I'm genuinely confused by this place, and it seems like management might be confused as well. Based on some of the Yelp reviews, it seems that this spot was once a wedding venue or catering business. I recently found myself there for a friend's vocal performance so now maybe it's a theater? The concept feels a bit muddled. Let me start with the positives: the staff was completely sweet and accommodating, which is important. But unfortunately, the execution was amateur at best. First of all, the sound system is all wrong. Austin has a wide range of venues with incredible audio, from the grandeur of ACL Live at Moody Theatre to the humble Elephant Room. Regardless of the venue's size, proper sound quality is always a priority -- especially for the sake of the performers. But here, the front-of-house PA system just didn't have the power to fill the space. Drums and guitars with dedicated amplifiers completely overpowered the vocals and I could barely hear my friend, who was clearly struggling to project under those conditions. There's a flat-panel video display hung directly over the proscenium which is also too small for the space. The bassist and keyboard players are brothers maybe and the bassist is billed as the director of the production. It seems as though it also may have been his first shot at directing a theatrical piece. I did arrive a few minutes late which was on me but during a break between songs, I headed to the back to get a drink. The bar area was dark and looked closed but a staff member (seemingly the manager or owner) kindly asked what I wanted and promised to find someone to help. I asked if they had ginger beer; I asked if they had mezcal. The answers to both questions was: yes. I ordered a Mezcal Mule and a ginger beer for my boyfriend. The whole process was confusing -- there was no clear system for ordering, and the drinks were delivered to our table mixed up so my boyfriend ended up with the boozy one! Later, when a friend of mine went for the second round, she was told they didn't even stock mezcal. I'm pretty sure my first drink was just made with vodka which explains why it tasted funny. Overall, I couldn't help but wonder: is this a repurposed wedding venue trying to reinvent itself as a theater or music venue? It's hard to tell. Maybe they're still figuring things out, but it felt jumbled and disorganized. Despite the staff's enthusiasm and great intentions, my experience was unfortunately pure mediocrity. read more

Rude bartenders serving the Bullock museum. Left 30 min into a movie showing because, and I quote, "no one is tipping and it's not worth my effort." The state should find a new vendor. read more

It's been a minute since I have visited the SE and I'm so glad that Vino selected this location for there event. read more

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We had such a good experience working with Lauren and Sterling Events! We signed an all inclusive contract with our venue and had two options for catering, but the venue owner heavily encouraged us to go with Sterling and I am so glad they did. They provided the meal and our bar service and I'm pleased with the way it all turned out! The appetizers passed during cocktail hour were definitely our favorite part (the chicken and waffles were a big hit with our guests too!) The meal was definitely classic wedding food, but superior to other meals I've had at weddings! The staff working the night were some of the nicest people too!! Everyone was smiling and seemed happy - which is not something I've experienced at a wedding before. Overall, such a good experience and really helped to elevate our night. Thank you so much!! read more

They were AMAZING ! They made our day so special and I couldn't have dreamed of a better day! We are so grateful for everything they did! They were patient, caring, attentive, and more! I can't express in words my gratitude read more

Update to my earlier review. Today I received an email from Emily saying that our proposal had been cancelled because they never heard back from me..... Interesting, was it in response to my review?So I tried to respond to her email letting her know that we had gone with a different company because no one ever got back to us after multiple tries. Immediately got an out-of-office response. Glad that we went with a different company. read more

Attended an event at Sterling venue really liked the place made numerous attempts to contact the never received a call back or any correspondence back from them stopped in a few times but the worker could not speak English call the number on the building left message went on line and filled out the form still no contact from them not sure why but will never try and do business with them again read more

We used Sterling as our catering and bartending company for our wedding and we were so pleased with the service! Most importantly, the lead up and communication up until the day of the wedding was incredible. Emily Vidal is one of the most organized and helpful people I had the pleasure of working with while planning my wedding. And of course the food and drinks day of were incredible and exactly what we asked for! read more

My team had a banquet here. It was a beautiful space! 5 stars on the space. Ease of parking. Decor. 5 stars. It was beautifully set up. Food. 2 stars. I know Sterling has been in busines for years/decades. But the food except for the salad (which was to die for) was a real let down. Very industrial in taste, texture and presentation. The taste and texture reminded me of airplane food from Aramark. Boo hoo! It just did not match the looks of the place. It was also luke warm. The cake was still somewhat frozen. Though it may have come from some place else. I don't know --- yet. Service overall was fair. While it was mainly self service there were other details...like when a slide show on the big screen was being played no one bothered to turn down the lights. The place has promise! A makes for a beautiful venue! read more

We hired Sterling for bartending at a local party venue for 65 people. There were many issues throughout the evening including guests receiving "undrinkable" mixed drinks. Sterling was also unable to find the white wine that we'd purchased and didn't have glasses for the ice water stations. They brought the wrong size table for our typewriter poet (too large, so we had to find room to accommodate this at the last minute). Also placed out tip jars despite the fact that a generous tip was included in our contract and paid directly to the company. The bartenders at our event were generally unfriendly and their staff went through our buffet line at the end of the evening without asking (of course we would've been happy to have them enjoy the food, but asking first would be the professional choice). Definitely would not recommend. read more

Selecting Sterling as our wedding caterer was one of the best decisions we have ever made. Emily and the entire Sterling team were on top of it all; They gave us the perfect setup, quick and seamless transitions between the areas, and absolutely AMAZING food & service. They were also very flexible on the bar options. All we wanted to serve were cocktails, and they were one of the few caterers who would do this for us. And the bartender did a fantastic job! There was never a line at the bar, and the drinks were perfect! We are grateful to the team and their great level of communication, professionalism, and service read more

We met the Sterling staff at an open house event at Villa Antonia. The food we sampled was delicious and we loved the service packages they offered. From day 1 Emily was such a pleasure to work with and made everything so seamless. The coordination and planning was great and our guests still haven't stopped raving about the food. It was so nice having linens and set up/break down included. I didn't have to worry about a thing! read more

I had a great experience with Sterling Affairs! The food was totally amazing and reflected my husband's and my taste perfectly - we really wanted our wedding to reflect us as a couple, including in our food. I had some weird requests (mac and cheese and a pear martini that I didn't know the recipe for, but had tried during an inauguration party in 2008) and Sterling Affairs didn't even blink! The mac and cheese was created for us AND the drink was executed perfectly!! They were so willing to cater (ha) to our needs! They were very budget-oriented while also focusing on making the menu as close to our vision as possible. The reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because of some communication/scheduling issues. Due to various computer/office fails I lost touch with Sterling Affairs multiple times during the process, which was a bit difficult to handle. Everything ended up getting taken care of, but it was needlessly stressful. Additionally, the day-of schedule ended up getting messed up. We had a pretty tight schedule because our room rental was shorter than normal. Dinner ended up taking too long, so we didn't get to greet our guests - had our coordinator let us know we weren't on schedule, we would have totally changed things up. There was also a snaffu with the cake cutting because it was in a different room than the dinner service - my parents ended up missing it because our coordinator rushed us through it so fast. So, food was great, service was pretty good and the auxilliary stuff was a bit subpar. Overall I recommend them, but make sure you are totally clear on scheduling stuff if you choose to go take advantage of their bridal coordinators. read more

Shea from Sterling Affairs is amazing! She worked with my husband and I to plan our wedding this last weekend and EVERYONE complimented the service, how well the wedding was run , & how the food was really good :) My wedding was perfect ! ( now how many brides can say that?) 5 stars all the way. read more

I would give them a negative star if i could. I don't know where to start. Emily from Sterling was very unprofessional and very immature at times. We hired them for our wedding and couldn't follow simple directions on serving the cake. Instead they cut them and left it on the side in a trey so no one really got to taste it. When asked about this, she immaturely said i should look for the proof of the cake being served in my photographers photos etc. Funny enough, the photos actually show how they DID NOT serve them. They also ended up throwing away the top layer of our wedding cake. Prior to the event, Emily also recommended a caterer and told us that they had previously catered at the our venue. Come to find out, that was a lie as our venue management said they've never worked with them. The catering that was recommended from Sterling cancelled on us and Emily continued to rush us with 1-2 day deadline in picking a new one. She got frustrated and stated, "you people are being difficult and your wedding is going to be all over the place." Emily has a hard time understanding anything and is always confused no matter if you write it down or not. I then tried to get a hold of her boss and even the owner or Sterling Events with no response from anyone. Not sure how they have 4 stars on google but i've heard similar stories from others who used them. DO NOT USE THEM especially if it's a special even or wedding. read more

I cannot brag enough about Sterling! Specifically my coordinator, Shea. Every bride has multiple panic attacks during the planning of her wedding. Mine stopped the minute I met Shea! She not only helped us plan out our seated meal and bar services, she also took the lead in coordinating the rehearsal and pictures after the ceremony. Wherever I was, whatever I needed, Shea was there without me even having to think about her! From drinks and appetizers after our ceremony, making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there, and just all around being aweome. I just can't thank her enough for what a fantastic day she helped make happen! Sterling's food was amazing! We chose passed appetizers and drinks right after the ceremony, a plated dinner, champagne toast and upgraded our wines and beers. Everything was perfection! We felt there were so many choices, it was difficult to narrow all of the delicious options down to two. But we were so pleased with our choices and the way everything was done! The service staff was excellent, food was service promptly, water was refilled quickly and drinks were refreshed as needed! Thank you Sterling Affairs!! I can't imagine my day without you!! read more

In fairness, I'd first like to say that if I had more money to spend, then I probably would give a higher rating. That being said, my primary complaint was inflexibility of menu options, and, to a much smaller extent, their customer care. From my experience, here's what to expect: ---real plates, silverware, and glassware costs extra ($3 pp). Acrylic plates, plastic cups, and acrylic silverware are included in base price. ---glassware for bar is extra (on average $2 pp more). Plastic cups are included in base price. ---If your guest count is under 125 ppl, it is actually more expensive to provide beer and wine, with a cash bar for well liquor, than it is to just provide beer, wine, and well liquor. (Still blows my mind.) ---linens for your guest dining tables are $1 pp, unless you order your linens elsewhere. Linens for buffet tables are included in the price. ---a poorly formatted pricing sheet and menu. I had to do lots of editing work to the file before things were clear. For a pretty version of what the pricing list should look like check out "The Mansion on Judges' Hill" website (MoJH pricing is higher than SA). ---you do not get a tasting before booking. While I have no doubts that the food is very good, you only get a tasting after a non-refundable deposit has been made. ---If you would like a performance or action station rather than a carving station, then be prepared to buy the Platinum Reception. ---If you would like an additional carving, performance, or action station, then be prepared to buy the Platinum Reception. I was told by the wedding venues that SA was very flexible, but my experience didn't reflect that. I found that in order to gain any flexibility, I would need to buy the most expensive package and then add to that price. I also inquired about vegan options, and while SA was willing to accommodate them, it would be an extra charge and I was never given an example of a vegan friendly option. I always felt like I was getting "nickel and dimed," and that wasn't how I wanted to start my wedding planning. I contacted SA through two different wedding venues (Villa Antonia and Vista on Seward Hill), and worked with two different people. My experience with Villa's contact was very prompt but also very impersonal. All contact was done via email, and I just never got that sense of security I was looking for. My VoSH contact, on the other hand, was informative, friendly, and very eager to help out in any way she could. I'm a little sad that I won't be working with her as VoSH was just too much of a strain on my budget. read more

We LOVED Sterling Affairs! Sterling Affairs recently catered our wedding and Tedi was wonderful to work with. She provided some great recommendations and since we lived out of town and were not able to taste test, her recommendations were especially needed. We had a plated meal and had Chicken Royale and a Beef Filet with the tomato florentine and risotto. Our guests all were commenting on how great the food was and my husband and I were also very happy with it. The only reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is that they had a tip jar sitting out at the open bar. We thought that was pretty tacky, especially since a very generous tip was already paid for by my husband. read more

We used Sterling to cater out wedding and had a great experience. Shea was our day-of coordinator and worked well with our venues MC to make everything perfect. She responded quickly to all of my emails and was flexible enough to adjust our plans every time fiancé and I changed our minds about the menu. In the end, our wedding was perfect and we were very happy with the service. Only complaint is that one of our guests was unable to swallow solid foods due to a medical condition and can only eat creamy soups. We discussed this with Sterling and were guaranteed that he would be served a bowl of soup instead of the regular buffet menu. We provided his name and table number ahead of time but later found out that the soup was never served and this guest was unable to eat the entire night- we felt terrible! read more

Just came from a wedding with food from Sterling. As usual disappointing and inconsistent quality of food. They have been around for a long time can't they serve good tasting food? Their chicken recipes lack taste and always overcooked. read more

Where do I begin? This caterer was the best decision we could have made regarding our wedding. The food was absolutely superb! We chose the Italian buffet style dinner and 2 passed appetizers. We received so many compliments on the food and our guests kept asking us who catered the food. My groom and I didn't get to eat much of our food during the reception but the staff was so nice to pack leftover food for us. We were able to enjoy it fully the next day. And oh boy was it delicious. Shea worked so well with us in helping coordinate our big day. She responded very quickly to any questions I had and even helped me out during a stressful time (organizing seating charts which she advised I didn't even need, yay!). During the wedding, the staff were on point and were good at keeping the venue clear of cups and plates and so forth. I highly recommend this caterer. If only they had a restaurant so we could eat more of their delicious food! You can't go wrong with Sterling Affairs, it's the right choice! read more

We worked with Shea at Sterling events and she could not have been more helpful, friendly, caring and totally amazing. Everyone at Sterling events went the extra mile to make sure that everything was set up beautifully at my daughters wedding. The people setting up, the bartenders, all seemed so professional and the food was absolutely delicious. I really can't say enough good things about Sterling Events and if I had another daughter to marry off, I would definitely use them again, but would also use them for my business events also. Definitely a five star in my book read more

I chose Sterling for my wife's 50th birthday bash and I was not disappointed. Planning, setup,service and staff was spectacular. It was easy to get for my guest and we got a special rate at the Crown Plaza a 2 min walk from the event center. A job well done read more

Sterling Affairs Catering and Shoal Crossing Event Center: Great food, staff and facility. I've have to plan many special functions over the years for my family & friends and my business. Sterling Affairs out shined them all. First of all, great location, I wasn't forced into a hotel to fit my party. Plenty of free parking and easy convenient location. The interior was beautiful with designer touches (better than a stark ballroom). The coordinator offered many options and was very flexible with my requests. The food was amazing. Wasn't typical catering food. Party went off without a hitch and the staff took care of all my guests. Wonderful experience! read more

Great food, great cost, and great staff! Highly recommend and would use them again in the future. Thanks Shea!

What a great venue for the first annual "Oyster Fest" (Shoal Crossing). All the oyster booths were outside (under a tent) with easy access to the main building. Cool crowd and lots of oysters and a great live band! Can't wait until next year's fest! read more

The food from Sterling Affairs was good. Customer service is not! We had a couple of snafus and instead of dealing with it, all we got were excuses. Would not use Shea or Sterling Affairs again. read more

Hired them to cater a big reception. Paid extra for table service rather than buffet. Paid extra for premium wine, per guest. Servers delivered the food, never served wine, then sat in the back neglecting the guests. We asked about the wine, and they were hostile, saying it would cost $2 per guest more to serve that. By the time they served it, the entree was over. Basically, the wine is a scam. They charge a fortune per guest for common wine. Even the premium is no more than $15/bottle. Then they refuse to serve it so they can resell the wine at the next party. The food we tried at their restaurant was really good. The food at our party was some of the worst we've had anywhere. Had we cheaped out, I might have tolerated it, but we opted to pay more at every turn. They served a special drink before the ceremony. Brought them out 20 minutes before the guests started arriving. Ice melted. No alcohol to begin with. Later, a guest approached the bar to as for cranberry juice for her daughter. The bartender refused saying it was only for mixed drinks. Guests were mad they came so far for such a lousy dinner. Very disappointing. read more

My wife and I were incredibly impressed with Sterling Affairs and would recommend them to anyone else planning an event. They were easy to work with, affordable, and they took all the right steps to make our wedding reception very special. Several hours before the reception, they had someone on location ready to handle anything that might come up. On top of this, though they clearly had everything under control, Sterling Affairs took last minute direction on minutia with ease, and when the reception started, everything had been taken care of without fail. After the event was over, several members of their staff stayed late to help pack up, rinse, and store our china. If we had not been paying particular attention, it would've been easy to forget that they were even there. Perhaps best of all, the food was terrific! More than any other piece of the reception, guests talked about how much they enjoyed their meals. It was extremely relaxing to sit back and watch people that we trusted handle our important day. Thank you, Sterling Affairs, for helping our celebration to be as memorable as possible! read more

Sterling Affairs did an amazing job catering our wedding! Shea was so helpful! She was there before the ceremony to help calm my pre-wedding jitters and was able to get me some snacks to settle my nerves. I didn't think this was part of her job description so it meant a lot to me that she went that extra mile to help a nervous bride. :) She made sure everything from the processional to the exit ran smoothly. I never had to go to the bar because Shea was always there with a drink in hand for me! The rest of the staff members were so helpful with our special requests and were very nice to work with. And of course, the food was delicious! Everyone kept saying the italian buffet was the best food they've had at any wedding. Plus, it was a very reasonable price for the amount of food per person. Everyone left full and satisfied. I HIGHLY recommend using Sterling Affairs and requesting Shea as your wedding assistant. :) They helped give us the perfect wedding night! read more