Taste Catering — Local services in Lake Forest

My company has used Taste catering a dozen or so times recently and we’ve been very impressed by the variety of options, reasonable prices, easy to work with staff and most importantly—the taste of the food! We cater a lot of meals and typically the result is very hit or miss, not so with Taste, everything has been consistent.

Today I stopped by their “Eatery at Taste” a coffee shop/cafe at the same location, lured by a door hanger for a free coffee and pastry. Their hours and location make it clear the target audience is the surrounding business park, not people looking for a place to chill, hang out and study/work. The decor is a bit sparse and the vibe is not typical of what you might expect of a South OC coffee shop. There is ample seating however at folding tables and a big screen tv, presumably for the lunch crowd they are trying to attract with their seasonal daily menu.

Staff is very friendly and I’ve no doubt if I had any concerns they would have addressed them immediately. (I had none).

I got the free coffee and pastry and found them perfectly fine but nothing I would necessarily go out of my way for. However, at the recommendation of the lady behind the counter I tried one of their bacon breakfast burritos ($5) and was very surprised. It was a simple affair, a ton of eggs, cheese and very tasty bacon. I really enjoyed it a lot, and I could see myself regularly stopping by on the way to work for one of these. An excellent value and very tasty, which seems to be where Taste shines more generally.

If I was in the immediate area I would definitely try them for one of their daily lunches as I expect the food would be just as great as their catering has proved to be.

All said, this company is a welcome addition to South OC and if what you’re after is great value and tasty food I suspect you’ll be quite happy patronizing...

I recently hired Taste for a Sunday afternoon event for approximately 250 people. They are truly a one stop shop for events and exceeded my expectations on every level. From my initial inquiry to the last bit of clean up at our event, they were flawless. Also, every single employee I encountered from start to finish was warm and professional. The food was delicious. I was given a tour of the kitchen at our first meeting and there was not a single jug of premade anything as they make everything from scratch including their dressings and marinates. I was even able to taste some of their flavors in advance as they offer a daily lunch in their cafe. The communication was amazing. Every email or phone question I had was responded to in a timely manner. After I shared some thoughts about the event, they got back to me with a suggested menu which was a great starting point for me to make changes and additions. I felt guided throughout the entire planning process. They own a huge stock of rentals including tables, linens, umbrellas and more which made it super convenient not to contract with an outside company. They also have a top notch sound system and staff to operate it. They offered to make a playlist from their library or use our own device. We opted to use our own, and there were no technical difficulties. They provide floral centerpieces and arrangements in house. I can not stress enough how beautiful and appropriate the flowers were. I actually had people request the name of the florist. Aside from the quality of everything Taste provided, I am so grateful for the convenience the offer as well. I did not have to use any outside services or companies for my event as they offered everything I...

“The food is so good! Where did you get it?” That’s what you want to hear when you host an event and it’s what I heard all night long and for days after. I have been a fan and patron of Taste for a long time, but it had been a good few years since I’d used them for an event because I just haven’t hosted big events since pre-pandemic. I was a little nervous about how things might have changed over the years, but I’m happy to report that they were just as good as they were and maybe better! I placed my order over the phone and picked up on the day of the event. Everything was packaged neatly and securely with everything I needed for serving including tongs, serving spoons, plates, napkins and utensils. I probably ordered too much, but my guests were happy to grab baggies to take food home! So, the food. So fresh and so delicious! I did an Italian buffet by choosing two salads, two pastas and two chicken dishes. The dishes were flavorful, held up well over the course of the event and complemented each other well. Salads: Caesar and spinach/Strawberry Feta Pastas: Angel Hair Margarite and creamy pesto penne Protein: chicken Marsala and chicken piccata For appetizers I ordered a veggie tray and some puff pastry bites. I spent about $20/pp and there was plenty of food. (A great deal in my mind for the quality and variety especially given what others are quoting.) Thank you for helping make our event a...