Ready To Eat

01/28/2008 Posted by Val44

We hired Ready To Eat to cater my daughter's Bat Mitzvah reception in our home, based on the strong reviews here. They were absolutely terrific. We worked with the catering directors (first Myra, then Joseph) to develop a menu of hors d'oeuvres and platters that would be welcoming, but low-key and not fancy, with tweaks on traditional favorites - mini-latkes with sour cream and caviar, smoked salmon tea sandwiches - and old-fashioned crowd-pleasers like cheese puffs, pigs-in-a-blanket, spring rolls and mini-knishes. Not kosher, but we didn't want kosher. The wait staff was warm and professional. They did all the set-up while we were out at the synagogue and it was perfect. There was never a wait at the bar, the food was well paced and they circulated to everyone. The job they did on clean up, both during the party, picking up empty cups and napkins, and afterwards, putting the apartment back together, was amazing. I'm still in shock at how little work we had to do when they left. Everyone loved the food. My daughter and her friends were so happy that the wait staff did not forget them when they were all holed up in her room - by the end of the party they were all calling out to the staff captain "Raaoouul! My man!" and asking for his card so they could get their parents to hire that caterer and specifically request Raoul. Working with Ready To Eat was a great experience, and I highly recommend them.

Pros: Delicious food, professional event planning help and wait staff, very reasonable prices

Cons: None

12/13/2007 Posted by brenda9

I had to organize a holiday reception and Ready to Eat was ready to make me look great. They were so flexible and responsive -- it was a pleasure to work with them. I will definitely use them again and again. You won't be disappointed! Thanks to everyone at Ready to Eat! Brenda

11/28/2007 Posted by loklegaspi

Just got married in Manhattan and had Ready to Eat cater the event, after an extensive search. We were talking with several caterers and disappointment for the most part with either the food or unreliability of other caterers. Myra was great, unfront, no nonsense and friendly. I didn't feel like I was buying a used car. She pulled our party together and was professional and reliable throughout the process. Everything arrived as planned and the food was FANTASTIC! Everyone made coments about the lamb kabobs and the sesame noobles in particular. Thanks Stephen for pleasing 110 guests with your culinary skills. We will be back. Laura O L

Pros: Great Food at Affordable Prices

Cons: Not too many chicken dish selections

11/19/2007 Posted by cindicrain

Used them for an important business cocktail party we were throwing for 50 people in my apartment on a Sunday night. Needed delicious food, with great service staff that wouldn't need hand-holding. That was totally what happened, and I couldn't be happier. Myra in the office was efficient and friendly, organized exactly what I needed on 5 days' notice. i was very pleased with their fair pricing and there were no unexpected/inflated charges, etc. The staff arrived on time (so good looking, too!) and totally knew what to do and were totally relaxed and in control and lovely with the guests. Totally took all the stress off me so I could attend to my guests without needing to manage the staff. And to cap it all off, the food was delicious. So many guests commented on how yummy it was. Would definitely use again!

Pros: Great service, delicious food, very fair pricing

Cons: none!

11/01/2007 Posted by ableton

I found 'Ready To Eat' when I did my share of google research. I had to organize a corporate event and needed an excellent catering service. When I came across Ready To Eat's website I picked up the phone right away. Myra, the catering director is a delight to deal with. She was always friendly and even referred me to a wide range of other services that I needed to check on (e.g. security provider, certain glass ware...). The food was plenty and delicious. And the bartender was fun! I felt the event was a success and that's what I heard from colleagues and clients alike. Thanks Myra!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

09/22/2007 Posted by wmjoh1

A friend recommended Ready to Eat and I booked them to cater our housewarming party for 30 people a month in advance. Concerned whether we would have enough food, I asked the catering director for a few alternative choices and although she said she would speak to the chef and get back to me within two business days, she instead took a week to get back to me, only to propose serving sandwiches, despite a sizable budget ($100/person) and my clearly telling her I wanted this to be a special event! Maybe cocktails and cold cuts go great together, but I just could not take the chance of being so off the mark one week before the party. Instead I scrambled to find a new caterer who within 12 hours on a Friday night came up with a revised and much more original menu including more food and more services for less money (the event is next weekend so I'll post a review then). We hired a caterer to relieve us of stress and hassle, so clearly this was a pretty miserable experience for us. But in fairness to RTE, the owner, Steven, was very understanding of my aggravation and told me the catering director was new, that she never discussed the matter with him and that they have had no other complaints. If you decide to use them- I've heard good things- just make sure your menu is set early on and stay on top of them.

Pros: Food has a good reputation

Cons: Service is poor

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

07/30/2007 Posted by brooklynbaby07

For the first time, we decided to try Ready to eat. And for sure, it will not be the last one. Paul-Owner has an amazing taste, I was impressed by every thing he created from the dishes presentation, his fresh ingredients, to his reasonable prices. The food and the dessert were amazing , but their filet mignon was deligtful the same as their steamed vegtabeles. In brief, Ready to eat pleased our company staff and the most important thing they are accurate and on time.

Pros: it all was great

Cons: none

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/26/2007 Posted by amyzlewis

I called Ready to Eat after reading the citysearch reviews to cater my husband's 35th birthday party. Paul (one of the owners) was extremely helpful on the phone and invited me in for a tasting. He worked closely with me to pick the menu, and told me not to worry about anything else. He was 100% right! They took care of everything and it was unbelievable. The wait staff Paul sent over were perfect- helpful, polite and hard working. They took care of everything and when they left everything was spotless. My friends are all calling and asking about the food. Everything was original, fresh and delicious. I highly recommend Ready to Eat for any event and Paul was a tremendous help with the planning. There is no doubt I will be using Ready to Eat for my next party!

Pros: Service, food, menu,

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

12/02/2006 Posted by lgflynn

I called on Monday and begged for help with a dinner party for 16 that Thursday in my home. I was overwhelmed at work, sick kids, etc. and asked Ready to Eat to take care of everything. I had used them before to cater a cocktail party and we also take out food from their shop so I knew the food was spectacular, but I had never used the "full" service with dish/glass rentals and servers. I can't rave enough about the job they did: they expertly guided me through menu choices, the rentals were delivered on time and in spotless condition, the servers showed up right on time and were so professional and efficient that I did absolutely nothing but enjoy my guests. Every need was attended to and drinks were refilled almost before you realized they were close to empty. Almost every guest remarked upon the level of service and the quality and presentation of the food. When the party was over my apartment was spotless and everything had been packed up and away. My husband and I literally said goodnight to the last guests, turned off the lights and went to bed. For tremendous service, quality and value, I highly recommend Ready to Eat!

Pros: Quality, professionalism, service

05/17/2006 Posted by crazyeditnyc

They did my wedding buffet. They were great! I was totally able to let them do their job. They served, cleaned, served, and smiled. The entire team was professional! I thank them for their wonderful food and service. I will use them again!