8 Unique Catering Menu Ideas Guests Will Love

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As a caterer, it’s important to have a unique catering menu guests will love, as not everyone will have the same preferences. Offering a diverse menu will allow you to appease more individuals, which could be effective in creating new client relationships. Without an eclectic menu, guests may become bored—don’t be afraid to get creative and try out the following ideas on your next menu!

Bubble Tea/Boba

You can likely expect a handful of guests who prefer not to drink alcoholic beverages. When planning your drink menu, try to keep these individuals in mind. Instead of having simple options for them to choose from—such as soda or water—have a unique selection like bubble tea.

Bubble tea, or boba, is a beverage that originated in Taiwan. This popular drink is perfect for guests that are more daring and willing to try something different. Boba is a very delicious tea that can be flavored in any way the guests would prefer—this makes for a fun and perfect non-alcoholic drink for a party!

Donut Peg Board

Many partygoers think of cake as the main dessert option. While choosing a traditional sweet to serve at a catering event is a safe choice, you could offer guests try something less mainstream with a donut peg board. Of course, you could lay donuts out on a table and call it a day, but an interactive food station is a unique experience guests may not find with other catering companies.

For this dessert table to work, you’ll need to offer cake donuts, as long johns and donuts without a hole in the center will not fit on the peg board. Offering a variety of flavors to appease all taste buds, as well as different colors and sprinkles, can add style and personality to the board.

Sushi Station

To offer a unique catering menu guests will love, try being more adventurous with food selections because not every host will have the same preferences. As a company, you’ll appeal to more guests if your menu offers common and uncommon options. Sushi is a light food choice that allows party guests to pick and choose which and how many rolls they want to try in a night.

This type of food offers an experience no other food can because of its extraordinary flavors and textures. As a caterer, ensure you are making sushi rolls that are great for beginners to try, such as California rolls, as well as other specialty rolls, such as dragon or spider rolls.

Mini Charcuterie Cups

Who isn’t a fan of charcuterie boards? Take a different spin on this traditional hors d’oeuvre by creating bite-sized charcuterie arrangements. Partygoers can walk around and mingle with other guests while enjoying a small cup with the tastiest cheeses and meats. Large displays of food are wonderful, but by placing these hors d’oeuvre in cups, you can limit the number of people swarming this food station.

Charcuterie is a great snack to serve during happy hour while guests wait for the main course. This is also a great option for individuals with allergies because you can create cups with gluten-free meats and cheeses.

Brunch Buffet

Buffets are popular options to have on your menu because they allow guests to pick and choose how much food they’re willing to eat throughout the night. While any buffet style would be a great option, you can never go wrong with brunch. We recommend having your menu options accommodate daytime and late-night events—some people choose brunch time for weddings and other occasions, too.

When finding ingredients for this brunch option, ensure you are choosing sweet and savory flavors to create the perfect combination. French toast, egg bakes, fruit, and breakfast meats are all great selections for brunch.

Ice Cream Truck

Do you remember that feeling you got as a kid when you heard the ice cream truck music down the road? Nothing is more exciting than surprising guests with an end-of-the-night ice cream truck. A food truck is a unique experience you can’t recreate any other way.

The party host might choose to serve a more traditional dessert after dinner, but as the night comes to a close, more and more people are choosing to have this “midnight snack” before they leave for the night. To make this food station easier to serve, pre-scoop the ice cream into disposable plastic dessert cups with lids—this makes for a quicker clean up, too.

Comfort Soul Foods

Not every celebration will call for unique foods. Some individuals might like to stick with comfort or soul food items because they’ll be a hit for everyone. Think mac and cheese or chicken and waffles as the ultimate comfort foods. Offering these dishes will almost certainly appease all partygoers.

Take this trend to another level by creating little “shooters” in mini dishes so guests can grab a few different items and enjoy multiple foods without needing an entire plate. Taking soul food and placing it in mini shooters will create a more elegant and sophisticated element to this menu option.

S’mores Galore

If your host has an outdoor wedding or party, we recommend offering s’mores. This puts a unique spin on dessert options for events. You and your staff can pre-make the s’mores yourselves, but that takes the fun of building the s’mores away from the guests.

Set up a table with the correct utensils and ingredients, light a fire, and allow partygoers to roast their own marshmallows. This creates a fun activity for everyone to enjoy together. This makes for the ultimate dessert option for outdoor events.

If you want to offer a more unique experience for your guests, curate a menu with food and drink options you cannot find anywhere else. These types of foods will allow your catering company to stand out among all your competition. If you’re ever stuck coming up with ideas, put yourself in the guests’ shoes and consider what you would want at an event; you’re sure to find some inspiration!