Carmens Banquet and Convention Centre

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I would like to see a review that is honest and constructive criticism. Clearly I have not seen that yet. Really bad food, way overpriced, soup was cold, not butter until we asked 3 times, the meal was way under portioned, chicken tasted awful, 2 very small pieces of broccoli ( maybe one mouthful,) one carrot (raw) mashed potates were like glue. The price was ridiculous, I would rather go to Burger King.

Food came out in bowls or large containers which were difficult to pass around. Lighting was dim. Mashed potatoes were brownish colour. Vegetables were raw. Cranberries were sour and tasted like perfume or something inedible was added. Everything smelled and tasted like old cabbage. They told us leftovers get "repurposed" by the chef. Ugh! Gross! After the food is passed around the leftovers get sent out again to someone else? We paid $45 for food that was perhaps someone else's dinner before us? No wonder the potatoes were brown and smelled like cabbage!

The music and show was good, the staff were nice. The buns were fresh. The cheesecake was ok, but very tiny piece, no choice of which one you got given.

Everything else was terrible.

Also apparently there is no handicapped or family washroom as a woman brought her disabled husband into the ladies washroom. As it was there were far too few washrooms for the women for such a large crowd, I would Guess six hundred or more guests, mostly seniors.

My first and last visit to Carmen's. Was so disappointed.

Yesterday my husband and I along with two friends attended a luncheon for "Love Songs".The majority of attendees were seniors. The meal that we received should never have been allowed to leave the kitchen! I have been involved in nutrition and food service for many years so am well aware of the issues related to production and service. The buns were fresh however the lasagna was so overdone on the bottom that it could not be cut with a knife, the carrots (hardly recognizable) were black (burned) along with the other overcooked vegetables, the chicken was "engineered",not a real chicken breast! Overall, the worst meal that we have ever experienced in this type of setting. It is doubtful that this meal would have been served to a group of businessmen but was somehow acceptable to serve to a group of seniors! For shame! This is being sent with the hope that the situation can be rectified so that others may not have the same disappointing experience!

We got married November 2014 at Carmen's. Unfortunately we did not have a good experience at Carmen's. We had many issues during our wedding. I would strongly recommend that future bride and grooms do not book your wedding at Carmens. We were extremely saddened by the events that occurred the day of our wedding. Carmen's took so many great moments away from us that we will never get back.

To the wonderful staff of Carmen's,

Thank you for making our wedding a dream come true! The staff was very helpful and accommodating. We will never forget our magical night.

Our wedding day was in the fall of 2012. The Carmen's staff were amazing. No detail was missed. The food was amazing. We did not have a chance to taste the perogies before the wedding, but they were the hit of the night. Every table asked for seconds. Many of our guests, and ourselves included, stayed at the C hotel next door. Such a convenient facility for our guests to walk next door at the conclusion of the night.

Definitely recommend the Carmen's facility to anyone getting married. The staff and the facilities are top notch in Hamilton, Ontario. Do not miss an opportunity to have your wedding day at one of the finest facilities in Hamilton.

Hello PJ
Well where do I start. I want to start by saying "Thank you" so very much!
Carmen's has made a life time memory for my nephew and niece to always remember their beautiful wedding day/event at Carmen's. You went so beyond to make this day so very special in so many ways.
I know you did this for me. It means so much to me all that you have done. You have grown up to be such a good man, and a great business leader in our community. I am so proud of you. I feel so honored that I have watched you grow up, and can call you my friend. I have been and will always continue to be a great supporter of yours, and the Mercanti family.
I would like to also mention to you the great job that Everton, and the set up team did!
Everton is wonderful, and such a valuable team player at Carmen's. He is a good man! He still works so hard, but with all of his and the set up teams efforts, my nephews wedding looked stunning, really beautiful. Please let Everton know how much his hard work means to me. All the waitstaff that worked serving my nephews wedding, did a fantastic job. I was so pleased.
The bartenders, were great! They gave fast service, and had great personalities. The wedding was partying, I know they were busy. They even named a drink after me, the Tracy drink!
I loved it, great job, thank you so much for all of their hard work! I made sure every one was tipping good, they deserved it. Matthew, was superb, and truly a pleasure to deal with. Todd did a good job as Maitre'd, the bar, and he was in a lot of places, making sure all was being covered. Paul also kept checking on the wedding and with me to make sure all was going well. "Thank you" to Paul for being there, and caring. It meant a lot to me. Frank, did a fantastic job. He made sure that the bride and groom, and all the guests were looked after. All the staff in the kitchen, Thank you.
Every one was pleased, and I know how hard they all work.Thank you to the bakers for making such Yummy desserts.
I think the comment/critique cards must have all been good. Every one I spoke with, thought the evening was great. So please share with all of the staff my sincerest "Thank you". I look forward to sending much more business to Carmen's in the future.
Lots of love,
Tracy Robinson

Hello Andi
Thank you so much for all your work and patience in regards to my daughter Amanda Fusina's shower on June 10th It was perfect in every respect -- from the very first meeting we had with you to plan the shower to the very end when all the guests had gone. The professionalism shown by yourself and your staff was outstanding. I realize that you and Carmen's handle very big events and that my shower was really very small in comparison, but at no time did I ever feel that my event was any less than the largest and most important ones you hold. The attention we were shown made us feel as if we were the only clients you had and that our event was the most important one Carmen's had at the time. You and your staff were friendly and very helpful and any request I made was handled promptly and to my satisfaction.

We received so many compliments from our guests -- from the room itself, to the setup, to the food (which was excellent -- delicious and served piping hot !!) and the prompt and professional service.
Patrick ( I'm sorry I don't know his last name) was my right hand man --helping me to put the finishing touches on the room, answering my many questions and making sure everything ran smoothly and efficiently.

I commend all of you for making Amanda's day so successful and so special!! She absolutely loved it--- as did her guests and my mother and myself. I will definitely recommend Carmen's and yourself to my family and friends!! I can't thank you enough for making this a day Amanda will always remember.
I don't have Mr. Mercanti's email address but I have sent him a card thanking Carmen's for a wonderful day and for the care and attention we were shown by his staff.
Thank you so much Yours most sincerely Catherine Mochrie on behalf of Amanda Fusina
Hi All, This is long overdue.... We would like to thank each and every one of you for your time, efforts and professionalism throughout the whole process for our wedding. The event was timeless and did not fall short of what we expected (special thanks to Todd and his team for their outstanding work). It was a busy couple of months but your team held everything together and made our lives that much easier. Kinda wish we could do it again :) Nonetheless, we were impressed and would be more than glad to pass on any recommendations should you require any. Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Blair Newlyweds
To the staff at Carmens

From the minute we arrived until the end of our daughter's wedding (Melissa and Jeremy, June 6th), you and your staff were fabulous. It didn't matter if we didn't know what we were doing, your guys had us completely organized. The service we received was wonderful from bartenders to wait staff (we had Cameron and he was great), everyone smiled and were happy to serve.
Joe, even though I didn't get my foot massage or dance, ha ha, you were so attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. It was a wonderful day.
Sincerely
Helga and Gord Love

Dear Debbie,
They say fairy tales do come true and we have to thank you and the entire team at Carmen's for making this a reality. When our baby girl got engaged to the man of her dreams we knew that the wedding had to be fit for a princess.

Although we now lived in Oakville, there was no doubt that Stephanie and Grant's wedding reception would take place at Carmen's in Hamilton. From the moment we met with you to start the planning stages, to the moment we left the venue at the end of the perfect wedding day, everyone on the entire Carmen's team was professional, personal, attentive to details, anticipated our needs and went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect.

The decor was beautiful and leading trends. It was so nice to see only the latest design and selection in china, linens, overlays, centerpieces, chair covers and charger plates...totally cutting edge! The food was absolutely delicious; served hot and with generous portion sizes. The late night buffet was a hit too especially with the Chef's presentation of the delicious flambeed crepes.
It never ceases to amaze me that in addition to knowing that everything was handled in the utmost professional way, the owners Peter and Joe Mercanti still made the time to come to the venue personally shake our hands and thank us for being there...WOW!

Finally Debbie, this note wouldn't be complete without extending a heartfelt thank you to you for everything you personally did to make both the shower and the wedding spectacular. You had an innate ability to make us feel so at ease while making suggestions to help guide us through the planning process. You responded to emails, phone calls and requests almost immediate and you ensured everything was delivered as promised. Your attention to detail and regular follow up made us feel that everything was your priority and nothing was an imposition. You set the bar above many others in this industry! Thank you very everything!

We look forward to working with you and the Carmen's team on many future events.
Wishing you all continued success! You really do understand how to deliver, happily ever after!
With warm regards,
Theresa & Todd Syer

Easy to talk to, food was great, planning was no problems at all. The guests were so happy- thanks! :)

We had our ceremony and reception at Carmen's and the day could not have been better! Carmen's guides you through the whole planning process and makes it easy to have a great wedding. The price was very reasonable and the package included everything from our wedding cake to decorations/linens! We have received numerous compliments about the food and the beautiful decor at the hall. There is a hotel next door that is owned by Carmen's that is fantastic. Most of our guests stayed there and loved it! We highly recommend Carmen's!

To all of the staff at Carmen’s:
Thanks again for the perfect wedding! I don’t even know where to begin… from the moment we came in to see the venue I knew we were in good hands. The meal was delicious, the service was exceptional, and the décor was hands-down a true princess day!
Thank you for making my fairytale come true!
Tiffany & Sandy Sajko
May 29, 2010

Good Morning Peter,
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Carmen's for the excellent services that were provided to our guests at our son's wedding.
Firstly, we would like to mention one of your staff members, Debby Russ. Debby made the whole process of planning this wedding so much easier, with her patience's and expertise we survived, many thanks to her.
The off-premise hall (Garth Trails) looked like a picture perfect post card. Thanks to your son Joe's and Ammar fine art of preparing the ballroom. With Joe and Rachel's additional to the tables, organza overlays the room lit up, it truly looked magical. Thank you Joe, Ammar and Rachel your input really did make the room picture perfect.
Your staff that night were right on target, very thing was timed out perfectly. From the bar opening, dinner being served to the late night buffet. Please thank your staff for us, they were very professional in their duties.
We would also like to thank you for our rehearsal dinner menu and discount. Your lasagne's were delicious, we had every variety that night and everyone enjoyed each and every one. The extra sauce was so good, truly the best lasagne's we've ever eaten. The pizza was so fresh and favourable everyone dug right in and it was gone in a flash.
Many thanks Peter, and have a great day!
Larry & Brenda Moulton

Hello Matthew,

Kacper and I wanted to thank you for assisting us in making our wedding day more beautiful then we ever imagined! It was a great night and everything was perfect. We have so many comments from family and friends stating that Carmen's was an outstanding venue with amazing food, great band and beautiful decor! We had many friends saying, "Wow, I wish I booked my wedding here!". I was blown away with how the ballroom was set up. It was gorgeous! On behalf of Kacper and I, we would like to thank Carmen's for a wonderful night!

Take care,

Marie Visaya

Hello Debby and Matthew,

I would just like to thank you and the rest of the Carmen's team for everything you did for Eric and I. I couldn't have asked for anything more. The hall was absolutely gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the staff was fantastic!!! From the beginning to the very end my experience with Carmen's has been so enjoyable. You were always very patient and extremely helpful with all of my questions. Many of guests came up to us and complimented Carmen's on the wonderful food, service and hall. I will never be able to thank you enough for helping make my wedding day a fairy tale come true.

Thank you for everything!!
Angela Hotte

Hi Guys!

First off I have to say...WOW!! The wedding was an absolute success!!!! The hall looked stunning and the food and staff were amazing!! I can't say enough good things about Joe Mercanti. He took care of us right from the start! He and his family are truly wonderful people!! Joe the bartender was awesome!!! He was great with our guests and my Italian cousins loved him!! our server Frank was great! took great care of us. and the DJ had the party hopping right till the end. I can't even believe how much fun everyone had. It was truly a night to remember. Thank you for helping us along and getting all the final details in place! I always knew it before, but I really know now why Carmen’s is such a success!

Thanks everyone!
Have a wonderful day!

Warm Regards
Rebecca van Arragon (Schuurman)

Thank you Carmen’s. We definitely made the right choice choosing you. Your organization, venue, staff are beyond super. Thank you for being part of our lives.

Dear Peter, PJ, and Debby,

Thank you so very much for the kindness you have extended to the women who live at the YWCA Hamilton’s Transitional Housing Residence.

The opportunity to enjoy the festivities at your beautiful facility was truly appreciated by each and everyone who attended.

The food was delicious and the entertainment was just wonderful… it was a lovely experience for the women who reside here at our facility.

On behalf of all the women who had the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon, we thank you. And a very special thanks from the Board of Directors and our staff who were so excited and happy for your wonderful and most gracious gift!

All the very best to you, your families and to Carmen’s staff for a joyous Holiday Season!

Warmest regards,
Denise Doyle Jacqueline Roth
CEO, YWCA Hamilton Director, Dev & Communications

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you very much for making our special day so lovely and memorable. You went above and beyond the call of customer service to treat us as if we were family. Words cannot express how pleased we were with every step of the way. You were able to help us plan our dream wedding by accommodating every one of our wishes. Our guests are still buzzing about our wedding, and it’s all because of you.

Yours truly,
Justin & Angela Leroux

Absolutely amazing! The staff and owners are just wonderful - what a wonderful experience.

We just want to thank everyone at Carmen’s for making our wedding day unforgettable. You all exceeded every expectation we had for the day. A special thanks to Joe and Mary. You were amazing.

I can’t thank you and your staff enough for putting on a masterpiece of a wedding for my daughter and son-in-law. Not a single thing could be criticized. Your staff went out of their way to please each and every guest. This wedding will be remembered for a long time.

Thanks so much for the care you put into this event.

Thank you so much for making our wedding an absolute dream! Everyone was so attentive and accommodating to our every wish. You made every detail exceed our expectations. Our wedding was a dream come true.

Thank you