Maria Sent on 05/29/2023

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Made our wedding amazing :)

Andrea and the staff at Blackstrap were phenomenal! Andrea coordinated with me throughout the planning process to make sure the catering and setup was everything we wanted (and nothing we didn’t)! She kept the event moving seamlessly and made us and our wedding guests feel cared for. Andrea went above and beyond, helping us iron out day-of kinks and keeping our guests happy and in the moment. They even had a plan to make sure we got food and had time to eat amongst the festivities, which we really appreciated.
Many guests mentioned how much they enjoyed the food, and the bar tenders executed our cocktail selection perfectly. No notes!

Paige Sent on 12/04/2021

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Fantastic experience!

You cannot go wrong by hiring Blackstrap BBQ! From the moment we had our tasting we knew we had made the correct decision, the combinations of what they used in each dish were delightful. When we had to postpone a year due to COVID they were totally understanding and made it so easy for us. Kate was with me every step of the way, answering all of my questions not only about catering but other aspects of our big day, and even helped us with our florals! When we met with Andrea for a pre-wedding walkthrough she helped us to design how the reception would look and explained everything to help us have the perfect event! The reception was perfect--food was delicious and the service impeccable. They were outstanding to work with and your food will be outrageously delicious.

Beth Sent on 11/30/2021

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Professional Team & Delicious Food

Blackstrap BBQ provided delicious food for our August wedding. It was a total hit with our guests. Their staff is super professional, and the catering manager knew the venue inside and out, helped us create the schedule, kept things on track, and worked with a friend who was the announcer for the wedding. All the staff were masked, which meant a lot for COVID safety.

Ayse Sent on 11/16/2019

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Excellent Caterer

So glad we picked Tasty Plates for our wedding! Kate was always very responsive in the planning stage. And she was almost like a wedding planner (than solely a catering company). Andrea was our day-of manager and she made sure everything went smoothly. Food was great; we had some doubts initially about whether to have bbq at our wedding (as it's not typical wedding food) but it worked out so well. Everyone liked the food and there were plenty of options. I would highly recommend Kate, Andrea, and the entire Tasty Plates team. Thank you all so much! We had the loveliest day at our wedding:)

Sara Sent on 11/14/2019

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Flawless! Great food, vibes and worth the price without being too expensive.

Do not hesitate to book Tasty Plates. Very professional and on top of everything without adding stress to your planning. Kate was great at organizing the menu, and Andrea made sure everything was perfect on our big day. They are all really cool while being the right brand of type A. Highly recommend!!!!

Patrick Sent on 09/09/2018

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Kate, Andrea and the entire staff were nothing short of amazing throughout the whole process. They made our wedding run seamlessly and were so patient with all our questions and concerns leading up. We looked at a number of caterers prior to making a decision and so happy we went with them. Obviously the most important part is the food, and our guests are literally still talking about it 2 weeks later, some of the best, most creative BBQ we've ever had and we're definitely picky about which restaurants we go to. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to my friends and family, highly suggest you give them a try.

Amanda Sent on 06/10/2018

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Kate, Chris, and their team were an A+ wedding caterer. They were on our venue's select caterer list and took care of all the rentals and beverages, as well as food. Kate was organized, upbeat, and helpful throughout the entire process, especially on the day of. Chris' food was amazing, and they're very willing to cater to your needs - we loved one of the hors d'oeuvres so much at the tasting that they were willing to adapt it to an entree for the wedding. We received many compliments on the food, and the whole day ran smoothly thanks to Kate's organization and direction. We loved working with Tastyplates and would absolutely recommend them to anyone searching for a stellar caterer.

Laura Sent on 05/13/2018

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What a great group of people operating Blackstrap!
To say they were flexible and professional is an understatement. When a family emergency took us out of the country over our deposit due date, Kate and team completely understood and held our date with no issues. When our venue changed from a local backyard to an estate house with no kitchen, the Blackstrap Team responded immediately with a smile, a walkthrough, and flexibility in accommodating the changes. I don't think I sent an email without a response back within 5 hours! We loved Blackstrap as locals and made the choice to go with them early on, and the quality and flavor of the catering was as good (if not better) than the restaurant. Our guests raved about the flavors, the staff, and the overall meal. Again, when I had a guest develop dietary issues with a week until the wedding, Kate and her team responded to accommodate without so much as a hiccup!

What an incredible group, I will highly recommend them to anyone who asks, you can not do better than Blackstrap/Tastyplates!

Joshua Sent on 11/05/2017

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TastyPlates was the best caterer we could have hoped for! They were always patient and so friendly, and the food was incredible! Our families are from the South and Southwest, so they know barbecue, and they were all impressed. It was the exact blend of comforting and upscale that we wanted. On the wedding day, Andrea kept things organized so we could fully enjoy the day (and the food!).

Mandala Sent on 10/30/2017

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I'm so glad we chose Tastyplates/Blackstrap, because the reviews here are spot on - I really don't think my husband and I would've been able to plan/execute our wedding without Kate and Andrea and Co. They were WAY more organized than us (thank god) and gently guided us when we seemed lost about what to order, how much to order, who to contact, etc. It honestly felt like having a wedding planner. They (and all of their staff) were incredibly warm, down to earth, and communicative. They checked in frequently and were never difficult to get ahold of. They also did a fantastic job coordinating with our other vendors - for example, when we eventually called the liquor vendor (a bit later than we should've), they said Kate had already reached out to them to let them know we'd be in contact with them soon! The day of the wedding, Andrea was such a positive and calming presence and made sure events went smoothly. And the food!! Everything was delicious, and even our family (who all come from the Southwest and KNOW barbecue) pointed out how good the barbecue was. Every table had empty plates, and the brisket was even better than I remembered from our initial tasting. If we had to choose all over again, we wouldn't have changed a thing. We're looking forward to giving Blackstrap another visit as husband and wife. :)

Beth Sent on 10/30/2017

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Kate and her team were amazing. From the early days, helping us settle on a menu (it took us forever) and answering a thousand questions, Kate was patient, responsive, and a real partner in the effort. The food was delicious, the service warm and impeccable, and things went exactly as planned. We can't recommend tastyplates/Black Strap highly enough.

Cassie Sent on 09/21/2017

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Best decision we made while planning our wedding! Kate was amazing to work with and helped us coordinate our rentals as well as curate an awesome menu, complete with delicious signature cocktails! The food is seriously amazing and several people told us it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding (and otherwise!). We had passed appetizers, a farmers bar and a family style seated BBQ meal- all of it was AMAZING! Can't say enough good things- you will not regret working with them!!

Beth Sent on 08/09/2017

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In a word - amazing! From their service, to their amazing food, to their coordination of things on the wedding day - it was all incredible. I can't even count the number of guests that not only commented on how great the food was, but demanded to know where they could find this food for themselves. Book them, you won't regret it!

Elise Sent on 07/12/2017

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Hiring Kate and TastyPlates catering was one of the best wedding decisions we made, period. From the get-go, we knew good food was one of our top priorities. We wanted our guests to walk out feeling like they got one of the best meals ever. We saw TastyPlates’s sample menus and we loved that they had a good mix of comfort food and upscale offerings.

The initial consult/tasting was a breeze - we went to Blackstrap BBQ in Winthrop, talked things over with Kate, and tried small plates of their catering offerings until we were stuffed. They were so good, once we tried them, we knew we didn’t need to try any others.

Throughout the process, Kate was super responsive and helped us with every detail we needed. She was positive, upbeat, and so easy to talk to.

On the day-of, her staff pulled everything together beautifully. Every single staff member we interacted with was SO NICE and incredibly helpful.

How can I even begin to describe the food?? Both of our extended families are from the South, so we grew up eating BBQ and we knew our guests would have high standards. They exceeded our expectations. My aunt, who has lived in Mississippi all her life, stopped by our table and said (direct quote): "I can't believe y'all have better barbecue up here than we do!"

A different aunt who is a vegetarian told us that she did not feel left out at all, even though the meal was heavy on the meats. The sides were incredible and the grilled Portobello mushrooms vegetarian option was a huge hit with everybody.

I cannot recommend Kate/TastyPlates enough and will sing their praises to anyone who will listen. We are still getting compliments on the food a month later. They were the absolute perfect choice and one of the best parts of our wedding!!

George Sent on 07/06/2017

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Consistently went above and beyond to make sure our event was perfect.

Melissa Sent on 07/05/2017

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We used Tastyplates/Blackstrap BBQ for our May 2017 wedding and couldn't have been happier. The food got rave reviews, especially the absolutely beautiful and delicious Farmer's Bar. (Guests raved about it so much my biggest wedding regret might be that I was too busy taking pictures to really enjoy it.) The meats and sides were great, and we (and guests) loved that they grilled it right on site. They also helped with some wedding planning/coordination and provided bar services and a day of coordinator. Good communication throughout, and Kate was very helpful in helping us keep costs down (never a hint of snobbiness about our budget as you can get with other vendors!) while also guiding us toward sane choices that would keep our stress level down in advance and day of. The day of coordinator, Andrea, was absolutely perfect. She went above and beyond to make sure every decorative detail was perfect and that the event flowed perfectly. Staff were all great too, including great bar service (no lines!) If you want to have great food while minimizing your wedding planning stress, I can't recommend Tastyplates highly enough!

Carlin Sent on 05/29/2017

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Would definitely recommend Tasty Plates to everyone. Kate was amazing throughout the whole process. She was always accessible, friendly, and professional. She worked with us to personalize our event and gave great advice for everything we needed to plan for our big day. Of note, we had countless guests come up to us during and after our wedding to tell us how delicious the food was! Working with Tasty Plates was seamless and we were so grateful we chose this vendor.

Lindsay Sent on 12/14/2016

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Kate and her team were great to work with and did a spectacular job. Our original caterer fell through and we were so lucky to get referred to tastyplates. Kate took amazing care of us--as soon as we booked with them she took the reigns to get in touch with all our vendors and they basically replicated our original menu but made some great changes we were really pleased with. She seemed genuinely invested in our wedding and making it a great day, and excited about how all our plans would turn out for the reception. She was an excellent day of coordinator and easy to communicate with, particularly in the weeks before the wedding. The buffet spread at the wedding was beautiful, I loved that it wasn't full of chafing dishes, rather all the food was hot and on attractive platters--they thoughtfully put together the aesthetics in presenting the food. Also, they were very flexible and really went above and beyond making a separate appetizer and dinner plate for my friend with an allergy. Probably most important besides the service, the food was A-MAZ-ING. Our guests kind of freaked out when they saw we had bbq and people devoured the food. A+ service and food.

Leyla Sent on 10/14/2016

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Having Kate and the Blackstrap BBQ team cater our wedding was one of the best decisions we made in our wedding planning! From the beginning Kate was so fantastic to work with. She helped us pick the perfect menu, decor and made all the logistics a breeze. Any time we had a question or concern (be it about food, our venue, drinks, floor plan, you name it) Kate was so fast to respond and put us at ease. Kate's planning and day of coordinating services really went above and beyond! On the day of she made sure everything ran so smoothly that my husband, our family and I didn't have to worry about a thing! Also, the food was delicious (we got so many compliments from our guests about the amazing BBQ!)

We would 100% recommend Blackstrap BBQ to anyone looking for an event caterer! Thank you Kate!

Amber Sent on 10/04/2016

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Kate and her team were absolutely amazing. She was a dream to work with coordinating all of the details for our day, and we had so much fun too! She was super helpful and knowledgable and assisted us with coordinating with our venue and rental company as well. Her staff was delightful, the food was insanely good, and she was just the best to work with. We only wish we had more leftovers! I would recommend Kate and Tastyplates to all of my friends and family getting married in the area and could not have asked for anything better!

Ryan Sent on 09/09/2016

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Our experience with Kate & Andrea was no less than perfect! Kate was incredibly responsive and insightful throughout the planning and her personality is so warm and welcoming. Mid-way through Andrea joined our team and we hit it off immediately, Andrea was fabulous on the big day with organization and ensuring the day moved smoothly. Chris and his staff created an incredible selection of appetizers and the main courses had everyone excited to learn that they could go visit Blackstrap BBQ for more! Overall they helped to make our wedding day everything we could have ever dreamed!

Diane Sent on 09/05/2016

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Tastyplates Catering is fantastic to work with. We used them for our daughters' Bat Mitzvah party and working with them, start to finish, was a pleasure. Kate was responsive and flexible when it came to tweaking the menu and rentals. She had a great sense of humor and was fun to communicate with. Andrea, who was on site for the party, scheduled the walk through a few weeks ahead of time, and was very helpful thinking through the way we'd organize the space and timing, and calmed my nerves about fitting everyone in the room. During the party, she seemed to be everywhere (also out of the way): when my daughter asked that the desserts not be put out too early, Andrea was on it. When my niece was looking for a place for her baby to sleep, Andrea appeared with a cloth for him to lay on. The staff was professional and the food was great. And they cleaned everything up so that, by the time we left at the end, the venue was spotless. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Benjamin Sent on 08/29/2016

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I recommend Kate and Tastyplates without reservation to anyone planning an event of any size. They catered my wedding and everything was exactly how it was supposed to be. Guests raved about the quality of the food, from the passed hors d'oeuvres to the entrees. I have not had better BBQ in the northeast. The thing that stood out the most was how attentive and on top of everything Kate was during the event itself - Not only will she act as caterer, but she will act as overall organizer and planner for your event. Reach out to TastyPlates/Blackstrap today if you are looking to plan an event!

Jessica Sent on 08/24/2016

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We chose Blackstrap BBQ to cater our May Wedding and we could not have been happier with our decision. We had the farmer's bar for the Cocktail hour and a BBQ buffet at the reception and the food was so delicious! We got so many compliments and Blackstrap even packed up the leftovers for us so we could enjoy eating them for the next couple of days. We worked with Kate and Andrea to plan and Andrea was our event manager. Both women were a dream to work with. They were so laid back while also keeping me and my husband on track, we wouldn't have been able to pull off our wedding without them!

Sarah Sent on 08/24/2016

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I would trust Kate from Tasty Plates with my life! Ok, but really, she was absolutely amazing to work with -- sometimes I think she was as excited about my wedding as I was! She was the first vendor we booked, and she helped us figure out all the remaining details, which was great because we weren't totally sure what we were doing. Kate was phenomenal (and phenomenally patient) when it came to me changing the menu (like 3 times) and the tablescapes -- flatware, china, etc (like 100 times). She got my vision, and she was an awesome person to bounce ideas off of, and offer amazing solutions. Now, the food: it was SO good! Our guests are still talking about it. Like I said, I changed my mind a ton of times, but since Kate also has a restaurant (Black Strap BBQ), we were able to try everything in advance. The steak was amazing, especially, and everyone said they loved the presentation (think: fancy bbq-inspired, gourmet, garden-fresh, and delicious). She helped me think through our sig cocktails, and even brought mint from her own garden for the mint juleps :) I think what I loved most was that she was so accommodating to our changes, and to our budget -- we were aware of every line item, and she helped us trim when necessary. My friends joke that I was more choosy about my napkins than I was about my husband (lol!) but at the end of the day, Kate made sure I had the perfect mint green napkins that matched the venue (the CMAC -- honestly, get the napkins from Peterson's they match *exactly*), my bridesmaid dresses, and all that. If you're even considering Kate and Tasty Plates, I really urge you to pick her -- you won't regret it!

User2731690 Sent on 08/17/2016

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We got married at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center. Kate, Andrea, and the team did a perfect job. It was such a wonderful day. Would definitely recommend.

Sara Sent on 08/15/2016

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We had Kate and blackstrap bbq catering for our wedding at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center. This ended up being such a good decision! Kate is incredible and acted basically like a wedding planner for us. There are so many things that I'm sure would have gone wrong if she wasn't thinking about all the details. She helped us through every step of the process and made sure everything was going well. This is even before getting to the food, which was outstanding! So many compliments from our guests, many saying it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. I loved having bbq, I was not going to miss eating at my wedding! Kate and her team are the best - could not recommend them more highly.

User2121739 Sent on 05/06/2015

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We chose Blackstrap BBQ for our wedding at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA, and we could not have picked a better caterer. The planning process for this wedding was something I was dreading, and Kate really made it such an easier, better experience. Kate is just the best, so flexible and easy-going, she listened to everything we wanted and made everything so smooth. It was within our budget, as well, which ended up being a major plus!!

The food was DELICIOUS. We had it served buffet style and it was the best choice we made throughout the whole process. While our wedding venue was ornate, having this BBQ made the wedding seem so much more intimate and fun. We've gone to her restaurant multiple times outside of just talking about catering. It is REAL good. Even my family from TN, VA, and SC can vouch for its authenticity and deliciousness.

I would highly recommend this caterer to anyone I know getting married. SO GOOD!!

Mandy Sent on 12/08/2014

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I highly recommend their catering, our food was delicious. It was upscale BBQ and everyone loved it. Kate was instrumental in much of the planning, coordinating rentals, decorations, etc. and her team put everything together beautifully and worked hard throughout the event. We really had a perfect wedding -- everything came together and much of the credit goes to Tastyplates/Blackstrap. My only complaint is that people liked the food too much. I fantasized about eating take-out boxes full of leftover brisket but everyone ate it.

User1956914 Sent on 12/08/2014

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We couldn't have picked a better caterer/person to be with us on our wedding day. Blackstrap was laid back but completely organized and professional at the same time and was a great addition to our wedding day. Everyone raved about the food, service, and the "not stressed" atmosphere of the event. Thanks so much!

Nora Sent on 06/04/2014

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We were looking for a caterer for our outdoors spring wedding at the Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain and found Tastyplates. Kate is amazing! The barbecue from her restaurant Blackstrap BBQ in Winthrop, is among the best I've ever had. Everything we tried when we went for the tasting was excellent! On top of that, Kate is a delight to work with. She is very friendly and responsive, but also incredibly professional. She helped us find our tent vendor and alcohol supplier as well and made sure everything got set up seamlessly. Our guests loved the food, and the presentation was beautiful. There were plenty of options for vegetarians, too -- like the macaroni and cheese and the mashed sweet potatoes -- and Kate's wonderful staff explained what options were okay for our of our guests who couldn't eat gluten. We were really happy we went with Tastyplates for our wedding!

Elizabeth Sent on 11/30/2013

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Working with Kate and tastyplates was one of the best decisions we made throughout the wedding planning process! We initially contacted tastyplates because the price was right for our budget, but it ended up being the right choice for us for so many other reasons. Kate herself is incredibly nice and well-organized. She responded to every email and phone call quickly. I did not hire a wedding planner, and Kate was very generous to responding to the inevitable "How do I....." and "What do you think...." questions that popped up along the way. The day of the ceremony and throughout the reception, Kate kept everyone on track and on time, without being intrusive or bossy. She kept an eye on some of my potentially difficult relatives. The guests all behaved, but if they hadn't I have no doubt that Kate would have managed them quickly and quietly and politely, like happy wedding ninja....
Most importantly, the food was really delicious. While visiting with people at their tables during the dinner hour, every plate I saw was completely cleaned. More than one person told us it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding!

Marylynne Sent on 08/21/2013

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Choosing Tastyplates was the best decision we could have made for our July wedding on Martha's Vineyard! We stumbled upon them by accident - I had seen a Boston Globe post about the amazing food at their restaurant, Blackstrap BBQ in Winthrop, and we decided to check it out for dinner one night. We were blown away by how good the food was - as good, or better, as what we've had in the South! And, they had Tastyplates- a catering division. We booked them more than a year in advance.

Working with Kate was a dream - she was very responsive to my emails and phone calls and kept things organized. She also has a great creative side and helped me get ideas for colors, props, and overall style.

Our wedding was on the Vineyard, and the Tastyplates team hadn't done a wedding there before, but Kate was excited to plan it. She helped me get all of the information ready for the ferry, and on the day of the wedding it was smooth sailing!

Our guests could not believe how amazing the food was - we had a buffet set-up with bbq pulled chicken and pork, mac and cheese, pickles, cornbread, fresh in-season vegetable salad, and an assortment of sauces/rubs. For appetizers we had two different pizzas, a delicious smoked halloumi cheese tart, and even an oyster station (huge hit).

The only regret we had at our wedding was having only one plate of food. We both were kicking ourselves later for not going back for seconds! Alas, we were spending time with our guests:-)

Thank you so much to the entire Tastyplates staff, Chris who lead the amazing cooking, and especially to Kate for making our event a suceess!

Sharon Sent on 06/17/2013

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Kate was generous and attentive with the time, knowledge and experience she put towards our event. She took all of the thinking of logistics off of our hands and created a space with the help of her crew, of total ease and awesomeness with great service staff and amazing food.

Rachel Sent on 05/08/2013

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Our guests have been telling us all week that we had the best wedding food. Everything was wonderful and Kate was a huge part of making our wedding exactly what we wanted. Her staff was also amazing! We really could not imagine having anyone else as part of our wedding.

User1091510 Sent on 02/15/2013

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These guys are the best, hands down.

Stacey Sent on 01/29/2013

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Kate and Tastyplates catered our wedding on New Year's Eve. From the moment we started working with Kate, selecting our menu and type of wedding we wanted, she was extremely helpful. My husband and I were shocked at the amount of choices we had for our menu selection. We both knew food was going to be a big part of our evening and we did not want cookie-cutter wedding food. Kate took care of everything we wanted, food, rentals, and connecting us with our liquor vendor. The food was amazing, the reception was phenomenal, and we could not have been happier. All of our guests were impressed with the unique menu and how tasty the food was. The Tastyplates staff did an excellent job throughout the night, even coming up one by one to congratulate us on our special day. Our wedding would not have been nearly as memorable if we had chosen another company!
Brides - Kate is also an amazingly organized person and helped ease the stress of planning the whole event! I definitely got more than just a caterer with her help!
Thanks Kate and Tastyplates for everything, wish there were more than just 5 stars to give!

Lindsay Sent on 09/11/2012

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Kate and everyone at Tastyplates are amazing at what they do. Not a single detail was missed for our wedding. They made me have complete confidence that our day would go perfectly - and it did! I can't thank them enough for all of their incredible work, immediate responsiveness, and best of all, GREAT food. They were incredibly flexible and open to suggestions while creating very realistic expectations. In the end we got exactly what we were promised and more. What takes Tastyplates from great to exceptional is that everyone on their staff was an absolute joy and completely professional. Kate is amazing. I can't say enough good things, Tastyplates rocks.

Anna Sent on 08/26/2012

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I met Kate of Tastyplates Catering when I was working at the Multicultural Arts Center in East Cambridge. Tastyplates was one of our approved vendors for functions that were held at the center. The second my fiance proposed to me I knew two things: 1. I wanted to marry him and 2. Kate needed to be our caterer. I had always enjoyed working with Kate the most of all the catering managers on our approved caterers list. She is easy-going, funny and amazing all around. She made the planning process for our wedding incredibly easy with her knowledge, patience and flexibility. I was a pretty indecisive bride at the beginning and she helped me make the right decisions. She also brought to the table a number of innovative ideas such as setting up yard games at our backyard wedding AND she brought a number of amazing decor pieces that she utilized the day of our wedding. Those small touches made all the difference!

Kate is surrounded by an incredible crew that makes you feel just as comfortable as Kate does. Her crew is hilarious and professional. Did I mention that the food is AMAZING. In the days leading up to the wedding I was looking forward to the meal as much as I was looking forward to marrying my husband! The food was also a huge hit with the guests.

If you want to feel well taken care of, have a good time and feel like you have a true friend on your side- go with tastyplates catering!!

Seriously, I feel like I cannot say enough about Kate and tastyplates!

Lauren Sent on 08/26/2012

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From the start Kate and Chris of Tasty Plates Catering were amazing to work with. I spoke with Kate before I even had a venue nailed down, so we ended up chatting for a while about some options of places she had worked with before.

Next, my husband and I went to Blackstrap BBQ for a tasting and tried some items we were considering for the wedding. Both Kate and Chris were there to talk about options, make suggestions, and help determine which of our dishes could be made vegan for our vegan friends.

Over the next 8 months we stayed in touch with Tasty Plates to keep them informed of any changes made in numbers, requests etc. Every time we'd make an adjustment - Kate would issue a new itemized quote to let us know what our final costs would be. Closer to the date they came out to The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation to do a walk through with us and went over how everything should be set up.

The wedding day came and as I was getting ready at the venue, I couldn't understand how it was all going to come together. Chris and his team showed up and worked wonders. the pile of chairs and tables became a "wedding reception" in no time flat. Before the wedding I sent a list of what should be on each table and they set i up perfectly - they even used some extra candles we had to gussy up the buffet.

My bridesmaids and I were getting ready in the middle of the chaos- but the staff was totally awesome and fun to work with!

So the food - well, two months later I'm still hearing rave reviews about it!! Personally, I've never gone home from a wedding raving about a stuffed chicken breast - choosing bbq for us was almost a no brainer. The mac and cheese was out of this world and I even threw on a bib to eat some ribs. There was no way I was missing out on those, white dress or not. The food was served hot, the buffet was always stocked and there was more than enough to go around.

I give them my highest recommendation!

Sharon Sent on 08/17/2012

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They Rock! Super nice staff, awesome food and amazing event coordinator!

Brittany Sent on 07/21/2012

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Kate immediately put our minds at ease when we began planning our wedding. We never had to worry about a thing. Not to mention she in one of the warmest, coolest people we have ever known. Kate knew exactly what we needed, many times before we even asked for it. The food was amazing as it was the topic of conversation at brunch the next day. It was truly our dream wedding; it was certainly the most beautiful and tasty one we've ever been to! People are still talking about it a week later.

Steven Sent on 06/25/2012

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I cannot recommend Tastyplates more highly.

Kate and her friendly staff catered our wedding this past Saturday. It is now Monday morning, and this review is the first thing that I'm going to do today. I think it's important for anyone planning a wedding, who may be as overwhelmed and anxious as we were when first approaching the massive task of planning a wedding, to know that they will be in such good, capable hands with Tastyplates.

We met Kate at Black Strap Barbeque in Winthrop, MA last fall and tasted the food that would be served at our wedding reception. We decided on the skirt steak, the vegetarian polenta lasagna and their delicious mashed potatoes. Before we left that restaurant we also got to try a lot of extra treats, notably the mac and cheese, which I would also highly recommend. The food was as delicious at the reception as it was that night, all made fresh at the reception venue.

We immediately felt at ease with Kate. It was like meeting a new friend. It was so abundantly clear that she loves what she does. She went above and beyond for us. She made recommendations for other service providers (DJ and bakery for the wedding cake) that turned out to be just right. She went above and beyond for us in the days preceding the wedding, sacrificing her free time, without any additional compensation, to make sure that everything would go smoothly. At the reception, she guided us through the various stages of the evening (the time to sit down for dinner for the toasts, the time to cut the cake). She found us periodically throughout the evening to make sure that we wouldn't have to wait in line for drinks or that we wouldn't miss sitting down for our entree while it was warm). It was like having a wedding planner there with us. The waiting staff was warm and friendly, and even joined us on the dance floor.

Jake Sent on 12/03/2011

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Kate is an outstanding professional that provides excellent service and I would recommend her to anyone. While her work is not cheap, you get what you pay for. Our wedding went off without a hitch. She's very calm, organized, and warm.

Alia Sent on 10/25/2011

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Kate at tastyplates is amazing! I love her, and the food is super yummy. Oh my. I wouldn't have had my wedding any other way. She made us feel comfortable, and we laughed a lot. I especially loved how quick she responded to any questions I had, and the value of the whole shabang was superb.

tastyplates makes me want to have more parties.

Angela Sent on 06/07/2011

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Kate is so great to work with! She is super friendly, calm, and good at her job. The food tastyplates serves is amazing, way better than traditional 'wedding food.' I would recommend this business to anyone in the greater Boston area- they rock!

Melissa Sent on 05/02/2011

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I had a unique wedding, and Kate provided unique services, to say the least. We didn't want a sit down meal or anything else that could be deemed "traditional" - and Kate helped not only with our food choices, but gave advice on decor, furniture selection, etc., AND helped set everything up day of. She was amazing. The quality of the food was fantastic, my guests all raved about it. PICK TASTYPLATES!!!

Zhuhua Sent on 10/14/2010

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The entire crew from Tastyplates was a delight to work with. They were incredibly friendly and accomodating. Everything was planned and organized quickly and without any issues. Everything was wonderful.

Dorsey Sent on 09/24/2010

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We used Tastyplates to cater our rehearsal dinner this summer and they were amazing. Kate was incredibly professional; thought of and took care of every single detail. We felt completely at ease in her hands. Chris is an extremely talented and creative chef. Everything from the cornbread and chorizo stuffed clams, to the grilled shrimp with peach basil relish, to the whole grill smoked chicken with their special bbq sauce was fantastic. Both the execution and presentation was great. The night went perfectly and all of our guests raved about the food. Not only did they do a great job, but they are also really nice people who were very easy to work with during the entire process.

Tori Sent on 03/03/2010

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In 2008, Kate helped my husband and I pull off the near impossible. Despite the recommendations of various wedding magazines and websites, we decided to get married in Cambridge less than a year after our engagement in order to be able to include my brother who was shipping out to Iraq. Kate and her endless list of contacts helped us put together everything from the outdoor seating for the service to the exquisite food in less than 8 months. Fast forward to a year and a half later and we’re still receiving compliments from family and friends for hosting such a great event!

We absolutely could not have done it on our own and I highly doubt anyone else could have done it as well as Kate. Her constant communication and dedication to our vision for the day was more than I had hoped for. I can’t thank her enough for the most perfect day of my life and I whole heartedly recommend her to anyone looking to plan an event to be remembered.

Jamie Sent on 12/05/2009

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Kate is an AMAZING caterer. She is everything that you hope for and never expect to find: she really listens to what you want and does everything she can to make it happen, and she always has fantastic suggestions and ideas but never makes you feel pressured to use them! She makes it seem like anything is possible (and always for a reasonable price), and she is open to everything. Every time anyone in our wedding party talked to her, she made us feel relaxed, calm, and excited about the event. We trusted Kate so much that we left many of the details to her, and I'm glad we did, because she anticipated every desire perfectly and followed through on all ideas flawlessly. She was also so much fun, and made even the most detailed and stressful decisions enjoyable and relaxing. I cannot say enough about how much we loved working with Kate.

Nhi-Ha Sent on 12/04/2009

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Kate Economides provided excellent, personalized service and was a joy to work with--she made wedding planning fun!

Emma Sent on 12/03/2009

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Kate was amazing to work with! She provided great service and valuable guidance throughout the planning process and was willing to do whatever we wanted in order to make our wedding special. Kate was always quick to respond, and never left out a detail - making us feel like we were her important to her. I was also really happy with the great staff that work at our wedding, all were very friendly and did everything they could to make sure our guests had a great day. javascript:submitForm();

Taylor Sent on 12/03/2009

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For our wedding we wanted to have a very hands-off approach during the day. In the months leading up to the wedding Kate was great about helping us make decisions on everything from cake to table cloths, but most importantly she took care of everything during the day without needing to get our input. We let her take control because we trusted that she would make the right choices. If you are the type of couple who want to have a fun and relaxed though professional wedding, Kate is your pick. She eliminated all of the stress that could have arisen for any number of things throughout the day. If you are flexible about the small stuff and want to save yourself the hassle of managing the craziness, you will be in great hands with Kate. She is a veteran with veteran staff, and it shows.

Sarah Sent on 12/03/2009

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Kate's catering and event planning were by far the easiest and best part of my wedding preparations. She made everything simple and fun, took care of all the little details, and the result was amazing. The wedding reception went off without a hitch, and everyone raved about the food and the service. I would trust Kate with any event. She's the best!

Christine Sent on 01/03/2015

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Choosing to have Tastyplates cater our wedding at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center this summer was, without a doubt, the easiest and best decision we made in planning.

Kate was enthusiastic, organized, and full of great ideas. She was easy to communicate with and made sure that we felt comfortable and were clear about every decision we made along the way. For someone who was planning on a budget, I can't express how valuable and reassuring it was to have a completely transparent, easy to understand invoice.

Kate and Chris created a menu that suited our personalities perfectly. I've heard that brides don't usually eat much on their wedding days, but I went back for a second plate. Every bite was delicious. Our guests loved it, too.

The service was great. Kate's kids helped serve the buffet! Our guests were never wanting for food and the bartenders kept them well-lubricated.

Kate went above the call of duty on more than one occasion. It is no joke that she is way more than just a caterer. When we told her we wanted a tower of donuts instead of a wedding cake, she didn't bat an eyelash and somehow assembled an out-of-this-world display. She patiently spent 4+ hours with me on the day before the wedding choosing and arranging ALL of the flowers for our big day. Through the whole process, Kate was a pro at taking my half-formed, scattered ideas about the look and feel of the wedding and turning them into a reception that was the perfectly weird representation of us.

We would choose Tastyplates over and over again.

Jabe Sent on 09/07/2017

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Working with Kate at Tastyplates was a fantastic experience. She was extremely accommodating and very helpful as we developed our menu for the wedding. She also organized all the rentals for us. And the food was excellent-- including the appetizers and the dinner. We heard from multiple people that it was the best wedding food they had ever eaten. It was delicious, and looked gorgeous.
The only thing is that the servers cleared the plates a little early, I guess because we ate all the food. A few people mentioned that they had wanted to go up for more servings of food, but were told there was no more. It's a great sign that people were so in love with the food, but I would have hoped that people could eat their fill.
All in all, we had an excellent experience working with Kate and Tastyplates. This company is highly recommended, especially if you are looking for excellent food, with great attention to detail.

User2348663 Sent on 05/31/2015

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tastyplates catering/ blackstrap bbq serves incredible food! They are great people to work with and super down to earth.

Mandi Sent on 08/23/2013

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I can't say a bad thing about Kate, her staff or the food! In fact, the food stole the show at the wedding, every single guest was raving about dinner (and appetizers)! We didn't have a "typical" wedding so we opted to do some buffet style BBQ from Blackstrap BBQ, and I think it is safe to say that no one left hungry (not even us, Kate was nice enough to pack up a few plates for us since we didn't get much of a chance to eat!) Kate was wonderful to work with, she is extremely professional, easy to get a hold of and patient with a fussy bride who had a billion questions and changed her mind several times on side dishes! Even though Blackstrap BBQ is over an hour away from our house, my husband and I will definitely be making frequent trips there for some amazing cuisine and to say hello to Kate! Big thanks to her and her staff for making our day as seamless and stress-free as possible!

Laura Sent on 12/08/2009

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Kate is a good listener and does a great job getting to know her clients so that she can help them create a menu that suits their tastes, budget and venue. She wowed me with her preparedness and returned my phone calls promptly. While she is a true professional, her enthusiasm was palpable and while we were working together it felt at times as if I was talking with an old friend. She was open to our ideas and when we had questions about food she was willing to let us do a second round of tastings, which was so generous and helpful. She is top notch and on the day of the event she is unflappable, our event ran perfectly even though my husband and I were running about a half hour (which in wedding time is a big deal) behind the schedule that we had laid out prior to the wedding.

Aimee Sent on 12/22/2018

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Good food, excellent service

Great service. Very responsive and helpful, and they helped us design a menu that fit our style and incorporated our favorite foods and some of our interests and personal story. The day of coordination was great--they set everything up and it looked beautiful! Really incredible service--they managed to source the hibiscus rim for our signature cocktail (which they weren't providing) when a guest responsible for it accidentally brought it to the ceremony instead of dropping it at the reception venue! The wedding buffet wasn't quite as consistent quality as our tasting, but the food was still great and everything flowed smoothly. The passed hors d'oeuvres were especially good!

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