There's three frustrating things about wedding catering: 1) it's crazy expensive 2) flexibility isn't a hallmark of the profession 3) caterers aren't great at thinking creatively to match your event. We were convinced all three things were universal and our 130-ish person October wedding was rapidly heading down the road of expensive, meh food, until we found Cater Phoenix. The experience - and the food - was awesome. Here's why: Cater Phoenix is flexible and understanding. Dennis will stick within your budget (without making you feel bad about it) and design a menu and setup that works. There's no upselling, just honesty - he'll tell you if your idea will break the bank BEOFRE you get too into it. And Dennis is inventive - he'll work with you to develop food you want, even if it's not quite on the menus. Example - we liked the idea and flow of the Mexican menu, but were having Mexican food the night before. So Dennis created a fresh BBQ menu (salmon with pineapple salsa, tequila lime chicken, other crazy good things) to fit perfectly with our relaxed wedding approach. They're thoughtful. Cater Phoenix came up with great ideas before we realized we needed them, like decorations for food tables and super cute signs (see photos). They had a waiter bring us passed apps while we took a few photos during cocktail hour, saved us plates of food during the reception and happily stored and put out the desserts my aunt made for the wedding. All small things, but totally reflective of their approach. Cater Phoenix is responsive. We got married at the height of Arizona wedding season and - just to complicate things - we live in China. With a 14+ hour time difference, quick and easy calls aren't possible but Dennis and Whitney are so responsive on email it made the whole process easy. And their food! Their food is great, and we've had a lot of wedding food (combined, we've been to about 30 weddings, so...we've eaten it all). Our guests were extremely happy and loved it, especially the street corn station. You really won't regret picking Cater Phoenix - it's money well spent. read more

Dennis and Whitney --- I want to thank you for the absolutely flawless brunch service you provided in our home on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016. This was the morning after our son's wedding and the final gathering of friends and family who were returning to their out-of-town homes, so it was important to leave them with a good impression. Cater Phoenix certainly accomplished that. The food, of course, was most important to the attendees, and you did not disappoint. Everyone was raving about how flavorful and fresh every item was and even the young guys (you know - the ones who can eat their own weight without gaining a pound) were completely satisfied. I especially appreciated that I could fully customize the brunch to our particular group, i.e. we opted for more protein-laden foods and fresh fruit without having to add bagels and pastries. Not all caterers are as flexible. The quality of food is surely an important aspect of any meal, but as the hostess, I was also concerned with the service. Here, too, your very competent staff did not disappoint. Their pacing was excellent and intuitive, and they were ready with a new batch of eggs, sausage, or potatoes as soon as the last spoonful was taken from the container. Also, their interaction with our guests was friendly and professional but unobtrusive, and it was obvious they were eager to make sure everyone was gratified. And I loved the positive message boards they set up - perfect for the happy occasion we were celebrating! Even though our brunch was most likely one of your smaller, less lucrative functions, you provided top-notch service from start to finish. I appreciated your quick response to my emails and questions and your endless patience when I changed the menu several times, which required you to re-send an updated contract each time. You were a dream to work with, and should we need catering services in the future, Cater Phoenix will be our choice. Thank you for making this important celebration one we were able to sit back and enjoy with our guests. Cheryl Calvis read more

As good as it gets... Although we could go on forever about all of the amazing qualities of Executive Chef, Dennis Frazier, (seriously), here are a few of the major ones to seal the deal for your next catering event. It all started at our wedding, well at the tasting for our wedding actually. Dennis was referred to us by a good friend to cater our wedding in Cave Creek, AZ this past September. Upon meeting him and talking about the different customized menu options, we could immediately sense his passion and excitement for what he does. That being said, actually tasting his food was a whole other story. We were completely blown away by his skill and creativity but the flavors, THE FLAVORS were amazing. I will admit that I'm among the pickiest of eaters and can't stress how easy it was to work with him. From his preparation, communication, flexibility and creativity all the way to budget planning and staffing, we were covered from A to Z. He had the best serving staff and bartenders to round out his "full package" services. Since our wedding, we have already used Dennis for several client events and referred him to private parties and other events and have heard nothing but rave reviews. We never have to worry again about finding a quality caterer. He brings something new to the table at every event! read more

After reading all of the other reviews, I'm rather at a loss for words. I don't know how I found Chef Dennis, but the Universe must have known what I needed! Chef Dennis and his staff are "out of bounds" amazingly professional, but fun! I booked him to cater a small, intimate dinner at my home to "christen" our dining room table in our recently purchased home. Since my husband and I had never sat down to this table, (ok, he wants to eat in front of the TV) this was a "big deal" for our friends and us! The moment he and his butler and Tom the bartender arrived, I relaxed and just plain enjoyed my own party! They were receptive to any request I made along the way, Mary Beth, the butler, was perceptive and very quietly "there" to tend to everyone's needs. I just cannot say enough!!!!! My guests were gushing about the food, the service, the presentation etc.....it was ALL just beyond perfection. The fact that my kitchen was cleaned, the dishes were washed, etc. allowed me to enjoy my friends well after our lovely dinner and dessert (OMG.....you should have seen it!) were finished. We retired to the back patio for after dinner drinks and cigars, and Tom the tireless bartender kept everyone very happy. I could go on and on. Just can't wait to have another party!!! read more

We are so glad we found Cater Phoenix to cater our son's wedding rehearsal luncheon. We are out of state and had no idea who to contact for our event. We found cater Phoenix through a web search and contacted Dennis via email. On the day of the event, Dennis was right on time, he knew exactly where to set up and even helped my wife prepare a special side dish she was making especially for the event. I received many compliments (most importantly from the brides parents), on how much they enjoyed the luncheon. The food was great! Everything was perfect! From start to finish Cater Phoenix made the whole experience carefree and very enjoyable. My "hats-off" to Dennis and Whitney for a job well done! read more

We used Cater Phoenix for our April wedding and they were amazing. Everyone LOVED the food stations, the food was incredible. And we got to take the leftovers home with us, which was much appreciated for people who stayed for the after party. Not only was the food amazing, Dennis & Whitney were a dream to work with! They went above and beyond. They were so attentive and responsive. I was planning my wedding from Chicago and they let me ship boxes to their kitchen, they set up my dessert table and cut everything for me at no extra charge. They made the day go smoothly which is a huge help on wedding day! Highly, Highly, Highly recommend. read more

We used Cater Phoenix for my son's Bar Mitzvah party and I couldn't ask for a better team. Dennis and his team were hardworking and did everything asked so that mom of the party could enjoy herself! We had a little snafu with venue, but Dennis was able to work quickly to remedy the issues that were beyond our control. We got a ton of unsolicited compliments on the food. I had very little to eat that night but when I reheated our leftovers the day after, the food was delicious. On deck is our daughter's Bat Mitzvah in 3 years! Would love to use them again and would highly recommend to our family and friends. read more

We had Dennis and his staff cater my daughter's wedding, with some 200 guests, in mid March and I will say that from our first meeting to the end of that night, things could not have gone better. My daughter wanted a party atmosphere and not a sit down dinner and I will say Dennis hit it out of the park. From the unique appetizers he created for the cocktail reception to the multiple food bars he created for guests to visit whenever they felt the urge to eat was truly unique. If you need a first class business to cater your event, I will say you better book Cater Phoenix early. They are the real deal. read more

I have catered my company parties for the last 7 years. I hired Cater Phoenix for the first time and I can assure you they will be the only company I use for all of my special occasions. The food and chefs are one of a kind. They truly have a creative eye for creating a happy palate at a very affordable cost. Not to mention the sue chefs were so professional and had the perfect personalities to make our staff's gathering a more enjoyable experience. They made me look good in front of my staff and their families with zero effort on my part. I look forward to my next catered party with Cater Phoenix. read more

Cater Phoenix recently catered our wedding of 75 and it was absolutely perfect! From the first day I called to inquire, I was impressed with their professionalism, timeliness, and their ability to custom make our perfect menu within our budget. They were extremely easy and fun to work with. The food was amazing and so different than your traditional wedding food, which is exactly what we were looking for. Our guests raved about the Wok Station and we received so many compliments on not only the food, but the display and experience. It truly was perfect for us and I would recommend them to anyone! read more

In a one word......WOW!!!!!!! That being said, I have to say more! My husband and I had our daughter's engagement party at our house and Whitney and her team (Allen and Andrew) were absolutely amazing!! They took charge, made me at ease and on top of all that the food was DELICIOUS!! Allen and Andrew were so professional, friendly and went above and beyond for our party. We are so happy to have found such a gem biz to help with our future parties!!! I highly recommend and can I please have the recipe to the mini ahi tuna tostadas....they are to die for!!! read more

This was our first time having a catered event and it couldn't have been any easier! I shopped around and Cater Phoenix offered the best food choices and the most affordable (and reasonable) rates! We had a Baptism party which included 35 adults and 20 small children! Not for the faint of heart! Dennis' team not only provided delicious food - they were beyond helpful and understanding with the adults AND children! Incredibly friendly and happy to be help out on our special day! I would use them again in a heartbeat! read more

Hey guys. Just wanted to thank you for an OUTSTANDING job catering our wedding last weekend. Top notch from start to finish, and you definitely exceeded our expectations. The food was excellent and beautifully presented. Our guests raved about everything, and your staff was professional and cordial. Nice job on the cleanup as well. My wife said to tell you she was sorry she didn't catch you before you left to tell you personally. We'd be happy to be a reference for you any time. Thanks again. Great job! read more

I was tasked with arranging catering for one of our employees family members who lives in the Scottsdale area, I live in Colorado, and had about a day from when I got the request to when we needed the food delivered. Whitney created and emailed a menu for me to approve within an hour. All attendees who I spoke with raved about the quality, taste and presentation of the food served. Thank you Whitney for coordinating all aspects of this event, it was flawless! read more

We celebrated my father's 80th birthday and had some 40 of his closest friends and relatives attend. Dennis stepped up to the challenge with only two weeks to prepare. He did a fantastic job and was able to provide a great spread with some wonderful salads and entrees. I don't know what we would have done without him and his creative, energetic staff. Thanks for a great time. We will be using your services again. read more

You are crazy not to give Chef Dennis Frazier a chance to wow you with his culinary techniques. There hasn't been a thing i didn't like and the creativity is amazing. Can you believe they can print, yes print on food like a logo. The best part, is the pricing is competitive and well worth the products and services provided. 5 star is not high enough! read more

We had an open house on 5/13 and only contacted them the week before. They were wonderful! The food was great - everybody commented on it and we had lots of left overs. The staff was professional and helpful. The price was great and I have been recommending them to my friends since. You cannot go wrong with this company. I would use them again. read more

Dennis and the Cater Phoenix team are exceptional. They catered a wedding reception at my home this weekend; and all in attendance were very impressed with both the food and service. The menu selections were truly delicious and all ran smoothly from beginning to end! We'll be sure to call Cater Phoenix the next time we host another event. read more

Absolutely amazing! Dennis is by far and away the most talented, creative, personable and exciting chef I have ever had the pleasure to work with. His food tastes even better than it looks, which seems impossible when you look how inventive his food is! I would NEVER consider using any other caterer ever again. read more