Summary: Chef Carlos' overall service did not live up to expectations. When a partial refund was requested, Carlos agreed to it but ultimately did not honor his word and still has not responded months later.
For my sister's 50th birthday party in New Orleans, I decided to hire a private chef from the area. I reached out to several, and Chef Carlos stood out as not only available, but at the time he was responsive, flexible, and he had plenty of menu options at a reasonable rate. I read his reviews, checked his socials and past clients seemed pretty positive about his service. I was initially excited to work with him.
One item not on any of the menu options was the seafood gumbo, and I asked Carlos if he offered this off-menu. He said he did, but it would cost extra. I told him I'd be willing to pay if his gumbo was really good, to which he replied, "If it's not the best you ever had I'll give you your money back." Bet.
The party was during Mardi Gras weekend, and we coordinated a time to have the food dropped off. Parade traffic had him arrive nearly FOUR hours late. I was stressed but actually very understanding, considering I had a house full of guests waiting for the chef to arrive.
The quality of the food overall, however, was not AT ALL worth the long wait. Based on the reviews I read, I was expecting to be blown away, yet everyone agreed there was a lack of flavor in all of the dishes. Both the cornbread and the bread pudding were undercooked, soggy and wet in the middle. Plus, the seafood gumbo was NOT the best we've ever had: it was super watery and most of the guests found the taste too salty. We ended up throwing out most of it since no one even wanted to have it as leftovers.
I reached out to Chef Carlos upon my return home with my concerns and requested my money back for the additional cost of the gumbo, per his guarantee. He told me that he would send the partial refund, but after multiple follow ups, I still have yet to receive any reply or any refund. read more