We used Purple Onion for a small catered party at home (50 people). The food was excellent and the staff professional.

We cannot recommend Purple Onion Catering highly enough! From start to finish, they were amazing--flexible, responsive, and incredibly helpful. We wanted a fully vegetarian wedding, and their team worked closely with us to craft a versatile, flavorful, and crowd-pleasing menu for our appetizers, main courses, and late-night bites. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. A special shoutout to Cassie and Sydney, who were absolute stars throughout the entire planning process. They were kind, patient, and always on top of every detail. Their guidance and creativity helped bring our vision to life, and they truly went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. Purple Onion also helped us coordinate rentals for our tablescapes and set up the bar with delicious specialty cocktails. They did so much more than just catering-- they were a huge part of making our wedding day so special. Purple Onion Catering was one of the best decisions we made--professional, talented, and a joy to work with. We're so grateful for everything they did! read more

It's really a pleasure talking with Erin and Phoebe. They listened and very easy to talk to compared to other caterers I dealt with. Their professionalism shows that they really care with what their clients need. read more

I worked with Purple Onion on a 'high stakes' holiday open house. Margaret Z took the time to understand my goals, budget, and unique circumstances. She offered menu ideas, and creative strategies to make the event a success. We communicated often, and she was always responsive and patient. The team onsite was knowledgeable, calm and confident. They transformed the space into a beautiful and festive setting, and went over and beyond to ensure that the guests were well taken care of. The food was delicious, and the servers were all kind and professional. I highly recommend Purple Onion. read more

**3.5 Stars** Purple Onion catered my wedding this past May. I worked with Sheila throughout the past year to get everything nailed down for our wedding- she was so wonderful to work with & would absolutely recommend her. The tasting was phenomenal- the bistro tender & crab cakes were our favorite along with the parmesan risotto & peppers/broccolini. The cream cheese frosting with chocolate pound cake was our absolute favorite! I do understand that we cannot expect perfection on our wedding day but I do have to note, that the parmesan risotto was nothing like what we had during our tasting. The risotto during our tasting was way better- the texture & the flavor was completely different. We also ordered a small chocolate cutting cake with cream cheese frosting. What we had gotten during our wedding day was buttercream frosting. While the buttercream frosting was not bad, we had really wanted the cream cheese frosting! After the wedding, I went back to our proposal to double check & it clearly indicated the correct frosting. We also requested that they cut the cutting cake and be placed at the dessert table prior to the wedding, but we had to find someone to do that during the wedding. Furthermore, we had given a lot of thought to our Signature Cocktails that were designed after our 2 fur babies & we had given the cocktail recipes to Sheila to pass onto the catering staff/bartenders. It was pretty clear that they did not follow the recipe during the wedding (obviously not Sheila's fault) but we were pretty disappointed when we tasted the cocktails & they tasted like nothing like the recipes we had created when we provided all the ingredients & the recipes were straightforward & not at all complicated. I feel like for the premium price (~20k) that we had paid for Purple Onion to cater our wedding- we expected a little better than we got. The service was wonderful- we had Max personally wait on my husband and I but for the amount of $$ that we had paid for the food & the cake, we honestly expected the quality that we had experienced during our tasting. read more

Our son & daughter-in-law married 9/2023 in CA. where they live with 9 family members present. So, we wanted to celebrate their marriage with friends and family in VA. The venue was Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton on 10/6/2024. We chose Purple Onion to cater the party. I involved our son and daughter-in-law in the planning process and menu selections. Ellie was very patient and helpful throughout the planning. She made wonderful food recommendations for our menu. And the tasting was like a fine dining experience at their Vienna office. I am still receiving compliments about the food. Thank-you to Ellie, Emma who was present the day of the party at Paradise Springs Winery and kept everything moving as planned , the Chef and staff. It was wonderful, Ellie and Purple Onion staff took care of everything. I would highly recommend Purple Onion catering. read more

Working with Purple Onion for our party this summer was the smartest decision we made for our large event. The lead up was easy and Phoebe ran us through everything we needed to think about even party tips and suggestions outside their catering purview and blown away at the way everything was beautifully displayed. The menu options were terrific and the choices we made were delicious. The party goers were well fed. The on-site team (Luis was lead) had everything taken care of from set up, party time, and break down. Catering can be a big cost for your party but it is well worth it when you go with a team like Purple Onion! read more

I absolutely loved Purple Onion! We used them to cater our wedding based on the recommendations of our planner and tons of positive online reviews. And they really lived up to all the recommendations. The people we worked with were all so friendly and knowledgeable, I loved the tasting experience, and the fact that we got to try literally all the food that was served at our wedding. And the food itself was DELICIOUS! Multiple people told us the food was amazing. At the end of the night, they even boxed up extras for us to take home! The best part though was that they specifically made a few cultural dishes for us! We gave them a few recipes of dishes specific to my country, and they tried them all! We ended up picking just one (because the other appetizers they had were just too good), but the fact that they were willing to try and then made them for our wedding impressed me so much. I 100% recommend Purple Onion! read more

Purple Onion is a wonderfully, professional caterer. Margaret helped me with the menu, arrangements, etc. for a reception at my house following my husband's funeral. Everything turned out beautifully! The caterers were friendly, professional and efficient. The menu was outstanding, and I received many compliments about the food from my guests. Thank you! I will certainly recommend you to friends and family. read more

I hosted a rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding. I was a bit frustrated with my chosen venue and the information they provided to me. I reached out to Purple Onion who put me at ease, offered wonderful advice and made the experience easier for me. The choice of food was abundant and WOW it was DELICIOUS. The servers were attentive and fun to work with! I would recommend them and certainly hope to have an opportunity to use them again! read more

I worked with Margaret for catering for a company event, Her and the team are absolutely amazing! The staff were so welcoming and friendly. The food was amazing, everyone raved about it! Their team comes in and knows exactly what they're doing. Their service is impeccable. They really put a lot of effort and care into their food and client. Definitely will be catering from them again! read more

Purple Onion Catering helped us plan and execute an employee appreciation luncheon for over 400 boxed lunches for multiple locations throughout DC. The food and service was perfect! Our teams appreciated the variety of food options. Paige and all of the team members went above and beyond to make this event happen. We will absolutely use them again! read more

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While Purple Onion offers an extensive selection that were high-quality, elegant and delicious, we attribute our stress-free experience to Brooke's exceptional support. She worked tirelessly from day 1 to the end of the event to ensure every detail (no matter how small) was perfect. She's been responsive to all my questions (and there were a lot) and provided great recommendations based on her extensive experience. Thanks to Brooke and the team (from the captain, to the servers and bartenders) for making our wedding day so memorable. It likely wouldn't have been so perfect without all her hard work and dedication. For those interested in having your wedding or special event catered, not only will you (and your guests) enjoy an amazing meal but you'll also work alongside a very talented professional, like Brooke. We definitely recommend! read more

I worked with Brooke on the menu for our son's engagement party. We loved the selection of heavy appetizers and sweets that she put together. The server who supported our event, Ximena, did an outstanding job. She set up a beautiful buffet, kept the food replenished and cleared used plates and glasses. She even washed glasses so they were ready to go when we cleaned up. Everyone raved about the food and I was able to relax and be a guest at my own affair! This is the second event we've catered with Purple Onion and they will be my first call for my next celebration! read more

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I have had food from here several times for different events and it has been wonderful! Brooke is always so kind and efficient in her work. She is friendly and outgoing. Quick to respond and always willing to help. She goes above and beyond in her job and her efforts show. If you're considering purple onion, you should definitely give it a go. And ask for Brooke! You don't be let down in the quality of service or in the food. i always get excited when I go to meetings and we have purple onion again and Brooke is a leading expert in customer service and experience. For sure have to check them out! I wish I had pictures to post, but the food is always gone too fast for me to snag one. ‍ Trust me when I say from presentation to experience to taste. you won't be sad you chose purple onion. and you need to work with brooke! you're missing out on the full experience if you don't. read more

I had a challenging time communicating with this caterer. Their initial process of getting to know their clients and setting up a proposal was a hassle. I tried several times to schedule a phone call with someone and no one was available to take the time to speak with me. On two occasions someone was out of the office on vacation for several weeks or the excuse was they're short staffed. Yes I get it because of Covid but all I was asking was for a short phone call and was willing to sign a contract after a tasting. I stated right from the beginning that I was interested in the company and was ready for a tasting. But after they insisted I follow their process, I did what was needed and then saw no motivation on the companies end to offer me the next step. I ended up getting frustrated and putting the search for a caterer on hold. No one followed up with me at this time or let me know of any further information. About a month passed after I got my estimated proposal emailed to me and I got the energy to reach out to this company and see if I was finally able to set up a tasting. To my surprise, tastings were only going on for another month and they were booked. I would have to wait 4 months for the next one and pay the money now up front. The worst part is I was never given a heads up that this could happen and I clearly stated from the jump I wanted to get a tasting with this caterer. I would never buy a vehicle without test driving it and I would certainly never sign a contract with a caterer for 10s of thousands of dollars without at least trying a bite of food. But then again, what good is it having great food if I have to risk having poor customer service for the next several months before my wedding? To say the least the customer service wasn't professional. The email I got back in regard to my situation was rude and was far from empathetic. That alone was enough for me to realize I rather spend my money else where. read more

Purple Onion catered our 9/26 wedding, and it was a wonderful experience from beginning to end! Due to covid, our large indoor reception was completely scrapped for a smaller outdoor reception in late June. We worked with Paige who was beyond sweet, patient, and helpful (especially when it came to answering my hundreds of questions) We were so impressed with the service and even had guests sharing positive experiences. The food was all delicious, especially the dessert bar (I didn't actually get to try any on our wedding night because the minis were getting swept up so quickly). I am so glad I chose Purple Onion and have nothing but great things to say about how professional, warm, and enthusiastic Paige and the entire staff were! read more

Purple Onion catered my daughter's small (20 person) backyard wedding on Oct 10. The food was delicious (short ribs, cranberry chicken, Mac 'n cheese) and service was flawless and flexible. Day of the wedding a few things came up and whenever I said "Could we...or Would you...?" Kristen said "We'll take care of it". It was exactly what we wanted: intimate, elegant, relaxed and simple. Highly recommend them! read more

My previous caterer moved out of the area recently, and Purple Onion has catered several events for us now. Brooke has been fantastic in the coordinating of these events and ensured that they all go smoothly. I can tell you first hand that Brooke cares a lot about her clients and ensuring they have awesome event experiences, whether it's a typical Realtor open house, a medium sized gathering, a full-blown wedding party, or anything in between. Oh, and the food is really good too. Call Purple Onion, and ask for Brooke!!! read more

Trying to figure out how to do something special for my boyfriend's 50th birthday in the time of Covid was looking depressing. Until we decided to have a small backyard get together catered by Purple Onion. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. What a fantastic experience!! Where do I even start!?!? Everything from the booking to packing up was so smooth. The staff,(I cannot remember their names), was amazing. They did an impeccable job providing fantastic food and excellent service, while keeping everyone safe. They were fun and professional, as well as efficient. Thank you so much Purple Onion for making such a special evening!!!! We cannot thank you enough!! read more

My partner and I just hired Purple Onion Catering to cater our wedding next year. We did our tasting today, and the vegetarian, fish, and chicken options were delicious. The attention we were given by Margaret, our Event Planner, Margo, the owner, and the rest of the Purple Onion team has been great in the several weeks we've been working with them. We contacted a few other caterers and found them to be less straightforward about pricing and less timely in their response to our inquiries. Margaret has always been responsive whenever we've called or emailed with questions, and we appreciate the attention she has given us all along. Our experience at the tasting today was lovely. There were many delicious options, all presented beautifully, and our favorites were the chicken and waffle, the lump crab cake, and the butternut squash in phyllo. We also enjoyed every vegetarian dish we were offered. The cakes were also tasty so we decided not to go with an outside bakery. We appreciated how they walked us through event planning for our venue. My partner and I are both organized, spreadsheet-keeping types, but we learned today that we didn't think of everything. It's okay though, because Purple Onion has it covered, and we like knowing that we'll be able to enjoy our event and leave the details up to the professionals. We were also pleased that no one seemed to care that we're a same-sex couple; we were simply treated respectfully as potential customers who like good food, and that's all we would hope for. Sadly, this hasn't been our experience when we've dealt with other caterers and chefs, who did a poor job at hiding their surprise that two women showed up. Purple Onion has been great so far, and we're overjoyed that they'll be providing the food for our wedding. I saw some eye-rolling happening at the food tasting, and I can't wait to see my friends and family doing that over dinner on our wedding day. Thank you to Margaret and everyone at Purple Onion! read more

I hired Purple Onion to cater a baby shower I was hosting for my daughter. I live in SF, and the event was in DC - so I was particularly interested in working with someone who could assist with details that would be challenging given the long distance planning. While I was assured by Joanie Rylander that she and Purple Onion would be perfect for the event - - the whole experience was far less than perfect. First, getting in touch with our planner, Joanie, was an exercise in frustration. I started planning the August event in April. It took two weeks to get a formal proposal from her. Her excuse was that May was a big wedding month, so "hey, I'll be on it - just let me get through May." So, OK I thought - this is just a glitch - I'll wait for the details until June. But from then on, it was a continual struggle to get her to either talk with me on the phone or return emails. Every single meeting time that I set with her was delayed by at least 30 minutes to an hour or more. During the calls she was rushed (although she continued to assure me that she "does this every day and is very good at her job" - really?). Emails went unanswered. Emails were lost and had to be resent multiple times. So amazingly frustrating! Second, her "attention to detail" was marginal at best. For instance, after promising to send linen samples on May 11th, she finally sent me some photos of linens in mid-July (and then had the audacity to up-charge me for those same linens in the final bill in August even though the linen selection occurred in mid-July and the contract was updated in late July). Contracts took weeks to update - I had to continually remind her of the details of the changes. Decor for the event, which she had earlier promised as "one of her specialties" was dealt with so off-handledly by her that even in the last days leading up to the event something as critical as flower arrangements were still problematic (she said she had vases - which then she didn't have and we ended up having to go in a different direction the day before the event.) And last, on the day of the event - Joanie showed up for exactly 30 minutes. She threw the linens on the tables, introduced me to the catering staff, helped make sure that the catering staff was informed and scurried out of there in a new-york-minute. Several friends who were there to help set up commented specifically on her hurried attitude - as if this was an intrusion on her morning plans. As for the actual catering staff on the day of the event? They couldn't have been nicer. They were kind and helpful and so gracious towards my guests. The food was good, although it sure wasn't good enough to make up for the crappy pre-event planning. The iron platters that they used to try to keep the food warm did not work effectively, so items on the buffet got cold very quickly. So, bottom-line - - I wouldn't hire them again even if I could change event planners. I was really hoping for an experience that made planning the shower for my first grandchild fun and collaborative. In the end it was a grind. How sad. read more

Purple Onion catered a 25 person birthday/cocktail party for us last night at a private residence. It was the easiest party we've ever thrown. Walter, our waiter/bartender, was friendly, super efficient, and made great mojitos - the signature cocktail. By the time the party ended, all we had to do was to put away a few leftovers. Walter had taken care of all the clean up and even washed the dishes. The food was delicious and beautiful, as is always the case with the Purple Onion. Margaret, our account manager, responded quickly to inquiries, was creative and flexible with menu choices, and worked within our budget. Price-wise, Purple Onion was the clear winner among the three catering firms we contacted. We would recommend them to friends, and would use them again without reservation. read more

I went to an event that The Purple Onion catered. They had bread, crackers, spreads, fruit platter, veggie platter, sandwiches, desserts and drinks. The food was wonderful. The staff was friendly and helpful. They had a feta orzo pasta salad that I wish I could have their recipe. Their grilled veggies were out of this world. They had a great variety of cheeses including a dill cheddar cheese, brie, and a soft cheese with peaches. The bread and spreads that were amazing too. I would absolutely recommend them. Everything was refilled quickly too. They had a good selection of drinks as well, both diet and regular soda, coffee, and water. read more

We've had Purple Onion cater two large meetings for our church. The food is excellent and affordable. The service is great as well. Brooke was our sales rep and she made the entire process smooth for us. Highly recommend for large gatherings. read more

Purple Onion catered my wedding exactly one year ago today. It was amazing!! The food at our wedding was more delicious than the tasting and looked beautiful as well. Meredith and Alison were so helpful and went out of their way to make our day special. Meredith was so hands on the day of the wedding- she even helped with flowers and organizing everyone for the ceremony. She directed guests and helped with the venue. I would highly recommend this company for any event. They worked with our budget and everything turned out perfectly! We loved Purple Onion!!! read more

I have used caterers in the past. Plenty. By far this has been one of the best. I had a death in the family and needed food. Called and spoke to someone right Away. (Katy). She came up with a menu. It was perfect. I had them use real platters. Which were beautiful. The men who delivered the food showed us exactly what to do and when. Very professional. The food was delicious. I was blown away by the presentation. Everything was amazing ! I would definitely use them again. And would absolutely suggest them to anyone needing catering. read more

Brooke helped us plan the perfect menu for our 120 person party. The food was delicious, and the service was impeccable. Highly recommend!

Purple Onion had previously catered many of our holiday parties at our home in Northern Virginia. We normally procured a bartender, and serving staff for our events. We knew immediately that we would be using Purple Onion Catering when we decided to host our only granddaughter's first birthday. My daughter in law's family would be arriving from Romania, UK and Greece. After speaking to our planner Brooke Hickling in February and providing her with all the necessary information to include the date, I reviewed the proposal that was sent as a result of choices I had made during our conversation. I conveyed that the RSVP's are coming family members in Greece, Romania, and London and the invitations stated the RSVP deadline was April 6 due to the responses coming from overseas. Neither the proposed nor during any of our conversations was there ever a mention of cancellation by a certain date or a required deposit. As a matter of fact the only reference to cancellations was the weather cancellation policy. I was never contacted via telephone or email until I recieved an email from our planner Brooke on March 14 saying the following, " Hey Lorena, I haven't heard back since sending over the proposal but I just wanted to let you know that we are officially booked for April XX. We will no longer be able to cater your event. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused." I was shocked and wrote back immediately and asked why they were cancelling my event without notice and recieved the following response: "Lorena, I sent over your proposal to my supervisor and she said there is nothing we can do. We are completely booked. I figured since I never heard back with your menu selections you went elsewhere. Usually when I hear back about the menu is when we move forward in confirmation. I apologize for the miscommunication and inconvenience this may have caused." I contacted another catering company who are 5 stars and they will now cater my event. Be careful before securing a date with the Purple Onion because it could be cancelled without your knowledge. read more

We had Purple Onion cater our daughter's bat mitzvah (guest count of 90) and the service and professionalism was top notch from the initial inquiry to the evening itself. The management was incredibly responsive and accommodating (we have dietary restrictions) and the staff was superb. We received too many compliments to count on how wonderful the food was the entire evening (we had a full dinner buffet with station apps and delicious desserts). The event staff was on top of every detail - and our event could not have run smoother. Thank you Purple Onion for providing such exceptional service to make our daughter's event so special. read more

Don't waste your time with this catering company. Unresponsive and they're extremely unprofessional. Our POC was MIA throughout the preplanning process. She's happens to be the daughter-in-law of the owner so good luck discussing post-wedding service issues. They were extremely defensive. Much better companies in the DMV area. Lesson learned. read more

Purple Onion was referred to me by a friend and hired them to cater our company's holiday dinner party. They were a pleasure from the initial phone call, and gave me multiple options promptly. They showed up on time, set it up beautifully, and the food was fantastic! Everybody commented to me how much they enjoyed all the food. The chicken roulade and short ribs were moth watering. The dinner was perfectly hot even though we took extra time with the cocktail hour and appetizers. I was very pleased and plan to use them again. read more

I hired Purple Onion for a very special no-more chemo celebration for our daughter. The event was half kids, and, as an event planner myself, I had pretty high expectations for food, service and execution. Our planner, Paige, was so much fun and took my every whim and ran with it. There wasn't anything she said 'no' to and went with our all pink & gold theme - making every food she could pink. She was busy early on in the planning because of wedding season, but as we got closer in, we got everything we needed in a very timely manner, and nothing was a surprise. The proposal was accurate from day 1. Our on site team was decent - we loved our bartender, Walter, (who was AWESOME.) I did hear one complaint about adults being scolded by the staff for eating off the kids' buffet. The food? Holy cow, the food was AMAZING. I had so many people approach me about who had done everything and was thrilled to hand out Purple Onion, and Paige's numbers. read more

Contacted Purple Onion about a wedding and quickly received a reply from Brooke. Waited about a week for a quote and didn't hear back. I went ahead and reached out 2 additional times and haven't heard anything. read more

Purple onion is a fantastic catering firm. We had a retirement and birthday party at my house and EVERYTHING was outstanding. The staff were first rate, presentation of the food was incredible and the pre-planning and communication with the catering professionals was perfect. Everyone at the party raved about the food. Will definitely use them again read more

Hired them for my wedding and highly do not recommend them! First off they are a bit pricey, but my wedding planner advised that they were one of the best in the DC area. NOT! Here is some of what I experienced: The food at the tasting was delicious, however, the food at the wedding was the complete opposite! They served mushrooms on the steak when we made it clear that we did not like mushrooms. We were served a juicy white meat breast at the tasting but served a bone-in chicken at the wedding. Total bait and switch! Half of my guests did not even eat because either the food was too cold or not tasty. The worst part about Purple Onion is that customer service is NON- EXISTENT. Joanie is the worst event planner that I've ever encountered. She has no patience, a horrible attitude and refuses to admit that her "team" was rude to all of my guests and that they screwed up! 4 people did not show up for the wedding, Purple Onion charged me per person, did not leave the meals that weren't used, and did not offer an apology for how rude their staff were to my guests and how they screwed up the food. We ended up e-mailing the owner, Margo, and her response has infuriated me even more! We only asked for a 10% refund (which is very reasonable considering what happened) She pretty much said that we were being unreasonable, and that she considered this matter "closed". Margo and Joanie- you both need to take a course in customer service because your company is lacking in this! I will be turning you into the BBB and trashing you all over the internet along with several of my guests who experienced the horrible customer service from your team. read more

I used them for my wedding: Awful customer service. Staff was rude and would reply to my guests with "I'm not a waitress, go get your soda at the bar." I was missing 5 meals that were paid for and the Owner of the company (Margot Jones) refused to reimburse us for their NUMEROUS mistakes!! Seems like they are just in it for the sale, not to retain customers! I would never recommend this catering company to anyone!! read more

Customer Service - D It was impossible to get a response from them. Even after the event I had to chase them down to pay the bill. They didn't respond to emails, didn't get us new quotes after changes were made. One time, I finally caught them on the phone, had a long phone call with this lady and when I went back in, in person since they weren't responding to emails, she didn't remember any of the changes we'd discusses during our phone call! Infuriating. Staff - A The waitstaff, however, went above and beyond and were courteous. Food - C The food was all made from frozen. Heated in a toaster oven. No fresh ingredients. And by the time the tray pass got to me the food was all cold. Some folks said nice things about it but I thought it was a real disappointment. read more

Catered my friend's wedding. The good: the food was delicious. The bad: the service was embarrassing. Literally . . . all the food was out buffet-style but when guests began helping themselves, we were reprimanded and told we needed to wait until the buffet was 'open'. This after people had been eating the food for 20-30 minutes already! Shaming the guests is not in my playbook of good hospitality. read more

As an event planner, I'm a catering snob. So during at a recent swanky house party, I was certain I was being served by a familiar DC top notch catering company that I know well. I was so wrong! It was my introduction to the artful deliciousness that is Purple Onion. Fresh tuna sashimi crusted in spices and served creatively on a bed of grass was most memorable. The polished and friendly staff was impressive too. read more