Encore Catering

Encore Catering catered my garden wedding on August 29, 2020. Most of my interactions were with Sandy Shakespeare, both on the phone and over email. While Sandy was always positive and willing to work with me, she missed important things in emails that would require a follow up, lost my credit card information for my initial deposit, and often left me feeling a little nervous about whether everything was covered. I also paid extra for a wooden bar that Encore had instead of a basic white bar based on a photo that looked nothing like the bar that showed up on the day of the wedding (see photos below). Additionally, we had made it very clear to Sandy that the bar was really important to us and we needed an experienced bartender for the day of the wedding. The bartender was changed 3 times leading up to the day, and the final change came the day before the wedding when we had no time to speak with the bartender about our expectations and hopes. Even though we left detailed instructions and recipes for the bartender, one of the signature drinks was made incorrectly and some guests were told there was no scotch at the bar when we had a 1.75L bottle available (that was never opened). It left us feeling underwhelmed about one of the most important parts of the day. All that said, the hors d'oeuvres and entrees were delicious so for that we would recommend them to a friend. Overall I'd say the experience was good but it was a bit of a let down.

I have such a distinct memory of how incredible the food at my brother's bar mitzvah was. The SECOND that we decided to have our wedding at TSA it was not even a question that we would be booking Encore. First of all, they are the most kind hearted, patient, wonderful people to work with. It was such an incredible experience and such a pleasure getting to know all of you. Second of all, THE FOOD! Oh my god, the food! Every single person that has reached out to us about this weekend is raving about how incredible every single passed app was all the way through the main course. I have never been to a wedding before where I actually enjoyed the main meal but this was incredible...seriously they blew our minds. Thank you times a million for everything we could not have imagined this weekend with out Encore!

Cait at Encore Catering is so great! Our wedding venue’s in house caterer quite less than 5 months before our wedding, without a replacement. I reached out to Encore to see if they could help. Cait was already familiar with the situation at hand and was so reassuring about helping us with our menu. She worked with her manager to put together a proposal that fit our budget. I asked for a reference, who happened to be a bride at the same venue. She raved about Encore. Not only did they provide great food, but they helped with many other aspects of the wedding. Ultimately our venue worked out something with us, where we no longer need an outside caterer. But Encore was high on our list, if we did. I would highly recommend them!

5 Stars!! The service and food were absolutely top notch. My husband and I were never left unattended and our guests always felt like their needs were taken care of. The staff had a smile on their face and genuinely helped to make our day as special as it was. Our guests still have not stopped raving about how great the cocktail hour and dinner were. Would absolutely recommend to anybody! Cait was our wedding angel! We had a lot of requests but Cait never made us feel like it was too much or that we couldn’t fit it in our budget. My whole family felt so blessed that we had Cait at our side throughout the planning process! Thank you Encore!!!

Encore is the best of the best! Susan was patient and helpful every step of the way when planning our wedding. She listened to what we wanted and was able to give us an incredible menu for a reasonable price. The attention to detail from EVERYONE at Encore should not go unnoticed. Our tasting was personalized and intimate. The quality of food is outstanding. We never once had to worry about the catering. Day of the wedding, my venue DROPPED THE BALL. To say that Encore saved the day would be an understatement. They went above and beyond (i.e. cleaning tables and dealing with the venue). There was never a lack of food. People were raving about it. The waitstaff was friendly and so incredibly hard working. I cannot say enough fabulous things about Encore. Start to finish amazing. I will forever use them for every party and I could not recommend them enough.

We used Encore for the food at our wedding and it was fantastic. We got a lot of compliments on the food and the catering staff were so sweet and made sure my husband and I were fed and had everything we needed.

Encore is so much more than just a caterer! Not only is their food amazing but the staff is outstanding. Encore offers to do decor and florals for weddings as well. I cannot rave enough about Lilly. She was with me from day one in planning the menu, decor and florals. She is extremely talented and her decor/floral skills far surpass any florist or other vendors. The work that Lilly did in the Morris Museum for decor and florals for the wedding was magazine worthy! The amount of professionalism that Encore showed from the tasting to planning and service on the wedding day was superb. You cannot go wrong by choosing Encore!

Encore Catering made our wedding an absolute dream. We were so nervous about choosing a caterer until the minute we met with Lily and discussed our wedding. She was so on top of everything from the minute we met her and she made our dreams turn into a reality. All of our guests raved about the food and the unbelievable service. So many people told us stories of their kindness and how they went above and beyond for certain guests. They also set up signs for us outside our venue and made all of my small details come to life without even batting an eye. If you are looking for a caterer for your wedding, choose Encore. It will be the best decision you make.

Wonderful, delicious, amazing. Several people commented that it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding; even my cousin the chef was impressed. And most of all - here's what you can't learn from a tasting, and what people will notice most if it's lacking - Encore's service was perfect. There was plenty of staff, and they were professional and graceful and attentive. During cocktail hour the stations were always filled, the passed appetizers were always at your elbow. Entrees came out in sync, and glasses were always filled. They were a tiny bit scatter-brained to work with in advance - we seem to have exchanged more than a dozen invoices to get the details right, and there was a last-minute panic when they misplaced our payment - but they were really nice people, and there were no mistakes when it mattered: the food and service were amazing. Various people we know have used Encore for weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc. and they're always that good. Our wedding was in the Newark Museum - an unusual venue with its own fussy rules - and Encore handled it perfectly; they're on the Museum's approved caterer list.

The food was amazing. We were concerned that we were going with traditional wedding food however the quality of the service and the taste of the food was amazing. The head server was always there for us bringing us food and drinks and asking us if we needed anything. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing!! Best wedding food I ever had.

Encore was absolutely incredible from the very beginning up until the very end. They made planning very easy and were happy to accommodate any requests. The cocktail hour was beautifully setup with plenty of servers passing around food and beverages. The dinner was also incredible. My husband and I had our own server the entire night, I never had to ask for anything! Many of my guests commented on how delicious the food was and there was hardly ever a long line at the bar. I would highly recommend Encore, I did not have to worry about anything my entire wedding day,they took care of every little detail!

Encore Catering was nothing short of incredible. Everyone commented on how delicious and memorable the food was, and I was thoroughly impressed with their professionalism. They made planning my wedding a truly enjoyable experience, and I was able to enjoy my wedding day (relatively!) stress-free, confident that they would do an amazing job. Encore exceeded my expectations.

My wife and I just celebrated our six month anniversary and since our wedding day we always talk about one vendor, ENCORE! To give a little background, during our planning my wife and I were on the same page about every vendor except catering - I was convinced that using a vendor that gave us a cheaper quote would be sufficient and everyone would still have a great time dancing and partying. My wife convinced me Encore was the better choice, she has never been more right on a decision, ever. Encore was absolutely amazing! Let me repeat AMAZING. I want to say it one more time AMAZING!! Why Encore is absolutely incredible 1)The food is so good I still dream about the food they served. Everyone’s first sentence to me at the wedding was “Congratulations and this food is AMAZING, who are they?” Where we got married there was no kitchen, so their ability to make incredible food even with this challenge put them in an entirely different category in my opinion. 2)Their service level is by far the best service I have ever seen at a wedding or restaurant. They were attentive to each of our guests needs, took ownership and resolved any problem. A great example, it was hot and our wedding was outside – They wet napkins and put them in the freezer, once cold, they gave them to our guests on the dance floor to cool off. Another example, it rained on our big day and I was walking to some guests (outside of our cocktail area) Michelle (The Maître D) knew I had requested shrimp cocktail. She covered the shrimp, ran in the rain and met me under my umbrella and waited (in the rain!) as I ate it just to ensure I was happy. 3)They are organized, efficient, and responsive during the planning process. Lilly and June were so helpful, as we did our pre-walk before the wedding they had everything covered - knew all of the questions to ask/ problems that could arise - incredible attention to detail. All in all Encore is absolutely incredible, you should stop looking and choose Encore today!

The food at my wedding was fantastic! Guests are still talking about how delicious everything was! Encore was an absolute pleasure to work with from the start. They were upfront, accommodating and fun! My questions were always answered and I felt like I had complete access to them. It really was a great value for the amount and type of food we served. They were also great for making recommendations for our liquor & cake. Beyond the wonderful food, the service all around was excellent. Instead of a traditional sit-down dinner, we had stations. I would definitely recommend this for any bride & groom looking for something different. Encore's presentation was beautiful and they paid a lot of attention to detail. The waitstaff & bartenders were a great group and extremely attentive. Overall fantastic experience! I would highly recommend this caterer!

Everyone was so helpful and easy to work with and we got rave reviews about how delicious our wedding was. Highly recommended!

From the beginning planning stages to the wedding day, Amy Rosenbloom and her team from Encore was exceptional. Amy is very professional with a keen eye and a great sense of style. She offered many invaluable advices throughout the process. Even though our wedding was not a big budget wedding, Amy was able to select all the necessities within our budget and not skimp on any detail. Best of all, the food was phenomenal. Our maitre D, Michelle on the day of the wedding, was awesome as well. She was on the ball with everything, very helpful and respectful. We felt at ease with her at the helm. Our wedding was held at the Montclair Art Museum, Encore has worked many events at the museum, so logistically, Encore knew exactly what needed to be done with set up and tear down. It was one of the important deciding factors in selection Encore.

Can't say enough about Encore... the food is amazing! Not only does it taste good, it is unique and the presentation awesome. Lisa and Karen and all the staff are great - they go above and beyond what they need to do and so easy to work with. All night long my guests were pulling me aside asking where I found them and in the weeks since the food is all everyone talks about. If your looking for a caterer, look no further. They were the first caterers we met with and we were sold immediately. They really made the wedding!