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Boka has a catering arm.
Boka has a catering arm.
Boka

Chicago Restaurants That Will Cater Your Wedding, 2016 Edition

Foods to soothe the burliest bridezilla

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Boka has a catering arm.
| Boka

When guests recall your special day years down the road, they'll remember a few choice moments. They'll remember the first glimpse of the bride during the ceremony. They'll remember the awkward silence after a wedding speaker bombs. They may remember who was crying. But forget all of those cursory and sentimental aspects: It's all about the food. Check out the list of Chicago-area restaurants that cater weddings. It's a diverse list that will satisfy even the burliest bridezilla or the grumpiest groom.

These caterers will work with your wedding venue and ensure proper delivery, set up and in some cases offer action stations where food is prepared on site or inside the venue's own kitchen. Listed in alphabetical order.

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90 Miles Cuban Cafe

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This Cuban powerhouse has three locations, including its newest in suburban Lincolnwood. They can prepare almost anything from their massive menu, including their signature sandwiches.

Big Guys Sausage Stand

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Big Guys in suburban Berwyn offers delivery and on-site catering full of Chicago classics. They need reservations in at least a week in advance and also provide barbecue service .

Big Star

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Big Star's food truck is a popular late-night add on for wedding receptions, providing that pick me up after a long night of revelry. There's also a taco bar option.

Barry Brecheisen

Boka Catering Group

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Boka Group has its own catering arm and can serve an all-star custom menu from their family of restaurants that include GT Fish & Oyster and others. They offer action stations and passed items, as well. Email them to see if they're the right fit for your event.

Bolat African Cuisine

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Bolat offers plated, buffet and family-style options. Bolat, in Lakeview, serves a variety of sub-Saharan African dishes, including meat pies and piri-piri shrimp.

If Chicago street food is your thing, find one of Buona's many locations. They'll even bring linen and flatware if needed through their Beyond Events arm.

Chicago Q

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Over in the Gold Coast, Chicago q serves elevated barbecue, and now employs Art Smith at its pitmaster. They also offer staff to work the event if needed.

Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe

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A more affordable option, Chuck's offers its famous Wagonload Buffet with a variety of barbecue favorites.

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Dia De Los Tamales

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Dia De Los Tamales offers all their standard menu items. Their catering division, Get Off The Couch, offers breakfast, sliders, dips and even veggie Sloppy Joes.

Friendship Chinese Restaurant

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One of Chicago's finest Chinese restaurants in Logan Square will create custom menus for your wedding, satisfying meat-eaters and vegetarians. Anything from a light meal to a full-course dinner full of egg rolls, noodles and more.

Frontera Grill

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Rick Bayless' team promises to "send a team of chefs to your venue and cook everything on the spot." They'll even provide a Mariachi band, if that's what the couple wants. But they'll only cater if the venue has an onsite kitchen.

Barry Brecheisen

Greek Islands

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Whole lamb and pig are some of the options, because that big, fat Greek wedding will have some hungry guests.

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Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse

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Harry Caray's provides a Chicago touch with a selection of local favorites from the restaurants menu. The team gets extra praise from online reviewers for how they work with the venue.

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Heaven On Seven

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Though Heaven on Seven is known for Cajun food, their catering services go beyond that, and they also offer breakfast catering. They also offer a variety of appetizers for cocktail parties.

India House Restaurant

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India House has been providing a variety of food options for weddings, including Indo-Chinese and Jain (vegetarian), for more than two decades.

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Costa Rican food is veggie friendly, and Irazu in Bucktown serves some of the best in town. They offer a variety of hot bar packages, as well as options like a taco bar.

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

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Find the Lou's closest to the venue and have them bring in deep-dish pizzas, pastas and Italian beef.

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Lula Café

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Lula aims to bring an artisanal, local experience to every wedding with on-site chefs and custom menus.

Barry Brecheisen

Marcellos Father & Son Restaurant

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Father & Son have really come along way from their humble pizza beginnings. Find a good, old fashioned Chicago carving station and pasta, plus an assortment of sliders.

Mercadito

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Mercadito offers totally customizable food and drink menus. Tacos and other small bites are available.

Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed

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Milt's offers several packages filled with smoked brisket, chicken, ribs, and even smoked seitan. And they're also Kosher.

Barry Brecheisen

Nacional 27

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Passed tapas, cerviche, cocktails and other items from 27 Latin American countries are available thanks to Nacional 27. They can even add Lettuce Entertain You's M Burger as a late-night snack.

Barry Brecheisen

Pearl's Place

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If you are ever in need of hand-cleaned chitterlings, Pearl's Place is your spot. If the chitterlings aren't your thing, there's also pot roast, sweet potato pie and more.

Publican Quality Meats

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PQM, the off-shoot of One Off Hospitality's Publican, provides food for a variety of ocassions. Giant seafood towers and entrees like glazed pork belly are available. [Photo: Marc Much]

This Iranian/Persian restaurant in Andersonville has been serving up kebobs for years. Choose from seven different packages.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

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This celebrated steakhouse chain will visit the venue and provide full service for weddings.

Barry Brecheisen

Seven Lions

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Alpana Singh's Downtown dynamo offers and assortment of options, and can even come up with some special dishes after consultation.

Smoque BBQ

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Yes, there are dangers to a bride wearing white eating barbecue. But when diners have the chance to eat Smoque's chopped brisket or ribs, the risk is well worth it. Priorities.

Barry Brecheisen

The Halal Guys Chicago

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Now with three Chicagoland locations, The Halal Guys can give weddings a splash of spice with their red sauce that covers their gyros plates.

The Purple Pig

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The Purple Pig's milk-braised pork shoulder, a popular dish off Michigan Avenue, is among the dishes available through the Pig's catering services. The items come in reheatable containers.

The Tamale Spaceship

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These luchadores are really superheroes thanks to the face that The Tamale Spaceship in Bucktown also offers drink packages. They'll will mix up Mexican cocktail to go along with their unique tamales.

Wishbone Restaurant

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Plated dinners and buffets are part of the deal over at Wishbone and their West Loop and North Center locations. Southern comfort food also comes with cocktail packages.

90 Miles Cuban Cafe

This Cuban powerhouse has three locations, including its newest in suburban Lincolnwood. They can prepare almost anything from their massive menu, including their signature sandwiches.

Big Guys Sausage Stand

Big Guys in suburban Berwyn offers delivery and on-site catering full of Chicago classics. They need reservations in at least a week in advance and also provide barbecue service .