Cinco de Mayo Catering

Cinco de Mayo Catering Across Los Angeles/ Orange County

Cinco de Mayo is one of those rare events that sells itself. No program to sit through, no keynote, no assigned seating. Tacos and margaritas and guacamole made fresh in the room. Whether it's an office lunch for 200 or a dinner party at home for 30, people show up because they want to.

We've been building these across LA since 2007. Taco bars with fresh tortillas and house-roasted salsas for corporate teams. Happy hours with passed ceviche, braised short rib nachos, and a margarita bar for agencies and law firms hosting clients. Full-service private dinners with mole, mezcal flights, and churros with chocolate fondue. The format ranges from a staffed drop-off lunch to a fully produced evening with a chef on-site, but the starting question is the same: what do you want this event to feel like?

Understanding your Cinco de Mayo event needs

Bringing everyone together

Cinco de Mayo is one of those events that gets even the remote people to come in. A taco bar with fresh tortillas, a proper margarita station, food that's clearly not delivery. It gives teams a reason to be in the same room, and that room time is where the social fabric actually gets built. We do these for tech companies, law firms, agencies, and consulting practices where the culture team knows that the best team-building is people spending time together connecting. A taco bar where people are standing around, grabbing food, and actually talking to each other does that. A great margarita at happy hour can be even better.

When clients are in the room

That changes the presentation. Ceviche in individual shot glasses instead of a communal bowl. Passed mini sopes on slate trays. A signature margarita program with watermelon and jalapeño variations. A casual happy hour that quietly communicates your firm's standards and hospitality while connecting clients to the deep bench of talent that serves them.

The bar

Half the event. Watermelon margaritas with house-made lime salt rims, micheladas, Mexican beer. Non-alcoholic watermelon agua fresca and hibiscus agua fresca in the same glassware with the same care. Licensed, insured bartenders who can run a happy hour for 150 without a line.

Dietary needs built in

Potato rajas tacos are vegan. Ceviche is gluten-free. Guacamole and toppings bar cover nearly every restriction in the room. We sort out specifics with your planning contact beforehand and design the menu so accommodations are invisible.

Cinco de Mayo event formats

Office lunch

The most common version. A taco bar for 50 to 300 with cilantro-lime chicken, carne asada, and potato rajas. Full toppings spread, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, Mexican corn pudding. Guacamole and house-roasted salsas on tiered platters with homemade chips. Add empanadas (vegetable, smoked brisket picadillo, or chicken rioja) and the table starts pulling people in before they've picked up a plate.

At 50, we build the display, walk your contact through it, and leave. At 150, we're there with servers keeping everything replenished and handling breakdown so the EA who organized this isn't stacking chafing dishes at 2pm.

Happy hour

The balance shifts to the bar and passed food. Margaritas, micheladas, Mexican beer. Passed ceviche in shot glasses, mini sopes, braised short rib nachos, mini chimichangas circulating through the room while a chips and guacamole station anchors one end.

Thirty people, one bartender, two passed items. A hundred and fifty across two floors, two bar setups, four passed items, stationed food to distribute the energy. Different event, different infrastructure.

Client reception

The food tightens up when the guest list includes people you're trying to impress. Passed appetizers on presentation trays. Ceviche portioned individually. A signature margarita program. A dessert moment: churros with chocolate fondue, mini salted cashew-crusted margarita bites. The kind of setup where a client VP and your managing partner end up at the same station, drinks in hand, talking about something that has nothing to do with the engagement. That's not a coincidence. That's what the food and the room were designed to produce.

Private Cinco de Mayo party

The social version is a different event entirely. You're hosting at home, on a rooftop, at a rented venue. The bar is one of the best parts: we batch the signature cocktails and pre-pour, so your guests get a drink the moment they walk in instead of waiting in the line they'd hit at any restaurant on Cinco de Mayo.

The menu opens up too. Plated mezcal-and-lime chicken or agave-glazed Pacific snapper with salsa verde and diced mango. Family-style birria with fresh tortillas and a salsa spread down the center of the table. Chef-attended gorditas or tamales made on-site so guests are watching the food come together. A ceviche bar as a first course. Churros with chocolate fondue and rich chocolate flan for dessert. A bar with mezcal tasting components, the full margarita program, and whatever signature drink fits the evening.

We handle design, setup, service, and cleanup. Your job is to enjoy your own party.

Making it happen in your space

We've set up in open-plan tech offices, law firm conference suites, agency rooftops, lobbies, and executive dining rooms across LA. We coordinate directly with your building management on freight elevator scheduling, vendor credentialing, and equipment restrictions. Everything we bring meets Class A building standards: no open flame, no smoke, no grease exhaust. Menus are designed for spaces with no kitchen.

A few specifics that come up every time: lunch events need a 60 to 90 minute setup window, so freight elevator access gets booked early. Happy hours need food substantial enough to carry people through several rounds, which is why we lean toward short rib nachos and chimichangas rather than all light bites. Outdoor and rooftop events get adjusted plans for wind and temperature on items like ceviche and guacamole. We confirm all of this a week before the event so your planning contact isn't fielding calls from building management on the day of.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In Mexico, it's primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. In the United States, it's become a broader celebration of Mexican culture, food, and community, and one of the most popular occasions for gatherings across corporate, social, and restaurant settings.

Next steps

Tell us about your event. Date, headcount, lunch or happy hour, clients in the room or not. We'll put together a menu, bar program, and service plan for your space.