Skip to main content
Weddings
ARE YOU A VENDOR?

Affordable Chef Services LLC Reviews

Affordable Chef Services LLC

Affordable Chef Services LLC

Santa Cruz, CA
View more information

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 rating
4.5 out of 5 rating
17 Reviews
91% recommend it
Write a review
  • Quality of service
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.4 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.7 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.6 out of 5 rating
Write a review

Awards

17
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
  • Elaine
    Elaine B. Sent on 02/24/2020
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    Family dinner for 12

    Mark fixed us a wonderful dinner for 12 (according to our varied dietary needs), plated it, and figured out who the vegans were, who the vegetarians were, and who was gluten-free. Then he served us, most unobtrusively. The dishwasher was running and the kitchen was clean when he left. We'd hire him again.
  • K
    Kamille Sent on 03/08/2019
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating

    More than we ever expected!

    I honestly cannot write and praise Chef Mark and his crew enough!! They made our day amazing. We did not have to worry about anything. They were so on their game, and went as far as sending one of the servers out to us while we were taking photos so we could try the apps.

    They ran on time, and the food was delicious! They made the dinner for us at our venue (OVY Camp - San Greogrio, CA)and then also made a brunch for us that Sunday. They were the best we could have gotten. I so appreciated the fact that it truly was affordable. When compared to other caterers - they don't even come close to the quality and the amazing deal that you can get through Mark.

    If your're planning a wedding -or just an event- I would hire Mark no doubt. He is extremely easy to work with, mellow, but will also reply very very fast. They went above and beyond our expectations.
    • Affordable Chef Services LLC 1
  • R
    A4244Dfc49A0A4Ea9602Cfcc1201Be91Fe44B8A8 Sent on 07/07/2016
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    I must say that Mark is a super laid back guy, so if you're a bridezilla and need reassurance, you can always email him and he is very responsive. Mark delivered all the food on time perfectly. He is very accommodating and has a wonderful staff on hand that made my wedding feel at ease and flow perfectly!
    • illustration stars

    Are you interested?

    Send a message
  • A
    Amber Sent on 12/08/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    My husband and I really enjoyed working with Mark as our wedding caterer and received many compliments on the food at our wedding (especially Mark’s veggie lasagna). In addition to catering, Mark also provided the bartending staff for our reception. The staff passed appetizers, served drinks and re-stocked the buffet like pros and with 215 guests we were no easy wedding to cater to. I was told by multiple guests how much they liked Mark’s staff and how professional they all were and Mark made us feel at ease through the whole process while also being affordable. Mark provided my husband and me with a tasting at our home, which was great, and answered all of my questions in a timely fashion. Mark also provided us with all of our linens and serving needs for the evening (plates, glasses, utensils, etc). I wouldn’t hesitate to use Mark again for a future event.
  • User2439897 Sent on 11/23/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Mark and his team were exceptional. Very friendly and the food was delicious.
  • D
    Dimitry Sent on 11/22/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Mark was amazing. Not only was the price super reasonable, but all the services provided were exceptional. Food was great, staff were helpful and friendly, and everyone was super accommodating.
  • User2438229 Sent on 11/22/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    There is much to be said about the skill level of Chef Mark and the quality of service found in Affordable Chef Services. Mark was the utmost professional, quick with his responses, helpful in decision-making, and actually MORE than made our wedding, he saved it! My husband and I were upset to discover that the reception venue had not provided adequately functioning kitchen appliances as promised, but Chef Mark creatively solved every hiccup and thrilled our guests with fresh veggies and delicious hot food. Not one of our guests knew of the behind-the-scenes stress, and we heard so many rave reviews! The wait staff were excellent and helpful, going above and beyond in preparations! Our family can whole-heartedly recommend Mark's attentive services and delicious food, any client is sure to be pleased!
  • kristie
    Kristie Sent on 03/22/2015
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    They were absolutely amazing! Mark let us completely customize our menu and was always quick to respond. We had a medieval themed wedding and the whole crew totally got involved. They came dressed as"serving wenches"!! So cute. All involved were beyond professional and the food was insanely delicious. Budget friendly, tons of tasty food, great to work with. I highly recommend this vendor.
  • R
    Rick Sent on 06/30/2013
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Marks crew did a great job at our wedding. People loved the food and the service was top notch. We were a little nervous to chose a caterer that we had never met or tasted, but it worked out great - just like the reviews we read from others that had used him.
  • B
    Karen Sent on 12/09/2010
    5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    I can't think of the adjectives to convey how satisfied my husband and I AND everyone at our wedding was with Affordable Chef Catering. Not only is Marks food awesome but Mark and his staff are stellar as well. All of them went way beyond the call of duty. It is not overstating to say that when my husbands family was two hours late for the ceremony Mark and his staff saved our wedding with their finely honed problem solving and people skills. Everything was perfect. Hire Affordable Chef and you will cut your wedding planning and wedding day stress way back!
  • T
    Trevor Sent on 07/12/2018
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    Most important point first: THE FOOD IS DELICIOUS!

    Mark came to our house in San Jose to let us sample the menu and it was good. Really all I wanted was the food to not be bad. Most people don't remember the food at a wedding, but they will remember it if it sucked. Everything we sampled was pretty good and our menu was set and on the day of... holy crap did he kick it up a notch. Somehow the food was EVEN BETTER at the wedding itself.

    Personally, I loved Mark's personality. He's a Chef. And most of the Chefs I've known got their quirks and he is no exception. But if you're looking for good food at a great price, look no further. His responses can be curt, but hey! At least he responds. He also recommended a week before our wedding to switch from whatever beef dish we had originally chosen to a tri-tip. My wife was a bit worried at the last minute change, but I told her to just go with it. He's the Chef, he knows what's best and... of course it turned out amazing. I can't tell you how many people complimented us on the quality of the meat as well as the dining service in general.

    All in all, Mark is a pro. My friends and I have been to several weddings around the Santa Cruz area that he has catered and none of us have ever been disappointed and neither will you!
  • S
    Sherry Sent on 07/15/2017
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    Mark is amazing. He appears to be laid back but he handles all the stress and delivers regardless. He catered my son's wedding 3 years ago and did amazing job in very small kitchen for 100 people. He has gotten even better since. His food is even better and he has the whole thing down from set up -- chairs, tables, dish and glass ware, and excellent servers. They jumped in and did everything. This time he catered a formal dinner party for 75 on Saturday night and the wedding on the beach with full sit down dinner the next evening. Due to high tides we had a lagoon on the beach between entry and set up. The guys all pitched in but Mark made it happen with full set up across the water. Again food and service was excellent. And menus varied from Saturday night to Sunday Wedding fare. AND the overall cost can NOT be beat. I don't even know how he does it. Thanks so much Mark for making it all work.
  • J
    Jay Sent on 12/06/2016
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    I was very happy with Affordable Chef Services. The food was great, the service exceptional and the price was impossible to beat.
  • J
    Justin Sent on 12/09/2010
    4.8 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    An excellent caterer. The price could not be beat and the food was absolutely delightful. He even provided the tables and chairs, as our location had none available. Very friendly and organized, my wife and I felt completely at ease. I didn't worry about anything. Mark handled it all and if we ever have an event that needs to be catered again, Mark will be the first person we call.
  • B
    Brittney Sent on 04/23/2014
    4.5 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      4.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      3.5 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    We hired Chef Mark Gallagher after meeting him at a wedding show in Santa Cruz . It was the perfect fit that we were looking for , for our big day .. Guests as well as my family were very happy with the food as well as goodtime had by all .. Loved it all , but the meatballs are the bomb .. Thank you Mark and Erin ..
  • H
    Haideh Sent on 11/09/2014
    2.6 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      1.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      2.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      2.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      5.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      3.0 out of 5 rating
    This is a really difficulty review to write. I have looked back at all the review sites because I still can't believe I am the only one who has had a negative experience. It has to be a fluke, but I still feel compelled to share the experience, not so much for what happened at the wedding but for the follow up afterwards.
    First off, the food is great. And a great value for the money. I was on a tight budget and Chef Mark delivered good food at a reasonable price. It tasted the same at the tasting as it did the day of the wedding.
    Mark is VERY laid back. Which is fine for me, but I can see where this may make others nervous.
    I get the impression, especially now that my wedding has passed, that he has one menu to offer and he prefers not to deviate from it. Which brings me to the problems the day of.
    I immediately noticed that corn was served. We were adamant that we did not want corn but instead have vegetable skewers. We had about 6 or so vegans in attendance and it was important to us to have more of a variety of food for them. Since we were serving BBQ, we wanted a variety of vegetables to offer as well.
    We ran out of ribs and chili BEFORE everyone even had their FIRST servings! Forget seconds. All that was left was salad, a few cold chicken legs and dinner rolls. They ran out of the asparagus as well but managed to bring more out later. First of all, you should be prepared for 10-15% OVER the anticipated number of guests for food. We told him 140 and ended up day of with 134. 6 of those were vegan. There should have been plenty of ribs.
    There was more but I am limited on space here. What really gets me is he knew there might be issues before and didn't notify myself or the wedding coordinator. It would have been regretful but we could have had a contingency plan. He offered a partial refund which I think was fair, but I have yet to see it. Said it would be in my hands two weeks ago now.
    **just received part of the promised refund after numerous emails*
  • B
    Bear B. Sent on 11/25/2018
    1 out of 5 rating
    • Quality of service
      1.0 out of 5 rating
    • Average response time
      1.0 out of 5 rating
    • Professionalism
      1.0 out of 5 rating
    • Value
      1.0 out of 5 rating
    • Flexibility
      1.0 out of 5 rating

    Stay away. Absolutely unprofessional and untrustworthy.

    Stay away from this vendor. Stole $1,300. After repeated requested, Mark finally sent us a check but with insufficient funds. We tried to deposited it twice to no avail. Repeated attempts to contact via email, text, and phone have gone unanswered. We are filing a claim with The Superior Court of California.
illustration stars

Are you interested?

Send a message