Balance Catering

Balance Catering is my «go-​to» caterer for events at our San Francisco non-​profit organization. We most recently engaged Balance to produce a 130-​guest cocktail reception at a beautiful historic building in SF’s Financial District. As a high profile non-​profit in the city, it’s important for us to offer the best possible experience for our guests at an affordable price, with attention to minimizing waste. Balance understands this well and is the perfect match for us. Jacob, Rachel, and the whole Balance Catering team are professional, responsive, and just great to work with! I highly recommend them for any event!

I love using Balance Catering for my corporate catering needs.
I discovered Jacob on Unilocal and hired him based on the 5 star reviews. He did not disappoint. Extremely healthy catering options and great tasting foods. My office looks forward to Balance Catering for lunch. The menu included free range local chicken with kale, toasted quinoa, sweet n’ spicy slaw, and a variety of other dishes.
He works well the dietary restrictions within the office and everyone always has something to eat. Jacob is personally great to work with. Everything is handled and he is easy to work with.

Excellent Food. Recommended for office catering.

I chose Balance Catering because of all the five star reviews on Unilocal,and I wasn’t disappointed!
I used Balance for a recent corporate team-​building event. Because this was an outdoor event, I opted for a box lunch menu with bartender. The lunches were a delicious. The menu included free range local chicken with kale, toasted quinoa, pearl pasta, fall squash and sweet n’ spicy slaw. We also had a dessert platter and veggies.
I had communicated some specific dietary restrictions in advance and had custom boxes ready to go upon my arrival.
We purchased our own alcohol including mixers, bitters, etc. I wasn’t sure how advanced we could get with our drinks, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The bartender, Kit, arrived well in advance of the event and set up shop, even helping us with other setup items. He was incredibly professional and handled every drink order with ease.
I’ve done a number of events with a variety of caterers, and never before have I had so many compliments regarding the food! At the end of the event we had a few boxes left over, and several team members asked to take them home!
I’ll definitely be using Balance for my next catered team event.

Way overdue review, my bad Jacob. ;) Jacob helped put together a fantastic spread for our office warming/​belated holiday party early this year. He was very accommodating and worked with every tweak we had. We had absolutely nothing to worry about with Jacob and his team. Everything was laid out and beautifully presented. We had a bar, bartender who mixed fabulous drinks and wait staff to scoop up left out cups and napkins. He gave us an assortment of different finger foods and desserts and threw in some extra items as well. Everyone that came to our event remarked on how beautiful everything was and how they were impressed with the catering. Many thanks to Jacob and his team for aiding in the success of our event. I highly recommend and would use again.

This is a long overdue review but I wanted to give Jacob and his team at Balance Catering props for helping us throw an amazing event!
A few months back, our office moved to a new location and wanted to throw a launch party with 200+ expected guests. We contacted Balance Catering for help and they simply took over from there! Jacob put together an amazing selection of menu items for our guests to enjoy including Spanish-​style Garlic Jumbo Shrimp, Mediterranean Mezes and Pita, International Cocktail Skewers, Artisan Grilled Cheese Bites (which were the biggest hit!) and more. They also created a dessert bar to die for with French Macaroons and Triple Chocolate Brownie Bites, etc. All the food coordinated with the theme of the party and Jacob came up with great suggestions that worked well with the party layout we had in mind. He even came to the office a few days before the event to make sure everything would work out well with traffic flow. On top of that, the food display was wonderful and quite photo-​worthy! They even provided bartenders for two of our drink stations. Jacob’s team did an amazing job setting up and an even more amazing job with the quick clean up. They were in and out without any hassle at all.
The best part about working with Balance Catering is the time Jacob takes to make sure you get what you want while staying in your budget. He will work with you to edit, cut down and adjust as needed to get you a good deal without breaking the bank! Other companies would normally just shrug you off and say they can’t do it.
A big thanks again to Jacob and Balance Catering for making our event memorable and top notch!

My company hired Jacob back in 2010 for an officewarming party and were so pleased with the service and food that we had his team back last weekend for another party. Everything on the business end pre-​party was easily understood and modifications were simple when we needed them. Jacob did a really fantastic job of keeping me on track with everything (BIG plus) and his speedy responses to my inquiries were greatly appreciated. The party went off without a hitch and several people asked me who the caterers were — always a good sign — because the food was excellent and the servers were friendly and funny. We will definitely have them back for our next party.
Today I also had the pleasure of trying the Balance Boxes that Jacob’s company creates and they are delicious! The box weighs a ton — it’s packed full of quality food — and the portion is generous without making me feel weighted down and tired like I usually do after a typical catered lunch.
My only complaint is that I can’t afford to hire Jacob as my personal chef. Otherwise, 5 stars all the way!

We have used Balance Catering three years in a row for our annual office party. The food is consistently delicious. They are easy to work with and are always very professional. Jacob Seidman goes beyond the call of duty to ensure the best possible service no matter what your budget or party size.
Don’t miss out on the ahi tartare or the sliders, amazing.
We highly recommend!!!

Healthy, tasty and GREAT customer service. My office just tried Balance Catering’s new «Balance Boxes» and they were fantastic. Such a refreshing departure from soggy sandwiches and chips. The Chicken with Corn summer salad was flavorful, the corn was crisp and the chicken had a great grilled flavor. Watermelon salad with a hint of ginger was the perfect side dish and the coconut smore was out of this world. No one was left with food coma and we were all really happy with the portability of the boxes. This should be your next catered office meal!

As someone who has had the unfortunate displeasure of experiencing quite a wide variety of sub-​par catering for business events, I was pleasantly surprised with both the professionalism and quality of Balance Catering.
The best aspect of this experience was that the food tasted as good as it looked. Presentation was beautiful — tasteful garnishes, lots of color — but it was matched by the quality of the food. I don’t understand why this is so rare in the catering sphere, but seriously — I can’t tell you how delicious those mini grilled cheese sandwiches were.
They pulled off the event seamlessly, and I can’t say enough good things about Jacob, who I got to personally meet at the event. Staff were very attentive and speedy, not to mention friendly.
Highlights: mini grilled cheese sandwiches were a huge hit, as well as the thai chicken skewers, mini turkey sandwiches, and of course the desserts (macaroons!).

We worked with Balance Catering for a brand new MBA event we hosted in San Francisco. After reviewing numerous proposals from caterers in the area, Balance Catering was by far the most affordable with a delicious menu.
Jacob was extremely easy to work with and very patient throughout the entire process. His experience was invaluable to us and he provided recommendations that really took our event to the next level.
We had a Casino Royale-​themed event with over 200 guests. Our set-​up included passed hors d’oeuvres and a dessert table. Jacob and his team arrived promptly and went to work. We didn’t have to worry about catering the entire night. The servers and bartenders were friendly and professional. We received numerous compliments on how delicious the food was. Their presentation was amazing — they even added Casino Royale-​themed decorations to the dessert table. Once the night ended, they immediately cleaned up and cleared the area.
Overall, Balance Catering was an ideal choice. Would definitely work with them again and highly recommend them!

We used Balance Catering for our cocktail party last night.
They set up various platters (veggie, fruit, cheese & crackers, etc), passed appetizers, decorated my place with floral arrangements & candles, bartended, etc. The food was looked and tasted delicious. In addition, the services that Alex and his team provided was 5+ stars. From start to finish, we were impressed. Our party ended at 10pm and by 11pm, our place was cleaned up and completely back to normal (I had to do a double take).
In the past, when hosting cocktail parties, I’ve always done it myself. It’s totally worth it to used Balance Catering. I was able to relax and enjoy my party and not deal with any clean up. Typically, it takes me the entire next day to clean up and move all the furniture back. Definitely will be using them again for either work and personal functions.

By far, Balance Catering delivered the best experience I’ve ever had with a caterer or event professional in San Francisco. Jacob was able to work within our hectic schedule and the venue’s restrictions to pull off an amazing event, and he was more than prepared when it came to the details that I’d often overlook.
We had 105 guests, and everyone that I interacted with throughout the night immediately commented on how delicious the food was. Pro-​tip: if you have kids in attendance, opt for the mini grilled cheese sandwiches and Argentinian beef skewers, and the refreshing strawberry flavored drink (forgot what it was called, but it was tasty!).
Contrary to the misguided one star review, Jacob maintained the utmost of professionalism in handling our event from start to finish. His staff was also super attentive, courteous and speedy in setup and breakdown.
If I could give a six star rating, I would. If and when I have another event in the future, Jacob is the first person I’ll call.

We had a party at our home in March and I found Balance Catering through many positive reviews on Unilocal.Once I spoke with Jacob by phone, I felt confident that he understood exactly what we needed for the event.
The day of the event his team arrived on time. They were efficient in setting up, very well organized and calm. The party was wonderful and I received many compliments from our guests saying the food was great and the service was excellent. The food (table and passed hors d’ouvres) was just what we expected, very tasty and elegantly presented. One of the highlights from our party was the classic cocktail bar. Our guests just loved the bartender who really made fabulous drinks and was so charming.
Jacob and his team took pride in their work, did a thorough job of cleaning up and left us a nice platter of leftovers. We were very pleased and would hire Balance Catering again without hesitation.

Well, I gave 5 stars last time I used Jacob and Balance Catering for our party, so it is kind of difficult to give more… but I would, if I could!
This time Jacob had added lots of complimentary surprises, which was needed around midnight to provide our guests (50 people) with more energy to go through the night :-)
Everything was delicious, and just like last time we just had to be at home to receive all the food and everything needed to serve and consume it, and the next day Jacob came and collected all the empty and/​or used stuff.
Great food and great service, and will definitely use them again!

Delicious. Tasty. Satisfying.
That about sums up how good the food was at the party Balance catered for my company. We planned for a little under 100ppl and everything turned out perfect.
The Balance team was fantastic and even provided a couple of extra items that I forgot to ask for in our proposal. They were super accommodating, totally professional and just overall amazing.
Everyone was saying how good the food was and kept asking me how I found them. They were highly affordable and exceeded everyone’s expectations. The menu they put together was perfect for our party and not a crumb was left! Our party was right around dinner time and the volume and type of food we had was perfect for the crowd. I was worried we wouldn’t have enough to satisfy our group but I was thoroughly surprised and overwhelmed by what came out of our small conference room (our mini kitchen was far too mini for them to work in).
If you need a caterer for your next event, I urge you to contact Balance!

I’d like to add my voice to the growing list of rave reviewers. Jacob was an absolute pleasure to work with, providing rapid quotes and feedback, suggesting changes when necessary, flexible, and helpful. I emailed for a quote just two weeks before an event for 80 people, and within a day had a plan, a menu, and a quote. They showed up on time, set up in a house they’d never seen before, and were ready to go in an hour. The food was beautiful and delicious, the service flawless, even over the top. They found and fixed problems before they happened. His staff were all terrific, pitching in whenever and wherever.
Our guests all raved about the food, several plan to hire Jacob for their own events. We were on a high after that party that lasted two days. Balance Catering is going to be the first place we call the next time we plan an event.

Two thumbs up!
I hired Jacob and crew after reading several glowing reviews on Unilocal.I needed help with a day after the wedding Sunday morning brunch for a good friend. Jacob returned my call and email promptly. we had a walk through and he showed up on time and professionally dressed.
i got a feeling that he was in business before doing the catering and when he told me that he was in advertising and had done the whole corporate thing before doing his passion — catering — it make sense to me. He’s a pro.
He was always on top of my emails and last minute requests in planning the brunch (i called him 10 days prior to start the process)
the day of the event, his crew showed up on time and the food was amazing. We had a bar, home made lemonade, bloody Mary’s, salmon/​lox, frittata w/​leeks, bacon, sausage, salad, super yummy potato hash w/​tomatillo salsa, home made muffins… it was super yum.
He also had some beautiful flowers and vases for the tables. nice bonus for us since the wedding flowers all wilted in the garage over night.
My guests and the bride felt that the food was amazing and for once, i wasn’t stressed out about the food or cleaning up.
We had just the right amount of staffing and when 15 additional people showed up who had not RSVP’ed we still had more food and his staff was super gracious.
I would definitely use him again, i will refer him to friends and you can trust the reviews about Jacob on Unilocal.They are true.

We used Balance Catering for our 100 person wedding a few weeks ago and couldn’t be happier. Jacob and his whole crew were amazing. He worked very hard to develop our menu and always answered our emails extremely quickly.
The food was extraordinary and the service was wonderful. After being so impressed at the tasting I made sure to get plenty of food at my wedding, despite everyone telling me that the bride and groom are usually too busy to eat. I actually just sat down, stopped talking to everyone, and enjoyed the amazing food. All our guests talked about how great the food was, which really made us happy because we really wanted our guests to get something more than «the chicken or the fish,» and they definitely did.
Jacob’s crew were all very warm, friendly, dressed professionally and performed flawlessly. They worked well with our bar (separate company) and had everything packed up very quickly at the end of the night (we were on a time constraint so this was a big concern of ours).
If you want amazing food and service for your event, look no further than Balance Catering.

So I get around– what?
Well, not really but I do get invited to some pretty fab soirees and Balance Catering has served up some kind of deeeelishus at several of them.
I first met Jacob last December as he came by to check out our facility to cater a 40^th Bday. After the event, I heard NOTHING but amazing things about Jacob & Balance Catering, so we had them kick off 2008 with a little event of own… sooo effin FANTASTIC!!!
Where do I begin?
Everything was «on point» the food (soooo good), the presentation, the lighting, the service and they even brought their own ipod to create the perfect ambiance. Btw, the staff is simply remarkable… yes I said remarkable :)
So here we are approaching the 11^th month of the year and I’ve seen Jacob and his crew more than I’ve seen some of my friends… no joke! Heres the routine– I would walk in the joint, say hello to the hosts of the parties, grab a bev (a girl has priorties– drink before food) and there he would be standing in all his delishusness. Hmmm… was I stalking him or was he stalking me? is this destiny? uh yeah– NO! Its just that Jacob and his crew ARE that GOOD and people truly LOVE them and everything they do…
If you are looking for a caterer, no need to look any further, seriously, these guys are the BEST!!!