Affordable Chef Services LLC

•Ratings include Zola and Google reviews

Catering services pricing

Food starts at $26 per person.

About Affordable Chef Services LLC

Affordable Chef Services LLC

Chef owner

Whether you're searching for a caterer for a dinner party, birthday, anniversary, wedding reception, holiday, company picnic, or other event, personal Chef Mark Gallagher of Affordable Chef Services of Santa Cruz can custom cater a menu just for you. Our highly trained professional staff have the experience and passion to cater your special event.

Affordable Chef Services uses the highest quality meats, fish and local Santa Cruz County Our highly trained professional staff have the experience and passion to cater your special event. Multi-course plated wine pairing dinners or buffet-style meals are available. Visit website and simply fill out event quote page. and we'll customize a menu for your specific event. Affordablechef dot info We look forward to talking with you.

Sample catered weddings

(Passed and stationary apps) Pastry wrapped Brie with baguettes-Cajun meatballs-Artichoke and pepper crisps-Black olive tapenade with balsamic reduction-lobster bisque shooters-Ceviche. ADD on - Large 12 ft Grazing table with assorted fruits veg meats cheeses breads dips and crackers. Lemon aid and iced tea station (Buffett style event) Organic field greens salad with tomatoes ,cucumbers ,Sesame ginger vin and feta - Over baked chicken breast with a tart on cream sauce - Roasted organic veggie lasagna with bechemel- Wild rice pilaf with roasted veg - Marinated asparagus spread - Dinner rolls and butter.

Guest Count

120

Total Catering Cost

$7,714

Menu Highlights

  • Buffet
  • Passed appetizers
  • Stationary appetizers
  • Wedding cake service
  • Dessert service
  • Cocktail hour apps then a Double sided buffet meal .

Services Included

  • Gratuity
  • Chef(s)
  • Service Captain(s)
  • Service Staff
  • Setup / Breakdown
Set up almost completed
Grazing
Ceviche spoons
Down the street - Felton guild

Services

Services

  • Bartenders
  • Cleanup and breakdown
  • Consultations and tastings - for a fee
  • Delivery and setup
  • Rental coordination - directly invoice couple
  • Rental coordination - does not invoice couple
  • Serving staff

Cuisines

  • American
  • BBQ
  • Farm-to-table
  • French
  • Italian
  • Mexican
  • Seafood

Dietary accommodations

  • Dairy-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Halal
  • Kosher
  • Nut-free
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

Meal types

  • Breakfast/brunch
  • Buffet
  • Dessert service
  • Family-style meal
  • Food stations
  • Passed appetizers
  • Seated meal
  • Stationary appetizers
  • Wedding cake service

Beverage services

  • Bartending
  • Beverage servingware rentals
  • Provides liquor license

Drink types

  • Coffee service
  • Non-alcoholic

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 4.3

4.3 out of 5

30 reviews

  • JC

    Jamileh C.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 24, 2026

    High Praise for Affordable Chef Services

    Mark and his team were professional and easy to communicate with. We hired them to do some a la carte catering for our wedding and he nailed it. The food was on point and the somewhat complicated order was easily handled by his team. He even threw in some extra cake pops for dessert which were a HUGE hit with the kids!

    Mark Gallagher•Aug 25, 2026

    Thank you for the kind words it was a pleasure finally meet you and yours. And yes the cake pops and icecream station worked out well.

  • SG

    Shirley Treanor G.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 24, 2026

    Such a great wedding memory!

    Our anniversary has just passed by. My husband and I smile and so cherish our wedding day. Even though I've a large amount of experience putting on big events, since this was my wedding day, I was quite anxious. Mark and his helpers arrived early. He immediately asked me how we wanted everything done and then executed my vision perfectly—the setup was flawless, the food was wonderful, and they cleaned up completely without us having to lift a finger. What impressed us most was how seamlessly they worked with all the other vendors to make sure everything came together. Mark is clearly experienced. I felt so taken care of and could actually enjoy our wedding and reception instead of worrying about the details. We'd absolutely recommend Affordable Chef Services. We have such a lovely memory of our big day!

    Mark Gallagher•Sep 3, 2026

    Happy Anniversary . Thank you for the kind words I hope you and your are all good.

  • JM

    Jeanne M.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Aug 22, 2026

    Pre-wedding celebration

    Mark helped to make the pre-wedding cocktail reception such a special event. He was prompt and professional and was so accommodating in every way! The food was beautifully presented and delicious. Working with Mark was such a pleasure... he and his team are real gems. I would definitely reach out to them again! Top Notch!

    Mark Gallagher•Aug 25, 2026

    Thank you for the kind words it was a great day.

  • MR

    Micaela R.

    Rating: 1
    •Zola
    •Jun 10, 2026

    Do not hire

    We now know this man has no call no showed at least two weddings in three weeks. In the most basic of terms, no matter what emergency occurs, it is not okay to not give notice. Being a no call no show means that you are waiting and waiting and waiting assuming the best in the person-- hoping they got lost. Hoping there was a misunderstanding. Hoping god forbid they are okay if there was a car accident or a medical emergency. If someone calls and tells you they are having an emergency, even on the morning of (!!) the event, you could activate a plan and save the wedding. But when you are expecting them to come you wait until the last possible minute... which is what happened to us. Activating a back up plan DURING the ceremony. I will let you imagine what that felt like to be up a mountain 30 mins deep in the Santa Cruz mountains trying to get someone to save our 120 person wedding. It had a huge impact on our day as there was no bartender, no appetizers, no food, no staff, no tables, no NA drinks, no ice. Then- to find out he won't pay you the back. I don't care if you have 9 bad days in 20 years. How you handle your business on your worst days shows your integrity- of which this man has none.

    Mark Gallagher•Jun 18, 2026

    Thank you for youe input. I owe you and the couple a profound apology. On the weekend of this event I experienced a sudden family emergency that led to a personal heath crisis. I was incapacitated and failed to communicate or activate a backup plane. There isno excure for leaving you with our services. That was my responsibility and I failed.

  • S

    Sierra

    Rating: 1
    •Zola
    •Jun 9, 2026

    BEWARE

    If I could give zero stars, I would. Chef Mark did not return any calls or texts on the day of the wedding, leaving us to scramble to find tables, dishes, food, bartending, servers, etc for 150 guests and venue staff. As for communication, two days after the wedding, he sent an email that actually begins "I'm sorry I flaked on your event." There have been several convoluted, ungrammatical emails and disrespectful texts sent since, but all fail to explain why no one besides Mark expected to provide service, food or bartending for this wedding which was arranged and paid for months in advance. This is very clearly a person who is not professional, and should not be able to practice business. There is no words for how this irrevocably harmed what should have been a joyous day, and there is no getting that back (though sending the money back would help). The bride sent an email with contractual info demanding a refund, or she will seek legal counsel, since he still has yet to send the money back. His response; "see you in court". He had time to respond to reviews, but not work through a refund process, then holds refund hostage until people remove their negative reviews. In addition, since then, he has flaked on 2 more wedding events at minimum that we know of. Please beware!!!

    Mark Gallagher•Jun 18, 2026

    Thank you for youe input. I owe you and the couple a profound apology. On the weekend of this event I experienced a sudden family emergency that led to a personal heath crisis. I was incapacitated and failed to communicate or activate a backup plane. There isno excure for leaving you with our services. That was my responsibility and I failed.

Simply visit our website and fill out provided event quote page. Or feel free to call.
Cake cutting is Included with an event booking.
Yes, we do if need be. Event quote page asks all those questions to give you a decent event quote.
For summer and fall weddings, we recommend at least 10 months in advance.
Yes, we can just tell us what your needs are.

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