Irene's Catering Service Inc. Reviews

Irene's Catering Service Inc.

Milwaukee, WI

4.6 out of 5 rating, 33 reviews

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4.6 out of 5 rating

4.6

Very good

33 reviews

Recommended by 91% of couples

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Quality of service
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Average response time
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Professionalism
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Value
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Flexibility
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Kristy Sent on 08/30/2023

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LOVED THEM! would hire again 100%

Married 1 month ago. - I dealt with mark through email for the planning process and I couldn't speak more highly about his professionalism, effectiveness and honestly and truly just a pleasant person to speak with & do business with. I loved how he went through various options for me and he always kept my budget as a top priority when planning with me. We did a sit down taste testing and he was there and again it was pleasant along with the food tasting!
I got more compliments than i can remember on how delicious their mashed potatoes were! they were also mine and my husbands favorite as well. The flow of the dinner service with servers and the crew went so well and effective! Honestly- I love how they are budget friendly and delivered top tier over exceeding service & quality of food. Thank you Mark & Irenes Catering Staff !
Meg W. Sent on 01/02/2023

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Book with Irene’s!

Long story short: you need to choose Irene’s for your wedding caterer! The food and service were top notch! Mark was oh-so helpful and responsive throughout the entire planning process! The food was delicious and so reasonably priced! Our guests told us our apps in particular were wonderful! One guest said the beef we served at dinner was the best beef he’s ever had! ALL of the food was wonderful and if that alone doesn’t sell you, the service was even better! One of the servers was so kind she made me cry tears of joy! I truly can’t say enough positive things about Irene’s, so you’re just going to have to book them and see for yourself! 10/10 recommend!
Danielle Sent on 11/18/2021

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Locally Sourced Catering

Irene's is amazing. We were so impressed from the moment we did our tasting until the last bite on the wedding night. Everyone loved every bite of food and the staff was beyond accommodating. We chose to work with them because they don't go through big food companies, they use local places throughout Milwaukee to not only get their food, but to give back to when there is extra. That was very important to us. They care about the community and their clients in such a big way. We absolutely loved Irene's. They have been around forever, with good reason!

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Alex Sent on 08/16/2021

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Great Catering With Options!

We had a Station setup for our Summer Barn Wedding and Irene's pulled it off nicely. Our guests were full and no one left unsatisfied! The package we put together with the help of Mark, their employee, was a bit of everything. The food was all delicious and the carving station was a particular hit, even in the middle of summer! The coffee was delicious! The brownies are to die for! (highly recommend) They even brought a fire pit with a s'mores station! Irene's really helped make our night something memorable for us and our guests! It wouldn't have been the same without the options they provided.

Irene's Catering made our wedding feel like "our wedding" instead of pushing a limited set of options. Their flexibility and delicious food made Irene's Catering the perfect choice for our wedding!
Jessica Sent on 08/23/2020

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Delicious Food, Service and Price

Irene’s was terrific! They were our first tasting and after a few other tastings we came back to Irene’s because they had the best tasting food and price! Mark at Irene’s was very easy to work with and super attentive to all the details. Once Covid hit, they walked through all the changes that needed to be made for a buffet. They were willing to work with us on changes up to two weeks before! They even said they could work out of a garage if they had to for our wedding. They helped not only with the buffet, but also cutting and plating our sheet cakes, and serving pizza at the end of the night. Chicken Irene is SOOO good! I have gotten many compliments. Irene’s was very professional! Definitely check out Irene’s!
Mary Sent on 05/02/2019

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Amazing experience

They were super professional and the food was amazing.
Macy Sent on 01/28/2019

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delious food

Mark at Irene's was wonderful to work with. He really listened and was very flexible. The tastings were a lot of fun, with several choices.. We decided to have a smores bar instead of cake and it was a big hit at the wedding. He was very responsive with emails and calls. He was organized!
We got many great compliments on the food and its presentation.
Beverly Sent on 05/05/2017

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Irene's also cater for Corporate luncheons. Karen did a awesome job with taking our order and making sure there was enough to accommodate our luncheon. The food arrived hot and on time. The presentation was awesome. I'd definitely refer them to anyone who wants professionalism with great food.
Deidra Sent on 03/20/2017

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Irene's went over and above our expectations. The tasting with Debbie was amazing, and she was responsive and very detailed oriented. People are still raving about the food.
Patty Sent on 04/14/2015

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Simply DELICIOUS food! Great staff! Irene's was so helpful with the special dietary needs of a few of our wedding reception guests.
Sara Sent on 02/18/2015

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Irene's catering was amazing! They worked with us on the price and we got an amazing assortment of food and beautiful linens. Our reception was gorgeous and the food was spectacular. Karina was great! She had an upbeat bubbly personality and was very easy to work with. We will go with Irene's again if we ever need a caterer. Everyone said how amazing the food was :)
Amy Sent on 02/11/2015

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Planning a wedding was super stressful, but working with my caterer was exactly what I needed to get through it. Irene's had a ton of ideas for our event planning, and the food was raved about (we had stations, by the way). Thank you to everyone there - we couldn't have asked for a better team!
Sarah Sent on 09/14/2011

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I loved working with this vendor from start to finish. I do not know why a different reviewer was unable to taste entrees? Perhaps they did not set an appointment ahead of time? We were given full entrees at our tasting. One was the food item we were leaning towards, and the other was recommended by the chef. We ended up using both at our wedding! We had tons and tons of compliments about the dinner at our wedding. Deb was always easy for me to get a hold of, and always willing to make changes that we requested (changing food items, special requests for the groom =no mushrooms, etc). They were also willing to work with our budget so we could get delicious food that did not break the bank! I would work with them again!
Meridith Sent on 05/10/2011

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Irene's Catering provided passed hors d'oeuvres for our cocktail-style reception and a light dinner for the wedding party beforehand. A separate vendor handled the bar and dessert. Irene's is licensed and works with fresh food. Their website shares galleries of previous work displays.

Before we committed, they gave us printed price sheets for packages and additions. They were willing to prepare several vegan options and accommodate a garlic allergy. Irene's broke down the cost per head for all the food and itemized the remaining charges like china, linen and glassware.

Our main contact was flexible with our tasting, especially when travel severely delayed my arrival. She showed us all the food arrangements and service items at the tasting. She worked with us when planning and oversaw service at the wedding but didn't act as our event planner. We were the only wedding that day.

Our venue did not have a kitchen so Irene's provided their own food preparation equipment at no additional charge. In addition to our main contact they provided 4 of their own serving personnel and 2 people to help flip the room. We used the same hall for the ceremony and reception and Irene's flipped the room quickly and cleanly.
Jessie Sent on 02/05/2010

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Really great vendor. I was a last minute unorganized bride. Deb made me so comfortable. The food was top notch, the staff super friendly, the florist awesome and the flexibility unmatched! I strongly reccomend Irene's the best wedding food, I've ever eaten!
Lindsey Sent on 11/15/2008

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I would highly recommend Irene's Catering for your wedding or any other event. When I first met with Debbie I felt like she really listened to what me and my family wanted and exceeded my expectations. The food was wonderful and the service was above and beyond.
Heather Sent on 07/26/2008

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Irene's is fantastic, excellent food, the servers and chefs are great. Very professional and fun, highly recommend.
Ashley Sent on 03/30/2018

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Mark, the Executive Event Coordinator, was extremely flexible with the menu customization. I had specific Jamaican theme requests for the food, and he was very accommodating. Also, Mark was very responsive, both via email and phone. He provided a full estimate within two days of contacting him. I knew exactly how much I would be spending, which by the way was a GREAT value. He was polite, personable, understanding, and he and his Chef staff are from or have been to a variety of locations, thus making for an extreme variety of dishes his team can make. Give Irene's a shot and you will not be disappointed. They offer military discounts, bundling discounts for bar and catering, and I believe lower Sunday prices versus Saturday prices. #Experience. #Flexibility #Value
Andrea Sent on 08/06/2017

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Irene's was great. Their prices are very reasonable, the food was delicious, and they made the planning process very easy.
Rhonda Sent on 10/13/2015

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We can't thank Irene's enough for the service they provided on our big day. We had so many concerns and so many frustrations leading up to the day we were sure something would go wrong, but Karina continued to reassure us all would fair well. She was the calm amongst the storm and we are happy to say she was correct. Irene's staff (lead by Cindy) exceeded our extremely high expectations. The décor was amazing, the service left us in awe and the food was every bit as good on the night of our reception as it was on the day of taste testing. You might expect less because of their incredible almost hard to believe pricing when you compare them to the other caterers in the area, but we can tell you first hand, don't let the price fool you, Irene's is top notch and will impress the biggest skeptic. God bless you all for what you did for us and we pray your business prospers exponentially.
Karolynn Sent on 02/08/2012

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I found them to be more flexible than other vendors in accommodating my requests.
Sarah Sent on 10/04/2011

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Irene's proved to be a great addition to our wedding! Though they were difficult to contact at times, they made sure that everything was up to our expectations and worked with us on every detail. They offered multiple tastings and worked great with our budget! Everyone was very friendly and the staff on the wedding day was great! I marked down slightly on professionalism only because all of the guests were served their salads before the we got ours at the head table and before the prayer. It was a tiny blip, though. Irene's was wonderful and I would absolutely recommend them!
Marcie Sent on 08/01/2008

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Irene's did an excellent job catering our wedding. They were professional, the food was great, and they tweaked our menu to fit our taste.
N Anonymous Sent on 02/02/2022

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Amazing food but some service improvements needed- would hire again!

Irene’s is a great catering option if you need one for your wedding! We had to hire last minute when our initial venue went out of business and Mark was quick to reply and help us get booked. He & the chef we’re attentive at the tasting and made sure we felt comfortable with the chosen appetizers & meal. As for the day of the wedding, the food was 10/10. I had so many guests say it’s the best they’ve had at a wedding before and I agree! The Irene’s Chicken was recommended by Mark and it was the star of the show! Other than that we did have some issues with service and that’s why I’m only giving 4 stars. First, half the staff didn’t show up- so everything was behind & chaotic, and other vendors had to step in to setup and serve food/water which was unfortunate. Also we had miscommunications about allergies. Allergy free meals were not served first nor were the guests informed I’d the family style food was safe for them, so many ended up eating much later, and one even almost ate food that would have caused a reaction. I recommend more clear instructions if you have guests with allergies. Otherwise I would book them again due to the upfront service from Mark & the amazing food!
Private U. Sent on 06/11/2014

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We seleted Irenes based upon our tasting experience. The food was excellent. Unfortunately, as with a few of our vendors, mid way through our contract, the employees we were dealing with left the company. That caused a bit of confusion. The new employee was very nice and helped us deal with the 'transition' into another system. (Their old computer system finally died). Not a huge deal. It happens. At our wedding, we did not get the potatoes we specifically ordered in our contract. When we brought it to one of the women at the weddings attention, she was very unprofessional and snotty in her response. She was also rude to many of our guests. We contacted management and it was dealt with accordingly. We do not fault the company for 1 employee. After the few problems we had, they were satisfactorily rectified.
Valerie Sent on 07/23/2013

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My daughter selected Irene's based on the professionalism and detail during the tasting. During the proceeding 10 months there were times I wondered if we had selected the wrong catering service. In the end, the event was pretty spectacular. Service was great and everyone raved about the food.
Alicia Sent on 08/09/2010

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Irene's was really flexible in terms of working with changes in budget, venue, ideas, guests, etc. However, Debbie was VERY hard to get a hold of and lost a fair amount of paperwork. I was also promised free "dessert shooters" at the wedding and never received them, which was factored in as part of our dessert. The food was really great, and they worked well on a tight budget. I would definitely recommend Irene's for catering for small events up to large weddings. Their ability to make tasty food in any style is a definite plus.
Elizabeth Sent on 11/11/2019

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Easy to work with

Profesional and easy to work with. Was told that there would be PLENTY of food but some guests did not receive salad.
Bethany Sent on 08/07/2011

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Irene's is not as fancy as Zilli's or some of the other caterers we looked at, but they have the best value for the money. Their appetizers are delicious, and the main meals were quite tasty as well. Debbie, our coordinator, was very friendly and flexible for our needs. She was a bit hard to get ahold of at times, but she always came through when we needed her. She was great at coordinating with our other vendors to ensure a smooth event. Only complaint was that our coordinator was not the actual day-of-event contact. But the set up, service and food was top notch!
Ashley Sent on 11/30/2017

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Overall, good quality food for a decent price.
User1904576 Sent on 11/04/2014

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Initially Irene's service was great. I was given raw vegetable instead of grilled which was stated in my contract. I never would have served this an only got a very brief apology for this. I sent an email the next day complementing the two ladies doing the serving and also some strong criticism of the bartender who I found unacceptable. Clearly not an experienced bartender, had not even heard of some of the more popular drinks being served currently,and did not even serve one of my signature cocktails. There were also long lines at the bar frequently and I was assured that this would not be an issue. My response from Irene's did not even acknowledge this issue, which was a huge problem at my event. Had they at least acknowledge this, I would not have given them this negative of a review but I found that very unprofessional. The bartender is key at a party. Because of this is would not recommend them or use them again.
Amanda Sent on 06/06/2011

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We were quite disappointed with the catering. Pricing kept changing throughout the process even when there were no changes in menu. The day of the wedding, the supervisor that we had been working with was pulled to go to another event and they sent a different person. The pasta was cold, two of the items were not what we had ordered and paid for (even though the supervisor had looked at the order sheet and assured me that they were - I offered for her to taste the food, but she declined, but continued to insist that because it said so on the paperwork, that is what we had)! Very disappointed. When the bride (who was the first to receive her food) mentioned that the pasta was cold, they ignored her. Up until the actual event, the customer service was good, but at the event, we were quite displeased. They offered "sweet shots" at the end of the night (so we didn't order out additional food or treats for our guests), however there were only a couple of the tables where people actually received them - and it wasn't even the bride/groom, bridal party or parents!

We contacted them after the event and they said they would look into it. It's difficult now to resolve the issue, however, I don't appreciate paying almost $6,000 for food that wasn't even what we thought we were getting.

Also, when they were setting up the tables, they did not level them and a catering crew member bumped into our cake table and the cake topper went crashing to the ground - this was before our event.

I give credit where credit is due, but in this case I cannot recommend Irene's Catering.

Our cake was from Courtyard Catering and it was superb! Try checking with them for catering your event - we went with Irene's because the pricing was better - now I guess I know why.
Kelly Sent on 04/30/2010

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We visited Irene's for our tasting and they took us to another building. The sales person was bringing food from the other building in a bakery box. We tasted appetizers and mine was still frozen. They didn't let us sample any dinner entrees and we were willing to pay for it. Although, the sales lady was nice and helpful, we felt the quality of the food was not worth our money.

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