Bespoke Solutions
Tailored to You

From conceptualization to execution, our comprehensive suite of services is designed to meet your every need. Whether you require full-service event planning or day-of coordination, our team is dedicated to delivering excellence at every turn. Discover how we can turn your event dreams into reality.

catering

event planning & design

event planning
& design

Catering isn’t just about food—it’s about crafting culinary experiences that delight the senses, elevate the spirit, and leave a lasting impression. Our team of culinary artisans meticulously curates menus tailored to your unique vision and preferences, ensuring every bite tells a story and every moment is savored with delight.

From intimate gatherings to grand galas, trust us to bring your culinary vision to life with unwavering dedication to perfection and a commitment to excellence that surpasses expectations. Experience the extraordinary with A Fare Extraordinaire catering—where every dish is a masterpiece and every event is unforgettable.

Event planning and design are our passion. We’re dedicated to turning your vision into reality, creating moments that are uniquely yours and leave a lasting impression. Our team of experienced planners and designers work closely with you to ensure every detail reflects your style, personality, and preferences. Whether it’s a grand celebration or an intimate gathering, we’re here to orchestrate every aspect with care and creativity.

With A Fare Extraordinaire, your event will be unforgettable, reflecting our commitment to excellence and attention to detail. Let us help you craft moments that you and your guests will cherish forever.

Elevate Your Experience

Beauty is in the eye of the party thrower! We can bring your vision to life with our event design services. Beyond the party provisions, we coordinate the design details, including décor, entertainment, audio/visual, transportation, and more. Our meticulous proposals and timelines capture every element, so we can be your one-stop shop for all things celebration!

menu design

planner
collaboration

venue
Sourcing

beverage
services

service
staff

rentals

entertainment

PHOTOGRAPHY

floral

graphic
Design

transportation

branding

favors

tenting

lighting & a/v

custom
layouts

menu design

custom event
decor

FAQ

The questions that matter, answered.

Founded in 1985 by Karen Lerner, A Fare Extraordinaire is a full-service catering and event planning company based in Houston, Texas. We design custom menus, provide beverages and TABC-certified bartenders, service staff, and catering rentals. Beyond that, we can coordinate event design, lighting and A/V, tenting, transportation, entertainment, security, and more depending on your event.

Our planning and coordination are included with our full-service catering, which means every detail is thoughtfully considered and executed. In other words, we handle the logistics so you can actually enjoy your own event as a guest.

Yes, AFE is and has always been a woman-owned business. Founded in 1985 by Karen Lerner and now owned by Karen’s former business partner and co-owner, Rachael Volz, AFE continues to be led by tenacious, creative, and ambitious women (and a few good men!).

Our tenure in Houston, combined with a highly dedicated and creative team, sets us apart. We pride ourselves on going above and beyond for our clients, vendors, and employees.

We care deeply about both the big picture and the smallest details, and we are known for being flexible, collaborative, and solution-oriented. When something unexpected comes up, and it always does, we handle it so you do not have to.

AFE caters a wide range of corporate, social, and non-profit events in Houston and beyond. From milestone celebrations and holiday parties to weddings, galas, mitzvahs, and grand openings, we would love to be part of whatever you are planning.

AFE can accommodate events for as few as 2 guests (yes, really!) to 10,000+. Final guest counts are typically due 1 week before the event date.

AFE works at over 40 venues in the Houston area and beyond – check them out on our venue page. We can also work at corporate offices, private residences, or anywhere else that allows outside catering.

AFE regularly works just outside of the Houston area in places like Round Top, Brenham, and beyond. We also have traveled to other major cities in Texas, like Austin and Dallas. We have even traveled as far as New York, New York.

The Revaire is A Fare Extraordinaire’s sister company and exclusive venue. Located in central Houston, it is a 24,000 sq. ft. event space within Creative Square, a 58,000 sq. ft. building that also houses AFE’s offices, catering kitchen, and warehouse.

Both AFE and The Revaire are owned and operated by Rachael Volz. While each company has its own planning team, we work closely together. If you are exploring The Revaire along with other venues, you will collaborate with both teams until you land on the perfect setting.

We can absolutely plan a shorter timeline, but a little breathing room goes a long way. For less logistically complex events, we recommend at least three weeks. Corporate events are ideally booked about six weeks or further out, and weddings and galas typically fall between six months and one year in advance.

For peak spring and fall seasons, securing your date earlier is always better, think nine months to a year. That said, if your event is coming up quickly, it is still worth reaching out – we can make magic happen!

Firstly, please inquire about our services by filling out our event inquiry form online here, emailing eventinfo@afehouston.com, or calling our office at 713.527.8288. An event producer will then give you a general estimate for our basic services of a custom menu, beverages, service staff, and catering rentals.

Once that is approved, we create a detailed proposal that includes all services and pricing. When you are ready to move forward, a signed contract and retainer secure your date. From there, we continue planning with site visits, additional quotes for other services, and tastings if required until everything is finalized.

For an occasion as momentous as a wedding, AFE requests to partner with a wedding planner or day-of coordinator so we can focus on event execution while an independent planner focuses on the multitude of other details for the big day. If you don’t currently have a planner, we would be happy to provide referrals for planners we have partnered with in the past.

Yes, each event’s menu is thoughtfully curated by our talented team of event producers and chefs to fit your exact culinary needs. Dietary restrictions, theme, season, event location, formality, and more are taken into consideration while creating the menu. The process continues through revisions until it is perfected for your occasion.

AFE offers a wide variety of menu items inspired by different cuisines from around the world. If you are interested in a specific cuisine, please chat further with your event producer. We can’t promise grandma’s traditional specialties, but can absolutely offer crowd-pleasing favorites inspired by your favorite cuisine.

With more than 2,000 items in our repertoire, we are sure we can build a menu that is perfect for your occasion. Our executive chef and his talented team can also create fully custom menus or menu items based around your exact specifications.

It starts with a conversation. You share your vision, preferences, dietary needs, and any ideas you have in mind, and our team gets to work coordinating with our chefs to craft a menu that fits. From there, we will present a proposal and continue refining it together until we have perfected our offerings for the occasion.

As a full-service, custom catering company, we build every proposal from scratch so that each dish is thoughtfully chosen to complement your event’s vision. While we don’t offer set menus, we are happy to share crowd favorites and suggestions until you are happy with the final proposal.

We offer a range of service styles, including passed and placed appetizers, stations, buffets, and seated dinners.

We also select the appropriate equipment and presentation style based on your menu, event flow, and overall design so everything looks as good as it tastes.

Yes, we offer tastings for confirmed events depending on the scope and scale of the event. Once we have gone through the menu design process together, we would welcome you to our in-house tasting kitchen, providing a personalized and immersive preview of your event menu.

Yes. We provide TABC-certified bartenders and offer custom beverage packages that can include liquor, wine, specialty cocktails, and more.

If you prefer to provide your own alcohol, we offer a per-person handling option that includes our TABC license, liability insurance, alcohol handling, standard garnishes, and plenty of ice.

Depending on the menu, cooking space, and power requirements, we will coordinate and bring our own equipment to properly hold, cook, and serve the food.

We provide all essential catering equipment, including china, flatware, and glassware, for every event. Back-of-house kitchen equipment is carefully determined based on your specific menu and venue requirements. Because no two events are alike, our team thoughtfully curates every detail to ensure our chefs have exactly what they need to execute your event seamlessly.

As a full-service catering company, we staff each event with our experienced AFE team and chefs to ensure the high level of service and consistency we’re known for. While our AFE team is required for each event, we’re always happy to explore ways to incorporate members of your personal team into your guest’s experience.

As A Fare Extraordinaire is a full-service catering company, we do not offer drop-offs. Our standard of service always includes dedicated staffing for the duration of your event. Our team handles everything, from setup to service to clean up, so that you can be fully present and enjoy the occasion.

“We absolutely love AFE! They catered both our engagement party and our wedding (and have catered a number of events for my parents) and the food is always incomparable. It’s like getting high-quality, incredibly delicious food from your favorite restaurant, but served to you at a party! All of our wedding guests RAVED about how good the food was. They were flexible and creative. AFE learned what our favorite foods were and then found ways to make them extra fun at the wedding. Excellent service, from the booking process to the whole wedding! We can not recommend AFE enough for catering any kind of event. And we can’t wait to book them again!

“AFE was perfect for the private catering event at our home. They did exactly what they said they would do, and made it so easy, enjoyable and seamless for us. Their priority is the customer, the food is delicious, the presentation gorgeous and the personal touches heart warming. They truly listen and care and I can’t recommend them enough. I would and will work with them again…and again.”

“The catering team was nothing short of outstanding. They showcased their expertise by delivering a truly unique and memorable experience for our clients. AFE has consistently proven their ability to elevate our events and provide a delightful culinary journey. The bar setup was executed seamlessly thanks to the exceptional care and precision demonstrated by the delivery team. They not only ensured the safe transportation of the bar but also took the extra effort to clean and polish it, ensuring it looked its best before the catering staff took charge. Every detail was handled with meticulous attention.”