Sonja Sent on 09/22/2021

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Great service

Lancer catering did a great job for our wedding at Como Lakeside Pavillion. Lyndsey was easy and fun to work with. On the day of everything was like we talked about and the food and drinks were great. All the staff there was so wonderful. I would recommend them to anyone!

Danielle Sent on 04/03/2019

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Good quality at a reasonable price

Very impressed with the prompt response from the very beginning..With all considered of what we're getting that day we thought the price was reasonable.

7404A4C6A588027455D739C03238B869C00A8D52 Sent on 02/05/2019

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Awesome Food, Aesome Staff

We used the location at the Phoenix Zoo for our wedding. The food was amazing. We had a tasting with them at a complimentary event at the zoo and fell in love with everything they had the offer.

The day of the wedding, they had everything set up with no help needed from me. In fact, they could have gone the whole event without me noticing all of the setup and takedown they were doing. True professionals and good at their jobs!

We had an amazing menu that included a bruschetta trio (awesome!), flank steak and a chicken breast, mushroom cavatapi, toasted potatoes, a veggie medley. Everything was phenomenal. So many comments from our guests about the quality of the food!

Sarah Sent on 09/25/2018

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The food was beyond wonderful. They were able to accommodate my guests with food allergies. The staff were wonderful to work with, especially Kaitlin who really went above and beyond to make our day special. I have nothing but glowingly positive things to say.

Molly Sent on 06/11/2018

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Lancer catering did a phenomenal job at catering our wedding in June 2018 at Woodland Park Zoo from the initial planning meeting to the final event. I’ll admit, I am not the easiest person to work with and it was truly a pleasure to work with Lancer Catering. From the start, they were able to answer my questions, provide their own recommendations, and further provide detailed timelines and information that helped the big day go a lot smoother than anticipated. Their food was absolutely delicious, both on the tasting and the actual event. I received so many compliments from my guests that my wedding was one of the best weddings they have been to and I couldn’t have pulled it off without Lancer Catering. I highly recommend Lancer Catering at Woodland Park Zoo for any event, including a wedding as you will not be disappointed! I cannot say enough positive things about Lancer Catering.

Amber Sent on 09/11/2017

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Cheron with Lancer catering was the most amazing person to work with. Having never planned a wedding before and trying to understand all that I needed, she was so helpful and accommodating. She always responded very promptly to any emails/calls with questions, concerns, etc. This food was literally "melt in your mouth" AMAZING! Our guests are still talking about it and it was a definite hit at our wedding. I am so glad I worked with Lancer. It was certainly worth every penny! Thank you, Cheron!!

David Sent on 12/16/2015

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My daughter and son-in-law celebrated there blessed wedding party at Keller Golf Course this passed Fall and it was a smashing success! The new clubhouse at Keller is truly a diamond in the Metro East Community. Our wedding party included 270 participants. And everyone had a great time. We were served steak, chicken, walleye, vegetarian dish and chicken drummies by the very capable Lancer Staff. The food was Fabulous. Later in the evening we treated are guest to pizza ( yum!). We used the patio at Keller for a cigar bar and lawn game area. The fireplace room was used for hors d'oevures and the beverage bar. The Ballroom, of course, was used for dinner and dancing. I want to give a special Thank you to Lindsey at Keller for all of her help, ideas, suggestion and enthusiasm for My daughters very, very special day. All expectations were meet and then some!!!

User2424155 Sent on 11/12/2015

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Amazing food and super helpful staff and coordinator!!!!

User2376775 Sent on 10/19/2015

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We used Lancer Catering for our wedding and couldn't have been happier. They were so responsive to questions and they had everything in order and together. Our wedding ran smoothly the day of, too!

User1976113 Sent on 08/22/2015

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I would 100% recommend the Como Zoo to anyone getting married! Mindy, who we worked with ahead of time was outstanding, more than flexible and helped guide us through an unknown situation. The night of the wedding, we had a FABULOUS evening! All of our guests did as well. There was compliment after compliment about the venue and how beautiful everything was; from the ceremony to the reception. Thank you so much to you and the entire Como staff for putting on such an unforgettable event! I am so glad we went with everything that we did. The food, location and staff were all amazing. We even had a penguin!!!

User6454361 Sent on 06/02/2015

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We used Lancer Catering for our wedding on 5/15/15 at Como Zoo. Their food is amazing! We had the chicken, steak, and walleye. Everyone loved the food and said it was the best food they ever had at a wedding! I wish they had a restaurant so we could have their food more often, its that good!

Amanda Sent on 03/06/2015

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We originally went with a different caterer in the beginning due to cost. We found out later that our caterer we decided on, didnt book our date and didnt have enough staff to accommodate a fully served dinner that evening. We had already sent out our RSVP cards with the 2 food options: Grilled Serloin, rosemary potatoes and asparagus as well as a pineapple/ mango chicken with yukon gold potatoes and asparagus and were stuck with those food choices. We were leaving for Cabo Mexico in two weeks to get married and had no time to finalize with a new caterer. I contact Lancer Catering and spoke with Kate Wheelock. She quickly put bids and a taste test together with in the week for us. Our food options we sent out on the RSVP's were not available at Lancer Catering but the chef was willing to re-create our original menu. At the taste testing, the food was better than the taste testing at the original caterer! Besides the food, I had navy blue linens that were folded in a fleur de lis on the tables. Normally there is an upcharge for this and it was included with Lancer Catering. The day of the event, Kate Wheelock arrived to make sure every detail was perfect. Missy was the event coordinator onsite and went above and beyond catering to every guests needs ie: my daughter and her special food requests, some of the kids wanted to switch to steak and holding my food so that I could eat once things settled down. The wait staff were exceptional and very polite! Jefferson was very professional and exceeded our expectations. The overall experience with Lancer Catering was perfect. I highly recommend Lancer Catering to anyone one wants exceptional food, service and professional staff.

User6280077 Sent on 02/12/2015

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Lancer catering was great for our wedding at the Woodland Park Zoo. The only hitch was that since we were one of their fist customers since they took over the contract at the zoo, they didn't get their liquor license in time. By now, that should be all set.

The servers we very courteous, and the food was excellent. Our guests raved about the buffet. The staff member we worked with primarily, Sarah Klapstein, was a pleasure to work with. It was wonderful!!!

We planned out wedding from out of state, but I do know that they hold tastings to help people choose the food for their event, and that is a great idea.

Sharon Sent on 10/30/2014

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We could not have asked for a more perfect caterer than Lancer Catering to cater our daughter's wedding reception. We worked with Cheron from beginning to end and she did a marvelous job of helping us with planning. She was quick to respond to voicemail messages and/or e-mails. The food was absolutely wonderful and the decorating was perfect. The ambiance was exactly what my daughter and son-in-law were going for - rustic but yet elegant. Dan, the on-site manager at the Lake Waconia Event Center was super. He had answers to all of our questions and went out of his way to make the reception perfect. Thank you Lancer Catering for a wonderful job.

Dede Sent on 09/24/2014

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Cheron was so easy and very helpful to work with. The food was wonderful. The timing on the food being served was perfect. Dan greeted me first thing at the reception to see if I had any other needs or concerns. Lancer Catering did a fantastic Job!

Alyssa Sent on 09/10/2014

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We had our wedding at Edinburgh golf course, and cannot say enough good things about the help we had while planning our wedding and the service we had during our ceremony and reception. We worked with Cheron who helped us every step of the way towards our wedding. She helped us stay on top of things, and helped organize to make sure everything ran smoothly. We had great service at our ceremony and everything was ready when it was supposed to be. We also received numerous complements on the food, it was delicious. Highly recommend!

Debra Sent on 09/05/2014

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We want to thank you, everything was above our expectations of beautiful for our daughter’s wedding!
Please thank your amazing set up staff, the area where we had the ceremony was perfect.
Huge bravo to the decorating staff, the dinning area was exquisite, the table’s set so elegantly, we loved the area for the cake on display and Buttercream did a fabulous job with the cake, the candles on the table set so nice and the rose petals were added to the water and that extra touch was perfect please thank that wonderful lady for me who did all the set up and serving from Lancer.
Saving the best for last, Lancer catering and staff, you are the best! The food was presented so beautifully, the flavor’s were out of this world wonderful. Everyone enjoyed there meals and raved about how good it was! I was so proud we chose Edinburgh and Lancer catering!
I do not remember everyone's names, but the young lady that worked so hard with James to set up and serve the meals please let them know we appreciate there above and beyond care they took to make everything perfect.
The wedding coordinator, please let her know I appreciate her calmness and how she made sure the flow of the ceremony to the end of the evening went just right. The attention to every detail was amazing to us.
Last but not least, the bar tender. He was personable, everyone enjoyed talking to him and the single ladies said they spent way to much on drinks just to visit with him. He was great.
Everyone at the Edinburgh, beginning with the first meeting to the end of the evening made our daughters dream wedding come true.

Lianne Sent on 07/30/2014

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We had our wedding at Keller Golf Course in Maplewood, MN and our experience with Lancer was great! We began the process with Cookie from Lancer and when she was promoted to another position, we worked with Lyndsey. We thought both were an absolute pleasure to work with! Communication prior to the event was excellent and I loved that they were willing to work within our tight budget. In addition, they were able to give us good suggestions and advice throughout the whole wedding planning process and promptly address any questions or concerns that came up. The night of the event and in the week following, I received many compliments from guests on the food, decor, and venue. Overall it was a wonderful experience!

User6994059 Sent on 06/26/2014

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Lancer Catering especially when the time came closer to the wedding really were proactive in making sure things ran smoothly which I appreciated. The catering manager paid attention to every detail, and I appreciated that they were accommodating to make sure there were a few chicken dishes served that did not have bacon on it for some of my guests for religious reasons. The staff that day were very amiable , looked like they were enjoying what they were doing and were attentive.

Pam Sent on 05/23/2014

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Lancer catered my daughter's wedding recently, and we couldn't have been more pleased! The servers were professional, friendly and made our guests feel pampered! The food was superb--we received many positive comments--especially on the berry salad! It was beautiful AND delicious! Thank you Lancer for making this event special for all!!!!

Tonita Sent on 03/13/2014

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Working with Lancer Catering was a great experience. From the start they were so helpful and accommodating. Fitting our initial consult and a tasting into the limited time we had available. During the whole process they were available to answer questions and were willing to make changes as we needed. No request was too crazy. The food was excellent. The people we worked with we friendly and professional. The reception was everything we had hoped for and more. We would definitely work with them again.

Molly Sent on 02/12/2014

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We did breakfast for dinner, and they came up with some of the greatest options. They really helped us stay in our budget and helped us keep everything at $20/person. They had a promotion for a free wedding cake from buttercream for the entire wedding!!! it was AMAMZING and we got a 5 tier $700 cake for free, it was incredible!

Lacey Sent on 07/30/2013

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The food was wonderful as is the staff. Lancer has a huge food variety to choose from. We decided on 3 meals for our guests to pick from and it seemed to be a success. People LOVED the walleye, the chicken was great with the wonderful mash-potatoes and we were able to offer a vegetarian option as well.

The staff was amazing as well. Prior to the wedding our catering managers were great and responded quickly to emails and questions. During the wedding, the wait staff went beyond what I expected, bringing the bridal party cocktail drinks and starters to where we were taking pictures!

I had multiple wait staff approach me during the wedding as well asking how things were going and if we needed anything or if they could do something better. They were amazing and I'm so happy with our service at Como Zoo with Lancer Catering.

Sabina Sent on 07/22/2013

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Even though the catering company is part of the venue, the food was great. Chip Venzone was able to coordinate everything we wanted. He was our coordinator for everything at the aquarium, so we didn't have to worry about trying to contact different people for details, questions, or changes.

User911444 Sent on 08/12/2012

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Lancer catered our wedding and the food was amazing! We had so many compliments on how good the food was. The staff from lancer was very nice and we enjoyed working with them. I would definately recommend them.

Jenny Sent on 07/09/2012

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Lancer Catering provided a wonderful buffet for my wedding. They offered more food for less cost than at least a dozen other catering companies I checked into. They had a large menu and even had a vegetarian section, which most companies did not. They easily accommodated my wishes for our vegan & vegetarian buffet and it all looked and tasted great. The food was amazing and we received a lot of compliments from our guests about the food.

Kira Sent on 07/23/2010

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Our experience with Lancer Catering was excellent. We planned our wedding from out of state and were delighted with the help and support we received. The food was excellent and we were delighted with how beautifully decorated the reception room was on our special day...it exceeded our expectations. All of our guests had a wonderful time, food was superb, alcohol flowed and the Buttercream cake is unparalleled!!

Sherry Sent on 06/10/2010

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Easy to talk to and offered great advice. Our sit down wedding dinner for 219 people was a feast. Our guests gave us many compliments on the delicious food. The service was seemless, prefessional, and everything you would want them to be. Is there another star? Can I give them 6? I would recommend them to anyone.Thank you Cheron:)

Jen Sent on 08/27/2008

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Great food!!!

Candy Sent on 11/09/2007

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We had our reception at the Science Museum. The food was awesome and we couldn't have asked for better staff. They were super helpful and checked in with us often to make sure everything was going okay. I would definatly reccomend them!

Tiffany Sent on 07/21/2018

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Although we were disappointed that we could not serve a plated dinner it was due to location and not at all the catering fault. They made arrangements for my husband and I to be served a specialty plated dinner and let us select items from any buffet they offered to create our very own. Our guest loved there dinner's so much they went back for seconds and the caterers did not deny them. We were a bit unsatisfied with our meals as our steak was not cooked to our liking but but very very happy with the service and food our guest received. They even set up a separate kids buffet for a lower cost with child friendly foods so that the little's didn't have to wait in line.

User1691254 Sent on 07/02/2014

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The food was delicious. We had some extra people show up that didn't rsvp and they said they could make extra if need be. It all worked out in the end though because some people that did rsvp didn't show up so everything evened out and we didn't have to pay for extra meals. The staff went around and made sure everyone had their meals and cleared away empty plates. My only complaint I would say was that the reserved table for immediate family was not served first but other than that it went flawlessly.

Samantha Sent on 06/09/2017

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Lancer Catering was the in house catering for the Woodland Park Zoo and even if we had brought in an outside caterer I do not think they could have topped what Lancer did. The food was AMAZING, all of our guests absolutely LOVED the french fry bar that we had for our cocktail hour and the Italian Buffet was delicious! I almost wish I had snuck in some tupperware to take food home with me!

User2304532 Sent on 09/07/2015

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Lancer was great to work with, and provided wonderful snacks for our ceremony in the Sunken Garden. Guests had the mini burgers, couscous cups and smoked salmon - everyone seemed to enjoy them very much. I worked with Mindy to coordinate everything, and she was very helpful and organized. I would definitely recommend Lancer to anyone having their special event at the Como Conservatory!

User2166572 Sent on 06/06/2015

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Lancer catered my daughter's wedding at Como Zoo on May 30, 2015. Both the hors d'oeuvres and the dinners were delicious. Everyone was raving about how great the food and service was. Mindy, our contact person with Lancer, was so patient and accommodating. She was a pleasure to work with and made the whole process extremely easy. I would highly recommend Lancer!

Shannon Sent on 05/11/2015

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We have had a great experience with Lancer Catering so far! The quality and taste of their food is amazing! They are partnered with our venue, The Science Museum of Minnesota, and it has been the easiest planning process with those two working so well together. I found that the price was pretty average compared to most other caterers, however it seems a little high in price to me. The great thing about them is they have so many options to choose from, and are very flexible on the menu planning to accommodate food allergies/sensitivities, as well as overall preference. They have many plated and buffet options and allow you to mix and match very easily to what you want to serve. Some of the buffet options are even broken down to region and specific culture, like American comfort food and Italian, which can make it fun if you are going for a specific theme with your food and/or overall wedding.
Their selection of appetizers and late night snacks is pretty impressive as well!
I would highly recommend Lancer Catering to anyone!

Janna Sent on 05/09/2014

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It was more than we could have asked for. The food was delicious and hot! We have had nothing but rave reviews from our wedding guests.

Quang Sent on 03/19/2014

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We enjoyed working with Lancer Catering very much. They were very helpful in choosing our menu and working with us on the setup of the reception venue. They provided us with many different options on how to organize the tables and what fit best for our wants and needs. The food was excellent and the service was great.

The responsiveness was great except for some issues we had with communication with the Como staff. Since we were having our ceremony outside, we needed to have a contingency plan and getting that finalized seemed to be more difficult than it should have been. There was also an issue with getting a garbage can moved out of sight in the Enchanted Garden where we had our ceremony. We were told that it would be moved and when we asked repeatedly about it, no one came to move it so we moved it ourselves.

Otherwise, save for some cold weather, our ceremony and reception were great. Many people remarked about the good food and how our reception was a lot of fun.

User1556889 Sent on 03/12/2014

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We had such a great time and the staff was amazing. The food was excellent and the venue beautiful.

Nawshin Sent on 03/07/2014

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We had a great experience at the science museum (Lancer Catering) and couldn't ask for better services. They made it easy for us. They helped us every step of the way making sure our day was organized and beautiful. They met with us in person multiple times and were responsive to our emails and phone calls in regards to estimates and questions etc. The food was great and they had a great selection with flexible options. They arranged a dinner for food tasting which helped us a great deal to decide on our menu. They work great with other vendors as well (flowers, decorations etc.). We would recommend them 100%.

Janna Sent on 10/25/2011

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Lancer Catering is the official caterer of the MN Zoo, so we were forced to use them for our reception. At first we were very nervous as the tasting did not go as well as hoped. It was a brand new chef and he ordered the wrong cut of pork. However, they were completely apologetic and even schedule a second tasting with us to ensure that we were happy. Our coordinator, Heidi, was wonderful. She was very responsive to all of our questions and concerns. They were very flexible in accommodating our guests with allergies or special meal requests. The food the night of the reception was amazing!! Everyone was raving about how good everything tasted. The staff was very responsive and helpful the night of the reception. The only downside is that they are pricey when it comes to beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). They are also very limited on what they will offer as far as house wines, so you end up spending a lot of money buying a case of wine to get what you want. In the end, we were extremely pleased with them and would definitely recommend them!

Kelly Sent on 08/02/2010

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We had a great experience with Lancer Catering and Denise. She was great at getting back to me within a few hours with every little question I had. They were flexible with getting together with us to go over all the details as well.
On the day of our wedding the service was great and very friendly to all of our guests. The food was great and they were accomadating to our a few of our guests who needed gluten free/allergy options.
Como Zoo turned out to be the perfect place for our ceremony and reception and Lancer Catering provided excellent service and coordination to our day. I would recommend them to any couple getting married in the future.
I didn't give them 5 stars for flexability because they were pretty strict on getting into the venue early to decorate so we had to hire out to do the decorating instead of doing it ourselves. I think most places are like this though. Overall beautiful place and space and we are so happy we chose this venue and Lancer Catering.

Alyssa Sent on 07/16/2008

4.8 out of 5 rating

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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

This caterer served great food, not only at our tasting, but for almost 250 people. They were very flexible with our menu and service choices.

Maria Sent on 05/19/2008

4.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4.5 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

Lancer catering had the best food I have ever had at a wedding and are partnered with Buttercream cake which is amazing. They are very flexible and not pushy. They make sure everything is the way you want it.

Amanda Sent on 06/17/2017

4.7 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
3.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had our wedding at the Science Museum of Minnesota, and Lancer is their exclusive caterer. The food was excellent and Kaitlin was really easy to work with. She was very responsive to emails and answered all of our questions very quickly. We really appreciated this because we are an out-of-town couple. We had our tasting and everything turned out really well and we were able to meet the chef. They were able to accommodate a few different types of food allergies (including gluten, dairy, and nut), which was really great. On the day of our wedding, the food service was quick and the food was warm. We got a lot of compliments from our guests for the food on all 3 dishes we chose (chicken, pork, and vegetarian).

The one thing we didn't like is that there is a 19% surcharge on all food and drinks, which is not a gratuity or taxes. We wish Lancer would forgo that surcharge and just work that price into the dishes themselves (i.e. instead of being $25 + 19%, just make the dish $26.09).

Courtney Sent on 11/11/2016

4.7 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
3.5 out of 5 rating

We used Lancer Catering for our wedding reception at Edinburgh Golf Course. They have fantastic food and staff. We worked with Cheron on our reception, and she is really quick and responsive to any questions you may have. I would recommend Lancer to all my family and friends!

Michelle Sent on 09/16/2014

4.7 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 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

I worked with Lancer, as the required vendor for my wedding at the Woodland Park Zoo, this past month. I originally started working with Erica, and halfway through was switched to Lydia. Working with both was great, and the transition of my account went smoothly.

I thought the team was very responsive in general, responding quickly to new inquiries, changes to the setup plan, and repeated clarification requests for me on different parts of the bill.

There were a few increases in prices from when I booked a year ahead, but relatively minor. On the day-of, the reception, bar, and buffet were all set up on time, and the food was still hot (note my specific location was not near the kitchen). I heard a lot of good remarks on the food, I did try some stuff I didn't enjoy during the initial tasting, but I decided to just go for the most popular/well reviewed option based on feedback they had received and that went fine. Not the cheapest option overall, but I felt like I got good value for money. I thought the alcohol was actually pretty reasonable. I didn't get to test if they stuck to the max limit for host bar since we fell about $20 short of hitting it. Champagne was distributed on time, and they also provided everything needed for my matron of honor to complete the cake cutting.

Overall-great working with them. They delivered.

Becky Sent on 06/10/2013

4.7 out of 5 rating

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

Cookie Walker was GREAT to work with! Lancer compromised on some pricing to compete with another vendor we were considering as our wedding caterer. They also agreed to set our favors at each place setting since they were also providing linens and tableware for place settings.

Shannon Sent on 08/13/2012

4.7 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
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Lancer catered my wedding at Point Defiance Zoo. All I can say is, YUMMY!! They were wonderful and there was plenty of food for my guests. And it was delicious. I had a separate Kids Station with cheeseburger sliders and waffle fries and word has it that the adults said the Kids' burgers were delicious! :)

Kellly V. was helpful and the food was fabulous! No complaints!

Thanks PDZA!!

Jen Sent on 08/15/2010

4.7 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
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We had our reception at the Science Museum of Minnesota and everything was just perfect! I had number of guests tell me how amazing the food was! Kim was very helpful with making recommendations on how much of everything we would need and was very flexible with making changes to anything. We were able to drop off all of our favors and table numbers the day before and Lancer took care of setting everything out. The staff the day of was very friendly and professional.

Catarina Sent on 03/16/2010

4.7 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4.5 out of 5 rating

Lancer was great! We were so happy with the food - outstanding! We heard from many of our guests that they'd never had better food at a reception. The staff were top-notch, from the coordinator to the wait staff everyone made sure that we had a great day - I didn't have to worry about a thing. Everyone was professional, flexible and just so accomodating, I definitely recommend Lancer to anyone looking for an easy, and happy, big day.

Jessi Sent on 10/10/2019

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
Professionalism
5 out of 5 rating
Value
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Tasty and wonderful people

The food was a little pricy but we had to use them because the venue only uses them for catering. I do not regret it! They were quick to respond to questions and very understanding when I had problems with my card not working for payment. They were awesome with the menu changes were very professional.

Jenny Sent on 06/22/2018

4.6 out of 5 rating

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

Our reception was at the Science Museum, and they work exclusively with Lancer, so we didn't really have a choice in caterers. Which is totally fine, because they were wonderful! We had the beef medallions, tuscan chicken, and stuffed shells; all were delicious, but our guests RAVED about the beef medallions! On top of that, we had a few people with special dietary needs, and they were very accommodating. It wasn't an issue at all, we had just had to tell them about it, and they took care of it! On top of the amazing food, the service was top notch! Everyone working the event was friendly, polite, and helpful! I HIGHLY recommend them! <3

Gerri Sent on 03/27/2017

4.6 out of 5 rating

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

We worked with Jessica for our wedding reception at the Como Zoo, and she was great at responding to our emails. We were able to customize and tweak the menu as needed to reach the $3000 food/bev minimum when our guest count changed, and she gave us updated BEOs as we went. The staff at the reception were great, and very professional during the plated dinner. The food looked and tasted good. We had previously worked with Kate at a year in advance of our wedding for initial details, and how to book/who we could book for the Animal Ambassador experience was not communicated until Jessica took over and went over our event with us. This was our only major disappointment working with Lancer since we didn't get the animal we wanted, but being more proactive in planning helped.

User2356213 Sent on 10/08/2015

4.6 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
5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Lancer Catering was the vendor that our venue required. We were very happy with the quality of the food, and got many complements on the taste of appetizers and dinner as well as the service. We worked with two different people. The first was very hard to get in contact with and did not respond to emails. We actually never heard back from her after our tasting, even after sending multiple emails. A little over a month before the wedding another person from the company finally got in contact with us. The second person was great and very responsive. I wish we would have worked with her all along. Everyone from the company that worked with us the day of was very nice and helpful.

User2117341 Sent on 05/03/2015

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

Very friendly and helpful! Cheron responds quickly to even the smallest request, and provided suggestions when we had to review our catering options.

User4941115 Sent on 08/22/2012

4.6 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
3.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We used Lancer Catering at Edinburgh USA. Cheron, our event planner went out of her way to make sure our day went smoothly. The food and staff on the day of were also great and very responsive.

Lisa Sent on 06/24/2011

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

Lancer Catering was fantastic to work with and very professional. They were great with our ever changing needs and quick to respond. On the actual day, the entire staff was fantastic and kept asking what we needed and made changes on the spot for things that were inaccurate. The only reason they seemed 'inflexible' really isn't their fault, they were working under the constraints of como park.

Their alcohol and food prices were a bit high, but the food was AMAZING.

Callie Sent on 07/08/2010

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

They provided our food at our reception site. It was delicious a lot of people commented on how good it was. They even bumped up the time for dinner since we finished the ceremony early.

Ted Sent on 02/15/2010

4.6 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Glad we got to work with their coordinator.Made everything much easier for us and we where very comfortable with decisions.The food was great at our reception and I'm sure everyone enjoyed it too.

Anngeleen Sent on 01/29/2008

4.6 out of 5 rating

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

We were married at the MN Zoo, and they only use Lancer Catering. They were really good, but if I had my chioce I would have gone with a cheaper company. We just really wanted to get married at the Zoo. The food was delicious and ample. All our guests were happy!

David Sent on 05/03/2015

4.5 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
2.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Our wedding was held in the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. The venue staff was excellent! Particularly, the sales manager/organizer, Megan, was very responsive and helpful. They took care of the main set up, clean up, and serving. Whenever I had a question or concern, it was addressed promptly and fully.

That said, the cost was high. Some of the food was quite good. We were fond of the cheesecake martini bar, spring rolls, sushi, bruschetta, and vegetables. The Bulgogi and Korean tacos could have been better, but we eat Korean food often and have high expectations. One thing to note with this vendor is that they do not allow guests to take food out of the venue. It's use it or lose it. Considering there was a high-catering minimum cost, I'm certain we paid for a lot of food and/or alcohol that was not used.

Cristina Sent on 06/16/2014

4.5 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
3.5 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

Lancer was the only option available for our venue. I was really unhappy about this to begin with but they turned out to be pretty darn good. It was a bit expensive but they were able to cut me some slack in a few areas to make it doable. The service was great except that we never got the coffee during dinner that we were promised, I didn't really notice at the time but I haven't heard the end of it from some of my relatives.

User1310331 Sent on 03/04/2014

4.5 out of 5 rating

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

So happy with our choice, everything went very smoothly and the catering staff was very helpful and professional. We were especially impressed with the quality and consistency of the food, and our guests let us know they really enjoyed it too. Everything was delivered and setup as promised, and it all came together. Thanks to Kim for all her help ahead of time, and thanks to Pete during the reception, we were stress free on our wedding day!

Chauntae Sent on 02/17/2011

4.5 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating

Excellent food- quite pricey though.
We had a buffet and the food was warm and had plenty to go around. Staff was professional and easy going

Sarah Sent on 07/31/2010

4.5 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
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4.5 out of 5 rating

I loved the service and food we got from Lancer Catering and would wholeheartedly recommend it to other couples getting married. The prices are about average for similar services at other venues in the area. I loves the location and had my dream wedding largely because of the assistance I got from Denise at the Como Park Conservatory. I loved it. The Hot Zones buffet was a big hit with all our guests!

Mara Sent on 09/08/2016

4.4 out of 5 rating

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

We had a wonderful experience with Lancer catering! Cheron was great to work with, and always willing to work with you on the littlest detail! They gave recommendations as appropriate, which helped us consider our options in the wedding planning details. All the staff at our wedding reception were amazing! They were friendly, helpful and always on their game for service to our wedding guests. We had one coordinator, who unfortunately I do not remember his name but he was awesome! We had left some items behind at the reception and he texted us and stayed in contact with us to make sure we got them, which was very unexpected and was a pleasant surprise. The food was delicious and we are still getting many compliments on that. We couldn't have been happier with our experience!

User2498237 Sent on 01/07/2016

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
4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

When my daughter selected the Science Museum of Minnesota for her wedding reception, we were required to use Lancer Catering because they contract with the museum. There were a few communication issues in the early planning stages, but Lancer took strides to make the evening wonderful. We received MANY compliments from guests on the both the food and on the efficiency of the staff. The contact person we worked with, Kaitlin, was extremely detail oriented and responsive to any and all of our questions - we appreciated working with her. Lancer also recommends Buttercream Bakery for their cakes. Once again, we heard many of the guests say how good the cake tasted. Lancer, partnered with the Science Museum, provided an absolutely beautiful, memorable event.

Jamie Sent on 08/26/2008

4.4 out of 5 rating

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

Our reception was held at Edinburgh USA, so we had to use Lancer for catering services. I think they are a little over-priced on some things, but everything from the food, decorations to their staff was excellent. During the dance, they put out a little table with refreshments and our guests could help themselves. Even though they were a headache to work with sometimes, if I had to do it over again, I'd still go with Edinburgh USA and Lancer. They came through in the end.

Kirstin Sent on 08/04/2008

4.4 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
4 out of 5 rating

My husband and I used Lancer Catering for Como Conservatory. They were extremely professional, the event space was beautiful and the food and service was exceptional. I would recommend them for any social or wedding event.

Kate Sent on 07/10/2008

4.4 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
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
5 out of 5 rating

We wanted a custom salad and they worked with us to make that. They were extremely professional and responsive. I wasn't too pleased with the value for the cost because they would not allow us to take the extras home. They offered a candy table in which guests can take a bag of treats home as they leave but wouldn't allow us to take whatever was left over home. We didn't get that for that reason. We had tons of extra food left over from our cookies and milk station, to late night snacks, to plates of guests that didn't show. My guess is most ended up in the trash and I had very willing groomsmen that were looking for a doggie bag. I just don't understand since I paid for it and it probably ended up with the trash anyway.

User1944562 Sent on 11/30/2014

4.3 out of 5 rating

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

Pretty spendy, but the quality of the food was very good.

Lindsay Sent on 09/03/2008

4.3 out of 5 rating

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

This caterer was fantastic. It was a little expensive for our 60 person wedding, but the food was amazing, the service was great. The coordinator was very responsive and they remained flexible with our unique situation with the groom's health. They even provided a "special meal" for our of our guests.

User1078557 Sent on 01/27/2013

4.2 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
4 out of 5 rating

We had a wedding at the Science Museum, which was catered by Lancer. The walleye was fabulous and HUGE (it could feed two people!). The aloo gobi could have used a lot more sauce (though the sauce that was there was very flavorful, and the presentation was lovely...the ratio of rice to sauce was too heavy on the rice side). Otherwise, everyone said the food was really good and, having tasted both of our entrees, I agree.

Samantha Sent on 05/16/2017

4.1 out of 5 rating

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

Lancer was very good food and was pretty good to work with! A little spendy but not horrible. Cheron was very good at answering my questions when i had one! Thank you lancer

User1759409 Sent on 08/11/2014

4.1 out of 5 rating

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

We used Lancer for our wedding at the Woodland Park Zoo.

If you want a wedding at the zoo you have no choice but to use Lancer. This can be a bit of a deal breaker if you want to keep costs low, as they are a bit pricey and have an enforced minimum cost (not including the 20% surcharge they put on top of that).

Coordinating the wedding was a bit interesting, as Lancer was in charge of the setup of the reception hall, in addition to the food, while the zoo was the ones actually renting out the space. So there was some confusion in planning the reception. Responsiveness was also quite... slow. In the last two weeks particularly, it was quite frustrating to not have calls answered, details verified, and even having plans changed last minute, which led to a lot of stress (and extreme frustration) leading up to the big day.

We also had the prices changed out from underneath us. We were given menus with prices on them but when we went to make our choices there was an afterthought note of: "Oh, the price of that has increased since we last updated the menu, but the new menu is still being revised so we can't give it to you." Umm, okay? It just felt unprofessional and made the experience feel like a money-gouge.

The day-of was coordinated excellently though. The food was delicious, the reception hall was beautiful, and most things went off just fine.

My biggest gripe was the responsiveness in the last two weeks before the wedding, which, to be honest, soured my opinion of the vendor as a whole. The food and setup itself was very nice, but it was very expensive and the slow responses contributed to some of the overwhelming stress I had leading up to the wedding.

User959286 Sent on 10/04/2012

4.1 out of 5 rating

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

We went into the wedding day with high expectations after our tasting. Unfortunately they weren't met. The bride's food was flavorless and cold. On the plus side, the staff was very professional, courteous and friendly. Other than the actual taste of the food, everything was perfect.

Cathy Sent on 07/25/2010

4.1 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 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
3.5 out of 5 rating

We held our reception on the porch at Como Park. The food was a bit pricy but excellent. I heard from many guests that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. I do not typically like cake and was not going to even have one, but Buttercream had reasonably priced cake that was also delicious. My only complaint about the entire experience was the sound system at Como Park did not work well, but that was not necessarily a reflection of Lancer Catering but of the venue itself.

Elizabeth Sent on 09/16/2017

4 out of 5 rating

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

We chose Lancer Catering because they were one of the preferred vendors from our venue. The food was outstanding the day of our wedding and we received plenty of compliments on it. There were a lot of extra fees (service, staff, etc.) but it was clearly laid out in the price breakdown. The only complaint I have to say about Lancer is that the person we were working with for about half of our planning process left and we were assigned a new one. Not everything was passed along so we had to spend some tine getting it all straightened out, but it worked in the end. We were then assigned a different coordinator for the day of our wedding because the new person we were working with was out of town. We were told ahead of time and it all worked out fine the day of. Overall I would recommend Lancer.

Brittany Sent on 05/18/2011

4 out of 5 rating

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

We had our reception at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory Visitor's Center (Bullard Auditorium). The location itself was perfect and beautiful. Our guests loved the food provided by Lancer. Our only complaint was poor responsiveness from our assigned Lancer rep and her lack of knowledge related to services, etc. But in the end...our reception turned out perfect, it was just very frustrating during the planning process!

Acevedo Sent on 05/20/2019

3.8 out of 5 rating

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

Disorganized but they still delivered

Our first coordinator never even contacted us. However, after months of not hearing from them, we finally were assigned a new coordinator. Cheron was quick to address all the things that should have already been done up to that point. She was pleasant to work with and kept us organized for the big day. Unfortunately, there were also a few hiccups, such as the chef not being able to accommodate our guests who were Celiac and not telling us until the week before. Thankfully, the food was delicious, especially the late-night pizza. That was a huge hit! The staff was professional and seamless in their execution on the day of. Overall, while there was some organizational issues from the beginning, they did a great job on our wedding day and provided us with exactly what they promised in more ways than we had hoped.

Grace Sent on 09/06/2015

3.8 out of 5 rating

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

When we decided to have our wedding at the Woodland Park Zoo, we were admittedly a bit disappointed that they required us to hire their caterer. However, despite a few bumps along the way, we can confidently say that they did a great job and made our wedding guests very happy! Unfortunately for us, the head caterer changed two or three times during the course of our engagement, which was frustrating in regards to communication and led to a few pretty significant errors in our first menu proposal. This problem was quickly cleared up when head caterer Kory stepped onto the scene. Kory saved the day -- listening attentively to our concerns and making great recommendations. Soon our menu was fixed and we felt much more comfortable. One thing that's great about Lancer is that they strive to be ecologically friendly -- sustainable seafood and ethically raised beef/etc. They also have a ton of options. The entree options didn't catch our fancy, but there were dozens of delicious appetizer options, so we excitedly decided to serve a variety of tray passed appetizers at our wedding. YUM. Lancer also set up a s'mores bar, which was a huge hit with our guests. Also as a side note, their bartenders make excellent drinks! If you have your wedding at the zoo, you're in good hands with Kory and the Lancer team.

User1680553 Sent on 06/26/2014

3.8 out of 5 rating

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

The food was very good and we received many compliments regarding this. Everything went smoothly and the event coordinators we worked with, prior to the wedding and during the reception, provided excellent service.

User866491 Sent on 07/16/2012

3.5 out of 5 rating

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

We had our wedding at Greenhaven Golf course. Lancer was our only option. Things looked good at first, but 3 weeks after signing our contract our planner quit. They had a lady who suppseling worked for the company for many years, but obviously has not dealt with customer service part of it for quite a few. Many details of our contract were not highlighted or even disucsed with us. Until 1 week before our wedding we didnt even have a copy of the contract. They were all about the money and trying to get us to "ok" even more items- appetizers, many kegs, lots of decorations... etc, but it all cost money and we had a budget....
Anyway the wedding day came and the ceremony was flawless, and the reception was great until the last 45 minutes.
Wait i take that back, they were supposed to serve the family tables first, but this was not the case. Actually one of our family tables was served LAST... seriously who does this. They had mix up of the meals. Food was Amazing and got lots of compliments on it, but the staff was very unprofessional.
The bartender got into an arguement with me.. The BRIDE.. about why he was cutting people off, and in my opinion there was not one person who should have been cut off. Their reasoning was becasue they were loud. Well from our families we have loud people and they dont even have to drink to be this way.
The next morning when this was brought to the attention of the lady who was helping us from day 21 she informed me "I have never seen more butts and boobs in my life" First of all, I have since talked to many wedding guests and this was never seen, and second of all why was this not brought to my attention that night...?
she also informed me "I have never seen such a disrespectful and inapproperiate wedding group before in my life" WHO SAYS THIS??? I just paid you an incrediable amount of money to have my wedding at this facility and you are trash talking my family???

I will never use Lancer catering again in my life.

Kade Sent on 08/17/2022

3.4 out of 5 rating

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

Good quality, some issues

The reception space was gorgeous, the food was absolutely delicious, the banquet staff were amazing and super helpful and friendly. It’s a bit on the pricier side and sometimes there was a lack of communication between departments and with us.

Kelly Sent on 09/22/2014

3.3 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
3 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
3.5 out of 5 rating

Overall I'm disappointed with our decision to use Lancer. From the beginning to the end, there were many bumps along the way and they really were the most stressful part of the wedding planning process. Their Corporate Director is responsive and straightforward which I really did appreciate, but the representative we had to work with (after the first one decided to not return following maternity leave) was inexperienced and not detail-oriented. I felt I had to constantly micro-manage the entire process. We were switched to another representative a few weeks before the wedding after I complained, and it would have been nice to have worked with her the whole time as I feel like our experience would have been improved.

During the actual wedding, the on-site manager broke one of our wine bottle decorations (for which we never received an apology). I also felt she did not effectively manage the events of the day either as there were definitely many things that could have been improved during the wedding itself. I felt like my husband and I were constantly pulled away from enjoying our wedding to correct mistakes (like them not providing 2 bartenders when we had 2 in our contract) which led to me becoming upset and losing my cool several times, which is not how a bride wants to feel on her wedding day!

The one positive is that the food did turn out way better than I expected and everyone commented that the brisket in particular was excellent. We had to go through two rounds of tastings to get to that point, but the food did exceed expectations.

Colleen Sent on 11/02/2009

3.2 out of 5 rating

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

The food was great! Wonderful serving staff, they made my husbands grandpa a special salad because of allergies. The rep that we went through was completely unprofessional, rude and not really willing to give very good customer service. Very disappointing when you are planning your big day but the actual serving staff was very polite and nice. They were also very very expensive but the food was great!

Sarah Sent on 08/08/2019

2.8 out of 5 rating

Quality of service
4 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
3 out of 5 rating

Wrong food served

Dealing with lancer at first we thought it would go much smoother than originally planned with mintahoe. Cheron bent over backwards to help us and kept in contact for the most part, quickly and seamlessly. She got us in on a tasting right away to try food (that was amazing!), And for the most part, straight forward billing and quotes. As we inched closer to our wedding day, though the little details started to drive me batty. A cupcake table became a frustrating focus for a week..which I honestly didn't give two flying @#$#s about and we kept being told "it's our day" but felt like we were always being pushed in a direction that would be more convenient for the company. Quickly our wedding day came, we set up most our linens the morning of, and went about our day. When it came time to sit down to eat, our whole head table were missing water...silverware...we had steak medallions and Tuscan (sun dried tomato sauce) chicken with these carrots we could have sworn were sweet potatoes. Steaks were great, the chicken, though dry, however, was wrong. It was a butter herb style sauce and just chopped up carrots that looked like they were frozen out of a bag, nothing like the long carrots we tried at our tasting. (This wasn't brought to my attention until after our wedding, or it would've definitely been brought up to the catering manager) When brought up to our coordinator we were told, nope it was right, must not have out enough sun-dried tomatoes in the sauce (there were NONE and the sauce was clearly a butter herb sauce, as it was slightly yellow with green chunks of whatever) and we needed pictures for proof. Our photographer didn't have photos, none of my guests felt the need to take photos of the food (most of them were so hungry they barely took a breath while eating)...so it was our word against theirs. We went back and forth for well over a week...and were left hanging. For the amount of money we spent, we were quite pissed at the response we received. We are honest people and wouldn't cheat a company, but when clearly, something wasn't right, we will call you out on it. Long story longer..I'd avoid using the company (and for that matter places that require you to use a inclusive list...it leads to carelessness, because they know they will get paid either way and know they will continue to receive business and kickbacks.. (Mintahoe is the worst for that btw!! Avoid them like the plague!!). We were stuck with a few inclusive companies to choose from and none of them were really standing out to us. If you have the choice, don't!

Michon Sent on 01/15/2008

2.8 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
2 out of 5 rating
Flexibility
2 out of 5 rating

Their service was adequate, however, it is very expensive for the quality of food you receive. Not a bad pick and it was the only choice we had through our reception vendor.

Jessica Sent on 08/21/2013

2.5 out of 5 rating

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

We had a lot of issues with Lancer catering. They charge us the wrong amount so we had to make sure they charge us correctly in everything we did. Even thought we had a few issues we where able to resolve everything quickly and most people liked the food. All in all we had a beautiful wedding.

User1045393 Sent on 01/21/2013

2.5 out of 5 rating

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

The actual reception went pretty good, but trying to get responses to questions and things correct prior to it was probably the most frustrating part of the planning process. If I hadn't been in love with the venue (Como Park Zoo & Conservatory), I wouldn't have dealt with it. After all the stress, most things did fall into place on the actual day, which was a relief. The food and beverages were good, and everything was set up nicely. I didn't realize it at first though that our food was all set out at the cocktail hour, rather than staggered (some during the cocktail hour, then the rest when we arrived). Because of that, people were already done eating when we arrived and were getting antsy while we ate and mingled. And it is unfortunate though that you spend all that money and although the food isn't gone (appetizers set up buffet style), they take it all away once the cake is cut. So you're unable to take anything home that's been served, which I understand is a food safety issue, but just seems so wasteful.

Sophia Sent on 01/05/2009

2.2 out of 5 rating

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

We would not have used this vendor if we didn't have to. We chose to use the Marjorie McNeely conservatory for both the ceremony and the reception. It was more convenient because we had so many out of town guests. Unfortunately we had to use Lancer Catering and we were very disappointed with the meal. We had a plate of rancid hors d'oeurves being served and the staff pulled the food while people were still eating. The staff cut into our top tier and the food was super expensive. $25 for a bottle of sparkling cider you can get for less than $4 at the grocery store.

User1110582 Sent on 03/15/2013

1.8 out of 5 rating

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

The food for our wedding was good, not spectacular, but the most disappointing part of the entire planning process was working with the Lancer representatives. Very rude and made us feel like we had little say in things. It was very much 'there way or the highway'. I've had to work with Lancer in the past for professional event and I guess I should have know better.

Ben Sent on 01/24/2015

1.7 out of 5 rating

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

Overall I wish I had never went through Lancer! it was if we were left to manage the event on our own. Management didn't know simple answers... Couldn't provide simple requests and seemed overall clueless about their own facility and the contents of our contract. The low point was when our food came out and looked nothing like what was shown to us. My advice would be: never go through Lancer at Como! Poor poor poor quality, service and overall experience!

User5773525 Sent on 09/03/2015

1.6 out of 5 rating

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

Lancer Catering was the only company we could use to cater our event at our chosen wedding venue, as they had a contract with our venue. Unfortunately, while the food was good. Our service from the company left little to be desired, especially at the higher rate they charge I would expect a little bit higher standard of service. About 4 weeks after our wedding, we are still waiting for the company directors to investigate all the issues we had at our wedding reception after only receiving very poor and inadequate answers from our sales banquet manager. We had 3 sales banquet managers over the course of 10 months which I found to be ridiculous because I was constantly repeating and going over everything after going through the answers with the prior managers and being given different answers on different items addressed.

Lyle Sent on 03/22/2024

1 out of 5 rating

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

Not Reliable or Responsive

We sought the services of Lancer, given they were the exclusive catering option for the Como Conservatory, a venue we had chosen for our wedding ceremony. Despite numerous attempts to engage with them over the phone or through email regarding contract concerns, our efforts were met with silence. After Informing them of our intentions, we began to search for alternative reception arrangements.

In the ensuing months, we received nearly weekly emails from them, pressing us to sign the contract. We consistently replied, expressing our disinterest, yet our requests for cessation have been continually ignored.

In short, I would not trust them to make sure the fries were in the bag at McDonald's let alone trust them to cater an event.

User1335852 Sent on 09/18/2013

1 out of 5 rating

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

I would never work with this caterer ever again. We had our reception at the Science Museum. I love the Science Museum, but am greatly disappointed with their choice of caterer. The food was ok - not the quality I would expect for the prices - but getting the food to be what we wanted was a complete nightmare. Kim, the lead woman we worked with was not knowledgable about food, nor creative about setting things up differently. Everything was her way or the highway. Example, I wanted (and got thanks to my wedding planner) stations, Kim wanted me to have a buffet, we should not have to convince the caterer of what I want when I'm paying for it. Luckily we had a great wedding planner who worked a lot on trying to get the caterer to understand what I wanted. Kim would lose our emails, including the one with my credit card number attached in a spreadsheet. When I forwarded her my email I had sent months ago, she replied that she couldn't figure out how to open her own spreadsheet. She was late on everything (like the menu), later than what was stated on the contract and usually got me things on the day that my payment was due, then acted like it was an emergency for me to turn around and pay her even though she was late, which I pointed out to her I did not appreciate having no time to look over my own menu. She did not understand what a wedding planner was and asked me on several occasions what a wedding planner is, to me that is a sign that you don't know your business. She emailed me all the time when I constantly told her to email my wedding planner instead. I would have gladly paid for more things, but Kim was such a problem to work with, I struck things off my list because she was such a hassle to work with. Lancer also wants all your vendors (linens, flowers, photobooth, etc) to go through them, which I find very bizarre. I discovered Lancer wants to tack on an additional fee for your vendors - not an acceptable business practice.

Leah Sent on 09/13/2013

0.2 out of 5 rating

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

I used Lancer for my wedding at the Woodland Park Zoo because I had to use them. Everything was absolutely terrible and I strongly urge you to consider another venue for your wedding or important event, because they will ruin it. I will happily provide more detail if you contact me, but have limited space in this review.

Pre-wedding- the Lancer rep I worked with, Erica, was very nice but incompetent. I found Lancer to be extremely disorganized, untimely and not sufficiently responsive. It was also hard to get a straight answer from them about anything. Most of the food we had at the tasting event was inedible. After another tasting, I luckily found some mediocre things to serve our guests.

Wedding day- everything Lancer handled was a disaster. They set up only one bar for 225 guests, even though we had agreed in advance to multiple bars. They were also supposed to tray-pass wine and refill wine glasses but did not. Place settings were missing. Dinner was 45 minutes late being served. The service staff was inexperienced, overworked, unhelpful, unprofessional and unfriendly. The bartender was nasty and aggressive, arguing with guests and tried to close the bar early. My coordinator also informed me that the kitchen was "filthy", "with piles of zoo food next to trash and catering supplies" and described the kitchen as "total chaos".

Post-wedding- I was charged an extra $1100 in corkage fees, which I would not have known what for had I not requested a final invoice. We had agreed to a maximum of $500. Luckily, Lancer refunded the $1100 (one of the few things they did right). I was also accused by Erica's supervisor of "lying" and "providing false information" that I was going to be charged for the florist's missing vases, which were rentals, which was obviously extremely inappropriate and unprofessional (I sent her an email from the florist which stated exactly what I said).

In sum, DO NOT use Lancer! They are totally unprofessional and inept.

Andrew Sent on 09/13/2013

0.2 out of 5 rating

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

This review covers an 8/24/13 event that Lancer did it's best to ruin.

DO NOT USE LANCER!!! I would not recommend them if they were simply unprofessional. But basic incompetence would be a huge step up for them. They are actively bad, and their presence at your event will make it much, much worse. The first rule of catering should be like the oath doctors take: "Do No Harm." But Lancer will cause you more problems than they help, and ruin your event so completely that you will wonder what you did to them to make them angry. You'd do better to have everyone cook and serve their own food.

Again, incompetence can be dealt with. And so can bad attitudes. But not together. Here's the executive summary of what they did at our 8/24/13 wedding: the food was cold and awful (expected due to the tasting event, but I was actually surprised that the veggie dish wasn't TOO bad), they didn't serve the food on time, the servers were all new to the job and angry for having been there for 12 hours, the bars shut down early (after opening late), and there was a question about where the extra wine went.

That isn't an exhaustive list, and left out the pain in the ass that they were to plan, and then in returning improperly-billed money.

If you want more info, I am happy to provide more info. Lancer should never be trusted with anyone else's business and you'd be foolish to go with them. We should have trusted our guy, and sacrificed the Zoo wedding just to stay away from these people.

Lancer Catering Reviews

Reviews

Lancer Catering