Southern’s Fine Dining

Steve and his crew made our wedding in October absolutely phenomenal despite going through some hardships with his smoker being out of commission. He worked with another local guy to get our brisket smoked in time for our wedding.
I said if there was one thing that I wanted people to remember from my wedding, it was the food and the booze. So we got the booze handled, on to the food… it was a pretty big deal to select a caterer here. The majority of them suck, and want to overcharge you with no type of justification other than they can do it, especially when they are preferred vendors. I refused to go with the people on my venue’s list so paid to have an outside caterer to go with Steve… I was not disappointed.
I wanted my mostly out of town family to experience some yummy down south upscale Texas comfort food! So my menu was as follows — gulf coast crab cake balls (I got one because my groomsmen snatched it for me but those suckers were GONE), smoked duck confit empanadas (Sandra hooked it up!!), meat and cheese display. The appetizers were literally destroyed, everyone just tore into them. Steve was at our wedding since it was a Thursday and he personally hand delivered a plate of goodies for us and it was so amazing, I am glad we got some food packed to go because you are never able to eat on your wedding day but I really wanted to experience everything we spent so long agonizing over what to serve.
Anyways, on to the entrée! We had a brined and smoked brisket done by our local guy John Brotherton who hand smoked it for 18 hours with love. We also got the beer can chicken. We had their mac and cheese, green beans, sweet potatoes and a lovely salad display served with yeast rolls… are you full yet?
The grand finale was a mini dessert bar, I got a small wedding cake because nobody wants the cake and wanted a variety. We had mini chocolate bourbon milkshake shots (I had like 4), mini cannolis, mini pecan pies, mini strawberry shortcake shots and macarons, there were a few more items but I can’t remember. It was beautifully displayed.
We also used them for our bartending which was phenomenal. Karla McNeil who is also a wedding planner was a great coordinator that handled all of the details and made sure they got our margarita machine started when it should have been and coordinated between the two bars and steered us towards a good plating package. All of the serving staff was amazing, so much so that we forgot the tip but then came by the next day to give it to them.
Price…well let me tell you, I had other places that were only going to do half of these wanting to charge me over $ 10 grand. How many times have you had good wedding food??? I was not about to pay that much money for crap. So he will work with your budget and give you the perfect menu that is down to earth and yummy (like seriously their menu is a book, it’s so huge)…no regrets, thanks Steve and my heart still breaks that you had to close down your restaurant in P-​ville.

I love soco café! I have been for dinner and brunch and enjoyed both meals thoroughly! The food is exceptional for an extremely reasonable price. Go early for brunch on the weekend as the wait is quite long.

If you are looking for traditional with a twist this is your place. We had Southerns Fine Dining cater our wedding in April 2015 and everything was so wonderful. Not only is Karla and the Staff easy to work with, the food is PHENOMENAL! Seriously… the egg rolls, quesadillas, chicken and waffles! Your guests will not be disappointed. My now husband and I consider ourselves «foodies» and we enjoy all the great Austin eateries so we were nervous about picking our caterer, but Southerns did not disappoint. Also, a great deal on the prices compared to other catering companies.
Being the Bride or any person that is making the decision about the catering, you don’t want to really «deal with anything» on your day except getting ready and having fun. So that was very important to me when choosing vendors to work with. And there was not one issue with Southerns, everyone was fed, everyone was happy, the food was served on time, and everything got clean! Great choice for catering!
I am sad I do not live close to their new restaurant, but I guess it gives me a reason to visit North Austin now!

Chef Steve and crew were amazing! They did my daughters wedding last year and are doing my oldest daughters wedding this year! His food is amazing! The staff and service is awesome! My boss at Majic 95 and Mix 94.7 also hired them to do two Client parties! They were fabulous! Loved the Smores bar, the chicken and waffles and the prime rib melted in your mouth! The veggies crisp and the potatoe/​mac n cheese bar a huge hit! I cant wait to try his restaurant in Pflugervile, I know it will be worth my drive ! I just cant say enough about their amazing food! They Will ALWAYS be our cater of choice!

BEWARE!
Although it seems that the food is excellent from this caterer based on previous reviews, I must say that their ‘lead planner’, Chelsie, is terrible. My wife and I contacted Southern’s Fine Dining and received an email from them designating her as our contact. We chose a menu and had several emails exchanged. Our event is scheduled in mid-​December and we began this process at the beginning of November. Our last email to this coordinator asked when we needed to place a deposit, but alas, it seems that Southern’s has gone off the grid. We have had no response to several emails and more than 3 phone calls. Although we were very excited about the planned menu, we have been stuck scrambling to find another caterer.
Perhaps others will not have this experience with this caterer.
UPDATE:
I was contacted by their management shortly after they noticed this review and they offered to make things right. By that point it was too late for my event, but it seems my troubles with the event planner do not reflect the practices of this caterer/​company. Their management does seem to care very much about customer service.

Chef Southern catered our wedding. Food was great as we expected but I was very surprised by how Profesional and efficient his staff was during service.

I have no idea why there are negative reviews. Southern’s fine dining is the total package. Amazing food, staff, and owner. We had them cater our Christmas party last year and we are having them do our holiday party again this year.
I can only think the negative reviews are from someone who is angry with this business owner for personal reasons, because they ROCKED our party and we cannot wait to use them again.
A++++++ and amazing service!

The only thing I regret about this, is not having written my review sooner. =)
We used Southern’s as our wedding caterer. They were suggested to us by our coordinator two weeks before our wedding when our previous caterer wouldn’t even give us a tasting. With a two day notice, the Chef put together a full tasting menu for our wedding dinner with passed hors d’oeuvres. My husband is Puerto Rican and I am from Texas, so it was very important that we incorporated our tastes into our menu. When we went to our tasting, we where blown away! Not only did we not change a thing, but the Chef even researched Puerto Rican culture and made a traditional dish called Pasteles. When my husband bit into it, he closed his eyes and said «Just like my Abuela makes.» Well… enough said!
The wedding day was amazing! My biggest concern was that the food would be served warm and fresh. The food was amazing, and was all passed out like clock work. My mom said that the following week, all of her friends were raving about how tasty everything was and how much they enjoyed the Texas/​Puerto Rican flare.
I would recommend this caterer to anyone! The Chef listened to our wants and needs and orchestrated it flawlessly. They really made the best day of my life even better. =)

I have been to many functions that have been catered by Southern’s Fine Dining. Not only did I find the food delicious, but appealing. Not only was the food good with nice display, but the staff was awesome in making sure the areas were clean and taking half empty eaten trays away and bringing out freshly new ones. I would have Sothern Fine Dining caterer any event that I have without a second thought!

We stumbled across Southern Fine Dining after horrible service from other caterers for my Grandpa’s Celebration of Life ceremony. Because the other caterers decided to be so unprofessional it pushed us getting Southern Fine Dining in less than a month to the Celebration. They worked with us in every way from the price, which was far less than what was expected, to the menu. We had a 12year old that was extremely picky with food. When they got to the house we literally did not lift a finger although we tried in many ways to help. We had put aside decorations we wanted on the table and figured we would have to work around their silverware and glasses to put them how we wanted them. We walked outside because they had not yet put down their tablecloth etc, not directing them to do anything with the decorations. When we walked back in we were nothing short of amazed and in AWE of how they fixed everything including our decorations. They set up the crab dip appetizer and pardon me but «Oh my God!» it is unbelievable and out of this WORLD amazing. You can tell it was quality and it melted in your mouth it was so delicious. The rest of the food also pleased everyone around the table, including the 12year old. The entire meal was very well put together and seasoned. The waiters were extremely respectful and they worked around 18 people in a smaller space very well. I’m so very happy we hired them and we look often to see if the Chef is opening his restaurant in Austin. Our family will definitely be one of the first in the door. I know I will personally hire them again! My Grandpa, I know, looked down from Heaven and smiled seeing his whole family together for the first time at such an elegant and very tasteful Celebration of his life. We physically and emotionally could not have done it without Southern’s Fine Dining!

Chef Steve Southern and his crew are nothing short of culinary geniuses! Just got married this Saturday and have been fielding calls, texts, and emails about who did the food and how fantastic it was, for two days. I’m sure they won’t stop for quite awhile.
Chef Steve, even manned the root beer float station himself after what had to be a long day. Everyone, was so excited and thankful for all the amazing food. Here are a few words I’ve heard so far describing the meal: Awesome, fantastic, great, delicious, tremendous, wonderful, brilliant, terrific, outstanding, and my personal favorite… hell yeah y’all threw down!
Thank you Chef Steve, and please pass along our gratitude to everyone on your team.
Bobby & Katie

Steve Southern catered our wedding at One World Theatre in Austin. From the very first tasting, Steve was fantastic to work with, incredibly accommodating, and served us incredibly delicious food (which was appreciated even more after a terrible tasting at Dagar’s Catering).
Steve worked with us pretty heavily to design a menu that we loved and felt represented us as a couple. He was spot on in his recommendations for food service, style, and presentation. We had 3 food stations – Tex-​Mex (brisket and pulled pork taco station), East Coast (mini Maryland crab cakes with spicy remoulade and clam chowder shooters with cheddar bread straws), and Southern Food (mini chicken and waffles, mac & cheese, and grilled veggies). Everything was incredibly delicious and people raved about it.
In addition to the great food, Steve went above and beyond his role by helping facilitate working with other vendors that delivered linens and tableware. It saved us money, time, and heartburn.
At the end of the day, using Southern’s Fine Dining was one of the best decisions we made for the wedding. We wish nothing but the best for him!

I am giving Steve Southern 4 stars because his food is AMAZING! He catered our wedding last year, and everyone that tasted the food, loved it! Unfortunately, not everyone was able taste the food. We ordered heavy apps because our guests were not going to be eating until 8:45−9pm. However, several guests including my parents and some of the wedding party, didn’t get any food at all. I believe they ran out as we got there, because I honestly never saw the food. I was expecting to see a buffet table with food, and at a minimum chips and salsa bar with quacomole all night. Some of the apps were to be passed around and some were to be on a buffet. I didn’t see food in any of my wedding pictures or the video, either. My husband and I were given full plates when we arrived, so that was nice. And Steve was a joy to work with and made our Groom’s cake, which was AMAZING. I just wish our wedding was flawless, and didn’t like the fact that any of our guests were left out of the full experience, especially my parents who helped pay the bill! Our estimated attendance was suprisingly spot on, as well, so that wasn’t the issue.

I’m sorry to have to give this rating but it is needed. I recently had a tasting with them and the food was good. We discussed all the details of the event etc. The chef was great! The coordinator not so much because of her lack of follow up. It has been over a month and I never received a final quote or anything. I can’t do business with people who cannot respond. Luckily, I found another caterer with over the top customer service.

Chef Steve is one of the reason why I can’t wait to get married this coming October.
After a disappointing tasting done with another catering company, we met with him and I started understanding what the expression «pulling all the stops» really means.
He had created 2 full meals (rehearsal dinner BBQ and wedding). The food was refined and flavorful. He totally embraced our Tex-​Mex/​French theme while working within our budget.
He even recommended a great baker for our cake!
I will update my review after our wedding but, based on the quality of our tasting and the level of service we’ve received so far, I would definitely recommend him to anyone who is getting married or needs a caterer for an event.

Wow what amazing service and talent! The food was GREAT!

Southern’s catered dinner (breakfast for dinner) for us the other night at Scare For A Cure and it was AWESOME! There were cinnamon buns, biscuits and gravy, bacon!!, french toast, pancakes (both freshly made) and omelettes; complete with coffee, iced tea and orange juice!
The food was delicious and the staff was warm and friendly. Chef Steve was right there cooking along side his staff. If you’re looking for a caterer you can’t go wrong.
Thank you so much for feeding us so we were properly fueled up to scare the daylights out of the guests!

Did a tasting with a friend for her wedding. Steve is just the nicest guy you have ever met. He really listened to what my friend (the bride) had to say and what she wanted and even took my input into consideration. There was so much food at that tasting! I was absolutely stuffed by the time we left and it was all incredible. My friend had decided to cut down to one meat instead of 2 to save some money and he through in the second meat option for free just because he didn’t want her to go without on her wedding day. Steve remembered my name, greeted me at the wedding, asked how I had been etc. etc. — and this was several months after he had met me. The food on the wedding day was even more amazing than it was at the tasting. This is a man who goes out of his way to make his customers and their guests feel important and special and to deliver a high quality meal. You cannot go wrong with these guys. Amazing! Thanks Steve, I’ll be using you when I get married!

Steve catered our wedding over the weekend after Thanksgiving in 2010. It was incredible. We were blown away at the tasting that he set up for us in which he went overboard (in a good way), tempting us with variation upon variation of items we requested. Best queso my now wife and I have ever tasted. He will work with you to get whatever type of food you want, and it will be top notch and delicious. At the wedding, we received so many compliements on our food. From our appetizers (mini chicken and waffles, quesadilla bites and a chip and salsa bar with queso) to our out of this world entrees, including a chorizo stuffed pork loin. More than anything, his staff really made the night. The bartenders were PHENOMINAL. So friendly and attentive — they actually learned peoples names. Rather than seem annoyed they had to miss a Saturday night out with their friends, they seemed genuinely happy to be there and added to the experience. All of his staff were so kind and happy that my wife ended up going around and giving some of them hugs at the end of the night. In every way possible, Steve is the best caterer I have ever worked with. His prices are very very very competitive too — especially considering the quality of food and service you get.

I’m the other half of the review above (Jonathan H) married on 10÷10÷10 and I can’t emphasize enough how great our wedding day was made by Steve and his professional, friendly crew. Any bride and groom going through the hoops of trying to decide what is the best value and/​or choice for their wedding vendors knows how crazy things can be and how easy it is to second guess yourself. I have never once second guessed our decision to go with Steve even if I second guessed everything else!
Some caterers cut corners or costs so they can do what is in their best interests. Steve always had Jonathan and I (and our guests!) in mind while trying to work out the details for our wedding menu. When going to taste our personalized menu, EVERYTHING was prepared for us and I was so stuffed I actually had to scale down the amount of food we were going to serve at the wedding lol.
Steve treated me like a friend, and while corresponding before the wedding, he asked about my bridesmaid that attended the food tasting with me… he remembered her name and asked how she was, not because he had to but because he is a genuinely nice human being. We weren’t just a business transaction to him, or another event to fill a weekend, we were a young couple in love, and he was doing everything in his power to make our day memorable and special with delicious food. If you are like us and want your guests to remember the food as much as they remembered the fun at your wedding, you will not go wrong with Southern’s Fine Dining, I promise you that much.