Oliver and the eat and smile team were amazing to work with. From the tasting experience that felt extremely personable and caring, to the back and forth messeges we sent getting advice on all things wedding. Oliver and the Eat & Smile team did an amazing job helping us think through our wedding day! On top of this, their food was out of this world. You could taste the care that was put into it, and it really felt homemade. From the appetizers at the cocktail hour, to the dinner plates themselves, I was extremely impressed by how delicious the food was. From the care they put in before the wedding, to the wedding itself, I could not have been happier with the Eat & Smile team and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a great caterer. read more

Oliver and his team are absolute rockstars. We knew we didn't want run-of-the-mill food for our wedding and Eat & Smile did not disappoint! Oliver was super responsive to our preferences and suggestions and crafted a menu that really matched who we are as people. So many people came up to us during and after the wedding to compliment the food - including several people saying it was the best wedding food they have ever had. Everything was super fresh, locally sourced, and perfectly prepared. All of the staff members were also incredibly kind and professional, from the setup to the dinner service to the cleanup. I would absolutely recommend Eat & Smile to anyone. read more

Oliver and his team at Eat & Smile were absolutely fantastic from start to finish! During our initial planning call, Oliver helped guide us through multiple approaches to food service at our wedding, ultimately helping us pick the "small plates" style that provided a dinner-sized amount of food while still allowing guests to mingle throughout the evening. Oliver then helped us craft a menu that fit our own tastes, incorporated local seasonal ingredients, and accommodated our guests' dietary restrictions. Once we finalized the menu, Oliver hosted a tasting for us at his house to make sure we were happy with what we had selected. And on the day-of, the food was unbelievably good. Guests are still raving about the deviled eggs, tuna tartare, butternut squash soup (served in hors d'ouvres-sized shot glasses), and salmon. From start to finish, Oliver was professional, helpful, and went above and beyond to answer all of our questions. We highly recommend working with Oliver and Eat & Smile. read more

Oliver and his team were super easy to work with. They catered our wedding. We talked budget and he designed a menu based on our preferences. We were even working with him about swapping ingredients. He had plenty of good gluten free options as well. The tasting is really amazing too, they prepare the food as it will be served to you on the day so you are getting exactly the same thing. Super nice touch that I really appreciated. Could not recommend them more. read more

Eat and Smile was the perfect caterer for us! We loved working with Oliver and his team from the very beginning. We did a tasting with Oliver and greatly enjoyed not just the food, but Oliver's commitment to ensuring the experience was as close as possible to what the day would be. He has great flavors, and lots of fun unique options. We chose a plated dinner, four passed hors d'oeuvres, and three desserts. Everything was a hit, and so fresh! I especially loved the rockfish entrée. Oliver and his team did a great job making our day effortless. He also has a great, flexible contract and is very upfront with the price differences between options. We really appreciated his commitment to quality and transparency, as well as the opportunity to work with a great local chef. We would absolutely recommend Eat and Smile! read more

Abysmal food and subpar cleanliness. I would avoid if possible. Won't be giving them additional business

Highly recommend Oliver and his team at Eat and Smile Catering. We were lucky enough to work with the team for a multicultural wedding. Oliver was extremely helpful in helping us craft a menu, work with us on tweaking menu items here and there, and keeping us within budget. I had so many people come up to me at the wedding and say, 'wow the food is actually amazing and wedding food is never amazing!?' The food was wonderful, the service exceptional -- highly recommend! read more

We had a fantastic experience working with Oliver and Eat & Smile for our October 2024 wedding. The food was fantastic! We got so many compliments from our guests all night. We love food and working with Oliver to plan our menu was such a fun and collaborative experience. We loved our tasting at his house and he was willing to introduce a custom appetizer to represent my husband's hometown that was so delicious (my cousin proudly announced they ate 16!). He is also incredibly conscientious about dietary restrictions and proactively suggested a super smart substitution for our salad when he noticed we had a number of gluten-free guests. The team goes above and beyond- Oliver personally attended our venue walk-through and stepped in to help us resolve an issue with the alcohol vendor days after the wedding. We cannot recommend Eat & Smile highly enough! read more

This review is for the tasting only. So I finally got off my lazy butt and started planning my wedding. There are about a bazillion different catering companies on Yelp but I immediately felt compelled to contact Eat & Smile Catering for the following reasons: - The name of the company is Eat & Smile and the owner's last name is Friendly. Can it get any more perfect than that? - They are passionate about using local, sustainable and organic food. They even make their own soy sauce which according to Oliver (the owner) is a nine-month fermenting process. - They came highly recommended on Yelp, Wedding Wire, and the Bitten Word (a food blog that I follow). Robert S and I scheduled a tasting with them last night and were blown away by Oliver's passion for the business as well as his helpful tips to keep our costs down. He does not charge a mark-up fee on rentals which is something I can't mentally comprehend. Doesn't everybody charge mark-up fees on everything? The tasting was held at his home and was a low key, no pressure situation. The food was prepared as if it was going to be made at the venue site so it would be as close to the real thing as possible. The menu was a mish-mash of his greatest winter seasonal hits. Rob and I were especially impressed by the items by the items that had a back story to it. A mini chicken empanada was paired with a Bizbaz sauce (a spicy sauce made with yogurt, cilantro, jalapenos) that was made especially for a couple of Somail and Latino descent. Dessert was a refreshing blueberry gelato from Dolcezza another local business that the company supports. I was kind of hoping that the tasting would be more in tune with the theme I had in mind (Asian fusion) but after speaking with Oliver he said that he would work with us to create the perfect menu once we signed the contract. He had lots of fun ideas off the top of his head which assured as that he understood what we were going for. After receiving tons of proposals for blah chicken and steak dinners or caterers who assured me that they did Asian food only to offer up stir fry as a dinner option, meeting with Oliver was a refreshing experience (and for those who aren't a fan of Asian food...apparently his specialty is Southern comfort food). He definitely gave me a lot to chew on while I make my final catering decision (literally...I have tons of leftovers to eat for lunch today!). read more

Disclaimer: The only time I had Eat and Smile's food was at the 10 Year Yelp Birthday Bash and it was hands down the best food at the entire event (and that is saying a lot because the best of DC food was at the party). They made what was like a scallop on pickled cabbage and it was the best thing I've had in months. For dessert, they made bite size s'more cookies which were amazing. The next event I do in DC, I am calling Katie at Eat and Smile. I HIGHLY recommend you do the same! read more

It's hard to overstate how great our experience was with E&S. Right off the bat we could tell they were a company we wanted to work with. My wife is Korean and Thai, and part of what we wanted for our wedding food included Korean dishes. Each of the 3 caterers we spoke with prior to E&S confidently proclaimed they could do Korean food. They would then proceed to send us what could be described at best as culturally insensitive, or more appropriately as full-blown racist ideas of what Korean food is. Things like "teriyaki chicken" or "[insert protein of your choice]...with miso or soy sauce". Meanwhile, E&S was very upfront that they couldn't make traditional Korean food in the style my wife's grandparents might, but what they could do is use flavors and ingredients (which I'm told they nailed) and make "Korean-inspired dishes." Perfect answer. There were so many things that Eat and Smile did that we really appreciated, so here are just a few of them: 1. In addition to amazing food, Katie provided very welcomed thoughts on table layouts, ratio of different table types, menu items, etc. She provided a bunch of insight that made our decisions a lot easier, and I'm sure more effective. 2. The event captain (or some other kind soul) sent up a tray of hors d'oeuvres to our green room, so we could have a bite to eat after the ceremony, but before the reception (while we were doing photos). 3. ALL of the staff were incredibly friendly! Everyone I spoke to checked in to see if I was having a good time, if there was anything I needed, and so on. We felt really at home at our own wedding, which I hear is sadly uncommon. I wish everyone could have as good an experience as I did. 4. The food was soooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood. 5. The setup/breakdown went so smoothly thanks to the crew's help. We were almost embarrassed at how little we had to do at the end. 6. It was super, super convenient that E&S was able to coordinate our rentals for us. 7. Eat and Smile is just an awesome organization overall. The emphasis on local farmers, suppliers, and partners is great. They also do awesome work with the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Honestly, as far as our vendors went, three stood out as being absolutely spectacular, and E&S was one of them. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful work and we hope that we'll have the chance to support you again soon! read more

From the beginning until the end of our family event, E&S provided outstanding service. My family reached out to E&S about providing services for my grandfather's repast which meant there was not much lead time for planning. E&S was flexible and responsive to our last minute and unexpected requests and worked with us to pull together our food, service, and rental needs in a way that made it easy to make decisions especially during such a difficult time. On the day-of the event, the staff arrive on time and was expeditious in getting everything set up without on-site guidance. The food was delicious and fresh and helped lift the spirits of everyone in attendance. The next day several guest recalled just how good the food and service was and many asked for the contact information of the company. My family and I could not have asked for a better company or food and were very happy with E&S. We HIGHLY recommend them for any type of event. read more

I knew from the moment I met them at a friend's wedding that I wanted them for mine as well. Working with them was just seamless. They make the process so fun and easy! From tastings to picking your plates and to organizing the logistics for the wedding. Everything just amazing! Now the food... Oh, my yums! It's so good it's not even fair! The fact that they create menus based on your preferences and needs is just outstanding! We were able to incorporate little details that hinted at our families' origins. They helped us with all the guests that had dietary restrictions. Throughout the process, they were just a joy to work with! A gigantic thank you to Katie, Eilish, Oliver, Sabine, Amanda, and everyone else who was involved in making our day even lovelier than we could ever have imagined! read more

When we started planning our wedding, we learned pretty quickly that as excited as we were to have the celebration, actually planning it was going to be a lot of work. And given that this was a first wedding for both of us, and likely the biggest party we would ever throw, we recognized that we did not really know what we were doing. We stressed quite a bit about making a wrong decision early, and then living with the consequences for the rest of our lives. Enter Eat and Smile. Three things to know about them - 1) They will make the process of planning a huge element of the wedding (i.e. - everything related to food and drink!) easy. 2) You are going to actually have fun during the planning. 3) Most importantly - your guests (and you) will be blown away by the food and service. From the moment we began talking to them, it became obvious that this was one big decision we did not need to stress over. And looking back now, I realize that not only was it a good decision at the time, it is one that is continuing to reap benefits, as we plan to have them recreate our wedding dinner for a small group of us for our upcoming anniversary. The food was literally so good, we had to do it again! As we started the planning process, they brought us in to their kitchen, with its farmhouse table and cozy atmosphere - and fed us like royalty. They talked us through options for how much to serve, when to serve it, what types of plating we could do, and all the other little details that we had no idea about. But it wasn't that they just showed us our options - they took the time to help us figure out what we really wanted in terms of the feel of the wedding, the experience we wanted our guests to have, and the memories we wanted to create. Then they guided us to build not just the perfect menu, but the perfect experience. And we looked forward to every meeting and conversation with them, because we knew that it was going to a lovely interaction. In the months leading up to the wedding, they coordinated with all our other vendors and took much of that work off our plates. During the wedding itself, they were so clearly on top of everything that we could focus entirely on how great it was to be getting married and celebrating with our friends and family (vs. being distracted by wondering if anything was going to go wrong.) The food came out when it should, it disappeared when needed, the staff was beyond attentive - anticipating guests needs and ours - and the entire experience was beyond what we could have hoped for. And the food. Oh, the food...I can tell you, it's nice that they have the ability to be seasonal, and local, an organic, and all that - but none of that matters if the food is not great. Eat and Smile's food is great. Period. We had a dozen dishes, and every single one of them was stellar. (We were not worried, as we had tasted all the dishes at the tastings, but somehow on the day, E&S outdid themselves.) Our guests noted again and again, both during the wedding and for months afterwards, how amazing the food was. And we agreed - as I noted before, we are having our wedding food again for our anniversary. Bottom line - you can't go wrong here. Go, do a tasting with E&S. You will not regret it. - Eli and Heather Murphy read more

Oliver is amazing! I'm a bit of a food snob, as I cook a lot myself. My husband and I had Oliver's food before so we knew it was delicious and locally sourced. However, we were amazed at how organized and accommodating he was when we planned our post-elopement wedding brunch. We started planning our reception/brunch only about a month before the event. Oliver was prompt in responding to my emails and very clear about pricing and options. Additionally, we had a lot of food allergies or dietary restrictions amongst our guests. Oliver managed to handle a combination of lactose intolerance, vegans, and peanut allergies with no problems. He even made us two cakes. On the day of our brunch, Oliver was on time and ready to go. He made great suggestions on how to set up for the event, including putting the bar outside on the back deck. His staff was wonderful and really helpful. Our guests loved the food and there was tons of it for everyone. Oliver and his staff even tolerated my dog running around under foot with no complaints! I would highly recommend Oliver for your wedding caterer. read more

We had an excellent experience with Eat & Smile from start to finish for our 100-guest wedding. They first caught our attention due to their commitment to local sourcing, eco-conscious practices, and small size. Their tasting is different from others in the industry. They have you come in to taste several courses using ingredients they happen to have on hand. Since the food we tasted was great, Katie was very responsive, and the price was on par with others in the industry, we decided to go with them. They offer a number of serving options, including family style, sit down plated dinner, and cocktail-party-style passed small plates. We opted for the small plates and were very happy with our choice. First, it allowed us to circulate for our entire reception, but still taste almost everything. Second, it eliminated the need for us to bother with seating charts. Our guests were able to circulate throughout the event without being trapped at tables. Third, since we served five different appetizers and three different small plates, there was plenty of flexibility for us to accommodate vegans, GF folks, etc. Fourth, there was a variety of great food for everyone to enjoy. The menu selection started with Katie asking for the "vibe" we were going for. After we described it, the chefs came up with a long list of appetizer and small plate options. They invited us to make suggestions to tweak the options they gave us. They accommodated our request to make different versions (vegan and non-vegan) of a few dishes. We were also happy about all of the options E&S gave us for the peripherals (they have various coffee, bar, and dessert options). We requested that E&S have servers with trays ready to serve our guests sparkling wine right as the ceremony ended, which worked great. Katie was also very helpful in giving us advice about how to set up the event because Eat & Smile had catered events at our venue before (Rockwood Manor). E&S provides bartenders and ice, but you provide the beer, wine, and liquor. This is a nice bonus for those of us who enjoy alcohol shopping and want to save money. It's a bit more work though, because you have to have someone schlep all of the alcohol to your venue. For us, this was a big net positive of going with E&S. The food was all delicious. Shout-out to the panzanella, the pork, and also the meatball appetizer. We had E&S make simple chocolate chip cookies for our dessert, and they were great. The signature cocktail they mixed up was also a hit. The day-of service was also wonderful. The communication between Katie and the event captain Meghal was perfect. The staff knew exactly what we had asked for and executed it well. The servers were very good about making sure the vegan and GF folks were fed on time even when non-vegan, non-GF menu items were being passed around. The bartenders were also very responsive to requests. After the event, everything was cleaned up on time per the venue's instructions. The one snafu we encountered was that the vendor E&S hired for linens and glassware didn't show up to pick up the stuff the day after, which didn't make the venue happy. However, E&S was great about mediating between the vendor and the venue, and the problem was solved without much headache on our end. We really appreciated that we were able to easily get in touch with E&S staff (on their days off) to work on the problem the day after the wedding. Overall, we couldn't recommend E&S more highly. P.S. Make sure to contact them and book well in advance. They're a small operation and can only handle a limited number of events per day. read more

We had Eat and Smile cater our wedding and they were so fantastic. Having good food at the wedding was at the top of our priority list, and they really delivered exceptional food and service at a very reasonable price. We went with the passed small plate option and it was a big hit. Guests raved about the food and we were able to accommodate all of the different dietary restrictions of our guests. I also loved that their food is locally sourced and that they used compostable plate and silverware. We worked primarily with Katie, and she gets extra kudos for being on top of everything. We had some issues with Eat and Smile's partner rental company but Katie was always there to sort things out and make sure that we had the correct size and colors to go with our seating arrangement. Chef Friendly was also great to work with in planning our menu. After giving him extremely vague descriptions of what feel and type of food we wanted, he was able to come up with options that we really enjoyed! I highly recommend Eat and Smile for your catering needs! read more

The first caterer I contacted was a dud. I said to him, "our tastes lean toward more southern and Italian cuisine" to which he responded, "so like pasta and fried stuff?" My head exploded, and left me immediately feeling defeated. I decided that it was appropriate, at that point, to contact our caterer of choice and see how that conversation went. He got it right the minute the question escaped my mouth ("fresh, local, seasonal food!"). Oliver was bright and energetic, clear and organized in his monologue about his company, and filled me with such hope about our plans. We went to a tasting at his house and we were served the most incredible, fresh, local, sustainable and hearty morsels of food we've ever had. His enthusiasm for great food was inspiring, and we left his house knowing he was the one. The next 18 months involved a lot of e-mailing, a walk through of our venue to make sure we were on the right track as far as layout, appliances, tables/chairs, and so on. He really helped us navigate the unconventional wedding space (a single family home) and was excited to cook in the kitchen, which was spacious, well-equipped, and perfect for the day. He, and his partner/wife Alex, also helped us refine our menu, clarify our choices, and the sequence of events that we wanted to have for the evening. They were warm and understanding in situations where I feared other caterers might be cold and detached. It was a refreshing experience overall. The dedication to impeccable tasting and perfectly composed food is what led us to Eat & Smile, and we hoped that our friends and family would appreciate our decision to go with them. The staff that Oliver brought along with him was friendly, focused, and immediately welcomed into the fold of our big day (especially Michael!)...even by my brother, who has cater-waitered at some of NYC's finest events and is a bit of a boss about things, loved the team from E&S. Guests would chase down the servers or wait, salivating, along the kitchen counter for the next thing or a favorite they developed. Our friend's boyfriend stood guard at the entrance to the kitchen to make sure he got a codcake every time a fresh batch left the kitchen. We were worried that people might not get enough to eat with the small bites, but everyone left feeling impossibly and delightfully full. Despite the small bites model being a bit of a fad, I think it works perfectly for an out-of-the-ordinary kind of wedding. People have more flexibility with how much, when and what they get to eat, and you are able to choose from a wide variety of cuisines rather than sticking to one or two. E&S accommodates people with special dietary restrictions seamlessly, as well. Our wedding felt exactly as I wanted it to feel - relaxed, more than anything - and 95% of that success is due to the team from Eat & Smile Catering. read more

A chef from Eat Smile Catering cooked a fantastic meal for a group of my friends on 8/22/15. Erin (who works in Eat Smile Catering's "front office") was also very easy to work with. She was very quick to respond to any questions or concerns I had. I was the only pescetarian within my group of friends. Eat Smile Catering was able to create a main dish for the meat eaters (which was everyone but me) and replace my meal with a piece of fish (for no extra cost). I was really happy and impressed that my diet was taken into consideration. I am not a "foodie". I was worried that the menus Eat and Smile Catering would suggest might lean a little fancier than what I am usually inclined to eat. I was wrong. The menu choices Erin sent ahead of time to choose from where a nice mixture of something I couldn't prepare myself and casual comfort food. The whole meal from start to finish was fantastic and restaurant quality. The best part of catering a meal at home it was stress free. Our chef Sabina (might be spelling that name wrong) came with everything she needed (prior to our meal we communicate what our home kitchen was equipped with). She also cleaned up (I turned around ready to help her and, the kitchen was already cleaned). I highly recommend having Eat and Smile Catering to cater a party in your home, if you not a cook (or want to make sure you have time to your company). Several of the people who came to the dinner told me afterwards that they would consider using Eat and Smile Catering to cater something similar in their homes. In a nutshell, a really great company to work with who knows and loves their craft. read more

I really wish I could give a five star rating, but we were definitely disappointed with the services provided. With that said, the food was delicious and the staff was nice for the most part. This review is a bit late - it's for an engagement party that happened in August 2015. Again, the food was delicious but the day of the event, it just wasn't up to par with the price we were paying. Day of the event, Eat & Smile was late, very, very late especially since they are supposed to show up at least an hour to an hour and a half in advance. They showed up probably 15 minutes before guests were arriving, which meant the food was very late. To be honest, the party was in a venue in Chinatown and there is massive traffic on the weekends. However, I did tell that to them beforehand so they could be prepared (there was construction going on). I also had my friend (with bartending experience, but who is no longer a bartender and was doing me a kind favor) be the bartender. So we did not hire their bartender, this was just for food. My friend was a bit late too because of traffic but she was setup and serving drinks by the time guests arrived. The food wasn't served to guests on time - it was almost an hour late - or maybe 30-40 minutes. But it still made a huge difference. The problem with the late food is that this did not stop them packing up right on time, which mean we had less service as promised than we paid for. The main host, Michael, who was nice was a little weird. My friend said when no one was in the room, except for her and the waiters, he did change in front of her. She said he probably assumed she was still in the industry and used to it, but it did make her a bit uncomfortable. The only other thing that made me a bit angry was when we sent it feedback, Katie, pointed out that the bartender was late too. She was actually only 10 minutes late (setting up her station wasn't as complex as the food) and like I said, she handed a drink out to the first guest who arrived. They also weren't aware that she was my friend and doing me a huge personal favor but I felt it was rude and out of place for them to say that. Overall, I wouldn't hire them again or personally recommend them but I am sure this was also just a bad day. The food was delicious and Katie, did our walk through and was nice when I gave her feedback after the party. So I also wouldn't discourage anyone from hiring them, but if you live in a busy part of DC, just give a lot of warning about traffic. read more

I was just a best man in my friend's wedding, and helped out with a lot of the planning. There was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders when we decided to go with Eat and Smile. Not only was every single detail laid out for us in the planning process (which answered all of our questions and eliminated any surprises going into the big day). They were able to plan a menu that perfectly encapsulated the personality of the grooms, and his staff were absolutely the best. From start to finish they were super professional and very personable with the guests. Every detail was taken care of, and the food was delicious! I will be definitely recommending them to all my friends and family! read more

Eat & Smile General Impressions * Timely in response to my million e-mails containing questions regarding timelines, menu planning, questions with regards to the kitchen available at the venue, etc. * Unlike the big box caterers in DC (Occasions, Ridge wells, Windows, etc.) Eat & Smile is more of you pick what you want and need and they help to put together exactly what you are looking for - however, with that you need to be mindful of costs as they are individualized vs. one lump sum (recommend maintaining a detailed spreadsheet with your costs) * Oliver is very friendly and flexible in helping to build your menu and plan your event * Alcohol and general rentals are not available at E&S thus requires more coordination with additional vendors * My overall impression is that guests did like the format and the food however, I think we could have used additional / heavier * Catering staff was very friendly and we were extremely happy with the service on the day of Eat & Smile Passed Hors D'oeuvres Format PROS: * Food warm is available to guests throughout the event unlike a plated dinner * Guests are able to choose from a variety of foods which is particularly helpful for guests with dietary restrictions * Costs are reduced as you do not need to rent utensils, plates, etc. (consider having enough seating for older adults even though the meal isn't sit down) Eat & Smile Passed Hors D'oeuvres Format CONS: * Unlike a sit down dinner keeping to your timeline of events (special dances, cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) can be more tricky as you really need either a coordinator or bridesmaid to stay on top of things and alert you when it is time for any of your events * Tables can look empty without dinnerware - suggest wide centerpieces * Guests can be a bit confused as to when and what food is available - printing the menu can placing it on the seats at the ceremony or at the reception can help! read more

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Our wedding was wonderful, and Oliver and Alex had a significant part of making that happen. From the tasting through menu selection up to the day itself, they were communicative, fun, professional, and so easy to work with. Our wedding day was low stress and easy - because we knew we could trust them to take care of everything (along with our wonderful wedding planner Tabitha Roberts who I would review if she were on Yelp...) Anyways, the dishes themselves were fantastic. Everything was locally sourced as best as possible, and were full of flavor - not an easy feat when you're talking about catering a 200 person wedding. The staff they hired for the service were fantastic, and the whole thing ran perfectly smoothly. I seriously cannot recommend them enough - this combination of flavor and professionalism is rarely encountered. Highly recommended. read more

Oliver and his team at Eat & Smile Foods were fantastic! From the very beginning at our food tasting, it was obvious how much he loves what he does and how much thought and preparation he puts in to all of his work. My husband and I are from very different backgrounds - he's from the South where the food is more buffet style and I'm from the North where everyone is used to a cocktail hour followed by a sit-down dinner. So, we needed a caterer that understood both of those traditions and would meet all of those needs. Oliver delivered! What's great about Eat & Smile is that they will work with you to come up with a menu and a style of dinner exactly how you want. Oliver and his team also design your menu to whatever price point you want to spend and they will work with you along the way based upon that price point. After telling him what we were looking for as our food options, he came up with a menu that exceeded our expectations - a true representation of the North and South. Everyone is still raving about the fried green tomato sliders and the braised brisket and mashed potatoes! A special accolade must be given to Erin, Eat & Smile's operations manager. With Oliver's business (rightfully so) becoming so popular, Erin came on during our wedding process and from day one, handled everything for us! She was extremely responsive to all of our questions and concerns, highly organized and very attentive to detail. We didn't have to worry about anything when it came to catering because she was so on top of everything! The night of the wedding, Oliver lit up when he saw my husband and me when we arrived at our wedding venue and he gave us a huge hug - a testament to how personal he treats his job and his clients. The rest of his staff - from the bartenders to the servers - were attentive, friendly and seemed to really enjoy themselves at the wedding. We would recommend Oliver, Erin and Eat & Smile Foods in a heartbeat and hope to work with them in the future. read more

When we first started planning our wedding, we didn't think that we would find a caterer that we could use. We are both vegetarians, and try to eat only local, humane dairy and eggs. Fortunately, we came upon Eat & Smile Foods on a popular food blog, The Bitten Word. It sounded too good to be true: Eat & Smile Foods got all of their produce, dairy (and meat) from local farmers markets, fresh every week. And while that would have been enough, it turned out that the food was incredible. Oliver, the owner and chef, listened to what we wanted, and prepared a spectacular tasting menu that was not only local and humane, but also mouth-watering. As vegetarians, we have come to expect rice and grilled vegetables at weddings. Eat & Smile was far from that. Here are just some of the highlights: Fried Mac & Cheese, butternut squash soup shots, grilled cheese with olive tapanade, falafels with chili and yogurt, and mushroom fricase spoons. Not only was Oliver respectful and careful to adhere to our dietary restrictions, but we also had guests who had serious nut allergies. While some chefs will make separate dishes, Oliver did not want any incidents, and so did not use any nuts in the menu. Eat & Smile Foods also offers signature cocktails, and ours were a big hit. Oliver works with a stellar mixologist and they complimented our food wonderfully. We wholly recommend Eat & Smile Foods for any event. While ours was a wedding, I am already plotting some big party for something so we can use them again! :) read more

If you ask questions and inquire about processes, and prices, you run the risk of being told " in a strange turn of events, we actually have been contacted by someone planning a large party who engaged in conversations with us a few months ago and just came back to us this morning." This is by far the worst interaction I have ever had. I escaleted my frustration to the manager Katie, and that quote is what she sent me, after never asking me what my frustrations were. I usually don't validate bad reviews, feeling like they aren't representative of usual happeningings. In this case I was SO WRONG, as another review stated they had these same issues and I ended up with the same horrible experience. For your sake, choose someone else! read more

I have had the pleasure of working with Eat & Smile numerous times over the past two years as an event manager for a local organization. They are always professional, prompt, and deliver excellent service. Their menu options are always creative and help bring a level of formality to our events that wasn't present before. In terms of event planning, their operations staff are extremely easy to work with. They communicate well and go the extra mile to make sure everything is in place for a successful event. It's also great to know that on the day of events, the quality of food and service is going to be top-notch, allowing for any concern over food quality or service to be the last thing on my mind. I look forward to working with Eat & Smile in the future. I can't recommend them enough to any individuals or businesses that are looking for a caterer to get the job done, and to do it with excellence. - William Ross, Reach Incorporated read more

We were absolutely thrilled with Eat & Smile's food and service leading up to and during our wedding! Truly, just blown away. We loved the food at the initial tasting and the tasting of our actual menu, and the scaling up to 80 people didn't seem to affect the quality at all, as we heard so many rave reviews from our guests! (One friend even said the meal was better than one she'd had recently at a highly-rated restaurant in her home city of Philadelphia!) We also loved the highly personalized process of selecting our menu -- it felt like there was nothing we asked for that Oliver and his team couldn't do! And we would be remiss if we did not highlight Eilish and her extreme helpfulness and responsiveness -- as our main contact through the planning process, she was so detail-oriented and never made us feel like we were in the dark about anything that was going on on the catering end. Not only was the food amazing, but the impeccable service we received on the day of our wedding was also a huge added bonus. The servers made sure we were fed during cocktail hour and also made sure to serve us the passed milkshake desserts and then brought out two more for us at the very end of the night. These were such thoughtful gestures that the staff went out of their way to do for us. If anything went sideways that night, we were definitely not aware of it, and we are truly grateful for Eat & Smile's professionalism and amazing catering as a part of our perfect day! We had tried several caterers by the time we found Eat & Smile, and we are so happy we waited for the right one! read more

We used Eat & Smile Catering for our wedding this past June and absolutely loved it. The food was by far better than any catering I've had before. When reviewing caterers, E&S stood out because the food was local, fresh, flavorful and fun! E&S worked with us to keep our catering budget centered, while allowing us creative license with menu options. We were happy to support a small business in DC, but even happier with the service and products! read more

Eat & Smile Catering - Small Plates Wedding Service - Caterers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

While planning my wedding, Eat and Smile impressed me early on with their attention to detail and willingness to be flexible and open-minded when it came to crafting the menu my husband and I wanted. Katie and her team were so open to hearing what our vision was for our menu and even incorporating specific dishes and recipes we had in mind. It was truly a collaborative and fun process from start to finish, and they were extremely communicative and responsive to any questions we had. I also scheduled initial and final tastings with them, which I highly recommend. It gave me a great sense of how Eat and Smile takes care with the food they present to you and is always mindful of the sources of their ingredients. I could not recommend them more highly! read more

We could not be happier with how Eilish and her team helped our dream wedding come true. Eilish was incredibly responsive to our requests, and helped us plan out details that we hadn't even thought of. The quality of food and presentation was incredible. Our guests were wowed with their meals and the service. They were also considerate and creative with dietary requests. Most importantly, they work with local farmers and vendors! We highly recommend them for your event catering needs. read more

We used Eat & Smile for a small cocktail party for 39 and Oliver was great. Easy to work with, responsive and flexible as our numbers kept changing. Importantly, the food was delicious! The team he sent for the event was terrific. Highly recommend. read more

We first worked with Eat & Smile Catering for our donors and partners dinner last year - they are a dream to work with and have always worked really hard to deliver what we want. The food is delicious and they pitched in like one of the team to ensure the whole evening was a success. I didn't hesitate to have them work with us again on the dinner this year - again, first rate service. I would highly recommend Eat & Smile Catering. Rachel Briggs, Executive Director, Hostage US (501c3) read more

I solicited some bids from a few local catering companies for my companies grand re-opening of our new Showroom in Washington DC. I have to say, not only did the rep from E&S get back to me way quicker then most others, she was quick to answer any questions I had, mostly over email as that worked best for me. She worked within our budget and sent over multiple revisions of the quote until we had it just perfect. She made sure everything including table rentals etc were taken care of for us and part of our quote and that we were informed up to and after the event. I did not get to attend our event but I heard E&S was amazing. The food was great and everyone was incredibly professional. I will be using this caterer again if I ever need services in the area! Great jobs Eat and Smile! read more

Eat & Smile went above and beyond to make our wedding day special. Right from the initial email, Katie was incredibly helpful and provided an enormous amount of information not just about the food options, but about rentals, the hall, and other details to keep an eye out. The day of our wedding, the staff was professional and courteous, and even made sure to keep an eye out on the bridal party to make sure during photos we had water and beverages to make it through all the photos! The food (passed hors doeuvres, and a seated dinner) was a huge hit, with people raving about it. The food was one of the biggest reasons we chose E&S and we were not disappointed! We highly recommend Eat & Smile Catering, they were absolutely fabulous! read more

We had our wedding catered by E&S and it ended being the most stressful part of our day. Having not hosted a large event before that weekend, my expectations were simply that the company show up on time, bring the food we agreed upon, and be nice to guests and any other vendors they needed to interact with. They failed at the last two criteria. They forgot a major component of the entree. I am all about understanding mistakes happen, but the way this tough situation was handled was simply awful. No explanation given, no backup plan, no apology. Instead, we dealt with a chef acting like we inconvenienced him. After having to confront the issue, some of the wait staff decided to stop working the tables and started bothering the other vendors - complaining about the venue and other staff. On a positive note, I will say that the food that did make it to the table was done well. I do not recommend this place if you think paying a little more will guarantee a less stressful event. read more

This is long overdue as my wedding was in September of last year (2014) and I kept meaning to write about my wonderful experience with this catering company but a bunch of things got in the way. From the very start, E&S was easy to work with. A close family member had backed out of everything as soon as my wedding planning began and I was stressed and confused about catering my 50 guest wedding. On top of that, I was worried about finances. At the same time, the people we invited were the most important people in our lives and I wanted them to feel special and enjoy themselves. So, E&S really saved the day. I was probably frantic in my first email interaction with the owner, Chef Oliver Friendly (very fitting name), due to reasons mentioned above, and he could not have been more accommodating. In my search for caterers, I learned that everyone I had communicated with wanted a down payment or some kind of certainty that I would choose them before I even knew what their food was like. Chef Friendly did not. He invited us for a tasting, giving us a range of dates and times, asking what style of food we were going for, and did not pressure us one bit. The tasting was phenomenal. My [now] husband loves to cook and he does it so well that he is quite picky. Chef Friendly talked up his food during the tasting but it actually tasted as good as he boasted. He was confident and so were we. He explained that all vegetables and fruits he used were grown within a 100 mile radius and the fish and meat he used were raised in an ecological and sustainable fashion, also in close distance, describing the distributors and farmers with whom he worked. This information was obviously important to him but also to us. The prices were totally affordable too, considering the high quality. I'm not going to spout off the specific numbers but I'm a social worker, so that should give you a good idea of what I could afford. Anyway, he let us try a range of items, from fried mac and cheese balls to fish tacos to soup to yummy fruity and nutty salad (unfortunately I don't remember the specifics because it was a while ago) to some fancy chicken dish to 3 kinds of dessert and other stuff. I don't remember which ones but I remember 3 delicious sweets. Not long before, I had accompanied my friend on her wedding tasting to a place she had already committed to and they had actually told us to "imagine" various toppings and fruit as we tasted the cake. That was silly. E&S prepared everything for us, despite our noncommittal tasting. In addition to the excellent and beautiful food, the Chef threw in plates, glasses and silverware just because this was a small wedding. Not one other caterer offered this and I had been racking my brain trying to figure out if I should rent from some place (which was difficult with the small guest number) or buy off ebay. Like I said, he couldn't have made the experience easier. Every single staff member I had worked with through this process was professional, helpful, empathetic, and creative. I was not allowed to let the caterers use the kitchen in the cottage I rented so they helped me every step of the way with that debacle. If I was ever in their line of business, I would want to work for them myself. The contract was simple and direct, covering everything concisely. They never calculated the down payment into the total until the very end so it was like saving a quarter of the final price. I guess that encouraged me to leave a good tip but I was going to do that anyway. There was one tiny slip up and they handled it gracefully. I had ordered ice but they forgot. So, in the middle of nowhere (my wedding was in a pretty remote area), they immediately went out and got it in time. In a way, that makes them even more professional, to be able to work through a mistake the way they did. The servers were really great at the wedding. They were available but not intrusive at all. They even left a little jar of homemade chutney in the fridge wishing us a good marriage. Our wedding was a bit unconventional (no bridesmaids/groomsmen/planners/moh) and yet they were able to work everything out with my sister-in-law without taking up all her time at the wedding (I hope). She said they were excellent. Oliver, I hope you and your staff are doing well. Thank you again for such a memorable experience. My husband and I appreciate everything. read more

We had Eat & Smile cater our 100-person wedding at St. Francis Hall, which included passed hors'doeuvres and a plated dinner. Katie, Chef Oliver, and the rest of the Eat & Smile team were fantastic to work with. Chef Oliver worked with us to create a menu that was perfectly set to our preferences, and the food itself was well-prepared and delicious. Katie was our main point of contact starting with the tasting all the way to the wedding day. She is awesomely communicative and fun to work with! Katie provided valuable input not only on the food, servers, and linens which we contracted for through E&S; but also on things like beverage service (we used Ace Beverage for alcohol), table placement, timeline, and guest flow. Our wedding guests also pointed out how personable and professional the entire E&S serving and bartender staff were during the event itself. I would HIGHLY recommend Eat & Smile as your wedding caterers. read more

We had a standing reception and these guys fell perfectly in line with our budget! The menu is highly customizable (our theme was "Kentucky meets Korea") and it was amazing. The staff was amazing and even sought us out to make sure we were eating enough. I was a bit worried that there wasnt going to be enough food, but there was PLENTY! I highly recommend Eat & Smile. read more

I had an event yesterday for my residents at work. We were looking for a catering company, and Oliver (the chef) was very pleasant, and was able to work within our budget. The day of the event they showed up on time, and was ready for the start of the event. Both Chef's were very professional, and explained to a lot of people about their food. I got nothing but great reviews about the food from all the residents who came out to the the event. I will recommend this company to anyone, and everyone who is looking for great food, and needs to serve a lot of people. I am looking forward to work with them again for future events. read more