About this vendor
Based in Poughkeepsie, NY, Lola’s Cafe and Catering is a boutique wedding catering business owned by Edward Kowalski. Initially established in 2005, the sandwich shop is the company’s headquarters for delicious, gourmet event catering. Specializing in seasonal and local foods, the culinary team is passionate about creating high-quality and memorable dishes to enhance your dining experience.
Lola’s Cafe and Catering designs menus to reflect the seasons of the year, celebrating the unique flavors and colors of spring, summer, fall, and winter. You can whet your appetite by the mezze table, enjoying tasty artisan cheeses and appetizers like ceviche and shrimp tostada. Invigorate your reception meal with crowd-pleasing chef-operated stations serving classic Japanese Yakatori or feast your eyes on a gourmet taco station.
Lola’s Cafe and Catering offers all-inclusive catering packages for cocktail hour and wedding receptions. Beginning with grazing tables and passing hors d'oeuvres, the experienced wait staff will take care of your guests, ensuring a seamless catering service. You can enjoy a family-style reception, filling your plate with wonderful creations. All menus are tailored to meet dietary requirements such as dairy-free, vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free.
Details
Cuisine
- American
Dietary Options
- Dairy Free
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Food & Catering
- Buffet
- Catering Clean Up
- Catering Delivery & Setup
- Chef Stations
- Family Style
- Food Trucks
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
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4.9
out of 5.046 reviews
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We could not have picked a better choice for our wedding! The whole team was absolutely amazing. The food was phenomenal -- many of our guests told us that our wedding food was the best they had ever had!! And just as important, the staff and service was impeccable -- everyone was so cheerful and lovely to be around. For our 250-person wedding, that is no small feat! Michaela and Eddie are truly the best -- it was an absolute joy to plan and coordinate with them. We 10/10 recommend Lola's for your wedding or any other event!!! You will be overjoyed with your choice!!
What an unbelievable experience working with Lola's!
Throughout the entire process, Michaela and Eddie were so professional, accommodating, and easy to work with leading up to and on our wedding day. They literally thought of everything from figuring out how each course would be plated (TY Michaela) to making sure any dietary restrictions were accounted for. A HUGE thank you to Michaela, Eddie, & their staff for helping make our day unforgettable!
Now, onto the food. My husband and I are big foodies, and knew we wanted a fun menu with a range of options that reflected this. We're talking everything from a raw bar and tuna tartar to chicken & waffles, NY style chopped cheese, mini sausage & pepper sandwiches and an entire Japanese station with steamed bao buns and fried rice in Chinese take-out containers—and that was JUST cocktail hour!
For our reception, we had plated dinner where guests could choose from NY Strip, Branzino, or Ricotta Gnocchi. Each dish was absolutely delicious. Our guests are STILL raving about how incredible our wedding food was, but the real highlight were the fried oreos for dessert. Yes, you heard that right - FRIED OREOS!!! Our guests could not get over these and thought it was so cool that we had them passed around while they danced the night away.
If you're looking for a unique, fresh, creative spin on food for your wedding, look no further than Lola's. Eddie and Michaela GET IT and will create a bomb menu that will knock your socks off. As the bride, my only regret was not eating more!! HIGHLY recommend!!!
If you need a caterer for an event and you’re on the fence about using Lola’s, just do it. I promise you won’t regret it. Michaela, Eddie, and team went above and beyond for our wedding this year. The food was amazing—people could not stop talking about it. Michaela was my point of contact throughout the entire process and she made me feel at ease every step of the way. You can tell that she really cares about her clients. While we were bummed she couldn’t be there the day of, Dawn was our events coordinator and she was AMAZING. From set up through breakdown Dawn and team made us feel so well taken care of. Truly a dream. Michaela and Dawn made our wedding perfectly seamless and we would have been lost without them. I have nothing but good things to say about the entire Lola’s team. I would use them again and again.
I seriously cannot recommend Lola’s enough for your next event. My husband and I are BIG foodies. We love going out to eat and trying new food. Lola’s gave us literally the best food we could have ever asked for at our wedding. The professionalism and care that they exhibited the whole day blew everyone away. When I ask my guests about my wedding they always bring up the food and the drinks. They helped customize our menu to exactly what we wanted and by using the freshest, most delicious food in the Hudson Valley! My husband and I knew we were in good hands when we spoke to Eddie about our menu. His knowledge and passion for food shines through with even just one conversation with him. Michaela, who is the head of event catering at Lola’s was also so extremely accommodating and was so good at giving us advice and recommendations. Her experience and knowledge on how to plan a large event while catering to every guest was spot on and very much appreciated! Our catering manager on the day of was Patty, and we were SO lucky to have her! She made sure from start to finish to bring us drinks, food, and always with pleasure and happiness. Patty executed our wedding flawlessly. We love you so much Patty! Thank you! If you are looking for a unique, one of a kind caterer to blow your guests away with the quality of their food, drinks, and professionalism look no further! The reason everyone says Lola’s is the best is because they truly ARE!
Where to even begin? My husband and I were adamant about not having 'traditional' wedding food and boy did Lola's not disappoint. We had the Lola's team cater our rehearsal dinner, wedding, and post-wedding brunch (we couldn't get enough of them!) and everything was absolutely delicious. Our guests are still raving about it two months later. Michaela and Eddie also could not have been more supportive and helpful throughout the entire planning process -- from dreaming up our incredible menu down to helping us manage the very overwhelming process of rentals, plus making sure everything went smoothly throughout all of the weekend's events. They are true professionals in every sense and I can't speak highly enough about our experience with them. If you want food and cocktails that will wow your guests and the best service to match it, don't think twice about booking Lola's. PS- the pizza truck is also amazing and totally worth adding on. SO delicious and our guests loved it.
RUN, DON'T WALK, to hire Lola's as your wedding caterer. It was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. They are professional, amicable, flexible, and we worked seamlessly together. Make sure you have Michaela working with you. She basically double-timed as a wedding planner and day-of coordinator for us and she is such an incredible person. Lola's food tastes great and is presented as works of art. I had a 250 person wedding and the execution of the meals was perfect. There was not one mistake, and that is a pretty big wedding!! It was seamless! All in all, they were fantastic and I can't stress enough how much you should choose Lola's for your wedding. You will not regret it!
Where do I even begin?! Hiring Lola's will 100% be the best decision you make for your wedding. Michaela and Eddie, you are THE BEST. You and your team really are masters at what you do. Michaela worked with Durants to reserve all of the equipment they needed to prepare the food & met me on site the day before to go over placement. The food selection was so creative and everything was delicious, cooked fresh right on premises before it was served. In addition to the stellar food and beverages, I really have to give props to the team working that day. Everyone was so attentive and lovely, kept things moving throughout the night, and always made sure that I had a plate full of food in my hand :). It was such an honor to have Lola's at my wedding. Love you guys, thank you so much for everything!!!
Michaela and her team at Lola's were amazing. I was worrying about absolutely everything leading up, I was a head case, so it was so nice that once the weekend arrived, all my worries just washed away because Michaela had everything handled. I didn't have a care in the world other than partying on my wedding day thanks to her. Not to mention, the food was phenomenal, all my guests commented on it. They worked with us on customizing the menu-- we did family style, which made it feel like we were at an intimate dinner party with 100 of our favorite people, which is exactly what I wanted. And the entire wait staff were just so pleasant and fun to be around. Our guests drank the bar dry in bud lights - the bartender went out twice to get more! They were truly awesome. 10/10 recommend.
Lola's came recommended from our venue, and when we went to our tasting we knew they were a great decision! We had to delay our wedding due to the pandemic, and they were one of the few vendors who we never worried about trying to pull one over on us or raise costs or change contracts. We felt completely taken care of in their well-trusted hands! They were truly good people, from the owner to the maitre'd to the waitstaff and bartenders. We worked with Eddie, Tyler, Michaela, Annalise, and Patty, and all were exceptional and lovely. The people and staff aside, the food was DELICIOUS. Everyone was saying for weeks how they had not had such great food at a wedding before. Their food is fresh, unique, and amazing. The service on the day-of was great as well; multiple Lola's staff members looked for my husband and I to make sure we had food and drink at all times. Choosing Lola's was one of the best decisions we made in my wedding planning!
If you are considering using Lola’s Catering for an event, do not hesitate and do not look elsewhere! Book them now! We used them for our twice postponed wedding and they were so helpful, kind and understanding throughout the entire process. Michaela is a gem- she went above and beyond to make sure that our day was perfect. She made me feel so at ease all day and graciously handled the weather/guest hiccups that were thrown at her. Eddie and his chefs are amazing! The food was incredible and every single one of our guests raved about it! I still get a big smile on my face when I think about our menu! They are the best!
We could not have been happier with Lola's catering for our wedding!! The food was amazing! We had so many guests comment on how amazing the food was and how they licked their plates clean!! Additionally, Eddie and Michaela were wonderful during the planning process. They were extremely accomodating when we had to move the wedding due to COVID and were super responsive during the whole process. Highly recommend!!
Eddie, Michaela and their crew put on the most spectacular catering event I’ve ever seen! (I’ve done a lot of catering in the past). They were the most professional and knew exactly what they were doing. Michaela and her crew decorated my wedding venue better than what I could have ever imagined! I highly recommend them for any catering event you may have!
I could not recommend Lola's more highly. Eddie and his team are wonderful to work with (particularly as we had to reschedule the wedding due to the pandemic), and everything they produced was exceptional. The food and wine were very important to us, and I was eager to avoid typical (and usually bad) "wedding food". Lola's exceeded our expectations a million times over. Eddie coordinated with my mom to hand pick wines, and he made sure all our menus were seasonal with as many ingredients as possible sourced locally. The service team was also amazing - they were so energetic and lovely, and handled all the logistics seamlessly. And the wood-fired pizzas at our after party were among the best I've ever had! In short: we're still getting compliments, with our guests saying that the food was the best they've ever had at a wedding.
Lola's is fantastic!! We worked closely with Eddie and Mikaela - they are so professional and completely put our minds at ease during the planning process. Every detail they touch - from the food, to the event set up, to the service - far exceeded our expectations and we couldn’t be happier. We are so grateful to Eddie, Mikaela and their team and all the hard work that went into making our day perfect. Our family & friends have been nonstop raving about how delicious everything was and we couldn’t agree more!
We hired Lola's to cater our wedding at Nostrano Vineyard's last weekend and couldn't be happier with the decision, they are the absolute best. The food was incredible and the service was fantastic. Our family and friends were blown away, they're still bringing it up a week later. They're absolute pros at this and were a pleasure to plan with, especially Patty who was our point person in the lead up to and on our big day. They're all just awesome people, so happy we went with them. We had some guests attending their first wedding and had to tell them afterwards to lower their expectations for future weddings, they're not all this great!
We cannot thank Lola's Cafe and Catering enough for making our wedding day an absolute dream. We never anticipated navigating a pandemic/postponing from our original date, but Eddie and Michaela were kind, patient, professional, and reassuring during these crazy times. Michaela handled the coordination of our rentals, which took a huge burden off of us. Eddie's menu was a huge hit, and we still have guests telling us how incredible the food was. Lola's adapted with our changing plans, and made us feel like family. Michaela and Eddie have been our rocks for the last year and a half, and we cannot tell you how much it means to us that they were continually by our side on our wedding day. We are lucky to call you our friends after this process. I could not recommend Lola's Cafe and Catering more <3
Lola’s was AMAZING to work with!!! The food was delicious and everyone keeps raving about it. Eddie, Michaela, & Patty were so easy to work with and they helped me every step of the way. I can’t even put into words how amazing they are!! I will definitely be using them in the future!
The catering provided by Lola's for my recent wedding was exceptional. I never expected to feel so care free on my wedding day, but Michaela and her team went above and beyond to make sure that the event went flawlessly! I have some food allergies (gluten/dairy) which Lola's had no problem accomodating for - which I appreciated soooo much. All the food was high quality, flavorful, and presented so beautifully. I was really pleased with the signature cocktail (spicy margarita) that was available for guests all night ... our guests lived them so much that they finished every last drop by the end of the reception. The open bar was exactly as promised, and the bartender was amazing - soooo much fun!
Planning the wedding was a little stressful because we did it in under 3 months, but Michaela (Lola's event coordinator) made sure that every detail was planned for and executed to perfection on the day of. Michaela and her team at Lola's are really the best, and I am so grateful they helped make our wedding everything we dreamed of and more!
Lola's catered our wedding at Locust Grove and we quickly learned that they were so much more than a caterer! In addition to putting together an incredible menu that we and our guests loved, the staff also helped make sure my husband and I were taken care of throughout the entire event. All of our guests raved about the food and how kind and fun the staff was!
Annalise was so wonderful to work with and took all of the stress out of planning a wedding from afar (my husband and I live on the west coast). In addition to securing the rentals, she also offered help with the day-of timeline, lining up our guests for the ceremony, setting up the table decor, etc. They were also super helpful about scheduling a tasting when my husband was back east visiting his family.
Lola Cafe is an amazing catering company . They made planning Stephen and I special day so easy. Annalise was amazing to work with as she helped us every step of the way. Chef Edward farm to table cuisines are to die for. After the wedding all my guest couldn’t get enough and said it was the best. The hor d'oeuvres were unique and so good and the dinner looks like it came out of magazine. Stephen and I are over the moon with Lola cafe a highly recommended them!
Lola’s catered our wedding at Locust Grove, and we had a wonderful experience with them. From our initial meeting, to the tasting, to the wedding day, everything ran smoothly and we could not be happier. Our guests loved the food and I’m still getting compliments. The servers and staff were extremely professional and helpful, multiple guests complemented the team to us afterwards. Annalise is amazing and went above and beyond and was a joy to work with. Lola’s catering is truly outstanding.
Patty and Billy are the dream team. They will go above and beyond to get you anything you want or need. Patty is one of the sweetest people you’ll meet she will feel like family to you by the end of your experience. They never once made your feel like any decision or last minute change was asking for too much. Their food is high quality and delicious people will never forget the food. I had the best experience with Lola’s, there isn’t anything they can’t do!!
I cannot say enough good things about Lola's!
Because we go to the cafe in New Paltz all the time, it seemed like a no brainer to choose them as the caterer for our wedding. They were phenomenal from the very beginning.
Annalise is so professional, accommodating, and sweet as we planned everything. If we had an idea for appetizers or main course, it was met with a "no problem, of course we can do that!"
On the actual day, every member of the staff was amazing! From the server who found us as we were taking pictures to bring us appetizers and drinks, to the bartenders they got for us, to Eddie and Tyler in the chef tent. Just the best! Michaela was out coordinator for the day and she was amazing!
And the food! Oh the food! I had salmon and I think that to be able to cook salmon perfectly en masse is quite the feat! They pulled it off beautifully! Everything was delicious!
I will continue to rave about Lola's to anyone that needs catering for any event, wedding or otherwise!
Thank you so much guys!
Lola’s did an amazing job at our wedding! Annalise was so helpful from start to finish. She took charge in placing the orders for the rental company and advised us on everything we needed. Everyone raved about the food at our wedding and our vegan, vegetarian, and GF friends were all very happy with the accommodations Lola’s made for them. Prior to our cocktail hour, they had a bunch of our signature drinks pre-made so there wouldn’t be a long line at the bar when everyone got there. It even rained during our cocktail hour and while our guests could fit under the covered area, the bartender and waitstaff worked in the rain. They were all SO friendly and professional. We couldn’t have dreamed of better caterers!
Eddie and Annalise make the best team! I couldnt recommend them enough. They helped us plan the most magical day and we couldn’t ask for more. Lolas was the perfect fit for us. Our guest havnt stopped raving about the whole wedding and the food was out of control. Thank you 1000 times everyone at Lolas who made us the happiest bride and groom around!
Where do I even begin?! Annalise and her team were absolutely AMAZING!! They set everything up perfectly for us so that all we had to do was show up. Throughout this entire process, I wasn't even stressed about how everything would come together because I knew they would have everything taken care of. They are so good at what they do that I knew I was in good hands. I honestly couldn't have set up my reception as nicely as they did. They were extremely accommodating, even at the food tasting. My dad wanted tartar sauce to try with the salmon, and since they didn't have any on sight, they made their own! (which he ended up liking better than the real thing). Annalise knew I was making every effort to be at cocktail hour, and when she noticed we weren't inside yet, she put together a platter of the hors d'oeuvres for my husband and I while we were taking pictures- she also personally brought out signature cocktails for us! The food was absolutely amazing and presented perfectly. EVERYONE has told us they never had food like that at a wedding, and some even said it's the best food they've ever had! It was an absolute pleasure to work with Lola's, and I hope to be invited to another wedding that has them as their caterers so that we can enjoy it all again!
When we were looking at wedding venues in the Hudson Valley – every single place said Lola’s was their favorite caterer and that says something. We couldn’t be happier that we chose Lola’s for our outdoor, vineyard venue. Getting married in a venue that requires you to bring in everything can be very overwhelming but not when you have an All-Star like Annalise helping you every step of the way. Lola’s handled all of our rentals for us. Annalise knows exactly what you will need in order to make your wedding day perfect. Once we had our food tasting, I knew we were also in such great hands with Eddie. Eddie created a custom menu for us and I am not exaggerating when I say everyone was raving all night about the food and multiple guests even said it was the best food they ever had at a wedding and I agree! It has been a month since our wedding and we are still getting compliments. Annalise personally made sure my husband, Joe and I had a full tray of hor d’oeuvres to ourselves and even walked it over to our photoshoot for us to enjoy. They also brought all 3 entrees to our sweetheart table - so don’t worry about the myth that the bride and groom don’t get to eat at their own wedding. They will take care of you and you will enjoy every last bite!
I have to say I was a very indecisive bride during wedding planning and I made changes to our rental agreement multiple times - Annalise never dropped the ball. She is very quick to respond to my emails and she’s just an overall amazing person. I felt so lucky to be surrounded by such genuine, personable professionals who made us feel at ease the entire night and our guests felt that too. Annalise and her team worked so hard all day and they even worked with our florist to make sure all of the tables and small details were exactly how we envisioned. She even met with us the day before our wedding at our venue to make sure we were happy with everything! I don’t know how she does it all! Lola’s really is the best choice you can make for your wedding. Thank you so much Eddie, Annalise and your entire staff for making our wedding day better than we could have ever imagined.
I don't have enough words to describe the impact Lola's catering and most specifically Annalise had on our wedding.
1. What a doll. Annalise is the sweetest and SO organized and on her game.
2. She is patient and thoughtful- always took a call from my mother-in-law, remembered details about my sister-in-law having a baby, and the family's affinity for the Philadelphia Eagles
3. She forced my husband and I to pause pictures to have some appetizers that she brought to us some 100 yards down the property- two of everything! AND the cocktails she knew we were drinking. That was all the food we ate that day.
4. We started planning 2 years out and called her with a million questions about the venue she knew so well (The Hill in Hudson, also a 5 star if you like to DIY and horses and beautiful views)
5. Annalise handled all the additional things we needed for rentals- tents, linens, plates, tables, chairs, lights, bars! She recommended others for everything from make-up to porta potties.
She just gets it and the food was unbelievable. Lola's takes catering very seriously and does it with 100% heart and talent. If you want great food everyone will rave about, staff that cares about you and your planning (for upwards of 2+ years), and someone to bounce ideas off- Annalise and Lola's Catering is your company!
All I can say is AMAZING. Amazing food, Amazing staff and Amazing service. I'm a culinary grad and hard to please. The Lola's team absolutely knocked it out of the park. Chef Ed worked with me on creating a fun, unique and inspired seasonal menu that pleased my taste buds as well as my guests. Annalise worked with me from start to finish to make sure my vision was delivered (it was better than I could have ever imagined!). They were always available to answer my questions and made the wedding planning process a breeze. Their team has such experience doing large catered events, I am still getting compliments from my wedding guests a month later.
If you're looking for a creative menu (not the same old meat and potatoes) with incredible personal decor touches.... Lola's is a no brain-er. They are professional and I cannot say enough great things about them!
where to begin. Lola's was one of the best and easiest decisions we made. Annalise goes above and beyond any one I've ever met. she basically is my organizational soul mate and I felt very comfortable asking her any question no matter how silly it seemed. Eddie did an amazing job preparing meal that fit the style of our day and our budget and everything was delicious. Lola's staff was efficient during the whole night. everything was set up exactly how I imagined it would be. Abby and Mary were our day of coordinators and they were great in terms of making sure we were fed and checking in to see how we were doing and if we needed anything. it was a perfect evening and Lola's definitely made it smooth and stress free. they do it all! set up, coordinating rentals, bar, service, food etc. we can't thank Lola's for their part In our best day ever!
Choosing Lola's was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. When you book Lola's you get delicious, beautiful presented food, expertly crafted cocktails, a rental liaison, event set up and design, and a team of top talent dedicated to making sure everything is perfect on your day.
We got married at Nostrano Vineyards on 9/8/18. Nostrano's is a drop dead gorgeous site, but in order to have a wedding there you need to bring in outside catering and rentals. Lola's has a great relationship with Nostrano's and frequently caters weddings there. Before booking Nostrano's we scheduled introduction calls with a few caterers to get a better sense of what the costs would be for catering and event rentals. Lola's came highly recommended and after our call with Annalise we could totally see why! She immediately put us at ease and was entirely accommodating of our requests and budget. She also coordinated all the rentals through Events Unlimited. Shortly after booking Lola's we met Annalise at the rental showroom and selected our rentals. She was a key adviser during this process. We also did our tasting at Lola's restaurant and everything was delicious - putting us further at ease!
Our wedding was executed perfectly - thanks in a tremendous part to the team at Lola's. Annalise was on hand to ensure everything was set up to our specifications. The team really went above and beyond to set up the ceremony, our cocktail hour lounge, welcome table, escort card display, all the reception tables and I'm sure a ton of other things! Much of their work is behind the scenes, but we completely appreciated the care and effort they put into everything! Not to mention the food was delicious! The presentation of the cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres was perfect and they set up a fantastic harvest table. Our wedding guests raved about the food and drinks!
We had the wedding of our dreams thanks to Lola's! I couldn't recommend them more highly! Book them!!
I was extremely conflicted writing this review, as our entire time working with Annalise leading up to the wedding was fantastic and stress-free. Eddie was very flexible in putting together a menu for us that reflected our vision for our wedding. We were very confident that we were in good hands with Lola's Catering and their team. The day-of our wedding, our guests loved the food and it was presented beautifully!
However, we were extremely disappointed with Mary as our day-of coordinator and would only recommend using Lola's as your caterer if you have Annalise as your day-of coordinator. We were informed that Mary was going to be the day-of coordinator a few weeks before the wedding and did not speak to her until the day-of when we arrived at the Brotherhood Winery. Mary was frazzled and unwelcoming which added to our stress the day-of our wedding instead of providing us with assistance and organization. Throughout the afternoon/evening we had to prompt her to help keep us organized which seemed pretty opposite to what a day-of coordinator should be doing as they should be helping the bride/groom not us guiding them. A few specific examples where the coordination really fell short:
-We had to ask her to help line-up our bridal party and help with guiding us to walking down the ceremony aisle, she did not take any initiative in doing this until we asked
-As cocktail hour was finishing up we had to ask her to start directing guests into the Grand Hall, she did not do this on her own or seem to know the timeline
-The head table, only had 7 place settings at it instead of the 9 needed, because the staff "Didn't know that the bride and groom were sitting at that table" this was clearly outlined in all of our pre-wedding materials (an extensive document template was sent by Lola's to be filled out and reviewed during a conference call that we had with Annalise a few weeks before the wedding). At a minimum, shouldn't the day-of coordinator know where the bride and groom are sitting? My brother and sister had to scramble to find chairs/place-settings so that we had somewhere to sit
It felt like Mary did not know the timeline of our wedding at all and we had to prompt her throughout.
Overall we would recommend Lola's Catering to other brides/grooms BUT NOT with Mary as the day-of coordinator. The lack of coordination, the last minute switch to a different coordinator (someone we had never spoken to before and didn't know if we worked well with) and ultimately the poor execution of the logistics of the day was very upsetting to us on probably the most hectic day of our lives.
Lola's catered our wedding at the Farm at Pond Lily, and we were blown away by both the quality of the food and how wonderful they were to work with. From our first inquiry onward, Lola's was always prompt, informative, and accurate with answers to our (many, many) questions by email or phone. Lola's was able to quickly provide us an accurate quote and they were incredibly accommodating of our requests. Their culinary abilities and range is truly staggering, and I have no doubt that they can put together a fantastic menu of whatever dishes you could want. We were able to tweak the menu to our exact specifications.
The food itself was exceptional. I went into this process with the assumption that all wedding food kind of sucked because it had to be prepared on such a large scale. Our tasting at Lola's in New Paltz gave me hope, as everything we had was phenomenal, and what was served on the day of was equal to or better than what we had for just the two of us. What you sample will truly be representative of what you get! Lola's makes ample use of Hudson Valley produce and many of the dishes we chose were vegetable-focused because the quality was just outrageously good.
All told, this was the first (and hopefully only) wedding caterer I've ever booked, but I have absolutely no misgivings about recommending Lola's for any event. The team you work with is responsive, professional, and talented, and will work tirelessly to give you the best possible menu and experience you can dream up. Do yourself and your wedding guests a favor and book them today!
Lola's was our caterer for our wedding at A Private Estate in Germantown, NY, and we had such an incredible experience with them. Everyone on their team is pleasant and professional. Both the appetizers and entrees were delicious (we had chicken, steak, and vegetarian pasta), and our guests commented to us directly how good the food was (especially given the low bar many guests have for wedding food). Lola's even created a custom late-night to-go snack that our guests loved. The service the day of the wedding was flawless. I would highly recommend using Lola's for your wedding!
I honestly don’t even know where to begin!!!!!!! I used Lola’s Cafe for my wedding at Brotherhood Winery. Annalise went ABOVE & BEYOND for an entire year: menu planning, working with our budget, phone conferences, timely emails, organizing rentals, table layouts, & setting up tables & centerpieces. Not only that, but she lent me her own personal snowboots for my outdoor pictures (we had a snowstorm on our wedding day). Annalise, you are a miracle worker! Ed took the time to come out and speak to us during our private tasting at Crave - he was so receptive to our questions & concerns. He was creative & professional which was clearly portrayed in his dishes. Fast foward to the wedding day....the venue was set up PERFECTLY by Annalise & the staff (exactly how I envisioned), the cocktail hour & entrees were UNBELIEVABLE...I don’t have a SINGLE negative thing to say about the food or service, nor did my guests! Everyone was RAVING about the food (and still are). The servers & staff were SO attentive and professional - I was blown away. I could go on and on about how amazing Lola’s Cafe is. You guys were unbelievable. My husband and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the most perfect day. THANK YOU!
My now-husband is a chef, so when we started planning our wedding, we knew our friends and family would all be anticipating an amazing, top-notch meal and we've always believed "Food is Love." We met with several caterers and were seriously underwhelmed with their limited menus. Finally, we sat down with Eddie and Annalise and right away, we knew we'd found the right fit! From Eddie's off-the-cuff and brilliant menu ideas to Annalise's professional manor and generous attention to EVERY detail, there was not a single part of our cocktail hour, dinner, or dessert that was not awe-inspiring and delicious. Annalise answered all of my (numerous) questions and checked on us throughout the process. She made sure we got to try a little bit of everything -- this bride actually ATE at her wedding thanks to Annalise and the whole staff! And let's talk servers!!! Like well-dressed clockwork, they trooped around each table in turn so no one was left waiting to be served. From the creative salad and personalized gnocchi courses (and if you've ever made it, you can imagine, homemade from scratch gnocchi for 100 guests is NOTHING to sniff at!) to the melt-in-your-mouth entree choices, our guests were STUFFED before dessert was even offered. Eddie and his team catered to the fussy-eater guests, the children, the dietarily restricted guests, and the oh-my-God-it's-so-good-can-I-have-more guests with ease and professionalism, as if this were an intimate dinner party, not a full blown, Italian-Irish wedding extravaganza. My biggest fear was for my husband to wind up throwing an apron over his tuxedo to help out in the kitchen if he thought they needed it -- he never once left the party and we made it a point to thank Eddie and his whole team at the end of the night for pulling off such a masterful evening. Highly, highly, highly recommend.
We used Lola's to cater our wedding at Locust Grove and could not be more satisfied with the experience. Annalise is prompt and professional, ready to answer any question.
The food is amazing. We received numerous compliments on both the cocktail hour appetizers and the dinner entrees. The staff that worked the event was present without being intrusive. They made our day seamless, and beautiful.
Where do I start! Annalise and her team were seriously what brought ALL our hard work together and made our wedding everything we could have imagined! We had a list of caterer’s we wanted to check out in the area. We stopped at Lola’s Café to taste their food, and canceled all the rest of our appointments because everyone was so friendly, and the food was delicious. My mom said she couldn’t count the number of people who came up to her at my wedding to tell her that they have never met a catering company with such friendly employees, and went out of their way to make sure every guest was happy. Annalise also went above and beyond putting the last details on our venue to make sure everything looked perfect. Chef Ed put together a menu that catered to what we wanted, as well as a brunch menu for the next morning. Seriously, multiple people still tell ask me what was in that yogurt. If they can get people excited about yogurt for 3 months, they can do anything!
We cannot say enough how wonderful it was to work with Lola's Catering for our wedding. From the very first time we sat down with Annalise and began to plan our big day, we received impeccable professionalism, flexibility, and understanding with what we were looking for in our caterer. Our menu was completely personalized to fit our specific requests, and the food prepared by Chef Ed was incredible! On our wedding day, there was not one thing to worry about, Lola's took care of everything. Our venue was set up perfectly, the waiters were professional and courteous, and again, the food was outstanding. Every guest we spoke to was raving about the quality and taste. Many said it was the best food they had ever had, not just at a wedding, but better than anything they ever ordered at a restaurant. The entire night was flawless because of every last detail being taken care of; from the tables, centerpiece setups, and bar, to the professional service we received. We highly recommend Lola's to anyone who is searching for the best in catering, and we can confidently say that Lola's helped to make our wedding day incredible.
There is not enough praise in the world for the Lola’s team. From the very first meeting to the day of our wedding, we were amazed by the professionalism, creativity, and care we experienced from the whole team. Our menu was a very important aspect for us and our family and friends have said over and over that this was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. Chef Ed created a menu that incorporated so much of what we enjoy and brought it to life at our wedding. Annalise was a joy to work with and went so far above and beyond to make sure each detail was in place. Annalise also coordinated the alcohol and rentals, which made things much easier for us since we were out-of-state. The day of, Chef Ed, Annalise, and the Lola’s team worked to make sure everything was on track and running smoothly. The dinner was incredible (make it a point to a eat - seriously), the space was fantastic, and the service was excellent. We cannot express our gratitude enough for the care that Lola’s took in making our wedding day so extraordinary.
Annalise! The person who made my wedding beautiful, effortless and SO much fun! Ed and his team put together a beautiful meal and amazing bar. Annalise was our catering assistant and she was on top of every project. Our local, seasonal food was interesting and delicious. They were so responsive to any requests we had for the months before and the day of. I would eat at Lola's or Crave a million time over after the amazing wedding they made possible.
Our guests are raving about the food and service that Lola's and Crave provided for our daughter's wedding at the Bykenhulle House. Comments like, "this was the best food I ever had at a wedding", were common and made us so happy and proud that we found the perfect caterer for our daughter and her new husband. They deserved no less.
We used the restaurant next to Lola's, Crave, for a wedding brunch. We rented out the entire space for the morning and afternoon for a small wedding party (about 32 guests). Eddie, Annalise and Abby were amazingly accommodating, and it was the perfect venue for us. We were able to customize the menu while staying within our budget, and they created two signature cocktails--one for each of us. We brought in simple centerpieces that blended beautifully with Crave's candle-lit dining room, and the staff were so helpful and sweet. I've had Lola's Catering before (many of my friends have used them for their wedding) and it's the same high quality food and service no matter if you're using Lola's for remote catering or Crave as a venue. If you need a beautiful, intimate space in the Hudson Valley for a wedding, you can't go wrong with either of Chef Eddie's companies.
While enjoying a dear friend's wedding at the Bykenhulle House, I was completely impressed by Lola's Catering. They served a full-plated, HOT meal while cooking in a tent 50 yards away in a freak blizzard in October. However, I would NOT recommend the Bykenhulle House. While it is a beautiful property (from what I could tell of the grounds under the snow), the Inn itself leaves much to be desired. The bride and groom offered me a room there so that I wouldn't have to travel and the inn keeper (owner) seems very hostile to have people staying in his 'home' (you feel as though you are trespassing or that you are going to get in trouble with your grandfather'). His comments at morning breakfast were inappropriate at best (including discussing how much more money he could have made if he rented the rooms instead of hosting the wedding!) and they failed to have the generator hooked up in advance (even though a power outage was imminent) and allowed most of the guests to leave before hooking up a paltry extension cord to a floor lamp and refusing to allow the few remaining guests into the main house to finish the time allotted to the reception. I feel truly sorry for the wedding couple.
We were so happy with Lola's. Ed and his team were amazing!!!!!
Everyone told me the food was delicious and as a bride, I didn't think I would get to actually have time to EAT the food, but the waitstaff made sure I got to taste everything and I LOVED it all. Especially the hors d'hoeuvres and the peanut noodles and the meat.
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131 Washington St., Poughkeepsie, NY
Lola's Cafe and Catering
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