We had Coastal Critter Catering for a welcome family lobster bake prior to my sisters wedding. I was tasked with planning the event from start to finish, and I was most nervous about the food. I didn’t need to be - it was such an incredible meal, and was an excellent representation of a traditional, high quality (but not stuffy or formal) New England lobster bake (to the delight of my family from other corners of the country).

The clam chowder had been made by the wife of the owner the night before, and a few guests said it was their favorite of all time (tons of clams!). The steamers and clams were a surprise hit - my father, the pickiest seafood eater in the family, said the clams were the best he had in memory. The lobsters were cooked perfectly despite the difficulties of cooking so many lobsters simultaneously. The corn tasted so fresh, it had to have been grown locally. Finally, the apple crisp dessert was made by the daughter of the owner the evening before, and it was also fabulous and very obviously fresh.

I had called many places in Portland looking for a caterer and couldn’t find a restaurant with any availability left. I was concerned the food would taste “catered” or that corners would be cut on elements like the bread. Not at all! Even the bread was high quality.

As for the handling of the logistics of the event, the vendor was on time, highly responsive, and followed each detail of our agreement (including remembering to take out the trash when he left).

A great meal, lovely event, and I would absolutely use Coastal Critters again!

Coastal Critters Clambake catered our rehearsal dinner in my Aunt and Uncle's backyard, and they were perfect! We reached out to several lobster bake caterers and are very glad we chose this group.

James worked with us from the beginning to cater an excellent dinner within our budget. His communication was super fast and efficient. He and his team showed up exactly when they said they would, and were totally self-sufficient. They brought everything they needed, and didn't even need an electricity or water hook up. Dinner was ready exactly on time, and it was fabulous! People raved about the soft-shell lobster. They provided excellent non-lobster options as well. They helped with clean up, and took away the trash for a small charge. James and his team were a super local and kind group, and we can't recommend them enough.

I want to give a special Thank you to James; Coastal Critters was my caterer for our Wedding in Maine and it was absolutely Sublime, James is Great but everything he made was delicious between the clam chowder and cheese platers for starter and the lobster plate with the clams it was 100% perfect. I received very good feedback from my guests too. + it was very easy to communicate with James, You are very talented and thank you again.

Coastal Critters exceeded our expectations in every way. We did a lobster bake for a wedding of ~100 people. Best lobster I've ever had (and I'm a native Mainer). The beef was tender, the sides tasty. The staff was professional, courteous and flexible. Don't waste your money on overpriced Portland-area "gourmet." If you want a real Maine wedding that won't cost a fortune, go with Coastal Critters. You will not be disappointed!

James catered our rehearsal dinner in Camden on June 24th, 2016, and the experience was WONDERFUL! The majority of our guests were form Michigan and Colorado, and a clam/lobsterbake is fairly foreign to us! We received incredible feedback from our family and friends, the food was super fresh and there was plenty! Could not say enough wonderful things about this experience. Thanks James!!

James and his crew were excellent. Everyone raved about all of the entres! Of course, Lobster was a favorite but even people that had chicken and steak only had great things to say! The crew was very pleasant and easy to work with :)

James and his staff are absolutely AMAZING! James was extremely easy to work with and extremely responsive to questions. On our wedding day his staff knew exactly what to do! They were always making sure to keep in touch with our bartender and DJ. The food was out of this world delicious! We offered our guests a choice of steak, chicken, or salmon. I had the salmon for my dinner and it was incredible! All of our guests were raving about the food and asking who our caterer was.

James's staff even packed up leftovers and left it in the fridge at our reception site. I wasn't expecting this at all - it was a great surprise! I had family visiting from out of town so we brought leftovers over for dinner on Sunday night. The leftovers were just a good - everyone was still commenting on how good the food was :)

I'd highly recommend James and his staff! They are downright amazing!

James was very nice, and the critter team was very professional. They are flexible and are happy to go over different menu options. Food was well prepared and there was plenty to go around. Everyone was happy and full. I would recommend Coast Critters Clambakes & Grilling.

Prior to our daughter's wedding, James and I worked together to design a menu that met our needs and he was flexible and creative. The day of the wedding, the staff were so professional, so helpful and so funny, I can't say enough about how delighted we are with choosing Coastal Critters! The food was fantastic, the staff were efficient and the whole ambiance was better than I expected. I received many compliments from our guests as well!

James and his crew were wonderful. We had a beautiful rustic wedding on a lake in Ellsworth and they added the finishing touch! James was very responsive whenever I had questions and made sure everything was perfect. We had the grilling menu (steak, salmon and chicken) and the food was wonderfully prepared. We had numerous complements on the food. I would highly recommend Coastal critters for your catering needs!