Catering By Teatime Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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![Kourtney]()
Kourtney Sent on 06/17/2023Kind, Thoughtful & Expert in Her Field
I loved that from the first moment that I spoke with Ruth that she was willing to work with me and my budget. I could tell that she really cared about what I wanted, but was flexible and knowledgeable to give me advice on what was needed versus what might be a waste of money. She took the extra time to give us an extra taste testing session when we changed our mind on a dish. I loved that she had so much variety for our diverse guests and we were able to customize the menu to our liking. The cake that she gives all her guests as a gift was absolutely stunning and we have been getting compliments weeks later on how delicious it was. I am so glad that I chose to work with Ruth and wish her and her team nothing, but blessings going forward. Thank you for making my wedding dreams come true! -
![Rachael]()
Rachael Sent on 11/06/2022Awesome Communication Excellent, Delicious Food!
Ruth and Becky and their team were *amazing* -- we hired Teatime Delicacies for our wedding on 10/22/22 and were so so happy we did. From Day 1, Ruth communicated so quickly and kindly with us. While we waited days or even weeks to hear back from other vendors, Ruth always responded immediately and answered any and every question we had. We went to Ruth's house for a tasting and it was so fun and Ruth was straightforward about pricing from the get go. The cocktail hour items were amazing (we even had fall-themed apps like squash soup shooters!), and when we sat down for our wedding dinner, the food was absolutely delicious. If we weren't the bride and groom who didn't have much time to eat, we would've gone back for seconds! Also, the price is so reasonable compared to other vendors. I'd hire Ruth and Becky again in a heartbeat! -
Lou Sent on 10/15/2022
Wonderful experience with Catering By Teatime
Our daughter got married on October 1, and we used Catering By Teatime. We were extremely pleased with all aspects of the service we received, from our initial contact through to the wedding itself. Ruth was very helpful. She gave us some excellent advise (e.g., not to pour champagne for everyone in attendance for the toast as folks will toast with the drink already in their hands), provided a nice list of food options for our buffet, responded very quickly to any/all questions that we had, and did a great job setting up and breaking down our buffet. Our venue looked very pretty thanks to Ruth and her staff. We thought the food and service were excellent and received many compliments about both. We also appreciated that Ruth arranged for the cake, too - one less vendor for us to hire - and the cake was delicious and beautiful. We really couldn’t have asked for more. A hurricane in Florida gave us a real scare (our daughter and her fiancé were coming from Florida to Virginia for the wedding) and Ruth helped me keep my composure when panic started to set in. Fortunately, we didn’t have to cancel, but it was so nice to have a “pro” in our corner. We have no reservations about recommending Catering By Teatime and would welcome the opportunity to work with Ruth and her people again. -
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![Dorothy]()
Dorothy Sent on 10/09/2022Friendly, Professional Catering!
Working with Ruth was a dream. She was extremely flexible in the planning process, provided loads of good suggestions from her years of experience and asked good questions to help her cater the best wedding reception for us! The day of the event, her team worked independently to get everything set up. Her staff was a pleasure to have around and incredibly helpful and supportive throughout. I received many comments from guests at the reception on how professional and friendly the whole catering team was. -
![Elizabeth]()
Elizabeth Sent on 06/11/2022Wedding of our dreams with food to remember!
We all know we've been to weddings where we are thrilled for the couple but the food was cold or less than desirable. That was NOT our wedding! We barely had any food left to take home at the end of the night! We had a diverse crowd for our interracial and inter-religious wedding (Hindu & Catholic) full of both meat eaters and vegetarians and Ruth handled it like an absolute pro. We were especially grateful that Ruth accommodated us by allowing for a few particularly niche, ethnic dishes from an Indian restaurant to be served alongside her excellent food. Ruth made mulled wine, a weird request I had, for our Christmas wedding that was SO good. Ruth also baked our gorgeous cake with vanilla raspberry and a chocolate coffee tiers - one for each of us - that was a total hit. Everyone especially raved about the chocolate! Having the cake included in the catering was just excellent and was one less thing I had to worry about.
The staff were incredibly professional and pleasant and my guests even had a great time with them! The bartender was so fun and rocked out to the music with my brother at one point (still at her station). There wasn't a single person who didn't have a drink when they wanted one or left hungry. But the greatest part of this company is Ruth herself, who could not have been kinder, more accommodating, and just all around wonderful. It was so difficult to do absolutely everything during COVID but the catering was literally the easiest part of planning my wedding thanks to her. I didn't have to worry about a thing. My friends and family complimented the food for months after and still mention it to this day. I would hire Teatime a thousand times over! -
Heather Sent on 05/08/2022
Hands down, the Best Caterer in town!
It is hard to put into words how incredible Ruth and her team at Catering by Teatime were. During our cocktail hour, we had a variety of foods which were both stationary and passed. They delivered a flawless buffet and our guests wouldn't stop raving about the food as well as the presentation. We had several consultations with Ruth and it was apparent she truly knows her trade. Our venue allowed us to bring in outside liquor and she was spot on the amount to purchase for our guests. As a surprise during our first consultation, Ruth shared with us she would also provide the wedding cake which is a wonderful gift and a huge savings. Not to mention, one less vendor to coordinate with. Ruth and her team adhered to the timeline perfectly and we had nothing to worry about. We knew Ruth had everything under control. Catering by Team really knows how to put the customer first and we felt so special during the whole process making our Wedding even more memorable for us as well as our guests. -
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![Mandana]()
Mandana Sent on 03/21/2022More than a Caterer!
Is it weird to miss your caterer after your wedding?
Ruth and Teatime Catering was a preferred vendor for our venue, St Francis Hall. Back in Fall 2019, when I first planned our March 2022 (COVID made us move it many times), I remember choosing Ruth because she knew our venue so well. I had a vision to not have a seated dinner and instead have open food stations, and make it sort of an all-night party. She was the ONLY caterer to push back on some of my ideas and tell me the truth about how it could work. Other companies were saying yes to everything I asked, and never even suggested anything to help us save $$.
Hiring Teatime was a no-brainer in that respect. She wanted the wedding to be what I wanted, but she also wanted to make sure it was a reasonable day of work for her (AWESOME) team and that it would be an enjoyable experience for our guests.
But then BOOM, pandemic hit. Ruth was patient with me each time I made the tough decision to move our wedding date. Countless scheduling emails back and forth and suddenly we were two months out and I was sitting across from her and my planner at our venue walk through. In that meeting she remembered EVERYTHING I asked for back in Fall 2019! She remembered the cake I picked, even though I hadn’t! (Ruth gifts a cake to all her wedding couples, quite literally the most thoughtful thing to give a couple!) Your caterer really runs the whole show at your wedding, their staff does all the work turning basically an empty room into a wedding venue. I can’t tell you how at ease Ruth put me, I knew she knew what she was doing and that she would bring it all together.
So then our wedding day comes… and in the morning, there is an unexpected snowstorm. I had a moment of panic, but then I remembered I have Ruth, and just knew her team would pull through. Yes, they drove through a SNOWSTORM and showed up with SMILES ready to rock it. I remember right before the ceremony seeing Ruth on the side and we both looked at each other like ‘are you kidding us! A snowstorm too! but we’re here!!!’ – felt like a communal moment of victory. Later that night I saw her and hugged her (there is a blurry photo of the moment) and felt like because of her I got to have the wedding I wanted. Like I said, is it weird to miss your caterer??
Yes, the bartenders were amazing, drinks were flowing, food was DELICOUS, but nothing compares to the dedication Ruth brought to this entire, almost three-year process. I am forever grateful to her and her team. Best caterer a bride could ask for! -
Grace Sent on 11/18/2021
Great to work with!
Ruth and her team were amazing to work with, from planning to the day of the wedding! She was always responsive, attentive, and clear in her communications. Beyond that, the food was delicious and everyone loved it!
We originally had our wedding planned for 2020, but of course things moved around. My husband and I are so thankful Ruth was able to be so agile and flexible with all the changes that come with moving a wedding due to a pandemic.
For the cost, Ruth truly went above and beyond to make things amazing for us on our wedding day. We highly recommend! -
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![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 11/08/2021Ruth was a godsend
We had quite the wild ride with planning our wedding from the get-go and I can say quite honestly that a large part of its success is due to the flexibility and professionalism of Ruth and her team. They worked with our planner to help create a new catering package at our venue that fit within our budget which in itself was amazing.
Then Ruth and her team hung tough with us through date changes because of the pandemic and other last minute changes up to a few weeks before the wedding. The food was amazing and her team was so friendly and helpful throughout the night. If you’re looking for a smaller more initiate catering experience I highly suggest Ruth and her team! I’m so thankful we had her in our corner through this wedding process! -
![Raeana]()
Raeana Sent on 10/13/2021Catering by Teatime is the BEST!!
Where do I start. Ruth has been so supportive through our COVID postponement and was the absolute best when it came to making our day unforgettable. She is very responsive, reasonably priced, and her food is delicious! She even went out of her way to make a difficult cake with edible flowers for us that was a dream!! I would absolutely recommend Ruth and her staff for you event! -
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![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 12/20/2020Covid Safe while hitting all the marks on target
Ruth did not have an easy task with us. Our first venue fell through 6 weeks before the wedding. Ruth worked with us & was able to pivot without hesitancy when a new venue was secured. Then the gathering rules changed & she was able to accommodate our request adding a second meal on the same day to split the group & meet the requirements which helped us negate the issue of uninviting guests. (2 groups of apps, meals, cakes, clean up & hours for bartender/staff services) She stressed safe practices while maintaining a classy setup. Her staff were equally professional, courteous & responsive. Oh, & the food was really good. Sometimes when hearing names of food-recipes it's hard to differentiate what's new to get excited about. Just trust me she's got her recipes down! Her experience with timing & preparation shows in that nothing was over or underdone, tired looking nor lacking in quality. Lastly presentation is a biggie for memorable meals & she hit the target here too. No worries with Teatime; you have enough to decide & line up so leave it to Ruth to take care of your wedding delicacies. -
![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 12/14/2020Marvelous rehearsal dinner!
Ruth and her team could not have been more responsive, thoughtful, creative, and professional in all aspects of planning this meal. I just relied upon her to guide me, and she made it a simple process with delightful and delicious plates! On the eve of my son's wedding I could not have asked for a more calming, talented, and gracious caterer. -
![Will]()
Will Sent on 05/09/2020Awesome Service
We received excellent service from this caterer at a great price. -
Maura Sent on 01/07/2020
Highly Recommend Teatime Catering!
We used Teatime Catering for our December wedding at St. Francis Hall. Ruth was such a pleasure to work with. She was so responsive via email (sometimes within minutes!) and gave us so many helpful tips as we were planning. She's a regular at our wedding venue which gave us peace of mind. On the day of, her staff were courteous and professional and we received so many complements on both the food and service. The mac & cheese appetizers we devised with Ruth were especially a big hit. Thank you Ruth!! -
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![Grace]()
Grace Sent on 09/24/2019Perfect Caterer
Ruth was very responsive during the whole wedding planning process. She was quick to answer our questions and flexible with us throughout the whole process. We were able to provide our own alcohol and she helped us work within our budget the whole time. The food was awesome and she even makes the cake too! We were so happy with everything and can't thank Ruth enough! -
![Ann]()
Annie Sent on 08/19/2019A great partner in making our big day special
I initially found Ruth and Catering by Teatime through a simple Google search. We knew we wanted a daytime fun-for-all-ages reception reminiscent of the Great British Bakeoff garden party, close to public transportation for all our DC friends, but without the crazy DC wedding prices. Enter Ruth, who is a consummate professional with experience in making things happen --- even when, like us, you pick a non-traditional, unmanned wedding venue. From accommodating some of our quirkier asks ("Korean barbecue flavored chicken skewers!" "mini-corn-on-the-cob!" "homemade boursin!") to coming up with great recommendations on floor plans, providing linens, cutlery, and even our venue's weird requirement for opaque cups, Ruth took everything in stride and made sure our day went off without a hitch, working seamlessly with our day-of coordinator and DJ to make sure that in just two hours everything was set-up and good to go. She and her staff were even ready to go above and beyond to pack up all the chairs and tables at our self-service venue (though luckily we already had paid a handyman to take care of that for us.)
Now, let's talk about the cake --- we aren't really wedding people, so we didn't do food or cake tastings --- oops! The cake was delicious-- two layers of lemon with fresh raspberries and a layer of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Ruth decorated it beautifully using a lovely assortment of our fresh flowers and our personalized cake topper.
If we could go back and do the day again, the only thing I would have changed was to have snagged a slice of carrot cake for my groom and a mini-chicken and waffle for myself --- we were too busy during the excitement to grab any for ourselves, but we heard RAVE reviews from our guests.
Overall, Ruth was the caterer with the most straight quote system, incorporating every expense up-front, no hidden costs, and very willing to make changes to accommodate what we wanted. Working with her meant we were able to have that DC-metro area wedding without the DC-area price.
Thanks, Ruth and team! -
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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 07/10/2019The Caterer of Our Dreams!
Finding the right caterer was probably the hardest task of our wedding given that we needed to find someone reasonably priced on relatively short notice for a June wedding and who could accommodate an all pescetarian/vegetarian wedding with gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free options. When we found Ruth, it was like a dream come true. Not only are her prices excellent, but she made a menu tailored just to us with breadcrumb encrusted tofu as one option and salmon in a dairy-free cream sauce as the other main option. She offered us appetizers that reflected our Baltimore and Charleston backgrounds like crab cakes, shrimp and grits, and pimento cheese alongside gluten free crackers and cucumber hors d'oeuvres. And when we told her that my fiance proposed using a plum seed that he'd saved from the picnic we had on our first date, she made sure there were plenty of plums in the fruit display and created a beautiful and incredibly delicious cake decorated with plums and drizzled with a plum sauce. I also have to say that she was a pleasure to talk with, super responsive, and did a great job addressing my many questions and concerns. If you're lucky enough to book her, do it! And bonus--you're supporting a small woman-owned local business. :) -
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Sarah Sent on 06/16/2019
Wonderful Food, Service, and Price!
Ruth and her staff were absolutely wonderful! We had a very short deadline and limited budget, and Ruth went above and beyond to pull everything together for us! She is flexible enough to accommodate suggested recipes, and enjoys both traditional and unique options. The taste test was wonderful, and the bonus of dessert being included was a huge seller for us. Ruth was easy to coordinate with, the service was beyond fantastic, and all of our guests raved about the food. The cost was beyond affordable, and the menus are entirely custom. Would happily seek her out again for any catering needs! -
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![Brian]()
Brian Sent on 04/03/2019Ruth is the BEST!!!
Working with Ruth and her team at Teatime catering was one of the best decisions I made during our wedding planning. I wanted a caterer that had good food but more than that, I wanted someone who I could trust to handle things if something went wrong. Having competent people working on an event like a wedding is so important. Ruth was the best, from my first meeting with her I knew that she was someone who would handle any problem with calm and ease.
That being said, NOTHING WENT WRONG at our wedding! Or at least I (the bride) didn't know it if it did. The food was great, we went with a carving station at the end of our buffet and it was a huge hit! The cake was excellent as well and very pretty. Ruth's staff was great. Ruth is also very responsive to emails and very efficient with your time. I can't recommend her enough! Hire Ruth and her team to make your special day smooth and tasty!
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![Kate]()
Kate Sent on 01/19/2019Highlight of our Wedding Vendors
Ruth MacBean is a wedding lifesaver. We cannot rave enough about the professionalism, quality, and value provided by Teatime staff. Throughout our wedding planning process, Ruth was a critical asset. Her company was a preferred vendor of our venue and it was so easy to see why. Ruth knows the wedding industry, and venues, like the back of her hand. Ruth was responsive to any and all questions and went above and beyond what we expected of a catering company to make our day perfect. Ruth was able to save us from many potential miscommunications with the venue since she knew it and its players so well. Ruth also was able to help us streamline our rentals by adding them into the order she was placing for basic catering needs (for example, we had to rent outdoor chairs for our ceremony as well as some tables for outdoor use, which Ruth graciously placed in addition to/with the same company she uses for cutlery/glassware/china). Her pricing was beyond reasonable and the food was out of this world. Ruth is refreshingly upfront and honest, keeping us down to earth while also willing to go to extra lengths to ensure we were happy with our day. She developed a robust and classic menu that pleased all taste-buds. A personal highlight for us was the out-of-this-world cake that Ruth baked and included in our catering package. Ruth was an enormous asset to us throughout our wedding planning process and we cannot recommend her and her team strongly enough. Her staff was amazing day-of, and helped everything run seamlessly. Thank you, Ruth!!! -
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Gina Sent on 08/29/2018The food was delicious, Ruth and her team were excellent, and the pricing was very reasonable. Couldn't ask for anything more!
Working with Ruth was so easy. You can pick dishes from her menus or suggest your own. We did a mix of both, asking Ruth if she would do pulled pork BBQ and a black bean avocado salad recipe I would provide. She was game for both and they turned out great. The cake was DELICIOUS. Neither my husband and I are super into standard wedding cake. When she showed us a picture of a chocolate ganache cake she'd done for another wedding, we were sold. It was beautiful and guests were raving about it. We asked for chocolate cream cheese frosting between layers and it was so yummy! Ruth also didn't bat an eye at my request to place "cake pulls" in the side of the cake so that I could carry out the New Orleans tradition I grew up with at weddings.
Finally, her services and pricing are fantastic. Seriously, everyone should compare her prices with the competitors - there is no contest. Ruth wins hands down. And you aren't skimping on quality and service either. Speaking of, having never hired a caterer before, I truly appreciated Ruth's honest and practical advice about what types of dishes to serve given our wedding style, and ways we could stay within our budget while still hosting a quality event for our guests.
Thank you Ruth & team! -
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Rebecca Sent on 10/21/2017My husband and I hired Catering by Teatime to serve as the caterers for our wedding reception in August of 2017. We were so happy with how our wedding reception turned out and we received a number of compliments on the food and service afterwards from guests. I eat gluten free and had several friends attending the wedding who have food allergies. I knew that it could be challenging for them to find something to eat at our reception since we were serving dinner buffet style. I expressed my concerns to Ruth and she was able to come up with options and solutions to the various dietary restrictions so that my friends didn't go home hungry! The icing on the cake for me was that Ruth agreed to create a regular wedding cake for our guests and a special gluten free cake for me and my husband to cut so that I could have gluten free cake at my wedding! The gluten free cake was delicious (my husband said it didn't even taste gluten free- haha!) and both cakes were gorgeous!! Ruth (and her team) did an amazing job! My husband and I both agree that based on our experience, if we knew then what we know now, we would DEFINITELY choose Teatime again!! Ruth provided us with a wonderful catering experience from start to finish. She was a pleasure to work with. We highly recommend Catering by Teatime! (Thank you, Ruth! We hope we can work with you again in the future!)
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![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 09/25/2017Ruth was absolutely wonderful! I went to her to discuss options and also see if she could create my dream cake which is called a "two face" and she was so excited and willing to accept the challenge! Throughout the entire experience, Ruth was right there to help when I needed her. We created a customized menu (which was delicious) and Ruth and her staff were so wonderful on the day of the wedding and made sure my new husband and I had everything we would need. Ruth even ran out to show us the cake, which by the way, was so amazing! The cake looked exactly how I hoped it would. I'm truly grateful for everything and would highly recommend her to anyone :-) -
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![Nsol]()
Noemi Sent on 09/01/2017Catering by Teatime deserves nothing less than a 5-star rating. We had such a wonderful experience with Ruth from start to finish. The first time I contacted Ruth, I received an almost instant reply. Other vendors I contacted took months to respond. So right off the bat, I was impressed.
Ruth is also extremely accommodating. She was very flexible in scheduling a tasting with us despite conflicting schedules. We finally scheduled a tasting and were so impressed. As we walked away from the tasting, we had no complaints at all and I felt giddy and excited that it was so easy for us to find our caterer!
Once everything was finalized and we decided on our menu, Ruth remained accommodating throughout the whole process. So many times I had to go back to her and make a little change here or there, and she was graceful and professional, not to mention understanding during all those months. And that's saying a lot because I had changes up until the very last minute.
For the day of our wedding, the food did not fail to impress. People have told me they loved absolutely everything they ate, from the salad, to the delicious and lemony chicken, to the perfectly cooked steak with 3 great sauce options. Another comment we got was that the chocolate truffles were a "genius idea." Those were all at Ruth's suggestion and people loved them!
A final comment--the staff. Every single interaction I had with Catering by Teatime's staff during our reception was absolutely fantastic, with the level of service going far above and beyond our already high expectations. One woman even offered to help with my dress in the bathroom.
Loved everything and without a doubt, I would hire Catering by Teatime again. Thank you!! -
![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 08/07/2014When we first reached out to Ruth (Owner) to inquire about a price quote we expressed that we had a limited budget, and needed recommendations on ways to keep our catering prices low for a wedding size of around 70 people. Ruth was extremely helpful in ideas to make our wedding reception an affordable one. We ended up doing a buffet dinner, picked dinner items that kept food costs to $25 per person, used plastic vs. glass cups for the bar, bought colorful ribbon to tie around napkins vs. renting expensive colored tablecloths, only provided beer & wine, and of course the bonus of having a FREE wedding cake.
Ruth is really the key to this company being such a success. We ended up meeting with Ruth on three occasions which all took place in her home. I think I may have emailed Ruth every-other week with additional questions or random advice on various details for the wedding. Each time she would normally get back to me within a couple hours! She even put us in contact with a local Cake Shop Owner who made us custom chocolate flowers which were incorporated into Ruth's BEAUTIFUL & delicious cake.
As for the day of the Wedding Reception everything went off without a hitch. Ruth knows how to maintain an awesome staff; even though she wasn’t there everything ran smoothly. Just as she promised she had her Manager come and find the Bridal Party as soon as we got in the door with a tray of tasty Hors d’oeuvres just for us! Although my husband and I tried our best to make ourselves eat dinner at the reception, we failed to get to our plates before the meat had been out too long. But no reason for disappointment because Ruth’s staff thought ahead and had some leftovers stored in the fridge that they packed up for us.
If you’re currently researching caterers you need to get in contact with Ruth. This company has amazing service with a GREAT PRICE for the DC area. All of our guests, and my husband and I highly recommend Teatime Delicacies for your wedding!
- Sarah & Marvin
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