J&L Catering

Karly and the staff at J&L were a pleasure to work with from start to finish! From our initial conversations Karly understood the vision of our Indian/Latin fusion wedding and delivered the most creative menu! She was extremely responsive throughout the entire process and made the whole experience seamless. Our guests couldn't stop raving about the food/drinks. The service was impeccable and the staff always made sure my husband and I were fed and had a drink in our hand. J&L went above and beyond to make our wedding so special and unique!

J&L was a fantastic choice for our wedding! They served up a fun and tasty hors d'oeuvres during out cocktail hour and a delicious 2 course meal for our dinner. We had a lot of food restrictions between different allergies and preferences at the wedding and we were able to accommodate everyone without feeling like we had to compromise on quality. J&L had legitimately delicious vegan options and were able to adjust items to account for allergies and were super communicative throughout the process. It was hard to settle on our selections during the tasting because everything was so yummy! The biggest asset at J&L though is Jim Bailey who was practically a second planner for us. He knew our venue inside and out and was so helpful in thinking through logistics of seating, tables, and flipping the room between the reception and dinner. He was so kind and positive throughout the whole planning process and a true joy to work with!

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!

The J&L Catering team did a fantastic job catering our wedding. The team provided delicious food, excellent service, and a beautiful presentation. They arrived on time with a professional team that provided exactly what was needed with no muss or fuss. I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing catering service.

J&L catered our July wedding at the Woman's Club of Evanston. They exceeded our expectations and more! Not only did we get quite a few comments that "this was the best wedding food ever", but they were attentive to pass apps and refill drinks, kept the bar line efficient, and make sure everything was smooth on our big day. We did a food tasting in February and it was our favorite part of wedding planning - we were wined and dined and really appreciated the teams' effort at taking pictures of all the food. Our last minute decision was a late night chicken slider snack - and that was a huge hit!

What can we say about J&L Catering and our main contact Jim Bailey for our July 1st wedding at the Newberry Library? Delicious food and top notch kitchen and serving staff. Planning a wedding during a pandemic is no easy task. But Jim made us feel SO supported and was always available via email or phone to guide us along the way and give us his opinion and counsel. We were in great hands with Jim and J&L. From the tasting experience to final wrap up on the night of, we couldn’t have been happier. Everyone raved about the food (and there are definitely some picky eaters on our guest list!) for both the cocktail hour and our sit-down dinner. We’d work with J&L and Jim again in a heartbeat. In particular, we felt so lucky to have Jim as our main contact. Jim’s expertise on the day-of was paramount to the calmness we felt throughout our wedding day. His attention to detail given his years of experience is priceless.

Ted and the J&L team were amazing to work with from the tasting through the end of the evening. Everyone raved about the food, appetizers, salads, entrees - everything! The best wedding food we've ever had, and the team provided amazing and attentive service. Can't recommend J&L enough.

J&L provides excellent services, very professional and understanding. We started our journey pre-COVID. We had a wonderful experience detailing our needs, and J&L (JIM) was super responsive, making suggestions to accommodate what we wanted within our budget. And on top of that - the Chef delivered superb food. Guests raved about appetizers and the main course. J&L helped us create some perfect memories.

J&L was our caterer/bartender for our wedding, and we loved every minute of working with them! Kyle was incredible - and made the process so fun (we had the pleasure of working with her for almost 2 years because of a covid delay!). My favorite part were the mediterranean boards we had on every table - in place of a dinner salad. So beautiful and a huge hit. Thank you so much Kyle!!

If you want great food look no further - J&L was the BEST. We hired J&L for our original wedding date 6/12/20 (then COVID) Gabby from J&L not only worked with us for our first date, but our second and our final third date that we ended up getting married. The service was wonderful, plenty of options and they are willing to work with you to create the perfect menu. EVERYONE left happy and full (no late night post wedding McDonalds run needed). So happy to have found such good food our our special day. Highly recommend them!

We used J&L catering for our wedding and cannot recommend them enough. They are thoughtful, responsive, and will work within the budget that you have. Everyone loved the food and we had such a great experience working with them.

We took our time looking for a caterer for our wedding. From the initial inquiry to the final execution, J+L Catering was absolutely the right decision. Jim, our coordinator, went above and beyond to make sure our special day was just that, special. J+L offers a delicious menu, quality rentals and impeccable service. We originally planned for 100 people and ended up with 22 (due to COVID) and J+L was more than accommodating and didn’t miss a beat. On the day of the wedding, everything was flawless. From the cocktail hour, to the reception and the clean-up, the J+L team was polite, respectful of space and professional. The food – we are still talking about it today – was very delicious. We opted for 5 different cocktail hors d'oeuvres and a three course mean (entrées of chicken, salmon, veg and kids). Everything was executed to perfection – temperatures were appropriate, and taste was flavorful. We will absolutely consider J+L for any additional catering needs in the future.

Please book J & L Catering with Jim B. as your coordinator right now! We have never dealt with a more accommodating vendor. Our every request (we were reasonable, of course, ha ha) was fulfilled for our daughter’s wedding. The food was a standout; so many guests complimented us. While the meal not only tasted delicious, the presentations were beautiful as well. Thank you Jim for making this portion of the wedding a breeze to plan. The food was phenomenally scrumptious! You are the VERY best.

Choosing Jim and j&l as our caterer was not one that we did lightly. We love good food, and good drinks, and wanted the food to be a large highlight of our wedding day. We did a first look specifically so that we could enjoy our cocktail hour with our friends and Jim’s delicious food! We had our eyes on another caterer but from the minute we did our tasting with Jim, we knew he was our match made in heaven. He personalized everything exactly how we wanted it, less spice? More spice? Add sauce? Make it gluten free for the celiac grandma? Done. He dealt with our last minute changes, our guests dietary restrictions, our ( well my) OCD with grace and enthusiasm. Every one of our guests raved about the food, and I couldn’t have been happier about it. The food was talked about for weeks, every detail was thought out. I still dream about the gyros late night bites and the homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches- they were to die for. You can’t go wrong with Jim, his food is delicious, his personality will make you want to become his best friend, and his professional manner will ensure your wedding goes smoothly!

LOOK NO FURTHER! Choosing J&L for our wedding was one of the best decisions we could have made for our big day. We worked directly with Jim Bailey who is phenomenal and made us feel so comfortable and supported the entire year leading up to our wedding. Jim not only handled the catering beautifully, but also acted as our day-of coordinator. He even came to our venue the night before to help set up name cards, photos and more. Our day ran smoothly and was so enjoyable thanks to Jim and his team. Plus, the food is TOP NOTCH! So many of our guests have shared-wow, you found wedding food that is actually really good! Thanks Jim and J&L! :)

We cannot say enough good things about Evelyn from J&L. She made our dreams come to life with out food and drink menus. She was very attentive to our needs on the big day making sure that everything was going smoothly and checking in with us on our personal food and drink needs. I would strongly recommend booking with Evelyn!

This review is long overdue! We rarely write these but felt we had to after the incredible experience we had with J&L and Jim Bailey. So many people tell you that your wedding day can be stressful when you’re wrapping up last minute details but with Jim and J&L we experienced none of that stress – our wedding went off without a hitch, in large part, because of them. First things first, Jim. He is THE. BEST. When we first met him at our tasting we took an instant liking to him; and his planning & coordinating services helped elevate J&L above some of the other catering options on our list. We appreciated his knowledge and calm, collected demeanor as he guided us through our final menu choices, recommended vendors, oversaw our wedding rehearsal, and took on the role of our day-of coordinator. No email went unanswered, which is saying something because there were a lot. Plus, his attention to detail is incredible. He oversaw everything from the timing and entry of our bridal party to making sure glasses of champagne were waiting for us at the end of the aisle. I don’t know what we would have done without him! In addition to Jim, the entire team at J&L was fantastic. We, along with our family and guests, were treated so well by the J&L crew and our captain. They were professional, organized, and very friendly and seemed to keep all notes we had shared in mind regarding guests’ allergies and menu selections. Now onto the food! Many others have written that guests told them after their wedding that the food was delicious, and that’s true for us as well. Not only was the food beautifully presented, it tasted fantastic! The team did an incredible job with our steak, fish and veggie options and really hit it out of the park with the passed appetizers during our cocktail hour. We looked forward to eating a small sampling of them that the J&L team put aside for post-wedding snacks. In addition to amazing service and great food, the J&L team was kind enough to make recommendations on dessert options and plate & serve the pies that we ended up choosing from a local pie place. We’d highly recommend them if you’re looking for an amazing team that will deliver delicious food and cocktails, while taking the stress out of some of the planning!

The food was perfect, it served warm and timely. But most importantly Jim was FANTASTIC. Highly, highly recommend this company.

J&L catered our May, 2017 wedding and served up a near perfect evening my wife and I will never forget. We did our homework, researching nearly a dozen Chicagoland catering outfits, comparing proposals to gauge services, style, food options, and value. We narrowed our search down to two contenders, and J&L absolutely blew away the competition. We were working on a modest budget, but did not want to compromise on food or service. We didn't! The tasting was a spectacle in and of itself, the diversity of food was impressive and, most importantly, delicious and beautifully presented, the linens and tableware are good quality, and the staff is excellent and clearly held to a high standard. The real key to our satisfaction with J&L? Their (not so) secret weapon: Jim Bailey, caterer and event planner extraordinaire. Jim is a consummate professional in a tough industry, where perfection is the standard. I hate to age Jim, but he has years of experience, and it's clear from his effortless approach to his job. He surveyed our tastes and personalities and tailored his plentiful advice to our palettes. He is a joy to spend time with, excellent with parents, opinionated while not bossy, and incredibly responsive. Not a single email went unanswered in a timely fashion, which is a testament to Jim's dedication. Jim went above and beyond to pair down here and there to fit within our budget, without sacrificing the final product. He is, above all, honest and pragmatic about what can and cannot be done. In short, we were fully confident in Jim's abilities to plan and manage our sizable wedding (planned for 180, got 160), and he did not disappoint. By some miracle, nothing went seriously awry at our wedding (probably because of Jim), but, if it had, we were certain Jim would have taken it in stride, with us none the wiser. We could not recommend Jim Bailey and his team at J&L any more vigorously. Now go and book him before it's too late!

We found out about J & L when we were checking out our wedding venue, the Woman’s Club of Evanston. We walked into the ballroom which was already set up for a wedding reception later that day and when my mother saw someone meticulously checking/polishing the silverware at each table, she turned to the WC’s event coordinator Elizabeth and said, “who is catering this wedding? I want to hire them!” Elizabeth said, “J &L - they are the BEST.” So we reached out to Jim Bailey, J & L’s event planner and set up a tasting. From the start, our experience with J & L was great. The tasting with Jim was really fun and an experience all in itself. Even though my parent’s, husband and I have some different food likes and dislikes we all somehow loved everything that was served to us that night. My dad who is a big meat and potatoes guy even enjoyed the vegetarian entree options we tried. Jim was with us every step of the way while we planned our wedding offering advice and help. He informed us at our tasting that he was already committed to a few other weddings on our day, so we would be working with someone else on the actual day of. We were introduced to Scott Reichelsdorf at our walk through and I instantly liked him. He stepped up as our “day of coordinator” and he and Jim even helped out with our rehearsal the night before. By helped out I mean they directed the whole thing. Our friend was our officiant, and it was his first time officiating a wedding. We would have been totally lost without Jim and Scott. My memories of Scott on our wedding day are of him running around doing a hundred things at once with a smile on his face. Scott totally came through. Aside from all the personal care and attention provided by every single staff member that was at our wedding, the food was super delicious. We had vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters and gluten free people at our wedding and everyone raved about their food. I can say without a doubt the reason our wedding day was so seamless and stress free was in large part due to J & L catering. I honestly assumed they were “just” going to feed us and make sure plates were cleared and glasses full etc. They did all of that impeccably, and then they did SO MUCH MORE. J & L not only provided really, really good food, but they basically carried our whole wedding. I love them and am so grateful for them.

We had the pleasure of working with Morgan and Ted for our wedding and I cannot say enough about how amazing their team is! From the moment we knew they were going to be our caterer, we had a stellar experience. They were extremely responsive with any questions, concerns and suggestions and their food and menu options are so incredible. All of our guests are still raving about the dinner and appetizers--it was magnificent. We had a blast during our tasting and knew they would exceed our expectations at the wedding, and they did. Everyone always says that you never get a change to eat at your own wedding. Well, not with J&L! My husband and I as well as our parents felt so well taken care of by their team. The servers ensured our drinks were full and appetizers were making it to us throughout the cocktail hour and they made sure we got to sit and eat our full meal during dinner. It was a dream! Their bartenders and servers were very professional, polite and polished and really added another level of class to an already elegant affair. Morgan and Ted made sure everything was executed perfectly and we cannot thank them enough for making our wedding so special. It would not have been the same without J&L Catering.

I really enjoyed working with Jim Bailey from J&L. He’s a good listener and is also diligent in his work. He always replied emails within 24 hours and answered my questions with patience and care. He acted as my day-of wedding coordinator, and did a great job coordinating the other vendors and setting up the decorations together with the florist team. I’m usually a pretty anxious person, but on the day of the wedding I didn’t have to worry about anything because I knew that Jim had everything under control. J&L is a great company too. Their food is priced reasonably and tastes good. They’re very flexible and can pretty much make anything you want them to – just give them a picture and they can duplicate it. Their staff is also professional and well organized. They did the clean up very quickly and didn’t leave any problems for us at the venue. Working with them was one of the best decisions I made at my wedding. Thank you J&L!

J&L catered our wedding on September 13, 2014 at the Woman's Club of Evanston, and I could not have been happier with them. The food was delicious, but the real highlight was the service. The entire staff was friendly, skilled and accommodating, and our event manager, Jim Bailey, truly went above and beyond to make sure our wedding day was as wonderful as possible. When your caterer is crouched down, coaching the ringbearer for his walk down the aisle, you know you're working with a real gem. Thank you so much, Jim and team!

My husband and I chose to get married at The Ivy Room in Chicago, which is a venue where you have to bring in everything (food, tables, chairs, linens, servers, etc.), so we had to find a caterer that could really pull together our entire event. That's why the cost might look higher - this caterer was a one-stop-shop for us! We worked with Ted at J&L and he was absolutely incredible. The tasting was the most delicious meal. They set the table as it would be set at our wedding and let us try everything! They even packaged up the leftovers for us to take home. Every single bite was incredible. We aren't huge foodies, but we do love a good meal and I can't tell you enough how amazing this food was. It was beautiful, elegant and yet so simple. They were able to accommodate our vegetarian and vegan guests as well with delicious options. Usually it's just a pasta dish for the vegetarians, but he made us an eggplant roulade that had the biggest meat eaters wanting a bite. In the end, our food reflected our style for the event which was simple and casual, yet elegant and polished. Everyone at our wedding kept raving about the drinks and the food. And, something that meant so much to me, the service was incredible. Each server knew the menu and knew exactly what they were serving. They were professional and kind and our guests loved the service. And, the service to me and my husband was beyond compare. Ted and his staff had every detail taken care of. There were drinks and a plate of food in my bridal suite so that my new husband and I could have a drink, a bite to eat, and a bit of time to ourselves before entering the cocktail hour. The entire evening the staff made sure that we had a drink and had every need tended to. And, they were SO sweet that they packaged us up 2 extra meals for us to eat the next day before we left for our honeymoon. That was such a sweet surprise! Cost-wise, they were about the same as the other catering companies that we considered, but I cannot imagine having a better experience. I would book Ted time and time again if given the opportunity!

We had a list of caterers that we could use at our venue, luckily it was pretty long and included most of the best caterers in the city. We ended up getting proposals and doing tastings with J&L, Blue Plate, and Food for Thought. All provided good service and all of the tastings were really good. But the tasting with J&L was GREAT. The appetizers were inventive and they have their own personality and persona that stood out. Evelyn, who was our main contact at J&L, immediately demonstrated her warmth, expertise, and leadership from the get go. It was largely the positive early experiences we had with Evelyn that led us to select J&L. We also really liked that all of their business is word of mouth and that they are somewhat smaller than the other caterers--all of the service felt really personal. Also, since they do not spend $$ on marketing, their prices were somewhat lower. When we explained our budget to Evelyn she proposed really great solutions, whereas the other caterers didn't really seem to think outside of the box. I don't know how hands on other brides and their families are with the catering menus, but I think we were pretty hands on, and Evelyn took all of out input in stride. On some matters she pushed back on us, asserting her experience and expertise and that was just what we needed at those times. We didn't have a wedding planner and on the day of the event, it really felt like Evelyn was running the show and everything went smoothly. All of our guests told us how delicious the food was--rave reviews all around. I highly recommend J&L for any catering, wedding or otherwise!

From start to finish, perfect. People are still complimenting our food!