Critic's Choice Catering and Event Production Inc. Reviews
Critic's Choice Catering and Event Production Inc.
Redondo Beach, CA4.9 out of 5 rating, 61 reviews
Reviews
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![Lindsay]()
Lindsay Sent on 02/09/2022Words CANNOT Describe
I can not explain how much I would recommend booking with Critics Choice for your wedding. It was a complete game changer for my now husband and I during the planning process. I am very "Type A" and couldn't even tell you how many light night emails I sent to Kaycie asking pretty much every question under the sun and she was always so prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable beyond words. As soon as we met with her, I felt a WEIGHT lifted off my shoulders- She had it under control! She made sure that our "vibe" was incorporated throughout the entire wedding. The finest detail, Kaycie was ON IT! She has an eye for placement, decor, details, etc. that you just can't find that easily with everyone. She made sure everything went smoothly (she was at the venue well before I arrived, and stayed until well after I left.) from start to finish. EVERYTHING looked better than I even imagined. She made sure we ate, had drinks in hand, and had a great time. Even after the wedding day, she helped with some little odds and ends I had questions on. Her knowledge is unmatched in my opinion. Critics Choice had amazing Wedding Packages that included desserts, decorations, signage, etc. if you want all inclusive (I did, and the closer we got to the date, I cannot express how relieved I am that we did). The food options are plentiful! You can choose any sort of style you desire. We went with live action stations and got compliments left and right on the food quality and how amazing it was. The way the stations were set up elevated the look even further. You know how people say "If you were on an island and could only take one thing with you, what would it be?" well if my husband and I were to have "only one vendor, who would it be?" 10/10 it would be Critics Choice!!
They genuinely want you to have the best day ever, and they definitely make that happen for you! I am FOREVER thankful to Kaycie and her team for making our wedding a dream come true, really.
And She even hopped in the photo booth with us! =) 100000% recommend this vendor. -
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Molly Sent on 12/12/2021
Magical event, hard working team!!
Kaycie and team did an outstanding job at my wedding this past September. After canceling our first destination wedding due to pandemic challenges, we rescheduled a year later and completely changed approaches. We held the wedding ceremony and reception at my childhood home in Los Angeles. Kaycie was very responsive to our initial inquiry and scheduled several meetings, tastings, on-site visits, and check-ins afterwards. Wedding season was wild in 2021 and I can’t believe they managed to pull off every little detail that they did!! Having a wedding at my childhood home was amazing, but it is significantly more work. That’s where Kaycie and team really shined. They knew exactly what we needed and didn’t need for the house and backyard, both to make it an event space and to keep it functional. Kaycie and team nailed my minimal but elegant vision, and it was reassuring to work with someone who I felt comfortable coming to my home several times over the 6 months before the wedding! Here are the top things Kaycie and team really impressed us with in no particular order:
1. Contacts and vendors - with only about 6 months to plan, Kaycie’s contacts were critical. Simply put, she works with the best, most down to earth, friendly vendors out there. We couldn’t have pulled it off with Kaycie’s vendors. They worked with our timing, dates, prices, and coordinated with Kaycie so that there were no mishaps!
2. Catering - the food was straight up amazing. We have two professional chefs in the family, and a lot of foodies and everyone raved about the food! People were fed constantly throughout the event which helped keep the party going! This couldn’t have been easy in an at home setting either. They built a kitchen and serving area on the side of the house and then used our indoor kitchen to finish certain items. All food was fantastic including the ice cream cookie sandwich bar towards the end of the night!
3. Working within budget, great price for everything that’s included - again, having an at home wedding means you need to rent or buy everything. Critics Choice has packages of all the things that they know you’ll need that you won’t even be thinking of. Kaycie figured out ways to keep costs reasonable and fair, which was helpful knowing where we could save and where we could splurge. Kaycie also managed to get us discounts with other vendors that we used that she also works with which was hugely helpful.
4. Vision - I wanted something minimal, elegant and intimate. Boy did they deliver!! They had a lot of items in their package that covered the vision and outsourced the rest. Super important - Kaycie and team know what items really make an impact at a wedding. We were really thankful for this advice because it pulled the entire night and vision together.
5. Hardworking - this team hustled their hearts out at this wedding. At one point I looked out the window from upstairs and there were people sprinting back and forth to make sure everyone got their food in a timely manner (which they did). They are calm, cool, collected on the surface but they are working their tails off behind the scenes.
For a bride, knowing someone cares about the wedding details as much as you do put me at ease during the day so I could enjoy my time. We have the best memories from our wedding, and had the happiest wedding guests I’d ever seen. Months later people can’t stop talking about it. I had a guest ask for pen and paper to write down notes about how we planned the event. Critics Choice was integral to the magic of the day. 13/10 would hire again. -
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![Sierra]()
Sierra Sent on 11/01/2021Amazing!! So happy we chose Critics Choice!
My husband and I chose Critics Choice for our October wedding and we could not have been happier! Every person we worked with at CC was phenomenal! Their experience in the industry is undeniable. We decided to go with a roaming reception, with a variety of foods served at stations throughout our venue, and every single thing was delicious. The charcuterie and crudités displays were absolutely stunning - everything was such a hit! From apps to desserts, our guests have not stopped raving about the food. The presentation and quality were SO incredible, and the team did an amazing job with set up and take down! Nirvana and her team really went above and beyond simply catering our wedding- thank you from the bottom of our hearts! -
![Alicia]()
Alicia Sent on 07/01/2021Amazing event planner/producer/catering in one
We had the privilege of working with Critics Choice for our wedding. While we were looking for a small outdoor venue the name Critics Choice kept popping up. Once we found our venue at The Redondo Beach Hotel they also recommend Critics Choice. We set up our initial consultation and we were sold. Their food was delicious and their presentation was great. We also really like that besides handling event catering they also do event production. They referred us to great vendors for flowers, cake, and calligraphy. The big day came and Critics Choice was on top of everything. They beautifully set up the venue and coordinated with us through the reception. Our guests loved the venue set up and enjoyed the food. They still talk about it today. A big shoutout to Kaycie Fellows who made our day extra special. We look forward to working with them again. -
Darian Sent on 06/03/2021
Theeee BEST Wedding Vendor!!!!
Kaycie and the entire Critics Choice Team was truly amazing! From the first conversation I had with Kaycie it was clear that I had finally found a vendor who was on my side! Kaycie is more than just a caterer but is also an event designer, logistics guru, party planner and everything in between.
I first discovered Critics Choice and met Kaycie during April 2020 when I thought my September 2020 wedding was going to happen. Kaycie truly listened to my vision and vibe for the wedding and helped me craft a beautiful menu answering every single one of my questions with patience & clarity. When the time came and we decided to postpone our wedding Kaycie and her team were extremely flexible and willing to work with us! Fast forward to our May 30th 2021 wedding date - Kaycie and her team knocked it out the park. All the food was AMAZING & FLAVORFUL. From the lamb chops to the crab cakes and petit filet mignon served at dinner. Our guests came up to us saying this was the BEST wedding food they had ever ate!
Additionally, Kaycie also worked with my Mom to plan the most EPIC Bridal Shower for me! Everything was absolutely amazing from the decor to the champagne with fresh fruit puree dazzled with floral petals. My guests also were obsessed with the tri tip, shrimp and grits, and beautiful cheese grazing station at my bridal shower. In addition, to the food, Kaycie also acted as an party planner for this event and the decor was absolutely incredible it felt like we were transported to a chateau in Italy so many precious photo moments & beautiful decor! Thank you so much Critics Choice & Kaycie -
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Kasey Sent on 04/17/2021
Amazing Team, Amazing Food!
Kaycie and Critic's Choice were a wonderful surprise to our wedding planning. In January of 2021, we decided to finally move forward with our original June 2020 wedding in a friends backyard in less than 3 months. We needed to quickly find a caterer and were SO blessed to come upon Critic's Choice. Working with Kaycie and the team was easy, and took a ton off our plate. Not only did they help us plan all the details of a backyard wedding, they made AMAZING food and drinks. Seriously, the food was some of the best food ever, and we are still getting comments on how good it was. Kaycie and her staff made sure that we got to try every app, actually sit down and eat, and we never had an empty drink. It was the best day ever--thanks in HUGE part to the Critic's Choice Team. -
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Kirstyann Sent on 03/16/2021
Amazing Catering
From the outset of hiring Critics Choice, we knew we made the right decision. From the get go, Kaycie held our hands through the entire process. Deciding on meals, setting up times for tastings and keeping us updated on all the facets on catering, we were truly amazed at how much attention to detail we were provided. The food was absolutely delicious and the drinks were made the way we wanted them made. The single most complimented part of our wedding was the catering and how amazing the food was. We fell in love with Kaycie from our first meeting. She is full of energy and her work truly shows how much she cares. Kaycie and her team were phenomenal. We would highly recommend them for any occasion. P.S. add the wedding package. All the extras that are included are perfect and tie it all together. -
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![Steven]()
Steven Sent on 03/04/2021Amazing! Perfect!
Kaycie was amazing! Kaycie was amazing! She was the best wedding coodinator and organizer and do it all. She was professional, prompt, hard working and reliable. She set the mood perfectly and was the perfect host. Our wedding was suppose to be outside and everything was set up outside but high winds caused us to move the wedding completely inside. Kaycie saved the day, was incredibly flexible and went above and beyond his call of duty. Our beautiful and insanely expensive Malibu wedding was on the VERGE of being a complete disaster and trainwreck but Kaycie literally SAVED OUR WEDDING. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND CRITICS CHOICE. The entire staff including chef stuart, Vana, servers lydia, isabel, kitchen assistant gabby, sous chef shane and the bartender stephanie were WONDERFUL. When I get a chance I will upload professional photos of everything! Thank you KAYCIE! FIVE STARS! -
Debra Sent on 03/06/2020
Beyond Fantastic and Awesome and Yummy
They catered our 30th wedding anniversary party and vow renewal ceremony. Beautiful presentation and fabulous delicious food with amazing friendly helpful staff. My friends are all still talking about the food! I will for sure use them again. -
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![Heidi]()
Heidi Sent on 08/10/2019Amazing!!!
Hiring Critic's Choice was far and away one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! Kaycie is a fantastic event coordinator, every bit of food we ever tried from them, including our wedding day food (quesadillas and nachos, taco bar buffet with tri-tip, and mini pizza late night snacks), was delicious, and their industry relationships (and discounts :D) made the rest of our vendor search a breeze. I highly, highly recommend Critic's Choice for wedding catering! -
![Grace]()
Grace Sent on 04/09/2019The Best Catering & Event Production Company I have ever worked with!
Kaycie and the entire team at Critic's Choice absolutely exceeded our expectations from the moment we contacted them, through the planning process and execution of our perfect evening. Hiring them was one of the best decisions that we made in this process!
The food was absolutely delicious, and they offer us the ability to customize our menu in order to perfectly match both of our cultural influences. Our guests are still raving about the food! Moreover, Kaycie is an absolute professional! She is organized and experienced. With Kaycie, there are no obstacles--only opportunities to enhance the evening for your guests.
As a bride with a background in hospitality and special events, I had very high bar for the quality of service we wanted to provide our guests. From the get go, I felt 100% confident that Critic's Choice understood and was capable of executing our vision. So many of our guests have shared how impressed they were with the service, a few even sharing that the servers introduced themselves personally to each table and ensured then that they would be taking care of the table for the evening. The Kaycie and the entire Critic's Choice team exceeded my expectations and just knocked it out of the park! I can't say enough about how lucky we were to have found them. -
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![Christina]()
Christina Sent on 09/03/2018Critics Choice Catering & Event Production services for my Wedding Day on 8/18/18 were amazing! Kaycie Fellows was my Wedding Coordinator for the whole day, but she did way more than just that one day- she has been there for me since January of this year meeting with me, going over details, creating our timeline, checking in with me, being the POC for ALL my vendors, coming with me to tastings, creating a menu for us, and more! She really is a hands on professional executor when it comes to events! I really felt at ease knowing Kaycie was there for me, she was always available for me and her expertise in events is super impressive. She was asking all these questions to my venue that I didn't even think about myself for my own wedding- it was awesome. We had so many different things happening for my Wedding ( In-N-Out truck, classic car, photobus, lots of DIY elements and decor,) every detail was executed perfectly. I had Critics Choice cater lunch for the groom and I in separate suites, and Kaycie delivered everything with impecable timing and even went out of her way to pick up some last minute items from my hotel room that we needed for the Wedding. I highly recommend hiring Critics Choice Catering and Kaycie for all your event production needs! -
Shonna Sent on 06/23/2018We worked with Critic’s Choice Catering for our wedding this month and we can not say enough amazing things about Kaycie and the staff who worked on our wedding! From day one Kaycie’s energy, passion and love for her career made her shine! We knew instantly that she would be the perfect fit for our wedding day! She helped us find the perfect menu, decorations, rental items, cake and even was our day if coordinator. Kaycie was absolutely PERFECT! Kaycie kept our wedding day running smoothly, and the day was a dream come true! Our wedding was exactly what we had pictured thanks to Kaycie and Critics Choice! Kaycie even arranged for a surprise exit with sparklers which was so gorgeous! Thank you for all you have done for us and helping make our dreams come true! ❤️
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![mdyblue5]()
G. Sent on 10/10/2012We had our wedding at Sepulveda Home and they only work with Critic Choice and I'm happy they do. Critic Choice food was outstanding!!! We worked with Michelle and she was very nice to us. Some of the food choice we chose was tri tip chimmichurri, wonton tuna shashimi and mac n cheese(yummy!) and more. Everything was so yummy! We got compliments on the food too. -
![Davis]()
Davis Sent on 03/02/2023"One-Stop" Shop for your wedding needs
Kaycie is excellent at planning a wedding/creating an event. She is creative, organized, and comes in with great energy. She gives her ideas, but is mindful to ask your input to let things marinate. Kaycie did heavy lifting as our caterer, assisted in final table arrangements and helped us with day-of-coordination. She is an All-Star!
Critic's can help you with flowers, centerpieces, décor, and connect you with other vendors. For food, the price is better than many other local caterers (we got quotes from 5). The food is higher quality/tastier than most wedding food we have had.
All-in-all, Critic's Choice was an amazing positive force in our wedding. They helped shape our reception into a beautiful, memorable banquet. From the coffee bar to the dessert bar, our guests raved about the options they had. Would recommend to anyone! -
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![Mrs.Temme]()
Suzanne Sent on 10/30/2014I chose to work with this vendor because of the value. I booked based on the price initially quoted, which turned out to include lower quality items, but I slowly paid to upgrade each as the process progressed. It is good that they offer a range of quality for every budget and event level.
A big selling point for me was their wedding package, which added a per guest rate to include a day of coordinator, center piece and decor, along with a few other extras. It was excellent to be able to have all of this through one vendor. I wanted my reception flower heavy, so I choose to bring in additional wholesale flowers, which they added. The flowers, and whole reception space, were absolutely beautiful.
My coordinator was very responsive and flexible to meet the vision I had set for the reception. There are multiple coordinators at the company who you could get paired up with.
Critic's Choice works with their own rental company, so you don't have to find your own, and can just have one contact for the two vendors. However, my venue required me to work with their rental company. My only qualm was that my coordinator did not enjoy working with my rental company and told me so. Neither of us had a choice in the matter so it would have been smoother if she had not expressed her discontent. -
![Edwin]()
Edwin Sent on 12/31/2023Terrible service on wedding day
We used Critic’s Choice to cater our wedding in September 2023. It was not a good experience and people should know what we experienced in case others are considering them. We encountered many issues with them on our wedding day, most of which we heard about in the days following our wedding.
Here’s a snippet of the email we sent to them explaining the issues that we had during our wedding:
- People were receiving the wrong meal and the staff wasn’t checking to see who was receiving what. You told me on the night of the wedding that this was happening because people were switching their food. But after speaking to a good amount of guests, the case was that the waitstaff were just giving people the wrong food and were even asking people what they ordered instead of following the list. The waiters seemed very unprofessional and inexperienced. This even occurred on one of the VIP tables (both of our immediate families) where several guests received the wrong meal. When one of the guests mentioned they had ordered chicken and not surf n’ turf, the waiter told them they didn’t order chicken even though the menu and name card indicated chicken.
- It seems as though there was no plan as to how to go about the dinner service, which is so disappointing given the level of detail and upfront work that was done on our end to ensure this wouldn’t happen. (fully detailed spreadsheet, color-coded place cards, customized menus)
- Additionally, when guests tried to relay the issues they were having, they were brushed off by the waitstaff, simply stating they were doing their best. We were told that the waitstaff were quite rude, which is again very disappointing.
- We spoke to one of our friends who has a daughter that ordered the kids meal and his daughter never received their food. They didn’t get anything. This is honestly infuriating and one of the worst things that happened on this list. There’s simply no excuse for this.
- We heard from many guests that their food was cold and that the risotto wasn’t cooked all the way through.
- We also heard from many that their water jugs weren’t being refilled and others didn’t get water at all apparently.
- The serving of food to the tables was also very inefficient. We know of a few tables that didn’t receive their food until way later than others. We heard many complaints about this.
- There was also a huge gap between salads and entrees. This is something we noticed and was echoed by everyone we spoke with.
- The late night snacks weren’t being served until around midnight, which isn’t what we had scheduled. Many people didn’t even know about it. That was very poorly executed.
- We also heard one of our cake boxes got infested with ants. We had a refrigerator in the bridal suite to store this away in there and if there wasn’t any space left, we wish this would have been flagged so we could have removed items from the fridge to prioritize the cake(s).
- The fruit/charcuterie station during cocktail hour was swarmed with flies at one point. Not sure exactly when it was brought out but if this was put out before cocktail hour started, shouldn’t this have had some sort of covering beforehand to prevent this?
After explaining all of the above to Kaycie and Michelle from Critic’s Choice, they offered us a $4,949 refund out of a total of ~$38,000 (of which was a $3,300 optional gratuity that we paid in advance, which was a big mistake). After requesting more of a refund, they became litigious and reduced their refund offer to just $3,300, the amount of our prepaid optional gratuity. Needless to say, that won’t be enough and we will be taking the matter to court.
Please do your due diligence before hiring this company to cater your event. They will impress you at the tasting but fall completely flat on the day of your event.
The service provided from them really put a damper on our wedding and hopefully putting this out there will prevent it from happening to others in the future.
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