After working with this catering service for six years, I was made to feel like more of a nuisance than an appreciated client. While I will state their food is excellent, their communication and customer service skills are lacking. I would highly advise looking elsewhere. read more

Nit was our personal party consultant for our 50th wedding anniversary party in our back yard. He went over and above helping us plan our hippie-tie dyed themed party. He ordered tie-dyed T-shirts for the servers as well as themed cocktail and dinner napkins. The food was outstanding, from the passed appetizers to the buffet dinner to the yummy passed desserts. The presentation for all courses was exquisite. The chef and her 2 assistants used some of my own serving bowls and platters. All were returned in pristine condition. My home was left in tip top shape Even though the cost was pricey, it was far more personal and beautiful in our own beautiful garden than had we had the celebration at a restaurant or banquet hall I highly recommend J&L catering read more

J & L catering is delicious. Everyone loved the food. It was fresh and tasty and displayed perfectly. Bert, Victor, and Monica were efficient, friendly, and wonderful helpers in every way! We will definitely use you again and will recommend you to friends and family. Tina read more

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We just finished our third event with J&L. Can't say enough about how wonderful they are. The food! The planning! The staff! It was just fantastic. You cannot go wrong. read more

Ted and the team at J&L knock it out of the park every time. Superior attention to detail, succulent food, and white glove service make this catering team an absolute favorite of mine. I've trusted J&L with multiple corporate and non profit events over the years, and it was the first and only call I made when it was time to host my wedding. I inherently trust them, and highly recommend! read more

They catered a fabulous backyard bbq for my husband's retirement. The food was fabulous, the staff wonderful, and Evelyn had such great ideas for the event. Would hire them again in a minute! read more

J&L was actually on the recommended vendor list for the Kenilworth Club. While I would have liked to work with J&L further and experience a tasting with them in planning my wedding, it probably worked out for the best that it didn't happen. The crux of the issue was the communication. It started off better than expected! Evelyn responded to my initial query within a day. After that, communication dropped off a bit, with email responses after a week, but I understood when she said how nutty January ('14) was. We found a time to talk on the phone, and I thought it slightly imposing that she was trying to influence me to rent chairs outside of the ones available at the KC bc she didn't prefer them. The week after, I got an order confirmation and bill for an event that obviously wasn't mine. I informed Evelyn of the mistake. It just seemed really disorganized and rookie for a senior event planner. I didn't initiate communication with J&L after that, as I was in the talks with other more organized caterers. Last odd straw was that I got a phone call from Evelyn the month or so after that point, informing me that J&L wouldn't be available on my day because they confirmed another event. Well, it's nice to see that you'll follow through on a communication like that, even though it was assumed by that point J&L wouldn't be involved with my wedding. This caterer was $2000+ more expensive than the other handful or so caterers that I consulted with. Be informed, Yelpers! read more

We had our wedding at my parents' home in the Chicago 'burbs, and I can safely say hiring Jim Bailey at J&L was the best decision we made. He is quite possibly the most on-top-of-it person I've ever worked with -- he was organized, prompt, reliable, professional, and budget-conscious. He remembered details from previous conversations that I didn't even recall. His expertise in planning and executing such a complicated event (in someone else's home, no less!) was so impressive. With Cam his captain, (together the Dream Team, I swear) he handled EVERYTHING perfectly -- and we had some complicated aspects involved in our wedding that could easily have caused major blips. We had also hired a day-of coordinator, and Jim was so on-top-of-it and helpful that he made her role somewhat superfluous. He had thought of everything! I remember him asking me the week of the wedding whether we preferred that he hand us a glass of champagne after being introduced or whether we just wanted it to be waiting on our table for us. (?!) That kind of attention to detail is mind-boggling, if you ask me. But what stands out the MOST to us and the family is Jim and Cam's attitude and demeanor. They are simply delightful to be around. They're so smiley and positive and friendly and thoughtful. As my dad said to Jim at the end of the night, the saddest part is that we won't get to see Jim and Cam so frequently anymore now that the wedding is over. :) Thank you Jim and Cam for a perfect wedding!! P.S. Oh yeah. And everyone was raving about the food all night. We had passed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour followed by three food stations (no seated dinner) -- and we had so many compliments on the concept and the food alike. The stations' themes worked great together -- a seafood station (grilled shrimp, fresh chilled crab claws, salmon, etc.), comfort food station (beef/short rib/black bean sliders, mac n' cheese, veggie kabobs, etc.), and Italian station (antipasto meats/veggies/cheeses, tortellini, etc.). read more

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After three COVID postponements, our anniversary party finally happened, and J&L Catering made it spectacular! From help locating a venue, to recommending a florist, to the wonderful menu and table settings, and with an event staff that pulled out all the stops for us, J&L was with us every step of the way to make our long-awaited celebration the best evening possible. We could not be happier with Ted and all the staff! J&L catered our wedding 20 years ago, and we have used them over the years. We knew that J&L would make our anniversary party a night to remember. We received so many compliments on the food and setting! Thank you, J&L, for making our evening so special. read more

The food at our wedding was a huge hit. We got so many compliments, especially on the chicken and beef entrees, people were saying it was one of the best meals they ever had. Guests also loved the mashed potato martinis, I wanted to eat three of them! Sadly I didn't get to try many of the awesome hor d'oeuvres but I heard they were fantastic! J&L Catering did a good job and they accommodated our vegan and gluten free guests. My only complaint is that dinner went longer than we had planned but I imagine that was due to having the extra course and the smaller space of our reception venue made it more difficult for the wait staff to navigate, plus our reception venue contact was a total B and made everything so difficult but J&L pulled it off! Overall I think they did a nice job and especially considering what terrible luck we had with other catering companies in the beginning. If you go with J&L ask for Evelyn (she is so sweet and good at her job) and Paul as your "captain." read more

J&L Catering - Yummy salads - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I wish I could give J & L 10 stars!! They recently catered my wedding and I can't give them enough praise. My husband already wrote a review but I wanted to as well since they exceeded our very high expectations. It's funny because at first J & L wasn't even on our radar when we were thinking about different caterers. A friend recommended that we meet with them and we're so glad we did! We ended up having tastings with 3 different caterers and J & L by far had the best food AND they were the most reasonable priced. We were fortunate enough to work with Ted Grady and he was simply outstanding. We knew we wanted French Inspired food and he was able to take that and create a brilliant menu. If we did taste a dish that we felt needed a slight change (more garlic, less salt, etc.) he was happy to make the adjustment. The night of the wedding everything ran smoothly and the servers were very attentive to us and the rest of our guests. We had our guests saying that not only was it the best meal they've ever had at a wedding but it could quite possibly be the best meal they've ever had!! What an amazing compliment! read more

J&L Catering - Maxim's - Caterers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is the caterer you want to use for your event (wedding/party/charity dinner). Scott and his team did a fantastic job making our wedding special. We had a lot of requests (aka we are self proclaimed "difficult to work with"), but Scott listened to our requests and met ALL OF THEM. To help us pick a caterer for our wedding, we essentially had a cook off with J&L and two other caterers in the area. J&L won the contest by far. Everyone at our wedding raved about the food. These guys know how to cook! From us finding J&L, to the day of the event, it was a pleasure working with them. Scott responded to all our questions in under 24hrs. The wedding flowed perfectly. The waitstaff was attentive and all our guests walked away impressed. We highly recommend them. read more

We walked in dreading that we didn't get to choose our own caterer and had to choose from a list. We walked out with a friend! Scott and his team were amazing and made choosing the food for our less-than-normal wedding day an absolute blast!! When we met with Scott and told him what we were looking for in terms of stations and curious wedding food he seemed excited. We told us what worked and what didn't at previous events and we came up with a menu that we couldn't wait to try. The tasting was incredible! And absolute blast. It ended up being the one time we actually got to try this delicious food. We cut some things and added others. All over a bottle of wine and good conversation, along with our odd choices of sliders, Asian noodles, mashed potatoes, mac-n-cheese, and some yummy veggies! And the haul of leftovers home - let's just say I wish our fridge was always that packed with great choices of food to take to work!! During the time leading up to the big day, he was in constant contact. We even got to have the cupcakes and the booze delivered to their site so we didn't have to haul it to the event space! One less thing to worry about! The day of was off the hook and they played a big part in it. As soon as we walked out from our ceremony we got big hugs from Scott and Karey. And then our choice of drink was instantly put in our hands before our guests even made it out to greet us. And then throughout the night they continuously made sure we never had an empty glass. We're still getting compliments to this day about the food and with pride let them know who did the catering and how amazing it was. I felt like we got more than a caterer, but a wedding planner to a small degree and also, a friend! Because I miss Scott already and have an urge to plan another event to get to work with him again! read more

I can't imagine my wedding without Rachel. Second to the groom, she was a key figure from start to finish. The food at our wedding was incredible - we had just what we wanted (fun hors d'oeuvres, good salads, three entree choices, vegetarian options). My husband and I didn't know where to start, but Rachel worked with our budget and came up with the best possible options. Our tasting was so much fun and our wedding was even better. The service at the wedding was aces. The bartenders, the servers... everyone was so friendly and did such a great job to make sure we didn't have to worry about a thing. Rachel was more than just food-help. She suggested where to go for alcohol and how much to order, how to reign in other vendors, etc. I always felt calmer after meeting with her. Part of me wishes I had a thousand weddings to plan with Rachel. However, if I actually did have a thousand weddings to plan, I'd drown myself, so, instead, I pass her on to you. read more

J&L Catering was absolutely the best decision we made for our wedding! Scott was not only a professional and attended to our every detail, but he is one of the nicest vendors you will ever work with! Our wedding was on May 10, 2013 at Salvage One. From the moment we met Scott, he made us feel at ease with the biggest decision of our celebration- the food & beverage. Starting with the tasting, J&L impressed us so much we still to this day talk about how much fun we had. Scott gave us plenty of ideas to help us come up with 3 creative food stations, which ended up being an Italian, Mexican and Gastropub station. They were a HUGE HIT at the wedding. From fried mac & cheese balls and ale marinated brisket on pretzel rolls, to al pastor corn sopes and fresh guacamole to parmesan risotto cakes with assorted sauces and caprese salad. Our guests went out of their way to tell us how delicious the food was and even saying it was the best they've had at a wedding. The stations flowed very smoothly and there was plenty of food for people to eat seconds (and beyond!). Scott let us drop off all our candles, favors, menus and cupcake stands a couple days before the wedding to J&L's office. It was a huge relief to know that J&L would help us with all the details. I trusted Scott with every aspect and I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out. He is amazing! J&L also took care of our "Boutique Bar" package, which stocked all our favorite liquors like Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Death's Door Gin. They accommodated our quirky request of having plenty of coupe glasses on hand for Manhattans and champagne toasts as well as cordial glasses for our digestif of Underberg, They even set up my mother's creatively crafted vintage cupcake stands to display an assortment of Molly's Cupcakes. It didn't end there! Scott insisted we not worry about packaging anything up the night of the wedding. His staff boxed up our candles, left over Underberg and cupcake stands and they were ready and waiting in the Salvage One office the morning after the wedding. What more can I say? J&L Catering and Scott made our wedding fabulous. We just can't thank them enough. read more

This one star review goes out to Scott and probably not the entirety of J & L Catering. My fiancee and I decided to take our money elsewhere after dealing with his unprofessionalism and inability to provide comprehensive details. Scott was an absolutely atrocious communicator, which was shocking after reading such positive reviews. We received multiple excuses for late responses and the responses we did receive did not contain answers to questions we had asked. We were looking for options, he provided none. Scott was the ultimate disappoint. read more

These guys are are absolutely outstanding. As an event coordinator, I'm constantly in search of new caterers but time and again, I go to J & L because I know that my event will be flawless. Scott is dynamite to work with and he's helped me with everything from veggie platters for 20 to fully catered parties for 300, and each time he's accommodating, inventive and incredibly professional. All of the waitstaff and bartenders are friendly, polished and knowledgeable about the food. Working in an upscale event space, this is critical and I count on them for my most important programs. I love, love these guys! read more

Appalling is a good word to describe my personal experience with J&L during planning for and at our wedding reception. Based on what happened to us, I would be concerned about getting anything beyond the basics. And because there was no coffee service at most tables, maybe not even that. Things they agreed to do, and by "they" I mean Rachel, were left undone. There was also a serious lack of good judgment displayed. I think their food was good. But if you're planning an event that is special to you, please look elsewhere for your caterer. read more

We used J and L Catering for our wedding on 10/21/11 at A New Leaf. From the onset, everything was exceptional! Rachel Razowsky was our contact and from the moment we met her, we knew we were in great hands. She is gracious and warm, yet decisive (and oustanding) at her craft. It is because of her, that the day unfolded as well as it did (she's part wedding planner too). We also really appreciated the fact that she is direct about what things denote an 'extra' cost and those things that do not. You can not beat that kind of trust. She is truly magnificent! The compliments we have received on the food itself (and let's be honest, when you think of wedding food you typically don't associate it with your favorite foodie Chicago restaurant) are too numerous to mention. Do not be fooled! You CAN have food that shocks the masses. Everything looked and tasted absolutely amazing! In sum, my suggestion is to save yourself time and go straight to J&L for all your catering needs! read more

Jim Bailey WAS FANTASTIC! The best coordinator! I miss him already. Without Jim I would not have been able to have hosted the most amazing Bat Mitzvah luncheon for my daughter, her friends and my family. He has impeccable taste, attention to detail, sense of fun and can find good compromises. Several guests told me how AMAZING the food was and how seamless everything was. i trusted him completely and he returned every single one of my never ending emails. Thank you Jim and your entire staff who were a delight to work with this past Saturday. I cannot wait to work with you again. read more

We hired J&L for our wedding reception and they were exceptional. They won us over at the tasting, and with our contact, Evelyn Hitchcock. Evelyn worked tirelessly (sometimes too much I fear) to ensure that Kari and I were happy with every last detail. She was organized, realistic, and professional. The entire experience made for one heck of a reception, and Evelyn is to thank. The tasting was a rousing success. Evelyn was flexible with our menu and bar selections, and worked with our price point very openly and honestly. This was another reason they stood out from the other vendors. The week prior, Evelyn walked us through the reception site, explaining every last detail on what would be available. She had it down to the exact spots where our tabletoppers would be. The day of could not have gone more flawlessly. The J&L staff are informed, pleasant, and accommodating. The set up and food were out of this world (all from a site without a working kitchen....simply amazing). Evelyn and her head captain handled every aspect of the reception to ensure we had everything we needed. It was reassuring to know she was there, but not "visible," and my assumption is that'd be the best compliment I could give her. J&L; Evelyn; our entire wedding staff; YOU ALL made Kari and I feel like a king and queen for a night, and that's the highest praise we can give. The work done was extensive, and exceptional. I will recommend J&L far and wide, to whomever I can, because this place is without a doubt 5 STAR. Thanks again. It was a blast! Jeff and Kari. read more

After my review, Scott immediately got in touch with me and apologized for my perceived lack of communication. He said the emails must have gotten lost in a spam folder. He promptly sent me the necessary quotes and remained in contact until we made a decision. I informed Scott that the prices were too high (we are a non-profit) and he made some changes. After all was said and done, we still did not use J & L for our event due budgeting but my communication with Scott was great after we resolved our communication issues. read more

We got married on 1/7/12 at Salvage One and used J&L Catering. I could not have been happier with J&L Catering. Food was the most important thing to us for our wedding and, as a result, we shopped around quite a bit to find the perfect caterer. Scott at J&L was the first person from a caterer that completely "got" our vision for the event. We are both avid cooks and we wanted great food that was appropriate for winter and also wanted to honor both my Midwest upbringing (mac-n-cheese and braised short ribs) and my husband's Italian heritage (antipasti, risotto, etc.). Scott absolutely nailed it. We didn't need to make any changes to the menu that he proposed to us at the tasting. I'll say that again: There was not a SINGLE change that we had to make to the menu that he proposed. He listened to our vision and absolutely nailed it. The planning process was smooth and Scott was always available to answer any questions throughout the 8 months leading up to the event. He is cheery and professional and very approachable. Fast-forward to the event itself: It is ironic that the sign of a good vendor is that you don't actually interface much with them during the event. The staff was professional and completely unobtrusive. Everything just happened perfectly. My husband and I did not need to be involved at all (except to eat!) which was good because we were busy getting 9000 pictures taken and trying to greet 230 guests. After the event, my brother reported to me that we had a few seating chart issues (2 guests showed up that weren't supposed to and several guests that were supposed to attend did not show up). Apparently, Scott and his team made adjustments to the place-settings immediately without question and, as a result, no guests had to wait to sit down or to eat. And now for the food. Obviously, cooking for 4 people at a tasting is very different than cooking for 230 at an event. I was so pleased when I tasted all of the food at our wedding and it tasted as amazing (if not even better!) than the food at the tasting! We have a lot of friends that work in the restaurant and catering industry that attended the wedding and they all stated that it was the best wedding/event food that they had ever had. This included several friends of ours that work at a competitor catering company. Since the wedding (3 days ago), I have received a bunch of e-mails from guests. Here are some excerpts directly from these e-mails: "....the food at your wedding was, by far, the best food I've ever had at a wedding..." "...this was the first time I didn't need to wait in a line for food at a wedding...." "...not only the best wedding food I've ever had, but the risotto cake and the braised short rib were the best food I've ever had period..." "....I had 4 of the "late night snack" gyros and they were the best gyros I've ever had....how is that possible that the best gyro I've ever had was at a wedding??? Amazing" I've also already received several requests for recipes for the food that was served at our wedding. Seriously, when does ever happen? I could go on for many more pages, but, in short, I highly recommend J&L Catering for your event. Scott is amazing. The food is incredible. The service is impeccable. read more

We booked J&L to cater our 55 person wedding in Chicago in December 2022 and had a fantastic experience! As soon as we met Nit, we knew that he was extremely knowledgeable about food flavors and presentation. At the tasting, he listened to our feedback and gave great suggestions on how we could tweak dishes to our liking. The food quality and taste at the wedding was phenomenal. Many of our guests said it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. We also loved doing a "quad plate" where we had 4 small entrees on the same plate. We worked with a venue that didn't have an onsite kitchen, so the food was partially cooked and then finished on site (as explained by Nit). Nit and his team are so skilled that everything came out perfectly. The on-site staff (bartender, servers) were all professional and courteous. J&L was a huge part of making our wedding a success and I highly recommend them! read more

J&L Catered my wedding at Salvage One this past October. We worked with Rachel Razowsky and I cannot say enough good things about her and the company itself. We asked for a local, seasonal fall menu and her first stab at putting a menu together was near perfect. I'm vegetarian with vegan tendencies and my husband eats meat, so we were trying to balance both tastes. They made us "make your own pot pies" and both the vegan version and the beef stew (so I heard) were phenomenal. All of the side dishes were excellent and fit the menu perfectly. We ended with a dessert of mini seasonal pies (pumpkin, apple, berry, etc). For a late night snack, which sadly neither my husband nor I were able to try, we got "ball park nachos" and tamales, all of which our guests reported to be tasty. The staff were all so friendly and kind both before the event and the day of. One of the servers even made me and my groom plates of food to ensure we had a chance to eat. Rachel was more than accommodating with taking care of our leftover liquor and centerpieces while we were on our honeymoon. If you are getting married or planning any type of catered event, I highly recommend J&L. The pricing is fair and you are sure to get great service and even better food. read more

We recently had the pleasure of working with Scott for our wedding and I cannot say enough about how amazing he and his team are! Even before we knew they were going to be our caterer, we had an amazing experience. Scott was extremely responsive with any questions, concerns and suggestions (and remained so even after we decided to go with J&L). Their food and menu options are delicious and very competitively priced, and of the highest quality. Throughout the entire process, Scott was great about helping us decide where we could save on certain costs so that we remained within our budget, and we actually came in under it. We were also able to do two tastings: one main tasting with every course and one follow up just of the salads and vegetables because we couldn't decide which of those options we wanted, which was so nice. Our guests are still raving about the dinner and appetizers - and we had some really tough critics! The food was so delicious. Whatever appetizers were supposed to be warm came out nice and warm, as did our main course. The service during dinner was fast and efficient - all of the staff members were so nice. The vegetarian option was equally delicious. The portion was substantial and even people who were not vegetarians asked to try it because it was so good. My husband and I as well as our parents felt so well taken care of by their team. Scott and Barrett, Barrett was the catering captain that evening, had a tray of drinks for our wedding party so they could enjoy a cocktail while my husband and I took wedding photos before the ceremony. They also immediately brought my husband and I drinks and an appetizer sampling right after the ceremony so we had a moment to relax and actually enjoy the food! The staff was also always refilling our drinks all night, making sure we had what we needed, and even gave our day of coordinator leftovers of each main course, the appetizers and desserts to have waiting in our hotel room when we got home that evening. It was truly wonderful! All of the bartenders and servers were very professional, polite and polished. Scott and Barrett made sure everything was executed perfectly and we cannot thank them enough for making our wedding so special. The evening would not have been the same without J&L Catering! read more

Post Wedding Review: What exactly would we have done without Rachel and J&L Catering? I'm not sure. I don't even want to think about it. Rachel was absolutely WONDERFUL from start to finish and was truly a lifesaver the day of the wedding! I'm definitely a type-a/micro-manager type (as are my parents) so for us to relinquish control and feel good about it is really saying something. We had complete confidence that every detail would be taken care of - and they were! Another gentleman working at our wedding (I believe his name was Barrett? Please don't hate me for forgetting) was fantastic as well. The food was exactly what we wanted and our guests wouldn't stop raving about it! I really could go on for pages but I think I'll leave it at that -- 2 thumbs WAY up =) Tip: If you're doing appetizers, be sure to get the lil tuna cone things... delicious! read more

J & L catered my wedding on 5/10/2014 at Loft on Lake and were simply fantastic to work with!! Not only that, but the food was incredible!!! The guests at the wedding are still talking about how delicious everything was and I've heard multiple times that it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding! The entire team put me at ease and were so great to work with. I love J&L Catering!! read more

My husband and I worked with Ted at J&L Catering for our wedding reception in Chicago on 5/27/12 at Loft on Lake. From start to finish, Ted and his team were the epitome of professionalism, not to mention very delicious food! The tasting was wonderful, with a professional server, and Ted also tasted the food along with us, which was great, and took away from the awkward feel we had at other caterers that watched us for our reactions as we tasted. All of the food was very delicious, and Ted really made sure that the food matched our tastes and preferences. And bonus, they sent us home with ALL the leftovers, which was wonderful, and provided us with lunches and dinners for days to follow! The day of the reception, Ted and his team were wonderful, supportive, professional, and definitely did everything they could to make our day run perfectly. After my husband and I walked down the aisle, a server was waiting for us with 2 glasses of wine, awesome! The whole night I was so impressed with everyone on their team, and all of our guests raved about the food and service. A big thank you to Ted and his team, you guys are wonderful!! read more

I used J&L Catering for my wedding, and overall, I was really pleased. The quality of the food was very good, and I thought that they were quite accommodating given all of our requests. We had an oyster bar, passed hors d'oevres, stations for dinner, a cake and multiple crisps for dessert, then later in the evening mini-burgers and passed cookies and sweets. The oysters were a huge hit. We had three different kinds, each of which was fresh and delicious. All of the passed hors d'oevres were vegetarian, and they were wonderful. Each one (six total) was unique and tasty in its own way. I think my favorite was the fried eggplant with olive tapanade and lemon zest. We had three stations for dinner, each with a multiple sides or salads and an entree or two. Several of the choices were vegetarian. Again, everything was really tasty. Our cake was beautiful and delicious: alternating layers of carrot and red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. We also had blueberry crisp and peach cranberry crisp. The passed mini burgers were probably everyone's favorite item of the night. I have only one complaint, but it is pretty serious. We requested that there be no nuts in the food at all because of multiple family members with severe nut allergies. Everything that was made on site was nut free, but the passed cookies and sweets had been made in advance, and several of them had nuts. Luckily someone in my family ate a cookie before any of the allergic people did, and warned them not to eat anything off the tray. Though a major crisis was averted, I was concerned that such a serious oversight occurred. read more

I was outsourced to work at the venue where they catered an event. The staff was beyond professional. The event ran about an hour or so over and they were really patient with the crowd. The food smelled pretty fantastic and they made sure to have the area spotless when they left. They worked a second event a few weeks later and it was the same professionalism from before. The gentlemen who managed the event made sure to introduce himself and made me a plate of food for my help. It was nice to be appreciated. They also make the sandwiches for the Nature Museum, I noticed. I like the artisan cheese sandwich a lot as well as the chicken salad. read more

J&L has catered many important events for my family and me and I have grown to trust them implicitly! The food is always excellent, the prices are good and the staffing is incredibly professional. The level of service J&L provides set them apart from any other caterer I have worked with. A few months before my wedding my original planner flaked-out and one of the J&L staff stepped in and became my wedding planner. He literally saved the day (not to mention my sanity)! J&L did a fantastic job with both the rehearsal dinner and the brunch the day following the wedding (I was disappointed that my wedding venue would not allow outside caterers so J&L was not an option). The food was creative and excellently prepared. The specialty cocktails were a huge hit. Most recently, they planned a going away party. They did it in record time, armed only with a budget and a vague idea of what I was hoping for. They were responsible for every detail and they did an excellent and elegant job. The food was delicious with food stations based on several Chicago neighborhoods. It was a perfect send off for good friends! read more

We could not have been more pleased with the quality of the food (amazing) as well as the high level of service and professionalism of the staff. Having really great food and a dependable level of service were extremely important to us, and J&L exceeded our expectations on all fronts. To this day our friends and family still rave about the food at our wedding! During the wedding planning process we met with a handful of reputable catering companies but J&L stood out to us immediately. Our coordinator at J&L, Scott Reichelsdorf, was extremely insightful and flexible when it came to designing our menu. In addition to his insights on food, Scott had done numerous weddings at the Chicago Cultural Center so his experience and understanding of how to effectively cater big events immediately put us at ease. Everything came together perfectly on our wedding day--the food was perfect, the timing of the dishes was on point, and the staff was attentive and courteous. Scott and his staff definitely went above & beyond - and we couldn't have been happier with our decision to use J&L. We would highly recommend them to anybody in need of a top notch caterer! read more

We used J & L Catering for a board meeting this past week. They catered in lunch and it was fantastic. I worked with Scott who had everything together exactly as he said it would be even explaining that their "box lunches" were not your average fare. They didn't disappoint. Everything was delicious. The whole experience dealing with them couldn't have been better or more simple. Add the courteous, professional staff to the delicious food and it's a no brain-er. We will definitely use them again! read more

Yesterday was my brother's wedding and I have been anxious and excited to write this review. J & L was unbelievable! We cannot thank Jim & his team enough. Every detail was executed to perfection. From the moment we went to the tasting at J & L's offices on Branch street we were impressed with their execution and attention to detail. We even discussed slight changes to the menu with the chef, who was more than happy to accommodate our tastes. On a wedding day, this is the last thing you are worried about and having Jim to execute for us was amazing! His entire staff was very professional and friendly, everyone went above and beyond to make sure everyone way happy! Thank you so much J & L, I look forward to using you again! read more

I hired J&L for a party at my house (30 guests) and they did a phenomenal job! I had previously tried their food at a fundraiser and was impressed with the quality. For my party, the food (brunch buffet) was so good that my husband talked about the food for days afterward! Misha was my event coordinator, and was very responsive to all of my concerns, and even came to my house a few days before to preview my space and plan accordingly. Their prices are comparable to other caterers that I researched for my event. Aside from the excellent food, my other compliments are for the staff. I had an amazing captain, server, and chef-- my guests were well tended to and were never with an empty glass. The staff were on time, extremely personable, well organized, and very professional. They left my kitchen cleaner than how they originally found it! I will certainly use them again when I have another event to plan. read more

Let me preface my statement by saying that I typically do not give reviews on YELP but I felt obligated to let everyone know about J&L and how fantastic they are. My wife and I used them to cater our wedding and every little detail/concept was covered by their professional staff. We worked with Ted who is the primary head of the company. He was extremely informative in putting together our appetizer menu and main entrees. Furthermore, his personal knowledge pointed out some of our pre-meeting decisions where either too heavy, not in season, etc. I appreciate someone who hones their craft to that degree to be that well informed and professional. However, I think that one of the biggest compliments I can give of the company as a whole is that they where perfect for our wedding, but also catered my father in laws company event and where fantastic as well. You do not find many companies that can adhere to large corporate events and small clients at the same time. It is purely amazing the positive direction and professionalism you receive from these people on a daily basis. One last thing I would like to point out. My wife and I had little miscellaneous items that we needed transported to the reception area. The fact that we where getting married in Chicago makes transportation of any items a challenge. Ted was not required to help us, but offered his transport trucks and staff to help with the delivery of the miscellaneous items. It is little and helpful stories like that in particular that speak volumes of the credibility and successful nature of this company and their staff. I 100% endorse their services and if you have a chance to become part of the J&L experience, I highly advise it. (btw, the food is the best catered food I have ever tasted, no exaggeration) read more

I have had the distinct pleasure of working with J&L Catering on several major events here in the city of Chicago. As an event producer, I depend on the expertise of all the vendors brought to a particular project and J&L Catering has never faltered. From their pricing, to their professional staff, to their impeccable service, J&L has never disappointed! Most recently, I worked with J&L staff members Scott Reichelsdorf and Rachel Razowsky on a sold out fundraiser called Dance for Life at the Harris Theater. Our challenge was to feed over 1,000 guests in a little over an hour. Rachel and Scott not only create a fantastic menu but paid close attention to the number of food stations needed to quickly feed the guests and they created enough bars to keep everyone happy and replenish their Vodka martinis on demand. With Scott, Rachel and J&L Catering on your side, any event you put together will come off seamlessly with their participation. Thank you J&L catering! Sincerely, Keith Elliott / Event Producer read more

Best corporate lunch I have ever ordered. Do not order the sandwich lunchboxes, those are average at best. Stick with the salads because they are more like a quick 5-star entree (Salmon, Shrimp, Chicken) plus a salad. Lunchbox presentation best in the business. I ordered for a meeting with big wigs and C-level executives from F500 companies. Everyone loved the food. My go to meal for every important and casual lunch from now on. read more

J & L catered my wedding in September 2014. Where to start with this review. I guess let me first say that I absolutely love Jim. He is seriously one of my favorite people on this planet. He pretty much single handedly made sure that my wedding went off exactly as planned. Sounds weird for a caterer, right? I know, but he functioned as so much more. I was planning everything on my own and he asked all the right questions to make sure that I was thinking of absolutely everything that would make our big day the success we wanted it to be. Now that I professed my love for Jim, on to the real review. I can't say enough about how delicious the food was. Literally everyone who attended the wedding ranted and raved about it. Including a very picky grandmother who is very hard to please! If you have vegetarians that will be attending your event, J & L has about a million options to choose from. All of them delicious enough that even the meat eaters will love them too. As for the service, I can't say enough about how fantastic they were. Everyone functioned together like a well oiled machine. Absolutely no one wanted for anything during the entire event and my husband and I were treated like movie stars. We even had guests that had previously been in the catering business in attendance at the wedding and they did nothing but compliment J & L for days after the big event. I truly can't say enough about how fantastic they were. I will definitely keep them in my contacts for any future big events and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a top notch caterer. read more