If I could give a star for every compliment we received from our wedding guests we would have a full galaxy on our hands. We knew from the moment we booked our date that Cocina Fusion was going to be our one and ONLY choice for catering. My husband is a DJ, so he's seen his fair share of catering meals, and each time he DJs and event he RAVES about the food Cocina Fusion provides. From our first tasting, we knew our taco bar buffet would be a huge hit with our guests and it was! We knew we wanted something non-traditional and something that our guests would love to eat - and who doesn't love tacos?! We also hired them for a late night churro cart which was a favorite of everyone. All night we kept having people come up to us talking about how incredible the food was and people wanted to visit the "Cocina Fusion Restaurant" the next time they visited Chicago :) Beyond the amazing food though Julianna, Chef and the entire team were thoughtful, attentive and kind the entire event. My father is a stickler for service and he kept telling me how amazing the staff was and how friendly and accommodating everyone was the entire night. They even indulged my nephew who clearly loved the food and made four visits to the taco buffet! Can't say enough about this team and all they took care of for the wedding from the linens, room flip, food to service - they did it all and I wouldn't recommend anyone else to future brides in the Chicago area! read more

Cocina recently catered my daughter's wedding at the Old Post Office and both the food and the service can be summed up very simply: "Out of this World!" We received so many compliments on the food saying it was not only the best dinner they ever had at a wedding, but exceeded even high end restaurant quality. The service was also spectacular: attentive and very friendly. There are a lot of choices out there for weddings and other events. Hands down: they are the best! read more

One thing people always take away from a wedding is whether the food was good, bad, or forgettable. We went to a friend's wedding loved the food, so we looked into using the same caterer. From scheduling a tasting before the wedding to the actual day, our experience as Cocina Fusion's clients was well thought out and stress-free. Juliana and the team actually care about their customers which shows in the customer experience and the food. Rave reviews from our guests about the food-that's a W! I've been to hundreds of weddings (I was a wedding DJ) and I can easily say Cocina serves the best food I've ever had at weddings. Here's what we ended up going with: Appetizers: Bacon wrapped dates with side of roasted red pepper tomato sauce Spinach & cheese (V) empanada (the only thing that wasn't gluten free) Mini crispy chicken taquitos Entrees: Chicken: chimichurri chicken: chicken | chimichurri sauce Beef: herb butter steak: grilled steak | herbs & butter Vegetarian: poblano pepper | green onion | corn | zucchini | roasted red pepper coconut cream sauce & sides Sides: Mushroom risotto cakes Grilled vegetable tower: yellow squash, eggplant, zucchini, balsamic glaze We're so happy Cocina Fusion catered our wedding. Everything worked out perfectly with them! read more

We highly recommend Cosina Fusion for your wedding or catered event. Our plated dinner was delicious, table service was spot on all night, and Juliano made sure everything ran smoothly. Again, highly recommend Cosina Fusion. read more

Cocina Fusion, Juliana, and Yasmin were an absolute joy to work with from the tasting to the big day. They were patient and efficient, and we are grateful for all of their input and suggestions in our planning. It is clear that they are professionals! We were also lucky that they personally knew many of our vendors - it made the whole experience seamless and enjoyable. Yasmin especially went above and beyond to make our day special. Weeks later, our guests are still raving about the food from the authentic cocktail hour appetizers to the filling Mexican dinner to the sweet churros! Everyone there is doing great work and we couldn't be more pleased about our decision in choosing Cocina Fusion. read more

Cocina Fusion catered our September wedding in Chicago, and the experience was perfect. Leading up to the big day, they were always available and in frequent communication, making catering stress-free. Our two tastings were outstanding...it was hard to pick just 2 stations because everything was delicious. Finally, on the wedding day, many of our guests specifically complimented the food as a highlight of the evening. We highly recommend Cocina Fusion! read more

We got married in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood in July 2024 and hired Cocina Fusion as our main caterer - including all staff and bartenders. Cocina Fusion made our taco bar wedding dreams come true! Our guests still continue to rave about the food (passed taquitos, arepas, empanadas / full taco bar/chips and salsa on each table/churro cart / late-night Chicago dogs and sliders). Even our photographers said it was the best wedding catering they have ever had!! The bartenders also exceeded our expectations with our three specialty cocktails (margaritas, aperol spritzes, old fashioned). On top of the high-quality service and copious amounts of delicious food and drink, the entire team was incredibly professional, responsive, and an absolute JOY to work with from start to end. Thank you again to the entire Cocina Fusion team for an incredible wedding catering experience! read more

Juliana and her team are AMAZING! Our guests raved that it was the best wedding food they've ever tasted. The service was great throughout the night and the food was hot/delicious. At the tasting, Juliana was consultative and make thoughtful suggestions that make us feel heard. Throughout the process she was responsive, detail oriented and friendly. Everything was truly amazing and we cannot recommend Cocina Fusion enough. THANK YOU! read more

We could not recommend Cocina Fusion more!!! I could not put into words how happy we were with the entire process from start to finish. No one expects their wedding food to be such a talking point, but ours was! Everyone was so thrilled and satisfied with the quality and taste of everything we served. People still will message us to tell us they are thinking about a certain dish, or have asked us to get the recipe (the short rib does not disappoint - but literally nothing will). We worked with Marcela throughout the planning process and she was incredibly helpful. She was always so responsive, kind, calming, and helped provide great insight when we didn't know what direction we wanted to go. Day of, the table set up was everything we could have wished for and more. The whole team helping (waiters, bartenders, etc) were all so helpful, graceful, and overall a joy to be around. We would 100% work with Cocina Fusion again, and are honestly thinking of events to throw so we could recreate this day/meal again. read more

We used them for our wedding and they were truly perfect! Juliana was incredible to work with and the food was amazing. We had guests raving about it for weeks. read more

I have nothing but praises to share about Cocina Fusion! While planning our June 2019 wedding, we were first introduced to Cocina Fusion at the West Loop Wedding Walk in January 2018, where they were sampling some of their hors d'oeuvres at one of the venues we toured. My husband and I were so impressed by the food that we immediately connected with them for a proposal for our event. Compared with the several other caterers that we considered working with for our wedding, Cocina Fusion immediately set themselves apart in terms of the value and transparency they offered. Our proposal contained no hidden "administrative fees", no added charges for table linens (and I will add that they have a BEAUTIFUL selection), and no rental fees for every single fork and water goblet you will be using. Everything was just so transparent, easy, and honest with Cocina Fusion, and we signed a contract with them the day after our tasting. Working with Marcela throughout the wedding planning process was such a treat. She was always tremendously helpful, responsive, and flexible when changes had to be made. Marcela was even there to provide support during a couple of unexpected issues that came up a few months before the wedding. On our wedding day, Cocina Fusion executed everything without a hitch (not only our catering services, but bartending as well), working seamlessly with our other wedding vendors to create the wedding day of our dreams. We received SO MANY compliments about the quality of the food we served ("this is the best wedding food I've ever had!") as well as the service received from the servers during our family-style dinner. In summary, if you're looking for AMAZING food to "wow" your guests, transparent pricing and great value, and genuine people who love the work they do and care about their clients, you are going to love working with Cocina Fusion! read more

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We partnered with Cocina Fusion for our June 2022 wedding (after years & months of COVID related reschedules & postponements!) and cannot recommend them highly enough! Not only is their food delicious with a wide menu of excellent, unique & creative options (months later, our guests are still raving about the menu!), the entire team is incredibly professional, talented, and reliable. Most importantly - Cocina makes things EASY and stress-free; they act like true, collaborative partners & trusted advisers to your event - and are flexible in customizing their offerings to your needs & vision. Throughout the whole process - Juliana was so responsive, accommodating, and patient to work with and helped ensure our event went off flawlessly - asking all the right questions & offering suggestions that would have never crossed our minds. Even though she had another commitment the night of our wedding - she ensured we had a top-notch day-of lead, and still dropped by to say congratulations and ensure everything was running smoothly. Further, the hospitality provided by the entire staff on our wedding day was excellent - from the day-of coordinator, the servers, and bartenders (one of whom even graciously helped me track down some scissors for a last minute alteration, ha!). The service was so smooth, and the Cocina team did a fantastic job of anticipating every need and ensuring our drinks & bellies were happily full! We couldn't have asked for a better experience. Thank you, Cocina Fusion!! read more

Cocina Fusion - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Marcela was an absolute pleasure to work with; she was responsive, and answered numerous questions via email and in person. Her attention to detail and experience in weddings was apparent; she provided options for linens and seating, she suggested leaving our flower arrangements meant for dinner out during the ceremony, which added to the ambiance. She helped tie together flowers onto the curtain backdrop, and quickly arranged cupcakes that didn't fit on the cake stand onto small plates. I forgot to bring a cake knife and server, and she had those ready. What Marcela did as a caterer went above and beyond. My husband and I were able to spend time with our guests and enjoy our dinner thanks to the Cocina Fusion team. The food the day of was as delicious for 95 people as it was for the tasting. During cocktail hour, guests were served by great bartenders, and devoured the appetizers. My husband and I returned from photos, and there were still plenty of hor d'oeuvres being offered. For dinner, we decided on poblano chicken, chimichurri steak, and a vegetarian stuffed pepper option, with mushroom risotto and grilled vegetable tower as our sides. The tables were arranged simply but beautifully, and the staff was on point to refill food and clear tables. We had children and food allergies, but everyone was served safely and correctly. Family and friends raved above the food, and loved how flavorful and different it was. One of the best compliments was a guest mentioning how he wished he could renew his vows, so as to have an excuse to book Cocina Fusion for the catering! Marcela and her team worked tirelessly to ensure the food was delicious, and that the wedding reception went off without a hitch. They are friendly, knowledgeable, hard-working individuals that epitomize what hospitality and service are about. Bottom line: have your event catered by Cocina! read more

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I'm a wedding photographer and have had Cocina Fusion's cuisine on multiple occasions. Each time, it's great. I've recommended them to future clients of mine and wish every wedding had as great of food as they serve! read more

We just used Cocina Fusion for my daughter's wedding. The food was amazing and service was excellent! The appetizers were delicious. For our main course there was a choice of Chimichurri steak, Stuffed Spinach Chicken or Stuffed Poblano Pepper. All were fantastic! The side dish of mushroom risotto was epic! Everyone commented on how good the food was! Most guests said it was the best wedding food ever! Juliana and her staff and servers were efficient and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Truly the best full service caterer I have ever worked with in the city. As not only a wedding planner but also having spent a good 19 years in the corporate world of events I have worked with some great, and other not so great but Cocina and their team are the best of the best. Everything from the pricing to the process and planning as well as the staff and everyone in the front office, they are 5 star across the board! I know this seems gushy but seriously they have never disappointed and I am so glad to have found them as they make my job that much easier :) read more

Wedding food isn't usually all that good, right??? Ummmmm no. Not true for Cocina Fusion! We used them for our wedding in July 2017 at Stan Mansion. First of all, we LOVE Marcela. She was absolutely awesome to work with... so sweet and she had awesome ideas. She was super patient and helpful. I actually miss talking to her and seeing her. :-) We went with the plated duo option which our guests are still raving about. We had so many compliments about the food. We did the herb steak, salmon au fennel, lemon wedge potatoes, grilled asparagus and had the roasted pear and goat cheese salad. YUM! Our apps were the stuffed mushroom caps, the one with plantain and pork and their famous empanadas (without olives, per our request!). We highly recommend Cocina Fusion for a perfectly catered event and delicious dinner! read more

Cocina Fusion - Our guests loved the passed appetizers. We appreciated that they brought a plate of apps for us to enjoy! - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

For my wife and I, one of, if not the most important thing for our wedding, was food and booze. We consider ourselves semi-foodies, thus, we were extra critical when choosing the caterer we wanted for our wedding, and Cocina Fusion delivered in spades, and then some. Right from the beginning, the first tasting wowed us. We got to try multiple dishes from our choosing to narrow down the menu we wanted, and every dish was both uniquely flavored and authentic. None of the food we tasted disappointed. When we finally narrowed down our choices, we went with a couple of appetizers that included a mini sope for cocktail hour, the chipotle chicken and short rib barbacoa as the entrees, along with a grilled vegetable tower and arroz con gandules as the sides. We also opted for them to provide the drinks and bartenders, along with a churro station. Due to COVID-19, we had to reschedule our wedding multiple times, yet, Cocina Fusion did everything in their power to be with us for the big day. Once the date finally settled, and we began to talk through the process and details, Marcela was the epitome of professionalism. Besides flexibility with the date change, they were also flexible with including and arranging our party favors to ensure everything was in place in a way that we pictured and made sense in the grand scheme of the reception. When the day finally came, the staff were ready on time starting with cocktail hour. The servers were making sure all the guests were asked if they wanted appetizers, and the beverages mixed by the bartenders got everyone into the festive mood we wanted them in! Dinner was served on time as well, and the servers moved like clockwork, bringing all seated guests food at the exact same time. It is the small details I noted and also received compliments on like this that made the night feel magical. The food was even more scrumptious than I remembered, which was a sentiment echoed by other guests I spoke with; a few weeks out, and I am still receiving glamorous reviews by family and friends about the food! The salad was fresh and light, the barbacoa melted in your mouth, the salsa had a yummy spicy kick to it, the chicken was tender and sauce delicious, and the vegetable tower and arroz cooked to perfection. I unfortunately did not get to try the churros, but from what other guests told me, they were on par with the quality and taste of the rest of the food. Yet, the one thing that shocked people in the best way about the dinner, besides the food, was the service. We expected the wait staff to be adequate, but describing them solely in this fashion does not do them justice. Every server went above and beyond to ensure all of our guests, and not just my wife and I, felt cared for and special. No guest emptied a plate without being asked if they wanted more, or if there was anything missing they would have liked. Numerous guests made sure to provide similar feedback to me about the staff, and one friend went as far as saying this was the best service he had ever received. As for the bartenders, they knew exactly how to keep the party going, and did a phenomenal job of keeping everyone's energy up the whole night! In summary, my hat goes off to everyone at Cocina Fusion, from the wonderful Marcela, to the brilliant chef, to the attentive waiters, and last, but certainly not least, to the amazing bartenders. They were key to making our night memorable, and provided a huge amount of joy to everyone! read more

We are so thrilled that we chose Cocina Fusion as our caterer for our April 2023 wedding! Great communication from the very start - Juliana's attention to detail, responsiveness and professionalism made Cocina Fusion one of the easiest to work with out of all our vendors. Juliana and Anaxi made us feel very welcomed and prioritized at our tasting, and the food was AMAZING - I'm still drooling over the bacon-wrapped dates and the herb and butter salmon! The serving staff was awesome - I so appreciated that they brought a tray of appetizers up to the bridal suite for us as soon as we arrived at our venue, to make sure the wedding party got to eat! You're in the best of hands with Cocina Fusion! read more

We used Covina fusion for our daughters elegant back yard wedding. They were an absolute pleasure to work with. The food especially the chimicurri steak were great. The staff were efficient and so polite. Marcella runs this business so well would Definately use again. read more

I can't express how much we love Marcela and Cocina Fusion. We did our tasting pretty early. We brought the maid of honor and my best friend and the bond we formed with Marcela was incredible!! We tried so much food and not one thing was bad. The options were endless and we had a hard time choosing what to serve for our wedding. We set our menu and kept in touch the entire time. A couple weeks before the wedding, we decided to change half of our menu and Marcela was so accommodating. She was very pleasant and easy to work with, no matter how back and forth we were. Before the wedding, we had our final walk through and she was attentive, knowledgeable, reassuring, patient, and helpful. I could go on for paragraphs. The day of our wedding, I worried about nothing. Marcela and our day of coordinator was running the show and executed perfectly. The food was incredible. I am the pickiest eater I know and I am still craving the food. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the steak even more perfect. The veggies were delicious and I probably ate my weight in the late night poblano tacos (this is a must have!!!!!). Everyone I asked (and didn't) was so surprised wedding food could be that tasty. The wait staff was quick and bartenders were attentive. They changed the wedding food game. Nothing was dry, bland, or cold. All of the food was fresh and delicious. The only thing I would change is that I wish we could get the leftovers to bring home!! Cocina, let me know when you open a restaurant. Thank you so much for being such a huge part in our big day!!! Marcela, you are amazing!! read more

The rumors are true! When i read these amazing reviews I was worried. When i went to my tasting i thought the food can't be this good the day of the wedding.... My guests are STILL RAVING about the food of my wedding. I was recently married 5/27/18. Julianna was phenomenal...calming and professional. Her lead bartender Abraham was giving butler concierge service. I was completely in awe of the professionalism and customer service day of. Juliana should consider day of event planning because everything was great. I felt comfortable with her the food was phenomenal. We went with the spinach and cheese stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet plantain, and steak. EXCEEDED my expectations! We chose our event space only because of our caterers. I 1000% recommend Cocina Fusion and definitely recommend their advice! read more

We used Cocina Fusion for our wedding and it was the best choice ever! The food was amazing, the staff is amazing and they truly helped make our day perfect. Marcela is amazing and so helpful!! Thank you Cocina Fusion! read more

Don't think twice about hiring Cocina Fusion! They were incredible to work with from start to finish for our wedding. My partner and I wanted both Mexican cuisine and more traditional 'American' cuisine for our wedding, and we were so happy to find that they had such a diverse selection of food at a great price point. Everything was delicious at the tasting, it was so hard to choose! We selected Bistec a la Mexicana, Stuffed Spinach Chicken, and the Poblano pepper for our wedding meals and all of them were delicious! We got so many compliments from our guests on the food saying it was the best wedding food they'd ever had. The appetizers were incredible too, as were the churros. Juliana was so attentive with my millions of questions leading up to our wedding day, and helped me in so many ways. Absolutely one of our best decisions for our wedding! Can't recommend them enough. read more

If you're looking into booking Cocina Fusion for your wedding, DO IT! We were so happy after the initial tasting that we knew we found the right caterer. The food was delicious and what was the icing on the cake for us is that they took detailed notes on slight changes to the taste in certain dishes (even the chef came out and spoke with us) and executed everything so perfectly for our wedding. Luciana was such a dream to work with as well. The evening of our wedding, she came to us with a 'mistake' she noticed she had made (which lets be very clear, it was SO insignificant that neither my husband or I noticed and even cared!) and apologized profusely. We all shared a good laugh because it was such a small mistake and we were SO HAPPY with how everything turned out. I feel like it's hard to recall wedding food because it all tastes generally the same, but trust me....your guests will remember this food. It was unique in that it had a latin flair, which we love, and was a significant portion size. We had over 20 couples tell us how much they enjoyed the food the night of our wedding while dancing at the reception. The compliments continued after the wedding itself even! We feel like Cocina Fusion is the next big thing to happen to wedding catering in Chicago so do yourself a favor and book them early read more

We hired Marcela and the Cocina Fusion team to cater our wedding at the Stan Mansion in December 2017. Marcela was so kind, responsive, patient, friendly, personable and easy to work with. The Cocina Fusion team has catered MANY events at the Stan, which made us confident in there being no surprises leading up to or the day of our wedding. They were incredibly accommodating and flexible through the entire process and we didn't have a thing to worry about - we felt like we were in good hands the entire day (and as someone who is in marketing and organizes events for a living, I was so grateful to not have to worry about the coordination aspects on our wedding day!) The cost is incredibly affordable for the value of what you get, especially the service. Plenty of incredible food, they worked with our other vendors flawlessly and are true professionals. We had such great feedback from our guests about the food - everyone said it was super tasty - highly recommend the empanadas and late night taco bar (both huge hits with our guests)! read more

Juliana and her team at Cocina Fusion were fantastic partners in helping us create a wonderful and delicious event for our wedding day. From our initial tasting, which was hosted graciously and with specific attention to our preferences and concerns, to the day of our wedding, Juliana was a reliable and wonderful partner. The food was entirely delicious, every detail of the food and drink service, and even custom requests like signature cocktails and some birthday candles for a guest were handled beautifully. And did I mention that the food was SCRUMPTIOUS. Don't sleep on Cocina Fusion; book them for your next event now! read more

Cocina Fusion exceeded our expectations!! They're amazing! We chose Cocina Fusion for our wedding in September. We previously had their food at two other weddings and they truly won us over. It's not your typical banquet food and they take their time in creating delicious dishes. Juliana was with me every step of the way. She happened to be pregnant during the planning process, BUT that did not stop her. She is the definition of awesome! We still receive compliments on how great the food was and we continuously recommend it to friends and family. From the bartenders, servers, and over all quality of the food, they did an exceptional job. I literally cried after the wedding was over because they are that good! - They treated us like family. Juliana went above and beyond for my husband and I and I will forever be thankful. Appetizers: Meatballs with Chipotle sauce Chicken Taquitos Spinach Empanadas Main Dish: Chipotle Chicken Chimmichuri Steak PuertoRican rice served with gandules Roasted sweet potato with walnuts Chef Salad read more

Anyone considering Cocina Fusion for their catering needs - look no further! From the very first correspondence with Juliana, I knew that we would be taken care of. After meeting her and her husband, Chef Anaxi, we were absolutely sold. Not only were they professional, but super personable and genuinely caring. Also, the food. SO GOOD. Our wedding guests absolutely loved the food. Where else can you get poblano salmon, risotto cakes, and plantains (just to name a few of their offerings)?? Juliana was very accommodating and communicated with us throughout. The whole team really worked hard to make our vision on our special day come true. I hope to work with Cocina Fusion again or at least eat more of their food! read more

Our venue had a set list of vendors that we were required to choose from, and even after our tasting (before finding Cocina), we were wildly unimpressed with those other caterers and bewildered by the costs. Although we had a wedding planner, we stumbled upon Cocina Fusion on our own, & it was by far the best decision we could've made. Marcela was such a genuine and warm person to work with. Our tasting went so well, and they were so accommodating and helpful with my husband's family's many food allergies/sensitivities. After the tasting, we were sold on Cocina Fusion. The food was remarkable. It was really special that we were able to incorporate the Latin fusion menu into our wedding as my father and his family are from Mexico. When it came to wedding day, Marcela was so attentive and sweet. I ended up having an awful stomach ache throughout the day (probably nerves), and she was so helpful and caring. She packed me a to go box of food, so that I could properly enjoy the food when I was feeling better. She even came by during dinner and asked me if I wanted anything from the bar, and she brought me something on her own time just to be thoughtful. I'll truly never forget her kindness and how genuine she was throughout our whole experience. Everyone RAVED about the food- our wedding party, our friends, our family, EVERYONE. Everything was so delicious! Our favorites were the poblano chicken, ceviche, and chimichurri empanada. I wish I could order from there like takeout on weekends. The food is unreal. The staff is impeccable! The price is more affordable than a lot of other caterers who don't have anywhere close to the style and flavor as CF. And working with Marcela was easy, & I looked forward to seeing her and connecting with her all throughout the process. Going with Cocina Fusion was the best decision we made! To those of you who think you are stuck with that set list of vendors from your venue, YOU ARE NOT. Most might charge a small fee to get out of that (our venue ended up not charging us anything), but Cocina Fusion will save you money, bring you more originality and flavor, and keep your guests away from typical "wedding food" that we know everyone loathes. GO WITH COCINA FUSION! read more

Hiring Cocina Fusion was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. Juliana and her team are incredible. Their food is AMAZING. Our guests could not stop raving about the food all night and long after our wedding. Juliana is incredible to work with. She is easy to communicate with and provides wonderful insight to the wedding planning process. All of the servers were incredible. I cannot recommend Cocina Fusion enough. They were the absolute best! read more

My goodness, where do I even start with Cocina Fusion? From the first tasting to our wedding...they were phenomenal every step of the way. All our dishes we decided on were so tasty and fresh during the wedding. Marcela was very timely and professional during the entire process and their team of servers were amazing. I had a couple oddball requests and they fulfilled them with no resistance. Thank you Cocina Fusion for making my catering experience a joy as a bride! read more

Cocina fusion catered my December 2019 wedding & it was great! Marcela made everything easy from the time I set up our tasting all the way through event takedown on the night of. The food was great, my guests were impressed & she even brought my husband and I a platter of appetizers after pictures & before cocktail hour as she knew we were starved :) we loved working with cocina fusion, If you're looking for a caterer, you've found them! read more