The 2024 Workplace: Elevating Experiences with Local Food

Complete with the latest 2024 employee survey data and trends, this guide is designed to help you transform your workplace into one that resonates with the expectations and values of today’s modern workforce.

You have a huge number of options for corporate catering in Boston. But which is the best? How do you choose?

One good way to narrow down the choices is to rely on the experience of someone who’s tried them all (or at least the vast majority of them). Based on our history in catering corporate events in Boston, we have five recommendations for your business.

Whether you’re looking for classic American cuisine, authentic Texas barbecue, or spicy Asian, you’ll find it in the five options below.

Sip Wine Bar and Kitchen

close-up of meatball pizza from Sip Wine Bar and Kitchen

At their location on Washington St., Sip provides patrons with an up-scale wine-tasting experience. When it comes to corporate catering, they bring a touch of class to businesses around Boston.

A quick look at the cocktail hour menu sums it up. With items like mini arancini, coconut and lime pork kebabs, mini Kobe meatballs, steak-and-cheese eggrolls, and chipotle honey pulled pork sliders (complete with pickled onions), you can create a sophisticated meal right at your office.

You can also order breakfast from Sip and choose from breakfast burritos, yogurt parfaits, and a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches—including vegetarian-friendly options.

For all their class, Sip manages to keep their corporate catering options very affordable. Breakfast burritos are about $5, fresh-brewed coffee is just $2.25 per person, and custom harvest bowls start at $11. Don’t miss the macaroni-and-cheese harvest bowl base; the toasted breadcrumb topping makes all the difference.

Shed’s BBQ

Shed's BBQ barbecue ribs with sauce on cutting board

We know this is Boston . . . but we can’t resist Texas barbecue. Shed’s is all about authentic Texas rubs and sauces. Combined with their high-quality meats and signature smoking process, you get a BBQ experience that’s tough to top in Boston.

Shed’s also mixes barbecue with some lighter ingredients, like salads and grains, so your team won’t immediately fall asleep after lunch. Which is a nice bonus.

No matter what kind of barbecue dish you’re looking for, you can get it at Shed’s. Want chopped brisket and pimento on a BBQ chip for an appetizer? No problem. A build-your-own sandwich station? Shed’s has it covered. Cornbread, green apples, spicy pepitas, and a huge tray of Texas hot links? Just say the word.

You can also build custom hot or cold bowls with bases like quinoa, brown rice, macaroni and cheese, or superfood with rainbow kale. Add protein, toppings, cheeses, and dressings, and you have yourself a real Texas meal in a bowl. In Boston.

As far as corporate catering goes, Shed’s BBQ is right in the middle on prices. You get a lot of food at $14 per bowl. You can also get up to three meats for 20 people for $400. And a quarter-pan of a side (which feeds 10–12 people) will run you $22.50. It’s not the cheapest. But it’s absolutely one of the best.

Shed’s was rated the best BBQ in our 2019 Best of Fooda Boston awards. Check them out to see why!

Coolidge Corner Clubhouse

plate of Mexican food with rice, beans, and avocado from Coolidge Corner Clubhouse

Do you have Red Sox fans on your team? There’s a good chance they already know and love Coolidge Corner. Of course, Yankees fans are welcome, too (though you may want to keep that fact quiet), and non-baseball fanatics can get great sports bar food without a problem.

Coolidge Corner specializes in pub classics: chicken fingers, Santa Fe salads, cheeseburger sliders, pulled pork sliders, and curly fries are all on the menu. Plenty of salads and portobello mushroom sliders provide options for vegetarians and vegans. You can add burrito trays, guacamole, and Mexican rice for something different, too.

All of this comfort food comes at a very reasonable price. A sandwich platter that feeds 5–7 is only $80. Sliders are $3.50 each. Sides range from $22 to $70, depending on how many people you want to feed. And don’t forget dessert! A slice of apple crisp, carrot cake, or chocolate layer cake is $5.99.

You rarely get to take everyone at your company to a sports bar. Coolidge Corner lets you bring the sports bar to them. Whether you live and breathe baseball or don’t know a home run from a fastball, you’ll love the comfort food from one of our favorite corporate caterers in Boston.

Viga

variety of Italian food on white plate in front of buffet from Viga

Boston’s Italian heritage is on full display at Viga. It was founded on a simple premise: to make great food with fresh ingredients that doesn’t cost a fortune. That’s it.

But just because this caterer keeps it simple doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Far from it. Viga has a wide range of menus for your corporate catering, from sandwich-plate lunch combos to healthy bowls to pizza. There’s even a ballpark favorites menu with a burger bar, hot dogs, salty pretzels, popcorn, and cracker jacks.

And with a wide variety of seasonal menus, you can always order something timely. In the fall, there’s a football-themed menu, an autumn menu, and a Halloween menu. Plus, of course, bagged lunches, a huge number of platters, and a whole lot more.

This variety of options means you can pay just about whatever you want for Viga’s corporate catering. Bag lunches are $16.49 per person. A la carte sandwiches and wraps start around $10. A salad for 4–7 people is just $40. And trays start around $50. No matter what you want for your corporate lunch in Boston, you can get it at Viga without using your entire catering budget for the month.

SA PA

Ky Nguyen grew up eating freshly prepared, locally sourced food in Vietnam and brought that tradition to Boston. SA PA simmers pho broth overnight, marinates and braises proteins daily, and gets ingredients from local sources. It’s traditional, authentic Vietnamese food—made and sourced in New England. It’s something altogether new.

And SA PA provides more than just regular catering services. Their food truck tours the city on weekdays and you can book the SA PA pop-up for your workplace. It’s just like going to the restaurant . . . without the logistics nightmare of getting everyone there.

You’ll find all the Vietnamese classics on SA PA’s menu, from banh mi fried egg rolls to make-your-own pho bowls. But you’ll also find some fun innovations, like the banh mi burrito. Much of the menu is priced a la carte, so you can order banh mi for everyone (they’re about $7.50). Or you can let up to 10 people make their own Vietnamese bowl for $140.

One of the bonuses of ordering from SA PA is that it’s easy to stay vegetarian and gluten-free. Bowls can be made without wheat and several sandwiches contain no meat. It’s corporate catering for everyone.

SA PA won the Best Single Lunch in our Best of Fooda Boston awards. Not just once, but three years in a row. Grab a bowl of the BBQ pork pho to see why!

Great Corporate Catering Options in Boston

The five restaurants above have been very popular among the companies we’ve catered events for. And they’ll do a great job in satisfying your employees’ or clients’ appetites. There are lots of other options for Boston catering, but you can’t go wrong with any of these.

Give one of these restaurants a call for your next catering event, or let us take care of it for you! We have long-standing relationships with some of the best Boston restaurants and lots of Boston corporate caterers in our database. We’d be happy to find the best one for your event.