After cooking for 10 hours on Thanksgiving, I vowed I'd never do that again. Ever. And this meal made sure I won't have to. Chef Aleta completely saved our Christmas. The deep-fried turkey was hands down the best turkey I've ever had. I've never seen a turkey stay that juicy, especially after reheating. The juice was literally dripping as I carved it. I usually avoid turkey altogether but this one changed my mind and had me going back for seconds (and thirds, no shame). The mac and cheese was rich and creamy (not mushy... and I am picky about my noodles), the candied yams were perfect, the cornbread dressing was delicious, and the collard greens were seasoned just right. The gravy was amazing, and even the cranberry sauce was spot on. Everything reheated beautifully in about an hour, which meant I got to actually relax instead of spending the day chained to the stove. Chef Aleta was also wonderful to work with. She was organized, helpful, and accommodating with dietary requests. She made everything easy from start to finish. We also added a roasted veggie tray, which has been amazing so far. About to go home and dig into that! My mom's exact words at the end of the meal were, "So... when is the next eating holiday so we can order again?" Honestly, same. Did I mention she DELIVERED it to me? read more

I paid for my Mother aunt and sister to attend your Mother's Day Jazz Buffet on Sunday and to call their experience a disgrace is putting it mildly. The food was cold and inedible, the staff did not have the proper ingredients to make the Mimosas, and the so called Jazz was one young adult on his trumpet! The only reason it is rated a 1star is the venue where it was held was beautiful! Shame on you for doing this to Black Mothers. It seems that you were not prepared to handle an event of this magnitude and you have a long way to go to prove that you are capable of handling this as a professional business. read more

BEWARE: Our company hired Loquacious: Aleta for a 500-600 person event. During that time, I noticed quite a few Dishonorable, Shady, and Downright Sloppy behaviors. First, guests were to provided smaller portions of food of which the temperature was mediocre (we wanted it hot, but the serving ware wasn't maintained well throughout the dinner service). Thankfully, none of the guests reported illness. Aleta, neglected to bring the necessary staff, thus I found her doing much of her own cleaning of tables, discarding food and then going back to prepare guests foods as she appeared overwhelmed and not capable of judging the need for this very important function. During the event, she even employed her spouse who was a photographer to assist being short staffed. I noticed him obtaining cocktails from the bar staff and when she thought I wasn't watching, I noticed her frequently texting him back and forth. Lo and behold, she'd inadvertently left her cell phone out and faced up and the conversation between the 2 were not pleasant as they literally trashed our guests. I recall several guests wanting to take home a small plate because much food was left unconsumed, but she said she had only brought the plates (which were cheap in both quality and quantity) and didn't bring more. She also told many that she couldn't retrieve bottled water, and directed them where to go to aquire it themselves. Our company did a complete walk through of expectations and guest count but we felt "cheated" when it came to the event. When my director and CEO approached her, she appeared flustered and standoffish, rarely smiling or attempting to rectify the matter. Thereby making this mistake was unexpected, unfortunate and unforgettable. Please do your research, but know, the pictures tell a very different experience. It's important to have the total package in person, but felt like cheapskates. Many other vendors are willing to do and keep customers, but after reading her displayed text, we felt duped and betrayed. The best thing was the food smelled delish, and as a result, much was wasted with Loquacious being unable/unprepared for packaging leftovers. I definitely will not hire Aleta and her team of 2 servers again. Really wish it could've worked out as I expressed my concerns with her while on-site but she had a reaction that she was just ready to be gone/packup and leave ASAP! This left my organization feeling the vendor was incompetent, and second-rate compared to others on the market. Wish someone had provided me a better reference. read more

Very responsive. Timely delivery and the food was fresh and nicely displayed. Lovely serving plates and utensils were included.

Chef Aleta was incredibly accommodating and her creations were delicious! My kids and I look forward to enjoying her cooking again.

It was a pleasure working with Chef Aleta and her staff. She was extremely attentive to our needs and the budget we were trying to work with. She made a very flavorful latin and southern menu for us that was exactly what we asked for. The crowd favorite for the entree was the mofongo balls. We definitely look forward to working with Chef Leta and her team again in the future. read more

Love, Love, Love the hospitality of Loquacious Culinary Events! We used them for conference event and Aleta came in fully staffed at every station assuring that the tables were replenished and kept tidy. The setup is decorative, the way things were laid and oriented-- a beautiful display of food for grazing. The utensils were plastic silver spoons/forks and bamboo-Iike plates. The array of items kept us mingling around the table for great conversations! Loquacious Culinary delivered to us professionally and adapted to the changes of the event for breakfast, hors d'oeuvres, interlude snacks, and lunch. Their setup and breakdown were efficient and time-saving, they were done before the last attendee departed. Truly a 5-star service and deliciousness. Talking to her gave us some insights and it alleviated our duties that the food service will be in the right hands for execution! read more

5 star! It was a great experience. my 50 guests were thrilled! I could not have done this alone. read more

Went to the Mother's Day Jazz brunch at Zhou B Art center hosted/sponsored by Loquacious - the Jazz was a young man playing a trumpet?? - Not enough tables -literally had to wait until guests left to grab a table -- they completely ran out of bacon by 12:00 - No Mimosa's stating Champaign was on the way ! The food was served buffet style ( most of it was cold) shrimp grit, We had to wait on the shrimp ( they ran out) so shrimp grits with no shrimp ! The event was from 10;00-3:00. People were coming in -- looking and asking for instant refunds ! I saw the potential -- the execution was just horrible ! We made the best of it as the tickets were $50.00 each! read more

We called the day before a family gathering and Aleta was so wonderful to work with. She and her team worked with the venue to iron out the delivery and set up and the food was fantastic. The menu is great and the whole experience was worry-free and wonderful. I highly recommend! read more

Chef Aleta came through for our gathering of over 100 people with less than a week's notice. She made a delicious and beautiful spread with cutom vegetarian and vegan options, as well as providing attractive servingware, clear signage, and a variety of beverages. If you could have seen her in the kitchen garnishing her sumptuous lavash by hand, you'd understand the quality that goes into her food. She set up and cleaned up professionally, on time, and even hauled out her own trash. She generously provided compostable plates to make our event less environmentally damaging. When another company messed up our pastry order, Chef Aleta helped me, though she had nothing to do with the problem. Communication was clear and she was quickly responsive. Judging by Chef Aleta, Loquacious is an innovative, flexible, and very reasonably priced caterer. We will definitely use them again. read more

If I could give no stars I would! I got married 9/14/24 and hired Loquacious staff to do a complete setup and break down of the venue as well as serve food. The setup included setting the tables, linens, decor etc. Please keep in mind we paid nearly $10k for the entire service, this did not include food. The food was provided from an outside restaurant. We did a walkthrough with the venue event manager and Alita, where Alita explained what our floor plan would look like, this included where all tables would be. Our quote included rentals for all linens, plates & utensils. I showed pictures of how I wanted the flower displays and small candle votives arranged [nothing special, just flowers in the middle that florist would be dropping off with small candles around them]. The tear down and set up included setting the decor. The flower arrangements were dropped off fully made and the only thing that needed to be set up were the candles. We communicated through emails and received reminders of payments as well as a request for my final head count. When my final head count was less than the quoted price, the invoice was not adjusted which was something I understood. I organized containers with labels of where the items would be placed to make it easier for the staff. The labels included things such as " candles to be placed on guest tables." I never received communication from her or her staff needing further instructions. The day of the wedding I arrived to a frantic coordinator and family members who were told by Alita that she had no clue where the items were supposed to go and it wasn't her responsibility to figure it out. The coordinator [ who was only paid to be at the venue to direct guests and answer calls from florists dropping flowers off was left to do the job Alita was paid to do.]  A gift table was missing because according to Alita "she didn't have any more.," Even though we were quoted for that table, and during the walkthrough she told us where it would go. I previously sent her an email to add 2 tables for champagne glasses the staff would pre-pour for guests to arrive and take to their seats. Our invoice was updated to include those tables but on the day of the wedding, again the staff  did not set it up or pour the champagne. Family members were left to scramble to get this done. This was just the beginning of how terrible the service was.At one point Alita saw my husband and I, turned her back and said absolutely nothing to us, she had airpods in the entire time so as to not be bothered. It was clear she was bothered and no longer wanted to be there. Her attitude was so disgraceful and simply someone you would not want present at your wedding. The vendors you hire basically become a part of your day, they set the mood and energy for the night. During the walk though she asked how big of servings the servers should be giving, we made it clear we were OVER ordering food because the one thing we prioritized was food for guests, we wanted bigger portions served. When I walked around to greet guests at tables, I thought they were finished eating with how little food I saw on their plates. It turns out, they were being served miniscule portions and servers were counting a few pieces of meat per person. WE WERE LEFT WITH TRAY AFTER TRAY OF FOOD AFTER THE WEDDING. We provided the food from an outside restaurant, all they had to do was keep it warm and serve it buffet style. They couldn't even do that. The tortillas were served completely cold, they could've easily been microwaved or put inside a chafer dish to warm. She had them served cold, this is equivalent to serving raw bread. The quote included rentals or silverware, cups and plates. The plates were the cheapest things I have ever seen. I was better off getting plastic plates from Costco. The plates she provided were so flimsy that they would bend simply by holding it.  I think you pay what you get, this wasn't the case here. For nearly $10k, I expected quality service or at the very least even if guests weren't greeted with a smile, that the job would get done. The service we received was mediocre at most. Hiring Loquacious is the biggest regret I have of my wedding. I now know that everything we discussed during our walkthrough meeting was forgotten, she acted flustered as if none of the above was ever mentioned to her. Save your money, but most important, save having negative and bitter energy on the most important day of your life. read more

We hired Loquacious and Chef Aleta to cater our office holiday lunch. We chose a wide variety of items from the menu and they were all both well-presented and delicious. The food was delivered promptly and there was something for everyone, plus ample portions that let many of us take leftovers for later. The gourmet mini-sandwiches featured the flavorful vegetarian hummus sandwich; many caterers/restaurants give short shrift to vegetarian items, but not Chef Aleta. Another highlight was the bacon-wrapped dates. I'd recommend Aleta for any type or size of event; she and her staff know how to maintain high quality even when providing a large volume of food. She's great to work with and can help you choose the right menu. read more

Chef Aleta was very patient working with me and my colleagues for a corporate event. We were probably not her favorite clients! But the day of the event she had a great variety of delicious food, served beautifully, and plenty of staff for prep, serving, and clean-up. She wore a chef's jacket that matched our event branding! Then she event went above and beyond to deliver a forgotten jacket to the hotel. Just great service and wonderful food. read more

The delivery was exactly on time with place cards. The food was delicious- highly recommend!! read more

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My husband and I were the lucky winners of the Southside Covid Relief Raffle for Small Businesses and one of the gift cards we won was for Chef Aleta's catering business. Throughout my interactions with her, she was professional and kind both in person and via email. We hired her for our son and nephew's baptism, where we hosted 25 adults and children. Chef Aleta arrived at our designated time and set up promptly (we also appreciated how she supplied all warming racks, serving utensils, etc). Our order consisted of: summer veggies and goat cheese pasta salad, Caesar salad, bbq brisket sandwiches, shrimp skewers, and portobello mushrooms sliders. The food was outstanding, flavorful, and creative. Everyone at our party raved about Chef Aleta's wonderful spread. I would absolutely recommend Chef Aleta for your next event! read more

It was an awesome experience working with Loquacious! They catered Soul Food for a corporate event for Juneteenth and everyone loved the meal. They were kind, and patient while discussing the budget and menu. I will definitely be using them again. read more

Words will never convey the wonderful job Chef Aleta did for my birthday brunch. Everyone raved about the food and the presentation was so elegant. The omelet station offered a large varieties of options and I think I saw people come back for seconds. The bacon was crisp but not dry and the potatoes, so yummy. The fruit platter was filled and was absolutely beautiful. I had made a special request for dessert - popsicles and she more than delivered. When you hire Loquacious Culinary Events you need not worry about anything, you can have fun knowing that there is a specialist behind the food and service. Chef even went around to check on people and make any announcements as I was too busy mingling, taking pictures and having a fun time. Everything was fantastic, and incredible. Just awesome. This was an extra special occasion and she rose to the occasion. I can be that "Special type" of person, but when you in the hands of expert care and flavorful and delicious food there is no need to worry. I hope she knows how much I appreciate all her hard work. She even honored my request to take the left over food for the homeless (one of my passions). I can't thank her and her assistant Nairobi for making this an affair to remember. read more

Chef Williams over-delivered! It's not too easy to please every member of a crowd of women on a Friday night, but we were talking about how good the food was for hours after Chef left the house. She arrived early, fit in great with the conversation, dazzled us with her culinary skills, cleaned up and left with a warm goodbye and a smile. We enjoyed Crabmeat Stuffed Shrimp on Parmesan Croutons, Grilled Bruschetta, Polenta Hearts, Blueberry Maple Salad, Wild Rice Risotto Cakes, Grilled Salmon with Pomegranate Pico and the most amazing Molten Chocolate Cake. I would not hesitate to hire her for a business event, bridal or baby shower, wedding - pretty much anything that involved her cooking! Thanks, Chef! P. S. Never had the words "That salad is to die for" come out of my mouth. Until tonight. read more

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Amazing experience with Loquacious Culinary Events. Great food that delivered on taste and presentation. Loquacious Culinary Events provided the food for my Chanel Mademoiselle themed Bridal Shower. Service was impeccable and everything was deliciously fresh and full of flavor. We went with easy to eat 1-2 bite options to allow guests to nosh and mingle simultaneously. After the event my guests raved about the food and someone even placed an additional order for a separate event. If your looking for great food that marries with wonderful service then look no further :) read more

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Chef Aleta catered a cocktail party for 75 guests at our home in Beverly. The food was fresh and phenomenal, and the service was top notch--all at a very reasonable price. Chef Aleta took care of everything, from bar and buffet setup to coat racks and coat check. All I had to do was show up! It made for a wonderful, memorable evening. Everyone asked about the catering. . . it was that good. I thought "Loquacious Catering" might mean that the owner is talkative. She's not at all. Chef Aleta is a woman of few words, but the food speaks for itself. read more

Aleta catered an event for about 20 people for us last minute. The food was delicious and Aleta is an absolute joy to work with. Amazing food and at a reasonable price! We will definitely use her again and will recommend her. Thanks Aleta! read more

Aleta always does an outstanding job. She made a pumpkin, banana cream and chicken pot pie for me to take to a Friendsgiving. Everything she made was raved about and there were no leftovers! I would recommend Aleta for any catering event or occasion! read more

I catered our family dinner this year from Chef Aleta and boy let me tell you... The food was mouth watering, fresh and extremely well prepared. You could taste the seasoning in each bite. The portion size for what we paid for was exceptional!! I would recommend Loquacious to everyone I know in need of a great caterer. Toyiah Marquis www.ToyiahMarquis.com read more

We hired Chef Williams for a family reunion in Lake Bluff at a house we rented to celebrate our late grandmother. It was the best decision ever! Chef Williams and her staff were incredibly friendly, made great food and did all the work including leaving our kitchen cleaner than we they arrived! We were able to focus on enjoying the evening and each other. Every single person at our dinner kept talking about how lovely the dinner was, we couldnt have done it without Chef Williams and Loquacious Culinary!! I would recommend her 100x over! THANK YOU Chef!! read more

Was thinking about what to do for Father's Day dinner when out of the blue comes an email from Loquacious Culinary Events to save the day. I chose the beef brisket from the selection of special day menus, along with sides of green beans, wild rice and roasted root vegetables. The generous portions of tasty and fresh food fed my family of four for three meals. The best part was the sweet potato pie for dessert. My husband's family is from the south. Chef Aleta's pie was right up there with the family recipe. This is the second time I've worked with Loquacious, the first for a milestone birthday party. I expect we'll about to become regular customers. You should too. read more

I can not begin to express what an amazing service Chef Aleta provides. Not only is she accommodating to all special requests, but the food is absolutely delicious and she puts in such a personal touch to make sure all aspects of the presentation and delivery goes off exactly as you planned. Have used her twice for 15-25 guest events, and would not hesitate to use her again for ANY size get-together. Professional, easy to deal with and caring - she and her staff won't disappoint. read more

Booked a YouSwoop coupon I had. Easy email communications, prompt responses. Friendly professional chef on time. Dinner for four was delicious. Very filling! Desert was perfect ending. Cleaned all dishes ect before leaving. Highly recommend, will likely use again. read more

Be careful - she will cancel your date (using youswoop or similar) if something bigger and better come along. She did this to me and was not nice about it. I got a credit from youswoop but I did not appreciate her treatment. I am a business owner and would never cancel on someone if something better came along. read more

Loquacious Catering, run by Chef Aleta Williams, catered my company's recent event, with delicious hors' doeuvres and desserts for 100 people, all in a two-hour window. The service was smooth, and we received many compliments on the delicious food! read more

Why don't we do dinner parties more often? This is a great option for not only great food but an amazing atmosphere. Everything was perfect from appetizers to dessert. Oh that dessert! read more

Terrible experience. I purchased a you swoop and after numerous phone calls and emails, I was able to get a date for a party 7 months later... but now 4 days before the party, I'm told that somehow they forgot to put it in the calendar and nothing they can do about it. After lots of phone calls, I'm getting now the treatment as it's my fault or " we are a small company and these things happen". Very rude conversation. It is clear that this company doesn't know anything about customer service. I probably spent hours just trying to book a date and hours listening to their rude and offensive conversation. When I asked about a refund, I was told they would not help me with it. read more

I have been getting Ms. Williams' prepared meals for the last month or so, and am very pleased. Not only is the food fantastic, but ordering and scheduling is smooth, which is important for busy people. Try it, you will love it! read more

I have utilzed Loquacious Catering for 2 fundraising events and I have referred them to many others. Excellent food and great service. Check out their football sundays event at Ciao in the West Loop. A different menu each week. Even if you're not a football fan the food will keep you coming back. Variety, service and down right great food. read more

Okay... I'm back, as promised to review Loquacious Catering...I'm one SUPER happy pregnant lady. No really...I wish I could afford to hire these chicks to cook for me all the time. After the bumps in the road that we had with scheduling, I was able to book a day very close to my bday which made me really happy. The ladies said they would arrive by 6 pm. I received a call at 5:30 saying that they were outside! Punctuality! Score! So my friends let them inside and they set everything up (chairs and a rental table) and set the table with the dinnerware/place settings. It looked like we were in a 5 star restaurant!! My buddies that came were sooo impressed. Very Real Houswives of the OC'ish. The presentation was amazing, seriously and the helpers that came along to assist with serving were so polite and friendly (but not overly talkative, you barely even knew they were there!) On to the food... The appetizers were delicious! We had the garlic shrimp skewers, polenta hearts, and grilled bruschetta. Now I'm no stranger to fine dining, but really...I've never in LIFE had Bruschetta that was so damned tasty. No really...it was to die for...I wish it were acceptable for me to have asked for the recipe because I should have! Our salad was the orzo salad which was different. I usually am not daring with my orders, I pretty much stick to the basics, but I wanted to try something new and I'm glad I did. Very good combination, but in the future I'll probably stick with my Cesar salads . Our entrée was the herb roasted beef which was very tender and flavorful. Let me tell you when I say the garlic mashed potatoes were amazing, I mean it! They gave me a few leftovers after the event to take home...I put them in the fridge and my bestie that was visiting from out of town unknowingly ate the only potatoes (I guess it was my fault for saying...help yourself to whatever is in the fridge. I should have said...help yourself but DON'T TOUCH MY POTATOES!!!) Needless to say, we ended up in a fight and not speaking to each other all morning, due to Loquacious Catering and their mouthwatering potatoes. Finally, for dessert we had the chocolate rum cake. It was delightful! I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but this cake was soooooo good, it was perfect for the occasion. I wish that they sold them in a retail location because I would certainly be a loyal customer. So overall I give these ladies 5 stars, their professionalism and their product ultimately make any scheduling delays worth the wait. I would definitely use their services again, and I'm secretly racking my brain now trying to find an upcoming "occasion" to justify doing so . read more

I purchased a YouSwoop offer for Dinner for 4. Chef Williams came to my brother's house and it was an amazing experience. She took care of everything from cooking to cleanup. The food was delicious, especially the Risotto. Every dish was flavorful and after 4 courses we were all very satisfied. Don't let me forget about the Coconut Cake, it was moist and delicious. Chef was personable and was very gracious while my brother pestered her about each and every ingredient in every dish. You can't choose your family but you can choose your caterers and we are already talking about booking Loquacious again! read more

I recently contacted Aleta (the chef) to do an event for my moms bday. From the beginning to the end she was extremely professional. She responded to all of my emails promptly, and she delivered the service that she promised. My parents and their guests were extremely pleased with everything!!! read more

After my original post on the 21st, Chef Aleta reached out to resolve the issue by honoring our original agreement. She sent one small refund payment, promising to send the rest/final payment on September 1st. Before that date she said she needed to move the refund date to the 10th. It's now the 16th and I haven't heard from her and the payment was not posted. This very disappointing, but not surprising given the previous issues and lack of follow through read more

I used a YouSwoop for an in-home dining dinner for up to 8 people four-course certificate this past weekend. Chef Aleta Williams was very professional, timely, and helpful. We had a lovely dinner party with friends (where I, the host, actually got to enjoy the party). Chef Williams was well prepared. The food was solid (really enjoyed the Lobster Bisque) and the meal was well paced. I had a great experience with her and her company. She was very timely and accomodating in all her responses to set up an available date for the dinner. I would recommend her to friends if they want an in-home dinner or catering event. read more

I was at an event where they provided the food, at the Michelle Obama School in Park Forest, and their service and food were exceptional! Everything they had, particularly their omelettes, were qmaz read more