If you're looking for a venue and caterers for your wedding, give The Villa and Catering by Uptown a look. When we were planning on getting married 3.5 years ago, we looked at several locations in the DMV. My wife lived near Calverton at the time and as she was driving home, she noticed that the sign where a nasty pool hall/bar used to be had something about weddings. Being in a.....uhh...how to say this...less than scenic location with the major landmarks being a McD's, Lowe's/Sony/Whatever the heck it's called now Theaters, a Sheraton, and a CVS, and combined with the locations history, we didn't have very high hopes. I walked in one day and setup a tasting for the following evening.
When we arrived for the tasting, we were blown away by the food. Allow me to indulge in a little tangent. People spend so much time on the decorations, floral arrangements, yada yada yada, but be honest. As a guest at a wedding, I know the things that people look most forward to are the bar (even better if it's open) and the food. Sure, you're there to congratulate your friends, celebrate with them, yada yada yada...but during the ceremony, these are the thoughts running through my head in order: 1) weddings never start on time. 2) the groom looks nervous. 3) awww, the bride is beautiful. 4) this ceremony sure is long...I wonder how good the food is gonna be? And I wonder if I made the right choice by choosing the beef over the chicken and fish? As a result, of utmost importance for my wedding was that the food be delicious and boy did Catering by Uptown deliver!
For the tasting, they provided 6 appetizers, a filet Mignon & salmon dual entree, and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Having gone to several tastings before this, this absolutely blew the others way. The only reservation we had about the place was that it wasn't as picturesque as my wife envisioned her wedding venue to be.
I don't know jack about architecture, so all I can tell you is that the exterior looks like something from Plaza Del Mercado. They have a massive tent where you can hold the ceremony or reception, 2 lobby areas, and the ballroom is fairly basic with wood flooring and mirrors all around to give the space a larger feel.
After looking at several other locations, we came back to negotiate with Catering by Uptown and to our surprise, they provided food again. This time, they provided several different Hors D'Oeuvres and the same entree and dessert. They were very flexible with the pricing and we ended up making the deal right there.
Through the planning process, they were very helpful. For example, we had trouble choosing between the Hors D'Oeuvres, so they invited us in to try several that we were considering. An event planner is included in the pricing and she helped with everything from the seating chart to running the ceremony. They also provided a wedding cake and tasting with our package. The cake turned out beautifully and was incredibly delicious when we had the top layer for our 1 year anniversary.
Our wedding day was perfect, save for the pouring rain. The staff was incredible that day and the food was even better - our food became the point of comparison for weddings held thereafter. The only two regrets I have are 1) not having them make us 2 platters to go, as we didn't get to savor the food b/c of all the running around and excitement and 2) not getting the chocolate fondue fountain.
A friend of a friend got married there recently and they absolutely loved it. Too bad I wasn't his friend b/c I really want to go to a wedding that Uptown caters.
They also cater at a beautiful waterside location in Pasadena, MD, and can cater at the Galleria, the Ballroom, and Glenview Mansion, among others. Other than the new locations, the website has remained largely unchanged, i.e., it needs an update, but don't let that deter you.
If you want food that people will remember, The Villa is an excellent choice. The venue isn't the most striking or charming, but it's sufficient. In fact, if you get married there, please invite me. read more