SCAM!!! For The Love…read moreof God Do Not Do Business With Orcas Island Catering! Buckle up for a wedding horror story. Where to even begin. He did not actually show up to our wedding. Essentially, he made his wife do the entire thing on her own after double-booking our day. Considering the cost of this meal was equivalent to a down payment on a new vehicle and above the average per-plate catering price on the mainland, convince me why I shouldn't take this to small claims! We had engaged with every other catering service on the island but wanted OIC as they promised labor. We were highly impressed by the reviews, photos and other events and weddings that had tagged Orcas Island Catering, which motivated us to book with Steve. The first phone call - he rudely asked why I was calling - and if I was calling to get to his *very high profile clients whose names I will not mention here* (first red flag). After explaining I just needed a caterer for a wedding, negotiations began. Mind you, we planned this wedding remotely, as we are not island residents - so we had no physical interaction with OIC before the wedding (my bad for not doing my due diligence). But - after hearing about his other high profile clients, I thought - well certainly he'd be the BEST caterer to hire!? The rubbery, undercooked, previously frozen mozzarella sticks and naked tomatoes and mozzarella "skewers" toothpicks spoke for themselves. Initially communication was good, and we had solidified a detailed menu and services (screenshot below) and a contract was signed and a deposit was paid. He talked about his experience at pastry school and promised homemade focaccia and garlic breads. (We had store bought breadsticks). He raved about the seafood he could supply for the seafood pasta option. (The itty bitty squid legs in the fettuccine were pathetic). PASSED hours-devours. Bartenders. Bussers. The whole 9 yards. He was the only caterer I talked to that promised labor. Red flag #2. Communication went dark several weeks leading up to the wedding. No responses to emails or calls from myself, my mother, or our wedding planner. We were beginning to worry that we were being ghosted. He eventually called my mom back, apologized and aligned expectations with her. We did not have a confirmation call as promised to review the menu and make final edits to headcount / services needed. Had we done this, they wouldn't have needed to supply a dessert selection because we DIY'd all of our own desserts (thank god, the 1 saving grace). According to our wedding planners and staff, Steve was at another job because he either double or triple booked his catering team for our date based on what they were hearing. He stated they would arrive to the venue as early as 8:30am and be "in and out" all day. Only 2 people first arrived around 2:45pm for a 6 PM planned meal. It was our understanding that catering was bringing/supplying ice, so we were waiting for their arrival to fill the coolers. My wedding planners were forced to buy ice at the last minute. When planners checked in with catering around 3pm, there was one man and one woman food prepping. At 4:40pm when all guests arrived from ceremony, they noticed no one was behind the bar. They went downstairs and saw only the one woman (later find out she's Steve's wife) food prepping. The other man had left?? Asked her to get bartending as was contracted. She looked panicked and said they weren't supposed to start until 5pm. Upstairs, the planners began bartending as guests were trying to start grabbing drinks from behind the bar. Once Steve's wife came to take over, the planners told her they had MAST permits so they jumped in. She looked at us VERY confused. I asked if she knew what a MAST permit is, she said no. There was a female helper with the food. She said she got called in that morning to help. Once guests came inside for dinner, the planners took over the bar again so Steve's wife and the other gal could bring up food. The wife relieved planners from the bar after and told them she had more help on the way (Steve). Planners went downstairs to eat dinner and the female gal was gone. She had to leave to "lead a sunset kayak tour"... So Steve's wife was working catering alone + trying to bartend for at least 2 hours. The planners and her helped each other through the night. Around 10:40pm she left (Steve never came!). Had we known these challenges would have been present, and completed a tasting prior, we would have done business with Matthew's Smoke House (who did not have labor but has AMAZING FOOD).

This review was a long time coming. We hired OIC to cater my son's wedding on 7/2023. The event…read moreand the food provided were excellent! Steve went above and beyond our expectations. He was also very accommodating to our requests.

We worked with them for our welcome party (pizzas and salads) and for our wedding (paella and lots…read moreof apps) and would do it all over again and again! Thorough, adaptive, detail oriented, fantastic humans, everyone truly felt the love their team has for what they do and it showed in the food. As a type A bride, I kept thinking about what could go wrong and answered all my questions. They were incredibly helpful, communicative, and everything was better than we could have hoped for. Almost 2 years later my family (some are from Spain) still rave about all the recipes from the pizzas to the oysters to the tapas to the paella. we didn't even do an official tasting (lack of time on our part) and we just and tried their food at the farmers market and fell in love. The PRESENTATION could not have been better. Truly an experience. We're dying for another reason to have a party and would love to work with them again! 19485838/10, highly recommend! If they had a list of references, I would gladly be on that list because I can't say enough amazing things about them and our experience.

We're big off season travelers and had the magical experience of having this place to ourselves…read moreover Christmas. Our Scandinavia-inspired guesthouse was exactly what we were looking for - thoughtfully designed with huge windows, nestled among towering trees, and every amenity was extremely considered and of the highest quality. The property itself is spectacular with a communal garden, hot tub, and sauna plus plenty of space to wander. There's also a trio of goats and views of the North Bay for days. Core memories made!

I'd like to "Thank You" for the generosity you showed my family during the Tribute to Matthew…read moreMiller on Saturday, April 12, 2025. It was a perfect day of weather after a long winter of rain. The event space and grounds far exceeded any expectations. Both Valeri and Shayne were professional and delightful. I highly recommend Saltwater Farms to anyone who wants to book any event on San Juan Island. Best, Christine Miller and family

My partner and I hired Chris to cook for us regularly and it has been absolutely wonderful!! All of…read moreher meals are delicious, healthy, and satisfying. Amazing value for what you're getting too! There is always plenty of food, and we have not ordered delivery since she started cooking for us. We have actually SAVED money! She is friendly and incredibly professional. Plus the delicious smells that fill our apartment when she's cooking are a bonus! Highly recommend!!

I've been a fan of Marie's Bees for so many years now! Marisa has built an amazing business not…read moreonly selling honey-based products from her own bees, but providing education about the importance of bees. It's always a joy to see her booth set up at a local vendor show or farmer's market. And it's easy to order products from her website if I run out between shows! My favorite to order is one of her creamed honeys (my favorite is the Cinnamon). And at a recent Christmas craft show I bought her Gardener's Wax salve which has been wonderful on my dry skin this winter! I also love to grab a bottle of her fabulous Honey Oxymel as a gift for my mom, who uses it to make lovely salad dressings. I even took a cheese-making class from Marissa once, and hope at some point to have time to do it again! Marie's Bees is a wonderful, local, women-owned, family-owned business that I hope to "bee" able to support for years to come!

I attended a special Yelp cheese making class with Marisa at the Chuckanut Center. What a fun…read moreclass. Marisa is such a great teacher and host. During our class we learned the basics of making mozzarella cheese. Repetition always helps me learn, and in this case we were able to repeat the process a couple of times which really helped me feel confident in home-made cheese making. We learned how to check the process as we worked through to make sure things were progressing as they should. Knowing the steps and how the cheese should be looking was a big help. We learned how adding honey to some cheese varieties can provide an unusual and tasty addition. It was eye-opening to see how much milk makes this much cheese (no wonder cheese can often be expensive!) During our class, we made a couple of batches of farm cheese with fruit and herbs (from the on site garden) as well as a batch of mozzarella (some in balls and some in string cheese form). These are highly interactive classes with lots of opportunities to take part in the process. If you like learning and doing, Marisa's classes are the best!

This is a lovely inn with a cozy vibe, a comfortable living room, game table, and a wonderful…read moreoutdoor space for relaxing. The room was extremely clean, mostly comfortable, and the breakfast was delicious. The owners, Jessica and Mike, are friendly and quick to assist with anything you need. Will definitely be staying here again on my next visit and recommend it for a quiet, homey stay.

We had a great experience staying here. The nightly rate is awesome for what you get. Checkin and…read morecheckout were a breeze. Room was clean and bed was comfortable. The cookies every day were such a nice touch. The area is easily walkable which was nice. The complimentary breakfast was so good! The hashbrowns on the second day were quite literally the best hashbrowns I've ever had, I was so impressed. You eat with other guests at the same time which is also charming. It seems like the inn draws in a lot of kind people as all the guests that I came in contact with were very friendly! The staff was also so so nice. Definitely would stay again!!

Jaclyn's charcuterie boards are nothing short of excellent! They are a feast for the eyes and…read moredelightful in flavor. I've had the pleasure of seeing many of her creations - from sweet and decadent dessert boards to gorgeous charcuterie spreads at events, and all of them have been a beautiful work of art with impressive creativity and flavorful choices. Her boards are so stunning, it's almost hard to dig in. But then you take that first bite and you can't stop!!

We enjoyed a little family getaway here! They've got pet-friendly rooms so it was perfect for us…read more Upon arrival, they had a little corner set up for our dog...dog bed, towels, and a treat bag! It was so cute!! It was an easy check in, friendly staff. The bay view suits are a pretty good size and the bed was comfy! The little kitchenette was handy to have, and was stocked with the basics. Great views and so close to everything. There are many stores and restaurants close by that are easy to walk to. The only little complaint we had was that the shower water could've been hotter. But other than that, it was an amazing stay! We will definitely be coming back to stay here!!

The word is quaint. Yes, it's a cliche, but it's accurate. The staff at the front desk is super…read morehelpful, I believe we were helped by someone named Pluto, who was very patient with us . . . We had two little kids that were obsessed with the candy bowls, and my wife's elderly (we are of Indian origin) parents who . . . let's just say, they had a lot of interesting questions. The rooms were really nice...very clean and spacious. This place accommodates dogs. Let me rephrase, they welcome dogs. They had a cot for each of our dogs to sleep in, treats, poop bags, and a coupon for the neighborhood pet shop. I think it says a lot about a place when they welcome dogs with such open arms. Outlook Inn is also situated near the downtown area and is walking distance from some nice shops and restaurants. This doesn't count towards this rating but Orcas island was beautiful. I highly recommend you visit and stay at Outlook Inn, especially if you have a dog.