couldn't taste the sauce, but the beef was much better. It was cooked medium and had a chimichurri sauce to pour over it that had great flavor! From the array of sides, we had wild rice with cranberries and the vegetable medley. Both were very good; I must say I was pleasantly surprised because those would not have been my first choices for sides. Their assortment included some various potato sides that sounded delicious! Of the desserts we ordered for our event--tres leches and chocolate cake--the chocolate cake was AWESOME! I did not get to try the tres leches, but it looked okay, to be honest. Not much help, I know. We were offered salad and passion fruit tea with our meal and watermelon lemonade and alcohol-free mimosas for the pre-dinner networking. I only tried the lemonade and tea, and they were pretty good. The passion fruit tea was a big hit! Perhaps it's because we were return customers, but Ral's cut our planning committee a good deal. I would hope we use them in the future because they helped make our event a success. In reality, I'd probably give them 3.5 stars because the food didn't completely blow me away (I might have thought differently had I been able to sample the other dishes, though). However, for the quality and the price, I'm rounding up. I would recommend them for your catering needs. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. The venue we chose only gave us three choices as far as caterers and Ral's seemed to be the best choice to fit our needs at the time. Both tastings went GREAT, we loved the chicken and the passion fruit tea. We really looked forward to the wedding reception as we felt that everyone else would love it just as much. However, when I got my plate at the reception it looked as if someone had regurgitated the food right onto the plate! The chicken did not look or taste ANYTHING like what we had at our tasting so I immediately got pissed off. The chicken that was served to us during the tasting was nice and brown with a crispy crust on top that contained several different herbs and seasonings. The chicken we received at the actual wedding looked pale and undercooked, not to mention there were no herbs/seasonings in sight, instead it looked like it was covered in a white/light colored sauce or gravy. The tea was super watered down, but later we found out that it needed to be stirred prior to drinking (how tf are people supposed to know that?) My mother also spoke with Ral over the phone and he assured her that we would receive 10 vegan meals for our guests that did not eat meat. We took his word that it would be taken care of, which was the BIG MISTAKE on my part. I should have sent an email to be sure that the change was DOCUMENTED, but it was just days before the wedding and we were super busy. Not to mention he takes DAYS to respond to emails which is the reason she called instead of emailed as it was just days before the wedding. My mom included the list of 10 names that were supposed to receive vegan plates ATTACHED to the final payment check that she dropped off. If saw the check then you saw the paper attached to it but he lied and said that he didn't see it. At the reception I noticed one of my bridesmaids had meat on her plate when she was supposed to have a vegan plate. This told me that my other guest also must have had meat on their plates when they should have vegan plates. My wedding planner brought it to the server's attention and she told her that she in fact had the vegan meals there and that she just didn't know who they were supposed to go to. (How stupid is that, to have vegan meals there but not pass them out or not ask one f us who should the plates go to?!) As a result, several of my guests were unable to eat. When my wedding planner and I brought this to Ral's attention after the wedding was over, instead of him being professional and trying to resolve the issue, Ral only argued with me back and forth like a child via email. He took absolutely no accountability for the mix up and did not care that several of my guests didn't get to eat. He went as far as to say he knew NOTHING ABOUT VEGAN MEALS as if the conversation that he and my mother had was made up in her head. But we have phone records to prove that you spoke and agreed on vegan meals PRIOR to her bringing you the final check. If you didn't speak about vegan meals, then she wouldn't have known exactly what the vegan plate consisted of (a stuffed portobello mushroom or pepper). That was discussed over the phone, not via email. Also, why did your servers have vegan meals at the reception? Exactly, because you knew about it. We trusted this catering company and that was the biggest mistake ever. Ral pretty much denied the whole phone conversation that he had with my mother and was arguing with me solely based off of our emails, which I stopped emailing him due to him taking a decade to respond. Phone calls are quicker and easier, but dealing with money hungry snakes like Ral, ALWAYS SEND AN EMAIL FOR PROOF. The only good thing that came out of the $5K PLUS dollars that we spent with Ral's Catering was the cocktail hour hors' devours and the dinner rolls. To say this is "fine catering" is an absolute joke. read more

My wife and I married in the court house on March 4, 1997. We actually had a wedding for our 20th anniversary March 11, 2017 at Noah's in Katy, TX. As you already know EXCELLENT FOOD is a necessity. Ral's Fine Catering service, professionalism, and food was far greater than extraordinary. My wife is extremely controlling when planning ANY event...Guess what! I did not here one complaint. We love Ral's Fine Catering!! FYI: I'm literally going to every review possible to share this wonderful experience. It's how to find vendors of this level and trust them! read more

Hiring Ral's Fine Catering for my wedding was the WORST DECISION my husband and I made!!!!!!!! I wish I could leave No STARS. We booked our Wedding at The Heights Villa for 2/26/2021 and they offer you with 3 caters to choice from (if you use an outside company you have to pay $2500). We tried all 3 and felt that Ral's had the best tasting food and a great price. At the tasting we tried everything we wanted to and were extremely happy with our choices. After booking with Ral's I noticed that the communication with him became difficult. It would take him weeks to respond to emails, calls and/or voicemails. The wedding coordinator expressed the same concern as our wedding date got closer. Leading up to the wedding Ral's was informed of his arrival time of 4pm to start setting up. My wedding coordinators informed me he did not arrive until 6pm....2 hours late!!!! Since they arrived late they were still setting up during our ceremony. At one point during my vows someone dropped some dishes in the back making a loud sound. During cocktail hour my wedding party was presented with the appetizers......all of them were cold and tasted like they had been cooked the day before. At the reception I was disgusted with the food that was served to my guest. Herb roasted chicken was still pink and cold. It looked like regular baked chicken...nothing like we tasted before. Some of the guest informed me their chicken tasted like fish and some of them even got sick after our wedding. Multiple people saw them pour a cup of milk in the macaroni and cheese. It was mushy, cold and set in the milk the whole time. The green beans were not season and definitely not cooked with bacon. The scallop potatoes were hard and one of his helpers poured cheese on top of the potatoes so none of the cheese was melted. His "passion fruit" tea tasted like water down ice tea with no sugar. On top of the nasty food my wedding coordinators caught his staff in the back eating our cake!!!!! Ridiculous!!!!! A few days after my wedding I called Ral to inform him how upset and disappointed I was in the food. He had an excuse for everything and offered me "free" appetizers. I told him I do not want any food from him and he should be offering me some of my money back. He would not offer anything but more food. After my conversation with him I discovered that he has 16 open violation cases with the Houston Health Department. I informed The Heights Villa about my issues/concerns and hope they take this issue just as serious. Especially since The Health Department is involved. DO NO BOOK WITH RAL'S FINE CATERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

I really can't imagine Ral getting less than 5 stars. Was told by multiple people that it was the best wedding food they've ever had and not being partial, I agree :) Ral simply makes good food. And on top of that has very competitive pricing. Was really happy that I found him - we wanted buffet style, but in stations to give it a bit of pizazz, and Ral worked very closer with our designer to deliver the perfect layout - on top of the food being absolutely spectacular. We had a little of everything - Creole, being my origin, Asia, traditional comfort, etc. All was fantastic. Very happy with Ral. read more

Ral catered my wedding and did an excellent job. He works with you to create your own menu in your price range. Oh and his prices are VERY reasonable. My guests loved the food which was important!! Make sure to go to one of his Epicurean delights open houses so you can taste for yourself read more

Ral's Fine Catering catered my wedding on September 1, 2013 and they did a phenomenal job! I was so pleased with the service they provided. Several of my guests made mention of how good the food was. I wasn't able to eat because my dress was extremely tight, but everything looked soooo good. I would recommend Ral's to all future brides-to-be! read more

October 14,2018 I was a bridesmaid at a wedding Ral's catered and found the food to be delicious. The experience at the food tastings was different, the couple had to have a second batch made since the first was horrible. Customer service was poor, in fact 3 guests complained that the staff was rude. In the itenerary, after the ceremony the bride and groom were suppose to enjoy cocktail hour with the bridal party during the photographing (while guests conversed and waited for the reception to set up). Instead the staff fed others, while we missed out on cocktail hour. In addition, the bridal party wasn't served first when it came to the main course either. When it came to boxing up the wedding cake(a service if we provided boxes, the manager verbally claimed)we the bridal party had to make time out of everything else going on, to pack up the cake. The staff wanted nothing to do with it, even though we were told they would do it. We ended up having to use the boxes that held the corsages, in which they didn't help regardless. read more

It has been a pleasure working with Ral for my wedding! Not only are his dishes amazing, his prices are also very reasonable. I must recognize Ral's Catering for the flexibility and patience they had as I had to reschedule my wedding due to Hurricane Harvey. The adjustment was effortless! read more

Ral catered my daughter's wedding, and we were not happy with the outcome. It seems once he has your money he could care less. He does not return emails or calls. Food was great at the tasting, but just ok at the wedding. You want a caterer who will spend time with you and do what you want for your reception....go with someone else! read more

RALs horrible catering is just the half of why you shouldn't use his services. The lack of professionalism is beyond degree.My wife and I initially booked his services through a venue in which we were given 3 options to choose. He was the initial choice and we thought we had made a good decision. Unfortunately that was not the case. First, his communication is horrible. He has no sense of business etiquette and his response time is laughable at best.He doesn't respond and acts as if you are on his time. My wife had been in communication with him for most of the time. We had submitted a 1000$ deposit to lock his services for our wedding and emailed him a week and a few days prior to confirm and submit the remaining balance.Mind you this is a week after trying to contact him via email and telephone in which we left a voicemail with no response. Ral and my wife finally spoke and decided on where and when to submit the final payment. My wife took RAL a Wells Fargo Check in the exact amount requested. Thinking everything had been taken care of we put that as a task completed. Little did we know Ral handles business amateurely and has horrible communication and social skills. Not to mention down right disrespectful and rude. He calls my wife, after 7pm , on a Monday night. He proceeds to call back to back , over and over again!! At this point I find my wife and hand her the phone. After she answers the phone I proceed to hear RAl yelling and screaming at my wife! At this point I am looking at her and the phone In amazement!My wife then quickly hands me the phone to a yelling man I can barely understand. I ask Ral what is the issue and instead of responding in a mature business like manner, he continues to scream and yell! At this time I'm just trying to make some sense of everything as I stated before I had not been in communication with him. After Ral finally calms down ( so unprofessional) he tells me he doesn't have payment and is asking about a Chase Bank Check. He then proceeded to call my wife a liar!! Yes, he called my soon to be wife a liar. After I calm down myself from him calling paying customers liars, I then figure out why he is wasting my time in the first place. For whatever reason he did not want the Wells Fargo Check. He never stated anything else was a problem, other than it being a Wells Fargo check. I was thoroughly confused as I thought any check with the amount requested should suffice. Any form of payment in full whether it be cash, check, or card is always excepted and not ever a problem in business transactions. But not with Ral, who for whatever reason would not except our Check and stubbornly continued to demand a chase Check. Again he never communicated anything with us that distinctly said he PREFERRED a chase Check. If so that could have been done as I have multiple accounts. Instead he show how classless he is by calling after hours screaming,disrespectful and demanding which is unacceptable on many levels. Anyone can cook a nice meal but to deal with a disrespectful, unprofessional chef who calls paying customers liars and stupid is not worthy to serve anyone. He then claims non payment while holding a check with payment in full!! Now he has our 1000$ deposit and will not return after he broke/Voided the contract on his on personal terms. I was told to sue him by the venue I had my wedding by the owner!! Sounds crazy but after I explained the situation and the venue spoke to Ral, they suggested I sue him. Tells you a lot of who he is and what you're dealing with. Rals horrible catering should never be considered if you have a time sensitive event and weddings are a no go. If anything I have left out more than I felt to type. But nothing is a stretch. read more

Ral's fine catering did an amazing event for my wedding. The food was absolutely spectactular and all of my 200+ guest raved about how great it was. Becuase of his his great prices we were able to afford fruit and cheese appetizers and butler passed hors d'oeuvers of lobster tails, chicken skewers and spanikopita and a two-entree meal for all of guest. He even made a special delicious vegetarian option for me and the other vegetarian guests. Ral helped make my wedding special and made sure that I didnt have to worry about food on the wedding day. He was very responsive and patient, even though I changed the menu at least 5 times before the wedding. Next time I have another event I am hiring Ral again. read more

I am not a picky eater by no means but I know good food when I taste it. Ral's Fine Catering did an excellent job at my wedding. The price was reasonable and all of my guest said that they had more than enough food. He was on time and very professional throughout the entire process. So says my wife! I just really enjoyed the food it was great. Looking for a good cater Ral is your man read more

I was referred to Ral by my wedding planner, Linda Stewart. I was very impressed of the different variety food Ral got to offer, not to mentioned the prices were right too. To be honest, I did speak to several other vendors before I decided to go with Ral. At first, my reason for chosing Ral was because his price was very reasonable compared to other vendors that I have talked to. However, I soon to find out that not only was the price was reasonable, but the food was very delicious as well when I went to the food tasting. Ral was very down to earth and was not pushy at all when we met. He was very detailed when explaining to me what was on the menu that I have selected and what will works best for my theme. Ral was very patience with us when it comes to scheduling the food tasting. At first, we had to reschedule the food tasting a couple of times because of my fiancé unexpected work schedules. Then, later we had to change the date on Ral again because we were dealing with a death in our family. Not to mentioned, we changed the menu on Ral at the last minute (to be exact, two weeks before our wedding date) due to our budget. Ral went way above and beyond for us and we really thank him for being so patience and work with us through all of these. Our wedding is 3/14/15 and I am so looking forward to eating the food again. read more