About this vendor
Nelson’s Catering is an exquisite wedding catering company based in Springfield, Illinois. With over 20 years of experience catering in the wedding industry, and a huge selection of customizable menu options and helpful services, this team is sure to provide you with an extraordinary, all-encompassing and memorable wedding catering experience. Nelson’s Catering works with you directly in order to transform your culinary dreams into a reality.
Details
Cuisine
- American
- BBQ
- Italian
Dietary Options
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Food & Catering
- Buffet
- Catering Clean Up
- Catering Delivery & Setup
- Family Style
- Menu Tastings
- Passed Appetizers
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.9
out of 5.054 reviews
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Our experience with Nelson’s was great from start to finish. We received many compliments from our guests on the food!
Nelson’s was fantastic to work with. We had a tasting with them, and it was incredibly delicious. We were able to give them feedback of the invoice and total guest count throughout the process, so they were very flexible and easy to work with. Everyone really enjoyed the food and it was warm, which is really important! The appetizers were a hit as well! We got desserts and they disappeared so quickly so that was also a good sign! A very good experience with Nelson’s, would definitely recommend them.
We had a delicious, hot buffet dinner and full bar (not a cash bar)
for our daughter's wedding 6/24/23. Nelson's staff was very friendly, courteous, and knew exactly what needed to be done and when. Wanda, their wedding catering coordinator, was very easy to work with from the beginning of the planning to the day of the reception banquet. I would highly recommend them.
We loved working with Nelson's for our wedding. They were a huge help and worked with us on our menu. They were very affordable for our large group. We thought the food was delicious. Everyone loved the appetizers. The catering crew were a huge help. One of the caterers helped make my plate so I wouldn't get anything on my dress. They also made my husband and I a to go container of our appetizers so we could try some. These came in handy at the end of the night when we got hungry. We loved that they had a popcorn bar option. This was perfect for our movie themed wedding. Nelsons also worked well with our venue in working on the layout for serving food. They also packaged up all the leftover food so we were able to take some in to our colleagues at the hospital and freeze it for later. We loved them and can't recommend them enough
Nelson's food was amazing. My wife is a bit of a picky eater and she absolutely loved the food. They arrived on time with our food and was so sweet and nice when serving our buffet. We had also asked them to store the Leftovers in the cooler and was happy to do so. Everyone I talked to about food at the wedding said it was amazing as well. Nelson's did an excellent job and would definitely recommend them to anyone who needs a caterer.
The food at our wedding was amazing! Wanda was our point of contact and she was incredibly helpful and communicative. The tasting was absolutely delicious and helped us decide on our menu. We also had breakfast and lunch for the day delivered from them. All of the portions were the perfect size - generous without being wastefully huge. I can barely remember the staff which I think is the sign of quality staff. They were efficient and blended in with the event. Everything we had was delicious including the vegetarian meal. We had several vegetarians in the guest list and it was important that their meal didn’t feel like a second thought. Would highly recommend Nelson’s catering for professional and delicious food for any event.
We loved Nelson's Catering! It was great working with Wanda, she is very flexible and made all the multiple changes that we asked. Other than that, our guests loved the food, we got many compliments and the dessert was also delicious! I would highly recommend it!
Although they were our back up plan (darn Covid). Wanda at Nelsons was wonderful to work with and her communication was on point! We didn't get a chance to sample any of the food ahead of time, but we heard MANY good things. They were wonderful, and would highly recommend.
The Nelson's crew was prompt and courteous. They were able to feed our large party QUICKLY and with generous sized portions. They are not rookies, instead this was their forte. Coordinating with them in advance was also easy. Look for their tastings, yum! There is nothing that I would change about the service we received from them for our reception. 10 out of 10 times I will call them for my future catering needs.
The waiting staff of Nelsons was right on time, friendly faces and very presentable. Couldnt have been happy with our service!
Food was wonderful!
Wanda at Nelson's catering helped us create the absolute PERFECT meal for our guests on our special day! She was quick to respond with answers to my questions (believe me, I had a TON!). She also helped us keep a timeline so things ran as smoothly as possible. When pictures took longer than expected, her staff was quick to keep the food warm and fresh without causing any sort of scene, which we really appreciated. We opted for a more casual buffet style, with a slider and hot wing bar, a potato trio, salad, fruit kabobs, meatballs, bacon wrapped dates, and pretzel bites with beer cheese. I HIGHLY recommend the meatballs and dates! They were a hit! Thank you, Wanda, and Nelson's staff for helping us create the perfect meal for our perfect day!
Nelson's was awesome. They were super accommodating of anything I needed to add onto the buffet (we had many guests with different dietary restrictions), and they had so many good options for foods. They brought plenty of food (we had plenty left over), and it was delicious. The signature drinks were wonderful as well. During the planning process, they were always quick to respond and very kind. I would definitely recommend them!
Delicious food, great service, and a willingness to work with us made Nelson's a fantastic choice. Our guests loved the meal. Thank you Nelson's!
Nelson's catered my sister's 300 person wedding in Springfield and we could not have asked for a better experience. Our tasting was fun and informative. The day of everyone on their team was friendly & professional. Everything was on time and tasted great!
We used Nelson's for our bar services. They were extremely easy to communicate with and recommended the perfect package for our needs. The bartenders were prompt and kept the lines moving. Sheila was great to work with and answered any questions we had in a timely manner. We would highly recommend Nelson's!
Great food!! We didn't get a chance to talk to them in person or say thank you in person on our wedding day, but they did a great job! They showed up very on time, communicated details beforehand, and were flexible enough to let us bring some outside food. They helped with the leftover as well. Very professional!
They gave the best service for food and bar!!!! They helped out in places they didn’t even need to! I love their food and their set up flow is great! I recommend them!!
Nelsons was great! They were so reasonably priced but had such amazing food! Everyone was asking about it. Shelia was amazing to work with. She was on top of everything and willing to talk through things we werent sure about.
We used them for just a bar service and everything was great! No complaints at all!
The appetizers and meal were delicious and the spread looked fantastic. The guests loved the family style dining, and the servers were friendly and professional. Nelson's was very easy to work with and very accommodating.
The food was fantastic - but the service was superb! The Nelson's employees noticed my husband and I had not had time to go through the line, so they fixed plates for us! Only thing they said they would do that they didn't was finish cutting the cake after we did the traditional cake cutting/feed each other/ blah blah.
Nelson's was great to work with. Food was amazing, outstanding service, and Sheila was always there when I needed her.
We used Nelson's to cater our wedding reception, and they did not disappoint! The food was delicious (everyone was raving about the brisket!), and the service was excellent. Working with their staff leading up to the big day was a breeze as they were very accommodating to any changes we needed to make and were helpful and quick to respond to any questions.
I used nelsons recently for my wedding and was very impressed and happy with my service! they worked with my budget and even threw in extras to help make the menu even better. The food was yummy and everyone enjoyed it (we had a salsa bar and taco bar for the evening). We also used them for bar service. I was impressed by how hard working the staff was. Would definitely recommend them.
Nelson's was great to work with! We used Nelson's for bar service and we used a separate caterer for food, because of the restrictions on our vendor list when we booked with our venue.
Our caterer ended up forgetting to bring water and pitchers for our reception, and Nelson's took care of it. It was almost 100 degrees so they saved the day!
Nelsons was great! They catered our wedding reception. We chose to go with a buffet option and additionally use thier provided bar service. We prepaid for a domestic keg and a pony keg of a craft beer and pre purchase a quanity of wine. Cocktails were cash and the bar went to cash once the prepaid alcohol ran out. The quality of food Nelson's provided in comparision to the price is veryreasonable. They are great to work with and will work with you to help create and customize your event exactly the way you would like it. Additionally, they are quick to respond to emails or phone calls and quickly reflect all and any changes made to your proposal, so you are always aware of your final cost.We also experienced an event staff that was very friendly, helpful, and professional. I would definitely reccomend Nelson's Catering for your next event! They did everything we asked for and more!
We found ourselves needing to find an alternate caterer for our daughter's wedding and Nelson's did the trick! I worked with Sheila (on short notice) who kept in constant contact with us to arrange a tasting and then offered to set us up with some additional items as we had some special dietary requests (vegetarian, gluten and diary allergies). We selected a 2-entree plated china service for 140 guests; water and tea served on each table; coffee service; fully staffed bar service; a champagne toast; and they provided plates and forks for the cake. They handled everything and it was delicious! They even called me to double check the special requests a few days before. They set it all up and then provided the clean up. Very stress-free from my point of view as the mother of the bride! I highly recommend them for any size or style catering need
The food was a big priority to my future husband he had tried Nelson's at a previous wedding and loved their beef brisket. So we went to a taste testing and I loved their service and presentation after that our parents went a long for a tasting and my father fell in love with her meatballs they are professional and very very good the meal was one of the topics of conversation at our reception and everyone raved over the beef brisket.
Our food was awesome and loved by everyone. The buffet went over well and quickly. We had a mash-tini bar and it was a huge hit! Definitely recommend Nelsons for any catering needs!
They will work to make your event everything you could possibly want. They provided catering, alcohol, and linen services for us to a remote location, and we could not have been more happy. The food was absolutely delicious and they were a breeze to work with. The set up was more beautiful than I imagined, and my only wish was that I needed to be more relaxed at my reception for I could have eaten more of the food!
I did a lot of shopping around and Nelson's was by far the best deal and the best food. They were awesome to work with, reasonably priced, and the best food I have ever had at a wedding reception. I still have people tell me a year after the wedding that it was the best food they have ever had. You will not be sorry if you get Nelson's to cater your wedding or any event!
Sheila and her team helped make our reception a night to remember! Food and service was excellent! Would definitely use them again.
We loved working with Nelson's. They where very helpful and Shelia was great to deal with.
Our wedding party enjoyed their food and they where very good about setting up due to our wedding moving indoors due to rain.
We chose Nelson's Catering for their delicious food and menu selections. No caterers in our area compare to the quality of Nelson's. We still have people talking about how great the food was at our wedding 4 months later, even people who were not at our wedding. Guests begged us to take any leftover food off our hands... it was that TASTY! The entire staff was wonderful to work with throughout the entire process. Our venue was over an hour and a half south of Springfield, but that did not bother them. Even after getting a flat tire on the way down, their service was impeccable and the food still tasted as if it just came out of the oven. No one even knew they had that hiccup. As a bride, I felt food was one of the most important items to spend money because it is what everyone will remember. Just two weekends ago, my husband and I attended a wedding at our same venue with a different caterer and overheard some say they just couldn’t get excited about going to other weddings after being at ours because the food never compares to Nelson’s. That sure put a smile on our faces! If you are looking for high quality food that taste just like a home cooked meal, Nelson’s is the BEST!
I can't say enough about how excellent my experience with Nelson's Catering was. From my first interaction (a complimentary tasting) to the wonderful dinner that highlighted our reception, Nelson's was nothing short of perfect. They worked within my budget and executed a wonderful, memorable presentation at my reception. I definitely recommend them to all of my friends and coworkers.
Nelson's is SO EASY to work with- very flexible and worked with the menu that we wanted. We had a small budget with a HUGE guest list, and they made it work and people RAVED about the food and the service.
NEVER a bad experience with Sheila and her Crew!
We used Nelsons for our wedding and they were excellent! Everyone enjoyed the food and the staff was nothing less than professional. There was plenty for the amount of guests we had & they boxed up the leftovers for us to pick up the next day.
Even when we had a discrepency with our final bill, they were very helpful in taking care of the problem immediately. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable Fayette in the central Illinois area.
You won't regret it!
The food is excellent, the service is excellent. Nelson's is very easy to work with.
They were on time and prepared. They were very nice and did a great job. The food was really good especially the bbq pork. I would definitely have them again.
We used Nelson's for our wedding last weekend and they were fabulous. From the time we found them at the Bridal Show, through the tasting and the final event everything was great. My guests raved about the food and how delicious it was. I over-ordered and they were gracious enough to bring carry-home containers for us so that we could take the extra food home, which we then ate as a Sunday supper with our family before we opened our gifts. It worked out perfectly and the staff was very courteous and professional. I would recommend them for any upcoming events that you might have.
Nelson's was so easy to work with and put up with all of my questions and changes. The food was excellent and their staff was professional and helpful. The food was always filled and you never really knew they were there! They were fabulous and I would work with them again in a heartbeat. Thanks Nelsons!
The food from Nelson's was not the best food I have ever eaten. But our guests left full and happy. The price was reasonable (still not cheap) and their service was phenomenal. They hosted several tastings in the area, which was super helpful for choosing the menu. Sheila, their manager, went out of her way to help us make the day exactly what we wanted. They are experienced and it showed on the wedding day. Every staff member knew exactly what they were doing and pulled the whole thing off without a hitch. They also made the buffet table look beautiful, which is a feat.
I ended up choosing Nelson's as my caterer based on price and customer service, but in the end the biggest perk was the food was great! Everyone I spoke with at Nelson's was very helpful and gave detailed responses to all my questions (there was a lot) I was on a very tight budget and they were very helpful in creating a wedding menu that I could afford and not pressure me into adding on extras. I did a buffet, but the service included drinks and the clearing of the plates. All my guests were telling me how awesome the pulled pork and corn medley was. I would highly recommend Nelson's pulled pork buffet for any laid back wedding - it was great.
Everything with Nelson's Catering was a pleasure. Our tasting and invidual meeting was fun and we were made to feel special and that the staff cared about our special day. The Food was all very good and had the summer, outdoors feel that we were looking for with our wedding. All the staff from the manager to the bartenders provided service with a genuine smile. The food was all warm, delicious and plentiful. Everyone raved about the salad dressing!
It poured down rain on our wedding day and our outdoor cocktail hour couldn't happen as planned. We had a room full of people about 1.5 hours earlier then expected. Our guests snacked on our popcorn bar and were entertained but there wasn't much to do inthe rain. I started to worry what we would do with all that time while it poured down rain outside, when the salads started to appear out of the kitchen. The staff managed to get everything out early because the rain forced a schedule change. I was very impressed with the service and will reccomend them to everyone!
Nelson's was great for our wedding! They were in constant contact with us leading up to the big day and the food was amazing! People loved their chicken and prime rib, plus the amazing cheesy potatoes. It fit our wedding perfectly!
Nelson's was awesome! They are relatively new to our area as they have mainly focused on the Springfield area and towns around / near Peoria, but not Peoria itself. We worked closely with Ashley. She responded quickly via email or phone to all of our questions and concerns. We worked out small dramas the week of the wedding with no problems. Nelson's was also the **ONLY** Catering company we contacted who was willing to offer a military discount. They had the most impressive tasting as well; personalized folders, personalized table cards, free DVDs with pictures of past events and a one-on-one discussion with the caterer. I highly recommend Nelson's; great pricing, easy to work with and the food was fantastic! (Also, as a side note, they offer to let you pick up the leftovers from your event OR donate them to underprivileged children--WHO ELSE DOES THAT?!)
Nelson's catering did a great job of taking care of us. Our journey with them began when my parents and I went to a tasting they hosted and were fed delicious food. Because my husband and I both come from big families, there were a lot of mouths to feed at the reception. I appreciate that Nelson's could provide us with yummy appetizers at a reasonable prize and were flexible in working with us and meeting our needs. Thanks!
Great customer service. Food was great and beautifully displayed. They met and exceeded my expectations.
Nelson's Catering came as a preferred caterer with out wedding reception venue. I would highly recommend Nelson's for quality food at affordable prices. Everyone that I have seen since the wedding has commented on how delicious the food tasted. A lot of our friends that stayed the entire reception time commented how they wished we could have boxed up the leftovers for a midnight snack. Nelson's was very professional and friendly to everyone. We were going to do a heavy hors deurves, but found it less expensive to have a full buffet. Nelson's was very helpful in pointing this out to us and saving us money. They did not just sit back and let us pick the most expensive type of meal. The only complaint I have about them is the fact that I had asked them about cutting the cake and they said they will do that. However, I guess I did not review my contract thoroughly enough, because this service was not included in our price and as such they did not provide cake plates on our wedding day. However, they did have some on the truck and we were charged for them on top of the fact that my aunt's had to cut my cake for me. I guess I figured this was included in the price per person. Also, and maybe my fault for not review the contract more closely, the contract stated that they would serve from 5pm-10pm. I just assumed this was specifically for the food/cake. However, this was for everything, including the bar service. We had our reception venue until 12am, so I definitely did not want the bar service to stop at 10pm. So we were charged additionally for that service. That I was not so much concerned with, but what I was concerned with was the fact that we were charged a minimal fee per person for those 2 hours. Which at 10pm not all 170 guests were still there. Overall though I would definitely recommend Nelson's and like any other service you hire make sure you read all details of the contract and make sure they are what you envisioned.
This caterer is great to work with. They call you back, answer all your questions & go out of their way to make sure you are taken care of. Shiela was awesome! I wanted our silverware before the wedding date. She brought it to me! Even better, the food was AMAZING!!!!
Food was so delicious!
Prices were very affordable.
Company was very easy to work with and kept me updated. We were able to make our own menu of the things we like to eat.
After my wedding, I had many reviews about how amazing our food was :o) We did buffett style, which I was concerned about but the service and quality was fantastic.
Contact
3005 Great Northern Ave, Springfield, IL | Central Illinois
Nelson's Catering
Nelson's Catering's photos