Rayna’s Gourmet Catering

Terrible, terrible, terrible! She was super nice but so unprofessional. We took 5+ trips to her office to meet with her and plan our wedding menu. She constantly forgot meeting times and things we had discussed on many occasions and when these things happened she also blamed in on me and my now Husband or her staff. Her staff never knew what was going on. Terrible communication with her staff and with us. She would take weeks to call me back and the hours we spent with her were such a waste of time. For example my husband and I did a cupcake trial and told her exactly what we wanted just for her to bring all kinds of cupcakes that were nothing that we wanted. She broke some of my personal vases I gave to her to center pieces. She said she would be early on the wedding day and was not even near ready to go 20 minutes before the start of the wedding and she even left part way through without telling her staff what to do and where she was going. She made the whole process so stressful and was such a disappointment the day of. I would never hire her for anything again and I would strongly encourage you to check out your other options.

We were fortunate to have Rayna’s Gourmet Catering cater our dinner reception which was recently held at an outside venue. We shared our ideas and requests with Linda, (who is the owner), upon our first meeting with her. Soon thereafter, Linda arranged an extensive tasting and let me tell you, the generous tasting in itself alone exceeded our expectations! We found ourselves altering our menu to incorporate several of the delectable appetizers and entrees which we tasted.
On the day of the reception, we were similarly impressed with the passed hors d’œuvre’s and buffet-​style dinner. The quality and presentation of the food were indicative of the great pride Rayna’s Gourmet Catering takes in their work. Our guests especially raved about the apricot chicken stuffed with mushrooms, mozzarella and bacon, the Italian turn-​overs and phyllo-​wrapped brie w/​sliced almonds.
Linda and her staff are absolute professionals in every sense of the word. The service was excellent as they were on point, attentive, courteous and worked efficiently. Even when the agenda deviated from course at the last minute, Linda acted as our own wedding angel and worked diligently before, during and after the event to ensure everything flowed smoothly.
It’s not very often that you have the privilege of meeting and working with such genuine and caring people. Linda is absolutely as good as they get! I loved how down-​to-​earth, patient, sincere and accommodating she was throughout the entire planning process. Linda’s guidance, combined with her wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry, and organizational skills are invaluable. Linda paid a close attention to every detail. She even took the time to plant white flowers in the large pots at the entrance doors beforehand. Linda’s energy is enthusiastic; she is fun to work with and an absolute sweetheart.
What an eloquent celebration it was thanks to Linda and her compassionate team! I look forward to working with Rayna’s Gourmet Catering again at future celebrations within our family.
Leila & Dany

We had Rayna’s Gourmet Catering cater my daughter’s wedding which was last weekend, and Linda, the owner, and her crew did a superlative job. The food was delicious and abundant, and the tables looked beautiful! Linda really tries hard to please and to give you everything you want and more. Sometimes she may be a bit scattered and doesn’t respond quickly to emails, but that was not a big thing, and is just something you have to deal with. I really like that her prices are all inclusive, so plates, glasses, silverware, beautiful tablecloths (many to choose from) ice tea, lemonade, coffee as well gratuities are all included in her per person menu price. So there were no surprises or hidden costs. I had several caterers bid this event, and after figuring out all the separate costs the other caterers were charging, Rayna’s definitely gave us more for a better price! Many guests commented on how great the food was as well. Linda is one of the nicest and most enthusiastic and helpful people I have ever worked with. Linda even took the two half kegs which the groom had bought the day before and put them in her big refrigerators at her place of business so they would be cold and perfect for the wedding. She also did the centerpieces for all of the tables at a very low price, and they were gorgeous! My daughter and her new husband were over the moon with how nice everything was, and everyone at the wedding was very complimentary as well. You can’t go wrong in using Rayna’s for whatever event you are planning. And I am very fussy and something of a foodie as well and I was thrilled.

My fiancé and I contacted Rayna’s Catering as our first option in catering our wedding. We did some research, read the reviews, and were really interested in seeing what Rayna was all about. We met Linda for a ‘preview’ type of meeting, where she shared with us all the services that Rayna provides, pricing, and how the tasting works. She was really sweet, super nice, and we had no problems with communication UNTIL!
We scheduled a tasting for a Saturday afternoon at 2PM because I come from the Bay Area and can only be in the Sacramento area on the weekends. She was the one who said «2PM» and we both agreed to it.
Saturday comes, it’s 1:30PM, my fiancé rings the doorbell to the business, and one of her cooks answered the door. Out of being courteous, we wanted to let them know that we were early and that we would be waiting in the car. No rush, however, the cook said «We aren’t cooking anything right now and Linda didn’t mention anything to us about a 2PM tasting.» The cook even checked the schedule and there was nothing. The cook called Linda through their business line, and Linda asked to speak with me. This is what she said: «Eliza, I have on my schedule 1:30 that I am catering. We agreed upon 2 – 2:30.» My response was «I know, we agreed upon 2PM. We just rang the doorbell to let you know that we were here.» So then she tells us to leave my fiancé’s address and that they will just deliver the food to his place. So we head back to his place and we wait, patiently.
2PM: No word.
2:30PM: No word.
2:45: She calls and asks for directions to his place. She also had the audacity to lie, talking about «The food was already ready by 2PM, I just didn’t want you guys waiting.» Keep in mind when she does food tasting, it’s good for a party of 6 so there was no way she could’ve whipped it up in 30 minutes (because she wasn’t even at her kitchen by 1:45!).
3:15PM: Food arrives. Decent tasting food. Our favorite was her salmon appetizer.
Because of this whole experience, we decided not to hire her to cater our wedding because we feared she would do something like this on our wedding day. She called me and left me a message a week later but I didn’t even bother calling her back.
Just beware my fellow Unilocalers!

Rayna’s handled all food, transportation of alcohol, and table settings for our wedding. The food was fantastic. We had a daytime wedding and so Linda created us a menu of fritatta, potatoes, pastries, salad, and even a tri-​tip carving station. After looking at other caterers, we went with Rayna’s because of their terrific food and unmatched pricing. Linda and her team went above and beyond to make our day special. Her team worked incredibly hard and everyone said how great the food was. Rayna’s also provided the bartender. He always made sure the bridal party was taken care of, while still attending to all the other guests. He even signed our guest book. It was so cute. Great team, great food.

Based on the reviews this business received about their lack of communication skills, I would not hire them. Great communication must be an owner’s core value. Without it, a company will likely fail. How sad to neglect such a fundamental business principle!

The best way to describe Rayna’s is «everything is included!» By hiring them you get excellent food, gorgeous décor (lemonade stand, flowers, votives, linens, flatware, silverware, glassware, etc), extremely helpful staff, and invaluable experience.
Rayna’s was recommended to me by both my co-​worker and my husband’s coworker, all of their online reviews were unmatched, and they were a preferred vendor at our venue (The Flower Farm) so it was pretty much a no-​brainer to hire them. Sampling a heaping amount of food to pick out our menu didn’t hurt either. =D
We couldn’t have been happier. Everything was delicious and amazingly set up. I got tons of complements on how friendly and accommodating the staff were, especially the bartender, Joseph! The owner, Linda, was great to work with leading up to the event, and the on-​site lead, Florabelle, was extremely kind and professional. Rayna’s is an all-​around excellent choice!

I used Rayna’s catering for my wedding on the recommendation of a friend that’s used her twice for events. Linda and her staff are awesome. The package I got included decorations, food, and service. She picked up the tables and chairs as well. Honestly most of my wedding was taken care of by Linda and her staff. They set up, brought flowers to match my scheme, linens, china… everything.
My only complaint is that Linda is terrible about returning emails and phone calls. I was told by multiple people that I was the chillest bride. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect an email or phone call back within a full week. I think she needs an office manager of sorts to make phone calls and return emails since it seems like that’s the one issue that keeps coming up. I understand she’s a busy lady, having someone else take care of that would improve my only issue with this business. Everything else was fantastic.
That said, everything turned out great. The decorations were beautiful, the food delicious, the service spot on.

Raynas Gourmet Catering was our caterer for our wedding that took place this month (May). Linda, the owner was soo incredible and amazing, nothing was left without detail. The food was spectacular, our guests still cant stop talking about the food and how great the service was. Linda is honest and has everyones best at heart. Her staff were incredible at our wedding, we cannot thank them enough. Our wedding had 220 guests and everyone was full, the attention to detail and the help from her whole staff was just awesome. We highly recommend Raynas Gourtmet Catering, they will not disappoint. Thank you soo much, Raynas Gourment Catering was such an important vendor to us and they took care of practically everything. Our wedding was so clean, elegant and classy thanks to Raynas! — Mayra & Francisco

We hired Linda for my sister’s wedding last night. I cannot say enough good things about Linda and her staff. We had a rain emergency and timelines and floor plans changed at the very last minute but they just rolled with it. It’s incredibly apparent that Linda has a genuine passion for what she does, and it didn’t just stop at food. She had so many items that she let us borrow because she thought they would go well with our theme, and these special touches really made the day even more special. Not only was the food amazing (after waiting on us after a rain delay and trying to keep it warm and fresh) but she really went above and beyond to coordinate with the venue, other vendors, and handle as many details as possible while I was trying to deal with the rain emergency. Other reviews have mentioned lack of response in email, but I do have to say that she says this up front. It may not be her forte, but I think that is ok because it’s very clear that she puts so much energy and passion into making the day special. We called her for a last minute tasting and not only was she accommodating, but she gave us more food than I’ve ever seen in my life. I will definitely use her for other functions in the future!
Also, ask about her lemonade stand. It’s so cute and went wonderfully with our theme!

My wedding is next month and so far I’m not pleased. I paid in full months ago and her delay time in responding to emails is absurd. I’ve practically begged to taste cupcakes that will be at wedding and she keeps missing appointments and not responding to email. It’s frustrating as a bride. I hope she pulls things together by my wedding.
An update got married at scribbler bend vineyard 10÷13÷13 everything was setup beautifully by the caterer and the food was delicious. There were 2 things not done to my liking, but not enough to ruin my day. Still not sure if I would recommend based on lack of email response. Communication is a big deal to me.

Rayna’s Catering is amazing! The food is great, service is excellent and the décor is fabulous. I don’t have one bad thing to say about this catering company. After using another caterer locally over the last few years with poor service, being late, etc. we found Raynas and wanted to give them a try. Boy, are we glad we did. They are our go to caterer and we have spread the word to several other of our buisness associates. Give them a try and you won’t be dissapointed.

Linda and her staff are absolutely incredible. I appreciate her patience and her all around love for the industry she works in. Her passion is fueled in what she displays and I know that she is in the right field.
With that said, my wedding was catered by Rayna’s last July 2012. It was absolutely amazing and the food was incredible. After choosing a menu we were sent home with so many samples! Be prepared for lots of left overs. Linda does not shy away from putting on a show. She allowed us to help ourselves to anything in her inventory. From selections of table cloths, table décor, and even the lemonade stand that made its way to my wedding.
With high praises I did, however, have a few complaints. Linda is not the best at corresponding through email. She does make that clear. But with a growing business and with the rest of the world transitioning into a technological advanced state, email shouldn’t be too difficult to navigate. Menu items that we had agreed on for the wedding didn’t end up at the wedding. I feel like if I paid full price for the items we agreed on, then they should be there. Linda doesn’t remember everything we talk about or she misinterprets what we talked about. This can create confusion and frustration at times for not just her but both parties involved.
All in all, Rayna’s did an amazing job at my wedding. The staff made my wedding day stress free. The displays looked amazing and the food is something my guest still talk about to this day. I enjoyed working with Linda and her staff and would recommend her to anyone.

Rayna’s catered our work holiday party on 12÷15÷12. We were so excited about the menu! When the food was served it was cold and the tri tip and chicken dishes were overlooked and tough. The vegetables were overlooked as well. The servers were excellent and helpful, but we will be looking for another caterer for next years event. Linda has lost our business. We were all very dissapointed

We had our wedding October 13^th and used Rayna’s. Of all our vendors, she went above and beyond to make sure everything was a success. From the tasting to the event, everything was flawless. The food was excellent — we had SEVERAL guests remark how good the food was. I can’t say enough good things about Linda and Rayna’s Catering. They are professional, on time, and excellent chefs. Very reasonable prices too!

Highly recommended! Linda and her staff catered my wedding last weekend and did an amazing job! My mom found Rayna’s Gourmet Catering at a bridal show and was very impressed. When I called Linda, she was very helpful and involved with every step of the way, from helping map out the menu, setting us up with a tasting, helping us decide how much alcohol to buy, to helping with the decorations for the wedding and even with assisting us with our wedding cake. She’s like the Superwoman of catering! The food was great, everything looked beautiful and everyone at our wedding raved about how delicious the food was and their pink lemonade that we all loved, too!
The prices are more than reasonable. Linda and her staff were so efficient and provided flawless service. They were all very friendly, professional and provided high quality food and service. She went above and beyond all of my expectations, I can’t thank her enough! An overall joy to work with and we were delighted with every aspect of working with them.
I’m happy to say that Rayna’s will be our «go to» caterer for all of our future family events!

Not only Linda is very experience, professional, she is also very passionate to give the best. She helps provide lot of great idea for the wedding menu, agenda, and also center piece setup.
The food was great, service was great. They went above and beyond to do additional pickup and costco run to get things ready for our wedding in August 2011.
We had the wedding at Railroad Museum at Old Sac. They certainly did a great job even given there is very tight schedule to setup both the ceremony, Hors d’œuvre, buffet dinner.
All the staff are very friendly. The price is very reasonable.
I will highly recommend her. You do need to follow up with her on the phone, rather than email. but no complain here.

From the beginning we loved Linda. She was friendly, flexible and helpful when it came to planning our wedding. They had many menues to choose from, but we got to customize our own. We got to pick up a few boxes of food to sample at home. At the reception, we chose to have it buffet style so our guests couple stuff themselves. Our guests loved the food from the appetizers to main course. She had staff pass out a few hor’dourves. Presentation of the buffett was great. She even picked up our lechon (roasted pig) and displayed him nicely on the appetizer table.
She gave use tips on how to save money. She returned our rentals for us after the wedding. She came to our house on the other side of the town to pick up our wedding stuff. She went above and beyond.
Just a few irks:
1) She only accepts cash or check. No cards.
2) She’s not great at corresponding. Sometimes it would take days for her to return an email or a phone call. She admits to not being tech savvy, but common! Her company would benefit having an office manager or someone who would help her get organized.
3) She/​her staff lost a few things for our reception like our floating candles (they used cheap tealights that went out after 5 mins). They also did not set up our photowall correctly. She agreed to compensate, but I haven’t received anything yet.
Overall, her staff did a great job and the price was pretty tough to beat. I didn’t have to pay extra for the drink station, the dessert bar, or the servers. There was no cork fee or cake cutting fee. I didn’t have to pay extra for the linens. They did all the work of putting my centerpieces together and making everything look great.
Rayna’s Gourmet Catering is highly recommended!

Linda and her team did a great job catering our wedding. The food was great, the presentation excellent and if you are having a reception at the Library Galleria, they are very knowledgeable about the space.
We were able to have good communication with our caterer and had many options available for our dinner and dessert. We had an idea to serve a midnight snack of mini pizzas during our reception and Linda was more then happy to accommodate us. Make sure you keep in contact and have the dates of your deposits confirmed in writing. Linda is very experienced and will have tons of good suggestions for wedding vendors in the Sacramento area.

Great catering in the Sacramento area. Can be flexible with menus. Linda communicates well for event planning, to make sure your event goes as planned. Knows how to cater in the Library Galleria. Their waitstaff is great: friendly and professional.
not sure why one of their bartenders was confused with mimosa vs. samosa ???