Sarah Sent on 10/08/2023

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible Service; Delicious Food!

As a wedding planner, I was thrilled when my client shared they were planning to work with Design Cuisine for their rehearsal dinner event. Not only was the communication with the DC team incredibly thoughtful and thorough, but their attention to detail was second to none. They participated as great collaborative partners in the walkthrough, and were generous to continuously make updates to the proposal every step of the way. On event date, their team provided the absolute BEST service and as a planner who ties all the pieces together, it's so crucial to have an incredible catering team keeping the entire event grounded! I can't wait to work with DC again, and highly recommend them to any and all considering hosting an extraordinary event!

Tashima Sent on 10/10/2020

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Excellent menu, excellent service!

We connected with Design Cuisine almost 1 month before our wedding due to last minute COVID changes causing us to change venues. It was a very pleasant transition! The team was responsive, flexible, accommodating, professional. The night of the event they gave amazing service and the food was excellent! I was worried about "off site kitchen" leading to food being less than hot, however this was not the case. Everything was perfect!

Katie Sent on 12/22/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

INCREDIBLE food and service!

Design Cuisine is the exclusive caterer to our venue, Woodlawn. Usually this is sort of terrifying because you feel “stuck” with a caterer you didn’t choose. If Woodlawn’s gorgeous venue didn’t sell you yet, LET DESIGN CUISINE DO IT WITH EASE. They are true professionals and their service is some of the BEST I’ve ever seen. We worked with Claire, who was helpful, understanding, and extremely responsive – even on the morning of my wedding. The Design Cuisine showroom in Shirlington is massive – so many choices for every type of wedding/style you can imagine. Claire helped us narrow down the look we were going for and helped us create a vision for our entire reception. The tasting had our jaws dropped the entire time. They had our exact linens, chairs, silverware etc. so you could get a good idea of how the reception would feel. For our tasting, they had cooked our ENTIRE wedding menu and even had folks dressed in tuxes serving us in the tasting room. Fast-forward to the day of, I couldn’t stop eating. Usually you find brides don’t have time or their nerves were too high. Nuh-uh – not with Design Cuisine’s food. Everything from the pear salad to the short rib was flawless and tasted exactly like it had (if not better!) than our tasting. We still have guests (over a month later) raving about our food.

+5 photos

Eileen Sent on 07/22/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great customer service!

After a quick change of the catering company at our venue, we were introduced to Design Cuisine. I had been extremely stressed about the catering for our wedding (who wouldn't be?) and was so relieved when I was introduced to Claire. She eased my worries right away and worked with me and my husband's schedule to get us in for a tasting as soon as possible. She is extremely friendly and approachable and eager to help you have the day of your dreams. Design Cuisine made a point to honor our pricing from the previous caterer (which was a nice gesture) but they went above and beyond in customer service. Claire always answered every question promptly (even when they appeared in multiple e-mails!) and provided lots of options that could work. Claire and her team were very flexible in setting up different options for guests so that everyone could enjoy the evening. Everyone at our wedding raved about the food and service from the Design staff members! We are so glad that we had the chance to work with them!

Saori Sent on 07/03/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding catering

While my contact person for the design cuisine changed twice during my planning process which made me worried and feeling that I have to explain the details over and over, they did a great job on the day of the wedding. The food is actually also very good and the guests loved it. They also tried to help us save some expense by providing various options such ash bringing alcohol by ourselves. While I had a special arrangement of giving sake to guests from the sake barrel, they did it well. I’m thankful that they delivered very well in the end!

Olivia Sent on 05/20/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing food and customer service!

After a turn of events a couple months before our wedding, our venue set us up with Design Cuisine - and it could not have worked out better! Not only was the food AMAZING, but their customer service was outstanding. They were essentially left to clean up a mess from another vendor and handled it so well, relieving any stress and making it a seamless transition. We specifically worked with Claire and if you’re able to request her, do it - you’ll have a flawless event with food that people will rave about!

Grace Sent on 05/15/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Best Ever!!!!!

Our wedding experience with Design Cuisine could not have been more lovely. The entire planning process with them leading up to the day-of was professional yet also friendly and warm. They did an excellent job helping me put together my vision. The food ended up being gorgeous and so delicious - we had a few guests say it was the best catered wedding food that they had ever eaten. Design made our wedding so special and we highly recommend them.

Alexandra Sent on 01/30/2019

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

More than we could have hoped for

If we could give Kevin and the team at Design Cuisine more than 5 stars, we would. We don't quite know how to express how thrilled we were with Design Cuisine. From the start, Kevin and his team were professional and flexible, willing to work with us to make sure that we had the event we wanted. From the menu design to the tastings to the execution of the event, it was nothing short of perfect.

Kevin and his team developed a menu that suited what we were looking for (and even gave us some options we didn't know we wanted). When we threw out ideas about other things we wanted to consider, Kevin was willing to make changes and/or be honest about what would or would not work. We were lucky enough to have both sets of our parents join us for our tasting -- an experience that was amazing and is one that we all will cherish for many years to come.

At the wedding itself, service was seamless. From the cocktail hour and passed hors d'oeuvres until the last late night snack was served, there were no issues. Many of our guests commented that this was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. We also had our cake done through Design and I can't count how many compliments we got -- people said things like, "I don't eat cake at weddings, but this one is amazing."

We can't say enough good things about Design. Most importantly, it was a beautiful meal that we will remember for a long time to come and was worth every penny we spent.

Alejandra Sent on 12/11/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible food and service!

We were lucky enough to work with Kevin S for our union station wedding with design cuisine. Kevin went above and beyond what we expected. He was involved in everything from menu to linen selection, and everything came out beautifully. He and his team were very flexible in coming up with our menu, they incorporated seasonal ingredients, and we had so many guests compliment us on our food. The service on the night-of was also excellent. They're definitely one of the best! Thanks Design Cuisine!

Martha Sent on 10/13/2018

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Augie Bove and the Design Cuisine team were amazing! It was a pleasure working with Augie from start to finish. From the tasting to the walk through to the wedding, Augie was super responsive and professional and took all of our preferences into account. He and his team even added a pasta course at the last minute without batting an eye! Our guests raved about the food, and the Design Cuisine staff were consummate professionals on our wedding day. Additionally, our guests with small children singled out the staff for being friendly and understanding of their little ones! We highly recommend Design Cuisine for all of your catering needs.

Katie Sent on 11/08/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My husband and I are both chefs, so the food at our recent wedding was THE most important thing to us in planning our big day - Design Cuisine hit it out of the park, and if we had to do it over again, we would choose them every time!

We started the catering experience by actually sending the Chef a specific menu we had created for our reception - from the tasting to the actual wedding dinner, their kitchen team delivered on every dish exactly as we had envisioned, and our wedding guests are still raving about the food!

Kristy and Kevin were absolutely amazing to work with every step of the way - from helping select our place settings and linens, to designing the floor plan and other details and decor, they were creative, fun, and so accommodating - nothing about the planning process was ever stressful.

The team of staff on site during our wedding was also fantastic - we really appreciated the hospitality felt by our friends, family, and even the other vendors, which can only come from experienced, trained and professional servers and bartenders.

We cannot thank Design Cuisine enough for helping make our special day everything we could have hoped for and would highly recommend them to any future couple looking for the ultimate catering experience!

+8 photos

Brianna Sent on 07/06/2017

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We worked with Claire and Dede at Design Cuisine for our wedding and had an amazing experience! From our initial meeting all the way through the wedding day, they were so sweet and responsive to everything we wanted. Design has a great selection of chairs, linens, dishes, etc. to use, and Claire was so helpful in translating our vision into reality. Everything looked so beautiful. At the wedding, the waiters even wore ties to match our colors! Then, of course, there's the most important part - the food. It was incredible. We had some changes and suggestions after our tasting and everything was incorporated for the day-of. (The tasting is so fun - prepare to be stuffed and need a nap after!) It's been a couple months since our wedding and friends and family are STILL talking about how delicious the food was and even asking if they can get recipes. I wish I had events all the time so I could hire Design again and again. :-)

User2832901 Sent on 10/25/2016

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We worked with Jen. She is absolutely amazing, creative, responsive, lovely. Even though DC is on the pricier side, they're willing to completely tailor the service to your needs & I think it's a better deal in the end for this reason. HIGHLY recommend

User2098166 Sent on 04/15/2015

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The Design Cuisine Team led by Erica Fredericks was outstanding!! From the hors d'oeuveres to the three course dinner and late night snack idea, Erica, her chefs, pantry staff, waiters, bartenders, etc. executed flawlessly. The food was so delicious that every single guest cleaned their plate. Food came out hot and efficiently. My daughter, our wedding planner and I consulted with Erica on everything including linens, place settings, chairs with guest names painted on the backs for our two king tables which was so creative! Every suggestion made by Erica contributed to the magical atmosphere we hoped to achieve. In addition to the talents of the Design Cuisine Team, they were a pleasure to work with. Erica was a true partner and every member of her team was responsive and kind to our guests. I would not hesitate to use Design Cuisine again for any upcoming event. They are sensational!

User1961656 Sent on 10/27/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had a great time planning our wedding with Dede and Claire. The service was great, great selection of plates and linens and not to mention their amazing food!!

User1647979 Sent on 06/05/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The staff were great to work with. They were willing and able to modify some of the dishes for us and were also able to do some new things for the event that we requested. Food was not only beautifully presented but also wonderful to eat. They also provided the wedding cake which was elegant and delicious (lemon raspberry). Guests have not stopped talking about the food. The staff were extremely professional and attentive. They even designated special staff to shadow the bride and groom to ensure that they got food and drinks during the evening. We also selected the linens and china through them and loved the options that were offered at no up charges. They really made the event.

User1639662 Sent on 05/30/2014

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Do you want delicious (gourmet) food, fantasic service (friendly waitors, barmen) and a totally hassle free time while planning all of this for your wedding? All I can say is: Design Cuisine! We worked with Katie, who is absolutely terrific! She's positive, friendly, accomodating, a total professional but personally involved and dedicated! Communication flowed smoothly from the get-go, and Katie immediately understood what we were looking for (I'd like to think we were pretty relaxed). The pre-wedding tasting was a complete success, and the food was EXACTLY as delicious (if not better!) on our big day. About the big day: it had rained torrentially all through the night, and we wanted to celebrate outdoors in the venue's garden. Katie (and Design) had to make the final decision, and they MADE IT HAPPEN OUTSIDE. It was perfect. Our guests came from Argentina, Brasil, France, Germany, Australia, Spain, Singapore and more, and ALL guests (no joke!) commented on how incredible the food was and how wonderful the service had been. And just another hat-off to Katie for making everything so much easier and more relaxed for me (the bride) the weeks before the wedding and the day of. You might think this review is too glowing, but there really is NOTHING negative to say about Design Cuisine. And work with Katie if you can, she's a rockstar!

User1473346 Sent on 12/15/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

It is rare when guests walk away from weddings talking about how good the food was. It's even more rare that over a week later, guests are still clamoring over the meal, the sides especially.They also help create a lovely ambiance with the great selection of dishes/linens etc. They were worth every penny.

User1328117 Sent on 09/14/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

EVerything was wonderful-perfect everything

Meghan Sent on 06/06/2013

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The food was amazing despite the fact that we had an off-site location with no kitchen. Amaron at DC could handle anything with grace and perfection. Perfect.

Maureen Sent on 11/27/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We worked with Katie of Design Cuisine. She was excellent. The food at the tasting was of the same exact quality as the food at the wedding. The guests raved about the appetizers and the main course. She spent considerable time with us choosing a menu. We discussed the pros and cons of the many options. We were guided by her expertise - which is considerable.

Great choice of caterers. We are grateful to our wedding planner for suggesting Design Cuisine.

Shannon Sent on 11/14/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine did a fabulous job at our wedding. We went to numerous tastings, looked through at least 20 proposals, and in the end felt most comfortable with them. It was definitely pricey, but the food was terrific (it didn't taste like wedding food!) and they had done a fantastic job at a wedding we had recently attended also. We did have to change our contact there when Seana left, but Erica was great and kept up with lots of last minute changes we decided on. It was expensive but at our tasting, the food was far and away the best we tried so we went for it. They had the best vegetarian entree for me, which is a big deal for vegetarians who usually are an afterthought! I would highly recommend them. The whole night ran smoothly, service was great, bartenders knew what they were doing, and best of all they assigned a great waiter (Roger) just for me to make sure I had food and drink and whatever else I needed. He was awesome and I was so glad they thought to do that!

Judy Sent on 09/29/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Erica Fredericks and Design Cuisine produced the perfect catering service we have ever experienced. The linens, china, flatware and crystal were exceptional. Everyone at our daughter's wedding could not stop talking about the beautiful table settings and the wonderful food. The wait staff made sure that the cocktail hour food was served to all attendees evenly and not just one area. At the sit down dinner, everyone was served at the same time, the food was hot and delicious. The wedding cake was exactly what the Bride and Groom requested - two flavors. The design of the cake was beautiful. The cake was moist and very favorable. Attendees are still talking about the great food. Erica and Design Cuisine went over and above all expectations, and we would highly recommend them.

Margaret Sent on 09/16/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine was the caterer for my daughter's barn wedding at Murray Hill. I cannot say enough about the fabulous job they did. There was a huge thunderstorm with 50 mph winds that blew through about 1 1/2 hours before the ceremony. I didn't even realize until after the wedding that the caterer's cooking tent blew over and everything was getting soaked. The staff all jumped in to repair everything and you never would have known that anything had gone wrong as the food they delivered was absolutely delicious - better than at the tasting - which I wouldn't have believed was possible since they were cooking outside in a makeshift kitchen. They created a special first course for us of fried green tomatoes, black-eyed pea cakes and fresh corn over greens to give us the southern feel we were looking for - and it was delicious! The surprise for our guests was the "late night snack" (strawberry milkshakes with chocolate chip cookies, pigs in a blanket with fried pickles and mini sandwiches) which was served after the cake, around 10pm. Everyone loved this surprise! The cake was delicious and beautiful!
They were very professional and the staff was impeccably dressed and efficient. Kent Smith was a pleasure to work with and he was front and center at the reception making sure everything was going as it should. I would highly recommend them.

Emily Sent on 06/08/2012

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Christine Cadima and Katie Ritter were both absolutely fantastic! Not only were the chairs and linens beautiful, but the food was amazing. We ordered filet and you could cut it with a butter knife! People are still talking about how amazing the food was. Everyone LOVED our wedding cake and keep asking for who made it :)

Roxana Sent on 10/05/2011

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine did a fantastic job at my wedding! I worked with Sarah Gallo and Kate Kennedy. They were exceptionally easy going, sweet, flexible, responsive, and had some great ideas! They truly helped ease the wedding planning process and I am so gld that I chose them as my caterers. I give them my highest recommendation!

William Sent on 09/01/2011

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Nick Watts at Design Cuisine was fantastic to work with. He and his staff helped us achieve the wedding of our dreams. The food was a big focus for our event and Nick worked with us to create a menu that was better than we could have imagined (even as jaded New Yorkers). His pastry department even created a special dessert (Bailey's Ice Cream Sandwich) at our request/suggestion. DELICIOUS! Though Design isn't cheap, they provide great value with generous portions, top-quality ingredients, and staff that really know what they are doing. We also rented dishes, glassware, linens, chairs, and tables from Design and all were top notch. We had a non-traditional wedding and Nick and his team really followed through on all of our many requests. If you choose them, you will not be disappointed.

Megan Sent on 06/24/2011

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine did an excellent job! We could not have been happier in our choice of caterers. After getting in a few quotes, we chose Design Cuisine because they had the best pricing and Seana Hale, our point of contact, seemed really great to work with.

The food turned out fabulously – both the presentation and taste. Many of our guest commented on how great their meals were and asked who our caterer was. We chose to do a dual entrée of meat and fish because I did not want to have to track people’s meal choices and the pricing difference between single versus dual entrees was not very significant. Guests were really excited about getting both and chicken fingers were available for children.

Design Cuisine really worked with us at our tasting to customize our menus (For example, we liked one fish, but the side from another option and they were very flexible in creating a customized option for us). The passed appetizers were really unique and excellent. The wait staff during the event was wonderful and very non-obtrusive. (My mom commented the next day that she didn’t even remember seeing the waiters, the food and drinks just continued to appear.)

We were also really pleased with how smoothly the event went – They were super prepared and took care of everything when we ran out of alcohol - - We had purchased our own wine for the event and found out the next day that we ran out of wine and liquor (Our guests were having a really good time!) - - - Design Cuisine sent an assistant out to purchase more and we didn’t even notice!

Design Cuisine’s sister company, DC Rentals, provided all of the furniture and linens at no additional cost, which was a big plus. (Other catering companies were charging $5.00 per chair, though they owned their own furniture!) They had a great selection of linens, place settings, tables/chairs, and unique furniture (We did a white daybed near the dance floor so older guests could sit and watch). One problem came up two days before the wedding when some of the linens we chose were destroyed at another event. Design Cuisine was on the ball and couriered over several other linen sample options and we were able to quickly make another very similar selection.

Design Cuisine also provided our cake and was open to creating whatever look we wanted. The cake turned out beautifully.

Overall, our wedding was perfect and Design Cuisine played a huge role. I highly recommend them for any event - In the future, I will definitely go straight to them for any catering needs.

Keri Sent on 12/02/2010

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I am always hesitant with wedding food - it usually tastes horrible when you are trying to feed that many - not with Design Cusine, not only did the food look pretty enough to photographed it tasted just as good. Their detailed presentaion was spot on. The cake was as delicious as it looked and they did everything to accomadate my desire to incorporate both mine and my husbands personal tastes

Whitney Sent on 11/21/2010

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We worked with Erica at Design and she was fabulous! We had a fabulous tasting with her, but I wasn't excited about the cake or the fish dish, so she let me come back in to retaste both! The food was fabulous on our wedding day and prefectly cooked. Erica also made my husband's day...I told her that he wanted to have late night snacks and his favorite are NYC dirty water dogs. She said "We can do that!" She went a step further and had a hot dog cart with the fixings, french fries and pretzels and had one of the waiters dress up as a vendor!!! Erica was also very easy to work with and flexible...I would recommend her and Design Cuisine anytime!

Nina Sent on 02/12/2010

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine was fantastic to work with - they really work with you to create a special menu that reflects your tastes. All the food was delicious from the appetizers to the cookies they baked for our cookie table - I received many comments from our guests that this was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. Very professional and flexible, I highly recommend Design Cuisine.

Sarah Sent on 05/13/2009

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I changed to Design Cuisine 10 days before my wedding. They were incredibly responsive, and eager to get my business. The quality of the food and presentation was great! The moment I arrived at the reception, the captain checked in with me and brought me a drink. It was incredible before and after that. I did not want for anything.

Leyla Sent on 04/28/2009

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine is definitely worth the money! Very few caterers can mass produce food for such a large number of people and not sacrifice quality or presentation. Design Cuisine was SO flexible, even going to the extent or creating new items specifically for us that their chefs had to learn from scratch. Everyone raved about our wedding food and we couldn't have been happier.

Samantha Sent on 02/23/2009

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I loved working with Design Cuisine - the food was DELICIOUS and the staff was great.

Roya Sent on 09/16/2008

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine was the most integral part of my wedding going perfectly. They are so much more than just a caterer. My point person - Nikolyn Grant - stepped in and served as de facto wedding planner, advisor and shoulder to lean on. Leading up to the wedding, everything was handled with incredible attention to detail and professionalism. The team went above and beyond the call of duty many times to assist me with various issues I was encountering as I tried to plan the wedding myself. On the day of the wedding, the team ensured that the entire evening flowed without a single hitch. The entire staff was exceptionally professional, classy and nice. The food was AMAZING - I still get comments about it and the set up was perfect.

Nicole Sent on 08/15/2008

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I highly recommend Design Cuisine. Great food!

Lizzette Sent on 05/16/2007

5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

MY WEDDING WAS AWESOME BECAUSE DESIGN CUISINE CATERED IT! THEY ARE THE #1 CATERERS IN THE DC AREA. YOU WANT THE BEST WEDDING, GET DESIGN CUISINE! EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT THE FOOD! AND WE HAD ITALIANS FROM JERSEY COME DOWN. YOU KNOW THEY LOVE FOOD! SO YES IT WAS PERFECT! ;)

Robyn Sent on 11/02/2017

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4.5 out of 5 rating

Our wedding planner pitched Design Cuisine as one of the top 3 caterers in the DMV area. She could not have been more correct. We worked with Annie Fish, who ensured that we had a fall-themed menu that we and our guests loved. The food was delicious, from hors d'oeuvres to the first course to the main course to dessert. The specialty cocktails they dreamed up for my husband and I were also amazing. Finally, the service was impeccable. Design Cuisine also has lots of linens, chargers, plates, flatware, glassware, and chairs to choose from. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a top-notch caterer for your wedding. Trust me: your guests will thank you later.

Edie Sent on 10/25/2016

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Great company to work with! The food was delicious and the design looked beautiful.

User1849588 Sent on 10/06/2014

4.9 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding food, service, and rentals. Received tons of compliments about the food at our wedding. Design cuisine helped us create the perfect menu and was very accommodating to various guests' dietary restrictions. Would absolutely recommend them!

Jenna Sent on 06/08/2022

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The Best Food

WOW. Design Cuisine catering made our wedding feel upscale, bougie, and was delicious. Our venue only allowed Design Cuisine as their sole caterer, but we could not have been happier with their overall execution, options/selections, and flexibility for our wedding. No free tasting, but you don't need it; everyone was raving about the food being delicious, every dish. Abbie at Design Cuisine made everything easy for us. Allowed our sparkling wine pass to be before the ceremony as guests arrive (instead of toasts), allowed mixing and matching of the dinner menu to meet our requests, allowed for late night snacks and customizing off-menu items, was completely flexible with open bar the whole evening (no closing for dinner service), and adding desserts for dietary restricted guests last minute. Design Cuisine also provided all the tables, chairs, linens, china, pipe and drape, and other necessities for the venue. They partner with DC Rental and allow you to pick ANYTHING in their showroom: satin, velvet, chairs, napkins, different china (black, gold), mixing and matching so that you get the perfect theme, vibe, and vision executed for your wedding. We chose mixing and matching table sizes, color combos, adding tables and chairs for elderly and disabled guests to rest during cocktail hour, and more. Team helped transition ceremony items to the reception so there was no waste. I cannot thank Design Cuisine and Abbie enough for executing our wedding details.

User2454903 Sent on 12/05/2015

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I can't say enough about what a great job Stacy and her team did for our wedding. The food was amazing and weeks later our guests are still sending us comments about how much they enjoyed each dish. The team worked with us to help tailor to our needs and give us the vibe we wanted. It's no surprise that these guys have such a phenomenal reputation in the area. They did such an amazing job, were a pleasure to work with, and delivered a well-executed, memorable, delicious event!

User1452458 Sent on 11/25/2013

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design did a great job with our wedding! They are not cheap, but the quality of the food and service was fantastic - many of our guests said it was the best food they'd ever eaten at a wedding.

We worked with Ariana and she took really good care of us - she was responsive over email, engaged in our tasting and venue meeting, and totally in control the day of. Highly recommended!

Liz Sent on 09/20/2011

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Loved Design and will use them again for future events and parties. Out-of-town friends and family said our food was the best they ever had at a wedding.

Tamara Sent on 12/09/2007

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

They were wonderful! Guests who attended the wedding are still raving about how good the food was.

Ashleigh Sent on 06/26/2007

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4.5 out of 5 rating
Value
4.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

According to my wedding coordinator, Michele Hodges, Design Cuisine was on fire the night of my wedding. I wouldnt have known because, as a tribute to the impeccable service, I dont remember anything other than a smooth flow throughout the evening. I always seemed to have a drink in my hand, a picnic basket of goodies was waiting for me in the car after the event, and I honestly think the food was even better than it was at my tasting. They allowed us to design our menu according to our tastes and were extremely accommodating about special requests for linens and tableware. The only sticking points were a price hike in the cost of lobster, and a last-minute mention of the need for a catering tent that added fairly significantly to the cost. That being said, overall service and attention to detail were top notch.

Christine Sent on 02/21/2011

4.7 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Overall, Design Cuisine and our coordinator there, Nikki, did a great job and we were very pleased. Nikki made the process leading up to the wedding seamless and a lot of fun. We had nothing but confidence in her and the Design Cuisine team. She really understood our vision and was there for us throughout the entire planning phase.

The food was great and looked like art the way they had laid it all out on the buffet tables. They even made a special mocktail for our toast since we don’t drink. The staff were professional and very polite.

There were, however, glitches on the day of the wedding that were never addressed with me, but at the end of the night they didn’t make a huge difference. I’m a lot more laid back than most though, so I’ll share my glitches in case another couple might see them as reasons not to go with Design Cuisine. The first was that we had specifically requested they put a screen blocking off the dining room so that when guests arrived they wouldn’t wander in there, instead the screen would guide them to the ceremony room. The screen was never put up, and I saw in the wedding video that guests looked confused on where to go and meandered through the dining room that was still being set up at the time. The second issue was that the french fries served during dinner weren’t what we tried at the taste testing. It would have been ok if the fries tasted good, but they were hard, cold and gross. I was disappointed since they were supposed to be a fun treat and instead they were inedible. If I had known what we tried at the tasting was going to be changed, I probably would have swapped them out for something else to be safe. Last was that, in retrospect, I would have hired a day-of-coordinator even though Nikki said she would play that role for the most part. We had made a timeline, but I was the one that had to go to either the band or the catering manager to make things happen (getting guests into the dining room after cocktails, first dance, cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.).

All this said, I’m still glad we went with them and would recommend them to other couples.

Megan Sent on 06/13/2019

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Best Wedding Food Ever

When my husband and I were beginning to plan our wedding, there were a few things that meant a lot to us and one of those was the food. We're not "foodies" per say but we enjoy a good meal and good wine. We're also older and have attended our fair share of weddings and if the food's bad, it's bad...and people remember. So, we did our research and picked out a handful of caterers. Most caterers don't let you do a tasting before signing the contract, that was a problem for me so after some begging I made sure we had one for each of our two contenders. Best decision EVER. The tastings between the two was NIGHT and DAY. If you've never had watermelon sushi like Design Cuisine makes it, find the recipe and try it, like right now. Right now. We were stunned, and ultimately so were our guests. Everyone couldn't stop talking about how good the food was and how they never had to wait for a drink. Behind the scenes, Erin and Tierney were awesome, and we loved working with them even as I continued to change my mind on linens and tableware probably 1000 times. Highly recommend!

Andrea Sent on 12/28/2010

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We used Design Cuisine as they came highly recommended by friends and from events my parents had attended. It was honestly a toss up between them and Occassions, but I am very happy we went with DC. They catered both our welcome party (heavy apps and drinks for 150 people) and our wedding (dinner for 160). The food and service were amazing! Everything was cooked to perfection and served in an elegant, smooth manner. DC is among the pricier caterers, but we felt worth it. We provided our own alcohol which helped the cost slightly. I would complain strongly that the servers did not ask guests whether they wanted white or red with dinner and instead poured both - a complete waste! The person we worked with was great and very available for questions and she incorporated a foreign recipe in our meal and helped organize a surprise cake for the groom. However, we could have used more aid with the actual design aspect of the event. Overall however, we had an amazing wedding thanks in great part to Design Cuisines hard work on our behalf!

Sophia Sent on 05/26/2009

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine did a phenomenal job with our wedding in DC on May 9, 2009. We were so pleased with everything - people actually LOVED the food at our wedding. Everything was beautifully done and executed perfectly. We were thrilled with their work and service and so glad to have worked with them on the most special of days.

Erin Sent on 07/14/2019

4.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Delicious Food, Superb Service

Annie & Paige did a fabulous job in helping us plan a wonderful wedding reception at Woodlawn. They stepped in after our previous caterer dropped out 3.5 months before our wedding and I'm so thankful they worked with us every step of the way to execute a fantastic event. Annie & Paige were great in helping us plan out every detail of cocktail hour, dinner, desserts, and the bar and I'm so thankful for how accommodating and patient they were with us as we dealt with our last-minute catering switch. They also helped us with our linen selection through their sister company DC Rentals.

The timing, presentation, and service during cocktail hour and the reception was excellent. Most of all, the food was DELICIOUS and our guests raved about everything. They even made sure to send some of the hors d'oeuvres and champagne to our bridal suite so we wouldn't miss out on anything!

I would definitely recommend working with Design if it fits your budget - the quality and creativity when it comes to their food and presentation is truly unrivaled.

Michelle Sent on 10/08/2011

4.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I visited three caterers, and Design Cuisine’s prices were the highest but their food was also the best and they offered more perks than other caterers. The menu Erika suggested for the wedding was interesting (the salad had a basil sorbet) and seemed like the kind of food I would eat at a nice restaurant and not like typical catering food. Design Cuisine also owns its own rental company, so when I was choosing linens and plates there were not large price differentials between asking for a particular type of plate vs. another which I gathered would be the case at other caterers. Design Cuisine also offered a cake for free with the meal, a huge bonus as it meant one less vendor to find. Finally, no other catering company had Erika, who was just awesomely professional and helpful with all parts of the catering and rental process. I met with her twice and she helped to build the dinner menu; suggested how I could save money on bar costs; and suggested linens and plates that would be complimentary and within my color scheme. If a good meal is a high priority for you (as it was for my husband and I) then the extra expense of Design Cuisine (about 15% more than the other caterers I spoke to) is well worth the money.

The actual day of the wedding the food tasted even better than it did the day of the tasting, and the cake was beautifully decorated according to the picture I had given Erika. Erika was present and ensured everything flowed smoothly. The servers were amazing – impeccably dressed and so attentive, many of my guests remarked they didn’t know how many glasses of wine they had drunk that evening because the servers never let the glasses get less than half full. The servers also followed my husband around with drinks and a plate of h’ors deurves during the cocktail hour to make sure we got fed. There were tons of choices for plates and chairs, and I was able to choose a mix of plates The only slight hiccup is that I had wanted a drink to be passed during the cocktail hour, though I think this was more a communication error on my part as Erika had suggested this during our final meeting and I don’t think I had made it sufficiently clear that I wanted that to happen. But really, I’m reaching here just to find something negative. Final fun fact: Design Cuisine caters the president’s inaugural luncheon in the Capitol.

Sari Sent on 07/04/2009

4.3 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine served, without a doubt, the best catered/wedding food I have ever tasted! We were blown away at our tasting and found it tough to pick our menu because everything was delicious. Our guests gave us so many compliments on the food, saying that they asked for seconds and thirds for the first time ever at a wedding. And the desserts were unbelievable! Guests are still telling me how they couldn't believe how good the desserts were.

Another really great thing about Design Cuisine is that we could choose from tons of different table linens, chairs, glasses, plates, etc. . . . The rentals gave our wedding a really unique, special look-- exactly what we wanted.

The service at the wedding was good. Everyone was served at the same time and I heard from friends that their wine was "never empty." All of the people we worked with during the entire process were so nice and accommodating. They are extremely busy so at times a little hard to reach but we always felt important and listened to (even during the Presidential Inauguration when they were really, really busy).

One small complaint from friends was that the water glasses were not filled repeatedly like their wine glasses were. The only other very small critique was that the groom and I didn't have a chance to finish (or really even have a few bites of) our food but by the time we returned to the table, the food had been cleared-- it would have been a nice little touch to have that food "protected" for us or brought back to the kitchen and kept warm (as some other brides have told me their caterers did for them). But, in the scheme of things, that wasn't such a big deal.

Overall, Design Cuisine was worth every penny we spent and more! If you are looking for delicious food, good service and beautiful rentals, they are definitely the ones to go with.

Tiffany Sent on 05/03/2012

4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

The food was incredible....this was all we keep hearing. The catering team did an excellent job creating the menu we desired for our "heavy hors duevres reception"- no one was hungry.... we didn't want the traditional plated dinner and instead opted for sliders, mac and cheese, pasta, etc. What they created was elegant and substantial. The manager who we worked with is very busy and unfortunately not as responsive as I would have preferred, but because I was working with Union Station- they became my main contact. If there was one recommendation, I would suggest a bit more responsiveness from Design Cuisine. Overall however it was a great experience!

Emily Sent on 07/20/2019

3.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

Amazing food and drinks, but definite room for improvement

The food was absolutely fabulous. Many guests remarked that it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding--particularly the appetizers.

There was, however, room for improvement. Little things that we were really excited about fell by the wayside. For example, we spent a long time naming our signature drinks, and then the signage put out on our wedding day ended up being the caterer's generic drink titles, like "Flower Power."

The main thing that bothered me was I never felt like I was a priority. Design Cuisine took over as the exclusive caterer for our venue midway through our wedding planning process, and I can imagine it must have been overwhelming and stressful for them to inherit so many weddings at once. That said, I often felt like I had to send multiple emails and be persistent with phone calls, as well as repeat my preferences and decisions multiple times, as if they had just gotten lost along the way.

The thing that frustrated me most was that our original caterer had told us they could arrange for a secondary tent to be installed on the lawn for the ceremony in the event of rain (and, in fact, it did rain on our wedding day). I asked Design Cuisine for a quote for this tent as soon as we found out, in February, they were our new caterers. After asking over and over again, I only got a quote one week before our June wedding, and the price was really high. By that point it was too late to shop around for tent vendors on our own. That was super disappointing.

Overall, the food and drink were outstanding, but it was upsetting to feel like we were just another customer on a long list. No one from Design Cuisine even contacted us after our wedding to ask how everything went or to congratulate us.

Hollie Sent on 07/16/2017

3.5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3.5 out of 5 rating
Value
3.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

My review for Design is very split. I have a number of challenging food allergies (no garlic, onion, or gluten) and the chef accommodated all, producing the most delicious wedding food - our guests rave about how it was the best they'd had (not knowing the missing ingredients!). However, we had staff turnover twice within the process of planning our wedding - the initial coordinator was phenomenal and very accommodating with the back and forth around the menu/allergies. However, she left following our tasting and the coordinator we were given was absent minded and flaky and everything down to errors in the bill happened, followed by her departure and them completely dropping the ball. Additionally, the server assigned to us the night of the wedding was nowhere to be found. So, as far as food quality is concerned - bar none, THE BEST. However, service/personnel were seriously lacking in our experience. If we hadn't had our wedding planner as the intermediary, it would have been very problematic.

Rachel Sent on 08/06/2009

3.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

very sensitive to some requests and feedback, and then missed it on some basics... it is really hard to swallow those oversights when they were so expensive

Kara Sent on 11/01/2013

3.2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
3 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3 out of 5 rating

Design provided not only the food but also all of the furniture and rentals for our wedding. The quality of everything ended up being very good and the nicest part was that they ended up throwing in some extra lounge furniture at the last minute. The only things we weren't 100% satisfied with were: negotiating prices/services along the way was not made super easy, responsiveness was not always prompt, and on the day-of we got some feedback that some of the bartenders/servers weren't very accommodating. So overall, the food was tasty and the table settings etc. looked lovely, but we had some definite frustrations along the way.

User636383 Sent on 09/28/2011

2.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
3.5 out of 5 rating
Average response time
4 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
4 out of 5 rating
Value
1.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

Everything was great even during testing. The reception- missed out. Ran out of food- no response from them- no count of plates.. guests around 278.. 300 plates were out- but where? no one can answer because 22 people were not served full meal.& after the event still no clear answer after 3 weeks..Will not recommend.

Erica Sent on 01/31/2013

2 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
2 out of 5 rating
Average response time
3 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
2 out of 5 rating
Value
2 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
1 out of 5 rating

Design Cuisine missed the mark. We are very disappointed in our experience which was tainted by poor attitudes from our event hosts, detail oversight, and failure to communicate expectations upfront. I would not recommend Design Cuisine; especially not if you have little experience planning events. As the bride/groom, it is very difficult to spend months planning to arrive at wedding day and have to put your faith in all of your vendors to make everything happen. Design Cuisine was the only vendor that did not deliver. I caution other couples considering this caterer. Our event seemed a lower priority for them, perhaps because it was one time business transaction?

If interested, additional details:

While impressed by the tasting, what initially tipped the scale in their favor was flexibility. We were assured they would help us work through event details w/o each decision adding a new line item on the bill. Post contract that turned out to be only partially true. The accommodating attitude disappeared. We learned that free upgrades only apply to china/silverware and chair rentals. Things like upgrading tables and bar furniture cost extra. As does serving coffee/tea with wedding cake at tables.

Details were consistently overlooked despite efforts to keep our communications organized (at one point it was suggested I consider a career in events). Our final decision on china/linens/chairs was not well recorded. Ultimately, selected chairs were unavailable, but comparable alternatives provided.

It took half a dozen (maybe more) revisions of final contract before they had everything correct.

On wedding day, they were not ready at event start with cocktails/appetizers. Butter was not provided on tables to accompany bread. Dinner was prolonged when wedding cake did not get served promptly following main course. They saved the top tier cake despite instructions to serve it. And, our coffee/tea station was opened w/o cups/saucers and regular coffee….

Design Cuisine Caterers Reviews

Reviews

Design Cuisine Caterers