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Actual Food Nashville

Best of Weddings (2x)

100 miles radius

About this vendor

Amazing, fresh, local, creative cuisines from chef and owner Dan Forberg. Weddings, corporate, craft services, and up-scale catering in Nashville, TN. Check out our brunch, #actualbrunch

Details

Cuisine

African
American
BBQ
Cajun
Chinese
Eastern European

Dietary Options

Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Halal
Nut Free
Organic
Sugar Free

Food & Catering

Buffet
Catering Clean Up
Catering Delivery & Setup
Chef Stations
Family Style
Menu Tastings

Awards and Affiliations

5

out of 5.0

23 reviews

Search reviews

11/04/2024 • Wesley K

We knew to expect the best when we booked Actual Food for our wedding, but even then, the Actual Food team exceeded all our expectations. Their exceptional service made us feel truly special, like guests of honor. Our guests couldn’t stop raving — it was, hands down, the best wedding dinner they had ever had (a sentiment echoed in countless other reviews!). From start to finish, the Actual Food team helped bring our wedding dreams to life. Our guests were treated to something new with every chapter of the night — from welcome drinks to charcuterie boards to a beautiful dinner. The Actual Food team even built a stunning champagne tower which added an unforgettable touch of magic to the evening. We are deeply grateful to Luke, Autumn, and the entire Actual Food team for helping make our day extraordinary. If you're looking for a fantastic and professional caterer, take our word for it. Actual Food is the one you want!

10/08/2024 • Sarah W

We had an amazing experience with Actual Food as our wedding caterer. We got so many compliments on our Upscale Southern food selection that brought a special touch of Nashville to our guests! Our friends are getting married in May and asked to also use Actual Food because they were so impressed with the catering! We worked with Luke, and he was truly fantastic. Thank you Actual Food!

12/22/2023 • Jennifer R

Food was one of the top priorities for our wedding and Actual Food delivered such exceptional service for our big day. From the beginning, we worked with Luke to provide a selection of our likes and dislikes and they were able to craft together an example menu for our fall wedding. From there, we were able to make changes to a few things based on what we liked and what we thought would serve our guests best. When a menu was set, we went in for a tasting of a few selections from the menu. Everything was delicious and gave us confidence that our guests would be satisfied on the big day. During cocktail hour, Actual Food provided bartending service for us as well as the passed appetizers and meat and cheese table. The passed appetizers were a hit, especially the hot chicken and waffle and fried green tomato and pimento cheese. For dinner, guests raved about the Piri Piri chicken, the sirloin and chimichurri sauce, sides, salad, and the rosemary biscuits. We had so many guests tell us how good the food was and how the selection was incredible for a wedding. Not only was the food tasty, but the service was great too. The staff made sure the tables were cleared, water glasses were filled, and were there to serve guests as they went through the buffet line. They even were able to cut our cake to serve to guests after our cake cutting. We highly recommend Actual Food for your big day!

11/18/2023 • Brandy A

We could not have been more lucky to have landed our caterers: Actual Food Nashville. The food was amazing, the service was impeccable, they created the menu exactly as we wanted, handled the bartending, the signature cocktails, it was all perfection. They made everything gluten-free as well! If you’re in Nashville or surrounding and need food for any type of party, I cannot recommend them more!!!!

8/23/2023 • Carrie C

Luke and his team are amazing! Actual Food catered our wedding in August and did a fantastic job. The food ended up being one of the best parts of our wedding and something we got the most compliments on! His team was so nice and attentive to our guests. Everything came out hot, cooked perfectly, and was beautifully presented. We highly recommend!

7/28/2023 • Alyssa J

There aren't words for how thankful I was for everything Actual Foods did for our wedding. We reached out to a few caterers and many didn't allow tastings until after signing contracts or without a fee (that went towards your catering if you signed). Actual Foods gave us a wonderful tasting at their Inglewood location and made us feel like they genuinely cared about making sure our day was perfect. We also did a tasting to figure out our signature drinks, which was fun! Day of, everything went smoothly, the team worked like a fun tuned machine. We did three stations and not assigned seating with 175 guests at The Cordelle and the team at Actual Foods rolled with the entire flow. The food and signature drinks were one of the main topics that everyone raved about all night and the next day. I've had multiple people reach out to see who our caterer was and hope to use them at their weddings. "Best wedding food I've ever had" - Guest who's been to a lot of weddings "A+ all around...people should use them" - my husband "Those rolls changed my life" - Bridesmaid

7/10/2023 • Anna T

I cannot recommend Actual Food Nashville enough! Luke was our main point of contact. After meeting for some taste testing and discussion about potential menu items, he helped us customize and change our menu multiple times in the months leading up to the wedding. Actual Food is very friendly toward allergy-restrictive diets and will work with your guests' needs. We received so many compliments on the food and service, especially the unique and fun appetizers! I was so impressed by the professionalism and efficiency of the servers during the wedding. They also have an amazing package that includes bar service, and their prices are very fair and competitive!

6/23/2023 • Andrea D

Actual Food's catering and bar services were the highlight of our wedding. Luke was so easy to work with. He was responsive, had great suggestions, and was flexible with my ever-changing requests. He did a site visit and worked with us on our complicated venue. The food was INCREDIBLE. People were talking about it all night and even the day after. They also were in charge of bar services, they made my 3 signature drinks and they were so good. I cannot recommend them enough. Look no further if you are looking for you wedding caterer.

11/22/2022 • Lindsay S

We recently had Actual Foods cater our wedding. The food was delicious. The team at Actual Foods is easy to work with both in creating a seasonal menu and making adjustments along the way. ALL of the staff and the bartender who worked the wedding were incredibly helpful and kind. We received a ton of positive comments from our guests about the service. Would definitely use them again for any future events.

10/11/2022 • Collin C

Several guests came up to us during and after our wedding to compliment Actual Food Nashville. They didn't just say it was a delicious meal, but said "that was the best wedding food I have ever had!" The planning process was smooth, and Luke was responsive and easy to work with. The food recommendations were seasonal and spot on! The waitstaff was professional and attentive. We also used Actual Food for our bar service. The cocktails were made well, and our bartender received high compliments from all guests. I would highly recommend!

9/26/2022 • Tristin S

Actual Food was hands down the best decision we made during our wedding planning process. We got married two weekends ago and we're still having friends and family talk to us about how amazing the food was at our wedding reception. Joe and I live in New England and had our wedding in Franklin, TN. All we knew we wanted was comfort food that had a nod to my southern background and Joe's New England. SO we had lobster rolls as one of our appetizer options and southern buffet for dinner! Luke and his team were so helpful during the menu planning process and gave great suggestions when we needed some advice. The food was definitely one of the highlights of our wedding day - thank you!!

8/22/2022 • Ayanna C

Actual Food was absolutely amazing! Because of last year’s COVID-19 variant, my fiance and I had to relocate our Los Angeles based wedding to Nashville, TN for our August 2022 wedding. We did a few food tastings but when we went to Actual Food it was amazing. First, their food tasting is unique and different and the vibe of their lounge/facility sets the tone. The food is fresh and working with Luke and Autumn Zimmerman was a great experience. They were responsive, helped review our alcohol order, allowed us to make changes to our menu and gave great suggestions. Also, I heard great reviews from guests regarding the appetizers and the food (brussels sprouts were a fave!) But more importantly, what guests told us was that the service was amazing! They had great reviews about how the staff were present as well as the bartending staff. We did three specialty drinks that day and I was told that each bartender was assigned to make a particular drink, which helped to ensure there were no wait lines at the bar. I am very happy with our service, the food, and drinks that were provided to ourselves and our guests on that special day.

6/04/2022 • Haley G

Actual Food was wonderful to work with. From the beginning, they were communicative, helpful, and worked with us to create the perfect menu for us. The tasting was wonderful and a perfect way to see what the menu would be like. Our wedding day went without a hitch, and the serving of our family style meal was orchestrated well. We received many compliments from our guests about the food. We highly recommend Actual Food!

12/24/2021 • Elizabeth P

Actual Food was a blast to work with. From the start, Luke had us try anything and everything we wanted during our tasting. We even came back to support their restaurant, Inglewood Lounge, and he had a few more appetizers for us to try. He recommended a menu that had a cohesive variety of flavors, paying tribute to our Nashville destination for most guests (think mini Hot Chicken Waffle bite, and beats with mint and cheese). The food tasted great, was prepared well, and serviced hot and efficiently too.

12/06/2021 • Amber E

How do I even begin to explain how great this catering company is! This company was recommended by my wedding planner and I am so THANKFUL she referred me to them because the entire experience was superb! Conversations with Luke and the entire team were always positive and helpful. The wedding tasting was such a fun experience, and everything we tasted was better than the first. We loved this company so much that they graciously offered to host my rehearsal dinner on Thanksgiving - amazing customer service! My guests raved about the food, drinks, and services they offered! I would recommend Actual Food Nashville to anyone I know! Thank you all so much!

10/23/2021 • Katie C

Actual Food Nashville catered our wedding and it was perfect! So many guests couldn't stop talking about how delicious the food was. My husband and I are both vegetarian and we wanted to have brunch food for the wedding. Luke put together a unique and incredibly tasty menu that exceeded expectations. His staff the day of was super helpful and made sure everything ran smoothly. I highly recommend Actual Food Nashville.

10/06/2021 • Sam S

Actual Food was the perfect caterer for my wedding! I wanted something different than the usual chicken dishes, and they delivered! We had mediterranean meatballs, poached salmon, a mac and cheese bar, and late night grilled cheeses! They also did our bartending and created our signature drinks. We had so many comments on how delicious the food and drinks were. They were so flexible with our wedding reschedule (due to covid) and were absolutely professional and fun to work with. Highly recommend!

9/14/2021 • Kristine B

Five stars for sure for Actual Food Nashville!! We used them for our son's rehearsal dinner in Nashville a week ago and had to coordinate the whole event from out of town since I don't live there. Luke was amazing to work with from start to finish, the food was delicious and servers were outstanding at the event. Luke was also an amazing bartender! We got so many compliments about the food from the 50+ people at our event! I'm so pleased to have found Actual Food Nashville and would HIGHLY recommend them for any event!

6/26/2021 • Didi H

Oh my gosh, let me first just say, every single food item was the best thing in the world. Second, every single person that we spoke with and/or was at our wedding, was as nice as they can be and professional! Actual Food went above and beyond in ways I can't even describe. We had a tasting with them and absolutely loved the food. Somehow, they delivered even BETTER food at our wedding whilst preparing for 100+ people. You can't go wrong with Actual Food!

6/17/2021 • Kathryn V

Actual Food was such an amazing, professional caterer! Every step of the way, there were on top of everything! I had so many questions while planning my own wedding, and Luke, the owner, was so helpful with every question I had. We did a tasting with them while we were checking out vendors, and they really impressed us. The food was absolutely amazing for our wedding, we had so many people who said they loved it. The bartenders were also phenomenal, very helpful, and professional. I would highly recommend to book them for your wedding or event!

2/13/2021 • Liz B

Luke and the Actual Food team were extraordinary. To start, Luke had a private tasting at the team's Inglewood Lounge in East Nashville. The food was incredible and what we loved learning, the food will primarily be cooked on site (versus cooked well in advance of wedding reception and brought in trucks on warming trays). We then brought my now in-laws back to see Inglewood Lounge, and Luke AGAIN gave a complementary tasting to us 4, to try appetizer options for our wedding cocktail hour. Luke and team came to my now in-laws' kitchen, as we ultimately eloped in the backyard. They adapted to our micro-wedding and cooked a phenomenal meal - spinach puffs, chicken and waffle skewers, mint and beet skewer, steak, chicken with carrot puree, southern risotto. My mouth is watering thinking about it! Looking forward to having Actual Food back for the big one year anniversary celebration, to show off their food to friends and family.

9/13/2017 • Julia G

Wow, how is there only ONE other review on these guys?! Actual Food recently catered our wedding and coordinated rentals for the day and they did a PHENOMENAL job. Dan is a pleasure to work with, his staff at our reception/cocktail hour were all so kind, helpful, and enthusiastic, and the food was incredible!!! We planned from out of town and didn't even get to do a tasting, but what an awesome surprise on our wedding day to get to have a meal prepared by these guys! We did buffet style Mediterranean dinner and everything was prepared to perfection. I could go on, but you should just taste for yourself. Our guests also can't stop talking about the food and awesome service at our wedding. If you want ACTUAL food (not wedding food) at your wedding/big event/party/whatever, go with this company.