Good to Know.

Our service has a base price of $60 per person with a $600 min spend. Children ages 5–12 are $30 each, and kids under 5 are free. Every food dollar counts toward the $600 minimum — appetizers, sides, and filet or lobster upgrades included — so a smaller group can simply add a few extras instead of paying the difference. The travel fee is always separate and is never covered by food credit. Suggested gratuity is 20% of the food and any upgrades or extra proteins — or 20% of the $600 food minimum, whichever is higher — a thank-you to your chef, always at your discretion — and not included in the $60 per-guest price. Our online estimators show it as a separate line so you can plan ahead. Travel fee: $1 per mile, one-way, per party — measured from whichever of our three bases is closest to you — our Stockton base in Northern California, our Southern California base, or our Nashville base in Tennessee. Cash, Zelle, Venmo, and credit card are accepted. We recommend cash: pay on party day at the base price with no added fee. Zelle, Venmo, and credit card are also accepted, adding 8.25%. Online payment must be completed 24 hours prior to the event — or pay by card on-site on party day (+8.25%). For worked examples by party size, see our hibachi catering prices guide.

No — never. There is no deposit and nothing to pay upfront. You pay after your party, once the show is over and everyone is fed. Cash is recommended (base price, no added fee); Zelle, Venmo, and card are also accepted (+8.25%, completed 24 hours before your event, or pay by card on-site).

Cancel or reschedule free of charge with at least 48 hours’ notice — just call or text us. Inside 48 hours, a $200 fee applies (it covers your chef’s reserved time and prep). We cook rain or shine under a covered area — and if severe weather makes outdoor cooking unsafe and no covered area is available, you can reschedule once free of charge, with no $200 fee. See our Refund Policy for full details.

Your chef typically arrives 10–20 minutes before your scheduled start time and sets up the grill right away — we don't bring tables or chairs, so setup takes just a few minutes. Please have your tables, chairs, and tableware ready before we arrive.

About 90 minutes from the first flame to the last bite — dinner and live tableside entertainment, all at your table.

Your booking is confirmed the moment you submit it online — your date and time are locked in right away, and you get a confirmation email with your summary and final quote. We then text you to finalize the little details. No deposit, and nothing to wait for.

Yes — it's called Refer a Friend. Share your Terra Club member phone number with a friend: when they book their first party and mention your number, they get $50 off that first party. After their party is completed, you automatically earn a $50 reward toward the food at your next party — no codes or links to keep track of, it simply appears in your account. Terra Club is free to join — see our Terra Club page.

A few simple ones. Referrals are for new guests only, and a member earns one $50 reward per referred guest — it lands in their account when that guest's first party is completed. The reward comes off the food total at the member's next party and does not count toward Terra Club tier progress. The new guest's $50 first-party discount cannot be combined with other offers.

Terra Club is free, and you are enrolled automatically with your first party. Register on the Terra Club page with the phone number you use to book, and parties booked directly with us since Terra Club launched link to your account automatically and count toward your tier. Parties from before Terra Club launched don't count toward tier progress. Your account shows your current tier, lifetime food total, and party history. Food, upgrades, and sides count toward tier progress; tips and travel do not.

Every member starts as a Flame Member. At $1,000 in cumulative food spending, Silver Flame adds a complimentary appetizer platter (gyoza and edamame) at every party and priority booking on peak dates. At $2,500, Gold Flame adds free filet and lobster upgrades for two guests of honor. At $5,000, Black Gold adds one guest free at every party, first pick of holiday dates, and free extra noodles for the whole table. Benefits stack as you advance, tiers are based on lifetime spending, and tiers never move down.

You are welcome to join Terra Club — membership is free, and we would love to have you. Tier progress is based on the food spending from parties booked directly with Terra Hibachi, so a party booked through another company does not add tier progress. We still note that party on your account, and from your first party booked directly with us, your food spending counts toward your tier just like any other member.

Terra Club Partner is for people and businesses that regularly connect guests with private events: wedding and event planners, venues, vacation-rental and property-management teams, concierge services, real-estate professionals, community hosts, and local creators. When your clients or guests want a private chef, you can recommend Terra Hibachi’s fresh, live-cooking catering — backed by a 5.0-star rating across 178 Google reviews — and earn for every completed referred party.

Your partner phone number is the referral key. Ask the guest to mention it when they book; we record it with the booking, and the party appears in your partner dashboard. Once that party is completed, a $50 referral payment is recorded for you. You earn $50 for each completed party referred with your number — no referral codes to manage and no invoice to send us.

We pay after the referred party is completed. The $50 is sent to the payout method saved in your partner account — Zelle by default, with Venmo also available — and the referral is then marked Paid in your dashboard with the payment date. Once your partner payments reach $600 in a calendar year, we will ask you to complete a W-9 and will issue Form 1099 as required.

Sign in to your Terra Club Partner dashboard anytime to see every party referred with your number, which parties are completed, how much you have earned, and which payouts are pending or paid, including each paid date. No spreadsheets and no need to chase us for updates — your money is always visible.

Call or text Terra Hibachi at (916) 215-3691 and tell us you would like to become a partner. We create the account for you — there is no self-service sign-up. We will provide a one-time setup link so you can set your own password; our team never sees your password. After that, sign in with your phone number and share that number with the guests you refer.

Joining is free, and no long-term contract is required. The program is non-exclusive: you are free to recommend other caterers, and you can ask us to close your partner account at any time.

Yes. Terra Hibachi is a registered business (Fictitious Business Name No. FBNF2026-07568, Sacramento County) — you are booking a real, professional company, not a side gig.

We bring the chef, the grill, the ingredients, the sake, and the show — you handle tables, chairs, and tableware.

Why? Picture your chef showing up late, drenched in sweat from hauling furniture in the summer heat… then cooking your dinner. On busy weekends our chefs cook several parties back to back — furniture runs would make every party start late, including yours.

We keep it simple so your chef arrives on time, fresh, and ready to perform. Most hosts already have what they need — a patio set, folding chairs — and if you need extras, we'll point you to an affordable local rental shop. See @terrahibachi on Instagram for setup inspiration from real parties.

We only cook on outdoor premises — terraces, balconies, patios, and under awnings. You can set your party up inside; the chef will cook outside.

Our food is cooked fresh on a shared teppanyaki grill that regularly handles shellfish, soy, wheat/gluten, egg, and sesame, so we can’t guarantee zero cross-contact. Please tell us about any food allergies when booking and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Yes, we have served many gluten-free guests. We ask that you bring your favorite gluten-free soy sauce and teriyaki sauce so the chef can cook your portion separately.

We offer tofu for vegetarian and vegan guests — the price per person does not change. We supplement their dishes with extra veggies and salad.

For food safety and pricing reasons, we do not cook outside protein or food at this time.

Book anytime on our website — www.terrahibachi.com — or call/text us at (916) 215-3691. For parties of 30+ guests, please book two reservations for the same date and time so we can send two chefs — at no extra charge. It is still one party and one total: the two bookings simply let us schedule two chefs, and you will never be charged two minimums or two travel fees.

Yes — our Hibachi Buffet is built for groups of 40 or more. It is not delivered catering: your chef cooks live on-site at your venue and serves the food buffet-style, replenishing the table fresh off the grill, so every guest eats together instead of in seatings. Same menu as our live show — 2 proteins per guest plus salad, fried rice, and vegetables.

Buffet pricing is by group size: 40–59 paying guests $55 per guest, 60–99 $50, and 100 or more $45. Kids ages 5–12 are $30 and count toward your group size for the tier; kids under 5 are free. Filet mignon (+$5) and lobster (+$10) upgrades and our regular sides are available too, and travel is the usual $1 per mile, one-way. No deposit — pay cash after your event, or pay online up to 24 hours before.

Buffet events carry one simple 18% service charge, calculated on the food only (the travel fee is never included). The full service charge goes to your chef team, so no additional gratuity is expected — it replaces the suggested 20% gratuity that applies to our live-show parties.