Reviews of A Lively Chef Catering (Catering)

Teresa Wright

Can’t begin to explain how pleased I am with A Lively Chef for the work they did at our May wedding at the Boise Train Depot. The food and presentation was amazing! The owners investment in their client’s experience was reassuring. Gary was at our wedding slicing the prime rib! Shari was very accommodating, especially with last minute changes. They orders, set-up, and tore-down all the rentals. I honestly forgot the team was there because everything ran so smooth. Our wedding was more than was I envisioned. Would defiantly choose A Lively Chef for future events.

Helen Carter

A Lively Chef catered a party in our home. They worked with me on how to best organize the event and gave me a range of budget and service options. When the day arrived, the set up was efficient and went beyond my expectations in terms of presentation. They took care of everything, including equipment rental and providing for a full bar. Our guests had high compliments for both the food and the service. Our party was for over 40 guests and involved a musical performance. Having staff who could work around those requirements was greatly appreciated.

Jessica Smith

I hired this company to caterer my wedding reception. I have never had such a great experience with a catering company. The food is wonderful. They were on time and professional. They filled water cups and took dirty plates and dishes away. Shari is the office manager and the face for company. I loved working with her. She communicates promptly and is always willing to answer questions and offer help. If I need any catering services in the future, this will be the only company I use.

Dina Pfeifer

We had a wonderful event and everyone was impressed with the wonderful service and the awesome food! Thank you!

Laura Netz

What a great caterer! Shari helped us set up the menu and she was very knowledgeable and didn't mind my constant calls withe questions. At the event, Dee and Gary were awesome! All our guests commented on how great the food was. Dee put extra time in decorating the buffet tables and was super to work with. I recommend them so highly I wish I had another event so I could use them again!

Thea Stemple

I have been using A Lively Chef for 10 years now. They are my go-to caterer for Business Events. The food is always DELICIOUS. The staff is professional and courteous. They take care of the set-up, take down and provide the tables, chairs and linens if needed. This takes much of the stress out of hosting an event. We received many compliments from our guests about how wonderful the food was. They are impressive, affordable and a pleasure to work with.

Janet F

They were amazing for all of our wedding food. The tasting they provided so we could choose was perfect. Our guests were very impressed and told us how delicious the food was.

Jamie Gamblin

Best decision to hire A Lively Chef for our wedding of 180 people. The food was SO good but more importantly, Shari and the crew were so professional and on top of every detail. Seriously, the easiest and smoothest experience working with them. Highly recommended!

Jamie Wilson

All of my wedding guests were raving about, not only the food, but the wonderful service we received. They truly went above and beyond to ensure that part of my day was phenomenal. The great service began before the wedding date by helping me to lay out the room and worked out all of the details so I didn’t have to worry. I can’t say enough about this company. You will not be disappointed!! Thank you for helping to make my day memorable.

Katherine Huddlestun

The food was absolutely perfect. So delicious. The food was dropped off on time and their staff set everything up. We didnt have to do a thing. We will definitely use them again.

Tawni Berryman Trevino

Wonderful, wonderful people! Can't say enough good things about these guys!! They are amazing! Highly recommend!!

Emilee Jones

The Lively Chef team did an AMAZING job at our wedding in June. During the months leading up to our wedding we made a million changes to our menu, guest count, table settings, and more, and they accommodated our every request and made sure the day was exactly what we had imagined. We ended up with about 120 guests and we served dinner buffet style, and the staff was able to move everyone through quickly and efficiently but without feeling rushed. They even packed up the leftovers for us to take home after the wedding (though there wasn't much left over, our guests absolutely raved about how good the food was!!) We were so at ease throughout the whole event and really did a phenomenal job. Absolutely would recommend them to anyone hosting any sort of event!

Karey Neal

We hired Gary and his team to cater our wedding and they were absolutely AMAZING.We contacted ALC (A Lively Chef) about four weeks before our wedding and they were extremely helpful providing industry knowledge of our venue to help facilitate the best possible set up and execution for our wedding. They provided us with an exquisite menu that included allergen friendly decadent items that were delicious for all guests. Prior to the event the team at ALC exhibited stellar communication skills to ensure success. The night of the event the team integrated well with the guests and ran a seamless show. They were the second star to our wedding, and I couldn't be more happy to recommend their services. They've earned by business and my recommendation for life. Thanks A Lively Chef!!! Signed, A Very Grateful Bride

Caitlin Berens

We had a wonderful experience booking A Lively Chef Catering for our June outdoor wedding. They were extremely responsive and informative throughout the entire process and even made some vegan dishes for our guests! The service was incredible and I couldn't believe how personable and kind the staff were—it felt more like they were serving dear friends than guests they didn't know at a wedding. Last, the food was incredible. The chicken marsala in particular was a knockout—it was very moist and delicious. My husband and I would recommend A Lively Chef Catering for any wedding or event you need delicious food for!

John Pena

To the owners and to the staff that hold the business together. Great team. Great talents Great Food. Great environment to be around. Food catering is there business!

Ali Clarke

Wow, what a neat company to work with. Great communication, prompt, courteous and friendly. The food is amazing, great portions, flavor and variety. We will definitely be using A Lively Chef for our Christmas Dinner catering next year. Everything was beautifully displayed with care and attention to detail. I would recommend them to everyone!!

Tessa Barber

They are easy to work with. Excellent food and amazing service.

Bree Jaynes

Gary and Celeste are such wonderful people and their catering service is top notch. I highly recommend them for weddings, corporate, and private events.

Chloe Anderson

A Lively Chef is amazing. Not only do they provide catering services, but I also went through them for all of the rentals! I don't even know where to start; Shari is very responsive, super easy to work with, and takes a lot of the stress out of what could be a potentially very stressful part of your wedding planning process. The food is amazing, I received nothing but compliments from all my guests about how fresh and delicious everything was! I strongly suggest the artichoke stuffed chicken breast, as someone who has never enjoyed chicken; let me tell you, this was the most dream worthy dish I've stumbled upon in years. I can't rave enough about the service in the professionalism they provided me with. I will always recommend them to anyone doing any kind of event, large or small, these people are amazing!

Bart Larsen

I used A Lively Chef to cater a corporate event at the C.W. Moore Plaza Penthouse. The food was outstanding and the service was prompt, professional, and efficient. They were even able to accommodate some last minute changes. Shari was very professional and extremely helpful in planning the event, recommending menu selection (that were awesome), coordinating other vendors (Jo's Traveling Bar, who also did a great job) and equipment, and just generally making our event come off without a hitch, I highly recommend A Lively Chef.

Maria Stewart

I just went to a friend's wedding where A Lively Chef catered. I was very impressed with both the flavor and quality of the food, and the attentiveness of the staff. It was amazing. I especially appreciated the allergen information printed on the menus. It made it easy to find what I could have!

Christina Cummings

A Lively Chef prepared at large meal for our Client Services employees at Paylocity in celebration of Customer Service Week. They were on time, very professional and courteous, and the food was hot and fresh. I will definitely use them again for one of our year end meals.

Templeton Client Care

We recently used A Lively Chef Catering for a company event and heard nothing but rave reviews from our clients that attended! Sheri was responsive and helpful through the booking process, the staff that set up/served were friendly, and the food was amazing! We had some last-minute changes and an awkward/small space to work with, but the entire team was nothing but polite and helpful. I highly recommend them for your next event - big or small!

Mindy Miller

I coordinated a wedding that A Lively Chef was catering this Summer, Not only was their food fantastic but, their staff was supportive of other vendors, quick to jump in and help and a lot of fun to work with. We will definitely be recommending them to our clients.

aunna woods

Such amazing people we got to work with. The food was delicious and they helped out so much and beyond expectations during our wedding.

Mary Watson

Great company to work with - very responsive with a terrific "let's make it work" attitude. Our guests remarked that everything was very tasty. No matter what your event is, order the lemon bars. Trust me on this - they are DELICIOUS. Set up was on-time and meticulous. Clean up was quick and discrete. Next time I need a caterer, I'm calling A Lively Chef.

kassanova

A lively chef provided the food for our wedding on September 14th. The food was extremely delicious! All of our guests were commenting on how good it was. On top of that they were extremely friendly and accommodating to all of our guests. Celeste organized our special night for us and was an incredible communicator throughout the months leading up to it. She ensured things were perfect up until the last moment. We highly encourage this catering business!

The Real Estate Dream Team

A Lively Chef did a wonderful job catering my wedding at the Boise Depot. The food was raved about and everyone was super helpful! Would use over and over!

Kendall K

A Lively Chef was so wonderful to work with from the menu planning to the end of the night of the event. The chef and waiter both came out and brought a delicious meal, set up the dining tables beautifully, and helped serve and buss the entire meal. It was so impressive! The food was delicious and all the guests were beyond happy. Highly recommend!

Elizabeth Spencer Clarke

Excellent! Beautiful and tasty food, well presented by a caring and dedicated staff. Worked with our needs for healthy, organic, colorful dishes. And the results were fabulous.

Sarah Jones

I’m a wedding photographer and I’ve never had such a positive experience with a catering business as I had with these guys! Not only was their food delicious but their customer service was incredible! After I sat down to have my dinner they still found ways to serve the guests such as asking if we needed more water bottles or if they could take our plates. You don’t typically expect that from wedding catering so that extra touch was nice! :)

Diane Follett

A Lively Chef catered our conference for 475 people. They were awesome to work with and went above and beyond to make sure that things would run smoothly--including meeting us at our venue twice before the actual event to go over logistics. They handled the special meal requests and every other detail beautifully. The food was delicious - I would highly recommend them!

Emily Austin

A Lively Chef was awesome! They had a change in management during the time I worked with them so I had to start over what had already been discussed with a new person, but she was really nice. I opted for passed appetizers at my wedding during the cocktail hour and it made for a really fun atmosphere. People loved the food. I heard the most about the chicken and steak! They were constantly offering guests food with napkins and cleaning up as they went. All my food was eaten and I was worried about left overs! They also made a special plate and brought it up for me and my party before the wedding. Would definitely hire them again!

Nichole Schoener

We are a local photography company, and when we are shooting weddings and events- we work closely with the other vendors involved. I have to say that the staff at A Lively Chef has the most OUTSTANDING presentation! They are always happy, helpful, and look very professional- not to mention, the food is TO DIE FOR with beautiful gourmet presentation. They are absolutely on our preferred vendors list and I have heard nothing but rave reviews from my brides who work with Gary and his crew. Sincerely, Nichole Ampersand Studios

Andrea Florence

I was looking for a caterer/chef last min for a holiday dinner and they came through in a pinch! We had a lovely dinner at our home and the service was great. I'd recommend!

Dirk Wall

Our client event last evening was served well by A Lively Chef staff. The food, settings, decorations and service were wonderful. Working with the planning staff in the office before the event was an excellent experience - very organized, very attentive to special needs, very flexible. Communication was top notch....just like the food and service. The service staff that evening went out of their way to make the experience positive, and very smooth in delivery. Appetizers, entrees and the crazy dessert bar were a hit!

Lynn Jeffers

I have started using A Lively Chef to cater lunches for my client, the local architects' group. If the first lunch was any indication, we'll be using them monthly FOREVER! When my guests starting arriving early, they kicked it into high gear and went above and beyond to make sure the event went smoothly! The food was fabulous, every detail was taken care of...they made it so easy! Thanks, Lively Chef!

Francine Apollo

We attended our son's wedding on June 2. The staff and food were outstanding. You added to the joy of the day. ---Mom & Dad from NYS

Trang Dang

Everyone we worked with at ALCC was fantastic! Gary, Celeste, & Shari are great people and it was so easy to work with them to plan our Boise wedding out of state. They have a great range of menu items that not only look good but taste wonderful! Don't underestimate the portobello mushroom, that was our vegetarian option but everyone loved it! If I had to do one thing different it would be to order back-up portobello mushrooms!

Jarod Phillips

Celeste, Matt, and the whole crew at A Lively Chef were a pleasure to work with! As a new business opening up in the Boise market, we look for other companies that share our philosophy about community and the importance of taking care of one another. A Lively Chef truly went above and beyond! The food was fantastic and the service staff was prompt, professional, and properly trained to handle everything we needed from them. I would whole-heartedly recommend them to anyone looking for excellent food and high quality service at your next corporate event!

Emily A.

A Lively Chef recently catered my wedding and provided us with astounding service. Their crew is friendly and easy to work with, and Shari (their event planner) is a hidden gem of the catering world. Before I hired A Lively Chef, I was feeling bogged down with all the details a wedding entails, but they went above and beyond to ensure my day was special. Thank you again A Lively Chef!

Jim Gentile

We just had an exquisite backyard wedding catered by A Lively Chef, and it was magnificent in every way. They handled everything from tables & chairs to china and glassware, and most importantly...to wonderfully presented and delicious appetizers and dinner. The service was remarkable and effortless, and all our guests raved about the food. Everyone wanted to know who we used to cater the event. Shari is a wonderful coordinator, who really knows how to handle clients and make everything work seamlessly. No matter what kind of event you are having, we can assure you that A Lively Chef will handle it to your complete satisfaction! A great team of people!!