Conn's Catering did a great job! We hired them for a wedding of about 50 guests in October 2019. We utilized them for appetizers, a couple tables, table linen, ice & ice coolers, coffee, wait staff, & a bartender. Brent met with us at the venue a couple weeks before & was genuinely concerned about meeting all our needs and executing our vision. Brent worked well with our event planner getting everything organized. Brent ensured his staff knew what was coming from the food, beverage, & desserts vendors so that they could properly prepare. The day off, Conn's staff was awesome! They were extremely professional and polite. As soon as the ceremony was over, and the two of us were taking pictures outside by ourselves, one of the staff came over and made sure to get us a beverage and food brought out to us. That was such a small thing, but went a long way for us...we were starving and thirsty. Throughout the night, the bartender new exactly how we wanted our beers & made sure to serve them up just right. The staff did a great job clearing tables as needed, filling glasses, & keeping the desserts stocked! Overall, we were very pleased with Conn's & would use them again in the future. Highly recommended! read more

Conn's Catering (Geri especially) really delivered for our wedding. I do not even know where to begin, everything was so perfect. From the moment we walked into their shop we were welcomed by Geri, who is probably one of the most caring and detail oriented persons, I have ever met. Geri helped us to custom design every aspect of our wedding and even went out to the event site to get a feel for it and made sure everything was set up perfect (and it was). Conn's is a one stop shop for amazing food, party rentals (tables chairs---way better chairs than any other Chicago rental company, linens) staff, bar etc...... The food was top notch and people are still raving about the open bar days after the fact (seriously their bartender can make a mean drink!). Conn's pricing was so competitive they were in a league of their own from the first step. They even refunded moneis when we had a few guests cancel (now that's honesty). The event staff the day of was as clean cut and professional as you could imagine and they took care of the cleanup flawlessly. If you need an event catered and done the right way, look no futher than Conn's for elegant cuisne, honest people and service delivered beyond your expectations. read more

Conn's Cafe & Catering - Our wedding set up by Conn's - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We recently were married at the Garfield Park Conservatory and selected Conn's from the list of Chicago Parks District-approved vendors. We couldn't have been any more happy with our decision! Brent and Shiela Conn were attentive, responsive and allowed us to have the perfectly catered event. After reaching out to a number of approved Chicago Parks vendors, Conn's was the most prompt, and after a short phone call, we had a general quote for our wedding (~60 people). We were invited to numerous tastings to sample potential wedding fare. At each of these events, Brent and Sheila were always welcoming and made us feel like we were in good hands. As a vegetarian, Conn's was so accommodating. My fiance and I settled on having samosas and stuffed mushrooms as passed hors d'oeuvres at our cocktail hour and a plated vegetarian lasagna, russet potatoes, and green beans for our main entree. About two weeks prior to the wedding, my fiance and I sat down with Brent and Shiela at the wedding venue where we worked on the positioning of the tables, bar, DJ table, etc. and picked linens. At this time, we also alerted them that we would be expecting about ten more guests than previously requested and they were more than happy to accommodate. Literally the day before our wedding, we found out that one of our guests suffered from a pretty severe food allergy that we had previously been unaware. I immediately emailed Brent who said it was not a problem at all and they would create a special meal just for her. At our wedding, Brent was on-site and available to help direct the waitstaff as needed.My bridesmaids worked with some of the waiters to set up my centerpieces, and it all looked exactly like I wanted. Throughout the entire process, the service was professional, hard-working and aware of everyone's needs. The plated meals looked absolutely stunning and tasted great. The waitstaff made a real effort to make sure my husband and I always had a drink in hand and were completely taken care of. This attention to detail really left us feeling great about the reception. Brent stayed late after everything and we talked with him as everything was packed up and sent out. So many of our guests complimented the food, especially the stuffed mushrooms, samosas, and pretzel bread in the bread baskets. Overall, we loved our experience with Conn's and would recommend them to anyone having a wedding at a Chicago Park! read more

I really enjoyed working with Geri and Steve. The entire planning process from making appointments to meet, discuss, and pick food was very easy. Geri and Steve helped my husband and I pick a great menu and bar option. I felt like Conn's delivered on all of what our conversations were about. The only issue we had was with one of the bartenders, but when we made mention of said issue after the event, Steve promptly responded and already knew of the issue. read more

We own Lang House B&B and event venue in Chicago, and have had several events catered by Conn's Catering. Many of the events were for our guests at the B&B from weddings to memorials and receptions, all have been well staffed and great food and service. Guests constantly complement the great staff and attentiveness of Conn's. We are always able to exhale when we hear that our guests have chosen Conn's, as we know they will be well cared for. read more

I used Conn's when I was helping a friend plan a 50th bday party. They have a wide menu selection, their staff was super helpful and accomidating to what ever your budget happened to be. The food arrived ON TIME, HOT, and well plated. They pick up all of their utensils at no extra charge. The food was actually rather good, fresh, and appealing to the eye. Like all caterers they are pricy, but this is Chicago, you arent going to find quality cheap catering anywhere. read more

Conn's worked with us to make our wedding a special day for everyone. We wanted something simple yet elegant for dinner so we planned a menu with the help of Geri featuring a very simple buffet. Everything came out exactly as Steve and Geri explained to us and they really made the room look elegant and classic, especially with how simple I went with the decor. The day-of staff was led by Susan and I have never seen such a worker-bee work so hard. She really went all out to make things easy on me and the family. They did a great job as the "go-to" staff for our other vendors as well, which they didn't have to do. It was great to not have to worry about anything really. Conn's has yet to get a formal "Thank You" card from me and my now husband (giggles) but I wanted to make sure Yelp viewers knew what kind of service they were getting. I have only a few criticisms- They cleared tables way too quickly and I am not sure if they paid attention to what they were tossing. We provided to-go containers for our guests to take desserts. So people filled them up and left them on their tables while they danced, only to come back and find out their containers were tossed. Also, the bartenders were really fast and did a great job, but they did not inform our guests about the specialty drinks Conns put together (which were phenomenal). With such small criticisms, you can say we had a wonderful and successful wedding! read more

Thank You. . . Seems like to small of words to say for the miracles you performed at the Gala. Regardless of the cold our guest were well fed, happy and generous with their donations. The compliments have not stopped rolling in since that evening. We bought the people in the door but your good food and excellent service is why they stayed through the frigid temperatures. It is my pray that you make Raven's wedding the most pleasant experience of her life time. The care and love you guys provided and the smiles that bought warmth to a very cold room made the evening a success. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!! It was great that my niece and fiance attend the Gala and had a preview. You must cater their wedding this fall. (SMILE) Thank You read more

Conn's catered my brunch wedding this past Sunday. They were great! We originally had another company lined up but were having really bad communication with them. In a fit of desperation just over a month before my wedding I sent out a Thumbtack search for a new caterer. Ivy replied to me within the day and the communication just kept up from there. Ivy and her team were flexible and so easy to work with. The food and service day of was spot on and I got many compliments! The biggest of all came from my hard to please mother who has been catering herself on and off for 40 years and she was also thrilled with Conns! I would highly recommend them!! Thanks Ivy, you rock! read more

The food was delicious! Conn's did a simple, yet fabulous Italian buffet for me for our son's wedding rehearsal dinner Dec. 18. Everyone remarked on how great the sauces were. I picked a meat sauce and a marinara. I frankly didn't expect anything special, just the usual kind of thing you get with buffets. I was very pleasantly surprised at how very fresh and uniquely flavorful everything was. I was on a tight budget and had never hired a caterer before so I was a bit unsure. Ivy was great at making food and portion suggestions that fit my budget. When the food arrived there were even some seasonal decorations to make the table more festive! I really appreciated that. Thank you, Conn's! read more

I just had my wedding catered by Conn's last Saturday and I can't say enough good things. First of all they had an incredibly fair price; every other catering company sent me a quote hovering between 22-25k for a 150 person wedding whereas conns sent me one around 15! (This number fluctuated, but I mean you can see how much better that is). They also were super accommodating for my vegan guests (we had ~10) and also put my centerpieces on the tables for me. They just made me feel super comfortable, as if I didn't have to worry about a thing on the wedding day. Really, don't hesitate to hire Conn's! read more

This review has been a long time coming. We got married in 2014 at a park district location and chose Conn's from the required list of caterer's because we lived nearby and liked their inclusiveness. We attended a tasting and everything was very good. We spoke with the woman who ran the place (Geri) about a customized menu with a New Orleans theme and asked for Shrimp n Grits as our main entree. She assured me that they'd done this before and everything would be great. Months went by and dealing with Geri was extremely pleasant and we encountered no problems until a month before our date. We had our final menu discussion with Geri's male business partner (Steve?) and we were informed at that time that she was no longer with the company, and we could trust that he would handle everything from here on out. We finalized the details and though we were nervous with the sudden change, we felt secure that everything was covered and we were all on the same page for our New Orleans buffet style meal. On the day of our wedding, I was shocked and appalled that instead of serving "Shrimp and Grits" they served a plain pan of unseasoned grits, next to a pan of plain CANNED micro-shrimp! I was so angry that I called after our event to complain about this major screw up -- and the enormous amount of money we paid them for a completely sub-standard meal that we didn't order and all I was told was "we'll let the chef know of the error." That's it. Nada. We never got any money back, or even an APOLOGY. FIVE YEARS LATER and this stands out in my mind and the worst part of an otherwise amazing day. Don't get conned by Conn's. Would have given one star but will give 2 since my initial dealings with them were so good. read more

There are reasons Conn's Catering has nothing but 5 star reviews for the past three years. We threw a large party Friday night at the Mayne Stage catered by Brent, Shelia and their team. They made everything easy for us from rapid response to our initial inquiry to the final quality control call on the Monday after the party. In between they arranged a pre-party tasting based on the items we had selected from an extensive list. They closely coordinated with the venue staff for all the details from set-up to cleanup. They coordinated with the Brewpub for a special beer on tap and glassware to match. They provided a complete buffet of over 20 items (not counting the dessert buffet items) each as good as the next. Outstanding items were: SPICED PLANTAINS Served with a dipping sauce of pineapple, fresh mint, cilantro & horseradish; ORANGE & JICAMA SALAD - Strips of Jicama, Clementine Oranges, cilantro lime vinaigrette; MINI PETITE SANDWICH PLATTER - Sliced turkey, ham, corned beef & vegetables on a variety of gourmet miniature rolls; SLIDERS - SMOKED BRISKET & PULLED CHICKEN; and CREAMY TUSCAN PASTA SALAD - Orecchitte pasta, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, parmesan cheese & roasted garlic rosemary dressing. Nearly 100 guests enjoyed the constantly cleaned and restocked buffet and efficient bar service from 7pm until 11:30pm. Many of the guests raved about the food. Their staff are pros - efficient and unobtrusive. I am a "worrier" and Conn's made this event come together with no worries and not a hitch that I was aware of as a host. read more

We chose Conn's Catering for our wedding caterer at Columbus Park Refectory because they were one of the more affordable vendors on the preferred vendors list we had to choose from. Geri & Brent were very easy to work with, great communication, very organized and helpful. They were extremely thorough and timely with setup of our event. While I did not get a chance to try our hor de vours (stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta, and meatballs), I was not all that impressed with the dinner, unfortunately. We had the pan roasted chicken and it was difficult to eat, as it was on a bone, and quite messy. The vegetables were a bit soggy. However, the head waiter and bartender were awesome. We opted for two signature drinks and wanted specific beers. Conn's was extremely accommodating and delivered exactly what we wanted with our bar choices. Overall I was generally pleased with Conn's. We didn't get any compliments on dinner, but our signature drink of Jeremiah Weed & Lemonade was a total hit. read more

We had Conn's cater our recent wedding at the South Shore Cultural Center, selecting them from the list of Chicago Parks District-approved vendors. We couldn't have been happier with our choice. Brent and Sheila were very helpful during the tasting, as well as during our many follow up conversations. The day of our wedding, the entire catering staff were completely on point and the evening came together perfectly. We got so many compliments on the food, and were told by a number of people that it was the best food they ever had at a wedding. The service of Conn's, and the food is really perfection. You simply can't go wrong in selecting Conn's! read more

Conns catered our wedding reception in May 2010. It is almost difficult for me to know how to start this review. It is not every day that you get to work with a vendor that is at the caliber of Conns. From the moment that we walked into their quaint office on Devon, Conn's focus never waivered from making my wife and I comfortable and stress free so that we could enjoy our wedding. And we did enjoy it, immensely. We met with Conns three times before the event. We worked together to share ideas about food, table linens, table/bar layout, serving style. Our reception was food "stations" and passed hors d'oeuvres. They even invited our families to make ethnic dishes which they heated and served at the reception. To perfect other ethnic classics, like their perogies, Conn's works with local chefs. These were some of the best perogies we ever had. They did not last long. Conn's works closely with Binny's to stock the alcohol. We did not have to bridge the communication gap between these groups, they handled the delivery details without our involvement. This was also the case with Swirlz who catered our cupcakes. My guests actually commented on how friendly the serving staff was. Most particularly Steve. He clearly goes above and beyond to make the evening go off without a hitch. As I mentioned, Conn's care deeply about making their customers have a good, stressfree time. Additionally, their food was fantastic and their prices were very reasonable for us. I would love to have another opportunity to work with them again. read more

We had our wedding at a Chicago Park District building. They require that you use one of their approved caterer's. We looked at everyone on their list, and then got preliminary estimates from 9 or 10 of them. With all of the other services to pay for, food was not the top priority for our wedding reception. We wanted something decent and basic. We were shocked at how high some of the catering estimates came in. Conn's catering was the right caterer for us and we were satisfied with their work. They were willing to work with us on the costs with and had many suggestions of what we could do to try to keep our costs down and didn't try to up-sell us on extras that we didn't need. The food was exceptional; they cooked it all on site bbq style. It tasted fresh and was the best that we have ever had at a wedding. We did have a few minor issues come up. We worked with two people to arrange the event that we were quite comfortable and confident with. We made a special request that they be the ones on site during our event but a few weeks before we were disappointed to find out that they would not be working our event but we understand that things happen. While planning we asked for particular wine, coffee & tea that they didn't charge us extra for which was really nice but during the event we noticed that detail was overlooked. Also, when we went over the event schedule, it was portrayed to us that the park district had a good relationship with them and let them clean up after the spaces reserved time. During the event, the park district representative indicated that everything had to be cleaned up and out by the designated reserved time. Overall, the event went really well and we were very happy with their work. They worked with us extensively on budgeting to get the event that we wanted for the cost we could afford. The food was wonderful and service was good. We would recommend them to a friend. read more

We chose Conn's for our wedding this May and they did an incredible job! Not only were they professional, patient, and kind, but the food was beautiful and extremely reasonably priced. (We got tons of compliments and really enjoyed our tasting also!) While other caterers were inflexible and even condescending when we discussed our price range, Geri, Steve, and Brent worked with us every step of the way to put together a great package that made all of our guests happy and satisfied. I really can't say enough about these guys - give them a call if you're looking for personalized service and quality catering! read more

Conns catered our wedding a few weeks back and they were simply fantastic. Not only was the food awesome but Brent and Sheila were just so helpful through the weeds that is wedding planning. We even had some tougher requests that were family traditions and they didn't even flinch. Their staff was on point and fun to talk to. All in all just great people that do a great job. If your thinking about using them as to go to one of their tastings. You'll be sold. read more

We used Conn's catering for our wedding at the South Shore Cultural Center and were pleased with the job they did. They were pretty easy to work with and are one of the more affordable caterers on the park district list. They worked hard on the day of the wedding and did a good job at setting everything up. The buffet line seemed to go smoothly and I never noticed long lines at the bar. People said they enjoyed the food as well. We are glad that we used Conn's and happy with how everything turned out! read more

We were married at the Lincoln Park Conservatory and if you plan on getting married there, USE THIS COMPANY. Why, because they know what they are doing and can cook!! They catered our wedding last year and I just am getting around to review them! And everyone loved the food. If you plan on doing something at the park district, and you want a higher quality cuisine, then call Conn's. They really did an excellent job, from food to dj, to drinks. They really made our wedding the best wedding many of the attendants had been to. Really quite magical how we achieved this at the tiny LPC. But really, Thanks Conn's! Jerry and the entire staff are first rate! read more

I'd highly recommend Conn's catering for your catering needs. We used them on a recommendation and couldn't have been more pleased. They catered my daughters wedding and did a Fantastic job. We plan to use them again for our next catering need. They are top-notch professionals! read more

We used Conn's to cater our June 2, 2012 wedding. We primarily dealt with Geri and Steve throughout the whole process and they were very helpful and responsive. There were a few instances when Geri had strong opinions about what should or shouldn't be done, but we just stood our ground on what we wanted and it worked out just fine. Geri also helped us remember every detail we needed to think of and frequently sent us reminders. She also completely coordinated linen rentals with an outside company with no glitches. Since they have a good relationship with the Chicago Park District, they arranged the use of grills on the property to cook our steaks. Of course, things can easily add up when you want extras, but Conn's was much more reasonably priced than the other 'approved caterers' on the Chicago Park District's list. Steve ended up coordinating the day of and everything went perfectly. The food was delicious and we received multiple compliments from our guests. They were also very attentive to the head table. At the end of the night we ended up having to pack up a lot of our own decor because the florist left us high and dry. Steve was nice enough to let us use some of his boxes to pack up the breakables that we would have otherwise been left to transport by hand. He really helped us out a ton and we really appreciated that. The fact that Conn's was willing to go above and beyond and are extremely professional, is why we would recommend them to anyone looking for a caterer. Thanks for helping to make our Wedding a day we will always remember! review helps others learn about great local businesses. read more

Wife tried to contact these people three times in multiple forums. Ignored twice, then given some excuse on the third time. Can't review the remainder of their business, as they seemed to not want to provide it. read more

We used Conn's for our wedding and they were great. The food was delicious, presented well, and on time. Everyone complemented our decision making the entire night. Great stuff. I booked them because I went to a wedding last year where they did a BBQ pit. So I like their versatility and willingness to try different things. read more

It's telling that the reviews here of people who actually did work with Conn's are entirely positive. The other 3 are pointless and either cursory reviews or downright spiteful...including one of the guests at *our* wedding who got bent out of shape over not being served. We hired Conn's and could not be happier about it. They were on point from the moment we came by for a tasting...very clear about what they could, and could not do. The food was absolutely delicious and received many compliments from our guests. It was also (a rarity, really) *exactly* like it tasted in our preliminary meetings. Geri and Brent did a marvelous job of taking care of everything we asked. Our budget was met despite being somewhat lower than average. Geri was incredibly helpful in managing the details of our wedding reception, bringing up questions we'd never even thought of. Pretty disappointed that KM chose to issue a "review" of a company she never hired. It was my wedding and I'm immensely glad that we chose Conn's to cater it. read more

We used Conn's Catering for our wedding at the South Shore Cultural Center in September 2013. We worked mainly with Geri throughout the whole process and she was wonderful. She always answered our questions but was also honest about what we should and shouldn't get and what things have worked in the past. They do this every weekend so they are very laid back whereas I was an OCD bride. The day of - the food was very good - the appetizers and main course buffet were all extremely tasty. We had bacon-wrapped dates, quesadillas and stuffed mushrooms as passed appetizers. For dinner, we got the brisket, chicken piccata, garlic mashed potatoes, and veggies. Can't complain about food at all, but we did have lots of issues on the day-of in terms of service. We had a few really rude servers waiting on guests and endless problems at the bar. We had mentioned from the beginning that alcohol was an important part of the wedding but there never seemed to be enough or the correct things available as part of the highest package we chose. They said they had to run out 3 times to get more, but I feel like if you run out of things once, you're going to get enough on that 1 trip to resupply to make sure it doesn't happen again, so not sure why that was an issue. I've been to lots of weddings and I don't feel we drank any more than any other one with an open bar. Overall, Geri was wonderful and the food was good, but the experience at the wedding was frustrating due to service. We talked to them about all of the issues and they did give us a small credit back but it doesn't really take away the embarassment I felt at how some of my guests were served/treated. read more

Used them for a 50th birthday party for 25 people. Told them upfront the crowd was big martini drinkers. They didn't know the first thing about making any drinks. The food had a nice flavor - however it was served cold. The staff was helpful when selecting everything, however, the chef was very moody. We had passed appetizers and they were very slow in bringing them around. There was never a follow up to see if the event was successful or not. There are many other great places to work with. Look around you will do better. read more

DO NOT USE CONN'S CATERING! If you are even considering using their services, read this FIRST!!!! We chose Conn's after much research on other catering companies and chose them based on their confidence and food during our tastings. This was a 150+ guest list with an approximate $15,000 budget for the food. Their complete lack of training and preparation was mirrored with terrible and rude attitudes. The banquet captain, Steve was especially rude, unprofessional and a very poor representative of this organization. The groom has been in the food service industry for many years, as were many of our bridal party and guests. All of the issues we experienced are detailed below: 1. Linens were not delivered as contracted. They were suppose to be delivered to the venue on Friday, but the Mother of the Bride had to pick them up the day of the wedding. 2. Salads were arranged to be preset and this did not occur. Even after the bridal party announcements had finished one of the head tables still did not have salad. The banquet captain (Steve) threw them down around their table with no apology. 3. The buffet line was not set on time. The guests were released for dinner as scheduled after the bridal party announcements and instead of the staff apologizing for their error a staff member yelled at the groom's sister and said they were not ready. The staff was running around trying to figure out what to do, instead of someone just stepping to the end of the carving station and begin carving. 4. The buffet line food was cold. Why the buffet line was even set before preset salads again shows the lack of management and preparation. 5. The kids food was a select menu "to be served upon request from the kitchen" (hot dogs, french fries, chicken fingers and macaroni). Instead, they put the kid's food on the front of the buffet, so this was the first impression of the food that was going to be served for the guests. 6. We were very disappointed with the quality of the food. The beef brisket had even more fat on it than when we tasted it . The root vegetables were dried out with very little sauce like they were made days before. Our dissatisfaction with the food could is also related to the fact that it was cold. 7. The staff was unprofessional and not attentive to guests. Guests had a very hard time getting requests met, such as more water, butter, etc. Champagne glasses were taken away before the toast even started, so many guests did not have this for the speeches. This is the result of poor staffing. Confirm and verify the number of staff members Conn's promises at the time of your contract to avoid this. We trusted they would do this based on our meetings. 8. The staff did not know how to cut a wedding cake. Their ignorance on how to perform this basic function resulted in many guests not receiving wedding cake. They cut the cake in big sloppy "pie slices". Every caterer knows a wedding cake is cut in circles inward towards the center and even 1in x 2in squares around each circle. We had more than enough cake to feed 200 guests. 9. Wine service was not set on the tables; wine bottles were not present on the tables with wine glasses for the guests to help themselves. We were then informed that wine glasses were not even brought to the venue. We ended up with 6 cases of wine that were bought for the wedding and not used. 10. When clearing from dinner they stacked plates like we were at Denny's. 11. The groom's cake (a Norwegian cake) was moved multiple times. Conn's was told where to place it and not to move it due to the fact that it was very fragile. The staff did not serve or cut the cake. The groom had to go in the back and get plates. In addition, the groom's mother had to look for the bridal knife set to cut the cake. The banquet captain (Steve) said rudely they didn't have it, without even looking. She asked if she could look in a particular box and he picked it up, walked over to a table and slammed it down all while muttering under his breath at her. 12. The staff began cleanup before the band was even off the stage with no consideration for guests and their belongings. This had been discussed in the meetings and in the contract with Conn's and they were to start cleanup from 12-1am, after the band stopped playing. The number one rule in catering is the linens are the last thing to be picked up. The staff also disposed of items like the menus and even personal sheet music that they had no right to touch. What is most shocking is after all of this rude, unorganized, inappropriate behavior Steve (the banquet captain) had the audacity to ASK for the tip at the end of the night. We have never heard of this kind of behavior. A tip in catering is for exemplary service. This was terrible service. The points above are the 101's of catering. We had a check prepared for the gratuity for well over 20%. This is the type of service we expected. It was NOT deserved!!! read more

I booked this catering company in December for our wedding in June. Over the 6-7 months that we worked together, this company was great every step of the way. They were very patient with me as I changed the menu multiple times. (Thanks, Ivy!) They also met with me two different times at the reception venue to run through setup, etc. The food was amazing! Our guests are still raving about it to me. The appetizers we served were the crab cakes, bacon wrapped dates, spanakopita, and the antipasto skewers. For dinner, we had two buffet stations and a fruit/cheese table. Our stations included salmon and veggies, brisket, rolls, and salad. People are still raving to me about the quality of the salmon and the brisket. (And many of our guests were from Alabama and South Carolina!) Also, the service was amazing. The servers did a great job keeping all of our guests happy, but doing it in a very quiet way. We really didn't notice them, but they were working hard the whole night. To say that I highly recommend this catering company is an understatement. I don't think you'll find a better value in the Chicago area! Please reach out to me with any questions. (I know how difficult and frustrating the wedding planning process can be!) read more

We selected Conns Catering for our wedding reception that was on 11/7/15. The venue we used, Mars Gallery (also amazing), recommended them. The space we were using wasn't a typical wedding venue and they didn't have a large kitchen so it was critical that we worked with a company that could adjust to the space we had. We worked directly with Ivy from the beginning and she was amazing. She helped us create a menu based on the facility limitations and our budget. We made a million changes to the menu throughout the process, and she was always so quick to help us with the adjustments. Most importantly: The food was delicious! Our reception was a cocktail reception and we had passed small bites instead of a sit down dinner. Everything was exactly as we asked for and the entire Conns Catering team was delightful. I have to give special kudos to Ivy for handling a last minute emergency. We bought our liquor/wine/beer directly from Binny's. We had ordered a case of rose wine specifically for the groom's mothers. The rose wine did not arrive with the order and Binny's was unable to provide the wine. Ivy somehow managed to come up with a few bottles of rose from her own stock that we were able to set aside for the moms. I would definitely Conns Catering. If you're using a unique space that will require limitations on the caterer, Conns should be at the top of your list to check out. read more

We worked with Conn's Catering for our wedding this past August. We were married at a Chicago Park District location and Conn's was on the preferred caterers list. We reached out to all caterers on the list and tasted a handful of them. Honestly, Conn's was the best choice based on food, prices, everything that was included, and the quick/helpful responses we received from Sheila and Brent throughout the entire process. I truly cannot say enough great things about working with Conn's. They set up a tasting for us, met with us and our planner multiple times, attended our venue walk-throughs, were always available via phone and email, and were extremely helpful/flexible with our many questions and many many changes. The food was delicious. So many of our guests complimented us on the this and said it was the best food they've had at a wedding. We had passed hors d'oeuvres, plated dinner, open bar, and towards the end of the night Conn's coordinated the delivery of Lou Malnati's pizza for our late night snack, which was definitely a crowd favorite. Brent and his team were present throughout the entire wedding. We had a large amount of dietary restrictions among our guests, and Conn's staff approached each table to make sure that custom meals were going to the right people. Brent stayed the entire night and checked in with us often to make sure everything was going as planned. If I could do it all again I would still pick Conn's. I would absolutely use them again and recommend them to anyone in need of a caterer. read more

Conn's catered our wedding this past weekend and we were so pleased with everything, especially the passed appetizers at the cocktail hour (bacon wrapped dates! YUM!). All of the staff were very professional, and we need to give a special shout out to the bartenders who were on top of things the whole night, many of our guests commented on this. Geri and Steve were easy to work with and very accommodating, especially considering we planned this wedding long distance. Everything came together so well on the day of the wedding from the food to the linens to the service, and I just couldn't be happier. Thanks again Conn's for making my wedding lovely! read more

My husband and I chose Conn's because of its close proximity to our reception site, the Swedish American Museum. I'm so glad we did. Steve and Geri did an excellent job explaining everything to us and being completely upfront. Our tasting was wonderful and the food we ultimately chose was delicious! Conn's took care of everything and left no stone unturned. They went above and beyond when I dropped off the centerpieces (the only decorations I had prepared) and they re-arranged and re-purposed some of them into decorations for the cake, bar, and dj tables. It was beautiful! The staff was friendly, the food was hot and delicious, and everything was flawless. The best part--you will not find better prices in Chicago. Whatever budget you're working with, Conn's delivers. read more

My church hosted an event at the 63rd Street Beach house last Friday. We had to choose a caterer from Chicago Park District Preferred List. Lucky me, I selected Conn's Catering and it was excellence! Steve and his crew was on time. Steve immediately came in the venue and knew exactly what needed to be taken care of. The staff was nice and friendly. The food was great and there was plenty. Also, I worked with Gerri for several months getting the menu & pricing together and she was very easy to work with. I would highly suggest Conn's Catering if your event needs to be off the charts! Thank you Gerri, Brent & Steve! read more

Their fried chicken will make you want to holler! Their service is amazing and an extensive menu, whether the event is big small upscale or backyard Conn's delivers! They are a little far away from the thick of the action hence the 1 star loss! read more

Unfortunately for me, I attended a reception catered by this company. Nothing was wrong with the food and drink, but one of the men working the event showed unbelievable rudeness and hostility toward me, his employer's guest. I had brought a bottle of whiskey to the reception, in case it should come in handy during the festivities. This man (perhaps this Steve whom other reviews mention?) took the bottle and told me he could not allow outside liquor in the place, and furthermore (contemptuously) that he felt it was inappropriate for a guest to bring liquor to a wedding reception. (Was it his wedding?) I said that I hadn't understood that it would be a problem and that I would immediately take the bottle back to my car. But the man refused to return the bottle to me, instead retiring with it to his prep room. I was really flabbergasted by this insolent larceny. By the time I went to the prep room to argue for my property, the man had gone and the whiskey remained, so I collected it and took it to my car. On my way back into the reception, as I passed the bar, the man reappeared and told the bartender not to serve me again. The whole incident could have passed with no hard feelings anywhere. It is not difficult to say tactfully to someone that her libation is unwelcome. But this person from Conn's Catering could hardly have handled the situation in a more obnoxious and pointlessly spiteful way. Find a different caterer, one who will treat your guests with more respect. read more

My husband and I were married June 10th at Berger Park and chose Conn's because they are located close to the venue, were the best value for the contract, and were on the Chicago Park district catering list. They were great! Sheila and Brent talked with us multiple times before the event and everything went perfectly the day of. I especially appreciated their willingness to be flexible in a very cramped venue, where they had to stage the food outdoors. All of the servers were more than great and Brent personally congratulated us and took our photo. Thanks so much! We were able to have a wedding we were proud of while also keeping with our budget. It means more to us than they probably know. You won't be disappointed with Conn's! read more

Conn's catered my wedding this past weekend and I can't say enough about the quality of the food, the staff and the prices. You can't go wrong. Highly recommended! read more

First let me say I am a difficult customer at best. My definition of good customer service is not doing your job and meeting your commitments. Good customer service means you go above and beyond what is expected/promised; all while staying focused on what is in the best interest of your customer. I don't see that level of customer service very often, if ever. However, my experience with Conn's catering was more than good service, it was superior. I should have realized when I got my first phone call from Brent about 20 minutes after I filled out an on line inquiry that this was no ordinary group of people. They listen attentively to their customers, even when it's only a potential client. I was planning a dual celebration for my mom's 90th birthday and my daughter's doctoral graduation. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew is I wanted it to be as special as they are and for everyone to have a good time. Brent and Sheila walked me through many options, laying out suggestions and recommendations. There was no pressure, just a clear purpose of making sure I had everything I needed. I think I knew even before I got their proposal that I was going to hire them. When I met them and they both commented on the Blackhawks shirt I was wearing, I knew it was destiny and they were the perfect match for us. And all of that was BEFORE I tasted the food. The food which by the way is FANTASTIC. (three words: bacon wrapped dates). My event was last weekend and it was a complete success. The Conn's staff throughout the event was engaged with the guests, but not intrusive. They anticipated basically everything, making the entire evening seamless to we mere mortals. I had nothing but compliments from everyone, most importantly my mom and my daughter. Remember that difficult customer I mentioned in the beginning, well she happens to be a bit of a control freak too; BUT I can honestly say all I did all evening was enjoy myself. So the short review reads as follows: If you are looking for delicious food, reasonable pricing, and superior customer service hire Conn's catering. Otherwise go with someone else! Thanks Brent & Sheila & team. read more