Coastal Critters Clambakes & Grilling

I hired Coastal Critters to cater my central Maine wedding last year and people are still talking about how good the food was. Even my husband, who is a bit of a food snob, is still in awe at how great everything turned out.
James was so patient with me, and so unbelievably accommodating with my growing guest list, I couldn’t have asked for better service.

Updated review:
After almost 3 years, this company is still a running joke in our family. Whenever we receive poor service, or have a bad meal, the joke is «at least it was not as bad as Coastal Critters!» The owner likes to post that I was not the client, but I was and can say without a doubt that this is one of the worst experiences we have ever had with a caterer. The staff was rude (including smoking while preparing food), the food ran out, and there was in general very poor communication from the company back to us. If you look online, you will see this is a consistent comment with Coastal Critters.
I cannot say how embarrassing it is to have a caterer run out of food with your guests. I also cannot overstate how rude it is of them to describe your guests as greedy or unruly when they under-​prepared for the agreed upon crowd.
My comment from before stands: I would never recommend them.
Original review from 8÷24÷2011:
We had a very poor experience with this company. While the food was good, the service, amount of food, and communication with the company were rock bottom poor. At our event we had a circle of people who saw the disaster unfold and told us of their similar problems with the company either at events they had catered or at events they attended.
I would never recommend them.

My wife and I hired Coastal Critters for an August wedding in Camden, Maine and we had an excellent experience with this company. To begin, the food itself was excellent. My wife and I loved the lobster as did every guest we spoke with. It was a first time experience for several out-​of-​towners and the dinner really helped pull together the theme of our wedding. The appetizers we tried were also excellent, although my wife and I had to take photos during the majority of cocktail hour. Everyone we spoke to also really enjoyed the appetizers from the clam chowder to the coconut shrimp. Great stuff. The food was not only incredibly tasty, but the portions were hefty and the meals arrived hot.
In addition to the quality and quantity of the food, the staff was very easy to work with. They ran a very self-​sufficient company that required little from us, and little space despite the production of a lobster bake for nearly 100 people. It was an absolutely beautiful evening and the food was memorable which is something I can’t say about other weddings I’ve attended.
Finally, in the year leading up to the big day, James was incredibly helpful and easy to communicate with. I had gathered countless questions from my family and reception host, and he was incredibly responsive and informative in answering all of these questions. There were no hidden costs to discover along the way and he was honest and up front about everything. As someone earlier mentioned it is up to the bride and groom to determine the number of guests and to approximate the portions needed to satisfy everyone. I can’t imagine this company bringing less than what was agreed upon prior to the event. In fact, I thought the services, portions, and prices were all made very clear in the contract, and James was able to honestly answer any question that I had after reviewing the contractual terms.
All in all, our experience with James and the rest of the crew was flawless. We wouldn’t have changed a thing and we enthusiastically refer you to anyone seeking a true Maine experience.

Coastal Critters and Clambakes catered my outdoor, family-​oriented, garden wedding in Windsor, Maine on July 23, 2012. James and his staff did a fantastic job! We wanted our reception to be family style. James worked with me on the menu and budget. We had him steam lobsters and grill rib-​eye steaks on site. He also provided steamer clams and corn on the cob while family members brought additional sides giving it a potluck feel.
They were on time and the food was absolutely delicious! They went out of their way to pick up dirty dishes off the tables when they didn’t have to. James also ran out with umbrellas when it started raining during our ceremony. It rained for the next two hours but that didn’t stop James and his staff from providing terrific food and service.
I think they received bad reviews because some brides expected a high end caterer. If you are looking for that, Coastal Critters is not for you. If you are looking for amazing food cooked by some down home folks, then you won’t be disappointed. They provided exactly the amount of food I ordered. No more, no less. It’s up to the bride/​planner to give an accurate head count of people eating at the reception.
I would recommend Coastal Critters to anyone who wants delicious food cooked on site by an extremely personable staff!

We hired Coastal Critters for our rehearsal dinner Sept 2011 and I was not pleased with the experience. There were some communication issues and the food was very disappointing. It is possible that they normally do a bang-​up job, but for my event they fell short.

We hired Coastal Critters for our wedding, and everything is perfect. We had salmon, and chicken on the menu, and both were excellent. I love salmon, but it had to be cooked perfectly, and gosh it was good!
The veggies were very fresh, salads were good, etc. They can adapt to anything you want, even for people with allergies (gluten, dairy, fish, etc.)
The staff was nice, and helpful. I did not have to ask anything!
Plus, from all the quotes I got, they were by FAR the cheapest. No added costs, gratuity was included (less hassle!), and they didn’t try to push anything (which I love).
I would definitely hire them again. :)