Graduation Party Catering Places in Metro Detroit and Ann Arbor

From intimate get-togethers to extravagant graduation celebrations, one of these graduation party catering places in Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties will help.

Planning a graduation party can sometimes be more challenging than getting your kid to the point of graduation.

Between finding the food, the venue, the decorations and getting out those invitations, pre-party life can get pretty stressful.

That’s why we here at Metro Parent put together a list of graduation party catering companies in Michigan’s metro Detroit region and beyond that can help keep you out of the kitchen and with your grad on their big day.

Whether you’re looking for a barbecue-style cookout or a taco bar, these spots can help you with your graduation party catering needs.

And if you know of any other top-notch graduation park catering places, tell us about them in the comments.

Alia’s Catering

  • Address: 27167 Greenfield Road, Southfield
  • Phone: 248-559-8222
  • Costs: Buffet bars: Range $7.50-$9.95/person; Build your own: deli selections: $4.95-plus/person.

Alia’s specializes in traditional American and Mediterranean food. Choose from a variety of buffet-style menus (a taco bar, Coney bar and burger bar are among the options!) or build your own. Prices are modest and start around $5 per person per entrée and go up from there based on selection. Add sides, too.

Catering 2 You

  • Address: 40080 Hayes Road, Clinton Township
  • Phone: 586-226-4310
  • Costs: Starts around $10/person and goes up based on selection.

Choose from barbecue, taco bar, pasta bar, buffets – you name it! One of their most popular picks for the buffet? Chicken Piccata. Browse the menu options online.

Chicken Shack

  • Locations in Brownstown, Clarkston, Clawson, Clinton Township, Detroit, Grosse Pointe Woods, Lincoln Park, Livonia, Macomb Township, New Baltimore, Riverview, Rochester, Royal Oak (2 locations), Shelby Township, Southfield, St. Clair Shores, Sterling Heights, Warren (2 locations) and Westland.
  • Costs: party of 25: $145.45; party of 50: $290.90; party for 75: $436.35; party for 100: $581.80.

Looking for some delicious chicken or seafood food for your shindig? Chicken Shack, celebrating 63 years in 2019, has built up a national franchise known for great chicken. Choose from shack original or premium grilled chicken, ribs and sides to create the menu best for your needs, or choose from one of the party packs, priced at $6 per person.

Classic Catering of the Shores

  • Address: Located inside the St. Aiden Activity Center, 17500 Farmington Road, Livonia
  • Phone: 586-596-7002
  • Costs: Appetizers start at $2.50/person; luncheon buffet: $11.95/person; classic dinner buffet: $19.95/person.

Classic Catering offers to customize the service and menu to fit your party and expectations. Buffet-style catering cuts the need to order (and pay for) individual plates for each guest, and the catering company offers to deliver, for $25 extra, and set up your food before the event.

Crank’s Catering

  • Address: 46915 Hayes Road, Shelby Township
  • Phone: 586-247-3800
  • Costs: Four barbecue packages from $8.95-$19.95/person. Other options too.

Planning a party can be hard. Take away some of the stress by hooking up with the largest off-site catering company in the country. Whether your grad is planning a picnic in the park or a black tie affair, one of Crank’s professional party planners can you help prepare – and not just with the food. Their planners can also help with tent, table, chair, moonwalks and DJ rentals.

Dino’s Ferndale

  • Address: 22740 Woodward Ave., Ferndale
  • Phone: 313-300-7948
  • Costs: full catering menu available upon request.

Planning an outdoor extravaganza for your grad, but looking for more than chicken and burgers? Dino’s in Ferndale may have what you’re looking for. Of course they have the standard baked beans, burgers and chicken, but they also offer kabobs, sliders, pasta and award-winning mac ‘n cheese.

Edwards Cafe and Caterer

  • Address: 115 E. Main St., Northville
  • Phone: 248-344-1550
  • Costs: appetizers: $15-plus/dozen, $60-plus/platter, build your own meal: $14-$22/person, $40-$170/dinner pans.

Whether you want a hand in every aspect of your catering experience or want to sit back and let the work be done for you, Edwards Cafe and Catering has you covered. Edwards offers two options to get your catering done: The do-it-yourself option allows you to just fill in the menu – or simply provides you food – while the staff-does-it-for-you option allows you to kick off your shoes and enjoy the event.

Edwards will do as little or as much as you want them to do. Food delivery and pick-up, buffet staff, bartenders and even on-site chefs are all options when you cater with Edwards.

Elite Catering

  • Address: 33610 W. Seven Mile Road, Livonia
  • Phone: 248-476-3080
  • Costs: Buffet: $12.95-$18.95/person, specialty bars: $9.95-$10.95/person, family-style dinners: $40-plus/person, barbecue: $11.95-$15.50/person.

As the name may suggest, Elite Catering is great at what they do. Chef Craig Brown started catering events while he was still in culinary school at Schoolcraft College in Livonia. Menus from Elite can be customized to fit your specific needs and a full-service catering staff can be hired to keep your hands free on the big day. Menu items range from simple sandwiches and salad to hors d’oeuvres, hot specialty bars and barbecue.

Famous Dave’s

  • Locations in Novi, Taylor, Roseville, Westland
  • Phone: 855-783-8646 (catering line)
  • Costs: vegetarian options: $9.99-plus/person; Piggy Party Pack (serves 8-10): $64.99; Just the Meat Please package (serves 8-10): $119.99; BBQ Blowout package (serves 18-20): $269.99.

Don’t let their barbecuing style fool you, Famous Dave’s food is just as good for an inside party as it is for an outdoor one. The finger-licking chicken and ribs will satisfy the carnivores at the party and sides like coleslaw, baked beans and bread will keep your guests full for hours. Plus, they offer vegetarian options. Pick-up, full-service and delivery and set-up options are available.

Frank n Dean’s Catering

  • Address: 600 Will Carleton Road, Carleton
  • Phone: 734-341-9313
  • Costs: $12-$18.50/person based on package.

Named after himself, his wife and their love for Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Chef Stan has made Frank n Dean’s Catering a true family business. For more than 20 years, Frank n Dean’s has brought everything from seasoned chicken and slow roasted pig to vegetarian burgers and chili to parties downriver. Chef Stan promises attention to detail and quality service to deliver a party to make both you and him proud. Note: They book up fast; call ASAP.

Hickory BBQ & Grill

  • Address: Based in Brighton and Ann Arbor
  • Phone: 734-658-5591
  • Costs: Full catering menu available upon request.

This local catering company specializes in delicious barbecue foods, including dry-rub spare ribs, slow-smoked pulled pork or beef brisket, barbecue– even vegetarian burgers and pasta. Don’t forget the tasty sides, including barbecue spicy baked beans (a vegetarian version available, too), potatoes and so much more.

Holiday Market

  • Address: 1203 S. Main St., Royal Oak
  • Phone: 248-543-4390
  • Costs: DIY celebration kit No. 1: $9.95/person; DIY celebration kit No. 2: $14.95/person; DIY celebration kit No. 3: $18.95/person.

What a better place to satisfy your party needs than from the people that satisfy your daily needs? Holiday Market is first and foremost a grocery store that also specializes in catering. The staff is guided by executive chef Shawn Mac and is as skilled at putting together lunches as they are dinner events. Choose from a multitude of party themes, as well as vegetarian and Kosher options.

J Baldwin’s

  • Address: 16981 18 Mile Road, Clinton Township
  • Phone: 586-416-3500
  • Costs: Gold Barbeque: $20/person; Platinum Barbeque: $22/person (buffet style).

J Baldwin’s Catering promises to be open to all of your party ideas and adapt to your needs the best they can to help you create a unique party. Their experienced event planners will plan every detail of your party – and the food is award winning. Looking for a place to host your grad’s party? They have a venue that can be rented and decorated for your party. Note: Decorations must be pre-approved by the catering manager.

Katherine’s Catering

  • Address: 359 Metty Drive, Suite 4, Ann Arbor
  • Phone: 734-930-4270
  • Costs: Full catering menu available upon request.

For more than 25 years, Katherine’s Catering has provided full-service catering for any event. They will help you with everything from food to venue options, set-up, teardown and much more. But their graduation celebration packages are only offered now through August. Email information@katherines.com or call with any questions.

Kristina’s Catering

  • Address: 46727 Van Dyke Road, Shelby Township
  • Phone: 586-634-8542
  • Costs: Full catering menu available upon request.

Want an extraordinary experience from your food this summer? Kristina’s Catering promises to deliver just that. Kristina learned to cook in her Nona’s (grandma’s) kitchen. She loved it and turned that love into a business. Chicken, barbecue, pastas and cooked vegetables are a few of her culinary masterpieces available for a catering order. Drop-off service and full-service catering available, as well as servers and staff.

Lafayette Market

  • Address: 154 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac
  • Phone: 248-392-2100 ext. 1
  • Costs: Full catering menu available upon request.

Lafayette Market caters everything from large events to intimate gatherings. The event coordinator works with you to create your perfect menu and they even offer alternative vegetarian options. Customize platters and more with this company.

Lazybones Smokehouse

  • Address: 27475 Groesbeck Highway, Roseville
  • Phone: 586-775-7427
  • Costs: Backyard Picnic Basket: $11-plus/person; Que Times Two Package: $15-plus/person; Three’s Company Package: $17-plus/person; Pig Roast Full Service (100-person minimum): $13/person.

If your grad is a carnivore, Lazybones Smokehouse might be the caterer for you. All of the food from Lazybones is made fresh and never reheated. They pride themselves on creating a backyard barbecue experience at your event. Fruit, veggie and cheese trays are offered outside of the party packages at additional charges.

Rudy’s Market

  • Address: 9 S. Main St., Clarkston
  • Phone: 248-625-3033
  • Costs: Fresh fruit tray: $40/small, $65/medium, $90/large; vegetable tray: $40/small, $65/medium, $90/large; grilled sandwich platter: $7.99/person; deluxe roll up platter: $10.99/person. Full dinners, too.

Rudy’s Market has more than 50 years experience in the food and catering business and their no-nonsense menu reflects it. Chefs work daily to bring great tasting food to corporate events, graduation parties, weddings and school functions. No matter the size of the event, Rudy’s is prepared to bring their best service.

Soprano’s Catering

  • Address: 29730 Groesbeck Highway, Roseville
  • Phone: 586-772-1000
  • Costs: Build your own buffet: $11.29-$13.29/person, custom barbecues: $10.99-$15.99/person, pan food: $60-$225/pan.

For three generations, the Spagnuolo family has prided themselves on delivering the best possible food with Soprano’s Catering. Produce used is hand picked from Eastern Market, salad dressings are made fresh and all bread is made from scratch. You won’t get any heat-and-serve-food from these guys.

Thomas’s Catering

  • Address: 6371 Commerce Drive, Westland
  • Phone: 734-228-4612
  • Costs: the valedictorian BBQ package: $14/person, cum laude honors package: $13/person, the graduate package: $12/person.

For your graduation party, are you planning a huge formal dinner, a lunch or maybe a big old-fashioned picnic? If you know what your theme is or even if you don’t, the staff at Thomas’s Catering can help. They will help plan a theme, choose the menu, select a date and share money saving tips so that your budget goes farther. Thomas’s offers party rental packages that include tents, tables and chairs – and will handle the set-up and tear down for an additional charge – so that you can truly kick back and enjoy your grad’s big day.

TV’s Deli and Diner

  • Address: 2441 Fort St., Trenton
  • Phone: 734-671-9005
  • Costs: $55-$75/fruit platter, $55-$75/vegetable platter, $65/buffalo wings (50-60 wings), $65/meatballs, $80/lasagna tray, $750/slow roasted pig (feeds 100).

In 1995, Tracey Wipp and Victor Stroia, the T and V behind TV’s, set out to find good food from scratch near their home – a search that led to the opening of TV’s. Today, the deli and diner has gained a reputation for serving up fresh, unique foods and great demand for its catering business. Stroia has put together catering meals that can include everything from a simple cheese tray to a Hawaiian-style pig roast to an elegant dinner and everything in between and, for an additional minimum charge of $25, will even drop off and set up for you!

Vassel’s Main Street Catering

  • Address: 44944 Ford St., Canton
  • Phone: 734-453-1400
  • Costs: Full catering menu available upon request.

If you want to take your graduation party to the next level, order a themed buffet or one of their many sides and health conscious options. Vassel’s promises to keep your food fresh and flowing to all your guests during your big day.

Zingerman’s Catering

  • Address: 422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor
  • Phone: 734-663-3400
  • Costs: complete graduation party-to-go: $25/person, grillin’ for the grad: $29/person, complete classic deli tray: $80-$535 (without dessert), graduate’s feast: $75-$545.

The people at Zingerman’s Catering are all about excellent customer service and they’ve written the book to prove it, literally. Since its opening in 1982, Zingerman’s has been catering to food lovers across the Midwest. Get a complete graduation party-to-go graduation package, which includes deli sandwiches, potato salad, fruit salad, a veggie tray, cookies and brownies and Coke products – and grillin’ for the grad gives you a choice of barbecue beef and chili lime chicken. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian options are available.

This post was originally published in 2015 and is updated regularly.

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