1918 Catering Available

Brothers Jason Brown and Jamal Brown established 1918 Catering in Homewood around authentic family recipes developed in their Bessemer childhood home on street address 1918. Operating from their commercial kitchen and lunch venue at 197 Vulcan Road, the culinary team specializes in refined Southern comfort food, classic slow-smoked meats, and expansive event hospitality. The kitchen balances traditional pit barbecue and house-smoked chicken with reception fare, pairing slow-cooked proteins with scratch-made sides such as Alabama caviar, fried green tomatoes, and their signature warm spinach dip served with house-cut pita chips.

The company structures its catering offerings through clear per-person culinary tiers designed for specific event formats, ranging from daytime corporate luncheons to plated banquet dinners. Lighter reception menus focus on chilled displays, petit sandwiches, and chicken salad croissants, while heavier mid-day packages introduce multi-protein slider stations featuring grilled steak, smoked turkey, and pulled pork. For evening events and weddings, the culinary operation scales up to full hot-service dinners featuring spiced grilled chicken breast alongside roasted vegetables and potatoes, as well as live-action Gulf shrimp and beef sausage grits stations prepared with fresh garlic and seasoned butter.

Behind the culinary line, production follows disciplined food-safety and preparation standards shaped partly by Jamal’s professional background in nursing. Every bulk service order goes through strict holding-temperature controls, monitored smoking cycles for meats, and precise timing protocols to ensure hot items retain moisture and crisp elements remain textured upon arrival. Beyond traditional drop-off and chafing-dish delivery setups, the company operates a dedicated mobile food truck acquired with support from national sports broadcasters ESPN's Golic and Wingo, allowing the crew to execute fresh, on-site cooking for large outdoor gatherings, school events, and civic venues.

Clients planning events with 1918 Catering should submit guest counts, venue access parameters, and dietary preferences at least two to four weeks in advance of the event date. Peak spring and autumn wedding seasons, along with corporate holiday bookings in December, routinely see high volume, requiring earlier confirmation to secure staffing and kitchen capacity. Initial consultations involve reviewing menu tiers, selecting starch and vegetable accompaniments, and establishing whether the event requires simple drop-off staging, food truck service, or full-service buffet maintenance with staff breakdown.