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Weddings

INDIGENIUS CUISINE Reviews

INDIGENIUS CUISINE

INDIGENIUS CUISINE

Isle of Palms, SC
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Reviews

4.7 out of 5 rating
13 Reviews
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92% Recommended by couples

Awards

13
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
  • S
    Sarah Sent on 02/08/2018
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    Several years ago, I had a catering company back out just several days shy of a party I was hosting. I frantically called around to see if anyone could take on the task of feeding forty people on such short notice. Arlette and Patrick came to my rescue to not only cater the event, but to elevate the dining experience for my guests. The presentation was beautiful and the food was outstanding. Without their help, who knows what the party would have ultimately ended up being.

    I vowed to only use Indigenius Cuisine from that point forward. This past fall, my fiance and I were planning a 250 person wedding reception at our home. It was a difficult task considering its remote location and its overall limitations (it's certainly not intended to be a wedding venue).

    Arlette met with us on several occasions to discuss our options. She was professional, thorough, and passionate about making this night one of the best nights of our lives. We came together on an extensive menu that included: passed hors d'oeuvres, a raw bar with an ice statue, carving stations, a buffet, finger food stations, and a gelato cart. She brought ideas to the table that I didn't think were even possible.

    Indigenius Cuisine also offered full-service bartending (we provided our own alcohol by choice, but IC took care of the rest), cake cutting services, and the friendliest staff you could ever imagine. All of our guests were commenting on how incredible the food was, and they all wanted to know how we found out about Indigenius Cuisine. All of the waiters, waitresses, and bartenders were extremely professional but also very fun to have with us for the evening. They were interactive with our guests and had everyone smiling.

    I would HIGHLY recommend using Indigenius Cuisine for any of your catering needs. From a cocktail party for 40 people to a black-tie wedding reception for 250 people, they can do it all. I promise that you will not be disappointed!!


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    Stephanie B. Sent on 12/21/2018
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    Personal attention

    I moved from Connecticut a few years ago and was stuck on a certain menu not typical for the south for my wedding. When I met with Arlette her patience and kindness put me at ease.

    Not to mention she knocked it out of the park with the food. Her staff was so much fun and not a single hiccup the entire reception. Even after our guests enjoyed the open bar.

    I’ve already hired them to do my in-laws anniversary party. They are truly amazing!!!
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    Anna J. Sent on 12/21/2018
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    Beautiful, creative, Indigenius

    We had a destination wedding in Charleston and had planned the whole wedding from Texas. We hired Indigenius based on a recommendation of our wedding planner without ever actually trying the food or meeting with anyone which is a little nerve racking. Thankfully every aspect from planning to execution went above and beyond my expectation. The food was phenomenal, my guests continue to rave about how amazing it was. The waitstaff was so nice and attentive and the bartender was fun while still managing to keep our rowdy guests hydrated. I would recommend Indigenius to anyone. They are professional, kind, accommodating and you can't beat their prices. You will be in expert hands with this wonderful company. I can't say enough nice things about my experience with them, they truly made my whole wedding.

    Special thanks to Steffanie who organized everything and was my point of contact. Steffanie was great to work with, made the whole process easy and she always seemed genuinely excited to organize and suggest ideas for our wedding. You can tell she's not only very good at her job but also likes it. My father also said the manager in charge the day of ran such a tight ship and was very enjoyable to work with as well. Big thanks to you both!
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  • C
    Christina F. Sent on 12/21/2018
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    Elegant yet simple!

    Indigenius Cuisine catered our wedding and I honestly can’t say enough positive things about the entire experience of working with them. I’m honestly fighting to find words to express just how incredible an experience it was to have them as our caterer.

    Based on our tasting months and months ago, I had been talking Arlette and her crew up quite a bit to all of my friends and family who would be at the wedding, perhaps to the point where I had risked promising too much to them. Sure enough, Indigenius Cuisine lived up to the expectations that I’d created– and surpassed them– as person after person raved to me about how delicious everything tasted.

    We experienced prompt, clear communication and everything was described in complete detail. Steffanie handled any questions we had, which were a lot and were answered completely. Based on some other experiences I’ve had with caterers before I kept waiting for the “catch” or hidden fees that would get snuck in, yet it never did. Despite being on a tight budget we were able to afford their services and I honestly look forward to the next time I can host an event with their services.

    In short, Arlette and Steffanie are genuine individuals whose passion for service comes across in the entirety of the experience that you’ll have with them. I simply can’t say enough about how thankful I am for their incredible skills and friendly professionalism and hope to employ them many more times in the future. If you’ve read this far, do yourself a favor, and give them a call.
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    Kathryn Sent on 11/19/2017
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    Arlette did a great job! So professional and easy to communicate with throughout the planning process and our meal was exactly what we expected the day of. Delicious farm to table menu!
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    Kirk Sent on 10/05/2017
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    We were tremendously pleased with your service, execution and the fare you served; all terrific! You and your crew were certainly a pleasure to have and their engagement and conduct with the guests was exemplary and, I would go so far as to say, an addition to our event.

    Even the leftovers became a hit that evening. An onion from the fridge, celery from the bloodymary department, the bacon and the cubed potatoes combined with mayo to make a very tasty potato salad for the approximately 10 who were there for dinner.
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    Lisa Sent on 09/14/2017
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    Our wedding could not have been as amazing as it was without Indigenius Cuisine. The food was amazing, beautifully displayed, delicious and abundant. We used them for our rehearsal dinner, wedding, and after wedding brunch. We will definitely use them in the future.
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    Lucie Sent on 09/14/2017
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    Arlette was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the process of choosing a caterer, creating a menu for my guests to enjoy, and providing detailed service and quality that far exceeded our expectations. As a caterer from Rhode Island, my expectations were high, and her and her team delivered every promise, and then some! She truly goes far beyond the culinary side of an event, and makes sure the event is seamless.
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    Jen Sent on 09/14/2017
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    What a fantastic day! The beautiful weather was only slightly overshadowed by how amazing my caterer was throughout the entire event! I didn't have to think of anything, except getting married! The food was local, delicious, and creative! Her team of people were find and hospitable!
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    Pam Sent on 01/19/2017
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    Look no further! To the extent possible, I wanted locally-sourced, seasonal, fresh, delicious, inventive (read: well spiced, not solely the Lowcountry standbys) food...all at a reasonable price. Don't get me wrong, I love Lowcounty cuisine, I just didn't want to be limited to that alone. I talked to what felt like a million caterers in the area. Most of them were well beyond my budget and seemed limited to the same old things we've all come to associate with "wedding food" (read: bland, salty, overcooked). Until I talked with Arlette, I was feeling pretty hopeless. She came up with a menu that was perfect for us. Passed apps as guests arrived, food stations that had lots of options in each spot, all of it over-the-top delicious. Our foodie guests raved about it, several noting it was the best food they've had at a wedding. She also now has a location where she plans to offer venue and catering packages.
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    Ingrid Sent on 07/05/2017
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    Indigenius Cuisine catered my daughters wedding last fall. The food was amazing. They served a beautiful variety of awesome hors d'oeuvres, perfectly served on artistically designed platters. The local grouper and short ribs were to die for. Arlette's staff was accommodating and courteous. We had a lot of fun, and we did not have to worry about the catering, because it was taken care of seamlessly. Perfect execution of delicious food.
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    David Sent on 07/05/2017
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    Indigenius Cuisine prepared a southern feast that was far more impressive and delicious than the major catering companies we have experienced. If you want to impress your guests with your food, not how much you spent- choose Arlette and Indigenius Cuisine!
  • Fahlyn
    Fahlyn Sent on 12/28/2018
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    Disappointed

    This is going to be quite long, so for those of you not looking to read a book, the main points are:

    -The desserts were very delicious and beautifully done. Some of the food was also very good, particularly the spicy crab balls and Mediterranean platter.

    -A couple of the agreed upon vegan dishes were not provided, as well as a couple of the agreed upon accompaniments.

    -We were given no notice that the vegan dishes would not be provided so we were unable to request/provide replacement vegan/dairy free options for our guests (the groom's family members). Instead, the groom's sister was given a dry baked potato on a plate.....and then stir fried veggies much, much later in the evening after everyone had moved on to dessert. Instead of serving her the vegan key lime pie we ordered, they asked the bar (which was run by a different company) to make her a key lime cocktail.

    -None of the food was labeled and the vegetarian food was put out first which led to the vegetarian food being, unknowingly, eaten up before the vegetarians had a chance to get a full meal.

    -Dinner was scheduled to start at 6pm, however it was late which threw off our timeline.

    -Although we only had 60 guests and a few dishes, food replenishment was so slow several guests did not even see all the dishes and several thought we had run out of food when we had not.

    -We had two servers, and both appeared unprepared and disorganized. We later learned both admitted to being inexperienced. The female server told our wedding planner it was her first night with them and the male server said he had just start working catering events and wasn't sure yet how they all ran.

    -After the reception we reached out to the owner, Arlette, to express our concerns and request a partial refund (since some of our food was missing...). She made excuses, never admitted any fault, and even blamed our wedding planner (who I personally saw picking up the slack).

    Full review:

    I'll start with the positives. Our initial tasting with Arlette was lovely. We didn't taste any of the items on our menu at that time, however Arlette said the tasting was just meant to show us what she could do. We were impressed by her cooking, her commitment to local ingredients, and her confidence in regards to preparing delicious vegetarian and vegan options for our guests (my husband is vegetarian and his immediate family members are all dairy-free). Arlette said she had prepared food for guests with much more challenging dietary restrictions. Arlette worked with us to come up with a creative menu that incorporated several of our favorite foods and fit in our budget. We were very grateful for that.

    Some of the food was very good, particularly the desserts (I loved the mini flourless chocolate cakes). The Mediterranean platter was also wonderful; several guests commented how delicious the dolmas and hummus were. The spicy crab balls were also very good.

    Now for the cons...
    On our wedding day my husband and I were surprised that Arlette wasn't there, but initially I wasn't bothered by this. I trusted that the food would be the same quality as the food we received at our tasting. Our cocktail hour started on time and the Mediterranean platter was a hit. When it came time for dinner though, no food was set out. Due to the delay, our musicians had to continue playing past their time, our speeches were late, and dinner felt rushed.

    Once the food was set out, I quickly notice how disorganized the servers appeared.
    In the words of our wedding planner, "More than once, every single item on the buffet was completely empty for extended period of time and when asking the servers if there was any more, they didn't have a clear answer."

    At one point I had to move a pile of plates because there were none left at the head of the line and guests were asking if we were all out. Typically at weddings you barely notice the catering staff because they are attentive and keep everything running smoothly. This was not at all the case at our wedding.

    We were then shocked to learn that the vegan dishes Arlette agreed to provide were not provided. The empanadas were vegetarian, not vegan, so the groom's family members couldn't eat them. On top of that, nothing was labeled and the vegetarian empanadas were put out before the pork ones, so the meat eaters unknowingly ate almost all of the vegetarian empanadas. My husband managed to get one. A professional catering service should have labels for all food items, especially when there are dietary restrictions.

    We also did not receive the only vegan dessert option we requested, vegan key lime pies. On the company's website the key lime pies are listed as a vegan option. We still aren't sure why we didn't receive them.

    We reached out to Arlette, the head chef and owner of IndiGenius, to inform her of our concerns, but unfortunately we were very disappointed with her response. She took no responsibility. We were even told that she thought about billing us for the 6 hours of extra labor her staff was "forced" to perform after the reception; she said they were made to clean up the reception area. We weren't charged extra for that time, however I still wonder if the only reason we weren't charged is because we complained. Can you even imagine being handed an additional bill after your wedding for hours of labor performed after you left the venue?

    We spoke to our wedding planner about the events that took place since our planner was a catering manager for several years and has a great deal of experience with weddings. According to our wedding planner, "The catering staff was asked to pick up the scattered trash that was around the reception area including the dinner table, around the dance floor, and through out the house. They did not do a very good job and they should have been doing it throughout the night. They also did not perform additional hours of service as the caterer is supposed to stay until the end of the event to finish taking care of the trash. They are supposed to continue clearing any trash, plates, cups, napkins, etc until everything is done."

    Additionally, she stated:
    "I saw in your contract that they charged you an additional 20% for full service catering. Full service catering should include everything that they were trying not to do
    *Pre setting the tables
    *filling water on the tables
    *clearing the tables
    *keeping the reception area bussed
    *putting out food signs
    *taking all the trash (they thought they only need to take the trash from the kitchen, not any trash collected from reception area)
    *pulling linens at the end of the night

    Things I also observed included
    *they had to be asked numerous time to set the table. We actually had to start doing it for them to do it.
    *they didn't clear a single plate until you guys went to cut the cake. They should have been clearing as soon as guests started finishing. They even had to ask me if they should start clearing.
    *I never saw them refill any desserts that they provided

    From what I observed, they were clearly inexperienced. They didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on."

    We were so excited to try our wedding menu, but unfortunately the experience was not at all what we were expecting. To be fair, Arlette was not present at our reception. I'm not sure what her team told her, however I know (based on her later responses) that she was aware we did not receive all the items we were promised. When we asked why we did not receive the agreed upon vegan options (since empanada pastry can be made with vegan butter and it is stated on the company's website that the key lime pies can be made vegan) all she said was, "margarine is vegan butter btw." Based on my experience with Indigenius, I cannot recommend them for a wedding.

    If you do hire this company, at the very least, I recommend asking for a detailed list of the services included for the 20% service fee you will pay, and if you have vegan guests have a plan b.