Chowhound Gourmet Reviews
Reviews
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Awards
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 11/30/2025Simply Delightful!
John and his team were incredible both with communication and advice before our wedding on 11/26 and with everything on the day of the wedding -- set-up, tear-down, ensuring that my husband and I were able to enjoy all of the food, and checking in on everyone to ensure that folks were enjoying everything.
All of the food was easy for large events and broad taste palettes, but our guests also reflected that it was different and unique enough to make it stand out from other events that they had attended.
Thank you again to John Breeland, Lucretia and the Chowhound Gourmet team!! -
![Austin]()
Austin Sent on 12/01/2023Great Food!
The plan was for my wife to write this review, but in the end I was the one who ate more of the food - so it feels only fair. 5/5 Excellent food and service!
We looked around at a few places, but Chowhound really stuck out to us. We had the pleasure of going in person to try the dishes we had chosen. At the tasting through a small miscommunication the chicken whose sauce was supposed to be made dairy-free wasn’t. The chef jumped into action and threw together a chermoula which was SO FREAKING GOOD. It had a perfect fresh feel - which was great for our summer wedding - and it was naturally dairy-free. We requested that they make it at the wedding too (and they did!).
At the wedding there were no hiccups whatsoever, and the food was delicious. Their setup was great and everyone was through the food line in a jiffy (we opted for buffet style). Chowhound made up plates for the wedding party and gave it to us before the rest of the guests so we were able to enjoy the food. Well, my wife through a combination of stress and a very tight dress was unable to eat much, but it had nothing to do with food which she still speaks highly of (whatever bits she was able to comfortably try).
Overall a wonderful experience and company. Would recommend it! -
![Zachery]()
Zachery Sent on 11/05/2022What More Could You Ask For
First off, the entire experience with John and his crew was amazing. The tasting, the logistics of everything…all of it…amazing. I’m not really one to leave reviews, but, I have to for Chowhound. We had some weather challenges with our wedding, but John and his crew worked it all out. Having a wedding in the country, in a barn is especially challenging and from someone who used to work in the industry, I am always highly skeptical of chef’s/caterers abilities. John far exceeded all of our expectations. We had nothing but awesome comments on how delicious all the food was. The prime rib—amazing. Thanks John and staff for all your hard work and delicious food! - ZChowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi Zachery
I really appreciate you taking the time out to give Chowhound a review . And thank you for all the wonderful compliments. I am so fortunate to have such a great crew!
We wish you guys all the best
John -
![Chuck]()
Chuck Sent on 08/04/2022Amazing Team, Fantastic Food, Exceptional Service
5 stars does not do John and the Chowhound team justice ! They were unbelievable. It started with the initial conversations with John last year and the tasting where we decided to go with one of his packages but John was so excited to allow us our own personal flair and touches. We chose several of his amazing appetizers but also offered one of our own items (bacon wrapped dates, stuffed with chevre) and OMG they were all a hit. For the main meal we again asked for some custom options that all fell within John's original package along with an amazing Risotto station and I cannot tell you the number of compliments we received. We also added a late night snack (POUTINE for my Canadian roots) and the team executed this flawlessly.
Lastly, the 'day of' service team and team leader were exceptional, they consistently checked in to make sure we were happy, and operated at a level I have not experienced before.
I can't recommend John and Chowhound more if you are looking for a fantastic caterer ! Thanks so much for all your hard work, it helped make our event a huge success !Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
I am absolutely humbled by this amazing review! And I am so proud as an owner that I have such an amazing team !
Chuck , we wish you guys nothing but the best
John -
![Patty]()
Patty Sent on 09/03/2021How Does He Make THAT Good of Food?!
John is INSANE. Food was our #1 non-negotiable splurge, and we didn't even end up "splurging". After receiving an estimate, we agreed to go to a tasting thinking that there's no way we'd get the quality of food we wanted in that price range. But HOLY CRAP were we wrong. We really don't know how he made so much food, all of it tasting like it came from a high-end restaurant, hot, and appeasing to every palate in the place. John, thank you, thank you, thank you. -
![Kelly]()
Kelly Sent on 04/23/2021LOVED Chowhound Gourmet!!
John at Chowhound Gourmet came up with a perfect menu and his crew served us everything with smiles on their faces. Food was absolutely delicious! :)) -
![Eden]()
Eden Sent on 10/16/2020Amazing Food + Friendliest Staff!!!
Chef John at Chowhound Gourmet is amazing!!! When we found Chowhound on WeddingWire and read the reviews and researched their menu options online, we knew that we really wanted to try them if at all possible (we were very late to the game finding a caterer due to covid). Unfortunately when we reached out to John he told us that his team was already booked for our date and sincerely apologized (not his fault, of course!!). We asked him to put us down in his book in the event the schedule opened up due to a cancellation because of Covid. We thought it was a long shot, but it was worth asking. Turns out it wasn't that long of a shot because the event did get canceled (which totally sucks), but super lucky for us! We were ecstatic when we received a call from John about 3 weeks later saying he opened up. We set up a phone consultation with John and started planning out the menu! He came up with such a delicious menu for us based on what we told him we liked!! We did the prime rib, baked cod, roasted veggies and potatoes, and grown up mac n cheese. I told John that I loved soup and would prefer to have a nice fall soup served instead of salad before dinner, and John made this amazing Butternut Squash Bisque with an assortment of delicious garnishes. It was amazing!! The ceremony and dinner took place in our home, so the chef and server were super flexible moving around the kitchen and living room (and to the garage off the kitchen where the prime rib was being carved.. not the original plan but they needed more space and were able to adapt to a better arrangement that worked out for them!!). The server, and I forget her name, was an absolute angel. She was sooo, so so so sweet. She took excellent care of all 21 people sitting down for dinner. Before dinner even started, she and the chef prepared togo boxes for a few family members who attended the ceremony but were hesitant to join for dinner due to being in closer proximity with others (again, covid). They were so happy!! Once the dinner was done, she so kindly wrapped up all leftover food and stored it in our fridge (labeled the boxes and dated everything). She helped to serve the cake. She did the dishes!! Once the wedding was over, the groom and myself literally had zero cleanup to do with food. It was so nice.
One of the nicest gestures of the whole catering service had to do with our pup (and also our flower dog), Phoebe. Although there was no chicken on the menu for us, Chef John prepared her one unseasoned chicken breast with unseasoned veggies. It was her special day too and we wanted her to enjoy a special meal, and Chef John delivered. He REALLY delivered. She didn't finish all at once... but trust me, she did lick her bowl clean by the time dinner concluded.
We literally couldn't have done the day without them. Once we were luckily and finally able to hire John, the process couldn't have been more smooth. The phone consultation, menu tasting, finalizing details, and execution of the event, was all perfect. We can't thank John and his team enough for the amazing service they provided to us, our pup, and our guests. Our guests, and us, were raving about the food for days. One thing people always remember about weddings was if the food was good or not. Chef John and his team made sure that the food was unforgettable in the best way possible. Thank you so, so much!! We OBVIOUSLY recommend them to anyone looking for catering services for their event.Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi there!
Thank you so much for the amazing review! It was so thoughtful of you to go into such detail . Truly grateful for your all your words!
I can not tell you how fortunate I am for my amazing crew! They are the best!
Nothing but the best to you guys & of course Phoebe :)))
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![Melissa]()
Melissa Sent on 10/13/2020Best wedding food ever
John and his team are amazing. The food was excellent and the service they provided was top notch. He was flexible with some last minute changes and made planning my 3rd wedding due to covid a breeze. He offers a trial to couples and I promise if you give him a shot you won’t be disappointed.Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi, Melissa!
It truly was an honor! And thank you so much for the kind words!
Nothing but the best to you guys
Sincerely, John -
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Wanda Sent on 06/10/2020
Excellent Food and Service
A++ 🤗 From the first phone called to the last drop ate by my guest. I called John on a short notice for a wedding reception during the Covid-19 Pandemic and he responded with open arms and delivered on his word. Fine dining quality with service attendants at a unbelievable price. Food was amazing and the staff was perfect for my outdoor wedding. 100% recommend if you need a caterer for “any” event!!Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi Wanda!
Thank you so much for taking the time out to give us a review! It was an absolute joy :))
Nothing but the best for you guys
Best, John -
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![Abby]()
Abby Sent on 01/05/2020Delicious food, professional staff, great value
Chowhound gourmet delivered delicious food at a great value. I couldn't be more happy that we hired John to cater our wedding. I was hesitant to do a buffet, but it fit our venue the best. I normally associate buffet food to being overly salty, cold, and not very inventive. That was the opposite of what we had! Our food was very flavorful, hot, and inventive for all diets. The staff was very attentive to clearing plates and checking in with us as well. I could not recommend them enough, all our guests were complimenting on how great our food was!Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi, Abby!
Thank you so much! I am so fortunate to have an awesome team!
And yes, the premise of Chowhound is top notch restaurant food in a catering environment...
Nothing but the best for you and Eric!
Best, John -
![Veronica]()
Veronica Sent on 11/11/2019Absolutely Amazing!!!!!
Our guests were absolutely blown away by the food Chef John did for our wedding. The staff was on top of everything and all we heard from our guests is how the food melted in your mouth!!! Beyond blessed and happy with everything!Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
It was absolutely our pleasure! And thank you for taking the time to write a review. Truly grateful
And may the force be with you guys!!
John -
![Jessie]()
Jessie Sent on 09/29/2019my experience was excellent.
I am so Happy we chose ChowHound we had some people who showed up that didnt RSVP but the staff and John improvised.Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Thank you so much for the review!
We are grateful for you and T.J. and may the force be with you guys :)) -
![Molly]()
Molly Sent on 07/02/2019Could not be happier!
My husband and I hired Chowhound Gourmet for our wedding this past weekend, and we are so glad we did! John Breeland, the chef/owner, was extremely kind and helpful leading up to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, we had a short turn-around time to get the dining area ready for the reception, and the Chowhound Gourmet staff got it done in no time! The food was absolutely delicious, and we never ran out of water at the tables. My husband and I received so many rave reviews from our guests about the food and the service! If you're in Southeast MI and need a catering service, look no further!Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi, Molly !
Thank you so much for the amazing review! It was an absolute honor to serve your first dinner as husband and wife!
Very best to you guys
John -
![Queenbee209]()
Kathy Sent on 06/10/2019Wonderful food chow hound !!
The wedding went off with out a hitch.
The food was fabulous. We had a buffet with a prime rib carving station. Everything was delicious , “ My 91 year old mother-in-law” just raved to me. “Who knows better than the wise”
I would highly recommend, “John Breeland” does what ever you want., If it’s not on his long list of food items he will work with you on whatever your wishes. Also his appetizers were the bomb.
The only thing that I can think of that was a little bit off might have been the little wrapped hotdogs at the end of the night. Puff pastry tends to shrink-up I think and not hold up real well. We asked for that, it wasn’t on his list. I would not order that but there were no complaints so, there you go, thumbs up !! The price also included non-food items such as dinnerware,Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi, there!
thank you for the wonderful compliments!
It was a joy to serve you & yours
Very best, John -
![Samantha]()
Samantha Sent on 01/12/2019Wedding Reception
John executed delicious food and was very flexible to work with! All of our guests raved about it!Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Thank you so much for the 5 star review !!! It was a joy to serve you guys!
May the force be with you!!! -
![Rachel]()
Rachel Sent on 12/06/2018Excellent all around!
We hired JB Chowhound for our 200+ person wedding reception and it was one of the best decisions we made. John was so easy to work with, responsive, accommodating in every way including working within our budget. Pricing was so easy to understand compared to other caterers we looked at, and there were no hidden fees to surprise us at the end. The staff was wonderful and provided excellent service throughout. And most importantly, the food was incredible! We had so many compliments from our guests saying it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding and that the staff was amazing. The entire process from initial contact, to tasting, to working out details, to the day off was just perfect. 10/10 would recommend!! -
Megan Sent on 09/19/2018John was incredible to work with! The food was the best wedding food we ever had. Everyone raves over it! And the service was great you could barely tell they were there!
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![Liz]()
Liz Sent on 07/21/2017John and his team are SPECTACULAR! His cooking is phenomenal, and you get so much for your money!! I will forever recommend Chowhound Gourmet to EVERYONE and I will continue to use him in the future for all our catering needs!!!! THANK YOU JOHN!!!!! -
![Kait]()
Kait Sent on 11/23/2021Great food and good people!
Chowhound Gourmet was the caterer for our wedding and we were very happy with them! Chef John was friendly, the servers were incredibly accommodating (one of them put a plate together for a guest who had a sleeping baby on her lap), and everything was delicious! They were extremely reasonable with us when we had to postpone and even though we went nearly two years between the tasting and the big day, the food was just as good as we remembered!
Only downside is that they could sometimes be a little tricky to get in touch with but I always heard back eventually - just not as quickly as I did from other vendors. It was also the busy season for weddings when much of our final communication was taking place so I understood.
In the end, everything came together and everyone was super complimentary of the food! I also appreciated that John included everything in the main price and did not nickel and dime extra "service fees" like many of the other caterers we priced out - even though his prices might look a little higher than others on the surface, I found that they were completely fair and reasonable once you accounted for the way other places padded their quotes.Chowhound Gourmet's reply:
Hi Kait!
Thank you for all your wonderful compliments ! And thank you for your honest feedback. Getting back to clients withn 24 hours is our goal. Resently, I noticed that my time out of the kitchen returning emails and phone call is more important than a chef knife in my hand :))
In addition , I am grateful that you commented on our billing structure. As a owner and consumer, I wanted the billing to be clear and upfront rather than " roping " the client into smoky mirror pricing
Nothing but the best to you guys !!!
John
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