My husband and I got married March 31, 2018 at Ovation in Chicago, and Real Kitchen catered our wedding. 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! read more

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From the very start Nick showed his professionalism, attention to detail and culinary genius in planning 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!) read more

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Real Kitchen catered our wedding on 9/28/2018 and did the most MARVELOUS job! I found Real Kitchen via a facebook ad and, after a quick perusal of their website (and delicious looking dishes), I reached out to Nick via e-mail. He responded almost immediately and we chatted on the phone about what my wife and I were looking for in a caterer. He got a menu drawn up within the hour and we set up a tasting. We agreed to a tasting at 10 a.m. before the store opened. Nick was incredibly accommodating, even bundling up all the leftovers for us to take home and enjoy on our own time. We knew immediately that we wanted to work with Real Kitchen. Nick was great with communication the months before the wedding, always helping to clarify or answer any questions as they came up. He always responded with kindness and patience (something all couples appreciate before their wedding day!) and was quick with all responses. On our wedding day, everything was absolutely perfect! The staff was sweet and accommodating, always making sure that everyone had enough to eat and drink. The food was outstanding--I wish I'd been able to spend hours eating more of it! Our guests constantly asked how we'd found our caterers and couldn't get over how delicious everything was! If you are looking for a caterer that is kind, fairly priced, makes extraordinary food, and will make your wedding day feel effortless, look no further! We'll be going to Real Kitchen's store location soon to get our wedding dishes so that we can eat that delicious food again and again. Thank you so much to Nick and the staff: you are all wonderful people and we feel blessed to have had you as a vendor! read more

Recently had our baby shower catered from Real Kitchen. Food arrived on time and delivery person was more than willing to walk up 4 flights of stairs and help us set up. We ordered the bacon wrapped meatloaf, Amish chicken, mushrooms, and peas. Everything we had would have been good in a sit down restaurant let alone a large catered meal. The meatloaf was moist and extremely flavorful. Chicken was well seasoned and also wasn't dry. Both appetizers were great tasting and complimented the entrees nicely. As far as portion sizes, we had a few appetizers beforehand, but the 2 entrees and 2 appetizers fed about 15 people and we still had leftovers for about a week. All the guests complimented the food and wanted to take a business card home with them. Would use again. read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding and it's going to be hard for me to express quite how much I love them! We had about 90 guests, cocktail style, with an eclectic menu that Nick generated for us during our initial tasting. I knew I liked him when I asked what the tasting fee would be and he responded with, Nothing- you're about to get robbed left and right, just by getting married, and I won't make it worse! Real Kitchen was our first tasting, and we had tastings with several other caterers, but we kept thinking about the great food and variety in Nick's menu, and had to go with them. For our tasting we had a sampling of the menu, made a couple of small adjustments, and then trusted that everything we didn't taste would be delicious (we were correct)! Nick was always available via email or phone to discuss our plans and ensure that we felt comfortable with everything happening. He was really conscious of our budget and worked with us to provide cost-saving ideas, where it wouldn't negatively impact his services, and his pricing was super reasonable overall. His original quote was within a few hundred dollars of the final amount- it was awesome not to have a huge jump in cost once we finalized our numbers and contract! For the event, the staff was amazing!! We loved them all- super attentive to my husband and I especially, and my mom's only complaint was that they were TOO attentive with clearing of the glasses, as she kept losing her water glass! The bartenders made drink suggestions and kept everyone filled in a super timely manner. The servers did a great job of navigating the crowds and getting the food out and the food was served as it was ready (instead of a one-time put the buffet items out), which worked great. Everything was fresh and if you wanted something that was out, you just made another visit once your plate was empty and the next round would be ready. My only regret is that I didn't get to eat more, but that's how weddings go! Everything I did have was delicious and Nick and his staff really made the evening wonderful. Our guests have all been talking about how delicious everything was- we wouldn't have changed a thing, and we can't recommend Real Kitchen highly enough!! read more

Stellar job catering my birthday party of over 70 (highly critical) people ;-) Nick was a delight to work with. Professional, straightforward and accommodating. At the day of the event, his crew was amazing, all the way through. I cannot say enough about chef Kerri. Everyone at the party was raving about the food which was truly gourmet with excellent presentation. Even my mother, who is a great cook and usually very critical of other people's cuisine, loved the food. Kerri was professional, extremely dedicated, hardworking and always one step ahead and on top of everything. She was a delight to work with. Alfonso (waiter) and Daniel (bartender) were also of a great caliber. Professional, attentive, hardworking and extremely pleasant to work with. Even the party rental company that Nick contracts with (Tablescapes) was outstanding. Highly recommended without reservations. read more

Nick and the Real Kitchen team catered my wedding this past weekend, and we couldn't have been happier. After reaching out and talking to multiple vendors, we knew Real Kitchen was the right choice for us. As both my wife and I are Elite Yelpers...we knew we wanted to excel in the food and beverage area for our wedding. After our tasting with Nick, we knew his food was far and away above what we tasted prior to him. He really geared the menu to what we liked and made it our own, and we were amazed at how delicious it was. Nick had great communication throughout the process and was always open to come up with ideas on how we could stay within our budget. Our guests raved about how great the food was at our wedding, and how it was "us". Just about all anyone can ask for. Real Kitchen is the real deal. read more

This review is long overdue for our amazing wedding caterer. Real Kitchen prepared amazing food for our wedding day. We did family style dining but they provide a number of detailed quotes for buffet and a la carte throughout the planning process. They were easy to work with, helping us choose seasonal foods, and adjusting with us as our guest count inevitably changed. Real Kitchen did an absolutely phenomenal job staying in communication throughout the entire process and I would use them again in a heartbeat. read more

Nick from Real Kitchen catered our annual Christmas dinner which we usually have a personal chef do, but he was not available this year. Nick put the menu together and everyone raved about the flavors(beet salad with goat cheese, white fish with a cauliflower risotto, and a brussel sprouts with parsnips, and a potato gratin, and an awesome dessert, flourless choc cake with warm caramel sauce and a coffee whipped cream..Yummy!) We followed the clear directions for reheating on the lids of the containers and it was a cinch to serve up. Also, great value for a gourmet meal. Thank You Real Kitchen, we will definitely use them again. read more

Working with Nick at Real Kitchen for our June 2021 wedding was everything we could ask for and more. Real Kitchen is the catering company that came with our venue, Walden. Nick made sure all our culinary dreams came true for our wedding. When we asked for fried cheese curds to be made for our hor dourves, Nick not only made a beer batter for them, but made an amazing remoulade sauce to go with them. He went above and beyond for all our requests. For both of our fathers, who attended the tasting with us, to choose the vegetarian option for their dinners the day of speaks so much of the level of skill and taste that went along with every entree we had. We are still getting rave reviews of the food at our wedding as the best wedding food our guests have ever had (who would say otherwise with handmade pasta!). You cannot go wrong with Nick and his team with the Real Kitchen. read more

Outstanding! Nick and his team catered my wedding of about 175 people and did so flawlessly. Everyone was raving about the food and asking where it was from. While Real Kitchen's food was outstanding what really brought Nick and his team over the top was the ability to work with them. From the first tasting, all the way through the final plate was cleared, Nick's team was professional and nothing but the best. We were looking for something a bit different from the standard dry wedding chicken with green beans and potatoes. When we communicated this to Nick, he look at us like it was nothing different for him, replying with something like "Oh sure, not a problem". Nick created a menu for us and it was outstanding! From the pork belly to the brisket and cheddar hominy, everything was fantastic. Thanks to Nick and the Real Kitchen team for making our wedding a success! read more

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We had Real Kitchen cater for our wedding reception at a private residence - not only did they help us out with the appetizers and entrees for our 25 guests, they also took care of tables, chairs and silverware rentals, and provided a server and a bartender for the party. Nick was incredibly helpful and accommodating at the planning stage, working with us closely and patiently, breaking down every cost and explaining the details. Everything was beyond amazing - the food was delicious, everything went super smoothly, the service was impeccable, and Chris (the chef), Louis (the server) and Richard (the bartender) went out of their way to ensure our reception goes perfectly and every guest is satisfied. All our guests loved the food, the setup and the service so much! We absolutely recommend Real Kitchen as they are absolutely terrific caterers! read more

I would give this place 6 stars. The Ham sandwich is sweet, savory, and slightly spicy. Its amazing. They catered lunch for our office and everyone was impressed. We'll definitely be doing this again read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding last weekend and it was flawless! Nick is so talented and beyond the food being out of this world, he was so easy to work with and made sure everything was taken care of for us from start to finish. Real Kitchen service staff was wonderful as well. We can't thank Nick and Real Kitchen enough for executing our wedding day so perfectly. They are awesome! read more

This will be short because I believe other reviewers have really said it all. I would just like to offer further evidence that Real Kitchen is an outstanding choice for wedding catering. My husband and I were married in April 2018 and were complemented again and again on the quality and taste of the food. We had a lot of vegetarian guests, which they accommodated beautifully with various salads and main dishes that were delicious, filling, and varied; just ask them for a sample menu to get an idea of what they can do! We also had a family member with significant dietary restrictions and Nick ensured that she was accommodated fully. Nick was professional and responsive throughout the planning stages. The night of the wedding, the staff and servers on sight were kind and worked so incredibly hard to make our space and the food experience wonderful for our guests. I can't say enough. Use them if you are looking to get married and to have food that is significantly better than typical wedding fare. read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding three weeks ago, and words will never do justice about how amazing this crew is and the food is. From the moment we spoke with Nick, he was the only caterer in Chicago to work with our budget and our needs. He took the time to talk us through the pricing and what all was included and worked to get us the lowest cost possible, all while providing the best food we have ever tasted. After our initial phone conversation, we need that after we had our tasting we were booking him. It isn't often that you get a chef that is willing to meet you halfway and make your wants/needs important. Nick is the man. On top of being the only caterer to work with our budget, this is hands down the best meal we have ever eaten. From cocktail, to dinner and everything in between this food was absolutely incredible. We have people to this day coming up to us saying that they felt like they were eating the best home cooked meal they've ever tasted while at our wedding. The food, service and people who work here stole the show! The best part is Nick takes fresh seasonal foods and incorporates them into the menu. We had our wedding tasting in the spring, so some of the vegetables were different at our wedding, but he told us that from day one which made me even more excited to know that the food was so fresh and so clean clean! I will never be able to express how much we appreciate Nick, and Real Kitchen. They were absolutely incredible and I will vouch for them any day! Thank you so much!! read more

For my 300th review, I will go all wedding crazy and recommend you to try Real Kitchen for catering or for a stop-in meal. Of the whole wedding process, I found catering to be the only nightmare. I researched dozens of non-traditional routes like tacos stands, bbq buffets, and personal chefs. I also tried a couple big companies who quoted me $24,000 NOT including alcohol, which I thought was super hilarious. For some unknown reason, caterers were the most unprofessional, slow, and weird people I dealt with in the wedding process. I also am not a fan of the "it's-your-big-day" scam and those annoying people who want to spend 45 minutes on the phone with you to "figure out your style" and then have multiple meetings and blah blah blah. Nick from Real Kitchen was wayyyy more "my style." He was low key, responsive but not obnoxious, and totally sold us when we tasted his tamales. My husband's (that's my first time typing that word!!) family is Mexican and they are great cooks, and they also raved about the tamales. I have very limited time and Nick did not make me spend wasteful time on the phone. We went in for a tasting of latin food, a menu which he created. We talked, we laughed, and we hired him. That was it. We also had a walkthru at the venue before the wedding which was really helpful in making the day more real. But other than that, he was not needy and he just did "his thing." I love people like that. I also decided to have him to do the cupcakes, which I trusted would be awesome. And the guests won't shut up about the cupcakes. They were snatched so fast you'd think they had drugs in them. I've seen so many cupcakes sitting at weddings untouched...not these!! I will make sure to stop in for dinner at Real Kitchen when I can. Their team is so cool and nice. Have you seen their video spoof of Alinea? It's hysterical. read more

I can't say enough good things about Nick and the staff at Real Kitchen! I had a party for 30 catered and Nick worked to provide delicious, fresh food on a tight budget. Each of the appetizers was perfect for a cocktail party and there was plenty to go around. I would not hesitate to use Real Kitchen again and certainly would recommend Nick and the staff for any size party or simply for delicious, ready-made meals. Besides the guest of honor, the next thing people were heaping praise upon was the food. read more

Nick did our wedding catering just a few weeks ago and it was the most wonderful event! People were raving from top to bottom. Over the course of the process, we changed our ideas umpteen times. Nick rolled with every new thing we gave him, even when we completely changed the menu from DIY taco bar to Indian fusion food. The day of, the food stood up to everything. The Americans and Indians alike loved the food. He did a nice job with traditional Indian dishes but also put his own twist on some dishes, making it bridge the two cultures. People were thrilled. They were even fighting over who got the last drumstick :). Overall, I could not have been happier. I think our only regret is that we didn't get to sit and enjoy the dinner for longer. So happy to recommend these guys to everyone! read more

Real Kitchen catered my wedding this past weekend, and as everyone says about any 5-star review, I couldn't have been happier. My husband and I went to RK first when seeking out caterers, and we didn't find the need to go elsewhere after discussing our ideas with Nick. He not only helped make our vision come alive, but also gave us realistic pointers while working well within our budget. He also assisted us greatly in the logistical aspects of fitting the number of guests we had in a reception venue that seemed too tight to work. We had an arrangement of autumn-inspired dishes served family style (which, I must add, is a genius idea of Nick's! I thought we were limited to either buffet or plated, but family style worked perfectly for the semi-casual atmosphere of my wedding) and our guests were genuinely shocked at how good our "wedding food" was. Our guests are nothing short of wedding veterans, and every age/ethnicity in attendance had the most positive things to say about how deliciously everything was prepared. Nick never failed to contact us with any ideas, issues, and concerns, and was so accommodating with our limitations and hesitations. Thank you so much, Real Kitchen, for being such an integral part of our wedding and making our celebration a success! read more

Nick catered our wedding less than a week ago, and I just couldn't wait to write a review about how fantastic it was. Nick is one of the few chefs who caters for weddings who will make you a custom menu, and he made us a mouthwatering, Texas, Southern menu which almost seemed to go on endlessly with dishes. My family is from Texas and Louisiana, and we were at a barn venue, so I thought the Southern style food would fit in very well with our rustic theme. Also, how many wedding caterers would ever attempt to make a Southern Texas menu? Our menu was: Chicken Fried Chicken, and Chicken Fried Steak with Texas peppered white gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, beef brisket, pickled vegetables, ham hock with black eyed peas, smoked quinoa and mushroom stuffed red bell peppers, and jalapeño cheddar cornbread. The buffet just seemed to go on forever. Also, for appetizers we had blue cheese hush puppies with spicy remoulade, and Pork Belly "B.L.T.'s." The food was phenomenal! Also, Nick had a lot to live up to. My family is a long line of very talented Texas, Southern cooks, and my mom owned an outstanding bar-b-que restaurant. Nick really had to live up to my family's standard of good Southern, Texas food, and he did that with flying colors. My mom gave her stamp of approval and said that everything tasted authentic- especially the white gravy- which honestly is hard to nail. Family aside, everyone raved about the food and said it was the best wedding food they'd ever had. And since wedding food is typically not that great, everyone said to forget about wedding food- it was just the best food they'd return to eat at a restaurant over and over again. Not only did Nick do a great job on the food, but all of the rentals, the bartenders, and the drinks the bartenders made were wonderful. Everyone also raved about how great the drinks were. Nick will be catering my friends wedding in August. I can't wait to go! I will be highly looking forward to the food! read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding last year and I'm sorry I'm just getting to write a review now, but we've since moved home and had a kid. Nick was easy to work with. He was very helpful in reflecting the food tastes of two very different cultures, Peru and Turkey. He did some research on typical Turkish and Peruvian food and listened to my ideas to come up with a proposal that didn't need much tweaking. He was able to serve Halal meat to our family and friends without any problems. At the tasting he was open to a few recommendations, but these were very minor to say the least. Nick was helpful at giving practical tips or suggestions that would influence the final budget. He was also super patient and understanding when my mother kept changing numbers and adding dishes at the last minute. Everyone at the wedding was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. He and his staff helped us enjoy our night with our family and friends. Real Kitchen was great to work with and we would, without hesitation, recommend them and use them again. read more

My now husband and I first experienced Real Kitchen at a beer dinner at the Half Acre Tap Room. Prior to this we had never heard of Real Kitchen but we really enjoyed the dinner and promised to keep it in mind for future dining. Fast forward to our wedding last year. We were looking at various restaurants/caterers and were a litlte frustrated with the set menus and high costs. We e-mailed Real Kitchen and were beyond pleased with how helpful they were. Nick asked about what kind of food we wanted/our budget and put together a wonderful menu. Delivery the night of our reception was prompt and Real Kitchen was even able to provide chafing dishes to ensure the food stayed warm. Our guests loved the food and we couldn't have been happier. We would definitely recommend Real Kitchen and love that we were able to give our guests a unique dining experience. Wedding aside, we've gotten food for pick up a few times and everything is delicious. read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding. The entire experience was amazing. We first saw Real Kitchen on a Facebook ad and decided to reach out to them after getting quotes from a series of overpriced and unsatisfying better known options. In our initial email, I told Nick of our limited budget. About 30 minutes later Nick replied "I like a challenge, I think we could make something work for you." A few days later we sat down with Nick for a sampling, not only was it the best food we had, true to his word, Nick put together a really affordable quote and even recommended a place to get a reasonable quote on alcohol. A few weeks before our wedding, we realized we had a little extra money in the budget for appetizers. Again, Nick stepped up and offered us a reasonable package for appetizers, too. We corresponded with Nick periodically throughout the process and he couldn't have been more helpful. By the end, we were consulting him about things not even related to the food. Come the wedding day, everything was perfect. The tables were prepped and looked amazing! The food was amazing. Two weeks later, people are still calling me and raving about the food, especially the salmon appetizer, the vegetarian lasagna, cheesy polenta and the short rib. Just to put in perspective how amazing the food was, one of my guests was herself a wedding caterer. She said this was the best food she has ever had at a wedding. In addition to the food, the catering staff was also amazing. The captain in particular stood out. He came up early in the night, introduced himself, and encouraged us to have a good time as everything would be taken care of. He didn't lie. Every instinct I had to worry about something going wrong or being unattended, he was two steps ahead of me. Between the amazing food and amazing staff, Real Kitchen really came through for us. read more

Real Kitchen catered our Sept 19th wedding and I could not have been happier to have chosen them as our caterer. From the start, Nick was very easy to work with, responsive and accommodating. Their prices were incredibly reasonable that it felt almost too good to be true, and didn't upcharge for ridiculous things like cake cutting fees. Our initial tasting was excellent- we loved that their food wasn't the same old boring wedding food-- they had interesting ingredients and unique flavor combinations that went beyond the standard food I've had at weddings. Throughout planning we were very happy with our choice. ...And then our wedding night happened and we were blown away. The food was DELICIOUS. I cannot even count how many guests came up to us raving about the food, unprompted by us. So many guests told us it was the best wedding food they've had. As far as the logistical execution of our wedding, they nailed that too-- our room flip appeared to be seamless and was set up exactly as discussed. Felt that was worth mentioning as caterers can hold a large role in the flow of the night. For all brides and grooms out there looking for a reasonably priced caterer who won't scam you and will serve delicious food: this is a no-brainer. read more

* This review is for their catering service only * Real Kitchen was the perfect match for our wedding (just as a frame of reference we had about 100 guests). When my wife and I started to plan our wedding, one of the "important areas" for use was the food and drink. Obviously we had a budget in mind and Real Kitchen was able to work within our numbers, while still providing what we wanted. That's where Real Kitchen really saved us. To save costs (and because it happens to be our favorite food and a staple during our dating days) we decided to go with a family style Mexican theme. Not all catering companies even offered different menu's outside of their repertoire, and if they did, the price was outside our ballpark. Real Kitchen was able meet our demands within our budget. Not only was the food some of the best that we have ever had at a wedding (this was also confirmed from a few of our friends and family) but the service was also fantastic. Some of the other intangibles that really made us feel at ease was the willingness of Nick and Co. to meet with us whenever we needed to, and also responded to emails quickly, and just generally kept in close contact. Also, they allowed us to (and so did our venue) purchase our own alcohol which helped with the costs. Basically, we were able to tailor our wedding however we wanted, because of the flexibility of Real Kitchen. My wife and I would not have changed a thing about our wedding, and Real Kitchen was a huge part of that. read more

This is for catering - Nick and his team catered our wedding back in September and this is a long overdue post. What spurred this review however was I thought I saw Nick in our hometown (not Chicago) and got genuinely excited because he's that good of a guy and I wanted to catch up with him! Planning a wedding from a distance is not easy - I was living on the West Coast when planning and moved to the East Coast when it was wedding time.. oh and I was abroad for the month before my wedding. Nick was so open to our ideas and indulged last minute requests without changing the price too much on us. He really helped keep the costs reasonable which was a big deal for us as we paid for our own wedding. His staff was super easy to work with and the bartenders he hired helped make and serve three signature cocktails and a punch without long lines. Another piece of advice - don't skimp on waiters and bartenders - never want a line for those things! My husband and I also LOVE food - 30th birthdays at French Laundry.. birthday trips for tacos to Mexico City.. wanting to eat at random restaurants in obscure foreign city type of people, and Nick's food honest to God did not disappoint, both in taste and quantity. Food is the thing people continue talking about after a wedding and ours were all positive. This is not a category you want to skimp on. People will forget lighting, if you had a fan or not at the ceremony or even a menu, but people will remember the food (+ alcohol). The process was easy, the food was tasty and Nick is an awesome guy - what more could you want from a caterer?! read more

Hands down -- the only place you need to look for your wedding caterer. Nick and his team were super easy to work with, responsive, able to work with any budget and most of all, made amazing food that our guests are still talking about. Thank you so much for everything you did to make our day go so smooth and more so food that they continue to talk about. Be sure to check out their locations on Montrose or Sheffield if you need to try before you buy...they are worth every penny. read more

Thank you to Real Kitchen Catering (Nick, Kim and Zoe) for an excellent 40th birthday event in my home. The food was delicious, made on site in my kitchen. They accommodated a dairy free menu and kept my son safe who has a dairy allergy. Everyone was kind and professional. All my friends and family had a blast. The kitchen was clean afterward and they helped me pack up the rentals. I would recommend Real Kitchen to anyone for an in-home event. read more

Very tardy with this review, but it's still well deserved. We had Nick and team cater a holiday party last year. We came with some of an idea of what to do, they gave us plenty more to choose from, with options in our price range and ideas of where to stretch the menu. Overall the prices were maybe a bit less than expected. They even took an idea of mine that was half-baked and turned it into a new dish - just great at every step. The service was well beyond what we expected. They came to set up, cleaned up, served, mingled with guests, etc. etc. It was all delivered perfectly. Would use them again in a heartbeat. Good for dinner parties, catered home parties, and probably corporate events too. Highly recommended. read more

Catered our wedding (12.5.15) to true perfection! -very special request menu-check -friendly service-check check check -budget friendly-check! -DELICIOUS, hot, on time, beautiful presentation, seamless set up/take down -pre wedding tasting session-was fantastic The food was the crowning glory of our whole wedding. Our guests still talk about the food nearly a year later. Nick is a genius and kind to boot! read more

Nick and his team at Real Kitchen did an amazing job catering our wedding. Often times, guests go into a wedding expecting the food to be mediocre, but our guests are still raving to us about how good each of their meals were! Nick did an amazing job creating a menu that reflected the food tastes my husband and I have, and he managed to accommodate all of our guests' many different dietary restrictions. The staff working our wedding were extremely professional, organized, and pleasant. They were very attentive to all of our guests and ensured the food and drinks were served on time and plated to the appropriate person without having to ask each guest what they ordered. Finally, our bartenders were also amazing. They made our specialty cocktails perfectly and engaged in fun interactions with our guest. We could not recommend Real Kitchen enough for a wedding or special events catering-they do fantastic work! read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding and Nick and his team were unbelievable. When we presented our wedding food ideas (Colombian food, fall-themed food, and breakfast for dinner), we expected to get laughed out the door. Not only did Nick not look at us like we were crazy, but he was excited to try catering new things, and the good he made was incredible. We are still getting compliments on how good the food is. Can't recommend Real Kitchen's catering enough. read more

This is a bit belated, but Nick and Real Kitchen catered our wedding on 4th of July weekend. Despite the busy holiday weekend, Nick and his team did a spectacular job. The food was delicious, and the staff was extremely professional and accommodating to all of our guests. When we first reached out to Nick, we told him that we liked Mexican and Thai-inspired dishes. At the tasting, we liked everything he prepared so much that we decided to offer both options at our wedding. It may seem like an odd combo, but our guests absolutely loved it (even the old folks, believe it or not). Our relatives and friends still mention to this day how it was the best and most original wedding food they had ever tasted. Nick was great about pricing as well. We gave him a range that was well below many of the more popular Chicago catering company quotes that we received, and he went out of his way to make sure we stayed close to it without compromising the quality of the meal. Nick also offered a lot of advice in planning the wedding timeline, beverages, plating and seating options, logistics, etc. We couldn't have asked for a better or more personable caterer. I'd highly recommend anyone in the Chicago area that is planning a wedding or event to reach out to Nick at Real Kitchen. You will not be disappointed. read more

Real Kitchen recently catered our wedding of around 185 guests. We had a cocktail reception with appetizers and a buffet. All the food was delicious and they did a great job keeping all items stocked. Several of our guests made a point to come and tell us how good the food was. The staff was friendly and did a great job of keeping tables clean. They were also very attentive to guests during the evening (getting waters). Nick was awesome! He was helpful with things from the start even if it wasn't food related. We trusted him 100% and appreciated him so much. We will definitely be recommending Real Kitchen to friends and family in the future. They also have amazing food on a daily basis for those nights when you don't feel like cooking! read more

This review is very very overdue. Real Kitchen catered my wedding September 23, 2017 at Noah's events venue and to this day people still compliment us on the amazing food we had. Working with Nick was awesome! He is so helpful and honest it was so great working with him. He wants the best for your event so he is honest and wants to give you what you want. Me and my Husbands family come from different backgrounds and we had many unique requests and Nick was accommodating and helpful with all of them! Also compared to other caterers they were so reasonably priced. We went to other tastings with other caterers and taste wise Real Kitchen beat them all, and they were more affordable. Who knew you could get great quality and price. On the day of the wedding his staff were amazing. We also received many compliments on the great service they provided. Vegetarians were ecstatic with the vegetarian lasagna, even the meat eaters were very jealous. The Short Rib and Chicken Kiev were just Fantastic. I only have great things to say about Real Kitchen and Nick. Thank you again for making our day so special! read more

Nick at Real Kitchen is great to work with. He put an amazing catering menu together for Chicago Women in Publishing's Fall Kickoff, and he was a pleasure to work with. Everything went off without a hitch. He came up with food that everyone loved, including a phenomenal vegan BLT. I would have Real Kitchen cater an event again in a heartbeat. read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding and I cannot compliment Nick enough on the flawless execution and beyond delicious food. We knew we wanted to use Real Kitchen as our caterer when we started the wedding planning process because we used to live near their store front and grab take out, so it seemed fitting to use a place we'd loved for a long time, but I could never have imagined how great of a choice that would be! Nick worked with us personally on the menu - each and every dish was perfect and so well crafted. Our guests won't stop talking about the delicious food at our wedding and my husband's dad has officially become a cauliflower fan post-wedding as a result of one of the sides we chose. So happy that Real Kitchen has a store front so that we can stop in and relive our fabulous wedding with some take out -- highly highly recommended!!! read more

Real Kitchen catered our wedding last July, and they were AWESOME. We still get rave reviews from people about how great the food was (and anyone who has been to a wedding knows that the food is usually so-so at best). From the very beginning, working with Nick was a dream. The only things I specified were: 1) no sad wedding chicken, and 2) light seasonal fare, maybe with some tomatoes? Nick came back with an amazing custom menu featuring Moroccan spiced pork, veggie lasagna, seasonal side salads, and a tomato panzanella that made me realize that it was fate that brought us together as bride and caterer (I had literally thought, "hm, I wonder if he could do a panzanella...nah, I won't ask him, it will probably be a pain what with the croutons"). Nick was able to work with us to accommodate a number of dietary needs and allergies, which was awesome and much appreciated by my vegetarian in-laws and my nut-allergic husband! Nick was also a lifesaver when it came to dealing with rentals. He coordinated with the venue, rental company, and bartenders to ensure that we had the right linens, china, and glassware for the venue and our needs. Having recently married himself, he was also a source of very helpful advice on wedding planning and logistics. What I appreciated most about working with Real Kitchen (besides that Moroccan pork that I still dream about) is how sane everyone is. The wedding industry can be intimidating and extremely expensive, with a lot of people telling brides and grooms what they "must" have or do or say. It is really overwhelming to layer all those "musts" on top of what is already a really emotional day, to say the least. I did not find that to be the case with Nick at all. He was very willing to work within our budget and never once tried to upsell me on anything. At the end of the day, our wedding was about Brian and I getting married and starting our lives together, not about fancier table linens and prime rib (though I bet a Real Kitchen prime rib would be amazing). Nick recognized that, and it was great to see a calm and rational light in the middle of a world of wedding vendors who were trying to convince me to pay $400 for an aisle runner I would walk on twice. I would hire Real Kitchen again in a heartbeat, and recommend them to every friend I have who is getting married in Chicago. Thanks again for making our wedding tasty! read more

Real Kitchen catered our neighborhood holiday open house this year to RAVE reviews from our guests. Really innovative menu, fantastic food and wonderful service from start to finish. We couldn't be more pleased, and will definitely work with Real Kitchen again. Thanks, guys! read more