Corporate Catering FAQ

Our Full-Service Menu is the primary menu for catered dinners, events, luncheons, and weddings. This menu is designed with a more elegant setting in mind, and contains pre-selected choices appropriate for virtually any occasion. This menu incorporates complete on-site chef preparation of your meal, specialty décor setup, and professional servers and bartenders.
Our Standard Catering is designed for smaller-scale events as well as corporate and personal catering delivery. This à la carte style menu gives you the freedom to completely design your event from the ground up.
Please inquire with our staff of professional event planners to receive the current full service or standard catering menu and note that any prices listed do not include service staff or on-site chef costs. These can vary greatly depending on the scope of your event.

While pre-set packages with an all-inclusive cost per guest can be easier for budgeting purposes, Elephants prefers to customize each event we cater. We feel that every client deserves input on their menu and guest experience. No two events are ever the same, and we want your experience to be uniquely yours.
Customizing your event also allows us to put your valuable budget to use in areas where it really counts, and makes it easier for you to see where your money is being spent. Simply put, without pre-set packages, we can stretch your budget further and give you control over your guests’ experience.

Of course! Our extensive selection of side dishes will perfectly complement virtually any main course. If necessary, we can also provide decorative serving platters, chafing dishes, and utensils for a small fee.

For our à la carte menus, the choice is yours! If you are shopping our full service menu, we can substitute up to two menu items of equal or lesser value at no additional cost. Substituted items of higher cost (i.e. substituting salmon for chicken) will result in additional charges for the higher-priced item. Simply select any item from the current menu and inquire with your catering event planner for details.

Please note: there will be no reduction in total cost of the overall menu.

We offer complimentary tastings for up to two individuals with a signed contract. Tastings are conducted at our catering offices in SE Portland and are by appointment only. Additional guests can be accommodated with advanced notice, for $10 per person.
All tastings are limited to your proposed menu only, with an option for one additional item if requested in advance. If a menu item is not available, Elephants will make every effort to substitute a similar or suggested substitute.

Please note: all menu tasting items are subject to ingredient availability, and may not be feasible outside of the seasonal menu’s time frame.

Our menus are updated to take advantage of locally and seasonally available ingredients. We recommend, therefore, selecting a day reasonably close (30-45 days before) to your event date to increase the likelihood that particular menu items or ingredients are available.

Elephants is a preferred caterer at most of the premier venues in the greater Portland-metro area, as well as the Columbia Gorge and Willamette wine country. For more information, please refer to our preferred venues page.
Elephants also has two private dining rooms at our NW 22nd and Corbett Avenue locations, perfect for intimate to mid-size events (48 seated / 75 standing at the Garden Room at NW 22nd; 120 seated / 150 standing at the Corbett Room).
We continually seek to establish and expand relationships with the region’s best venues, and would be thrilled to help you find the perfect setting for your big day.

We carry a simple, stylish line of in-house linens for basic event needs, and routinely coordinate the rental of specialty and custom linens for our events. We work with numerous talented local vendors to arrange for specialty décor pieces, floral arrangements, lighting, draping and props.

Elephants is a fully OLCC licensed provider of beer, wine and spirits, and will happily provide and serve at your event. We maintain a full selection of regional wine and beer, and specialize in creating custom-crafted cocktails as well.

Elephants clients are free to provide their own alcohol for events, but it must all come from the same source (no BYOB). All events with client-provided alcohol must be pre-approved by the venue (unless it is a private residence), and may result in additional venue-specific insurance or fee requirements.

Please note: not all venues permit client-provided alcohol, and some carry restrictions on the types of alcohol allowed.

If alcohol is provided by the client, Elephants Catering charges a per-bottle/drink/keg corkage fee in addition to the per-guest bar setup fee. This covers the cost of bar equipment, insurance and standard mixers.

Our resident barkeeps live to devise cocktails (from old classics to custom creations) suited to your event. Elephants is also proud to offer a selection of “preferred cocktails” with each and every full bar package. This rotating roster of revived classics and brand new creations is sure to be a hit with your guests, and is complimentary with all full bars.
In addition to craft cocktails, Elephants is bringing back the long-neglected party punch. These drinks have a long history (they were a favorite of the founding fathers) and add a surprisingly affordable element of nostalgia and elegance to any event. These batch cocktails also help eliminate the dreaded bar lineup at the beginning of an event. Please inquire with your event planner for seasonal offerings.

Elephants works with the best in the event rental field, and can procure many styles of chairs, covers, couches, or lounge furniture. Just let us know what you’re looking for, and we will be happy to find it for you. If you are planning a wedding during the summer months, please let us know as soon as possible, as the most popular styles and colors may be in limited supply come spring.

A few notes for clients considering drop-off catering:

Only our standard catering menu is available for drop-off.
Drop-off catering is delivered fully prepared and ready-to-eat, so we recommend a delivery window as close as possible to meal time.
Our dedicated staff is assigned a specified delivery window, which is determined a minimum of 12 hours prior to your event. Any last minute changes cannot be guaranteed.

A contract is best generated and signed when you formally reserve your event date. Menu particulars and event details can continue to be updated and modified throughout the event planning process, but only a signed contract and deposit will reserve your event date. Please note that summer, holiday, and weekend event dates book quickly, so a signed contract is best completed farther in advance.

Your final guest count – not subject to reduction – is due five (5) business days prior to your event. Any increase in guest count beyond this date may incur additional charges, as menu ingredients are ordered specifically for your event.

We generally return the following day to collect everything unless the client requests a same day pick up, which we would then schedule. We ask that the client keep all of the equipment in the same location as the delivery so the driver doesn’t run the risk of missing anything. Unfortunately, we do miss things sometimes, especially if it’s at a 3rd party location. If this happens then its best for the client to give us a call with the invoice number so we can arrange for a driver to go back and collect, or if you wish, you can bring any dishes back to our Central Kitchen, located at 1611 SE 7th Ave. Portland, OR 97214.