Buckboard Catering Company

We had Buckboard cater a lunch for our nurses union and we were VERY pleased and impressed! Professional service and delicious food! They came out, set everything up and ensured we had what we needed. We felt they went above and beyond and will definitely use them again. Thank you guys for making this work so well for us… people had nothing but good things to say!

I cannot say enough good things about Bill and the Buckboard team! If you are getting married in San Diego and have the option to use Buckboard… DO IT!
My husband and I got married last August at the Scripps Seaside Forum. The Forum has a select list of caterers that you are allowed to work with. Initially, we chose Buckboard because their prices were great (like, $ 2000 cheaper than the other place we were considering), the food we had at the tasting was very good, they handled all of the rentals, and they had fun snack options we were considering for later in the night.
Choosing Buckboard was the BEST idea we had… right behind deciding to get married and selecting the venue (if you’ve been there, you know). We worked primarily with Bill. Bill was more than a caterer. He was so helpful that he was basically a second day-​of coordinator. During the planning phase he was responsive, helpful, willing to work with us to meet our budget, offered suggestions to keep prices down, provided expertise about the venue to help with planning and table placement, was honest about what food options would be more popular (not what was most expensive), was happy to accommodate my request for as few disposables as possible, and threw in things for free that other caterers wanted to charge ridiculous amounts for! In the days leading up to the wedding Bill was available anytime I needed to call him, organized, flexible, and super upbeat and friendly. Just what any stressed out Bride needs.
On the day of the wedding Bill and his team transcended from mere caterers to wedding angels. The food was awesome, the service was seamless, the staff was friendly, chairs and tables were moved rapidly, things were where they should have been and looked the way they should have looked… it was perfect. Bill even went to far as to not put ice in the water glasses so that the tablecloths wouldn’t get condensation on them. SO THOUGHTFUL! My cousin, who works million dollar weddings at a fancy Florida Keys Resort told me that our wedding was the smoothest she’s ever seen. I attribute that in large part to Buckboard.
In addition to all of the amazing reasons above to hire them and why we wil hire them again if we have need for a catering service, there is one moment, in particular, that sticks out as a lasting, wonderful impression from that magical day. During dinner, the head chef came out and actually hand fed chicken to our dog (who was a special guest at the wedding) to make sure he got to enjoy dinner, as well. Such a simple gesture but it blew me away. Buckboard rocks!
Thank you, Buckboard!

Bill and his staff are amazing! My wife vetted a lot of caterers before we found Buckboard and we couldn’t be happier.
First, the food was great! Our guests were really happy with the selection and the quality. In particular I loved the appetizers.
However, Bill and his team are more than just caterers. Bill was an integral part of helping us plan the entire day (from the setup, to the procession and up through the party!). Without Bill I think my wife would have driven herself crazy with stress. Bill was there to help guide us through everything and it really allowed us to enjoy the day.
Thanks for everything Bill!

First of all Bill is amazing. He is so great to work with and makes sure your event is a priority. We hired Buckboard Catering for our rehearsal dinner. While usual rehearsal dinners are held in some fancy restaurant where no one has the chance to interact, we chose to have ours a park where we could play lawn games and mingle. Buckboard arrived on time and were very professional. The food was incredible, hot, and fresh. We ordered a delicious Tex Mex dinner that was filling, yet clean tasting. All of our guests went back for seconds, the food was so delicious. We ordered a selection of meat feelings as well as the vegetarian selection of mushrooms and veggies. Let me tell you, I am a vegetarian, and I typically don’t like mushrooms, but they were amazing, just thinking about them now makes me hungry. Whether it’s for a rehearsal dinner, your wedding, or any event, Buckboard will be perfect for you and your guests. They are so easy to work with, professional, and their food is amazing!!! What are you waiting for, hire them today.

We cannot thank Bill and the rest of the staff at Buckboard Catering enough for our amazing wedding earlier this month at Scripps Seaside Forum. Bill went above and beyond being our caterer; he ended up coordinating with our lighting and table vendors, and basically acted as our day of coordinator (even fixing my bustle during our reception!). He definitely didn’t need to do this, and it shows how much he cares about your event.
Before our event, Bill was quick to respond and was a great pleasure to work with. On the day of our wedding, he showed up before everyone else and had finished setup way earlier than anticipated.
In addition to this, the food was absolutely fantastic — even better than our tasting! It was amazing how many family and friends told us the food was some of the best they’ve had at a wedding. Here is what we ordered:
Appetizers:
— Chicken Satay
— Mini Carnitas Plate
— Caprese Skewer
— Garden Salad
Main:
— Chianti Braised Beef
— Santa Maria Chicken w/​lemon caper sauce
— Roasted Potatoes
— Roasted Vegetables
We ended up having a family style dinner, which everyone loved since it was casual and did not interrupt table conversation; the staff was perfect at being attentive to each table. The staff even took the time to make sure that my husband and I were eating; we were both full and content after our dinner service.
We seriously could not have asked for a better team that seamlessly worked with our other vendors. I wish we could hire Bill for additional events (hopefully someday soon)!

Bill Benson did a fantastic job coordinating every detail of the catering.
Food was remarkable. Service was very attentive. We got all kinds of compliments from our guests. I cannot recommend Buckboard Catering any more highly. They delivered an incredible feast on a very modest budget. They also helped quite a bit with coordinating the party rentals for our 100% outdoor venue. I mention the fact that it was entirely outdoor for a very important reason…
You see, we got married in May, so we weren’t expecting the torrential downpour that ended up taking place for the entire week of our wedding. As a result, everything that had been planned so carefully had to be re-​planned very hastily. Configuration of tables had to move. DJ had to move. Bar had to move. Dance floor had to move. Tents? We had to get tents. Dessert bar had to move. Call-​times had to change. Photos had to be moved. Everything that had been planned was unplanned, and re-​planned. And Bill did it all — more than once. He helped reassure us that everything would be great, and you know what?
It was PERFECT. In the end, the clouds parted about two hours before our ceremony, and we had beautiful sunny skies and an amazing sunset. The food was really good. As my wife and I exited the ceremony, we were met by Rachel (of Buckboard) with a tray of appetizers and a cocktail for each of us. She held a napkin under the bride’s chin while we scarfed down some food before absconding for more pictures. That is amazing service, and typical of what you can expect from Bill, Mary, Rachel and everyone else at Buckboard.
If you don’t at least call Buckboard to arrange for a tasting, then you’re blowing it and your marriage probably won’t last because you clearly have terrible judgement. That is perhaps and overstatement, but trust me, if you do decide to hire Buckboard Catering, you’ll be very glad you did.

I am currently looking for a caterer for a wedding reception and this is one of the approved companies at my venue. This place gets great reviews, but I just can’t get in touch with them! Over the last month, I’ve left three voicemails for them and filled out their online contact form twice. I have yet to get a return call or email.

OH.MY.GOODNESS! If you’re on the fence about choosing Buckboard or somewhere else, your decision will be made now! Bill is unbelievable. He helped my wife and I plan our wedding from Chicago. He was always there, no matter the question… (Or freak out). He helped us through every single piece of our ceremony and reception. He had excellent recommendations about everything. Our special day went without a hitch. (As far as we know). My review will never be able to emphasize how great Bill truly is. The food, the planning, the set up… Everything. Thanks so much, Bill and Buckboard Catering. You’re SO good!

I used Buckboard Catering for my wedding and I couldn’t be more pleased. Mary helped with our tasting and invoice and then Bill helped with conducting everything the day of the wedding. The food was amazing! All my guests were raving about how delicious the appetizers and the entrées were. Thank you again, Buckboard Catering for making my April wedding amazing!

AMAZING company! This was one of my favorite vendors I worked with for my April wedding! From the beginning Mary was very prompt with emails and getting back with information. Then comes Bill, omg he is a god send. He is so nice, so accommodating, professional, flexible, easy to work with I could go on for days on how great this man is! I knew from the start if anything went wrong at our wedding this guy would make sure everything worked out. This company is way more than just catering, they really go above and beyond for their clients. Working with them before the wedding and on the day they gave me no stress they actually made it less stressful planning a wedding! On our wedding day they were amazing the food was delicious all our guests raved about it from the appetizers, dinner and the amazing staff. The one thing I will always remember, yes the food was great but what made the difference was the staff, all of the staff through out the night at some point came up to my husband and I and gave us congratulations and said something they loved about our wedding. This little detail even though small really affected me, it really made the night even more special. I knew all our guests were being taken care of, and my husband and I didn’t want for anything. This company is amazing, you are missing out if you don’t book with them. Thank you Bill and your staff for helping make our wedding perfect and one of the best days our of lives!

Went to a wedding at Martin Johnson house and had a fantastic meal with excellent service and a great friendly staff. The appetizers were great and the staff truly catered to all our needs. We are keeping their business card for a future wedding! They apparently stepped up quickly when the original caterer suddenly closed their business. Wow!

Buckboard catered our wedding for us and they did a great job on the food it was so delicious and very reasonable! Definitely 5 stars for the food! Just one small mix up on the sound system we rented thus the four stars. They are a really good one stop shop for parties.

Buckboard catering did our wedding last week at Scripps Seaside Forum last week. All I have to say is WOW! Talk about going above and beyond the call of duty, they made everything so much easy. We were in contact with Mary from Buckboard months before the wedding and had Mary help us coordinate the menu and tastings on 2 separate occasions. She was very courteous, helpful and made recommendations on portions and food selections until a few weeks out til the wedding until she handed the reigns over to Bill.
Let me mention the food. The food was amazing. We had the following items:
— Chicken in Lemon Caper sauce
— Santa Maria Tri– Tip with creamy horseradish sauce
— Penne Pasta
— Garlic Mash Potatoes with gravy
— Grilled Vegetable Medley
— Rolls
— Chicken Satay skewers
— Antipasto kabobs
— Spinach Artichoke dips with tortilla chips
There was not one dish on this list that was subpar, everything was excellent. The tri-​tip was a big hit with the guests and the lemon caper sauce for the chicken was to die for. Bill even provided complimentary coffee and plates and cups free of charge, now that’s service.
Bill was just not running the catering but also aiding as a wedding coordinator extraordinaire. He laid out the floor plan, walked through how our wedding entourage woul enter/exit.Bill helped with set up and oversaw everything such as chair/​table set up, placement of vendors, dealt with the bartending for set up and he even made time for us for rehearsal walk through the night before at our venue. We saw Bill and had more contact with him than our actual wedding coordinator. All of our guests mistook him for our wedding coordinator but when we said he’s actually our caterer they were in awe. Bill and his team put so much work in to make our day special and they delivered. Their service was second to none and I would highly recommend Buckboard for catering services for a wedding or any event for that matter.

Bill is an absolute pleasure to work with. He is very responsive via email and phone. He made it very clear that he would handle any tough issues that came up so we would not have to stress over them. Bill never hesitated to jump in and help out, even if the task may have been outside his scope of services. He approached our event as if it was being held for his own friends and family. We really appreciated his responsiveness and attention to detail. Not to mention the food was DELICIOUS. Many of our guests commented on how good the food was. Bill provided catering services for our wedding, but I would recommend him for any major event. He is simply the best!

I recently had Buckboard cater my wedding. They were amazing! My husband and I were looking for a great, unique caterer that would fit with our laid back style. With Buckboard, we not only found amazing food but we found a staff that made everything so easy. I cannot get over how amazing the customer service was throughout our entire experience. JD helped us to make our tasting appointments and through the process of getting our quote and eventually signing our contact. She was so helpful, sweet, and accessible throughout this process. Once we had signed our contract Veronica became our point person. She was incredible. I planned my wedding on my own, with no wedding planner and she was such a huge help. She met with me on multiple occasions to plan out layout and get an idea of what I wanted, She was always quick to respond to any of my questions or concerns. The week of my wedding she texted with me daily to make sure that there was nothing that I needed help with. She was also the point-​person for many of our other venders, connecting with them and handling any issues the day of. She went way above and beyond. The staff that was there with us the day of was wonderful too. They were so on top of things and really helped to make everything go smoothly.
When we first went in to taste at Buckboard they gave us their more typical (fancy) wedding menu. Everything we tried was delicious but we were hopping for more of a BBQ style menu. they set up a second tasting, no problem. This time we found our perfect menu. We had gazpacho and man ‘n’ cheese tartlets for appetizers. The mains were BBQ chicken sandwiches, tri-​tip sandwiches, and delicious grilled veggie sandwiches for our vegetarian guests. For sides we had corn on the cob, fresh, crisp green beans, and BBQ backed beans. Everything was wonderful and all of our guests raved about the food during and after our big day. Really I was so happy with how everything turned out. I would recomend Buckboar in a heartbeat. They are wonderful.

WOW, just WOW!
I’m a wedding planner and I recently just worked a wedding with buckboard catering at the Seaside Scripps Forum on Sunday. Their team was absolutely amazing! Bill & Veronica were very detailed, helpful and organize through out the whole process. They emailed us back right away and answered any questions the couple had.
I was already impressed with them after the walk through. And then come the wedding day. They were there early to set up the tables/​linens and was also willing to help us with our décor. A wedding is a team effort and it seemed flawless because we all worked so great together and communicated well during the entire event.
On top of the great service, the food was delicious! I would definitely recommend their services because of the reasons I mentioned above & they honestly go over and beyond. I can’t express enough how much we appreciate them as coordinators/​planners.
THANK YOU BUCKBOARD CATERING!

We used Buckboard for our wedding of 170 people at the Botanic Gardens and they were amazing. Price was right, and more importantly from the beginning I felt that our wedding was important to them. From the start of the process almost a year ago, Bill was great the whole time. When meeting with other caterers they had a good show for the sales process, but still just seemed we would be another paycheck for them. I never felt that way with Bill and am so glad we chose him. People all told us how much they loved the food and had asked if Bill was our wedding coordinator since he was so involved in making sure everything worked well together.
Bill does a number of very large events so I would say if you are lucky enough that he chooses to do your wedding you should count your blessings.
Great food
Great service
Genuine interest in making sure your day is wonderful

After reading all the great reviews on Unilocal,I just had to get in contact with Buckboard about catering my wedding.
The first initial contacts were great. Buckboard was on top of answering my questions, creating an estimate, and making adjustments. I requested that Buckboard get in contact with a relative of mine to go over the estimate details since I don’t currently live in the area. I made the request twice, once in writing and then verbally on the phone talking to a real live person. I never got a reply or a call back about going over the estimate. I waited over 2 weeks for the reply but got nothing. Then I requested a change of contact (someone else to take over my estimate and be my contact person) and schedule a tasting (since they were providing such great service to everyone else and pricing was great too). I’ve waited almost 3 weeks now and I still don’t have a response from Buckboard.
It’s such a shame that Buckboard didn’t care to provide follow-​up to my requests. I don’t think requesting a phone appointment is difficult nor a change in contact person would be so troublesome. They do such a great job with everyone else that I really wanted to overlook the initial miscommunication. However, 5 weeks is long enough for me to wait. Its time for me to cross them off my list.

I recently had my first experience with Buckboard and wasn’t sure what to expect. Ordering online was very straightforward and easy, and Mary was a pleasure to work with and was a great communicator.
The food was excellent and the server was very friendly and helpful.
I’d definitely use them again and I look forward to trying more of their food.

Our hero has primarily come to Buckboard for lunch over the past three years, and has seen their focus shift away from their slim lunch hours to focus more on their core catering business during that time. This certainly makes sense, as their location isn’t much for a lunch hour crowd.
Lunches are pretty cheap at around $ 5 or $ 6 for a sandwich or burger. You can also add two sides for $ 1.50 or two sides and a drink for $ 2. The sides are a bit small, but it’s fun to mix them together. Their coleslaw is a bit strange in consistency and their mac and cheese seems to be made with some sort of secondary grade vegetable oil-​based yellow-​hued sauce instead of real cheese. Their chili is probably the best side to get here because it’s made with meaty chunks of beef, seasoned well, and thick in consistency.
Is it a decent value for the food that you get? Yep. Are there better places for BBQ around? Definitely.
PROS:
— Large sandwiches that don’t skimp on the meat.
— Good tri tip and chili.
CONS:
— The availability of items during lunch hour is uncertain and seems to depend mostly on what types of catering orders they’re fulfilling in that time frame.
— No seating at the location for lunch. Plan on eating your orders «to go».
— Beer selection consists solely of Becks.
— No combo meal deals.
— Only open for lunch.