We had an absolutely incredible wedding at Elements yesterday! WOW! I cannot say enough good things…read moreabout the staff and the venue. Everything was perfect. Everyone went above and beyond to make our day special and prevent us from stressing about a single thing. When we arrived, I needed some dirt stains taken out of my dress before joining cocktail hour. Molly wasted no time getting us a drink and a tray of delicious hors d'oeuvres while she used club soda and a rag to get the stains out as best she could (and it really worked!). The coordinators communicated flawlessly with our vendors to make sure everything went according to plan. Our guests had a wonderful evening as well. We received compliments on the food and bar service and the beautiful venue. I planned my wedding myself without hiring a coordinator and I have no regrets. The venue coordinator, Molly, helped me with so much throughout the process. She was so organized, always responded to my endless emails quickly, and she paid attention to every detail. I cannot thank her enough for helping my dream wedding a reality! She was even able to bring in one of our favorite local beers from Solemn Oath which was very special for us!

We had a beautiful Boy Baby Shower yesterday for our daughter -in-law, Abbye, at The River Room at…read moreElements at Water Street in Naperville. We had a brunch buffet followed by a sweet table of Chocolate Dipped French Macarons, Chocolate Mousse Tarts and Lemon Bars. We had plenty refreshments with waitress served OJ/Champagne Mimosas. The presentation was beautiful, and everything was delicious. The staff was excellent. I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out. Thanks so much!

We loved working with Wooden Paddle Catering! The quality of the food and drinks was incredible,…read moreeveryone at our wedding raved about the food and drinks. Everyone we worked with was so kind and professional. They were able to accommodate different dietary restrictions which was so nice especially considering the groom's family was vegetarian. Without asking, they made sure to make one of our prosciutto pizzas without prosciutto to provide to the groom's family table. The set-up and tear-down was so seamless on the day of our wedding. Thanks for helping give us the wedding of our dreams! If we had one piece of feedback, it's that the menu wasn't completely accurate regarding which items were vegetarian. For example, the harvest salad was listed as vegetarian, but when we asked about it at our tasting, the nuts in the salad are cooked in beef tallow. It was very easy to order the salad without nuts, but we're glad we asked, otherwise we wouldn't have known. And the ooey-gooey butter cake is not listed as a vegetarian item on the menu, but when we asked to confirm, we were told it was vegetarian. This ended up being very minor in the scheme of things, but just think updating the labeling would make things clearer. Overall, everything worked out perfectly on the day and we're so glad to have worked with them!

It truly breaks my heart to have to write this review, but the unprofessionalism and lack of…read morecommunication we have experienced with Wooden Paddle has been nothing short of atrocious. We used to absolutely love this company. From the restaurant and open communication to the food tasting and overall experience, everything was wonderful leading up to our wedding day. Unfortunately, that experience was not reflected day of. We are extremely disappointed with how things unfolded at our wedding on October 17. Quite frankly, the only part of the day that went as expected was cocktail hour. Beyond that, we experienced SO many issues that left us feeling frustrated, disappointed, and honestly heartbroken. What makes this entire situation even more upsetting is the complete lack of communication and effort to resolve the issues we experienced. We have been trying to get in touch with someone at Wooden Paddle for the past two weeks and have received nothing back. The lack of response has been incredibly underwhelming, essentially nonexistent, and, quite frankly, extremely unprofessional. We understand that things can go wrong, but how a company handles those mistakes and communicates with its customers afterward speaks volumes. We expected accountability, acknowledgment, and a willingness to address our concerns, but instead, we have been left feeling ignored and completely disappointed. After trusting this company with such an important day in our lives, we never imagined we would be left feeling this way. We believe these issues deserve to be addressed, and we want to share the specific things that went wrong: Pizza Quality: Burnt, undercooked and both on singular pies. Many pizzas were inedible and were not touched. Delivery Timing: 1. Time between pizza deliveries were VERY VERY long. 2. Some tables were on pizza 3 before others even had gotten to 2. 3. We are unsure as to whether all 4 pizzas got served. Some guests have stated that they had never recieved all options. Coffee & Tea Add-on Station: Not set up until I had to ask a member of staff to set it up. A service we paid EXTRA for. Dietary Pizzas: 3/5 Dietary pizzas were incorrect. We were told that they never recieved the orders; however, orders were confirmed via email with Brianna DAYS before event. Table Clearing: New, full drinks were being cleared away and guests were becoming frustrated with constantly having to get new ones. Excuses: Staff told our day-of point person that the reason everything ran behind was because of "traffic". The Wooden Paddle team was there when we had arrived at 1P; which was EARLY compared to the 1:30/2P setup time we were initially informed of; by both a previous (no longer employeed) WP Catering Sales Manager and our Venue Coordinator. We are truly heartbroken that this was our experience with a company we once loved and trusted. We understand that things can go wrong, but the lack of communication and effort to make things right has made an already disappointing experience even worse. We hope Wooden Paddle takes our feedback seriously and understands how important it is to provide couples with the experience and service they deserve, especially on a day as important as their wedding.

Jen and Tyler from Rustic Catering saved the day when my original caterer canceled -- and…read moreabsolutely nailed my Sangria & Tapas party! The food was creative, authentic, and delicious (those churros!). They were professional, kind, flexible, and kept the platters full all night. Everything was seamless from planning to clean-up. Highly recommend and can't wait to work with them again!

I got married on 11/24/18 at the Mayslake Peabody Estate. I highly recommend the venue if you're…read morelooking for a unique place to get married! Positives We had good communication from Linda, in fact the only poor communication that happened was my own goof on the number of vegetarian dishes needed, but Linda was able to work that out for us last minute. The food was great, we had a nice spread during the cocktail hour, did a refreshing salad with apples and walnuts, and a well cooked, large portion, stuffed chicken breast with delicious sides, and a rich cannoli filled wedding cake. I did NOT go hungry on my wedding day. they were timely, professional, I had 0 staff issues; so as a groom I couldn't have been happier with how the night went . Negatives - only 2 We were never given the option for a tasting and I remember asking for one the first day we met them and I was told we'd get one. It's a small thing I know, but it would have been nice especially for how much it cost. Lastly, I would have given a full 5 stars but we had a last minute cost change, we were originally quoted somewhere between 9-10K for the event, 120 people max and we were bringing all the wine for the night for table service since my family happens to have a very large collection. but one week before the cost jumped to over 13K with little explanation to why is was such a large increase, I'm blessed to have means, but a jump in cost that much is a little much. Other then that it was a great night and I would recommend their service as you will have great food and little stress the day of.

We got married at Mayslake in Oak Brook and were limited to a list of preferred vendors from the…read moreDuPage County Forest Preserve. We interviewed several caterers from the list. After meeing with Rachel from La Cuisine we thought we had found our match. She provided a proposal and we put down a deposit. As our wedding got closer we received a phone call from Linda, the Owner, telling us that Rachel had left La Cuisine, and that she would be our new coordinator. I became very stressed in regards to the wedding budget. You can't finalize the catering contract until you have a tasting and decide what exactly you will be serving your guests (the catering portion is generally 50% of your wedding budget). We did not have our tasting until two weeks before our wedding. After selecting exactly everything from the original proposal that Rachel had previously quoted us, Linda told us it would be $900 more than the original number. When i sent her the proposal Rachel had prepared and asked where the difference was, she couldn't give me an answer. The worst incident was on our wedding day ten minutes before i walked down the aisle, Linda asked if i could help her with the seating chart, b/c she had left her copy of it at the office. An added stress that I did not need. Other vendors also relayed negative comments. Mayslake only provides two hours of set-up time. La Cuisine arrived over a half hour late with the linens, delaying other vendor set-ups (florist, cake buffet, etc). This is one of the only changes I would have made if we had our wedding to do over again.

I came here recently for an event hosted by a friend, and I was pretty impressed with this…read morevenue--though again--I was a guest and had nothing to do with the organizing or planning of the event; and so, although I'm not sure what it took to make this event a success, it was certainly that and I had the benefit of reaping the rewards of everyone else's work. The venue itself was very nice and seemed to be maintained well, if it hasn't been updated recently, was easy to spot and get into, and had ample parking. The front room was large, inviting, and well lit, with a few comfortable looking couches placed here and there, and the bathrooms were clean and well-kept. I'm not sure how many rooms there or, but the one I was in had comfortable seating for 120 people with plenty of room to make your way around from table to table, and a spacious dance floor. The service was very good, with friendly people walking around with various--if not safe and common--appetizers, and two bars to sate your thirst, though many noted the rather chilly and unfriendly vibe both of the bartenders gave off. The only hiccup that night was actually an issue with the bar; the arrangements had been for an open-bar, but for nearly an hour they had been charging people, and it had taken the hostess nearly thirty minutes to have the situation straightened out; apart from that, everything else seemed to have gone over as planned. The dinner served was pretty basic, but was very good: chicken, steak (medium) broccoli, and mashed potatoes; everything was flavorful and cooked well--no dried out chicken here. Two wines were kept in stock on each table during the dinner, a nice--though on the sweeter side--moscato, and a very nice, fairly mild merlot. The service during the dinner was also very nice, with servers checking on you and keeping your non-alcoholic drinks, bread, and table wine stocked. Although I cannot give you any details about the amount of money, time, or hassle, that was put into it, my friend seemed to be very pleased with the results at the end of the night (it started at five and ended at midnight), and so did everyone else. From the point of view of a guest, I would say that I was impressed with job that was done here and had a wonderful time. So if you're looking for a venue to host a nice event, I would absolutely suggest that you at least check this place out. If you're a guest, dress nicely please, and don't be chintzy with the gift, the hosts weren't chintzy with the event.

To begin the food was decent, and the restaurant was clean. The sausage pasta was on point and…read morequite delicious. The shaved beef was tough. Note: The service was something that left being desired. We ordered 3 mains: Sausage Pasta, Roasted Chicken, and shaved beef. Two sides of a simple green salad and pasta salad. In addition to rolls. They were going to serve this with water and coffee. To sit 40 people for two hours cost $1700. This was far too much food for 40 people. Though the single scoop of ice cream for a plate cleanser was appreciated. We asked for coffee as it wasn't ready at the time that people were arriving and it was provided. We asked for soda for some variety and they said that they could do so for an additional $2/head. We did so. Bad: When the meal was done we had over half of it left. When we went to see about taking the food with us they had thrown it away. The company said that it was a law that caterers couldn't give out the food. My aunt who ran a similar business in the state of Illinois said she would sign a waiver. The manager said it is against the FDA laws and refused to even just simply state it was the restaurants policy. When my aunt pushed on losing the second half of the food that was paid for they merely gave her three buffet tickets. For the lost of several hundred dollars of food they offset it by three $17.95 tickets. If you are socially conscious about food waste as our family is, only order two trays and a side for 40 people. It is better to leave hungry than to feel the food is simply thrown away. Ways to Improve: Being told this upfront at the time of hosting is important. It will make sure the right amount of food is ordered and dozens of people are not left wondering what happened with the leftovers. The place was clean and so I applaud that.

We are so glad we chose Reuland's to cater our wedding at the Meyer Ballroom/Paramount Theater, and…read moreI would recommend them to any couple! Brigit was amazing to work with -- we had to reschedule our wedding twice due to COVID, and they were flexible & accommodating every step of the way. We had numerous unique dietary restrictions such as a guest with celiac & a requirement that no food be cooked in alcohol to accommodate several recovering alcoholics. Again, Brigit and her team didn't blink an eye & executed all of that perfectly. My friend with celiac was so happy that she got to eat an individually-prepared meal at our wedding. Reuland's is fairly priced AND has a ton of cool options -- including the #1 hit of our entire wedding: a Chicago-style hot dog station! We did the hot dog station at our cocktail hour rather than as a late night snack, and everyone loved it. Did I mention the food all tasted amazing & the staff was so positive & professional?! Lastly, the groom & I live in Texas and had to plan the entire wedding long-distance, but for Reuland's that was not a problem at all. Brigit was very responsive via email, and she even fit our tasting in during a weekend we happened to be in town visiting. Thank you Reuland's for a fabulous wedding experience.

They're definitely under new management that's clear to be seen. The food quality was bad. Food…read morethat should be hot was lukewarm. How do you mess up instant potatoes? The biggest shock was the change of price at the register. Prices were higher. I am upset as my family and friends have been enjoying their homestyle food for years. Multiple food catering orders over the years. I would come in at least once a month for carry-out. Never again. NEVER.

Here is the update. This past Saturday CBR catered our wedding and it was fantastic. You kind of…read moreexpect a few things to go wrong at a wedding and the food is usually where that happens. So we were prepared for a few hiccups, but they never came. Honestly, my wife (that's still weird to say) and I love Katie. She and the rest of her team were amazing. We had a difficult venue and were were on the second floor with no elevator. Which meant that everything that had to be served had to be run up a large flight of stairs. But I will go through this better point by point. The Food - Probably the most important. Was great it was exactly like what we tasted at the tasting and not just ours everyone's was perfect. All the steak perfectly cooked and the salmon was the same. The apps were a huge hit and they even made my grandmothers meatballs (perfectly I might add). Oh and everything came out hot! Which is tough when 150 people get served at once. The service - the entire team was great they worked quickly and were excellent with all of my guests. The Katie - Honestly made this great. Every time I saw her she was running around like crazy. If something went wrong we never saw it. Also in the planning she was so easy to work with and made sure that we were getting exactly what we wanted. She even followed up the day after our wedding making sure everything was ok and apologizing for some minor thing no one noticed. I cannot recommend these guys enough. They worked with in our budget and created the dinner for our wedding that was exactly what we wanted. All of the issues were on our side including a literal 11 hour guest who Katie handled with ease. In short all of our guests were happy we were happy and it all went well.

We hired Chef by Request Catering for my daughter's graduation/going away party. Staff was helpful…read moreand courteous, food was delivered and set up on time, but most important- the food was delicious.......and there was A LOT!

Our group had a Christmas party this weekend. In addition to the A+ in…read morecustomer service. They accomodated us in several changes in delivery time and menu. The delivery gentlemen were excellent. Food was hot and so delicious! Everyone that attended the party was asking about the caterer. Thankyou, Regina and Shelly for everything! You really made our annual Christmas party a big success!!

We picked Catering by Diane for the second time- the first being a large wedding - this time a much…read moresmaller baby shower for the same couple on their exact anniversary! We ordered the exact same meal for the shower guests & everyone loved the trip down memory lane! Shelley is super responsive & helpful with feedback & just wonderful to work with. Tim delivered our food & hauled it all the way up to the roof where we had the party- I wasn't expecting that at all he went above and beyond. Above all else, this catering is the most affordable best value I have ever encountered in Chicago & I plan events & have seen them all. The food is absolutely delicious & a better value than Chinese takeout! I wish we took more photos of the food, but this fruit plate was beautiful. Thank you so much once again! See you at our next party!