I have had two work parties/lunches catered and it was perfect.
Janice Hoffman
Kate and her chefs made delicious food and Andrea and Karen brought it over to my party and set up and served and were delightful and helpful and made the party wonderful.
Leyla I.
Having Kate and the Blackstrap BBQ team cater our wedding was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning! From the beginning Kate was so fantastic to work with. She helped us pick the perfect menu, decor and made all the logistics a breeze. Any time we had a question or concern (be it about food, our venue, drinks, floor plan, you name it) Kate was so fast to respond and put us at ease. Kate's planning and day of coordinating services really went above and beyond! On the day of she made sure everything ran so smoothly that my husband, our family and I didn't have to worry about a thing! Also, the food was delicious (we got so many compliments from our guests about the amazing BBQ!) We would 100% recommend Blackstrap BBQ to anyone looking for an event caterer! Thank you Kate!
Amber N.
Kate and her team were absolutely amazing. She was a dream to work with coordinating all of the details for our day, and we had so much fun too! She was super helpful and knowledgable and assisted us with coordinating with our venue and rental company as well. Her staff was delightful, the food was insanely good, and she was just the best to work with. We only wish we had more leftovers! I would recommend Kate and Tastyplates to all of my friends and family getting married in the area and could not have asked for anything better!
Ben W.
I recommend Kate and Tastyplates without reservation to anyone planning an event of any size. They catered my wedding and everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Guests raved about the quality of the food, from the passed hors d'oeuvres to the entrees. I have not had better BBQ in the northeast. The thing that stood out the most was how attentive and on top of everything Kate was during the event itself - Not only will she act as caterer, but she will act as overall organizer and planner for your event. Reach out to TastyPlates/Blackstrap today if you are looking to plan an event! Also, in response to another review, I want to note that we did *not* have to pay for our tasting, other than for alcoholic drinks consumed. Everything else was free.
Julia K.
I did not end up hiring this caterer for my wedding next year because we did not have a great tasting experience. Kate was perfectly nice, but not as accommodating and professional as I expected based on other reviews. The food was okay - not terrible, but far from the best BBQ I've ever had. And I definitely thought the quote was overpriced for what it was. However, the biggest turn off was the fact that we were expected to pay for our tasting. If you are trying to convince someone to spend $6000+ on your catering services, don't invite them to your restaurant, offer them a beer and more food, and then bring them a bill. I'm not trying to sound like a princess, but we didn't have to pay for any of the other tastings we did, nor have I heard of someone being charged for that experience. I was just really unimpressed, and am amazed that they have such a stellar reputation.
Christine L.
Choosing to have Tastyplates cater our wedding at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center this summer was, without a doubt, the easiest and best decision we made in planning. Kate was enthusiastic, organized, and full of great ideas. She was easy to communicate with and made sure that we felt comfortable and were clear about every decision we made along the way. For someone who was planning on a budget, I can't express how valuable and reassuring it was to have a completely transparent, easy to understand invoice. Kate and Chris created a menu that suited our personalities perfectly. I've heard that brides don't usually eat much on their wedding days, but I went back for a second plate. Every bite was delicious. Our guests loved it, too. The service was great. Kate's kids helped serve the buffet! Our guests were never wanting for food and the bartenders kept them well-lubricated. Kate went above the call of duty on more than one occasion. When we told her we wanted a tower of donuts instead of a wedding cake, she didn't bat an eyelash and somehow assembled an out-of-this-world display. She patiently spent 4+ hours with me on the day before the wedding choosing and arranging ALL of the flowers for our big day. We would choose Tastyplates over and over again.
Elizabeth Johnson
Working Kate and the tastyplates team, from first contact to the actual ceremony and reception, was a positive (and delicious) experience throughout! Kate did a great job making sure nothing was missed in the planning, and was so generous with her time when I called or emailed with the inevitable nervous bride questions. She even called the cake company for me to confirm they would be there on time. On the day of, she kept everyone on track and on time, without being intrusive or bossy. The servers did a great job, and the food was absolutely incredible. The food was steaming hot when it reached the buffet, and the presentation was lovely. At every table, there were completely clean plates and satisfied guests.
Cambridge Life A.
We LOVE tastyplates and blackstrap BBQ!! We used Kate and her fabulous team for our wedding of 220 people at a farm in NH last weekend. They were such a dream to work with, Kate helped us every step of the way from tastings to a site visit; she has a million great ideas and the staff and wherewithal to make those ideas come to fruition. Our guests loved the food, we loved the food! we loved the staff, everyone was professional and having a great time- we even have some killer shots of our cooks in our photo booth. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend using Kate to anyone planning an event who wants to treat their guests to the kind of food everyone really wants to have at a party! The food is hands down the best BBQ in the greater Boston area- do yourself a favor and head out to the restaurant in Winthrop to get a feel for their food- you won't regret it! Cannot say enough about Tastyplates. We are so glad we used them for our wedding! :)
Hands down the best idea we did was to use TastyPlates. Right from the get go Kate was very polite , professional , and organized (this was the deciding factor between Tastyplates and another place) . The invoice was logically broken down and easy to understand, the food arrived on time and the person setting up was very polite and went right to setting up. The BlackStrap BBQ was amazing ! We had a lot of comments through out the night of where did we get the food and so on... The short and sweet - we will use Tastyplates again !
Elena M.
This review is long overdue! Kate and her wonderful team catered my outdoor wedding this past summer to unbelievable success. Guests are still raving about the food 9 months later. I knew I was in good hands from the moment that I called. Kate knows the ins and outs of the industry and gave us great recommendations for other vendors (tents, linens, etc.) and was able to work out an incredible menu within our budget. She's collaborative and really listens and is committed to giving you the best experience possible. I was seriously stressed until I found Kate! Suddenly, it all seemed doable :) Either way, get your butt to Blackstrap BBQ for a delish dinner.
Brendan S.
We found Tasty Plates for our wedding after basically resigning ourselves to the reality that our ideal caterer didn't exist. But they do! And they are Tasty Plates. The food is incredible; it even got the stamp of approval from my self-proclaimed barbecue snob wife (who is from Southern VA). Kate was accommodating, warm, super professional, very responsive-- we had an unequivocally good experience working with her and the whole team. Kate and Chris come from some of our favorite restaurants in the city, which made us all the more confident that they'd deliver some amazing food/service on the day of. Which they did. Every single guest proclaimed it the best wedding food they had ever had, no lie. The presentation hit the exact tone we were going for-- rustic, casual comfort food, beautifully plated and delicious, perfect for a low-key wedding. THANK YOU KATE!!
MaryLynne K.
Choosing Tastyplates was the best decision we could have made for our July wedding on Martha's Vineyard! We stumbled upon them by accident - I had seen a Boston Globe post about the amazing food at their restaurant, Blackstrap BBQ in Winthrop, and we decided to check it out for dinner one night. We were blown away by how good the food was - as good, or better, as what we've had in the South! And, they had Tastyplates- a catering division. We booked them more than a year in advance. Working with Kate was a dream - she was very responsive to my emails and phone calls and kept things organized. She also has a great creative side and helped me get ideas for colors, props, and overall style. Our wedding was on the Vineyard, and the Tastyplates team hadn't done a wedding there before, but Kate was excited to plan it. She helped me get all of the information ready for the ferry, and on the day of the wedding it was smooth sailing! I should mention that I looked into a few caterers on the Vineyard, but the food was your typical, boring plated chicken and fish with limp vegetables. It was also much higher in cost than Tastyplates. Catering is a hefty sum when planning an event but we feel that we got the best value we could have gotten in going with Tastyplates! Our guests could not believe how amazing the food was - we had a buffet set-up with bbq pulled chicken and pork, mac and cheese, pickles, cornbread, fresh in-season vegetable salad, and an assortment of sauces/rubs. For appetizers we had two different pizzas, a delicious smoked halloumi cheese tart, and even an oyster station (huge hit). The only regret we had at our wedding was having only one plate of food. We both were kicking ourselves later for not going back for seconds! Alas, we were spending time with our guests:-) Thank you so much to the entire Tastyplates staff, Chris who lead the amazing cooking, and especially to Kate for making our event a success!
Steven V.
I cannot recommend Tastyplates more highly. Kate and her friendly staff catered our wedding this past Saturday. It is now Monday morning, and this review is the first thing that I'm going to do today. I think it's important for anyone planning a wedding, who may be as overwhelmed and anxious as we were when first approaching the massive task of planning a wedding, to know that they will be in such good, capable hands with Tastyplates. We met Kate at Black Strap Barbeque in Winthrop, MA last fall and tasted the food that would be served at our wedding reception. We decided on the skirt steak, the vegetarian polenta lasagna and their delicious mashed potatoes. Before we left that restaurant we also got to try a lot of extra treats, notably the mac and cheese, which I would also highly recommend. The food was as delicious at the reception as it was that night, all made fresh at the reception venue. We immediately felt at ease with Kate. It was like meeting a new friend. It was so abundantly clear that she loves what she does. She went above and beyond for us. She made recommendations for other service providers (DJ and bakery for the wedding cake) that turned out to be just right. She went above and beyond for us in the days preceding the wedding, sacrificing her free time, without any additional compensation, to make sure that everything would go smoothly. At the reception, she guided us through the various stages of the evening (the time to sit down for dinner for the toasts, the time to cut the cake). She found us periodically throughout the evening to make sure that we wouldn't have to wait in line for drinks or that we wouldn't miss sitting down for our entree while it was warm). It was like having a wedding planner there with us. The waiting staff was warm and friendly, and even joined us on the dance floor. As I think back on the evening I just smile. It was wonderful. Thank you!
Did a great job at our wedding!
I have had two work parties/lunches catered and it was perfect.
Kate and her chefs made delicious food and Andrea and Karen brought it over to my party and set up and served and were delightful and helpful and made the party wonderful.
Having Kate and the Blackstrap BBQ team cater our wedding was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning! From the beginning Kate was so fantastic to work with. She helped us pick the perfect menu, decor and made all the logistics a breeze. Any time we had a question or concern (be it about food, our venue, drinks, floor plan, you name it) Kate was so fast to respond and put us at ease. Kate's planning and day of coordinating services really went above and beyond! On the day of she made sure everything ran so smoothly that my husband, our family and I didn't have to worry about a thing! Also, the food was delicious (we got so many compliments from our guests about the amazing BBQ!) We would 100% recommend Blackstrap BBQ to anyone looking for an event caterer! Thank you Kate!
Kate and her team were absolutely amazing. She was a dream to work with coordinating all of the details for our day, and we had so much fun too! She was super helpful and knowledgable and assisted us with coordinating with our venue and rental company as well. Her staff was delightful, the food was insanely good, and she was just the best to work with. We only wish we had more leftovers! I would recommend Kate and Tastyplates to all of my friends and family getting married in the area and could not have asked for anything better!
I recommend Kate and Tastyplates without reservation to anyone planning an event of any size. They catered my wedding and everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Guests raved about the quality of the food, from the passed hors d'oeuvres to the entrees. I have not had better BBQ in the northeast. The thing that stood out the most was how attentive and on top of everything Kate was during the event itself - Not only will she act as caterer, but she will act as overall organizer and planner for your event. Reach out to TastyPlates/Blackstrap today if you are looking to plan an event! Also, in response to another review, I want to note that we did *not* have to pay for our tasting, other than for alcoholic drinks consumed. Everything else was free.
I did not end up hiring this caterer for my wedding next year because we did not have a great tasting experience. Kate was perfectly nice, but not as accommodating and professional as I expected based on other reviews. The food was okay - not terrible, but far from the best BBQ I've ever had. And I definitely thought the quote was overpriced for what it was. However, the biggest turn off was the fact that we were expected to pay for our tasting. If you are trying to convince someone to spend $6000+ on your catering services, don't invite them to your restaurant, offer them a beer and more food, and then bring them a bill. I'm not trying to sound like a princess, but we didn't have to pay for any of the other tastings we did, nor have I heard of someone being charged for that experience. I was just really unimpressed, and am amazed that they have such a stellar reputation.
Choosing to have Tastyplates cater our wedding at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center this summer was, without a doubt, the easiest and best decision we made in planning. Kate was enthusiastic, organized, and full of great ideas. She was easy to communicate with and made sure that we felt comfortable and were clear about every decision we made along the way. For someone who was planning on a budget, I can't express how valuable and reassuring it was to have a completely transparent, easy to understand invoice. Kate and Chris created a menu that suited our personalities perfectly. I've heard that brides don't usually eat much on their wedding days, but I went back for a second plate. Every bite was delicious. Our guests loved it, too. The service was great. Kate's kids helped serve the buffet! Our guests were never wanting for food and the bartenders kept them well-lubricated. Kate went above the call of duty on more than one occasion. When we told her we wanted a tower of donuts instead of a wedding cake, she didn't bat an eyelash and somehow assembled an out-of-this-world display. She patiently spent 4+ hours with me on the day before the wedding choosing and arranging ALL of the flowers for our big day. We would choose Tastyplates over and over again.
Working Kate and the tastyplates team, from first contact to the actual ceremony and reception, was a positive (and delicious) experience throughout! Kate did a great job making sure nothing was missed in the planning, and was so generous with her time when I called or emailed with the inevitable nervous bride questions. She even called the cake company for me to confirm they would be there on time. On the day of, she kept everyone on track and on time, without being intrusive or bossy. The servers did a great job, and the food was absolutely incredible. The food was steaming hot when it reached the buffet, and the presentation was lovely. At every table, there were completely clean plates and satisfied guests.
We LOVE tastyplates and blackstrap BBQ!! We used Kate and her fabulous team for our wedding of 220 people at a farm in NH last weekend. They were such a dream to work with, Kate helped us every step of the way from tastings to a site visit; she has a million great ideas and the staff and wherewithal to make those ideas come to fruition. Our guests loved the food, we loved the food! we loved the staff, everyone was professional and having a great time- we even have some killer shots of our cooks in our photo booth. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend using Kate to anyone planning an event who wants to treat their guests to the kind of food everyone really wants to have at a party! The food is hands down the best BBQ in the greater Boston area- do yourself a favor and head out to the restaurant in Winthrop to get a feel for their food- you won't regret it! Cannot say enough about Tastyplates. We are so glad we used them for our wedding! :)
Restaurantji Recommends
Hands down the best idea we did was to use TastyPlates. Right from the get go Kate was very polite , professional , and organized (this was the deciding factor between Tastyplates and another place) . The invoice was logically broken down and easy to understand, the food arrived on time and the person setting up was very polite and went right to setting up. The BlackStrap BBQ was amazing ! We had a lot of comments through out the night of where did we get the food and so on... The short and sweet - we will use Tastyplates again !
This review is long overdue! Kate and her wonderful team catered my outdoor wedding this past summer to unbelievable success. Guests are still raving about the food 9 months later. I knew I was in good hands from the moment that I called. Kate knows the ins and outs of the industry and gave us great recommendations for other vendors (tents, linens, etc.) and was able to work out an incredible menu within our budget. She's collaborative and really listens and is committed to giving you the best experience possible. I was seriously stressed until I found Kate! Suddenly, it all seemed doable :) Either way, get your butt to Blackstrap BBQ for a delish dinner.
We found Tasty Plates for our wedding after basically resigning ourselves to the reality that our ideal caterer didn't exist. But they do! And they are Tasty Plates. The food is incredible; it even got the stamp of approval from my self-proclaimed barbecue snob wife (who is from Southern VA). Kate was accommodating, warm, super professional, very responsive-- we had an unequivocally good experience working with her and the whole team. Kate and Chris come from some of our favorite restaurants in the city, which made us all the more confident that they'd deliver some amazing food/service on the day of. Which they did. Every single guest proclaimed it the best wedding food they had ever had, no lie. The presentation hit the exact tone we were going for-- rustic, casual comfort food, beautifully plated and delicious, perfect for a low-key wedding. THANK YOU KATE!!
Choosing Tastyplates was the best decision we could have made for our July wedding on Martha's Vineyard! We stumbled upon them by accident - I had seen a Boston Globe post about the amazing food at their restaurant, Blackstrap BBQ in Winthrop, and we decided to check it out for dinner one night. We were blown away by how good the food was - as good, or better, as what we've had in the South! And, they had Tastyplates- a catering division. We booked them more than a year in advance. Working with Kate was a dream - she was very responsive to my emails and phone calls and kept things organized. She also has a great creative side and helped me get ideas for colors, props, and overall style. Our wedding was on the Vineyard, and the Tastyplates team hadn't done a wedding there before, but Kate was excited to plan it. She helped me get all of the information ready for the ferry, and on the day of the wedding it was smooth sailing! I should mention that I looked into a few caterers on the Vineyard, but the food was your typical, boring plated chicken and fish with limp vegetables. It was also much higher in cost than Tastyplates. Catering is a hefty sum when planning an event but we feel that we got the best value we could have gotten in going with Tastyplates! Our guests could not believe how amazing the food was - we had a buffet set-up with bbq pulled chicken and pork, mac and cheese, pickles, cornbread, fresh in-season vegetable salad, and an assortment of sauces/rubs. For appetizers we had two different pizzas, a delicious smoked halloumi cheese tart, and even an oyster station (huge hit). The only regret we had at our wedding was having only one plate of food. We both were kicking ourselves later for not going back for seconds! Alas, we were spending time with our guests:-) Thank you so much to the entire Tastyplates staff, Chris who lead the amazing cooking, and especially to Kate for making our event a success!
I cannot recommend Tastyplates more highly. Kate and her friendly staff catered our wedding this past Saturday. It is now Monday morning, and this review is the first thing that I'm going to do today. I think it's important for anyone planning a wedding, who may be as overwhelmed and anxious as we were when first approaching the massive task of planning a wedding, to know that they will be in such good, capable hands with Tastyplates. We met Kate at Black Strap Barbeque in Winthrop, MA last fall and tasted the food that would be served at our wedding reception. We decided on the skirt steak, the vegetarian polenta lasagna and their delicious mashed potatoes. Before we left that restaurant we also got to try a lot of extra treats, notably the mac and cheese, which I would also highly recommend. The food was as delicious at the reception as it was that night, all made fresh at the reception venue. We immediately felt at ease with Kate. It was like meeting a new friend. It was so abundantly clear that she loves what she does. She went above and beyond for us. She made recommendations for other service providers (DJ and bakery for the wedding cake) that turned out to be just right. She went above and beyond for us in the days preceding the wedding, sacrificing her free time, without any additional compensation, to make sure that everything would go smoothly. At the reception, she guided us through the various stages of the evening (the time to sit down for dinner for the toasts, the time to cut the cake). She found us periodically throughout the evening to make sure that we wouldn't have to wait in line for drinks or that we wouldn't miss sitting down for our entree while it was warm). It was like having a wedding planner there with us. The waiting staff was warm and friendly, and even joined us on the dance floor. As I think back on the evening I just smile. It was wonderful. Thank you!