My husband and I got married March 31, 2018 at Ovation in Chicago, and Real Kitchen catered our…read morewedding. The food was unreal and the service was perfect. From the very beginning of meeting and working with Executive Chef Nick Schmuck, we knew the execution of the menu and logistics would go off without a hitch. Nick is friendly, organized, super talented, and is an expert at implementing large scale events. He had great advice for us in the beginning of our planning process regarding our timeline for the day, and other great odds and ends. It was really helpful and appreciated! During our tasting, we were blown away by the caliber of all of the dishes! Our friends who strongly recommended working with Nick were 100% right. We loved how simple, yet flavorful and beautiful all the dishes were. The ingredients were top notch and we really liked how the majority of the dishes were vegetable-forward. Our guests very much enjoyed that too! We loved our entire menu, but if we had to pick our favorite dishes were the Mojo Roast Pork "Cuban" with Smoke Ham, Gruyere, & Cornichon (aka mini Cuban sandwich) / Prosciutto Tart with Romesco, Dates, & Almonds / Moroccan Pork with Apricot, Prunes, Couscous, & Pistachios / Green Beans with Shallot & Garlic Confit & Roasted Tomatoes, and Roasted Beets with Orange & Fennel. Our friends and family members were also blown away by our menu, and are still talking about how amazing and memorable our wedding food was! Additionally, Nick handled all rentals and hiring staff for the evening, which was a huge help! Everything he recommended was perfect and we wouldn't have changed anything. Bottom line: please consider Real Kitchen to cater your wedding. You won't regret it, and everyone will absolutely love the food!

From the very start Nick showed his professionalism, attention to detail and culinary genius in…read moreplanning the catering for our wedding celebration. The food is unparalleled, and our guests couldn't stop raving about it - the food was the #1 compliment we received from our wedding in May 2019! The Real Kitchen team was instrumental in making our big day a success. In addition to planning & executing the delicious menu, Nick also organized all the necessary rentals (linens, flatware, glassware, highboys, cake stand, etc) and made sure to choose value options to help us keep costs conservative. We appreciated how detailed his proposal was compared to other vendors in breaking down all these costs for us. He was transparent throughout the process and also thoughtful - after our tasting we went home with all the leftovers packed up in eco-friendly containers :) Nick also provided invaluable help planning our bar (we purchased alcohol outright & are so glad we listened to his advice on which store to use and what to buy). His & Real Kitchen's efforts really made the reception go extremely smoothly and allowed us to kick back and enjoy the evening. What more could you ask for? The service was top notch and the food was even better! When we asked to do something a little different for coffee service they were flexible and accommodating. Even in the initial menu proposal they included ingredients from my region of origin which was a really nice personal touch. The room setup was also done perfectly and exactly as we had envisioned it. All of our requests were met with ease and professionalism, and the event went impeccably smoothly. Highly recommend Real Kitchen for their incredible food, professionalism, flexibility, and attention to detail! Great caterer! (pictures are of the tasting, the wedding itself was even better!)

We worked with Hearty Boys for our June 2026 wedding and I'm STILL thinking about how amazing they…read moredid. We cannot sing their praises loud enough! Alyson is the absolute best. She is thoughtful, communicative and just so charming! I am gluten free, but Alyson and the whole Hearty Boys crew made sure I had my own gluten free version of every Hors d'oeuvres. We had about 150 guests. Everyone loved the food and the service and they were so accommodating with guests who had restrictions. Wedding decision fatigue is real. Let this be your sign to make the easy decision to choose Hearty Boys! You'll be in wonderful hands!

Hearty Boys did such a fantastic job at our wedding, with the food as well as just consulting on…read morethe event itself. When we did our tasting, we knew pretty quickly they were the top, both because the food was several levels above what we'd tasted with other caterers, and because Derek asked us great questions throughout the tasting to better understand what we needed for our event, and to make great recommendations & help us think through aspects that hadn't even occurred to us yet. We had quite a few people in the weeks after the wedding reach out to say that they've never had better food at a wedding, and that was our experience too! They also staff the event incredibly well, and each of the team members we interacted with was a pro. Definitely add them to your list, and expect them to beat everyone else!

My company has used Tri-Star Catering for years for our catered meetings and office events. They…read moreare a preferred vendor on our list and offered a first time discount so I decided to give them a try for my board's recent conference. They have a good number of options and I selected a meat & cheese tray which came with crackers and bread, and I added drinks. Delivery was scheduled for noon and by 12:20 they hadn't arrived, with no call or text that day confirming the delivery at all, much less advising that they were running late. I called and got a callback stating that the driver was running late and would arrive in 10 more minutes. This was cutting it very close to the 1:00 start time of our event and people were starting to arrive, so I was not happy. The driver was apologetic and went up to the room with me and set everything up quickly. The presentation was nice and the food was good so I was forgiving, I just hope any future events go better!

If I could give Tri-Star Catering more than 5 stars, I absolutely would…read more They provided catering for our two-day conference in Chicago, and from start to finish, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. Philip, my main point of contact, set the tone early with an incredibly thoughtful and detailed intake process. It felt less like a transaction and more like a true partnership. He took the time to understand exactly what I wanted, and then elevated it beyond my expectations. The range of menu options was honestly mind-blowing. We had a pretty diverse group with a lot of dietary needs, and somehow everyone was happy--which is not easy. No one felt like an afterthought. The attention to detail was impeccable. From beautifully designed menu cards to a perfectly executed cocktail station at dinner, every element was curated with care. Nothing was overlooked. And I have to highlight Gabe--because WOW. Having him onsite was a game changer. He stayed on top of everything: refilling food and drinks, maintaining the space, and making sure guests were taken care of without ever being intrusive. Now let's talk about the food. I love food--and I can be a tough critic--and they gave me absolutely nothing to complain about. Every dish was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented. The team was punctual, professional, and engaging. Setup and breakdown were seamless, and their communication throughout the entire process was consistent and clear. My only "complaint"? I wish they were based closer to me so I could hire them for everything. If you're looking for a caterer in Chicago, stop searching. This is your company. Philip and his team take real pride in their work--and it shows in every detail.

I hired Cortes Catering for my wedding. I could not have been happier!…read more I did not want a boring cookie-cutter wedding. I wanted a rustic eco-friendly wedding that showcased Chicago and made guests feel at home. Oscar made that happen. He is the easiest person to work with. And boy did I have some crazy requests: butcher paper, chandeliers, origami cranes. I wanted our wedding to really represent our personality: nerdy, fun, down to earth, and gluttons to the core! The advice I was given for a wedding was to pick 2 or 3 things that really matter to you and skimp on the rest. Food & photography were my 2 things. Every penny was well worth it!!!!

We booked Cortes Catering for a post-Memorial Service reception at a family home. Given the nature…read moreof the event, it was particularly important to us to have caterers who were efficient, thoughtful, easeful and elegant. Cortes Catering was all this and more. We received multiple compliments on the food; even highly accomplished cooks were asking for recipes. Communication was easy; setup and cleanup were efficient and unintrusive. The staff was wonderful, super-nice, professional, and easy to work with. Based on quotes we received from other caterers, we feel that Cortes Catering offers great value for top-quality food, presentation and service. There were no problems at all and we recommend them without reservation.

Big Star was the site of one of our first dates, so when it came time to hire a caterer for our…read morewedding, the choice was clear. The food was superb, as anticipated, from passed apps to delicious tacos. Guests raved. Big Star also allowed us to supply our own alcohol but served it for us beautifully; ditto the flip to dessert (from Firecakes). I loved the smiles on all of the staff. Greg Pearson, our event lead, was fabulous. There was a bit of staff turn over right before the event, but once Greg stepped in it was smooth sailing.

I ordered a lot of food for an afterparty and everything was simply spectacular. The sujuk…read moresandwiches, the kibbeh pies and the fatoush salad were hot favorites. The stuffed grape leaves were simply extraordinary, and I have not eaten anything like that before. The chicken shawarma was saucy but very light and overall simply delicious!! The hummus and Mtabal dips were outstanding as well. I highly recommend Honeydoe. Sufficient and high quality cutlery was provided with the order, and it arrived bang on time. The only one suggestion I would have is that I had to increase my food order to $400 to get them to accept the order, and I wish the limit was a little less. But I do not regret a single penny that I spent. It is food at its freshest and tastiet! Kudos to Rana who was lovely to talk to and accommodating with my order!

I hosted a party and used Honeydoe. The service is exceptional! The entire process was a breeze,…read morefrom the moment I got in touch with the owner until the food was delivered. The presentation was beautiful and my guests really enjoyed the food and everyone was raving about how delicious everything was. I cannot wait to cater again for future events! Thank you Honeydoe for the authentic food, honest and genuine service and passion for what you do. I ordered spinach pies, chicken sandwiches, tabboule, rishtayeh,grave leaves, kibbeh, mortadella. All superb!

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!

Great food great tasting prompt delivery very helpful on phone choosing food friendly politeread more

Working with Anabel from food for thought was smooth and easy from planning the menu to arranging…read moretables and the bar area to make sure everything flowed well for the guest. The food was outstanding and the staff that worked the party were top notch friendly and professional. I give Food For Thought an A plus. Thanks for a great party !!

Food is one of the things guests remember the most from a wedding, and Food for Thought made sure…read moreour wedding reception would be talked about for a very long time. From the very beginning, we knew FFT was the right vendor for us because they took our favorite foods and crafted a completely customized menu perfectly tailored to what we enjoyed and what we envisioned for the event. From there, they then worked with us to refine the menu as we kept coming up with crazy ideas. We literally emailed Anna about how we had just tasted a delicious Oreo brownie and she had it added to our desserts right away. We also wanted a very custom bar menu, and they worked with us to get us all the different brands we were looking for, going so far as to drive to Indiana to source some of them. The other aspect of their menu that made such an impact was all the interactive food stations. Everything is so creatively presented and designed. At our tasting, Anna had literally taken elements of our décor and paper goods and other motifs and woven them throughout the presentations from custom serving trays to glass designs. Everything felt intentional and thought out. Guests were constantly praising this attention to detail. Every station had some element of action to it as well, making everything feel like a unique experience. In all of this, the food was all delicious. We wish we can eat and experience it all over again. We still dream of Chef Arlene's Guava and Cheese Empanadas. Throughout the process, Anna was extremely easy to work with and very responsive. One thing we wanted to highlight was that we wanted to be very careful with allergens. Despite the high number of dishes, Anna did a fantastic job working to highlight all the possible allergens in every item, taking the request very seriously. We also wanted to praise the service for the actual day-of catering. They had their full team there, and the professional service was fantastic from top to bottom. Our guests praised the food endlessly, and people who were planning their wedding wanted to know all the background details into our catering choice. That is just more proof that Food for Thought was the perfect caterer, and we couldn't have asked for anything more.