Summer BBQ Catering for Offices: What Works in a Midtown Conference Room

The team wants a summer BBQ. But the office is on the 25th floor of a Midtown tower — no rooftop, no backyard, no open flames allowed. As the person responsible for catering, what do you order, and when?

Metro’s Summer BBQ menu launched May 18 and runs through September 11. This post walks through the three formats Metro offers, when each one fits, and how to plan around the two summer long weekends worth booking ahead for — Independence Day and Labor Day.

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By the end you’ll know which Summer BBQ format fits the event you’re planning, what to add when the office doesn’t permit open flames, and when to book for the July and September windows.

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1. The All American buffet — for the team that wants everything

The All American BBQ is Metro’s everything-buffet — five proteins (beef burgers, turkey burgers, veggie burgers, chicken tenders, beef hot dogs) on brioche buns, with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, warm sauerkraut, ranch potato salad, waffle fries, and the full sauce lineup (ketchup, Metro’s secret sauce, honey mustard, BBQ). $39.95 per guest, 15-guest minimum.

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This is the pick for the team of 15 or more with mixed preferences, when you want everyone to find something on the buffet and the event is a defined lunch hour. The same setup works whether you’re feeding 20 or 60.

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If your conference room doesn’t allow open flames, add Flameless Setup ($15 per setup, 4-setup minimum). Wire rack, water pan, plastic insert, two flameless heat units — keeps hot items hot through service without a chafing-dish flame.

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2. A focused buffet — for when one main is enough

For groups of 10 or more, build the buffet around one main. This is the pick when the team has a clear favorite, when buffet space is tight, or when you want to keep per-head cost down. Six options:

• Build Your Own Burger ($29.95 per guest, 10-guest min) — beef, turkey, and veggie patties, brioche buns, toppings, Caesar potato salad, waffle fries
• Slider Bar ($21.95 per guest, 10-guest min — the lowest per-head on the menu) — beef, turkey, and Impossible Meat sliders, toppings, chipotle potato salad, waffle fries
• Build Your Own Hot Dogs ($23.95 per guest, 10-guest min) — jumbo all-beef hot dogs, sauerkraut, sweet relish, cooked onions, chipotle potato salad, waffle fries
• BBQ Ribs ($24.95 per guest, 10-guest min) — choice of four styles (St. Louis, Hawaiian Pineapple, Memphis dry rub, Pasilla Chile) with creamy coleslaw and sweet rolls
• Jumbo Chicken Tenders ($27.95 per guest, 10-guest min) — hand-battered tenders, Tex-Mex macaroni salad, waffle fries, full sauce lineup
• Chicken Wings ($80 per 20 pieces) — seven sauce styles, bone-in or boneless. Works as a standalone for small groups or as an add-on for larger ones

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The focused buffet costs less per head than the All American, takes less buffet table space, and moves the line faster.

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3. A sliders or bites display — for happy hour and team celebrations

When the event is a happy hour, an end-of-quarter celebration, or any standing event where people mingle with a drink in one hand and a slider in the other, switch from buffet to displays. Three options:

• Summer Sliders ($299.95 per display) — Carolina BBQ pulled pork with slaw, hot honey fried chicken with pickle, hamburger with maple-glazed bacon and gorgonzola, and a vegetarian balsamic baby bello with red pepper and herbed goat cheese
• Americana ($349.95 per display) — Metro cheeseburger sliders, mac & cheese bites, buttermilk fried chicken skewers, BBQ short-rib cornbread bites
• Veggie Americana ($329.95 per display) — baked falafel sliders with lemon tahini, mac & cheese bites, BBQ beef-less short-rib cornbread bites, buttermilk fried cauliflower bites

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For an upscale presentation — porcelain platters, handcrafted wood trays, stainless chafing dishes with black linens — add the Executive Presentation service at $4 per guest. Worth it for client-facing celebrations or any event where the food is part of the impression.

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Plan around the summer’s long weekends

The Summer BBQ menu opens for Memorial Day weekend and runs through September 11 — Memorial Day to Labor Day, with Independence Day in the middle. Two booking moments worth planning around:

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Independence Day (Saturday, July 4) — since July 4 falls on a Saturday, the federal observance is Friday July 3, and many offices follow that calendar. The pre-holiday in-office window is Wednesday or Thursday (July 1 or 2). With PTO around the long weekend, in-office groups are smaller — the focused buffet matches the headcount. Lock orders by mid-June.

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Labor Day (Monday, September 7) — season closer. Friday September 4 fits an end-of-summer send-off; Tuesday September 8 fits a back-to-it team kickoff. A displays format works for a happy hour; a buffet works for a sit-down lunch. Lock orders by late August.

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Booking summer BBQ with Metro

Metro Catering has been running workplace dining and corporate events for Midtown offices since 1981. The kitchen at 21 W 38th St means single-digit minutes across the neighborhood — not delivery from a hub outside Manhattan.

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To book a Summer BBQ this month, see the Summer BBQ menu and place the order at least one business day in advance. For July 4, the booking window is mid-June. For Labor Day, late August. The menu closes September 11.