Caribbean Caterers was on the approved vendor list at our daughter's bridal shower venue. From initial telephone consultation to finish, Gillian and her team were highly responsive and attentive to our family's requests. As suggested (and now I too recommend), our family attended a tasting before finalizing the menu selection; it allowed us to sample overlooked items. On the day of the shower the staff arrived on time, presenting appealing and hot food. The cuisine was perfectly seasoned, moist, and delicious. Moreover, the waitstaff could not have been more gracious and were very attentive to our guests. Our shower guests raved about the food. Our family highly recommends Carribean Caterers. read more

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I hired Caribbean Caterers to cater my 50th birthday party and they exceeded my expectations. They are thorough, professional and the food is fantastic! My guests are still talking about the lamb chops. 5 stars! read more

This company is a whole scam. They rush you to book, and do not follow through on customer service. The food is fine. Not ok, not good, fine. Edible. I didn't get any Caribbean flavors and again- the leadership was terrible. Don't book your event here. Literally anywhere else is better. read more

I hired Caribbean Caterers for a graduation party of approx. 60 people for my son. The owner and catering managers were very helpful with planning. I had butler service for the four appetizers and service for a full dinner. Everything was so absolutely delicious! Special shoutout to the Calypso Punch, ham croissants, jerk chicken, tilapia w/ mango salsa, and crab cakes! The serving staff could not have been any more accommodating and supportive! I was thrilled and my guests were raving! I would highly recommend and will certainly use again. read more

I attended a party catered by Caribbean caterers and both food and service were impeccable, Definitely keeping them in mind for my next party. read more

It was important for my wife and I to have a wedding ceremony and reception that reflected both of us, and Caribbean Caterers (CC) played a pivotal role in helping us achieve what we set out to do. From the first call we had with Gillian at CC in October 2019 through the last call announced at our reception in October 2020 (and beyond!), Gillian and CC were an absolute pleasure to work with. Gillian and the CC team were so professional and friendly throughout the entire process. When we first talked to Gillian about our vision, she provided insight and suggestions we had not considered or thought were 'on the table'. My family is from Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda and my wife's family is from Colombia, and CC were able to incorporate dishes and cocktails from both countries flawlessly. While the food and service were amazing, having a catering company that can also handle linens, table/chair rentals, and place settings was icing on the (wedding) cake! After COVID-19 hit, our plans fluctuated as we drew near to the wedding date. CC were flexible and patient as we sorted out venue and guest count changes. Thanks in part to CC, we didn't have to worry about anything but limin' on our wedding day! read more

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I attended my daughter wedding on October 8, 2023. During the reception I requested to have beef braised rib and it was dry, tough, and over cooked to the point in which I could not eat it. The food was not seasoned AT ALL and it was cold. The Caesar salad was dry with no salad dressing!! The food during cocktail hour was cold, rubbery and tasteless. I love shrimp and grits but this time it was the worst it was cold and stiff not creamy. The crab balls were mushy and the chicken skewers were rubbery. Everything was 5 stars except the catering. The catering received 1 star because of poor service. read more

My husband and I got married Oct 8, 2023. The most important aspect of our wedding that we emphasized was food. We were willing and able to pay the extra bucks as long as the food was right for our special day. We even went to other caterers and had tastings by which we weren't pleased with, until we came across Caribbean Caterers. The tasting was magnificent by which is what drew us in to immediately selecting them for our big day. They had a personal photographer/videographer, so they were able to share video footage of us tasting the food as a keepsake. Our venue actually only wanted their select few of caterers in their venue due to problems in the past. We went over and beyond and were able to talk the venue into allowing Caribbean Caterers. However, everything took a turn for the worse when the food at our wedding tasted nothing like the food from the tasting. The food lacked seasoning, taste, and flavor. It was bland. Our dinner menu was braised beef short rib, stuffed chicken, and salmon. The sides were sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese pie, and greens. The greens tasted like Glory greens from the can plopped on a plate. The sweet potatoes tasted like they were boiled and just smashed on a plate with no taste or flavor. The mac and cheese was dried out. There was a mixture of overcooked meats and undercooked meats for the reception and cocktail hour foods. The cocktail hour foods were crab cakes, fried chicken skewers, vegetable spring rolls, and shrimp and grits. My father actually tried three different fried chicken skewer sticks and all were undercooked. Not edible at all. The fried chicken skewers were soggy. My husband and I hadn't ate all day and were finally able to sit down and eat at our reception and the food tasted so horrible we didn't touch the plate at all the rest of the night. Gillian, who is the CEO who was present at the wedding, the only excuse was that the bride and groom typically never get time to eat. We for sure had enough time to eat at our sweetheart table, but our food was so tasteless we couldn't bare eating any of it. We had multiple zoom calls that Caribbean Caterers recorded. Where they contradicted themselves and made up excuses to why they are not to be held liable for anything that went wrong. First, Gillian blamed the venue because of the multiple delays that evening which caused them to not be able to produce the food to the best of quality. She stated that the food had to be reheated multiple times and therefore that's the reason it did not taste how it should. My response back to that was it doesn't matter how many times you reheat or even leave food cold, if you seasoned the food properly the food will still remain with a taste and be manageable to enjoy regardless. You would still taste the seasoning, but to not taste no seasoning on our wedding food at all is outrageous. Gillian kept telling me that I should ask other chefs and that she wants me to put a meal in the oven for 2 hours and that's what she had to deal with that night, but it is due to things out of her control. I am not asking other chefs they did not do my wedding that day. You all did. That has nothing to do with the food being tasteless. How I season my food and how they choose to season the food are two different things. My food would still taste good and have flavor because I seasoned it properly rather than if it was kept in the oven for 2 hours or not. In addition, I heard Gillian say on the first zoom call that she had to take chicken back that wasn't thoroughly cooked. Then all of a sudden the second meeting she says I never said that and it may have been overcooked but not undercooked. I said to them well if I am not hearing correctly, I would like to listen to both recordings of the zoom meetings, so I can make sure I heard what I heard and nothing is being made up. Gillian kept talking around my question and not trying to give the zoom recordings for me to listen to. Then she says we can schedule a time for you to listen to the recordings and tries to say they can't send the recordings. I told them that it is possible to send me the zoom call recordings and I would like the recordings from the meetings we had, which was only two meetings. They responded via email "We are unable to provide you with the recordings." I asked them what is the reason for not being able to provide the recordings and they have not responded yet. To further continue on with the issues from that day, they had run out of salmon for guests that ordered salmon. Yes! My wedding was plated and not a buffet. Their excuse was that it was not clear on the table settings on who was supposed to get what, therefore their team did the best they could as well as my wedding planner and her team did the best they could. My thing is that they had a wrap up call with my wedding planner and I where they stated they understood the placement of which meal is supposed to go where and the seating. Please look at attachment! read more

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CC provided a full catering service for my party and it was fabulous! I tried several other catering companies but none provided the personal touch, flavorful food, and specific suggestions like Gillian and team provided. They were patient and walked me through the entire process from design layout, menu, and serving. I highly recommend Carribean Catering and plan to use them again next month for a small event I'm having using their Shadow Chef services. read more

Another great event with Carribean Caterers!!! Must have Candice. Wow. I love this company, I can actually entertain my guest and wow, they make your event awesome. Second Cigar Event with them. This year, Havana Nights and they came though. Many guests requested their info. Many many many thanks. Until next year! read more

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Severely disappointing experience. Gillian was totally unorganized and unprofessional. Gillian fell short of our expectations, and the photos and reviews online are misleading. She was supposed to help draft a floorplan but only came up with a doodle. I actually drafted a floorplan and sent it to her, a job she was supposed to do, and she didn't pay any attention to it. On the day of our event, Gillian set out seven tables instead of the six we needed. We provided our own chargers, due to her marked up prices between proposals, and she tried to say we didn't have the amount we did - because of the extra table. She actually was abrasive and confrontational about it to my wife, accusing us of holding things up - saying she just had people standing around... All because of her lack of attention to detail and disregard for the plans we attempted to put in place. It was clear Gillian was unorganized, but her demeanor was truly unpleasant and unprofessional. She caused my wife unnecessary stress, due to her lack of organization and people skills. My wife had tried to help re-explain things to Gillian, but Gillian was rude and dismissive. She was confrontational to my wife before our event, and even interrupted my wife while she was talking to our guests during our event - to ask when the food should go out. Ironically, we provided her a timeline and she didn't follow through with that either. As a 'professional,' you'd expect better. The bar also ran out of alcohol. Fortunately her staff contacted her, after I realized the situation and confronted them, and she went out to get more alcohol. But they ran out of several other things at the bar and the drinks weren't uniform. The appetizer plates were also underwhelming and did not meet our expectations. We weren't offered a tasting or an example of how the food would look, and we were left underwhelmed on the day of our event. The photos online are misleading. Speaking of photos, Gillian also had a mask less photographer with her - who she didn't introduce to us - nor did she ask permission for him to be on site. This is classless and disrespectful. Her crew only had to set out table cloths, napkins and silverware - and they didn't even have that done before our guests arrived, due to her lack of organization and blatant disregard for the floorplan and schematics we provided her. She had a sour attitude and made it clear we were not a priority. When we arrived early to the venue, the venue owner and Gillian had been talking inside as we walked in. The venue owner greeted us, but Gillian just walked off. She was very rude throughout our event and had a poor demeanor. She seemed to be seeking out how to do the bare minimum, as we rescheduled due to COVID-19. She also couldn't provide an itemized bill, and I noticed five discrepancies between recent proposals from her - which illustrates how the prices seem to be 'made up.' She also put a tip cup on the bar, when the bartender was making $80/hr, without asking our permission, which exemplifies her classlessness. The main course was decent, but nothing spectacular. It truly wasn't worth the money, and we were left severely dissatisfied and disappointed. I am glad this was for an anniversary party and not our actual wedding, because it was a nightmare dealing with Gillian. Her staff were much more professional and friendly, but I caution against doing any business with Gillian or Caribbean Caterers. If I were to use one word to describe Gillian, it would be 'shiesty.' If I were to use one word to describe Caribbean Caterers, it would be 'underwhelming.' read more

The team are true professionals through out the entire planning process. I couldn't have asked for a better partnership to make my client's wedding dreams come to fruition. They went above and beyond before and after the event. --and it never hurts when the food is delish! Thanks again Caribbean Caterers, let's do it again! read more

I worked for Caribbean Caterers from July 2021 to December 2021; I left Caribbean Caters on a mutual agreement. I filed for MD unemployment benefits right away and to date, March 2022, Caribbean Caterers has held up my unemployment benefits by not responding to MD Unemployment. Hence this has caused terrible stress and financial hardship. Caribbean Caterers should be ashamed of themselves and if the Better Business Bureau would take my complaint as a past employee, I would fill that complaint. read more

Just a quick note to thank Caribbean Caterers for my event on October 12th.  Gilliand and her team were awesome during the planning phase and made my night a success.  The food was amazing and my guests loved it!  The catering team was impeccable in all aspects.  I was very happy with everything and I am very happy I chose Caribbean Caterers!   Thank you! read more

Caribbean Caterers, provided the food served at our wedding on January 17, 2015. My family, originally from the islands, felt as if Caribbean caterers took us on a journey back home. The food was "impeccable" with every bite. It seemed as if the beach and the sand were close by. Our guests ranted and raved about the food. They said, "The choices were the best appetizers and entrées we have ever had at a wedding". As a frantic bride, I was so stressed about everything. Gillian took away the stress of planning for the reception so that I can focus on other things. Walking into the reception hall I couldn't believe my eyes, it looked so elegant... perfect!!! Five stars don't come close to describing the level of excellence you will find at Caribbean Caterers. read more

caribbean caterers - Caterers Near Me - North Bethesda, Maryland

We wanted my sister's baby shower to be a celebration of Asian and Ecuadorian cultures, and Caribbean Caterers made it possible! The shower was held at her home in DC, so they arranged for 2 servers to pass the delicious food among guests as we had fun doing various arts and crafts. Everything was hot and delicious, and I heard many remark this was the fanciest baby shower! I was impressed by both the taste of the food and the professionalism of the servers. We hadn't planned on where to put coats and they quickly managed a coat check for us (fancy!) Ms de Souza went above and beyond with great ideas and solutions for decorations and layout, and efficiently managing things once guests arrived. It was a great party! Can't wait to book them again! Our menu: Calypso punch Potstickers Coconut shrimp Spanakopita Lamb lollipops Fig and brie tart Vegetable ceviche read more

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We hosted a surprise 80th that needed to be 100% Gluten Free, they did an AMAZING JOB with this request! Also a bonus the AWESOME STAFF, fabulous presentation - the signature drink spot on and better than I could ever make it!! Thank you!! read more

What an amazing job Caribbean Caterers provided for my husbands 60th BD, the food was impeccable, my guest even went back for seconds and thirds and could not stop talking about how delicious the food was. The wait staff was very professional. So Happy I made the right choice in caterers. I would for sure use Caribbean Caterers again for any of my events. read more

This is our third year using Caribbean Caterers for our annual Christmas party. The food is excellent and the service beyond belief. Gillian brings a calmness that put us all at ease in the run up to the part and the rest of her staff is just as great. Will use again and again. read more

CC catered our wedding. The food was delicious and the service was exceptional. The team at CC was always available to field our questions, and they were willing to work with us to achieve our (nearly) zero-waste vegan wedding! Vegan and non-vegan guests alike complimented the menu! We definitely recommend using CC to cater your event. read more

I attended a firm reception with a friend that works in DC, and Caribbean Caterers did the catering. It was great--creative, beautiful and delicious. They did different island themes around the room, and I swear it was like traveling around the Caribbean without ever getting on a plane. I love Caribbean food, but I'm a vegetarian and there usually aren't many options for me. Not here--they had plenty of veggie/vegan options (that even my usually carnivorous friend was loving)! Also, the food was second only to the presentation and waitstaff. The waiters were really professional, and I heard that Caribbean Caterers will be doing their holiday party too. One thing I miss about the East Coast is all the amazing Caribbean food, and Caribbean Caterers definitely made that clear! Maybe they'll start branching out to the West Coast soon... read more

Gillian, Candace and the Caribbean Caterers team provided full service catering for two events for our family in the past six months, both with 90+ guests. They were very professional; accommodated our changes when we decided that there were some things that would or wouldn't work; and worked with the venues where we had the event to make sure that there were no surprises during the events. The team that worked at the event was great and, most importantly, the food was spectacular. We plan on using Caribbean Caterers for any Caribbean-themed family or corporate events that we have in the future. read more

We Hired Gillian De Souza and her team at Caribbean Caterers in December of 2019. Since that time we made four payments totalling a little more than $13,000. Our wedding was supposed to be on March 29, 2020. On March 13 we were notified by the county that all events from March 16-31 were being cancelled due to Covid 19 concerns. Gillian was immediately notified. She took a week to tell us that if we postponed all funds would be applied to a future date, alternatively we could get a credit of 35% to be used to a different type of event, not necessarily a wedding, which would've resulted in a 65% forfeiture of funds on our part. We are uncomfortable rescheduling because we do not know for how much longer social distancing will be required and all of our parents are elderly with pre-existing conditions. To date Gillian's position has been that until this Covid 19 situation resolves itself she will not entertain any refund of funds. read more

We booked Caribbean Caterers for our wedding, and I am SO glad we did. They were incredibly helpful leading up to the day with keeping everything on track and communicating with us very promptly and transparently. The day of, we got so many compliments from our guests on the food, service, and decorations! Every step of the way, they were incredibly professional, friendly, and responsive. Would most definitely recommend! read more

Caribbean Caterers did our wedding, and they did a wonderful job! Gillian and her team were kind, professional, punctual and really easy to work with all around. During the planning, whenever we ran into a snag in ideas with the menu or decor design, Gillian offered good alternatives. She was definitely a calming presence for this Type-A bride and former wedding planner. On the wedding day, the catering team was flawless; dressed appropriately, kind to our guests and eager to please. Our guests repeatedly commented about how good the food and service were. In fact the food was such a hit, people went back for seconds at the buffet. We ran into issues with the linen color not fitting with the other wedding elements during the planning. Gillian researched alternatives, and we decided on something that was acceptable but not exactly what I wanted. I was pleasantly surprised to see the reception space on our wedding day--Caribbean Caterers found another linen that was the color we really wanted. Probably most significant surprise: When my grandmother passed away leading up to our wedding, Gillian actually came to the memorial service! It was a pleasure working with this company. read more

Have you ever been to Disney? If so, you know the feeling of smiling all day. You know that all the cares in the world have disappeared for a few hours. 16 September 2017, Caribbean Caterers was our Disney. The Team, Christina Burkeholder, Candace Spencer, and Gillian de Souza, were everything in the catering world that Disney is for children and adults. I first came across Caribbean Caterers when I attended one of those wedding events with my cousin's friend; she was preparing for her wedding and Caribbean Caterers were one of the venders at the event. I tried the jerk chicken, Keisha had the bread pudding, and I had another sample of the jerk chicken with the bread pudding. Once the date was set for our wedding I contacted them...I did not contact any other company because I was set on having CARIBBEAN CATERERS! Christina was my original point of contact and was welcoming, accommodating, and had an ear to listen when I changed from the first venue and was having a melt down. Ms. Gillian, was with us the entire time she made me feel as if I was the only wedding that was taking place. She has a warm heart, patient, has a listening ear, and remained professional at all times. When suggestions were needed she was always full of ideas. I was a DIY bride and didn't really have a budget for food but knew I didn't want to spend every single dollar that was in my savings account, and she didn't take advantage of me not knowing the exact amount of money we wanted to spend. Ms. Gillian is also had to deal with the groom whom is very cautious of what money is being spent and where. Candace! Candace! Candace! I'm sure there are other people within the company that can do exactly what Candace did for our wedding to yours but there is only Candace. Candace replaced Christina for our event and I was a little upset in the beginning. It seemed that everything was changing, this was not in my plans, and we were a few months away from the wedding. If you know the saying about God and plans I can guarantee that God was laughing at me because my wedding was set and ready to go in June! Candace hit the ground running. She is friendly, was knowledgeable about my event, and on the day of...she nailed everything that she was supposed to! Every hiccup thrown her way she managed and I didn't see her sweat not once. Candace even managed to dodge our nephew that was hounding her during service. I can tell you just about everything that didn't go right with my vision but I can tell you Candace made sure that it didn't bother me, that it wasn't noticeable to guest, and that everything was flawless. Thank you Candace! Also, Candace and Ms. Gillian, did a post wedding check to see if we were happy with the event and we were! I can go on and on about the service provided but the best I can say is this company is a must try and we plan to use them for future events. read more

The team of ladies at Caribbean Caterers helped make my wedding amazing! From beginning to end, they remained in constant communication via phone and email and made us feel so comfortable during what would normally be a hectic time. Our guests could not stop talking about how amazing all the food was. We will definitely be using Caribbean Caterers again in the future. read more

Many, many thanks to Caribbean Caterers for helping to make my 75th birthday celebration a great success. I had BIG fun And so did my guests! The kudos are still coming in regarding the celebration, especially the food, the decor, and overall ambience. I can't overstate how appreciative I am for the many ways that Gillian extended herself to make the day really special. She was easy to work with and made me feel very comfortable in allowing her to "take charge" after our initial discussions. I enjoyed my "special" chair and the red carpet; the table decor with the added "bling" and the floral centerpieces for each table were simply beautiful. The on-site service managed by Carmen and her crew was also great. All in all, Caribbean Caters added to the sum total of my joy on that day. I would definitely use them again and recommend them highly. read more

I booked Caribbean Caterers for my father's memorial. Candance and the entire team were very helpful and professional. Communications with Candance was transparent and she very responsive and helpful in terms of helping out with my food selections and decor. On the day of the event, they were prompt, the setup and food presentation was perfect and the wait staff was very accommodating. I will definitely call on them again for my next event. read more

I've been wanting to hire this caterer since I was at a wedding they catered in 2011. I was so impressed with the food that I planned to use them the next time I needed to hire a caterer in DC. My chance came last month when I hosted my best friend's bridal shower. We were expecting 75 ladies from all over the country. My BFF loves good food so I decided to do something a little different and I called Caribbean Caterers. Although I knew the food was good, I was a little nervous that the largely American crowd would think the food was a little too "different." Gillian (my sales rep) helped me to put together the most incredible menu. The best part was that everyone LOVED the food. Everyone. Even my best friend's Sicilian grandmother that has been cooking incredible meals since she was a young girl was impressed. That was a definite WIN! The service was also top-notched. We had three waiters and one person in the kitchen. The waiters looked sharp in their tuxes and the kitchen staff left the kitchen sparkling (the party was held at our friend's home). Everything was really good but I personally LOVED the beef patties, empanadas, crab cakes, seafood paella, rosemary leg of lamb, jerk chicken, mango salad and the passion fruit creme brulee. Also, they had a red pepper butter for the coco bread rolls. Wow! Never thought butter could taste even better than it already does. My only compliant is that they don't have a restaurant! read more

Beware of this caterer. They up-charged my sister-in-law $300 because of rain. This is absurd because: 1) the reception is indoors, 2) there was nothing in the contract about extra charges for rain and 3) it did not rain anyway. Caribbean Caterers used their leverage three hours before the wedding to get additional money out of my sister-in-law, knowing she would not be able to hire another caterer on short notice. Not to mention they upset her on her wedding day. The quality of the food could never make up for their low standard of business practice. read more

I was so pleased with this caterer. I had the pleasure of using them for my wedding in 2006 and up until now (2013) my friends still talk about the food and how great it was then. Giliane and her staff were outstanding then and I never forgot, so when it came time to celebrate my 40th birthday, Caribbean Caterers were my first choice. I must say I did try other potential caterers, but the customer service could not compair to Caribbean Caterers. I felt completely confident that they would make sure I had a Fabulous 4oth birthday. And they did it again! After my event all my friends and guests did was praise the food and the display. I am a vegetarian and many as well as many of the guest who attended, so we went with Giliane's recommendation of the vegan meatballs and it was an absolute hit. I also must mention that Caribbean Caterers offered a private tasting prior to my 40th birthday party which allowed me the pleasure of sampling the food before I committed to a contract with them. Let me tell you after the private tasting, I booked them immediatly. Lastly, as far as budget is concerned, I really appreciated the fact that Giliane and her staff worked so hard to give me the most I could get while staying within my budget. She honored me for being a return customer from (2006), with a discount which I was not expecting. I would highly reccomend Caribbean Caterer to any special event that is looking for the warmth of the Carribbean!!! read more