The Rooftop on Basin — Local services in New Orleans

Firstly, I am going to start by saying that this may be the longest review I have ever submitted. While in New Orleans for back to back company events, over a 7-day timespan, I had the pleasure of working with Messina’s Catering 3 different times at 3 very different venues. Each event was executed with the same professionalism and helpfulness. As a two-person events team, Messina’s really took the stress off me and my team.

As if that wasn’t enough to rave about, they also were a lifesaving backup when another caterer couldn’t work around our service parameters and then again when a former venue double booked us. Stacey, the owner, responded with grace and action to help us in every way. This included working late to make sure we had what we needed to secure her venue The Rooftop on Basin at last minute’s notice.

Now to get into the events.

Our first event with Messina’s was held at The Rooftop on Basin, which is also owned by the catering company. We hosted an event for 200+ people that required security checklists, heavy apps, food stations, a band and everything small that it takes to put on an event (centerpieces, other décor, linens, etc.). Our group is hard to please at times due to the magnitude of events they are used to, but our customers and employees alike RAVED about the setting, food, and helpfulness of the staff.

Our second event was hosted at the Toulouse Theatre and Messina’s acted as the sole contact for catering and centerpieces. This was our most complicated event in regards to the logistics required. We didn’t make it easy on them seating 115 people in the smaller venue and blocking the door to the back alley, but they handled it yet again with grace and efficiency. Due to the venue, they did not have a “back of house” to work out of and they worked out of a very narrow alley way. This proved to me and should to everyone else, that they can make ANY venue a success. I was told by another caterer that real dishes could not be accommodated, but with the nature of the event, paper was not appropriate, and Messina’s had the solution. I am so glad I switched to using them for this event as well.

Our last and third event was much different than the other two. It was much more casual and hosted at The Sazerac House. Once again, the food was phenomenal, logistics were organized perfectly, and I had a room full of 100 happy people.

I can’t seem to adequately put into words the great job that Messina’s Catering did for all three of these events. Many caterers struggle to come up with two totally different menus, never mind having three! Each menu was designed so that my group never got tired of eating the same thing and working with us with our varied venue choice was just the icing on the cake. I am so appreciative, and the success of these events was largely due to Messina’s making it easy to do business with them.

With all of these events, we were able to work with a different event manager at each and the communication amongst them all was bar-none! Stacey, Lauren and Lydia were all wonderful, as well as the rest of the onsite management.

Thank you all for making my job easier. Y’all are...

If you're in need of a beautiful event facility and want the red-carpet treatment from the staff, this is your place. From the inquiry stage to the end of our event, the coordinators and catering staff were the most helpful, professional people I have ever dealt with.

Lydia and Nathan were always very responsive to my emails with never ending questions that came up over the year of planning. I was planning this rehearsal dinner for my son and soon to be daughter in law from Lafayette. Lydia met the bride and groom for a personal tour and after seeing this venue, they cancelled all the other visits we had scheduled because of the beauty of this facility.

Both Lydia and Nathan made awesome recommendations for a florist, band and helped me customize my menu choices to perfection. They assisted me with decoration ideas as well. They bent over backwards to accommodate our 1 vegetarian guest and even made a call to me on our way to our event to ask about her vegan/vegetarian status. Chef wanted to make her a soup that fit into her diet. That was just over the top service to me.

Let me not forget the filet of beef story. I overheard my niece talking with a guest after dinner about how mad she was at herself for not ordering the filet of beef. As she noted, at large events like this, the chef always over cooks the steak. When she saw the guests around her cut into their perfectly cooked, medium rare steak, she knew she made the wrong choice even though her fish topped with lump crab meat was divine.

The open bar and wine tower is a must. My husband is a stickler about waiting at the bar too long for a drink at large events. The sparkling wine tower set our guests up with drink in hand right off the elevator. The bar tenders were never overwhelmed with lines and the wine selections for dinner was perfect with all 4 choices.

I just can't say enough great things about this venue. It really is one of New Orleans best kept secrets...most of our friends from the area have never heard of this place which makes it so unique.

From the date my son and his now wife were engaged, it was a year and half planning timeline. Between the two of them, they attended about 13 rehearsal dinners for friends prior to their own. They both commented that this one was the most unique and best food/service of any they had attended......of course, it was their own, but after the multiple specific compliments we received from friends and family, I know we hit this event OUT OF THE PARK !!!!!!

FIVE Stars all...

I will never ever try to do business with another Messina company again in my life and would leave 0 stars if I could. This review is long overdue as my experience took place in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Me and my husband were scheduled to get married here in August 2020. I had been in contact with Lydia Casler regarding our wedding. I advised Lydia that with the regulations we would like to request to cancel the wedding and have our deposit returned under the Impossibility Clause in the contract. Lydia started to IGNORE me for several WEEKS! This was at a time when the regulations stated that indoor gatherings were limited to 25 persons or 50% capacity whichever is LESS. Regulations also did not allow any dancing or mingling. The venue was not going to be able to meet the requirements of the contract due to GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. I finally got on the phone with Stacey Messina who decided to tell me that Lydia has been responsive to me (I have the e-mails to prove that she was NOT). She also told me things like "you act like you are the only bride going through this" and going on about how they were running 4 businesses all by themselves when all I asked for was communication. She also stated that they could have our wedding with 25 people at one of their other locations. If I liked any of your other locations, then I would have tried to book at one of those places. You can't meet a contract requirement of 75 people with a 25 person maximum restriction Stacey! Lydia waited until it was about 1 or 2 weeks before my scheduled wedding date to reach out to me to ask if I was ready for my tasting and to finalize the details as if I had not been asking for a cancellation and refund until this pandemic was over so we could at least have the option of either keeping our business with this company or just going to the Justice of the Peace if we so chose to. I am a very easygoing person. Had they communicated with us and said this is a tough time for us can you all just work with us and hang in there. I would have certainly took that into consideration with a 90% chance that I would have worked with them and waited things out, but again this goes back to COMMUNICATION. This is a part of customer service. Try it sometimes! I would not recommend anyone spend a PENNY with these low class, unscrupulous business owners. I know one thing for sure karma always comes back around in some...