I had my wedding on August 23, 2024, at the Governor’s Ballroom at the Sentinel Hotel. Our experience with Jake’s Catering was unprofessional and disappointing.
Early in the planning process, we mistakenly booked the Grand ballroom due to a mix-up in venue names. The representative who knew we had toured the Governors Ballroom and that our guest list of 250+ people wouldn’t fit in the Grand Ballroom never clarified the mistake. When I questioned why no one clarified this major error, the representative told me it was “because of budget.” We had never once brought up budget concerns. As a Black couple, the assumption felt loaded and inappropriate—and that moment shaped the rest of our experience.
From that point forward, communication from Jake’s was dismissive and inconsistent. One of our vendors had to reach out to me directly, complaining that the sales rep was not responding to her. Another vendor, who had worked with Jake’s in the past, noted she had never seen them treat a client this way. The difference was clear.
The situation escalated when the same representative—who had already been cold and difficult to work with—falsely accused me of being “aggressive” towards her during a walkthrough she did not even attend. That was not only untrue, but harmful. It reinforced a tired, familiar narrative often used to discredit Black clients when we advocate for ourselves.
When I raised these concerns with management, I was dismissed and received defensiveness. And after I posted a detailed review about the experience on google the review was quietly removed without explanation.
I’m sharing this here because no couple should have to experience this kind of coded behavior while planning one of the most important days of their lives. Our wedding was beautiful in spite of this vendor, not because of them. Think carefully before trusting them with yours.
Abidemi Oni
Our experience with Jake’s Catering during our wedding was marred by the unprofessional and racially insensitive behavior of staff members, especially Abigail Daniels. Her actions were disrespectful to us, our guests, and our vendors, overshadowing an otherwise beautiful event. Despite requesting to speak with a manager about our concerns, no one reached out to us. This has unfortunately tarnished the company's reputation in our eyes. We hope Jake’s Catering addresses this issue to prevent future clients from experiencing the same.
Kim Morrill
As the owner of Your Perfect Bridesmaid (a local wedding planning company) I have had the good fortune of working with Jake;s Catering many times over the past 16 years of coordinating weddings. Each time I have admired their outstanding food, and wonderful customer service. Yesterday however completely blew my mind. A quick story: It is the day of Portland's 2024 Snowpocolypse. We had a wedding scheduled to take place about 20 minutes away, but we had the wedding party and their friends and family staying at The Sentinel because they are so amazing to work with. The groom wakes up on his wedding day and decides, "can we just have the wedding here". His goal was to keep the guests from having to go out in the snow. Planning a wedding usually takes months. But thanks to unparalleled service at Jack's catering (Monty specifically) we completely moved the wedding to the hotel, worked out layouts, a new catering plan - - everything in just an hour. To say that the Jacks went above and beyond doesn't scratch the surface. They saw someone in need, and the moved mountains to help. They were quick, decisive, flexible (so so flexible) and extremely accommodating of the unique situation we were in. You don't see that level of service any more and I am eternally thankful. To the entire team who stepped in (at the very last minute) to give this couple an incredible wedding day - thank you!! You define hospitality and you ensured that a lovely couple and their guests were able to safely celebrate these two families becoming one. Those memories will last a lifetime. Thank you!
DJ iSizzle
Jake's Catering exceeded all expectations, delivering an impeccable experience from start to finish. The service was truly exceptional, with a team that went above and beyond to ensure our event was flawless. Their attention to detail and professionalism stood out, making the entire catering process seamless.And let's talk about the food – simply outstanding! Every dish was a culinary delight, showcasing quality ingredients and exquisite flavors. I found myself recommending every item on the menu because each dish was a unique masterpiece. From appetizers to desserts, Jake's Catering curated a culinary journey that left our guests raving.If you're looking for top-notch service and delectable food that leaves a lasting impression, Jake's Catering is the go-to choice. I can't praise them enough for making our event truly special. Five stars all the way!
Marnie Jane Cooper
Jake’s catering puts on outstanding events. This was a holiday party. The room was stunningly festive and the food was delicious. I had the salmon stuffed with dungeness crab ?
Sam J
I was very disappointed in the service I received at my wedding. When chose the sentinel I figured it was perfect. Beautiful design Jake's has good food and the reviews were great. I guess that's if you're ethnicity. Because the service I received was beyond disrespectful. We were promised things we never received. Staff was was disrespectful and management could care less. This isn't a night you can just do over and they had me in tears on my wedding day. If you are second guessing this place it's for a reason, you're just another date on their calendar.
Alithea D.
Jake's and the Sentinel Hotel will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Our wedding weekend and reception was perfect. This was such a classy, beautiful, and timeless setting for our reception. We had cocktails in the Library and the reception in the grand ballroom.We also had all pre/post wedding events (bridal luncheon, rehersal dinner, and brunch) at Jakes. The food was great for all the events, and the service was beyond exceptional; the staff was so attentive and professional. There is a f/b minimum, but their dinner options and buffets are better than most as far as what you can get for $50/plate. Working with Adrienne and the staff was the best part. Adrienne made sure everything was set the way we wanted, that we would meet our f/b minimum, and made herself available to answer any questions or to set something right. If you are looking for the perfect downtown location for your wedding or event choose Jake's Catering at The Sentinel Hotel. The rooms are stunning, but more important the food is excellent and the staff is great.
Scott Reed
We hired Jake's Catering for our recent wedding at the Sentinel. Amy Wolfe and her staff did an amazing job from our first interview through our actual event. From reservations through catering and all of the staff on the day of event we can't thank them enough. Katie Gonsiewski was beyond amazing and we can't thank her enough. Her communication was always on point and on time and she was always three steps ahead. Our food was incredible and all of the staff made sure everyone was well taken care of. If you are looking for a location the Sentinel Hotel will speak for itself, incredible location with fantastic photo opportunities, what you will find out though is the people that work for Jake's Catering will make your event special. We have a lifetime of memories from our wedding and they are because of Amy, Shelley and especially Katie for not only doing their job but making sure they did it better. Congratulations and Thank You over and over to Jake's Catering and the staff at The Sentinel Hotel!!!
Kevin Vo
We just had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Sentinel Hotel and everything turned out perfectly. The hotel itself is beautiful with lots of unique and ornate rooms. This was nice because we felt that we didn’t have to bring in a lot of decorations since the building stood so well on its own.But what really made the whole wedding such a success was the fantastic staff at Jake’s Catering-We worked with Diane from our first visit to the Sentinel all the way through our wedding day. She was extremely helpful and answered all of my (many) questions quickly about venue costs, catering options, day of logistics and everything else that went into our Wedding planning. She made everything easy and is so friendly and professional! We really appreciate all of the work you put in for our event, thank you!The banquet staff was amazing! I was blown away by their professionalism and kindness. Russ and Vesna were our Banquet Captains for the wedding and they both magically appeared anytime something was needed. They brought us snacks and drinks while we were signing our marriage license. They made our plates and refreshed our drinks during dinner. We heard afterward that they even went out of there way to get a special dessert for one of our young guest who was allergic to nuts.But the whole banquet staff was awesome as well. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The bar staff was awesome and kept the drinks flowing. The wait staff was quick, friendly, and helpful the entire night. It was top notch service all around. OH! And they were so helpful with all of the day of delivery and day after pick up logistics! Thank you to the whole team who helped pull everything off without a hitch!And I haven’t even got to the food yet… the reception dinner turned out perfectly! Everything was delicious from our appetizers to our mains to our late night snacks. I wish we could order more of the braised beef short ribs, tortellini, and late night nachos for dinner tonight!
christopher keller
It seems clear as a bell now. Concluded another Holiday buffet catered by JAKE'S. My 5th time. The food is prepared consistently from event to event and is presented in a manner in which the food is the star. No need to clutter with garnish and holiday decor. The appetizers of iced seafood for openers before making selections from fresh salads and roasted vegetables. Can't forget to mention the mini loaves of artisan breads ! Cornbread dressing, french fried green bean casserole and creamy mac-n-cheese flank main entrees of roast pork, slices of rare and juicy prime sirloin and turkey at the carving station are overshadowing gravy with mashed potatoes. Dessert bar ranges from freshly baked cookies and cake to pies and creations of fruits atop fluffy mounds of whipped clouds resting in cups formed of thin white & dark chocolates. You can't end the meal without a cup or two of freshly brewed coffee before sauntering out of the ballroom. A photo booth near the coat check was a great surprise this Thanksgiving day. Hope it returns for future catered events. The staff that attend to customer's needs go beyond serving beverages and clearing away plates. They treat customers with respect and are very attentive during the several hours long meal, earning respect in return and upward of 20 percent gratuity.
My wife and I got married at The Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland during Winter 2017. A requirement, which we didn't mind at all, was that Jake's Catering would be providing food for our wedding reception. As most-anyone in Portland knows, Jake's has a world-class reputation for offering some of the best food in Portland.I am happy to report that Jake's Catering EXCEEDED our expectations. The buffet they provided was delicious. The food was the most-talked about item by our guests. Everyone was raving about it. We had the flank steak, baked Salmon, and Chicken. The flank steak melted in your mouth. the chicken was juicy, and the salmon was perfectly prepared. We couldn't have been happier.We also felt there was huge value to our investment. The prices for Jake's Catering food was comparable to the rest of the city's catering and event prices. So, basically, you're getting the BEST food and venue for a regionally-reasonable price.Finally, we really enjoyed working with Julie Weiss, the Sales Manager. She was so friendly, down to earth, and a joy to work with. She made herself available to us on weekdays, weekends, morning, afternoon, and evening.Highly recommended.
Sandy Miller
The food is wonderful, we got a tour of the building and it is magnificent. The staff was so friendly.
Stephanie Lewis
We've had our company Christmas party at The Sentinel for the past three years in a row. The venue is elegant, classy, and BEAUTIFUL! Employees have also raved about how wonderful the food is. Working with the event coordinators is always a pleasure, the service is exceptional! I wish we could have our Christmas party there every year!
I had my wedding on August 23, 2024, at the Governor’s Ballroom at the Sentinel Hotel. Our experience with Jake’s Catering was unprofessional and disappointing.
Early in the planning process, we mistakenly booked the Grand ballroom due to a mix-up in venue names. The representative who knew we had toured the Governors Ballroom and that our guest list of 250+ people wouldn’t fit in the Grand Ballroom never clarified the mistake. When I questioned why no one clarified this major error, the representative told me it was “because of budget.” We had never once brought up budget concerns. As a Black couple, the assumption felt loaded and inappropriate—and that moment shaped the rest of our experience.
From that point forward, communication from Jake’s was dismissive and inconsistent. One of our vendors had to reach out to me directly, complaining that the sales rep was not responding to her. Another vendor, who had worked with Jake’s in the past, noted she had never seen them treat a client this way. The difference was clear.
The situation escalated when the same representative—who had already been cold and difficult to work with—falsely accused me of being “aggressive” towards her during a walkthrough she did not even attend. That was not only untrue, but harmful. It reinforced a tired, familiar narrative often used to discredit Black clients when we advocate for ourselves.
When I raised these concerns with management, I was dismissed and received defensiveness. And after I posted a detailed review about the experience on google the review was quietly removed without explanation.
I’m sharing this here because no couple should have to experience this kind of coded behavior while planning one of the most important days of their lives. Our wedding was beautiful in spite of this vendor, not because of them. Think carefully before trusting them with yours.
Our experience with Jake’s Catering during our wedding was marred by the unprofessional and racially insensitive behavior of staff members, especially Abigail Daniels. Her actions were disrespectful to us, our guests, and our vendors, overshadowing an otherwise beautiful event. Despite requesting to speak with a manager about our concerns, no one reached out to us. This has unfortunately tarnished the company's reputation in our eyes. We hope Jake’s Catering addresses this issue to prevent future clients from experiencing the same.
As the owner of Your Perfect Bridesmaid (a local wedding planning company) I have had the good fortune of working with Jake;s Catering many times over the past 16 years of coordinating weddings. Each time I have admired their outstanding food, and wonderful customer service. Yesterday however completely blew my mind. A quick story: It is the day of Portland's 2024 Snowpocolypse. We had a wedding scheduled to take place about 20 minutes away, but we had the wedding party and their friends and family staying at The Sentinel because they are so amazing to work with. The groom wakes up on his wedding day and decides, "can we just have the wedding here". His goal was to keep the guests from having to go out in the snow. Planning a wedding usually takes months. But thanks to unparalleled service at Jack's catering (Monty specifically) we completely moved the wedding to the hotel, worked out layouts, a new catering plan - - everything in just an hour. To say that the Jacks went above and beyond doesn't scratch the surface. They saw someone in need, and the moved mountains to help. They were quick, decisive, flexible (so so flexible) and extremely accommodating of the unique situation we were in. You don't see that level of service any more and I am eternally thankful. To the entire team who stepped in (at the very last minute) to give this couple an incredible wedding day - thank you!! You define hospitality and you ensured that a lovely couple and their guests were able to safely celebrate these two families becoming one. Those memories will last a lifetime. Thank you!
Jake's Catering exceeded all expectations, delivering an impeccable experience from start to finish. The service was truly exceptional, with a team that went above and beyond to ensure our event was flawless. Their attention to detail and professionalism stood out, making the entire catering process seamless.And let's talk about the food – simply outstanding! Every dish was a culinary delight, showcasing quality ingredients and exquisite flavors. I found myself recommending every item on the menu because each dish was a unique masterpiece. From appetizers to desserts, Jake's Catering curated a culinary journey that left our guests raving.If you're looking for top-notch service and delectable food that leaves a lasting impression, Jake's Catering is the go-to choice. I can't praise them enough for making our event truly special. Five stars all the way!
Jake’s catering puts on outstanding events. This was a holiday party. The room was stunningly festive and the food was delicious. I had the salmon stuffed with dungeness crab ?
I was very disappointed in the service I received at my wedding. When chose the sentinel I figured it was perfect. Beautiful design Jake's has good food and the reviews were great. I guess that's if you're ethnicity. Because the service I received was beyond disrespectful. We were promised things we never received. Staff was was disrespectful and management could care less. This isn't a night you can just do over and they had me in tears on my wedding day. If you are second guessing this place it's for a reason, you're just another date on their calendar.
Jake's and the Sentinel Hotel will forever hold a special place in our hearts. Our wedding weekend and reception was perfect. This was such a classy, beautiful, and timeless setting for our reception. We had cocktails in the Library and the reception in the grand ballroom.We also had all pre/post wedding events (bridal luncheon, rehersal dinner, and brunch) at Jakes. The food was great for all the events, and the service was beyond exceptional; the staff was so attentive and professional. There is a f/b minimum, but their dinner options and buffets are better than most as far as what you can get for $50/plate. Working with Adrienne and the staff was the best part. Adrienne made sure everything was set the way we wanted, that we would meet our f/b minimum, and made herself available to answer any questions or to set something right. If you are looking for the perfect downtown location for your wedding or event choose Jake's Catering at The Sentinel Hotel. The rooms are stunning, but more important the food is excellent and the staff is great.
We hired Jake's Catering for our recent wedding at the Sentinel. Amy Wolfe and her staff did an amazing job from our first interview through our actual event. From reservations through catering and all of the staff on the day of event we can't thank them enough. Katie Gonsiewski was beyond amazing and we can't thank her enough. Her communication was always on point and on time and she was always three steps ahead. Our food was incredible and all of the staff made sure everyone was well taken care of. If you are looking for a location the Sentinel Hotel will speak for itself, incredible location with fantastic photo opportunities, what you will find out though is the people that work for Jake's Catering will make your event special. We have a lifetime of memories from our wedding and they are because of Amy, Shelley and especially Katie for not only doing their job but making sure they did it better. Congratulations and Thank You over and over to Jake's Catering and the staff at The Sentinel Hotel!!!
We just had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Sentinel Hotel and everything turned out perfectly. The hotel itself is beautiful with lots of unique and ornate rooms. This was nice because we felt that we didn’t have to bring in a lot of decorations since the building stood so well on its own.But what really made the whole wedding such a success was the fantastic staff at Jake’s Catering-We worked with Diane from our first visit to the Sentinel all the way through our wedding day. She was extremely helpful and answered all of my (many) questions quickly about venue costs, catering options, day of logistics and everything else that went into our Wedding planning. She made everything easy and is so friendly and professional! We really appreciate all of the work you put in for our event, thank you!The banquet staff was amazing! I was blown away by their professionalism and kindness. Russ and Vesna were our Banquet Captains for the wedding and they both magically appeared anytime something was needed. They brought us snacks and drinks while we were signing our marriage license. They made our plates and refreshed our drinks during dinner. We heard afterward that they even went out of there way to get a special dessert for one of our young guest who was allergic to nuts.But the whole banquet staff was awesome as well. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. The bar staff was awesome and kept the drinks flowing. The wait staff was quick, friendly, and helpful the entire night. It was top notch service all around. OH! And they were so helpful with all of the day of delivery and day after pick up logistics! Thank you to the whole team who helped pull everything off without a hitch!And I haven’t even got to the food yet… the reception dinner turned out perfectly! Everything was delicious from our appetizers to our mains to our late night snacks. I wish we could order more of the braised beef short ribs, tortellini, and late night nachos for dinner tonight!
It seems clear as a bell now. Concluded another Holiday buffet catered by JAKE'S. My 5th time. The food is prepared consistently from event to event and is presented in a manner in which the food is the star. No need to clutter with garnish and holiday decor. The appetizers of iced seafood for openers before making selections from fresh salads and roasted vegetables. Can't forget to mention the mini loaves of artisan breads ! Cornbread dressing, french fried green bean casserole and creamy mac-n-cheese flank main entrees of roast pork, slices of rare and juicy prime sirloin and turkey at the carving station are overshadowing gravy with mashed potatoes. Dessert bar ranges from freshly baked cookies and cake to pies and creations of fruits atop fluffy mounds of whipped clouds resting in cups formed of thin white & dark chocolates. You can't end the meal without a cup or two of freshly brewed coffee before sauntering out of the ballroom. A photo booth near the coat check was a great surprise this Thanksgiving day. Hope it returns for future catered events. The staff that attend to customer's needs go beyond serving beverages and clearing away plates. They treat customers with respect and are very attentive during the several hours long meal, earning respect in return and upward of 20 percent gratuity.
Restaurantji Recommends
Good outfit, very professional
A great cheese steak.
My wife and I got married at The Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland during Winter 2017. A requirement, which we didn't mind at all, was that Jake's Catering would be providing food for our wedding reception. As most-anyone in Portland knows, Jake's has a world-class reputation for offering some of the best food in Portland.I am happy to report that Jake's Catering EXCEEDED our expectations. The buffet they provided was delicious. The food was the most-talked about item by our guests. Everyone was raving about it. We had the flank steak, baked Salmon, and Chicken. The flank steak melted in your mouth. the chicken was juicy, and the salmon was perfectly prepared. We couldn't have been happier.We also felt there was huge value to our investment. The prices for Jake's Catering food was comparable to the rest of the city's catering and event prices. So, basically, you're getting the BEST food and venue for a regionally-reasonable price.Finally, we really enjoyed working with Julie Weiss, the Sales Manager. She was so friendly, down to earth, and a joy to work with. She made herself available to us on weekdays, weekends, morning, afternoon, and evening.Highly recommended.
The food is wonderful, we got a tour of the building and it is magnificent. The staff was so friendly.
We've had our company Christmas party at The Sentinel for the past three years in a row. The venue is elegant, classy, and BEAUTIFUL! Employees have also raved about how wonderful the food is. Working with the event coordinators is always a pleasure, the service is exceptional! I wish we could have our Christmas party there every year!
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