Tue–Fri 6:30am–2:30pm Sun 11:00am–3:00pm Mon & Sat Closed
Silver Sands Cafe — Just Like Mama Used To Make, Nashville TN
Simple. Savory. Sensational.

Catering

We are honored to be considered for your catering needs. Whatever the special occasion may be, food will be the least of your worries yet a major crowd pleaser.

How it works

Anything on our menu, in quantity

All items from our menu can be prepared in larger quantities and ready for pick up per arrangements. A deposit is required (at least half of total) at least 2 days prior to pick up to proceed with order.

That is the whole system, and it is deliberately simple. There is no separate catering menu with different recipes — you are getting the same pork chops, greens, mac & cheese and cobbler that come off the line every day, cooked in pans instead of plated. Orders can be customized to accommodate your special event.

We cater church functions, office lunches, family reunions, graduations, birthdays, repasts and funerals. Some customers order the same thing every year for twenty years. Others ring up wanting to feed forty people on Friday and are not sure where to start — that is fine too, just call and we will work it out.

Terms

What we need from you

Three days’ notice

All orders should be placed at least three days in advance. More notice is always better, particularly around holidays.

Half down

A 50% deposit is required at least two days prior to pick up. The balance is due when you collect.

Cash and cards

We accept cash and cards only. No checks, please. No refunds once an order is in the kitchen.

Pick up

Catering orders are prepared for collection at 937 Locklayer Street at an agreed time. We do not run a delivery service.

Sales tax of 9.25% applies to catering orders and is calculated on the subtotal before your deposit is deducted.

What to order

Building a menu for a crowd

If you are not sure how to put an order together, this is the shape most customers land on. Everything below comes straight off our regular menu.

Meats that travel well

Baked chicken, BBQ chicken, meat loaf, turkey & dressing, baked ribs, beef tips and smothered pork chops all hold heat and reheat cleanly. Fried chicken is enormously popular but is at its best within the first hour, so time your collection accordingly.

Sides that feed the most people

Mac & cheese, green beans, greens, mashed potatoes, cabbage, corn, candied sweet potatoes and pinto beans are the workhorses. Two or three sides per meat is the usual ratio. Potato salad and cole slaw are the cold options.

Bread and dessert

Hot water cornbread, flat buttermilk cornbread and rolls are all available by the quantity. For dessert, peach cobbler and banana pudding are the two that disappear fastest, with cakes and chess squares close behind.

A rough guide to quantity

For a mixed adult crowd, plan on one main meat portion per person plus about a third extra, and two to three sides. If you tell us the headcount and the occasion when you call, we will size the pans for you — we have been doing it for a long time and we would rather you did not over-order.

Good to know

Catering questions

How far in advance should I book?

Three days is the minimum for any catering order. For Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, book several weeks out — holiday slots fill quickly and we cap how many we take so that quality holds.

Do you deliver or set up on site?

Catering orders are prepared for pick up at the restaurant. We are a small kitchen and everyone on staff is needed on the line, so we do not run delivery or on-site service. Orders are packed so they travel and hold heat as well as possible.

Can you work to a budget?

Yes, and we would rather you told us the number up front. The order form asks for a budget for exactly this reason. Tell us what you can spend and how many people you need to feed, and we will build something that works.

What if I need to cancel or change the order?

Call as early as you can and we will do what we reasonably can to help. Once ingredients are bought and cooking has started, no refunds are available — which is why we ask for the deposit two days out rather than on the day.

Can you accommodate dietary requirements?

We can put together a vegetable-heavy order, but be aware that several traditional sides are seasoned with smoked pork. Tell us what you need when you call and we will be straight with you about what is and is not possible from this kitchen.

Do you cater repasts and funerals?

Regularly, and we understand these come with little notice. Call and say what it is for — we will move as fast as the kitchen allows.

Let’s get your order started

Call with your date and headcount, or send the order form through and we will come back to you.

Be in the know

Join the Silver Sands Cafe mailing list for daily specials, holiday catering dates, and news from the line.