Holiday catering

Holiday parties that aren't a hotel buffet.

Office parties, donor dinners, family gatherings — November through January. We open the holiday calendar in August and most prime weekends are gone by October. Quote now, save the date.

Get a quote in 24 hours→See the recommended package FAQ

30 – 600

headcount we'll quote

6 – 16 weeks (book by August for December)

typical lead time

Pitmaster Spread

recommended package

24 hr

quote turnaround, weekdays

What you get

The dishes most-ordered for this kind of event.

Holiday parties typically land on the Pitmaster Spread for 30 – 150 guests, or the Full Smokehouse for 150+. Drop-off office parties under 80 fit BBQ Basics with a dessert add-on.

See the full menu→

Signature

The 14-Hour Brisket

$16

Post-oak smoked. Brioche, pickles, slaw, a stripe of Carolina Gold. The one we'd order.

Smoked Turkey

$14

Whole turkey breast, six hours over apple wood. Avocado, sprouts, dill mayo. The lighter sister to the brisket.

Signature

Burnt-End Mac

$15

Brisket burnt ends, scallion, pickled jalapeño, breadcrumb crust. The default.

Charred Brussels

$6 / $10

Sprouts hit hard on the flat-top, hot honey, lemon.

Smoked Beans

$4 / $7

Burnt ends + molasses + bourbon + black pepper.

Sweet Heat

$9 bottle

Tomato-based, brown sugar, smoked chipotle, lingering capsaicin. The crowd-pleaser.

Detail · 01

Why holiday season books so early.

The first Friday and Saturday in December are the two most-requested days on our calendar all year. They are usually gone by Labor Day. The full December calendar starts opening in August and is roughly 70% booked by the end of September. November (Thanksgiving-week corporate parties, post-Thanksgiving family gatherings) is lighter but still tight. January (post-holiday team kickoffs, dry-January-but-still-want-good-food office gatherings) opens up. If your holiday party has a fixed date, get the quote in by August and the deposit down by September. If your holiday party is flexible by a week, ask us for the open dates first — we can usually find you a Wednesday or Thursday in early December that's wide open and 10% cheaper than the Saturday.

Detail · 02

The holiday menu — what changes from the regular catering menu.

The holiday catering menu adds three rotating seasonal items that aren't on the regular catering deck: smoked turkey breast (six-hour apple-wood smoked, sliced thin, pan gravy on the side), charred Brussels with hot honey, and a smoked sweet potato hash with bourbon-pecan glaze. The brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and Carolina Gold are still there — most holiday parties pair brisket + smoked turkey as the two meats. Dessert station expands: peach cobbler stays, banana pudding stays, and we add bourbon pecan pie and a hot-spiced apple cider on the urn. The point is to feel like a holiday meal without being another bone-dry catered turkey nobody wants. Eve writes the seasonal menu in late August — we publish it on /catering by Labor Day every year.

Detail · 03

Office parties vs. donor dinners vs. family gatherings.

Office party: usually 40 – 200 people, drop-off or buffet at the office or a downtown brewery venue, Pitmaster Spread is the default, dessert station, beer and wine handled by the venue or by a bar service. Donor dinner: 50 – 150 people, plated or carved on-site at a more formal venue (Garden of the Gods Club, Cheyenne Mountain Resort), Full Smokehouse with on-site pitmaster, linens included. Family gathering: 30 – 80 people, drop-off at a home or a small venue, BBQ Basics with a holiday upgrade (turkey breast as the meat, charred Brussels added). The shape of the smoke and the sauce flight don't change between the three; the service style and the staffing footprint do. Quote captures which one you're running and we route the right package proposal back within 24 hours on weekdays.

Detail · 04

Multi-day events and overlapping schedules in December.

If your company does back-to-back holiday events — Friday office party, Saturday client dinner, Sunday family open-house — we can run the smoker through the whole weekend on one umbrella contract with a discount. Three events on one weekend, one coordinator on our side, one PO on yours. We've done this with several downtown firms and it's the most efficient way to feed three different audiences without paying setup-and-breakdown three times. Tell us at quote that it's a multi-day, and we'll model it as one contract with three service windows.

Pair with a brewery

Beer that fits the event.

Donor receptions and office parties at a brewery venue: Mash Mechanix downtown is our most-booked holiday partner. Their taproom seats 120, fireplace, and they will pour a custom seasonal beer for your event with 4 weeks notice.

See all brewery partners→

Recommended package

Pitmaster Spread — the holiday catering default.

Custom builds quoted line-by-line. The recommended package is the starting point — most clients adjust at the menu-lock conversation.

BBQ Basics

The classic spread. Office lunches, casual receptions, family reunions.

$14

per person · 20 minimum

One smoked meat (brisket, pulled pork, or chicken)
Two sides (mac, slaw, beans, cornbread, greens)
Brioche buns, pickles, three sauces
Disposable serving ware + utensils
Delivery within 30 mi of Colorado Springs

Start with this→

Recommended

Pitmaster Spread

The wedding default. Two meats, real sides, dessert included.

$22

per person · 30 minimum

Two smoked meats from a list of five
Three sides + cornbread + buns + pickles
Eve's sauce flight — all five sauces
Dessert: peach cobbler or banana pudding
Real serving platters + setup
Coordinator check-in 7 days before event

Start with this→

The Full Smokehouse

Show. Stop. Three meats, four sides, a pitmaster on-site running the line.

$32

per person · 50 minimum

Three smoked meats — whole brisket option
Four sides + cornbread + buns + pickles + slaw
Two desserts + late-night burnt-end taco bar
On-site pitmaster carving + replating
Linens, real platters, chafers, table runners
Dedicated coordinator + day-of point of contact

Start with this→

Step one

Tell us about your event.

Five questions, two minutes. We’ll come back within 24 hours with a real quote — not a brochure.

Get a quote→Browse the menu first

Before you ask

Holiday Party BBQ Catering FAQ.

When do I need to book by for an early-December party?

Quote in August, deposit down by mid-September for the first or second weekend in December. Later December (week of Christmas) is slightly more open — those still fill, but a month out is usually fine.

Do you offer a smoked-turkey-only Thanksgiving option for the office?

Yes — six-hour apple-wood smoked turkey breast, pan gravy, cornbread stuffing, smoked sweet potato hash, charred Brussels, cranberry-jalapeño relish. We run this Mon-Wed of Thanksgiving week as a drop-off only. Order by Nov 1.

Can you accommodate vegetarian and vegan guests at a holiday party?

Always — three vegetarian and three vegan plates labeled at the line on every package. The smoked tofu plate and the just-the-mac bowl are both holiday-friendly; the smoked mushroom and halloumi sandwich is a strong vegetarian centerpiece.

Do you do alcohol pairings for holiday parties?

We don't pour, but we'll send the rep contacts at Mash Mechanix, Urban Animal · Star Ranch, or Old Colorado City for beer kegs, and our cocktail-bar partner for spirits. They handle pour, we handle plate.

Can we add a late-night dessert bar to a 5p – 9p holiday dinner?

Yes — bourbon pecan pie + hot-spiced cider on the urn, set out around 8p. Adds about $4 / person; quote it line-by-line.

How does the 25% deposit refund work if our event gets snowed out?

Inside 14 days, deposit is non-refundable but applies to a future event within 12 months. Outside 14 days, refundable. Colorado weather: we've moved more than one December event to January with zero penalty — just call us.

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