MBP Distinctive Catering

eave a lot to be desired. This is not the case with MBP! First off, Mary Beth, the owner, is a wonderful woman and great to work with. She helped me make so many decisions, and offered expert advice. Not just about the catering, but the overall wedding planning as well. Her recommendations were priceless. She also worked with us to create a truly customized menu that met all our needs. We wanted something different, and most importantly, food that our guests would enjoy. From the delicious cocktail hour apps, to the amazing variety in our dinner stations, to the late night snacks instead of cake - MBP helped us create an experience that accommodated our style and event. We received SO MANY compliments on the food! Not one negative remark; people actually enjoyed it and went back for seconds. I personally have never had that experience at a wedding before, and was so glad that we could provide that for our guests. Mary Beth also ensured that my husband and I were waited on and received everything from the menu. My husband is still talking about the food almost 4 weeks later!

our wedding. Our tasting went so smoothly, and the food was absolutely delicious! During the course of wedding planning, the staff member that we were previously working with left the company, and we were placed with a new staff member, Brandy. Brandy was great to work with and made the transition for us seamless. She had all of our information about the wedding from the previous employee, and it was like they didn't skip a beat! The wedding food was absolutely delicious, and we received so many compliments throughout the night! Would recommend this company 1000 times over!

rst thing that happens at your wedding is a few minor snafus regarding catering, then I think you can count yourself very blessed. The short version of the below details is that MBP isn't the best at details or coordination, but does make fine food that your guests will enjoy. PRO: 1. Outstanding tasting session. 2. Food that my family really loved. Hearty and flavorful portions. 3. Took requests from tasting and responded to them fully, i.e. adding more mustard to the honey mustard dressing and switching to a crunchier lettuce. 4. Decent communication skills. Compared to some vendors who did not get back to us in a timely fashion, we could count on MBP to keep in touch, and we really appreciated that. 5. MBP staff was always polite and respectful at all times, and unlike some businesses I talked to maintained a high level of professionalism at all times. CON 1. Despite specifically noting from the start that we would have a gluten and dairy free meal due to dietary restrictions (mine and some of my guests), dairy was added to our mashed potatoes. MBP provided a partial refund for this, but it was very disappointing given the amount of time and energy we put into communicating this from Day 1. 2. Because we were doing a candy buffet with a smaller cake for a cake cutting and because of some other MBP review, MBP was specifically asked not to handle dessert for us. However, MBP was insistent on helping with the cake once on site and since I was in the middle of greeting guests I accepted that MBP could cut the cake for us after the ceremonial cake cutting. Instead, one of MBP's servers took away the cake BEFORE our cake cutting and removed the top tier. Luckily I ran (in my huge dress through a crowd of guests) and semi-rescued the cake before it was butchered, but the icing had already been smudged. There was literally a sign next to the cake about the cake cutting which was also noted in our contract, so this was really inexcusable. Nobody should EVER think it is right to do that even without clear notes and a sign. 3. We communicated to MBP months before the wedding that we would provide table linens and confirmed on the quote what linens would be needed. Then two weeks before the wedding we were informed that MBP also needed linens for their bar and had to rush order for this purpose. When we pointed this out, instead of simply apologizing for not letting us know, we got the shoddy excuse that they just assumed that we would know and take care of this which would have been impossible since we're not mind-readers. 4. MBP agreed to pick up the linens but only picked up the napkins. My bridal party wound up picking up all the table linens together with help from Laurel Hall staff while MBP staff were literally sitting in the other room doing nothing (I saw them myself). Overall, I wasn't impressed with MBP's ability to come through with directions that were clearly discussed previously. If you work with MBP that the majority of the onus will be on you to make sure that your event set up and take down goes smoothly and that what you want is executed properly.

you will not be dissatisfied!

as great. they had mac and cheese bar and mashed potato bar. we did Turkey and beef tenderloin sliders.

or the same menu they had for their wedding for my own and it did not disappoint. We opted for buffet stations with beef tenderloin and carved Turkey Breast. Wow, everything that was offered was amazing. My guests are still commenting on the food. I worked with Anne Perry and she was so helpful. She helped me figure out the best options and helped make it very affordable. Thank you MBP!

was uneaten at the end of the evening. Yet, she was handed two very small chunks of cake. Where did the rest of the cake go? Did the staff eat it? Was it thrown away? Also, the main dish tasted differently than at the tasting. We provided this feedback and have yet to get a response. You get what you pay for with MBP.

ts were blown away! One of our guests, a Chicago fireman, even went home and made some of the dishes for the firehouse! Not only was the food phenomenal, the wait staff was also very attentive. Anne, our coordinator, was so easy to work with. We couldn’t have been any happier with our experience with MBP!

nd really served as a whole event coordinator. She came up with ideas that complemented and completed my vision, answered all my questions, and put special touches on our big day. MBP is a great value compared to other caterers and allowed us to have everything we wanted--passed appetizers, cheese board, seated dinner, open bar, they offer it all! Not to mention the food is extremely tasty!!

was amazing. I didn’t get to eat much, but everyone told me everything including the hors d’oeuvres was delicious.

clean. The only advice I will give is make sure you are explicit and clear about potential allergies, they will absolutely work with you but there are a lot of people involved in making a wedding day run smoothly.

y we went through MBP. We are so glad that we did. Christina is such a huge help - not to mention a total sweetheart - and knows exactly what needs to be done. She was so incredibly knowledgeable and answered all of our questions quickly and completely throughout the process. They also have so many different options to choose from regarding serving styles and food options. Scheduling the tasting was easy and we were so happy we could bring along a guest or two. We ended up bringing the maid of honor with us and we had (probably way too much) fun during the meal. When it came down to making the menu, my husband and I knew we both wanted buffet style and Christina was quick to point out the option she thought might work best for us. Turns out, it was perfect! It was also customizable so that we could pick and choose, add and take off things that we wanted or didn't want. Served hors d'oeuvres included grilled cheese bites w/ tomato bisque shots, cordon bleu bites, and a cheesy sausage tart. For dinner, we ended up with served salad, buffet that included 3 cheese mashed potatoes, garlic green beens, italian chicken, and then a separate build-your-own pasta bar. I didn't have the chance to try the pasta, but it was a lot of fun for the guests and they all said it was delicious. We also added in a late night snack that included a hot chocolate bar and mini milkshakes and french fries. When I initially asked about the milk shakes and fries, they were worried that it wouldn't be able to work. Christina and her crew, thankfully, found a way to do it and they were also a hit with the guests. The bar manager even came up to me and mentioned how personal it was and that he absolutely loved it. After all was said and done, Christina sent me pictures she captured of my dad and I as we prepared to walk down the isle. Our photographer was preparing for everyone to walk, so she went ahead and captured the moment. We are so glad she did that! DEFINITELY try the 3 cheese mashed potatoes and the hot chocolate bar if you can. Everything on the menu was absolutely phenomenal and I honestly would give anything to eat this food again haha. These two items just seem to be the favorite of my guests as I still am getting rave reviews about them.

cess and was always available to answer our questions. The caters also had access to rent the linens for our tables so we didn't have to work with another vendor for these items. They had everything we needed and were great to work with!

ashed potato bar! We've received so many compliments from our guests about the food - I'm sure they were skeptical when we were first describing the menu. They also double checked the table cloths that we ordered in gold because gold looked like mustard. I really appreciated that attention to detail. They were very patient with us as we figured out what the menu/drink package looked like within our budget. We also loved that they recommended Costco sheet cake because it's delicious and no one would see it anyways. Highly recommend!

hat we wanted. They have a wide selection of packages, with several different food items. Christina is one of the main reasons we had such a successful wedding. She is organized, detail-oriented, incredibly responsive, and after listening to exactly what we wanted, executed every single detail perfectly. She was flexible in several ways, including allowing us an additional person at the tasting, and making some tables larger than others to accommodate our requests. Once we told her our preferences, she made other decisions we didn’t want to, and was a behind-the-scenes all-star. A lot of detail went into planning the centerpieces, seating chart, name cards, other décor, etc. and she and her team did an outstanding job making sure those details were exactly how we wanted it. She communicated with the florist, cake baker, wedding coordinator at the venue, and others to ensure each component of the wedding was cohesive. It was very nice to turn over all of our thoughts and ideas, trusting she would just take care of everything we wanted without us having to do a thing.

ere very accommodating. The food tasted just as good as it did during our tasting, and they got new dishes ready to go for me and my husband to take back to our hotel that night. They also stayed and helped my family take everything down that night which was unexpected but great!

service was outstanding. They even helped move and clear things as needed. Would highly recommend!

fordable than the other options. They had a pretty good menu of options, but we decided we wanted to do something totally different, and they put together exactly what we wanted. People who attended are still telling me how great the food was. We changed our mind about a few little things up until the day before and they had no issue with that. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone.

r, we had several serving/staffing issues with the sit down dinner. First of all the room was not set up in time so we got started a little late (possibly not enough staff to facilitate this?). The booster chairs we ordered were not at the tables I had requested and I had to track down the event manager to get that squared away (Frustrating since I had emailed a detailed chart to specify tables) Worst of all, MBP ran out of beef and 17 of our guests did not receive the beef/chicken combo meal we had planned. This was very embarrassing when we found out the Monday after our Saturday reception. Lastly, I had also given explicit directions on how I wanted the multi-flavored cake served....these were not followed as I had requested and guests were told we were out of a certain flavor of cake even though there was plenty left! I know MaryBeth is working to correct the staffing issues that led to our disappointing experience.

I had heard good things and I wasn't disappointed. Our menu consisted of light and heavy hors-d'oeuvres, including a mash-tini bar. Several guests commented on the food. Big Tom's shrimp got raving reviews.

mmented on how we had such a variety of food and there was so much to eat. Everyone said everything tasted really good too and it wasn't the typical blah wedding food.

was delicious, and the service was wonderful!

e would like. The food ended up being excellent and we keep getting phone calls from friends and family still raving about the food. The service staff was top notch all the way. And when the venue suddenly told us that we had to have everything out that night (even though we were orginally told we could get everything the next day), the service staff all pitched in to help!

hirt hanging from the bar area. When I notified them of the problem after the wedding, they were very apologetic and corrected the situation monetarily. They truly were saddened by the mishap. Although we had issues with presentation, we would use them again.

y of the wedding, making sure everything went as planned. A stress of my shoulders for sure! I'm a vegetarian as well as a few of my guests and my husband is probably the pickiest eater ever, because he was a chef, and we were thoroughly impressed! The dessert table was a hit with our guests and all of the staff made our day so special. Thank you for everything!! I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for professional staff and amazing food!

ppy, which really made me feel good!! We absolutely loved the food and I am still (four months later) hearing about the Chicken Piccata and the prime rib!! The wedding party (men) were actually fighting over the caprese salad, it was soooo good!!! The buffet was gorgeous and everything was cooked perfectly!! My wedding was everything that I had ever wished for and MBP catering was a large part of that!! Thank you!!!

tear down the day of the wedding. The entire staff was pleasant and hard working the day of the wedding, ensuring guests were happy. We've gotten more compliments on the food than any other portion of the wedding and we served chicken which is always a gamble. We've all been to meetings, weddings, etc where we were served a piece of dry, rubber chicken. Well not with MBP, the chicken was moist and delicious and we've gotten rave reviews on the entire menu! Thanks for everything, MBP! You truly made it painless!

vendors at our venue.

moved inside due to an unexpected downpour. Everyone moved into the reception hall and the staff was able to continue with the food service. Everyone raved about how great the food was. We did a served salad and then a buffet for about 140 people and it was delicious, hot, and well prepared. The overall cost of food and alcohol (MBP provided an open bar for us) was much more reasonable than any other caterers approved by our venue.

g actually tastes the same on the wedding day! 4. They accommodate to your needs. 5. They really do know best...floor plans, linens, bars, etc 6. Always showed you what you wanted, but always provided the less expensive options Overall, MBP provided great service and gave me confidence my wedding day would go smoothly!

ests who have special dietary needs. The staff was very attentive and polite, and they went out of their way to make us feel special. Thanks so much!