Putting On the Ritz Catering

We got married on Friday, December 13th 2024 at The Cloisters Castle and we could not be more pleased with our decision to hire Putting on the Ritz as our caterer. They were heavily involved from the early planning stages until the event to make sure all our needs were met and to make sure our event went off with no issues. We had a ton of compliments around how good the food was, and we were just super happy with everything. I highly recommend splurging a little extra for the hot chocolate/cider bar, especially if you're getting married in the colder months - this was the highlight of the event! They even accommodated my special cocktail request. We just loved working with them and they were amazing in every way - no complaints at all, everything went smoothly and the food was delicious!

Putting on the Ritz was the caterer for our wedding, and overall they provided great value for the quality of the food they served. Their communication style was collaborative and flexible, though they could sometimes be inaccessible, likely due to staff changes over the 2 years we booked with them. They made sure to save us money where they could and were very flexible with menu changes throughout the planning process. While we sometimes wished they were more communicative, the Putting on the Ritz team was dedicated to making our special day a success.

***The actual tasting and booking were great they were immediately on the ball with communicating, collaborating, and creating our dream wedding food/layout. We overall loved the food, the staff, and the presentation day off. We took off two stars because we were sometimes slightly frustrated with the communication style during the final months of planning, we didn't receive our final bill (although we did change our menu about a month out) until the week before the wedding, our final meeting with Mariah was rushed- which left a lot of confusion with our final floor plan (which we got literally a week before the wedding) and menu options, and we felt a bit sad to hear that 2 of the meals we asked for dietary restrictions---still included said dietary restrictions- especially for one of the mother-of-the-brides. She couldn't have dairy, eggs, or pineapple, and was given food- with eggs as a literal side :(. We also didn't We kept 3 stars because the process leading up to it was great, and the day of was lovely despite some allergy errors- but wanted to point this out for them to consider in the future when leading up to the big day.***

We hired POTR to cater our wedding at Josephine Butler Parks Center at the beginning of November 2024 and I was completely blown away by their service from the time we contacted them a year ago through clean up at the end of the night. POTR was stellar and flawless in every step of the way. We initially worked with Mila, who was responsive, professional and so helpful in helping us decide a menu. Planning a menu and catering for 150 people with different dietary needs but also staying within budget was no easy task. Mila presented us with a few options, and we chose a buffet with both meat and vegetarian options, as well as an antipasto display for cocktail hour. When we went in for the tasting, the food was amazing. We selected the top round, sesame chicken, portobello mushroom pasta, roast veggies, and mashed potatoes for our buffet, but we had such a difficult time deciding what to select because it was all so tasty. For the last three months leading up to the wedding, we ended up working with Bobby Mitchell and he was also phenomenal. When we did the walk through, he answered all of our questions (we had a lot) gave us advice on what would be the best seating arrangements, where to place the buffet, the best table sizes for the setups, and he even helped recommend contrasting colors for a few of the tablecloths and it looked amazing (we are so glad we took his advice!). His knowledge was invaluable and he was readily answered the phone when we had questions. Within two weeks of the wedding, I requested a change to the vegetarian option (we ended up going with the butternut squash ravioli) and they were happy to accommodate. We didn’t try it at the tasting, but since the food was delicious, we were confident it would be good. It ended up being a hit at our wedding—people loved the ravioli, which sat on top of spaghetti squash. It was so good—even the non-vegetarians raved about it! On the day of the wedding, POTR knocked it out of the park. They were on time, set up everything flawlessly and efficiently. During our cocktail hour, Bobby brought us up a plate of food from the antipasto display (the tortellini are delicious!) and drinks to make sure we ate. We also heard compliments from the guests that the antipasto was so good and delicious. Also, since our venue was a tight space, we ended up using the same room for the ceremony. POTR turned it around within an hour. I wish I took photos of the room because it was beautiful! During dinner, Bobby brought us plates of food to make sure we ate, which was invaluable since one of the tips we have gotten several times is to make sure you eat at your wedding. When it came time for clean up, they were the pros. They broke everything down, cleaned it all up, and were done within an hour. Bobby also gave us extra food that was not served (we ordered extra just in case) and he had it packed up neatly and ready for us to go at the end of the night. We couldn’t have asked for a more amazing caterer. Bobby is phenomenal and POTR has delicious food, is professional, and they clearly know what they are doing. I can’t sing their praises enough. If you are looking for an amazing caterer, look no further. POTR will impress you and, true to their name, they will be “putting on the ritz” for you. We are so grateful for POTR making our day extra special!

We cannot thank Putting on the Ritz enough for being such an amazing part of our special day! Every aspect of our catering experience was outstanding.

The team was professional and paid attention to every detail through every step of the way. Mariah was incredibly helpful, offering many advices not only on menu choice but also on table arrangement and layout plan. She was very kind and gave us lots of encouragement when we mentioned that we did not have a wedding planner. In the end, we did the buffet/station menu, which was all beautifully presented and very delicious, with the very same quality of our tasting day. We received so many compliments from our guests about the food!

The staffs at Putting on the Ritz Catering were also friendly, attentive, and ensured everything ran smoothly. There was a small misunderstanding between us and the venue, but the lady in charge (I apologize for not remembering her name) was very sweet and reassured us that: “Don’t worry, we’ll fix anything that went wrong.”

We highly recommend Putting on the Ritz Catering for any event!

P/S: Attached photos were taken by our photographer Konrad Brattke - Konrad Brattke Photography.

POTR catering was incredible, they were so professional, kind, the food was great, and they were so easy to work with. They were so reasonably priced for the services they provided and we couldn’t imagine another company doing a better job with our day.

I used Putting on the Ritz for my DC wedding reception this June. Bobby was wonderful to work with - flexible, understanding and honest throughout the process. Day of, his team took great care of us. They happily moved tables to make the dance floor bigger. Throughout the night they were cheerful, professional, and courteous. I'd definitely recommend them as a reliable, candid vendor.

Putting on the Ritz catered our wedding and it was perfect! The tables looked beautiful, the food was delicious and the staff was fantastic. We checked out several competitors in our area and Putting on the Ritz stood out in style, variety, and cost.

BLUF: I do NOT recommend.
I saw this catering company at a bridal/event show in April 2024 at Historic Oakland Mills, Columbia MD. The crepes station they had was delicious and all the people working at the event were beyond nice! I reached out to the catering company via their website and requested more information on the crepes station for my event. I got an initial response quickly from Mariah Hamilton, the catering sales manager, but when I stated I only wanted the crepes station for 50 people but for each person to have 2 crepes I never heard a response back from Mariah or anyone else. So I sent another email inquiry to the catering company requesting more information about a crepes station....and heard nothing back. It's now been a month of no communication from the catering company. So I've given up on the idea of a crepes station and just going with a different caterer.
I suppose I can understand from their point of view my request was very small and not on the overly expensive side, so I'm guessing they just didn't want to be bothered at all...?. However nowhere on the site, at least that I saw from the end of April 2024 does it state a minimum order fee. If Mariah or the website had stated "minimum order" I would have gone with the minimum and gotten my super delicious crepes station. But it's clearly not meant to be.
So for others planning small events and thinking of going with this company, skip them.
Bottom line: I DO NOT recommend.

Putting on the Ritz is a top tier catering company for weddings and events. We work a lot in the wedding industry as DJs and coordinators, and we have worked with many different catering companies and have eaten a lot of their food, and POTR consistently puts on an exceptional experience. Management is very involved and professional, and the staff is always friendly and fast. We have tried a few of their meals through various weddings and they have all always been just so good. You will love your dinner and your guests will all be letting you know how much they loved theirs.

We had Putting on the Ritz cater Thanksgiving dinner. Our feast was delicious. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, cranberry sauce and all the other side dishes. Fresh, yummy and they made the day so special and easy to serve. They catered our meal one other time and l will use them again

Phenomenal food and great flexibility. They were able to work within our budget to great effect, and Mariah helped us through multiple different seating revisions. Day of our wedding everything went smoothly from setup to teardown, and we received rave review from our guests on both the quality and amount of food.

Putting on the Ritz catered my wedding back in October and I recommend them to anyone looking for a caterer. They are the entire package! From hors d'oeuvres, servers, bartenders, the main course, linens, and china, they got it covered! and have SO MANY options. We worked with Bobby and he is GREAT! He went above and beyond and always answered all our questions. Wedding planning can be very stressful, but we had a great experience with POTR. Bobby was very responsive and I appreciated his input. We received so many compliments on the food and that was very important to us. Look no further if you are in need of a caterer! Thank you Bobby and to the entire team!

Helping me with an event. I met with Claudia, and she's been extremely helpful

Putting on the Ritz provided food, tables, chairs, and attentive wait staff and bartenders who all added to our wedding day! The food was all delicious, and Putting on the Ritz provided vegan and dairy-free options for our guests who needed it! Multiple guests complimented the food, the attentiveness of the staff, and the signature cocktails at our wedding bar. The Putting on the Ritz staff also worked at our venue many times before and provided us with thoughtful advice about the layout of the space and what worked best. We recommend booking with them!

The details, quality of service and food especially was beyond my expectations. Serving food for a large group of people presents its own challenges, but putting on the ritz knocked it out of the park. There were so many comments about how delicious the food was from the first plate down to the last table served. They did an incredible job and I would choose them for my big day over and over again. Thank you for your service and attention to detail!