Their sales people are great and make you believe the company is one of the best caterers in the area. The food quality is good, although the food I tried at the tasting was much better than the food prepared for my event. For example, the duck we ordered was missing pecan and cherry relish. It was present in the menu and at the tasting, but not at the actual event. The rockfish was missing the agave gastrique, which as well was present at the tasting and in the menu. Basically, all the ingredients that made the main dishes interesting were missing. There are several more reasons for 3 stars. The Main Event staff scratched the floor of our venue by dragging a piece of furniture from the elevators. During the event, I had to remind them to pick up napkins from the floor, clear up extra glasses from each table, cut more cake. After the event, while they packed some of our main dishes, they didn't pack any of the cheese or crab cakes that we had as appetizers and that we barely ate. Overall, if you have time and energy to supervise them during the event and make sure they brought everything they promised to deliver, it might work better for you that it worked for us. read more

The worst catering company I've ever encountered. Where do I start? They catered for my brother's wedding and it was awful. The steak was raw. The gnoche was tasteless and dry. The fish was edible yet bland. The cake servers were rude. The only good thing were the lemonade drinks. Please listen to all the bad reviews. This company should be out of business. Wow, I didn't even notice how highly they are rated here! This is a bunch of bs. read more

I cannot say enough great things about Main Event Caterers and our event designer Michelle Fishman! Our wedding last night was absolutely perfect in every way, largely because of Michelle and Main Event. We had so many guests come up to us and rave about the food - literally everyone said the food was amazing - but even more than that was the incredible service and piece of mind that Michelle gave us. From the moment we met, I immediately felt comfortable with Michelle and knew that Main Event was a perfect fit for us. The great reputation and commitment to the environment drew me to Main Event but I chose them because of the service. I loved that instead of just sending us a standard menu, Michelle took the time to interview me about our tastes and create menus that were exactly what we wanted. The food was amazing - garam masala lamb chops, Andalusian gazpacho, incredible halibut with crispy leeks, Argentine steak with chimmichuri...and the best of all, cookie ice cream sandwiches (to name a few). Their menus were beautifully customized, reasonably priced and everything was delicious! Michelle anticipated our every need and managed a beautiful, seamless event. Walking in, the room looked gorgeous and was set up exactly how we envisioned. Even with more than 250 guests, she effortlessly handled schedule delays and made the entire evening run perfectly. From beginning to end, it was everything we could have wanted and we are so grateful to Michelle and her team for making this possible. I would recommend Main Event as by far the best caterer in Washington and I will certainly use them again for future events. read more

Main Event Caterers designed & implemented a lovely engagement party at a funky DC art gallery for my friends. As a first-time coordinator, their talented designer, Courtney, made the entire experience so easy & pleasant for me. The Main Event staff were all a delight to work with: a helpful, efficient & intuitive team. The food was fresh & delicious, the drinks were beautifully prepared & served, the set-up staff was quick & experienced. Main Event took care of everything we needed & cleaned up the art gallery space perfectly & on time. Highly recommend! read more

I cannot sing the praises of Main Event Caterers enough. They gave us a truly customized menu that spot on and absolutely delicious. We looked at multiple caterers, asking for appetizers that reflected my husband's Asian heritage and palate, and most places offered us "Asian inspired" foods that were very inauthentic- like adding some mandarin oranges or dried ramen-type noodles on top of a salad. Main Event pulled out all the stops with pork buns and a sushi station (a HUGE hit at the wedding) that pleased even the relatives from Hong Kong. Our menu was totally personalized for our tastes, including recreating my sangria recipe. Everything was so delicious- our friends are still talking about how much they loved the food! Michelle was incredibly professional and accommodating, and worked hard to make sure we were happy and that everything went smoothly the day of. Best caterers in town! read more

I work in events and Main Event was THE BEST caterer I have had the pleasure of working with. We were so impressed by their proposal, which was head and shoulders above that of their competitors in terms of its uniqueness and usage of our theme. They were so communicative throughout the planning process and flexible as we made changes. The on-site staff was professional, kind, and attentive. They were so great at anticipating need! Their lead on-site staff person, Valerie, really went above and beyond to make our event run smoothly. She ran out during the event to grab water bottles for the panelists at my request. And she was kind enough to pack up extra food for myself and my co-planners after the event- no caterer has ever done that for me! My thanks to Rachel, Michelle, and the team. I so highly recommend Main Event. read more

I don't even know where to begin on how amazing Spencer and his team were. I mean, I had my absolute fairy tale dream wedding and I could not have done it without Main Event. From the planning, setup, food, etc. it was all perfect. Also, they are just so fun to work with!!! If you are looking for a catering company for your wedding/big event, you must trust me on this and go with Main Event!!! read more

We used Main Event for our cocktail party at the Crime and Punishment Museum, and they were WONDERFUL. They worked with me ahead of time to meet all of my needs, including ways to cut costs. They came through beautifully the night of event -- everything was as promised, and even better! Our representative changed half-way through the planning when someone left, but that didn't affect us at all. Everything was passed along virtually seamlessly. We needed the evening to be vegetarian for our party, and they didn't even blink -- there were TONS of choices. And here's an anecdote related to how good it was: a group of our guests was milling around, and a server had just offered them an appetizer. They started chatting about it, and someone said "hey, did you have that round thing? It was really good!" Someone else asked what it was, and he said "I don't know -- a crab cake?" A different guest assured them this was impossible, since I'm allergic to fish. My husband happened to come by then, and told them that all the food was vegetarian. They were astonished. "We would never have known!" they said. This speaks to the quality of Main Event's offerings -- the guests didn't feel like they were missing anything! It was so nice to show up for the party and not have to worry about anything. The food was delicious and the servers were terrific -- very professional, courteous, and helpful. I would hire them again in a second! read more

Main Event Catering exceeded my expectations and was worth every penny! We had a Sunday brunch wedding at the beautiful Strong Mansion, complete with chicken and waffles, eggs Chesapeake, asparagus frittata, maple bacon, brioche French toast, country sausage, and cheddar and chive biscuits, on top of an awesome selection of passed hors d'oeuvres as well as mimosas, bloody mary's and a selection of craft beers (we provided the alcohol). Everyone raved about the food, it was absolutely amazing. Aside from the outstanding food was the wonderful service. Spencer helped me come up with a menu that fit the budget, and Alison was such a huge help at the walk through coming up with floorplans and mining the details like plates, linens, and chairs, that really brought my vision to life. She was on top of everything with recommendations, a back-up plan should it rain, and other planning and details and her team went above and beyond setting up everything. They helped turn the venue into a laid-back yet classy and gorgeous garden-party themed brunch that was exactly what I was looking for. All the servers were helpful, professional, warm and welcoming, and it was so nice having our own "butler" that attended specifically to the wedding party ensuring our glasses and tummies were full and we had smiles on our faces the whole time. We basically didn't have to lift a finger except to eat, drink and cheer! At the end of the afternoon, the chef came out and greeted us and was so gracious and nice. I am very opinionated and really hold high standards for the service and retain industry, especially when planning a wedding as everyone knows how expensive things can be, and I honestly can't thank or recommend Main Event enough for everything. My wedding was an honest dream-come-true and you guys helped make it happen. Thank you! read more

Main Event recently catered our wedding. They made the process very easy. The tasting was especially memorable. Most importantly, the food was phenomenal! read more

We had a very troubling experience at our wedding with Main Event. The food was very good, but our experience with the staff and subsequently the management was terrible. The most shocking thing was when the bartender served champagne to my 9-year-old nephew who had asked for a glass of apple juice. The boy had the good sense to say it was wrong, thank goodness. When I complained to Main Event, the general manager told me that the real bartender took a break and the replacement didn't know what to do. "It was just the dumb reality of the situation," she wrote. That is unacceptable. I don't know if such an incident could get Main Event's alcohol serving license suspended in VA, but it should. In addition, our event coordinator (who I'm not going to name because she seemed very nice, just hapless) changed our plans the night of our wedding and only told me minutes before I was to take my vows. She unilaterally decided to place her cooks in an outdoor patio that we planned to use for a cocktail party and photos. She said she did it because of rain, even though we ended up taking all of our wedding pictures outside that night and people were forced to stand outside anyway on the sidewalk while she flipped the ballroom for dinner. During the evening, a waitress told one of my guests she wished she weren't working that night and another got annoyed with me for asking for a glass of water. Main Event said it was unable to verify those things. I asked that the bartender be fired, I get the money back for the staffing and they write a letter of apology to my nephew's mom. They have refused. We went with Main Event because of the food and the social media review about service. We were extremely disappointed by the service and the follow-up response from management. My advice to others is to think carefully before you hire them. read more

The food was sublime, the staff was cordial, professional, and mindful of every detail. People literally raved about the catering for both the rehearsal dinner and our daughter's wedding that Main Event created for us. But that was only the beginning . . . what was truly special about Main Event was what happened behind the scenes. My planning for the wedding started in January when I began to tear our house apart to host the rehearsal dinner. We repainted the entire house, re-plastered the walls, replaced all of the old curtains and window treatments, washed every window inside and out, replaced all of the screens on every window, and re-landscaped both the front and back yards. It was perfect. What I didn't foresee was how much rain we were going to get the week before the wedding and it flooded our backyard. I was frantic at the thought that 50 people would be stuck, on a beautiful day, inside our relatively small house because otherwise they would be standing in the mud. I was literally going slightly crazy. Then Main Event arrived. I met the crew chief, Chip, and within seconds I blurted out to him what had happened. And he said to me, "Don't worry about it, we're here, we'll take care of it." I actually thought I was going to cry I was so relieved. And they did fix everything. The crew brought in planks and set up the tables and chairs outside that I had rented and thought I would now not be able to use, and people flowed in and out of the house on a beautiful sunny afternoon as if nothing in the world had ever been a problem. That, is true professionalism. I can never thank Main Event enough. They made the newlyweds day - and mine in particular - absolutely spectacular. read more

My husband and I, in true yelp fashion, are foodies, and so for our wedding we knew that the food we served our guests had to be memorable. This, coupled with the fact that caterers often allow you more cost-cutting flexibility, is the reason we sought out venues that allowed us to bring in outside caterers. We talked to 7 different catering companies, stated our budget, and told them were looking for a menu with some Asian influences. It was amazing to see the difference in quality. The majority of them came back with spring rolls and a protein in teriyaki sauce; only two came back with sample menus that looked like a chef actually understood Asian cooking, and didn't just think some soy sauce makes it magically not American food. We scheduled tastings with the two, threw them a curve ball asking them to prepare a recipe for Momofuku pork buns, and let them duke it out. Long story short, Main Event won with a sumptuous, braised, fatty slice of pork belly. They went to Great Wall to pick up the bao. At the wedding, guests who ordered it were surprised and amazed, guests who didn't still voice their regrets. On food alone, they won, but it gets better. They were so helpful in visiting the venue, working with me to plan out the flow of the event, moving chairs, and setting up tables. They worked closely with the venue for the final setup, and my friend who helped with day-of coordination said there were no hiccups. We provided our own alcohol, listed some specialty drinks, and their bartenders knocked them out for our guests - even going so far as to thoughtfully limit distribution before the toasts to prevent guests from unleashing their stupid too early. They assigned my husband and I a personal waiter who doggedly insisted that we eat hors d'oeuvres so that we weren't starving. From everything we saw the glasses were getting filled quickly, the empty plates were being pulled, and the waitstaff was kicking butt. At the end of the night, they boxed up our meals and leftover dessert, which we were SO thankful for. We scarfed it down the moment we were in the hotel (to clarify, you get hungry because you spend the whole wedding talking to people and smiling for photos and you don't feel hungry until you have enough mental capacity to remember that you are). So, is there a reality check for this amazing vendor? Of course. In working with our coordinator we did experience some slight communication problems. She really liked phone calls and didn't always respond to emails. The only issue with this was that calls were very inefficient for me since I discussed decisions with my husband. If you're a bride that knows what she wants or if your fiance has less interest in planning, this won't be a problem at all. The food was plated beautifully and tasted good, but, as to be expected, some of the meat ended up on the dry side. At high quantities, quality control is surely harder, so it's forgivable. That being said, none of these are close to being deal breakers and I'd 100% hire them again and again. I hope to never plan my wedding again, but for everyone else, I'll tell them to look into Main Event. :) I think they'll usually win the bid. read more

Working with Main events and Monumental Food was a TRUE pleasure! Bryan, Stephanie and Whitney was like a breathe of fresh air! They each gave special care and attention to every single detail of my request. They were easy to work with, prompt and professional in all communication. I hope to continue to work with each of them for future events. read more

I hired Main Event to cater my wedding at Woodend Sanctuary on May 5, 2012. I worked from Spencer from the very beginning, and he was incredibly flexible and accommodating. Spencer truly worked hard to earn our business - I was on a tight budget, and he was very patient with me via phone and email going back and forth many times to figure out how we could get the food we wanted within our price range. I also have a gluten allergy, and Spencer was great about working with me to figure out which menu items were GF or could be made GF. The staff that catered our event were very professional and efficient. Our only disappointment with Main Event was that the entree portions seemed somewhat smaller than when we did our tasting. We also did a dessert bar, and somehow multiple guests didn't get any dessert (including ourselves). I spoke with Spencer and the General Manager about this and they assured me that this is a rare occurrence for them, and that they make every effort to keep the portion sizes consistent from the tasting to the actual event. They were receptive and responsive to my concerns and did rectify the situation to my satisfaction, but it was still a bit disappointing that the dessert bar wasn't what we had hoped. The food itself was very good for catered food - ingredients were fresh and the menu items are pretty sophisticated. They have a huge list of items to choose from so you really can come up with exactly what you want. Overall, they are a great caterer, easy to work with, and do a very professional job. read more

We used Main Event for our wedding in June and the food was superb. We were super tired of the usual menu of steak or salmon or chicken because they are all usually over cooked. And we both hate white meat chicken. Katie who we initially met with came up with braised beef short rib and drunken german chicken (dark meat). We chose them over Uptown because uptown's food just wasn't that great for us and they kept trying to push us into steak. I can only say wow. Our guests couldn't stop raving about the beef short rib! It was presented beautifully and everyone thought it was steak at first...and perhaps dry. But as soon as they tapped it with a fork it fell apart. I actually didn't have time to eat it during my wedding so I had them pack it up, and ate it the next day...still delicious and the sauce that goes w/ it is amazing. We also got the dessert table. I would highly recommend it over a wedding cake!! OMG the desserts were amazing. They disappeared in a heart beat! ME also included a small top tier cake for cutting w/ the dessert table. I've never heard such good things about wedding cake! Everyone asked what bakery I used...and I told them ME made it. I had them save me some and ended up eating it for breakfast. I was just going to have a taste but I couldn't stop eating it. Definitely get the hazelnut chocolate cake! The Hors d'oeuvre were also a hit. We went w/ the crab cakes, brie & mushroom tarts, and melon & prosciutto. The food was simply amazing!! If you want the food at your wedding to be better than the usual I would definitely go with Main Event. I'd say their food quality and presentation is more on par with a nice restaurant than the usual wedding food from a hotel. There were a few quirks though. Not everyone got Hor D'oeuvres. This is probably because I had to shorten the cocktail hour since our ceremony ran late. But it might also be because they serve it on these really small dishes. It's very artfully done, but I can see them getting mobbed and having to go back for more. Though I'll have to say I've never seen hor d'oeuvres presenting so beautifully at a wedding. Next the desserts, unfortunately not everyone got some! So I can only assume they ran out. And last my event designer was not actually at my event. We initially met with Katie and we loved her! But then she left before our wedding and we go Rebecca. I had no idea that Rebecca would not be at our wedding until the day before. No one told us. Maybe because my wedding was smaller? Though I felt kind of like a second class citizen..... read more

We were married this weekend and Main Event Catering did an amazing job for our wedding!!! From the food, to the service and the event execution Main Event did everything wonderfully. Meg and her staff did everything from answering every question we had during pre-planning to making any last minute changes we had. Her banquet captain and his staff made sure out guests were taken care of and they attended to my wife and I's every need. If you are looking for great service, delectable fare and a professional staff, you need to look no further than Main Event. read more

Wedding Review: I had an amazing experience working with Daniela on my wedding, she worked with our budget while helping maintaining the look and feel we wanted with the event! She was flexible with us and was very personable to work with! Everyone is still raving about the food!! And from a bride standpoint it was so nice to have a caterer who took care of everything--linens, flatware, glassware, etc. that's invaluable to you when you are coordinating! Thank you MEC! read more

I recently suffered the sudden and unexpected loss of my husband. We had been thinking of a 35th anniversary party next year at the Audubon Naturalist Society mansion in Chevy Chase., When this sad event came up, I decided to have the memorial service as an anniversary party also - a year early. Main Event catered the event and they could not have been more professional, friendly and helpful. The guests raved about the "light lunch/brunch" menu - perfectly prepared and served. More guests than expected showed up and they handled that with aplomb. It was evident they knew the building and the layout. and everything looked perfect. The price they quoted me was excellent value for the work they did. Thanks very much for all of them who toiled in 90 degree heat to make this such a nice function. read more

When trying to find the right caterer for a big event it can sometimes be overwhelming, but when we received the proposal from Main Event Caterers we knew that they were the right choice! They came in at the perfect price point and the customized detail they put into our event proposal was AMAZING. Their proposal made us more excited about planning the event because we then had this exciting and fun menu to look forward to. Not only was menu fun and an extra design detail for our guests, but the food was all delicious. Michelle, Rachel and Valerie were all so easy to work with and the entire staff the night of were extremely courteous and kind. If you are looking for a caterer in Metro D.C., look no further than Main Event Caterers! read more

Main Event's food is amazing: creative and 5-star restaurant quality. Service is best-in-class. If you are looking for a caterer that will make your event distinct and one that guests say "wow", they are it! read more

We used Main Event Caterers for our company Holiday Party and they were fantastic. Food was delicious and service was wonderful from the very beginning. Plan on using them again for future events and highly recommend them to all to use. read more

I had a wonderful experience with Main Event Caterers while planning my August 2014 wedding. They were incredibly responsive, friendly, professional, paid attention to detail, and were accommodating when I had last minute changes. And of course the most important part...the food for my wedding was delicious! I had several guests tell me how much they loved dinner. Also, since I had my ceremony in the same venue as the reception, they were also responsible for "flipping" the room. They did a great job. The tables for the reception looked simply beautiful. I didn't use that many decorations on the tables because their plates and votives were lovely enough without having to add a gigantic centerpiece. I want to give a special shout out to Liz for being so helpful throughout the whole experience. And thanks to Jen for signing me on in the initial phases of my planning. They both made me feel very confident that I could trust this company to deliver exactly what was promised. And I was not disappointed. Great wedding experience! -Rashida read more

Main Event catered our wedding, and I can't say enough great things about the food and service. After interviewing many caterers, they were by far the easiest to work with and had competitive prices. Specifically, Liz Cheung and Jennifer Sibel were incredibly helpful in all aspects of planning the event. We got a ton of compliments on the food and they were very accommodating for somewhat complicated dietary restrictions. Thank you! read more

Main Event is more expensive than most catering companies but once the night was over I understood why. The food was delicious and the service was impeccable. read more

MEC was recommended to us by our event planner. We have never hired a caterer for a private party before, so we were nervous about how to go about planning. They had great suggestions for what a party of our size, and our designated time would be with suggested menus for our budget. We were able to customize the menu easily with all their choices! On the day of our party, the caterers were there setting up as soon as the venue allowed. When we had guests that were bringing some food for gifts, they were very accommodating, and they helped us arrange for the extra. Throughout the event, their waiters were working very hard and made sure that we did not run out of utensils, food, or any other requests that guests had. The bartenders did not have a large line at any point in the evening. The food was very well received by everyone that we asked at the party. I was pleased with how we looked in putting together such an event with such good food and service. At the end of the night, they wrapped up all the leftover food for us to take home! My family really enjoyed having them for the next couple of days afterwards. I hope to be able to use them again for another event in the future! read more

I worked with Scotlyn from ME for my wedding...And she was great! she was very responsive, flexible, nice, professional and more importantly patient !!! I had questions and comments about every single thing I picked for the wedding and she patiently answered all and helped us pick a delicious menu for the appetizers. Also, I wanted to have a tea table with Semavar as Iranians love tea!! She found me these cute and fancy tea cups that made the tea table very chic and pretty!! I initially was assigned to someone else which I wasn't comfortable working with, so I called and asked them to assign me to another coordinator and I was lucky to work with Scotlyn! As for the service and food, we had Iranian food catered from Johny Kabob but we got everything else from ME.. Everyone loved their service and the appetizers and desserts. The bartenders and waiters and waitresses were very professional and they were always around when someone needed them. I am very happy we chose to work with ME for our wedding as they made our wedding beautiful and impeccable! I totally recommend Main Events and I suggest you to ask for Scotlyn if she is available!! read more

I immediately knew that Main Event was an outstanding catering company when I had my first conversation with Darcy. I was planning a separate event and she kindly told me that they would not be a good fit and gave a suggestion (that ended up working out) for another food option. As a result, I told my wedding coordinator that I wanted to consider them for the caterer for my wedding and I am glad that I did. My guests have been ranting and raving about the food at my brunch wedding for weeks after the wedding was over. The attention to detail, the kindness of the butlers, the beautiful displays, all made my wedding a dream. Darcy and Taylor sent countless emails between myself and my planner to make sure that no detail was overlooked, even details as minor as how the cornbread would be displayed. In addition, when we told them that we wanted a southern brunch, they created a custom (delicious) menu of all of our favorite foods in order to make sure we were happy and never hesitated to go above and beyond in making sure our needs were met. I honestly find it hard to believe that they can get negative reviews, their event coordinator could not have been Darcy OR Taylor because they both were responsive, professional, creative, and above all, kind. I would recommend them to every bride I know because my wedding was a dream came true and Main Event was a major part of that. Thank you ALL for your hard work to make sure my wedding was a top notch event, you all are truly the best! read more

Main Event catered our wedding on the Cherry Blossom Paddle Boat and it was an amazing experience. Working with our coordinators prior to the event was so easy and I truly appreciated their fast response times. The food itself was amazing and our guests loved it. We are so happy we went with them and highly recommenced them. read more

Everything was going very well until the day of the event. The person who was supposed to coordinate the catering apparently showed up briefly and then disappeared without even letting us know. Until we discovered many serious issues with the catering. Then we had to drag the head chef out because we had no one else to talk to. He didn't know what to do. They talked a good game, made a very impressive initial impression, had a good person to work with us before the event. But the event itself was a major stressful affair because they kept dropping balls. I wouldn't go with them again. read more

I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical. Raw, vegan lunch? Even for a free lunch I wasn't certain how it would end up, so I packed a sandwich. After eating lunch though, I have to say, that sandwich is going into the trash! The menu was exquisitely planned, from watermelon sashimi to raw vegan lasagna. The flavors coordinated well with each other, and the food was so fresh, it practically leaped into my mouth. I definitely did not feel like the meal was lacking anything, and I hardly noticed that there was no meat. I highly recommend choosing Main Event Caterers if you have an upcoming event. read more

Wow, I used Main Event catering for a new year's eve party, and it exceeded my expectations, given the last minute notice and the increase in numbers at the last minute. Then, I had the opportunity to experience Main Event at a holiday party last weekend for a professional association and not only was the food amazing...creative, delicious, healthy, etc. but the staff that supported both events were hardworking and amazing to work with. I could tell their culture was that of customer service and satisfaction, and enormous attention to detail. That's important to me! I will continue to recommend this group for future events, and look forward to watching them grow. They deserve it! read more

We booked Main Event Caterers for our March brunch wedding and we couldn't be happier. Things I loved: 1) Darcy asked us upfront about what caterers we were considering, and told us honestly that Main Event was at the more expensive end. We ended up going with them anyway because of the level of service they provide, but I appreciated that honesty from the get-go. 2) My husband and I are both vegetarian, and we wanted to serve a vegetarian brunch at our wedding. Main Event isn't a specialty vegetarian caterer, but they put together an amazingly delicious menu that would appeal to all of our guests and didn't fall into the trap of "vegetarian = sad salads and squishy boiled vegetables" without batting an eyelash. They also checked in on the vegan/gluten free status of several of the dishes so we could let our guests with dietary restrictions know about that. 3) If you're trying to plan a low-key wedding, there are a lot of interactions with vendors that leave you feeling like you should be panicking and planning more. It's almost like people try to push you into bridezilla mode. Darcy and Taylor never set off that anxiety in me, which was very welcome! I didn't get my act together to contact them with day-of details until a few weeks before the wedding, and Taylor was totally chill about that. And also with my "oh and one more thing I forgot to think about until now..." emails. 4) The food was really, really good. We moved away from the DC area in the middle of planning and we couldn't make it to a tasting, but there was no need to worry - amazing food. Our guests could not stop raving about it, especially the frittata and the cheese blintzes. In fact, I'm still a little sad that I was too excited/busy to finish my blintz... 5) A coworker had gotten married at our venue (a historic mansion that now houses a non-profit) about 18 months ago, and she warned that it is a very hands-on venue for the wedding party - not a lot of management, lots of hands-on flipping of the room and wrangling the space. Main Event took care of all of that for us. I think I saw Taylor for about two seconds on my wedding day, but clearly she was getting stuff done behind the scenes! Things that weren't perfect: 1) The mimosa gels? Totally grown-up jello shots. You know what, maybe that's okay. Who doesn't want to do a champagne jello shot at 11 a.m. on a Sunday? Not entirely what we expected from the description, though. Overall, great service, great staff, great food. Definitely recommend as a wedding caterer. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Main Event Caterers! I hired them for a political fundraiser and no detail was forgotten by them. From helping me choose the menu, to preparing delicious and unique foods to the service their staff provided it was all excellent! I will use them again and have recommended them to my friends! read more

I have enjoyed many different occasions that the have managed, all done with high quality and attention to detail. Most recently we had a program done at the office, it was tasty. On time and budget. They make these chocolate truffles! So good. read more

Excellent food and fantastic service! They worked with our budget and were prompt, helpful, and friendly. I would highly recommend!

I hired Main Event Caterers to help us with a fundraising event. Our representative was incredibly thoughtful and flexible in helping us design the food/service component of the night and the team who helped us with the event that night did an absolutely flawless job. Oh, and did I mention that the food was delicious?!? Yum. read more

The Main Event team surpassed my expectations from A to Z. The staff were able to work to my budget easily and without fuss, the food was delicious and abundant, the presentation classy, the service and execution impeccable, the packing-up (including of left-overs) done gracefully and seamlessly. They even thought of candles and when I asked for flowers at the last minute, they were incorporated at a very good price and they were so gorgeous that I re-used them for various purposes. In a process - and evening - that just went from good to better, the last thing I expected was for the supervisor of the event on-site to come up to me just before the buffet-dinner got going to discreetly suggest that if a word needed to be said to our guests, that would be a good moment for it. I already felt in terrific hands as the team of three did everything beautifully and stylishly without fuss, with a smile to boot. We ended up taking his advice, having not even thought of it ourselves. In sum, if you want all of a gourmet experience, classiness as well as overall perfection in your event in its totality, look no further: the Main Event is your caterer for any special event you may be planning. Bravo! read more

We selected Main Event as our wedding reception caterer and couldn't have been happier! We were going a little non-traditional with a standing reception buffet and while other catering companies tried to talk us out of it, Main Event was excited with our idea and wanted to help us bring it to life! They were also one of the most reasonably priced that helped us stick with our budget. Liz was very responsive, knowledgeable, collaborated well with our other vendors, and provided the right amount of input on how to make the night perfect. On the wedding day, we had a personal attendant named Jack and he was FANTASTIC! He made sure we had everything we needed :-) I would recommend Main Event for any other DC bride or company! read more

I would highly recommend Main Event Caterers. The team is very responsive, professional and make the party planning process extremely easy. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the food and ambiance set by the décor (all courtesy of Main Event). Some background on our event may help shed some light on my enthusiasm for this company. We decided to throw a small (~20 people) wedding celebration on very short notice (1 month). I searched online for catering companies and narrowed the field down to about 4 companies that received rave reviews on Yelp and Wedding Wire. Of those companies, three responded: one with a quick phone call that never followed up with a proposal; one sent a quote, but didn't want to discuss food selections until we had a signed contract; and the third was Main Event. I heard immediately from Main Event and held immediate discussions with a team of three (Bryan, Samantha and Liz) discussing our food preferences, the venue and our vision for the event. They invested a lot of time talking with me before I even signed a contract or sent over any funding! Everyone was very responsive and courteous and helped me feel confident in our selection before we officially selected them as our caterer. Our event planner, Liz, went above and beyond in my opinion by conducting a walk-through of our venue on her own and helped us determine how everything would be set up the night of the event. I was pleased, but not surprised, to learn that Main Event 100% lived up to their rave reviews the night of the event. The team responded well to a few curve balls the night of the event (e.g. an unexpected dessert addition & guests showing up to the venue early). The team rolled with all the punches, while remaining professional and accommodating. My three year old was excited about cherries in his Shirley Temple. The bartender surprised my son with a glass full of cherries speared on mini swords. Both of my children were delighted. When a guest brought a homemade wedding cake that we didn't expect, the staff set up a lovely cake cutting setup on the fly. Those were the types of personal touches the team offered the night of the event that made me happy we chose Main Event. Most importantly, the food was delicious. The macaroons were my personal fave! read more