John was amazing! He made our wedding catering exactly how I imagined it. Communication was always easy and pleasant, and I felt completely confident that everything would go smoothly. The team arrived right on time, set everything up incredibly quickly and quietly, and picked up the equipment exactly as planned. The food was absolutely delicious! Having a vendor I didn't have to worry about on such an important day meant so much to me. I'm extremely happy and grateful to John and his team. Highly recommend! Thank you read more

John went above and beyond for our event. We needed table skirts a week before our event so I contacted slo finest. John recommended other businesses when he thought he wouldn't be able to provide them. I was so surprised when He special ordered the items we needed. And they arrived in time! What a nice human. So easy to work with. I will definitely use this business in the future and 100% recommend anyone else who needs a catering service. Thank you!!!!! read more

We had SLO's Finest cater our holiday party and were not disappointed. We asked John to provide an assortment of appetizers and desserts. They were beautifully presented and tasted amazing. The organic greens salad, charcuterie, and mezze display were favorites that received a lot of compliments. John provided great service and was easy to communicate with. I appreciate the time and attention to detail that was provided. I would easily recommend them any occasion. read more

If you're looking for the best caterer in SLO County, look no further: John and company are simply "SLO's Finest". We were beyond pleased with the entire experience having chosen them as our caterer for an event with several food allergies/dietary restrictions (gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian) to juggle. John and company go beyond mere professionalism; into the realm of kind, helpful, and creative. All the typical lovely things to say about a caterer: he is organized, timely, communicative, and makes dang good food. But, what sets Slo's Finest apart is that John truly went above and beyond. John took all our needs in stride, created an outstanding menu that allowed for everyone to have fun, delightful, and delectable food options available to them, ensuring everyone could be included to the fullest. The presentation was visually striking and elegant, and the service was exemplary. We feel so fortunate to have been able to have retained their services. If we ever need a caterer in SLO County again, we will be picking SLO's Finest. read more

Very good customer service and outstanding menu choices. Will give further updates after the event occurs.

The most wonderful caterer and one of the best vendors in general I have ever worked with. Our caterer for our wedding canceled after deposit 2 months before our wedding. He was a family friend so it was very sad and stressful! We were recommended John by our venue and gave him a call and he immediately dropped what he was doing and met with us in person on a Saturday afternoon to go over our wedding and what we had in mind. He was SO laid back, calm, and really listened to what we wanted and worked with our budget. He made a point of saying he wanted to make sure I, as the bride, had a wonderful day with no stress and anything that went awry he wanted directed towards him over my husband or I. It actually makes me emotional to remember! We planned every aspect ourselves and hearing this with so much certainty and support really meant so much. He also mentioned he had coordinated weddings before and we had previously setup a friend to coordinate but we were a little worried it would be tricky for her to be both our friend/guest AND the coordinator. We asked if he would also coordinate and he said he would and I am still SO glad my mom insisted we asked. It was a completely different day and truly the happiest day ever because of all John did! He was so responsive, with helpful suggestions without being overbearing in any way. We truly felt as soon as we had him signed on it changed the entire direction of the wedding, like having John on board it was going to go well no matter what! He totally proved our point. He met us the day before at the rehearsal, helped set up everything - tables, equipment, the ceremony structure, walking cues etc. and took note of every detail that I actually felt kind of silly about like where our hashtag sign would go and gave it so much care and absolutely nailed it day of. I went into my wedding day very unstressed because of his extreme level of care, confidence and competence. It truly felt like a good friend was there just making it all go how we wanted. I cannot stress enough how much it meant to us. The food was delicious, fresh and refreshing and beautifully presented family style, with such sweet and helpful staff that watched for any opportunity to jump in and help. He arranged a beautiful sweethearts table for us making sure we got to eat - which was huge!!! - and even placed my personalized table cards and designs absolutely perfectly. He brought delicious nonalcoholic options as well as doing our bar setup and purchasing. He is literally the best. I would recommend getting married anywhere in SLO JUST so you can use John 's services. I could truly go on and on. Thank you so much John. You truly saved the day when it came to our wedding and we look back on our day with so much love and happiness with such an appreciation for all you brought to make sure it was that way. read more

I was referred to SLO's Finest by my event coordinator for a graduation reception hosting about 80 people. I am extremely happy for the recommendation. John was the absolute best to work with for the event. He was very approachable and accommodating to my requests. Every step of the process was easy as he walked me through everything. The day of the event went so well. Everyone at the event loved the food, from the appetizers to the dessert. Everything came out so well. The bruschetta was a favorite among everyone. The staff were also very professional and friendly. I would highly recommend John/SLO's Finest for any event. Thank you, John! read more

Working with John was an absolute dream! We had SLO's Finest cater our wedding and I could not recommend them more. John is approachable, easy going, creative, and goes above and beyond. He is a delight to work with. The food he makes is both beautiful and delicious! The bacon wrapped dates and beet salad are a must! He was the perfect caterer for our wedding and we would hire him again in a heartbeat. Highly recommend!! read more

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So thankful that we had SLO Finest at our wedding. They food was not only amazing, but the team was so professional and everything was so smooth. We did not have to worry about a thing! John and his team did an amazing job and we couldn't be happier! You need the bacon wrapped dates at your wedding!! read more

John is the absolute BEST! Slo's Finest had the most amazing food at my wedding. Everyone raved about the food which was the highlight at my wedding. To be honest, his food perhaps was the main reason why my wedding was absolutely perfect. Every single thing that John makes is with the highest quality and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I don't know how John does it, but he definitely works magic. He and his team are the most amazing people and John is extremely generous, kind, and flexible. He also provides linens, dining ware, glassware, and silverware so that you literally do not have to worry about anything else. Go with John and you will NOT be disappointed, I promise! read more

Yes, SLO's Finest is the finest! The best in flavors, presentation, and choices. John is consistently amazing & easy to recommend.

Awesome Food!!! Thank you for the amazing food at the Central Coast Writers Conference. Everything was so delicious!!! read more

Awesome food with an amazing team John kills it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So thankful that we found Slo's Finest to cater our rehearsal dinner and wedding! John and his team did a fantastic job. He worked countless hours to make sure our menu was perfect and it was exactly what we wanted on our big day. From the service to the quality of food and the presentation... it was all absolutely perfect. THANK YOU SO MUCH JOHN!!! read more

I don't know if I have the words to adequately express my supreme satisfaction with the service of John and his team at SLO's Finest. Not only was it the best catered meal I've ever had (and I have an opportunity to have quite a few through my job), it was professionally staffed and well organized. John was very good about meeting with my wife and me before our wedding to get an idea of what we wanted. He worked with us on a number of occasions to refine the food and services and was great about making changes. His level of customer service can't be beat. I really can't say enough good things about him. His pricing was phenomenal considering that he uses locally sourced products to make such outstanding meals. Everything was great, but I have to say, he made a butternut squash lasagna that was to die for. Our guests couldn't stop raving about the food. John at SLO's Finest is one of the greats. It truly is SLO's finest, if not California's or the nation's. My wife and I will never use anyone else. read more

SLO's Finest - Caterers Near Me

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** WARNING!!! DO NOT GO WITH THIS CATERING COMPANY ** - Ran out of food - Ran out of plates First off, they did not have all the staff that they were supposed to have to serve at the event and didn't even have the courtesy to inform anybody. They were more than aware that they were going to be serving 200+ people, so I have no idea how they ran out of plates. They had people eating off of paper plates (well the ones that were fortunate to even get food...) BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE... On top of that, they ran out of food..... 10 cups of rice..... for 200+ people.... you guys already know how that went. We ended up ordering pizza... PIZZA AND PAPER PLATES. So basically, don't book through this company. You'll be disappointed, your guests will be hungry, and you'll waste your money. If I could give 0 stars I would. read more

UPDATE: There is only one simple fact about the catering at my wedding. John ran out of food. It was humiliating and that is what my wedding will be known for. That's all that needs to be said. I will address John disrespecting my husband and I saying we were highly intoxicated and vomited. My husband is a police officer and I am an ICU registered nurse. We hold ourselves to higher standards than puking in front of our guests at our wedding. Although, it could have been some other guests who were drinking and didn't have anything to eat since the food ran out. John ruined my wedding. I wrote a review before but he must have paid to have mine and other reviews removed. DO NOT BOOK HIM FOR YOUR WEDDING OR LARGE EVENT. Everything was going perfect until I found out John had ran out of food. He brought ONE TRAY of rice to feed 250 people. He ran out of chicken and side dishes. There were still about 50 guests left that had not eaten and all that was left was salad and tri-tip. Mind you, there were vegetarians, pregnant women, and children that had not eaten yet either. My family members had to leave my own wedding to go get food for their children. John had to order pizza to serve my guests. YES I SERVED PIZZA ON STYROFOAM PLATES AT MY WEDDING. John also ran out of plates but luckily my wedding coordinator had styrofoam plates in her car for emergencies. He also did not even order enough pizza. When I contracted him after my wedding to talk things over and discuss some sort of compensation for ruining my wedding, he was nothing but nasty and unprofessional. Needless to say, he did not provide any compensation. If you want your once in a lifetime special event to be remembered for running out of food and being served pizza then John is your guy. read more

SLO's Finest - The main course - Caterers Near Me

John made sure that I was able to provide my fiance and guests with a delicious meal prepared in the backyard of my home. I recommend him to anyone looking to book a private event in SLO! read more

Working with SLO's Finest Catering has always been enjoyable for me. As a local wedding and event planner, I have had the opportunity to work with John, the owner, on a few occasions and he has always put his best foot forward. His food is reasonably priced and tasty. He is a problem solver and the one time that a challenge arose at one of our events, he thought of a quick solution so the couple and guests were unaware-which is the way it should always be. He is one of the nicest and easiest guys to work with and constantly reinventing the wheel with his creative mind and entrepreneur skillsets. His commissary kitchen and drop off services are thriving. I recommend using SLO's Finest Catering for any one hosting an event who is in need of catering services. read more

John was absolutely wonderful to work with and the food was heavenly. Could not have asked for a better experience. Yummmmm! We had our daughters graduation dinner catered by him to avoid the hustle and bustle of graduation crowds. Best decision ever. Thanks John. read more

Fantastic catering at Central Coast Writers Conference today! Excellent offerings and presentation. So kind to share 'To Go' boxes when you realized you overprepared! My husband gets to enjoy some tri-tip tonight & hear all about how I recommend SLO Finest for their next catered event at his work! read more

SLO's Finest is at the top of my list. When it comes to catering there are a lot of ways you can go but you will never find anyone as generous, flexible and easy to work with as John and his team. They are truly a one-stop shop and can supply everything you need to make your wedding day taste and look perfect. If you want something unique or a special family recipe, John can make it happen. If you are on a budget, John can problem solve and figure out how best to save money. If you want full service with no stress or hassle they do that too. They excel at delicious Vegan and Vegetarian options and I personally love their Mediterranean dishes. As a wedding planner I know I can go to SLO's Finest and get the best for my couples and that ease and peace of mind you cant put a price on. read more

John, you rock! This review is well overdue. Last year, we had SLO's Finest cater my in-law's 50th wedding anniversary party. I initially chose John for his food passion in terms of local, organic when possible and also his awareness about non-GMO food. Upon my initial inquiry, John called right back, which is not my same experience with other local caterers that I called. Our event was held at La Perla del Mar in Pismo Beach, and not a venue John had previously catered to before. He took time to scout the venue in advance, and speak with our venue coordinator. John was very accommodating to meet our budget, while also delivering appetizers and meals go above-standard buffet fare. it was also impressive that John was able to deliver high quality, tasteful meals for our 60+ guests in a buffet. I actually had at least two guests come and tell me their meals were the best they had ever had at such an event. And, even more impressive, my brother-in-law and wife, both food connoisseurs, made comments how much they enjoyed the food. I highly recommend John. He is great to work with, affordable with quality food and most importantly, delivers outstanding and crowd-pleasing meals for large groups (we had about 60 in attendance). There were no surprises in billing, and the whole planning phase with John was a breeze. I would definitely hire him again! read more

My husbands work used John and SLO's Finest for their Christmas party and it was by far the best catering service I have ever seen. The food was beyond exceptional.. Everything is far beyond what was expected. John is so flexible and is willing to work with anything that is thrown at him. His crew was awesome. They did everything from make the food, serve it and even bused it. The day of the party, my husband called John and asked if he could throw in 2 vegetarian options and it was done. The day of! How awesome is that. You could see their hard work shine though. Not only myself, but everyone continued to talk about the food and service well after the party was over. We will for sure be using them in the future and they are 100% highly recommended. read more

Our celebration could not have been more enjoyable due in large measure to John Carswell and SLO's Finest Commissary & Catering. We envisioned a Tuscan-style lunch for our celebration on the beautiful patio at Tolosa Winery. Of the several caterers I interviewed only John seemed to understand what it was that we were looking for and his menu suggestions were right on target. John was a delight to work with, his flexibility and outstanding customer service made everything flow beautifully. But it was his food that really wowed our guests. His platter of roasted vegetables and of cheeses and fruits even got the attention of the winery event staff - they were gorgeous and delicious. His servings were generous and his pricing very reasonable. I look forward to working with John again and I recommend SLO's Finest with enthusiasm. read more

1000x yes! I used SLO's Finest for my graduation party, and it was so much of a hit that we all stuffed ourselves before I realized I didn't take any photos of the wonderful food. Everyone went back for seconds, even thirds, and even the pickiest eater in our party kept raving about how delicious the food was. I ended up ordering for 20 people, and John provided more than enough food I had everyone was able to take some food home to enjoy the next day (or two). Here was my menu: beet salad (purple & golden beets with arugula, goat cheese, candied walnuts & a balsamic reduction), chicken kebabs, salmon with a kiwi salsa, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables (squash, zucchini, carrots), & penne pasta salad with a pesto vodka cream sauce. Everything was amazing, but the most raved about was the beet salad, salmon, & mashed potatoes!! John was very accommodating and catered the food to our location at the top of prefumo & made sure to check for any last minute details. I also learned he's a Cal Poly alum, so Go Mustangs! Thanks for the best meal I could have had for my graduation dinner SLO's Finest! read more

An amazing experience. We loved the staff and they prepared an awesome meal for us. They cooked us; Stuffed Chicken, Mashed Potato's, Grilled Vegetables, and an amazing Salad with goat cheese and pecans. The chicken was to die for, I ate it until I couldn't eat anymore. I can highly recommend this company for any family get together, birthday party, or really any special gathering. Will be using them again next family get together. 10/10 read more

LOVE Slo's finest!! JJ catered my wedding and gave us an incredible price, was always available to help us out, and even gave us a really nice bottle of wine as a wedding gift! I appreciated that he didn't charge us for all the little things like a cake cutting fee, corkage fees, ect. All around a great guy with exceptional customer service! read more

The chicken was over cooked. The beef was lacking seasoning. The salad is soaked in dressing and turned out soggy. The only thing amazing at the event that was served were the donuts and alcohol. read more

For a mellow bachelor party for my brother, I thought it would be fun to bring in a private chef to prepare a meal for all of the guys. After 2 phone calls to local catering companies, I was referred to John at SLO's Finest. I was looking for someone to think up a menu, buy all the food, prepare the meal, and knock our socks off with the quality. Quite simply John blew away all of my expectations!! First, John thought up an incredible menu, exactly right for a group of 12 hungry guys! Next, he brought in absolutely EVERYTHING needed to prepare the incredibly high quality food that he had picked. I'm serious, I didn't have to do ANYTHING! The meal itself was to die for! Most incredible crab legs I've ever had! The group could not finish all of the unbelievable food! Appetizers, beverages, side dishes, entrees and desert! We all ate like kings! After we were all stuffed, John shattered my expectations again, by not only cleaning all of the dishes he had brought to prepare the meal, but all of our own dishes we used to devour it! By the time John was done, the kitchen was cleaner than we he arrived. If all that doesn't sound like enough, throw in an incredible cost, and an incredibly kind and passionate chef, and you have the ingredients to an incredible evening with zero stress!!! 5 stars isn't enough!!! read more

Everything this man puts together is exquisite. JJ catered an event that I threw and I have to say I wouldn't even consider using another service in the future. Timely, efficient, professional, and easy to communicate with. Top of the line stuff. Keep up the fantastic, delicious work!!! read more

John was amazing! Hands down some of the best food I have ever had. Not only was the food absolutely phenomenal, but every interaction I had with him was awesome. He is very easy to work with and took so much stress off my plate. I didn't have to worry about anything he was managing. I had some special requests and he accommodated everything like it was no problem. He even went above and beyond to do more than I asked and it felt like working with a friend. Of everything, I was really hoping the food was incredible, especially since I have some serious foodies in my group. Whether good or bad, the food is always what people talk about after a wedding. ALL of my guests were raving about everything from the salad, to the entrees, to the dessert. If you are interested in the best, Michelin Star quality food with amazing service, John is your guy!! Thank you for making such a special day that much better! read more

This is long overdue, I used John and his crew back in October for my wedding and was more than satisfied with the service, professionalism, time spent to set up and even staying late to help clean up and especially the food! I am still getting compliments from guests on how amazing the appetizers and main dish was. I have referred him to friends and family and will definitely be using him again if the need arises. Thanks John! read more

As I was in line for my food, I looked over to the caterer. He looked up at the line and his facial expression was that of pure panic. It was almost a forewarning of the disaster that was to come. I finally got my plate and noticed that they ran out of chicken. They also ran out of the vegetarian option. I do not eat red meat. Imagine my surprise when I realized I would only be having salad as my main course. Anyways I would not recommend this caterer at all. Hopefully the caterer comes up with a well thought of response rather than copying and pasting the same one from other reviews. Especially since some of the things he said were outright lies. read more

Best decision ever to hire Slo's Finest to cater my husbands 55th birthday party. We had a small group of 20 people and it was fantastic!!! Jon was very easy to work with and his prices by far are more reasonable than any other on the central coast. The food was prepared to perfection and on time. We had two chefs in our group and they were very impressed! Jon even gave us a very nice thank you gift! We will always recommend him to others and use his services when we host events in the future. I can't wait to schedule a cooking class with a group of friends! read more

SLO's Finest - CHEF CARSWELL ON THE RIGHT IN RED - Caterers Near Me

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John and his crew were simply wonderful -- perfect for my daughters graduation celebration party. SLO's Finest will give you so many menu choices and accomodate dietary needs too. I was impressed with the freshness and creative flavors in our selections. Vegetarian and vegan options, friendly service with smiles. I will definitely use this company again for any parties I host -- highly recommend! read more

I had the pleasure of working with SLO's Finest for a wedding recently and was thoroughly impressed from start to finish. John and his entire team were professional, friendly, and helpful. The food was amazing, of course, but the service is what really stood out in my mind. They were so much fun to work with and I can hardly wait to do it again. I've now added a new caterer to my preferred vendor list. read more

John just catered our daughter's wedding in Paso Robles and we got raves from the guests "Best food at a wedding ever". We had the fruited green salad, AWESOME! Our wedding coordinator said how nice he was as well. We got a great price and great service. The staff were polite and did a good job. I am more than happy to recommend SLO's Finest for any catering need. read more

John catered our daughter's wedding in June and was, as he always is, outstanding. This is the 4th or 5th event I've had SLO's Finest cater, and they never disappoint. The food is always excellent, without question. There is always ample food and we have never run short on anything. John handles rentals, full service, and just puts you completely at ease with his ability to handle all the little details so I didn't have to worry about them. I got so many compliments on the food and the wait staff. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and it all contributed to a fabulous event. The first call I made after a wedding date was chosen was to SLO's Finest catering to make sure John was available! You won't ever be disappointed by this incredible team, and I highly recommend John and SLO's Finest Catering!! read more