Food That Caters: What It Is, What to Order, and How to Get It Near Boston
Looking for food that caters to your group near Boston? Here's what catering actually means, what foods work best, and how to place your first order without the stress.
Halal chicken kabob by the tray — marinated, grilled fresh, and portioned for a crowd. The protein that never sits long on a catering table.
You need food for a group.
The food needs to:
1. travel well, stay fresh,
2. smell good in an enclosed room,
3. work for people with different diets.
That's a short list of requirements that rules out a lot of options fast.
For over 30 years, ANI Catering & Cafe has been feeding offices, families, and events across Greater Boston with food that actually holds up — fresh Armenian and Middle Eastern cuisine made from scratch every day.
Here's the honest guide to food that caters well.
What Makes Food "Cater Well"?
This is what food that caters well actually looks like. Halal chicken, lamb shawarma, house-made falafel, fresh tabbouleh — made in the ANI kitchen and delivered ready to serve.
Not all food survives the journey from kitchen to table.
Good catering food needs to check every one of these boxes:
✔ Holds heat without drying out
✔ Doesn't get soggy or fall apart in transit
✔ Smells good — not overwhelming — in an enclosed space
✔ Stays flavorful at room temperature
✔ Works for multiple dietary needs at once
✔ Looks appealing when the lid comes off
Miss even one of these and someone at the table has a bad experience.
The complete ANI package — every dish that caters well, all in one order. Halal chicken shawarma, rice pilaf, falafel, hummus, fresh salad, roasted vegetables, and Syrian bread. One call, every guest covered.
Foods That Cater Extremely Well:
Middle Eastern & Mediterranean
This is the gold standard for group catering.
Here's why:
Proteins like shawarma, kabobs, and kafta stay juicy and flavorful
Rice dishes absorb seasoning and actually improve as they rest
Mezze spreads — hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, fattoush are served at room temperature by design
Falafel holds its texture better than most fried foods
The spice profile is warm and aromatic, not sharp or pungent
Almost every dish naturally accommodates halal, vegetarian, or gluten-free diets
House-made falafel catering tray — crispy, herb-packed, completely plant-based. The single item that handles the most dietary requirements at any event table.
BBQ and slow-cooked meats
Low and slow cooking makes meat more forgiving in transit.
Pulled proteins, brisket, and ribs hold moisture well.
The downside: messy, not office-friendly, and limited vegetarian options.
Italian (pasta-based)
Pasta dishes like baked ziti or lasagna travel well and reheat easily.
They're crowd-pleasing and filling. The downside: heavy, limited dietary variety, and not great for gluten-free guests.
Sandwiches and wraps
Easy to portion, easy to eat.
The downside: bread gets soggy fast if assembled too early, and they go cold quickly.
Foods That Don't Cater Well
Avoid these if you want the food to still be good when it lands:
Anything fried and crispy — fries, fried chicken, spring rolls. Soggy within 20 minutes.
Delicate fish dishes — strong smell, falls apart, goes rubbery fast
Dishes with fresh greens already dressed — wilted salads are sad salads
Anything with a cream sauce — breaks and separates in transit
Sushi — temperature-sensitive, short window, high risk
Burgers — bun goes soggy, patty dries out, messy to eat at a desk
Lahmajoun — Armenian meat flatbread baked fresh in-house. The item that tells every guest immediately this isn't generic catering.
The Dietary Restriction Problem
Here's a real scenario:
you order pizza for the office.
Three people are gluten-free.
Two are vegetarian. One keeps halal.
You've just accidentally excluded six people with one order.
The Smell Factor (Yes, It Matters)
Spinach and cheese phyllo triangles — flaky, golden, baked fresh. The appetizer that disappears before the main course is even set out.
Nobody wants to be the person who made the whole office smell like fish or heavy spices all afternoon.
Foods with neutral to warm aromas work best in shared spaces:
Good: grilled meats, rice, roasted vegetables, herbs like parsley and mint
Neutral: wraps, salads, grain bowls
Avoid: strong fish, heavy curry, anything with a sharp vinegar base
Middle Eastern food sits squarely in the good category. The aroma when the trays open is inviting — not polarizing.
The best catering food solves this without making it complicated.
Middle Eastern cuisine is uniquely built for this. A typical spread from ANI includes:
Halal-certified proteins — every meat item, clearly labeled
Vegetarian options that are actually satisfying — falafel, spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, mezze
Naturally gluten-free dishes — grilled meats, rice, hummus, salads
Dairy-free by default — most dishes don't rely on cheese or cream
One order. Everyone eats. Nobody feels like an afterthought.
The best food for catering is designed to travel, hold, and please a crowd!
— not food that's just popular on a restaurant menu.
ANI Catering & Cafe has spent over 30 years perfecting exactly that!
Fresh shawarma, falafel, kabobs, mezze spreads, and more — halal-certified, dietary-inclusive, made from scratch every morning, and built to still taste great when the lid comes off at your table.
Halal beef kabob by the tray — bold, hearty, and the first thing guests reach for. This is food that caters well and tastes even better.
If you're feeding a group in Greater Boston,
this is the food that gets reordered!
Let’s put something amazing together for your event. Fill out your event details below and let us handle the hard part!
Why We Have The BEST Falafel in Boston. Actually…
Bold claim, we know. But when you learn what actually goes into great falafel — fresh-soaked beans, house-made spices, fried to order — you'll never settle for anything less.
Fresh homemade falafel inside a classic Falafel Wrap fried to order at ANI Catering and Cafe in Belmont Massachusetts
Let's be honest — that's a bold claim.
Boston has no shortage of Middle Eastern restaurants, and plenty of them serve falafel. So when we say ours is the best, we're not just posturing. We're inviting you to understand why — because once you learn what separates great falafel from mediocre falafel, you'll never settle again.
This is a post about craft. About the decisions that happen before the first ball ever hits the oil. About why the falafel you get at ANI Catering & Cafe in Belmont tastes the way it does — and why it probably tastes different from anything you've had before.
🤔 What Most People Don't Know About Falafel
Falafel looks simple. A few ingredients, shaped into a ball, dropped in a fryer.
How complicated can it be?
Very.
The difference between extraordinary falafel and forgettable falafel lives almost entirely in the preparation — specifically, in choices that most restaurants skip because they're time-consuming, labor-intensive, and frankly, unnecessary if your only goal is to get product out the door fast.
Here's what we actually do — and why it matters.
1️⃣ We Soak Our Chickpeas & Fava Beans Fresh. Every. Single. Day.
The most important decision in falafel-making happens a full day before the falafel is ever shaped.
Authentic falafel is made with raw, soaked chickpeas — not cooked ones, and absolutely not canned ones. This is a non-negotiable rule in traditional Middle Eastern cooking, and one that a shocking number of shortcuts have quietly erased.
Here's the science:
When dried chickpeas soak, they rehydrate and soften just enough to be ground — but crucially, they remain uncooked. That raw, starchy composition is what binds the falafel mixture together. When this mixture hits hot oil, the starches gelatinize and expand, creating a light, fluffy interior while the outside becomes incredibly crisp.
Canned chickpeas — or pre-made falafel pouches — can't do this. They're already cooked, already waterlogged. The result?
❌ Dense, mushy falafel that falls apart ❌ Rescued with fillers like flour or eggs ❌ Flavor that's flat and generic
We also use a blend of chickpeas AND fava beans — the traditional Egyptian combination that predates the all-chickpea versions most people know today. That blend adds a nutty depth you simply can't get from chickpeas alone.
We soak fresh every day. No batch soaked four days ago. No frozen pre-portioned mix pulled from a bag. Every morning, the process starts from scratch — because that's the only way to control what ends up on your plate.
2️⃣ Our Spice Blend Is 100% House-Made 🌿
Walk into most fast-casual Middle Eastern spots in Greater Boston and you'll find the same falafel. Same texture. Same color. Same generic spice profile.
That's because they're all working from the same commercial falafel mix — a premeasured pouch designed for consistency and speed, not for flavor or character.
We don't do that.
Our spice blend is house-made — refined over more than 30 years of cooking for the Greater Boston community. It draws on the same culinary heritage that built this family business: Armenian and Middle Eastern cooking that treats spice as an art form, not an afterthought.
What a pouch gives youWhat we give youSame flavor, every restaurantA recipe built over 30 yearsDesigned for speedDesigned for flavorMade in a factoryMade in our kitchenPreservatives & fillersFresh herbs & whole spices
When a restaurant uses a premade mix, every flavor decision has already been made for them — by a food manufacturer somewhere else. We make those decisions ourselves, in our kitchen, every day.
3️⃣ Every Falafel Is Fried Fresh to Order 🔥
This one is about respect.
Falafel that's been sitting in a warming tray — or worse, pre-fried in bulk and reheated — is not falafel. It's a falafel-adjacent product.
Here's what happens to it:
😞 The crust goes soggy
😞 The structural integrity is gone
😞 The interior turns dense instead of light
😞 You eat it and forget it within the hour
We fry every falafel to order. You place your order, we form and fry. That's it.
Fresh-fried falafel arrives at its structural peak — the moment when the crust is at maximum crunch and the interior is still airy and steaming. That window is short. A falafel that sat for 15 minutes has already missed it.
⏱️ This means a slightly longer wait than you'd get at a place running a heat lamp. We think that's a reasonable trade.
4️⃣ It's Gluten-Free — And Still Ridiculously Crunchy ✅
This one surprises people.
Gluten-free and crunchy don't usually go together. Here's why ours is different:
Many commercial falafel preparations include wheat flour as a binder. It's an easy fix for the moisture problem that comes with using canned or improperly prepared chickpeas. Flour holds things together — but it also:
Adds gluten (obviously)
Changes the texture
Is a sign that something earlier in the process wasn't done right
Because we start with properly soaked, raw chickpeas and fava beans, we don't need flour as a crutch. The natural starch in soaked, uncooked chickpeas binds everything together — the way it's been done for centuries.
The result? Falafel that is:
✅ Naturally gluten-free ✅ Free of fillers and binders ✅ Still achieves that deep, satisfying crunch ✅ Safe for celiac and gluten-sensitive diets
No compromises. No trade-offs. Just falafel the way it's supposed to be made.
🏆 What This All Adds Up To
We've been feeding the Greater Boston area for over 30 years from our kitchen at 687 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA.
The falafel on our menu isn't a product engineered for convenience. It's a dish built — ingredient by ingredient, decision by decision — to be as good as it can possibly be.
Here's the short version:
🫘 Fresh-soaked chickpeas & fava beans — soaked daily, never canned 🌿 House-made spice blend — 30 years in the making 🔥 Fried to order — every single time ✅ Naturally gluten-free — no flour, no fillers
That's not a marketing checklist. That's just what it takes to make falafel worth eating.
📦 Ready to Try It?
Our falafel is available for:
🥡 Takeout — stop by 687 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA
🍽️ Catering platters — perfect for gatherings and events
🏢 Corporate catering — office lunches across Greater Boston
Order FALAFEL FOR PICKUP & DELIVERY →
We'd love to show you what 30 years of doing this right actually tastes like.
ANI Catering & Cafe is a family-owned Armenian and Middle Eastern restaurant located at 687 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA. We've been proudly serving the Greater Boston area for over 30 years.
10 Best Office Caterers in Boston: Who to Call for Your Next Corporate Lunch
From large-scale corporate events to weekly office lunches, these are the 10 best office caterers in Boston — and what makes each one worth knowing about.
Finding a reliable office caterer in Boston isn't hard. Finding one that consistently delivers on quality, shows up on time, and doesn't require three follow-up emails just to confirm an order — that's the real challenge. Whether you're feeding 15 people for a lunch meeting or 200 for an all-hands event, here are ten of the best corporate caterers in the Boston area worth knowing about.
1. Metro Catering
One of the most trusted names in Boston corporate catering, Metro has been serving the city's offices for over 30 years with a reputation for reliability and scale.
- ✅ Serves government agencies, nonprofits, and private sector companies
- ✅ Handles groups from small meetings to 500+ person luncheons
- ✅ Delivery and pickup available; individually wrapped options on request
- ✅ Known for accommodating last-minute orders
2. Milk Street Cafe
A Boston institution since 1981, Milk Street brings four decades of scratch-made cooking to corporate catering across the city.
- ✅ Everything made from scratch in-house daily
- ✅ Wide range of dietary restrictions accommodated
- ✅ Loyalty program with perks including Celtics tickets and hotel stays
- ✅ Unsold food donated to local food bank at end of each day
- ✅ Menus span from morning pastry spreads to full lunch buffets
3. Rebecca's Culinary Group
Recognized by the Boston Business Journal as the largest caterer in Massachusetts, Rebecca's is built for corporate clients who need scale and reliability.
- ✅ Serves Boston, Cambridge, and Longwood
- ✅ Same-day delivery windows available
- ✅ Customizable menus for any dietary need or event type
- ✅ Handles breakfast, boxed lunches, hot entrees, and holiday events
- ✅ Streamlined ordering process designed for corporate environments
4. Basil Tree Catering
Cambridge-based and woman-owned, Basil Tree is the go-to for offices that care about sustainability without sacrificing quality.
- ✅ Compostable, clearly labeled packaging on all boxed lunches
- ✅ Rotating menu keeps repeat orders fresh
- ✅ Highly responsive team from inquiry through day-of delivery
- ✅ Trusted by MIT Sloan, Foundation Medicine, and dozens of Boston institutions
- ✅ LGBTQIA+ owned and committed to local sourcing
5. Boston Catering & Events
With 35 years in the business, Boston Catering & Events is a dependable partner for both recurring office lunches and full-service corporate events.
- ✅ Globally trained culinary team with varied, creative menus
- ✅ Handles everything from all-hands lunches to holiday parties
- ✅ Known for punctuality and easy communication
- ✅ Strong track record with regular, ongoing corporate accounts
6. Above and Beyond Catering
For corporate events that need to make an impression, Above and Beyond brings creativity and full event support alongside the food.
- ✅ 25+ years of award-winning catering in Greater Boston
- ✅ Fresh, seasonal menus updated regularly
- ✅ Hands-on event planning support included
- ✅ Preferred vendor at several of Boston's top event venues
- ✅ Best suited for client dinners, team celebrations, and office holiday parties
7. Cafe Luna Catering (formerly Jules Catering)
Operating since 1987 from a 12,000-square-foot commissary on the Somerville/Cambridge line, Cafe Luna is a precision-focused partner for institutional and corporate clients.
- ✅ Nearly 40 years serving Boston-area law firms, universities, and pharma companies
- ✅ Well-trained, professionally attired staff
- ✅ Full range from boxed lunches to conference buffets to corporate dinners
- ✅ Long-term employee retention reflects consistent quality standards
8. Viga Italian Eatery & Caterer
A downtown Boston fixture since 1999, Viga is the reliable choice for offices in the Financial District and Back Bay looking for fresh, affordable Italian-focused catering.
- ✅ Multiple locations across downtown Boston
- ✅ Italian-focused menu: pasta, calzones, sandwiches, salads, daily specials
- ✅ Made fresh daily from local and seasonal ingredients
- ✅ Competitive pricing for the quality delivered
- ✅ Handles both small team lunches and large corporate events
9. The Catered Affair
For high-stakes corporate events at premium venues, The Catered Affair is one of the most acclaimed full-service operations in New England.
- ✅ Nationally recognized for culinary creativity and presentation
- ✅ Deep experience at Boston's top institutional and corporate venues
- ✅ Full-service event management — not just drop-off catering
- ✅ Ideal for client galas, executive dinners, and large-scale conferences
10. ANI Catering & Cafe — Belmont, MA
For offices that want something beyond the standard sandwich rotation, ANI brings 30+ years of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern catering to the Boston corporate market.
- ✅ Chicken shawarma platters, falafel, hummus, kabobs, and fresh salads
- ✅ Food travels well and is easy to eat in a conference room setting
- ✅ Generous portions, fresh ingredients, family-run with 30+ years of experience
- ✅ Customized quotes for groups of any size
- ✅ Serves offices across the Greater Boston metro area
Open Monday through Saturday, 11am to 8pm.
👉 Request a corporate catering quote at anicateringandcafe.com
Full disclosure: ANI Catering & Cafe is our family's business and we're proud to be part of Boston's catering community. The other nine companies on this list are included on their own merits — they represent some of the best and most established corporate caterers in the city.
Whether you're feeding a team of 10 or an office of 300, Boston has no shortage of excellent catering options. The key is finding one that matches your budget, your food culture, and your operational needs — and then sticking with them long enough to build a real working relationship.