Hearty Boys

ience as a whole felt elevated, thoughtful, and deeply personal. They worked with us to honor our budget without compromising on quality, and every interaction felt collaborative and respectful. A huge part of that magic was thanks to Alyson, who was an absolute gem throughout the entire process. From our very first meeting, she wowed us with her attention to detail and thoughtfulness — even incorporating elements from our proposal (like the exact champagne and glassware we used!) into our tasting. She helped us set realistic expectations, mapped out the flow of the day, and offered guidance that made planning feel calm and supported. On the day itself, Alyson was the last person I saw before walking down the aisle — and she made sure I looked perfect. That single moment captures so much of who she is: attentive, composed, and totally invested in making your day feel magical. The Hearty Boys team, and especially Alyson, went far beyond their roles to make sure our wedding was not only beautiful but meaningful. We couldn’t recommend them more.

ce was excellent and the process was seamless. We loved working with Alyson throughout the entire process, especially with how much she thought of before we did. She knew exactly what questions to ask that helped our planning process so much. We are so happy we hired Hearty Boys and you will be too!

ried the food at our first tasting and we knew we had found the caterer for us - SO GOOD. On our wedding day we were treated like royalty. Alyson was waiting in our bridal suite to congratulate us after “I do” and had all of our hors d’oeuvres ready for us to eat ( presented beautifully of course!) . It was so nice to see her after working together for over a year! From then on the HB team members made sure we had everything we might need throughout the day. The service was absolutely incredible. If you are looking for a wedding caterer that makes amazing food AND runs an event so smoothly it almost feels like magic… that’s when you know you’ve chosen the right one. Hearty Boys deserves 10 out of 5 stars. We love you Hearty Boys!! Thank you for everything!

at our wedding. Would 1000% recommend them.

u. For example, rather than a traditional mac and cheese, they had a kimchi mac and cheese. A small change that made a big impact and made the meal more interesting and memorable. Our guest loved it! Contracting was simple and easy. We high recommend their services to enhance your wedding!

do the catering for the wedding reception, but I also chose to hire their DIY coordinator which was a budget friendly way to do my own decor, and have someone help us day of with setting up the decor and small day of logistics. This worked out perfectly, my vision came to life, and everything went smoothly thanks to Derek and Alyson at Hearty Boys. The food was also delicious! Guests were very happy.

they made us feel so special and made sure we ate some amazing food before heading into cocktail hour to chat with all our guests. They are the absolute best!

dding budget to it. We were very worried ... until we met Alyson at Hearty Boys & did our tasting there. The food is fun and so tasty - packed with flavor and executed perfectly for the big day! Alyson is so kind and made us feel like we were uniquely important to her (even though shes working with dozens of couples at a time). We also have to give a special shout out to Alan - Alan was our dedicated server for the night (which was such a nice touch we weren't expecting) and he took care of all our needs with speed and kindness. Thank you so much to the whole Hearty Boys team!

listened to all of our questions and concerns with guests' potential needs. One of our guests has severe allergies and Hearty Boys was well aware, ensuring our guest was well take care of, providing a delicious meal and not missing out! The food was delicious and we received raved reviews from our guests! A huge priority for us was that the food was hot. We all know that wedding food could either be cold and/or not flavorful, but that was not the case here. The presentation was also wonderful! Luckily, Hearty Boys has worked in our venue (Artifact Events) countless times and they were a well oiled machine. Even the venue walk through with Alyson blew me away; every detail was discussed, even the drinks for the VIPs and she made sure the bridal party and parents' needs were addressed weeks before the wedding. On the day of, everything was orchestrated perfectly. As the bride and groom, we also had our own server (Scott) and he was incredible! The staff was attentive to all of my guests' needs and it was great to see everyone so happy with all details. My friends even commented about how professional the food delivery was to every table. You should absolutely book Hearty Boys for your event. They know what they are doing and you will be happy with their service!

up until the clean up of the wedding. We elected to do stations for our wedding and Hearty Boys delivered an exceptional experience. While some caterers mentioned they struggle more with doing stations, the Hearty Boys can do it efficiently and cost effectively because they have their own equipment, which were all very classic and sleek looking. It added a nice touch to the aesthetic of the evening. Angie was our planner for the day and she was fantastic to work with! All of the catering staff were knowledgeable, helpful, and flexible with guest diet restrictions, ensuring to always have food available for everyone. We had many guests with different restrictions (GF, No Dairy, No Garlic, etc.), but Hearty Boys was able to appease & please every one of our guests. Last but not least, the food was outstanding. It tasted great and we received a ton of compliments about the food from our guests. We only have positive things to say about our experience with Hearty Boys!

ppetizers, plated dinner, and bar service were all professional and incredible. Highly recommend!!

d the small touches Alyson and her team put into our food were beyond what we could have imagined. Multiple guests commented that this was the best food they have ever had at a wedding, and I have even had one guest comment that she wanted to replicate her meal because it was so unique and delicious!! Alyson is such a pro, she walked us through the tasting so naturally, answering questions we didn’t know we had. They had a member of the wait staff dedicated to us so that they made sure that WE enjoyed the food, which you hear so often the couple don’t have time to do. Best caterer ever, couldn’t more highly recommend!!

ly felt like we were creating a unique dining experience with Hearty Boys. They had an organized approach to setting the meal choices and were open to any customizations we wanted. We received many compliments from our guests on the appetizers and all of the dinner courses. They also did a fantastic job running the bar, including making our specialty drink (Bees Knees). We highly recommend Hearty Boys!

he day. We really connected with her over our tasting where we tried incredible food and were able to request slight modifications to dishes to make our dining experience exactly what we wanted. Our guests raved about the food especially the pasta, the salmon, and the mason jar pies. It was also great to have a staff member dedicated to the bride and groom to make sure we had everything we needed during the reception. Overall, HB was extremely easy to work with and we would recommend them to anyone looking for an awesome Chicagoland caterer.

rting with our first tasting, choosing them was one of the easiest decisions we had to make. The variety of seasonal options was amazing, the planning process couldn't have been easier, and the food and service during the reception were incredible. We can't wait to have another event that requires catering so we can work with this team again!

pportive hands! I cannot say enough about how much ease Alyson brought to the planning process and the event. She was the superstar of this whole planning experience for me. She is organized and professional, but also warm and joyful. She was incredible from start to finish - responsive, accommodating, honest, creative, and always steering us back to this principle: this was OUR wedding and we didn’t need to worry about anyone else’s expectations. She was steady and reliable and just so dang fun! These folks seem to love what they do, and they made us feel so special and so cared for on our wedding day. One thing that really sold me on Hearty Boys was how Alyson treated the staff during our tasting - with respect, gratitude, and as equals. This was not true of all the companies we met with. I also found out they are one of the only caterers who prioritize feeding your other vendors during dinner (so it’s not midnight by the time your photog/DJ/planner get to eat). I was in the service industry for decades and treating your staff, regardless of their role, with respect is very important to me. The other thing that sold me on Hearty Boys? THE FOOD! It was fantastic and Alyson & the staff made sure we got to eat everything, including appetizers and drinks (even though we missed cocktail hour taking pictures). The food was phenomenal and the crème brûlée station was such a fun addition to dessert. Our guests went bonkers for the late night sliders after dancing their butts off. I can’t say enough good things about our experience with this team. What are you waiting for? Send them a message already!!

y but the quality of service we received from Alyson and her crew. We didn’t do a sit-down dinner for our reception, rather a large grazing table, passed apps, and desserts, and they brought our vision to life in such a beautiful way. On the day of our reception, the Hearty Boys staff delivered my husband and I a large platter of appetizers and a charcuterie board to our bridal suite so we could be sure to eat prior to jumping into the day. The food was all ridiculously good, and we got so many comments from guests about it being the best wedding food they’d ever had! I do need to give a special shoutout to Alyson. She is truly what made our experience spectacular. She was excited, positive, supportive, and so loving and caring throughout the entire process. She made sure the focus was kept on myself and my husband rather than other family members involved in the process. Alyson is an expert in wedding planning as a whole and she went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed to make our day perfect, from ordering table linens to helping to design our day-of-timeline. We absolutely adore her and I’m finding myself wanting to throw another big bash just so I have an excuse to work with her again!

icked a better catering team!! From the initial inquiry to the our big day--the team went ABOVE AND BEYOND to ensure everything was perfect. The food was delicious and every element (apps at cocktail hour and late night bites) was more than we could have dreamed. They even let us do DIY pop-tarts (and toasted them!) as part of our late night bites at the wedding. Alyson Green is one of the most incredible humans we have ever met and made the whole experience absolutely unforgettable. Yelitza was our day of coordinator and ensured every element was executed to perfection. We are so grateful to the entire team for making our day better than we ever could have imagined!!

ating our guests' dietary needs and she was able to provide gluten free meals to those who needed them, as well as kids' meals. Also, our other vendors told us that Hearty Boys is their favorite caterer to work with, so that speaks volumes given how competitive Chicago is in terms of wedding vendors. We would definitely hire them again!

could not stop talking about our ate late night sliders (seriously so good). Besides the amazing food Alyson was a dream to work with. She really took time to know us and make sure all our personal touches came to life (like our espresso martini tower). She was incredibly organized and detail oriented making me feel calm knowing my day was in good hands!

event, was an absolute superstar. Her professionalism and warmth instantly put us at ease, and we knew we were in capable hands from day one. The entire staff worked tirelessly from start to finish, delivering impeccable service throughout the evening. And the food—wow! We received so many compliments on various aspects of our wedding, but the one we heard most frequently was how incredible the food was. Every bite, from the delicious appetizers to the custom late-night bites, was prepared with care and attention to detail. You could truly taste the love that went into every dish. We had a unique vision for our wedding that strayed from the traditional, which presented some unique challenges. However, The Hearty Boys not only met but exceeded our expectations in every way. Their flexibility, creativity, and flawless execution helped make our wedding day unforgettable. Overall, the service was impeccable, the food was outstanding, and Allison was an absolute dream to work with. If you're looking for a caterer who delivers on every front, look no further than The Hearty Boys!

n was having ‘generic wedding chicken’ on our special day; we wanted a real MEAL, your favorite local restaurant quality, something to remember. Hearty Boys was that and more. Also, the TEAM! Alyson was a GEM to work with. From our (wine-fueled) tasting to the big day, she worked with my groomzilla-adjacent concerns, quelling them at every turn, her and the equally charming and able Derek, crafting an amazing menu of options—spectacular flavor pairings you won’t find anywhere else. Kudos to the whole catering team actually! Energetic, personable, professional *and* fun, they add to the room’s energy as opposed to just taking up space. Can’t say enough – food anchors the day and you want it to make an impression. Look no further.

l, and all of our guests raved about how delicious dinner was! I also have Celiac Disease so the team made sure the entire wedding was gluten free! They were also extremely accommodating to others with food allergies. Alyson was a rockstar, always available for us, answering any questions or concerns we had. On the big day, she helped keep everything on track, frequently checked in on me and my husband, and made us feel at ease the whole time. Hearty Boys truly went above and beyond and we are so thankful for the amazing job they did at our wedding! I would highly recommend them to anyone getting married!

ly presented, and left our guests raving for days. They created a menu that perfectly fit our tastes and exceeded all expectations. The team, especially Dan, was so professional and easy to work with. They took care of every detail, making sure everything was seamless on the day. The appetizers, entrees, and desserts were all standout, and you could tell they use only the freshest, highest-quality ingredients. Our guests are still talking about how amazing the food was, and honestly, we’re still dreaming about it too! If you want a caterer that delivers exceptional food and top-notch service, Hearty Boys Catering is the one. We’re so happy we chose them to be part of our special day!

ible. You won’t regret using them. Thanks to Alyson and the team for all their hard work and professionalism!

sband is from the NYC area, so we incorporated a "midwest meets east coast" theme to our appetizers, entrees and snacks that truly would only have been possible using Hearty Boys' extensive (and delicious) variety of options. I came into wedding planning thinking that making so many choices would be tedious, but when it came to food and drink, Hearty Boys made it not only easy but fun!

eam. Her support and expertise were invaluable, and her bright energy and warmth made us feel so taken care of. Hearty Boys' streamlined process made it easy to ensure every guest got their preferred meal and that everyone's dietary restrictions were accommodated. On the day of our wedding, the service was efficient and seamless and the food tasted amazing! We are so happy we decided to work with Hearty Boys! Photo credit: Daniela Buvat Wedding Photography: https://www.danielabuvatweddingphotography.com

and everyone is still raving about the food and how delicious it was. All the guests commented that the food was the best food they had at a wedding! The staff was very professional and attentive as well. I highly recommend Hearty Boys.

best food I've ever had at a wedding." The meals were as high of a quality as you would find at a very expensive restaurant. Everything was amazing and so well done. The servers were very professional and kind and paid great attention to detail. We worked with Alyson, who was amazing! She is so friendly and outgoing and we knew that we were in good hands with her organization and communication skills.

kind but caters to your needs and guests. The food was outstanding, our guests had only great things to say about the food, plus the service Hearty Boys provided was top notch and incredibly professional. If you are looking for a caterer, go with Hearty Boys!

us feel welcome and had us understanding every single fine detail that we would be committing too. And on top of that - she even helped with some WEDDING PLANNING details that had nothing to do with catering! We had full trust in her not just as our Caterer, but as a wonderful person. And then getting to the Chefs & servers at the event with the food. Our guests couldn't stop raving about all of the options that were served. And how well they were presented - Literally every guest got an app during Cocktail Hour & also had hot, beautifully plated food at dinner. Every detail was executed flawlessly & we (and our stomachs) couldn't have been happier! Choose Hearty Boys for your next event - you will NOT regret it

and wonderful to work with. We worked most closely with Dan and Angie, and they helped us create a menu that everyone loved. On our wedding day, multiple guests went out of their way to tell us how much they enjoyed the food. Would definitely recommend them!

from start to finish. The staff is incredible, and we loved having our own personal attendants assigned to us bringing us drinks and anything else we needed throughout the night. It was such a lovely touch. The food was all incredible and we've already received so many compliments from our guests. I cannot recommend this dream team enough to anyone, thank you so much again for everything!!

ifully the day of. It goes without saying that the food was beautiful, fresh, and delicious. Hearty boys accommodated some special dietary restrictions seamlessly. Our guests raved saying it was the best food at a wedding they'd ever had and many expressed wishing they could enjoy their meals again!

r requests. From the tasting to the execution the day of the wedding, our experience was 10/10 exceptional. The team is incredibly kind and passionate about what they do. Importantly, the food is delicious, rivaling any top restaurant here in Chicago. The menu is highly customizable, which makes the experience even more personal and meaningful. We were in constant communication with the team as the big day approached and were able to make changes on the fly without any issue. We were particularly floored with our experience the day of our wedding. Everything ran perfectly with outstanding service, beautiful plating, and seamless integration into our venue. We were surprised to have our own private waiter who ensured we were well fed and taken care of throughout the entire celebration. I promise you will not have to think or worry about anything on the day of your big day, including staying well fed. We would use Hearty Boys every time if we had to do it over again and would recommend them to our closest friends and family. Top notch group and phenomenal experience!

their service is impeccable. Their staff was very professional and helpful throughout the entire process and event. We especially enjoyed working with Alyson (our sales rep/main contact) - She is so kind and great at what she does. She made the planning process easy, and she made sure our event ran smoothly and that we were well taken care of the entire night. We would highly recommend selecting Hearty Boys for your wedding!

al appetizers in our cocktail hour. During our tasting, Alyson took diligent notes on our likes, disklikes, things we’d like to tweak, etc. The wedding day was incredible. The service from the Hearty Boys staff was exceptional while being incredibly professional. And the food?! To DIE for. We continue to have people tell us it was some of the best food they’ve had at a wedding. I’d recommend Hearty Boys to everyone!

references, and everyone was kind, warm, and so thoughtful about all of the little details. And, of course, the food is AMAZING. We got so many compliments about everything from the appetizers to the entrees to our late night snack, and we know many people went back for seconds as much as they could! We were able to work with Hearty Boys to create and refine a menu that was elegant and elevated while also being very familiar and comforting. We worked closely with Dan and selecting and refining the menu, and Angie on the logistics and details of the day, and both are incredible people. They were flexible and very informative, helping the two of us who had never thrown such a big affair through every detail, offering suggestions and putting us safely in their expert hands. The staff on the day were also incredible - the serving staff and bartenders were all friendly, helpful, and so fast! They worked as a unit beautifully, and everything was so choreographed it was basically art. Hearty Boys is a MUST HAVE for any event that requires catering!

t our love of food and showcase that to our guests and they executed 120%. I know it takes a big team to make these events happen, but I want to send a huge thank you especially to Alyson who understood our vision, was amazing at communicating and helped to make sure our day was flawless!

this was the best wedding food they’ve ever had! Alyson was especially fantastic to work with throughout the wedding planning process, i would highly recommend!

. We have received so many compliments from our wedding guests about how our wedding buffet was the best food they have ever had at a wedding, and we could not agree more! Working with Dan, Angie, and team was seamless from start to finish. They are extremely kind, patient, and organized. We truly could not have asked for a better catering team for our big day. Hire the Hearty Boys - you will not regret it!!!

which was really important to us and they were perfect for that. We were ahead of the game and did our tasting very early in the planning process, and the food, combined with the professionalism of the whole operation that we saw made us know that we didn't even need to do another tasting with any other vendors. Because we were set for months until just before the wedding, we had forgotten how awesome Alyson was. With the stress of planning and getting close to the date mounting, she was a huge breath of fresh air and re-instilled confidence in us that our big day was going to go great. And Hearty Boys and Alyson delivered!

food—and they exceeded every expectation. Dan's responsiveness and professionalism set the tone from the start. He took the time for a 30-minute phone call to explain their extensive wedding menu options, addressing all our questions with patience. In a wedding vendor world where prompt responses are promised but not always followed, Dan's 1-2 day turnaround was impressive. The detailed invoice he provided left no room for miscommunications, making our decision a no-brainer. Their tasting felt like an honorary guest experience, and by our wedding day, The Hearty Boys felt like family. Our guests raved about the entrees and specialty cocktails, particularly the mezcal margs and old fashioneds with Luxardo cherries. Even the pickiest eaters and Chicago food snobs among our guests claimed it was the best they've had at a wedding. Angie managed our seating chart and coordination, and went above and beyond to meet all our requests. Her care was evident when, on our wedding day, my 90-year-old grandpa fell, and she and her team rushed in with an emergency kit and ice pack. Words can't explain how appreciative we are to her. On the day itself, The Hearty Boys' staff ensured my glass was never empty, feeding me on the dance floor and saving dessert at our sweetheart table. Their bartenders and staff contributed immensely to making it the best party ever. If you value organization, professionalism, attention to detail, and genuinely kind people, paired with top-notch food and service, choosing The Hearty Boys is the perfect decision for your wedding.

e food was incredible and they paid incredibly close attention to all details to make sure allergies were carefully accounted for and that we had exactly what we wanted for our day (including extra cold champagne). We had our own private server for the sweetheart table and a mini charcuterie sampling to enjoy in private immediately after the ceremony. I hope we get to work with them again in the future!