If there’s one thing we know, it’s that there’s no shortage of good Mexican food in the San Francisco Bay Area.
So if you’re looking to cater a fiesta filled with guacamole, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tamales or enchiladas, there are plenty of amazing options ready to roll up with all your faves. We’ve rounded up some of our top Mexican restaurants, caterers and food trucks who can do the heavy lifting while you kick back and enjoy.
Here are our top picks for the best Bay Area Mexican Food Catering.
Red Rooster Tacos
This rolling food truck specializes in catering and will show up at your birthday party, wedding, anniversary, graduation or any milestone event ready to serve up delicious tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas and bowls. Choose from carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, chicken and lengua (beef tongue), plus a veggie option with grilled zucchini, squash and carrots. Tacos are served on soft corn tortillas and come topped with onion, cilantro and salsa—burritos and bowls add sour cream, cheese, guacamole, rice, beans and salsa.
Red Rooster can also set up a taco bar or deliver your order. Charges are per item and require a two-hour minimum service time ($100 per extra hour). For drop-off orders, you can order online ($350 minimum).
Madd Mex Cantina Food Trucks
Madd Mex has been serving up delicious Asian, Cali and San Diego-style Mexican cuisine—and claims to serve the tastiest carne asada in the Bay Area. Customer favorites include Baja fish tacos, carne asada fries and chorizo brie tacos.
They offer two catering options: a two-hour service from one of their food trucks or a drop-off taco bar. Pricing starts at approximately $16 per person (plus tax and travel depending on venue location) for 100 people or more. The price increases to $18 for 60 to 100 people. For less than 60, Madd Mex charges a minimum base charge of $1150, plus tax and travel.
Nopalito
Nopalito opened its doors in 2009 as an authentic Mexican restaurant and launched a full-service catering business in 2011. They operate two restaurants in San Francisco now and offer a robust catering menu. Choose from a taco bar where a chef makes a variety of savory tacos to order, a traditional self-serve buffet or family-style meals served at tables.
Professional servers will pass appetizer trays, and bartenders will mix refreshing margaritas, sangria and agua frescas, plus they work with local craft breweries. For a more low-key option, Nopalito also offers a large-order menu that feeds 10 to 12 people. They will deliver if you spend at least $500 on food and beverage; you can pick up smaller orders at their Broderick Street location.
Al Pastor Papi Food Truck
This wildly popular food truck with 24,000+ Instagram followers lands on “favorite food trucks” lists frequently. They will roll up to your next event and plate up a variety of tacos ranging from Mexico City-style to vampire and gringa. Their specialty is, unsurprisingly, al pastor, a savory marinated, rotisserie-grilled pork that will have you coming back for more. This talented team also serves asada (beef), chicken, garlic shrimp, nopales (cactus) and al pastor jackfruit in tacos, burritos and bowls. Another menu favorite is their Alpastorta, a huge sandwich loaded with al pastor, grilled pineapple, beans, sour cream, melted cheese, avocado, salsa and jalapeños.
Al Pastor Papi offers catering services too.
Bayshore Taqueria
Named for its location on Bayshore Boulevard, Bayshore Taqueria specializes in melding Mexican street food with more upscale, complex dishes such as enchiladas and chile rellenos. The easy way to go for their catering service is the Deluxe Taco Bar for $150 that serves eight. Individually boxed taco plates and burrito bowls range from $14 to $16 each.
For delivery, expect to pay $35 for a $500 minimum. Place smaller takeout orders via their online order form. Bayshore is a popular choice for lunchtime delivery to local offices and businesses.
Cielito Lindo Mexican Street Kitchen (MSK)
This Palo Alto-based food truck elevates Mexican street food to a new level with a sensational selection of slow-cooked meats. Think carne asada, beef barbacoa, chicken mole, chicken tinga, pork pastor and cochinita pibil (spicy roasted pork) served in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and bowls. If you want to skip the meat, they offer shrimp, vegan tacos and soyrizo (soy-based chorizo) dishes. They also make a mean batch of smothered french fries such as bacon cheese fries and lemon pepper cheese fries.
Cielito Lindo MSK will cater events across the Bay Area and set up platters of their delicious food.
Pancho Villa Taqueria
For decades, the Mission District’s no-frills Pancho Villa Taqueria and sister restaurant El Toro have been serving affordable award-winning salsas and mission-style burritos. Pancho Villa’s enormous menu includes a tempting variety of seafood burritos you won’t find in many other Mexican restaurants. You can order online for pickup orders or delivery through a third-party service such as Door Dash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Caviar and Postmates.
Chef Rozanna Catering
For a change of pace from traditional (e.g., maybe-not-so-healthy) Mexican cuisine, check out Chef Rozanna Catering. Chef Rozanna is a full-service catering company that specializes in serving seasonal organic produce and meats. They offer one of the most extensive vegetarian and vegan menus in the Bay Area with tasty options such as vegan empanadas and a vegan and vegetarian mini taco bar.
Rozanna also easily and happily accommodates gluten-free and other special requests. Chef Rozanna has wedding and event coordinators on hand to help with planning.
Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile
If you’re seeking authentic Oaxacan street food such as molotes (crispy corn dough rolls stuffed with chorizo and mashed potatoes), mole negro with organic chicken or vegetables, enchiladas de mole coloradito and Oaxacan black beans, look no further than Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile food truck. Their diverse menu includes grilled salmon, chipotle prawns, house-made tortilla chips, roasted butternut squash, ceviche, grilled steak, Mexican wedding cookies, cupcakes, fried plantains and churros.
Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile offers a comprehensive catering service, from taco bars to full-service catering for groups from 10 to 1,200+ guests. Their clients include Stanford University, Tesla, Google, Netflix, Hewlett Packard and the City of Palo Alto. Pickup orders require a $200 minimum and the delivery minimum (within the South Bay and lower peninsula) is $350. With roughly 25 years of catering experience, they can handle events of almost any size and type.
La Corneta Taqueria
La Corneta operates four taquerias, from San Carlos to the south, to the Mission District in the north. They offer various budget-friendly catering options, from an all-inclusive buffet or individually prepared items such as tamales, enchiladas and quesadillas, with a la carte sides such as pinto or black beans, chips, guacamole and rice.
Their taco bar starts at $13 per person and comes with two meat choices, two bean options, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, chips, salsas, guacamole and flour and corn tortillas. Add-on items include grilled prawns, fish and grilled veggies. Delivery, chafing dishes and servers cost extra.
EBX Catering
EBX Catering has been serving Bay Area residents and corporate giants such as Apple and Google since 1981. Choose from simple “grab and go” style individual burrito boxes or a fully loaded, customizable taco bar fiesta with more than a dozen meat/veggie choices. Many items are gluten-free, and the wide variety of less common options like Soy-rizo (vegetarian chorizo), tofu and shrimp fajitas, mango salsa and plantains satisfies most palates.
Another option is their fiesta trays, which mix and match a variety of enchiladas, chile rellenos and quesadillas. EBX even offers breakfast options such as breakfast quesadillas and scrambled eggs.
Judie’s Tacos Locos
Judie’s Tacos Locos is a San-Jose-based food truck where you can order their famous fried cheese tacos, corn tortillas filled with fried cheese stuffed with meat and topped with salsa, cilantro, sour cream and avocado. They also make tantalizing birria, carnitas, al pastor, brisket, carne asada, shrimp and grilled vegetable tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Judie’s offers drop-off catering services across the Bay Area.
LuLu’s
Lulu’s is a family-owned small chain of five taquerias serving the South Bay and lower Peninsula communities. Lulu’s is known for fresh, delicious Mexican cuisine served in a casual, friendly setting. They deliver catered dishes on artfully arranged catering tins, ready to serve. Choose from eight all-natural meat selections, grilled fresh fish, shrimp, vegetables, vegetarian beans, three rice varieties and a mix of flour, whole wheat, spinach, tomato and corn tortillas.
Lulu’s also offers a large selection of appetizer trays such as mini chimichangas, tamales, ceviche, chile rellenos and empanadas. They also sell tacos, enchiladas and tamales by the dozen. Food pricing is by item or package, and serving and bartending staff starts at $50 an hour with a four-hour minimum.
Need some help getting your party off the ground?
Get in touch with us here to chat with one of our event producers about the best Mexican food trucks and restaurants to create a festive event you and your guests won’t soon forget.
