Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering
About This Vendor
Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza + Craft Cocktail Catering
Your wedding should be your way, not what tradition says it should be. Overpriced, overcooked chicken be damned. If you're fun, easygoing, and slightly offbeat, every detail of your wedding, including the food, should reflect that. That's why you need a modern wedding caterer; one who's willing to scrap the outdated traditions and do things a bit differently. (Hey ma, that's us!) Stop meeting with wedding caterers that just don't get it, and wondering if you'll ever meet one that does. Let's get together and make your wedding meal lit. Start by filling out this form: https://www.woodenpaddle.com/book-us, and we’ll be in touch!
Details
Business Attributes
Woman-owned Business
Cuisine
American, Italian
Dietary Options
Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Food & Catering
Catering Clean Up, Catering Delivery & Setup, Family Style, Menu Tastings, Passed Appetizers, Seated Meal, Servers
Awards and Affiliations
Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering Reviews
Share your thoughts with other couples
Considering trying Wooden Paddle? Do it! Considering having Wooden Paddle cater your wedding? DO IT! I’ve been a fan of theirs since they had the location in Orland Park and have happily followed them to their beautiful new location in downtown...
Lemont. So, when it came time to pick a food vendor for my wedding, I was already sold. My wife and I got married in a super cool warehouse venue, so we knew we needed to serve super cool food. And damn, WP is cool! Even their aprons are cool. We stopped in the restaurant a few times before the wedding (we told ourselves it was so we could try and decide which pizzas we wanted to serve, but really we just can’t quit this place) and made friends with Jonathan. Jokingly (not jokingly), we mentioned how we wished he could be there on our big day, but never expected it to actually happen since he’s the freaking owner and all. But fast forward and there he was, in his cool apron, cooking up pizza and apps at our wedding! When we saw him and gave him a hug, he simply smiled and said, “I made it happen!” Everyone throughout the entire process was so friendly and extremely pleasant to work with! I have to give a shoutout to Celina, their Catering Coordinator, because she was just the best! She answered all of our many questions so quickly and was eager to help make our day as perfect as we saw it in our heads. Oh yeah, and the FOOD! Our guests have not stopped talking about it! We love asking what their favorite pizzas were (the buzzkill is winning) and hearing that their bellies were happy and full before dancing the night away. Don’t even get me started on the fried crab ball appetizers (specially made, per our request. Maryland represent!) because I won’t be able to stop! I can go on and on about this place (clearly), but Wooden Paddle just makes it too easy. I’m so happy they will forever be a part of our special day!
We were so lucky to be introduced to Wooden Paddle by our wedding venue back a few years ago. When we went in for our initial tasting it was love at first bite. We didn’t bother looking for other options because we knew Wooden Paddle was the on...
e.
Throughout our time working with them, the staff we’re incredibly friendly and willing to answer questions. Our cocktail hour and dinner was phenomenal thanks to them! Someone even brought my grandfather a drink when he arrived early to the venue and wanted to sit out front.
We can’t wait to go back, bringing friends and family (including our dog)! Wooden Paddle is always going to hold a special place in our hearts.
We chose Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and it was the best decision! The food was to die for and the team was INCREDIBLE! They also were very communicative prior to the event, answering all my questions. I would give them more stars if I c...
ould.
WOW!!!! Wooden Paddle was a HUGE hit at my wedding! The food was incredible! People are still talking about it! Seriously incredible! Don’t hesitate! Book them!!
Response from the Vendor on 08/31/2022
Thank you so much Sarah! We loved partnering with you and your venue (The Bridge) and are honored to have been part of your day. And what a great DJ - brought the par-tay!
We used Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and it was wonderful, we highly recommend them! Weeks later our guests are still raving about it! The food itself was delicious and the service was awesome as well. We also used them for our bar which ...
was a huge hit as well. All the recommendations they have us (number of staff, timing, napkin colors .etc) were all spot on -- working with them was super easy! If you are on the fence, DO IT! Thank you Wooden Paddle for helping make our day so special!
Where do I begin with wooden paddle!! As a bride that is allergic to wheat, I just assumed my wedding dinner would be some prepackaged udi's meal- and boy was I wrong. Not only does wooden paddle have the best pizza, but they also have an amazi...
ng gluten free crust, AND dairy free cheese. There were options for all of our guests, diet restrictions or not.
Every single guest came up to us during the reception to say that our wedding had the best food out of any other wedding they had been to, and pretty much all of them went home with a box of pizza as well!
The wooden paddle staff was personable, professional, and always there to answer questions. Highly recommend if you want delicious food and amazing service.
Response from the Vendor on 08/24/2022
Thank you so much Alyssa!! We were thrilled to be a part of your special day.
Wooden Paddle was my husband and I’s choice for our wedding because they could do everything we wanted at a reasonable price for our budget. We weren’t locked in to specific menus and had a lot of freedom of choice which I appreciated. My whole...
family told us afterward that the food was great and service was professional and helpful. I also appreciated their willingness to accommodate different eating restrictions for me and my guests. They communicated directly with specific guests to get them exactly what they needed.
We opted for one of their bar packages and think it was the right choice to make our guests happy. Everyone loved their Don’t Take it For Pomegranate and Fire and Ice cocktails at our wedding. I would recommend Wooden Paddle to anyone who wants something more casual but still elevated when compared to the traditional “steak or chicken”.
My wife and I chose Wooden Paddle for an eclectic catering option for our wedding and we could not be happier. The fact that they pulled a whole pizza oven right up to the venue meant it was hot and fresher than any buffet service or table serv...
ice of traditional catering food. We also appreciated that they offered bar packages and linen rental, making it a one stop shop.
On the day of, their staff handled everything professionally, setting up our tables and even our ceremony setup. Our particular venue did the ceremony and reception in the same space, but Wooden Paddle was able to manage both bar service during happy hour and flipping the space at the same time. Their staff was also able to work well with our month of coordinator to pull everything together down the home stretch of planning.
Overall, we couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out.
As a Brooklyn native, I couldn’t have asked for better pizza for our wedding!!!! My husband and I decided on pizza for our wedding because pizza is what brought us together (Chicago Deep Dish vs. New York Slice). While we both live in NYC, we g...
ot married in Illinois in his childhood home and searched the pizza offerings of Illinois until we found Wooden Paddle. Not only is the pizza absolutely divine, but so are each and every one of the people that helped us on our wedding day. The Event Coordinator, Event Captain, Chefs, Servers, & Bartender were all a dream to work with and so kind. Our guests were blown away (many of them being New Yorkers themselves with high pizza expectations) and Wooden Paddle has now become a staple amongst the Illinois friends and family that experienced how delicious it was! We will definitely be frequenting the restaurant whenever we visit Illinois and are forever thankful for the memorable cuisine and drinks that they provided for our special day!
We booked Wooden Paddle for our wedding in May. I’m Italian and my entire family is from Italy and they all LOVED the pizza! My cousin still talks about how good our wedding food was. They were easy to work with and made our wedding day extra s...
pecial.
So delicious, so easy to work with, and such a straight forward process. I heard so many compliments from guests about all of the pizzas and appetizers. It was certainly fancy pizza-- fit for a special occasion-- and very unique. Also, Wooden P...
addle not only accommodate various specific dietary requests (Celiac, lactose-intolerant, etc.), they made sure everything, for everyone is really delicious. Great food was (one of the) highest priorities for us on the big day and Wooden Paddle totally exceeded our already high expectations.
It’s hard to even think about where to start with how impressed I was with Wooden Paddle! First off, the communication throughout the planning process was wonderful. They responded to questions and inquiries very swiftly and answered any questi...
ons we had. On the day of the wedding, they arrived on time with their crew and got to work for us! They acted with care during the room flipping process after our ceremony and we’re very receptive to any special requests our guests had. The four pizzas and salad we chose were all incredible, and the service throughout was awesome. We would recommend Wooden Paddle and their team to anyone planning a wedding or gathering for their catering needs, as I can promise you that you won’t be disappointed!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was absolutely fantastic. Our appetizers were the steak and Gorgonzola bites and burrata toasts and everyone was raving about the steak! When it came time for dinner, the staff was very attentive and kep...
t checking in on us. All of of guests loved the food! Everything is cooked fresh on site- it doesn’t get any better than that. We had 4 pizzas at dinner and I kept hearing different favorites! This will definitely be our anniversary spot!
Truly the best food and wonderful people to work with. Cannot recommend them enough. Don't wait and hire asap!
Wooden Paddle is the absolute best!! We sampled a few different caterers, but nothing could really compare to the fun, absolutely delicious, and unexpected wood-fired pizza they offered! Dinner service went incredibly smoothly, they decorated o...
ur dining room perfectly, and the food was INCREDIBLE. We got so many compliments about the pizzas and salad -- Gettin' figgy wit it was a fan favorite! The entire catering staff was incredibly sweet and accommodating and they repeatedly asked if we were doing alright. They made us feel so special and were a blast to work with. Our only regret? Taking photos during the cocktail hour making us miss out completely on the gorgeous grazing table!!!!!! Everyone said it was magnificent... we could tell because all that was left after cocktail hour ended were a handful of grapes!! Can't wait to come back to Wooden Paddle to relive our wonderful wedding dinner :)
If you are looking for unique, absolutely delicious food for your wedding, then Wooden Paddle is the right choice! We knew after meeting the owner Jonathan at our tasting that Wooden Paddle was the right choice for us. He was very attentive, an...
swered all of our questions, and even was there on the day of our wedding to make sure everything went great! We hired Wooden Paddle for food, their full bar service, and rentals. Friends & family still tell us how unique, delicious, and amazing the food & bar was. The staff was wonderful throughout the night and made sure everything went as smoothly as possible. We cannot recommend Wooden Paddle enough for any wedding or event!
Wooden Paddle was AMAZING. Ben and I were looking for a non-traditional food option that would please all sorts of guests and dietary restrictions and Wooden Paddle was just that. Celina was SO great to work with - she was responsive and willin...
g to work with our budget and needs. The entire planning process was a breeze with their online system and Celina worked through the entire contract with us - listening to and answering our many, many questions. One thing we had to consider were a few of our guests had gluten issues - Wooden Paddle has a solution for that! They served our gluten-intolerant guests their own pizzas and salads - it made our guests feel so special that this company did something for them specifically. (They even noted a few of our guests had celiacs and ensured there was no cross-contamination.) The day of the food and drinks were PHENOMENAL. We have wedding guests still reaching out about how fantastic the pizza was and the meatballs were. And the bar service - you all were SO fantastic. Again, our wedding guests are still telling us about the amazing apple-sauced old fashion. Wooden Paddle went above and beyond and we could not have been happier with a wedding caterer.
Wooden Paddle was one of the easiest decisions we made for our wedding! My husband loves pizza, so we wanted to see if we could make that work - and Wooden Paddle was the perfect fit! The pizza is delicious and the whole team is so easy to work...
with. We unfortunately had to reschedule due to COVID, but they made the process super easy. We were thrilled to have them and all of our guests have told us that pizza at a wedding is the absolute best possible dinner option. We would highly recommend!
Slow clap for the Wooden Paddle crew on our wedding day. We were super impressed from the beginning. The owner introduced himself and gave us a feel for how they run their catered events, what dishes are most popular and even boxed up pies we w...
ere too stuffed to finish. We loved the idea of an unpretentious, but leveled up ‘fancy pizza’ meal for our guests and they certainly delivered. They set up a wood fired mobile oven outside and ran fresh pies up to the second floor for serving family style so folks could pick and choose which flavors they wanted to try. Wedding food is usually a gamble at best, so we were stoked when multiple guests raved about the meal - ‘the FIG one!’ was a big hit. Wooden Paddle also made it super easy to accommodate guest allergies and dietary preferences - vegan, GF, even Celiac modifications were a standard checkbox on the questionnaire, which was a relief. Celina was a huge help coordinating everything, giving guidance on quantities and tweaking offerings to feel most us. We were so grateful to have her guidance for planning, and patience as we figured things out! Thrilled with our choice!
We hired wooden paddle to cater our wedding and it was absolutely perfect. The staff was wonderful, pizza was excellent. Highly recommend for a stress free event.
I’m not sure where to begin with WP… this place and it’s people are amazing. We hired them to cater our wedding, and from the first tasting to the last call at our open bar these folks took care of us like family. One of the owners, Jonathan, t...
reated us like we were long-time friends. I am clumsy and spilled red wine on my wedding dress… Jonathan jumped into action and helped my frantic mother remove the stain. Like, seriously, who can say their caterer treated them this well? The staff offered us recommendations for bars post-wedding… they checked in with us constantly. And the FOOD! We STILL get compliments for our choice in caterer. The cocktails were kick-ass, and the pizza (as always) was divine. We loved it so much that we drove from the North Side of Chicago to Lemont two days after our ceremony because we were craving the Smoke ‘n Shrooms. Seriously, y’all. Hire them. Give them all the money. They are the shit.
Wooden Paddle was amazing for our big day! The food is the one thing our guests still talk about to this day! Wood fired pizza was such a unique choice that everyone loved! Celina and Jonathan are such great people who make sure everything goes...
perfectly for your big day. Being able to go and try all their delicious food beforehand was great, they even let us come back for a second tasting since they added more to their menu since the first time we had a tasting! I couldn’t say enough great things about the food or their team! If you’re debating on booking Wooden Paddle, don’t! There’s no debate, book them and you’ll be so happy you did!
To preface this review I will say the food itself was absolutely phenomenal. However, there is not a chance I would ever consider booking with them ever again. Less than two weeks before our big day we get an email from wooden paddle informing ...
us of a 15% commission fee that the venue was charging them that they were passing along to us that was an extra $938.10 because we had switched venues after having our venue foreclosed on in the Noah’s events scam.
We ran over our contract in VERY vivid detail and even had our lawyer read our contract AND the catering contract Wooden Paddle had signed with our venue and nowhere in either contract was there anything even remotely suggesting that we could be held responsible for this fee. There wasn’t even a foot note about the possibility of us having to pay a commission fee and with less than two weeks before our wedding it was not the best time to drop a bomb like that.
We got in touch with one of the owners to try to discuss this fee with her and when we did she immediately refused to work with us on the fee and became super abrasive about the matter all about the fee that they themselves were contracted into paying with the venue.
Their contracts also claims “Servers are calculated based off of guest count and number of tables” which was also not true because a couple days later they toured the venue and told us based off the size of the venue that we would need an additional 5 servers upping our total even more with about a week to go to the big day. If we had any warning whatsoever or if we had known about these fees when we signed the contract we would have been able to prepare for it but since they cut it so close to the day of on the matter they had us both cornered and we had no choice but to lean into debt to make this catering possible. Honestly my wife and I had huge hopes for wooden paddle we can’t count the number of times we drove the hour and a half to get there to support them throughout the pandemic and for them to literally make us feel like they’re holding our wedding hostage over two extra fees that was not in our direct contract with Wooden Paddle anywhere or even try to work with us on less than 10 days before our wedding was a huge slap in the face and is honestly a horrible way to do business. This was the biggest day of our lives and to make us feel like we’re backed into a corner to pay fees that were never contracted or even remotely discussed with us just to have food at our wedding really just put a huge strain on us both that was completely uncalled for.
Response from the Vendor on 12/28/2021
Robert,
we're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your wedding meal, and sincerely thank you for taking the time to express your concerns, as client feedback is extremely important to us.
First, we completely understand that the food + beverage ...
commission fee was unexpected, that the timing was unfortunate, and how frustrating that was for you. Once the venue communicated with us about the food + beverage commission fee, which was a little over two weeks prior to your event, we took a couple days to get in touch with them and do our best to get it waived on your behalf. We then communicated the circumstance to you as soon as we found out that that would not be a possibility! Although we could not have waived the food + beverage commission fee from your final invoice, our owners offered to add on an additional menu item, totally free of charge, to off-set a portion of that fee.
The reason we do not absorb any food + beverage commission fees is simple - our clients choose which venue to get married at, and that venue chooses whether or not to charge a commission. Some venues do, but most venues don't. It's additional revenue for the venue, and we're simply the middle man. It's a pass-through charge, like sales tax. We collect it, and then it is paid to the venue immediately after your event; we do not keep even a dime of that fee.
We price transparently, so we understand that seeing Loft 21's commission fee as a line item was a bit of a shock. We wish that the venues that charge these "commissions" - like Loft 21 - would price as transparently as we do, or at least be upfront about what they'll really be charging you as their client, when all is said and done. When we spoke to the venue manager Elise and asked, on your behalf, if she could waive the fee, she said that she already gave you a discount to rent the space, and this commission - charged through us and paid by you - would help them "recoup some of that discount". In our mind, this practice of backdoor revenue is outdated, unfair, and a bit dishonest, especially since it wasn't disclosed to you before you booked with them. So we were surprised that your outrage was directed at us, when it clearly should have been directed at a venue that hooked you with an attractive discount to book, and then eventually charged you full price when they collected that commission.
In regards to the addition of servers, we simply wanted to ensure that you and your guests had the best service possible on the big day, and that we were fulfilling our duties that the venue required of us. The contract that you signed was for your original venue, and we took that into consideration in addition to your final guest count when determining the appropriate amount of servers to list on your proposal. Your new venue did not provide any staff - your original venue provided plenty - and it had significantly more intense setup, room flip, and breakdown responsibilities than your original venue, we knew we needed to bring more staff to ensure that everything went seamlessly! We apologize that the language in the contract was not clear, and have since adapted it to encompass all of the factors that go into determining the amount of staff we will need to bring.
We are sorry that you and your wife felt so stressed leading up to your big day, as this was one of the most important days of your lives, like you mentioned. We are glad to know that the wedding day itself went wonderfully, though. Our team was truly honored to serve you and your guests, and we wish you and your wife all the best!
If you’re wondering how to feed your guests for the big day then Wooden Paddle is 100% the way to go! From start to finish they were an absolute dream to work with. On top of that, their pizzas, appetizers, salads, and more will absolutely blow...
your mind. In fact, multiple guests said it was the best pizza they’ve ever had. There wasn’t a single thing I had to worry about the day of our wedding because their staff was on top of every single detail. They went above and beyond for our elderly and vegan guests which was truly so special. We will forever be guests at their table!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and they were amazing to work with! Our guests are still talking about the food and can't wait to visit the restaurant. If you are looking for a caterer for any event, or just a night out, I highly recommend Wo...
oden Paddle! 💙
My fiance and I have always been obsessed with wood oven pizzas. We make them all the time at home, and knew we wanted it for our main meal at our wedding. Wooden Paddle's food is not only amazing and delicious, but their customer service the w...
hole night was top notch. Everyone raved about the pizza, and thought it was the most unique wedding food they've ever had. We can't say enough great things about Wooden Paddle. Celina was so easy to work with when booking, the tasting was phenomenal and Jonathan is the owner (I think) and he was at our wedding and treated us like royalty. Checked in on us throughout the whole meal. You NEED to book Wooden Paddle for your next event. Not to mention the ovens that they bring are very cool =)
Wooden Paddle was amazing to work with from start to finish. Planning a wedding for a second time due to COVID was stressful (new venue, fully outdoors, etc.) but the by far easiest part of planning was working with Celina and the rest of the t...
eam. Communication was great, especially handling our ever changing plans and requests. The food and drinks were amazing, and our guests are still contacting us, telling us how good the food, drinks and staff were. My wife and I would highly recommend using Wooden Paddle for your wedding (or whatever party/event you need awesome food and service for)! Thank you again to the Wooden Paddle team for making our day awesome!
We had them cater our wedding and they did a fantastic job! Everybody complemented on how amazing the pizza was, how nice everyone was! Highly recommend them!
We had an amazing wedding with amazing food thanks to wooden paddle! The pizza and apps were soooooo good! Recommend then 100000% you will not be dissapointed!
Stop looking and book Wooden Paddle - SERIOUSLY. This was such a unique way to serve food at our wedding and they did it flawlessly. We got married in May and people continue to mention to us how much they loved the food. My mom overheard gu...
ests that she didn't know talk about how delicious the food was! I am some what glad I don't live that close to Lemont or else I would be there every weekend.
Their food was everything that we wanted in our wedding, unique, delicious, and fresh. How many weddings do you go to where you see people actually making pizza from scratch?! Not to mention that the staff was incredible, and really were very attentive to us. You will NOT be disappointed. The only regret I have at my wedding is that I didn't eat more, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to eat with a lot of stress in a day plus a skin tight dress, but man, was their pizza amazing.
We did not need bar service from them but we had some drinks at their tasting and dang were they good!! Seriously - of all the things people remember at a wedding, the food is one of them. Have it be memorable (in a good way) and hire Wooden Paddle!!!
We hired Wooden Paddle to cater my sister's Bridal Shower and let me tell you, I'd give Celina and her team 10 stars if it let me. As a previous event manager myself, I'll be the first to admit I am neurotic and had high expectations. Wooden Pa...
ddle not only met but exceeded them. The food was AMAZING, the staff was PHENOMENAL, and the combination of the two made for the perfect day. We are forever grateful and can't wait to visit the restaurant again soon!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding in a small Chicago brewery, and they were amazing! Working with Jonathan and Celina was seamless and they were thoroughly responsive to all of our questions considering the circumstances that came along with th...
e pandemic. Guests devoured the pizza and loved the drinks! Wooden Paddle truly loves what they do and you can tell they hold all of their events to the same high standard. We'd highly recommend them!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was the best decision we made! The food was phenomenal and the service was beyond everyone’s expectations. Several guests commented on the professionalism, kindness and attentiveness of the Wooden Paddle...
staff. They made sure everyone had everything they needed and were satisfied with their appetizers and meal. The appetizers, salad and pizza were presented and cooked to perfection. If you are looking for catering for your event, we recommend Wooden Paddle for awesome food, consistent service and happy guests!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was one of the highlights for all the guests! Celina was awesome to work with- we had a major venue change and she accommodated us and worked with us and our planners to make it a smooth transition. Ever...
ything that day was perfect- the Wooden Paddle staff are some of the nicest, hardworking people! Wooden Paddle provided us with appetizers, salad, dinner and our dinnerware. Their presentation was excellent and the service was even better! We HIGHLY recommend Wooden Paddle for any catering event! You will not regret it!!!!!!
While we were exploring ideas for caterers, our wedding venue off-handedly mentioned they’d had a caterer in the past sling pizzas from a legit wood-fired oven. What!?
We drove out to Wooden Paddle in Lemont for a tasting. *Spoiler alert*: thi...
s was legitimately our first and only tasting because we were instantly sold. Jonathan was so personable, fun, and accommodating that we knew the search was over.
When we had to postpone our wedding during the spring of 2020, Wooden Paddle could not have been more thoughtful, optimistic, and kind during such a chaotic and stressful time. Celina fielded countless emails timely and graciously over the span of a year as our plans evolved.
Never will you find a more friendly, genuine, and dedicated group of people. Our guests remarked at how lovely and helpful the staff was at our wedding and still talk about the incredible apps, pizza, and cocktails to this day. (*Btw our menu was entirely vegetarian/vegan-friendly and even the carnivores of the family couldn’t stop singing their praises). Thank you all so much for being a part of our day <3
DO NOT PASS THEM UP!!! AMAZING EXPERIENCE BOOK NOW
I could not have asked for a better caterer for our wedding. Our guests are still raving about the food and signature cocktails!!! I have had several quests say it was the most unique and best ...
food they have ever had at a wedding. The staff was absolutely Amazing and super helpful with set up and special requests!! My guests also loved the idea of seeing the pizza oven on site! I would give more stars if I could. If you are looking for a unique wedding caterer look no further! Plus Celina was amazing through all of the modifications we had to made due to the pandemic!
Wooden Paddle catered our backyard wedding and it was amazing. We had an excellent time during our tasting. The staff were very attentive. At our wedding our guests raved about the food and the bartender. I think everyone stuck to our signa...
ture cocktails, Don't Take It For Pomegranate and Fire & Ice, instead of the beer options. We had 4 types of pizza and the staff was great at bringing them out quickly! We are looking forward to going back to the restaurant to try out more of their dishes.
Wooden Paddle was one of my favorite choices we made for our wedding! They were amazing from start to finish. Celina was responsive and easy to work with - no matter how many questions we had. They even made a custom drink to put on our cockta...
il menu after we told the bartender at our tasting about our favorite drink that was meaningful to us. Guests were raving about how delicious the food was, and I couldn’t have been happier. If you are looking for a unique, reasonable catering experience, you will not be disappointed choosing Wooden Paddle.
Wooden Paddle was amazing to work with from start to finish. Planning a wedding for a second time due to COVID was stressful (new venue, fully outdoors, etc.) but the by far easiest part of planning was working with Celina and the rest of the t...
eam. Communication was great, especially handling our ever changing plans and requests. The food and drinks were amazing, and our guests are still contacting us, telling us how good the food, drinks and staff were. My wife and I would highly recommend using Wooden Paddle for your wedding (or whatever party/event you need awesome food and service for)! Thank you again to the Wooden Paddle team for making our day awesome!
Wooden Paddle provided the catering and alcohol services for our wedding and we could not have been happier with how things went! The food was amazing, they were very friendly, and their staff was very professional. All of our guests absolutely...
loved all of the food that was served at our wedding. We are so happy we chose them, and we will be going back to their restaurant to reminisce for years to come.
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and it was great. I loved that the owner was so personable and actually on site for our wedding! The food and drinks were awesome (especially the appetizers)! I absolutely would recommend Wooden Paddle if you’r...
e looking for great food, drinks and staff!
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding and we absolutely loved them and so did our guests! Getting married during a pandemic was very stressful but they were easy to work with and the staff was so friendly! All of our guests loved the food and drink...
s!
Wooden Paddle was absolutely amazing for our wedding! They were extremely helpful and genuinely great people from our initial tasting to wedding day. We dine in at the physical restaurant on a regular basis. They are flexible and willing to hel...
p in any way possible. I highly recommend them to anyone wanting a great event catering service or just a dinner night out.
Choosing Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding was the best decision we made. We were drawn to WP from the very start. When I inquired about a tasting, I received a quick response and easily set up our appointment. When we walked into the beautifu...
l restaurant, we were warmly greeted by Jonathon (the owner) who hosted the most amazing tasting. We walked out and knew that we had to book them after our awesome experience. Fast forward to planning, Celina was an absolute saint. She helped us navigate the obstacles we faced with the pandemic and was always there to help. Super quick to respond and always offering to help anyway she could. Because of covid, we had to majorly change our wedding plans and Celina was there for us every step of the way. She offered advice, asked what she could do to support me, and adapted seamlessly to all of the changes we had to make. We are so thankful for her. Of course, everything was executed perfectly on our wedding day. We received so many compliments on the food: how delicious it was, how cool it was, and how great the staff was. We loved everything about the food at our wedding. We HIGHLY recommend booking WP for your wedding day. They are without a doubt, the best!
Also, my husband and I have probably been the actual restaurant 50+ times after booking. One of our favorite spots for date nights or to take family/friends or ordering takeout! Thank you for everything you did for us WP, we love you!
Wooden Paddle was the most incredible food vendor for our wedding. Everyone we talked to was so kind and willing to help however they could leading up to our wedding, and the food is unbelievable. Wood-fired pizza with both traditional and more...
modern takes on toppings made for such an amazing experience. I would recommend them to anyone in the area and say that you or your guests won't be disappointed.
When my husband and I were looking for a food caterer for our Wedding, we knew about Wooden Paddle from a previous wedding we attended so we set up our appointment. We met the owner, Jonathan, at our tasting and he conducted the entire thing fr...
om top to bottom with such gracious attention and the food and drinks were absolutely amazing!! Wooden Paddle was exactly what we were looking for and we couldn't have been happier. They were in constant communication throughout this crazy year(Celina is amazing!!!!) and accommodating everything possible with all the questions and considerations we needed to make, including myself and a few other guests being lactose intolerant, their dairy-free pizza was a perfect option!! Our guests would not stop talking about how amazing everything was, especially how awesome the staff was! We still are receiving compliments to this day and we got married October 3rd! We cannot thank Wooden Paddle enough for being the most perfect Wedding Vendor/Caterer making our special day so amazing and will make sure everyone knows about them!
I can not begin to tell you how amazing the Wooden Paddle team was. Navigating the pandemic wedding was just the bonus, they were flexible and understanding. At the end of the day my guest couldn’t stop talking about the food. They loved the ap...
petizers (especially the steak), the service, the brick oven itself, and the pizza! It truly helped make my wedding memorable and one of a kind!
Wooden Paddle has fantastic food and the guests at our wedding gave us so many compliments on how tasty and unique the pizza was! My sister could also not stop talking about the pistachio gelato and was wishing for more! Having the oven at our ...
venue fit our style so well and made for a fun, interactive experience. I’m so glad we chose Wooden Paddle to cater our big day!
We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Wooden Paddle if you are delicious, fresh food and easy to work with staff! We originally had planned a traditional wedding caterer for our wedding (the usual chicken, vegetable, potato with buffet service) but we were...
not excited about it. When the pandemic affected our wedding, we took this opportunity to change our catering to something we knew would be memorable. Wooden Paddle ended up being the answer – they bring their pizza oven on-site (how unique!?!), the food is fresh and hot, and they do family-style service for no additional fee! We were already sold with them on paper, but then they offered a tasting and we were officially blown away! And this is not a small sampler type tasting – this is a full-on meal and they bring out full dishes and pizzas, wow! Sam was so friendly and helpful and we could tell by the atmosphere of the restaurant that this was a business we wanted to support. Not to mention, the food was DELICIOUS! Working with Celina on all the planning was a breeze. Even when the county was put on mitigation for the COVID-19 reopening and we were going to do a progressive reception with two dinner services, she got creative and worked with us to make that happen (in the end, the additional restrictions were lifted and she helped us transition back again!). The day of, the food tasted amazing and we got so many compliments on how unique and delicious the food was (especially the chargrilled steak and gorgonzola cream sauce appetizer)! The brick oven pizza and gelato were the perfect balance of casual and upscale that fit our wedding vibe and venue. Wooden Paddle could not have been a more PERFECT caterer for us!
They were so professional and fun to work with. My guests could not stop talking about how good the food was!
We could not be happier with Wooden Paddle! Everyone was so friendly and easy to work with. The food is AMAZING and multiple people told us it was the best wedding food they have ever had! Best decision we made for our wedding!
We had Wooden Paddle cater for our wedding and it was one of the best decisions that we ever made. Not only was the food absolutely incredible, the wait staff were super friendly and took care of everything. They made sure my wife and I got eve...
rything that we wanted, including boxes for leftovers. So many people told us that it was some of the best pizza they had ever had. My wife and I plan to go back to Wooden Paddle every year for our anniversary! HIGHLY recommend Wooden Paddle!!
As a couple getting married during the pandemic, we had to make many changes as the state and CDC regulations changed. Our initial venue/caterer did not work out, but our new venue and The Wooden Paddle was there to the rescue!
We wanted food...
that was unique, and not the usual Chicken/Beef/Pasta wedding food. Everyone loves pizza, and once we went in for a tasting, we knew this would be perfect for us. At our tasting we got to sample a variety of appetizers and specialty pizzas. All combinations we tasted were delicious, and it would be tough to narrow down. Luckily, we came home with so many leftover boxes of pizza, that we could keep the tasting going the next day!
On our big day The Wooden Paddle was absolutely phenomenal! Their staff was fantastic and made sure everyone got to try all the varieties of appetizers and pizzas. They even packed us a box of pizza for us to eat later on because they knew we may not be able to eat enough during the festivities.
We can’t wait to visit their restaurant again to eat some more of their delicious food.
Thanks Wooden Paddle for a spectacular wedding!
Wooden Paddle made planning and day of the event very easy. They were able to accommodate our changes due to the pandemic. Food is always excellent; everything from the appetizers to dessert pizzas.
Wooden Paddle- I cannot say thank you enough! Jonathan, Celina & team were outstanding and I could not have asked for a better caterer for my wedding. They were with us every step of the way as we had to downsize to a smaller wedding due to Co...
vid. WP team was so flexible and understanding during these unprecedented times. So many of our wedding guests told us that it was the best wedding food that they had ever had! Not only that, but their signature cocktails were also very popular among my guests. Lastly, I want to give a little shout out to Celina because she was amazing to work with. Every time we spoke over the phone it felt like I was speaking to a girlfriend! I will be recommending them to anyone who is looking for an event caterer.
Fantastic! Given we had to change our original wedding plans due to the pandemic... change in caterers was one of the silver linings. The tasting was amazing, we needed up taking home food for days! They worked to keep us safe from tasting to o...
ur wedding day. Everything was delicious and would highly recommend for you event!!!
Hands down one of the best customer experiences I have ever had! Starting with the tasting to the wedding, Wooden Paddle was world class. Our wedding unfortunately was sized down due to the impact of COVID-19 and the Wooden Paddle team immediat...
ely reached out to discuss a strategy to adjust our options and still make our day incredible. Jonathan, Celina and team went out of their way to take care of my wife and I throughout the whole process, and especially the evening of the wedding. They did not miss a single beat and were in lockstep with us every single step of the way. All of our guests raved about the food and the service and it honestly was one of the top highlights of the evening. Additionally, they are incredibly easy to work with and extremely professional. It was worth every dollar to work with Wooden Paddle and I would definitely recommend anyone looking for an event caterer (especially weddings) to check them out. Thank you to the entire Wooden Paddle team for making our once in a lifetime day during these challenging times still feel like a once in a lifetime experience. Beyond worth it!!
We’re super happy we hired the Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding. Along with so many other couples, our original wedding plans changed various times over from date to location to time due to COVID. But one thing remained constant – the Wooden ...
Paddle as our caterer. We knew we had to have them cater one way or another! Celina was great to work with, super responsive and willing to work with us every step of the way to make sure our wedding went off without issue! We received SO many compliments from our wedding guests on how good the food was (guests especially RAVED about Getting’ Figgy With It). 😊 And they were extremely mindful and accommodating to our gluten free guests. We couldn’t have been happier, and we would highly recommend the Wooden Paddle to anyone looking for a super cool, fun caterer. Thanks for helping make our day so wonderful!
When they say go to the tasting hungry, they mean go to the tasting hungry! :) We fell in love the minute we sat down at their restaurant in Lamont. Jonathan took amazing care of us and made sure not a single question or concern went unanswered...
.
Celina was a dream to work with! Out of all of our vendors, Wooden Paddle was the most sincere and easy to work with. They put as much effort and care into our wedding as we did! I can honestly say I didn’t have to worry about a single thing in regards to catering on my wedding day. They arrived early in the day to set up, their staff was incredibly responsive to our guests and they constantly made the rounds to ensure not a single plate was left empty. I highly recommend serving the food family style vs. buffet style. The entire service was smooth and we avoided anyone waiting in long lines before they could sit down. They even took great care of my husband and I. We heard horror stories about couples leaving their weddings hungry, but thanks to Wooden Paddle, that was not the case!
In addition to the meal, we opted to rent glassware through Wooden Paddle - which I’m so happy we did. I think it added a nice touch of elegance to the presentation.. Our venue provided alcohol so we did not use them for drinks. However, if you ever go to the actual location for dinner… their drinks are phenomenal and high quality!! Not to mention their dessert pizzas are on another level! We’ve already been back since our wedding because it's that good! I couldn't recommend this place more!
I cannot tell you how many people have complimented the food at our wedding!! Numerous people have told me it's the BEST wedding food they’ve ever had. The service was not only superb but everything was done with elegance. I was slightly concer...
ned that serving pizza at our wedding would come off as too casual...or even cheap. That was certainly not the case. The staff was so friendly and no one left hungry. Everything moved along flawlessly and right on schedule. The presentation was perfect and not a single item disappointed. I highly recommend the Balsamic Skirt Steak as an appetizer!
Having never planned a wedding before, my husband and I were quite overwhelmed with how many details there were. I can say with certainty that we were never once concerned with the Wooden Paddle whatsoever! They were even a dream when we had to reschedule because of COVID-19. Celina was prompt in responding to all of our emails and their process is thorough. About 2 weeks before the wedding they had us complete a final form indicating our final guest count, final menu decisions and schedule for the service. No detail went untouched.
I would recommend Wooden Paddle for any wedding or event! It doesn't matter if the wedding is more casual or more formal… they can complement any style!!
From the tasting to the wedding, Wooden Paddle was amazing. So many great options to choose from. Everything tasted great. Jonathan, Celina and his crew went out of their way to take care of my wife and I throughout the whole process, and espec...
ially the night of the wedding. Checking in to make sure we were eating and satisfied with how everything was going. Guests raved about the food and the service. It was great working with Wooden Paddle and I would definitely recommend anyone looking for an event caterer to check them out. Well worth it!
Like many couples our original wedding plans were totally changed by COVID-19. We had to change our venue, caterer, date, everything. While we were looking for our "Plan B" we found the Wooden Paddle.
From the day we reached out to Wooden Pad...
dle (in a total panic) they were super responsive, helpful, and easy to work with. When we went in for the tasting we were sold. We've never left a restaurant more full and happy. I eat mostly vegetarian as I've never loved the taste of meat and my husband convinced me to taste their fried meatball appetizer, and it was absolutely delicious. I ate the whole dang meatball (as well as about a million pounds of cheese and dough).
I will be honest, my mother-in-law was not thrilled to learn we booked a "pizza place" for our wedding, but we were bound and determined to not feed our guests the nasty traditional wedding chicken. After our event she told us we made the right choice. She was happy we chose something that was unique and fit our outdoor and relaxed wedding vibe. And, she liked the food! The pizza was amazing and the Wooden Paddle staff made sure everyone got to try a slice of every type of pizza and all of the tasty apps. I would also say make sure to get the gelato - it was a perfect choice for a midwest summer wedding and people loved how much fun it was.
The Wooden Paddle staff was absolutely wonderful. They were professional, relaxed and made sure my husband and I actually got to eat. (Seriously, eating at your wedding is so important.) We would happily book them again for a future event and we look forward to going to their restaurant for a fun way to relive our wedding on date night!
We absolutely loved Wooden Paddle! We got hooked when we first did our food tasting. The food at our wedding was so tasty and many of our guests raved afterwards about the different types of gourmet pizza along with the steak and cheese appetiz...
er. When Covid started impacting the size of our wedding guest list Wooden Paddle was very accommodating. We had to reduce our head count by almost 50 percent and change the location of the venue. They were willing to drive much farther than originally planned, change around how they served the food, and alter the contract to fit our needs. It was truly such a blessing to have such an adaptable catering company. The only reason I gave them four stars was because some of the guests didn't get served all of the pizza flavors and some did not receive gelato. However, Wooden Paddle had to do a modified family style way of serving that they have not done before because of Covid. We also had a number of gluten free guests, and they were extremely accommodating to this as well!! Keep up the amazing work Wooden Paddle, we are so thankful you were a part of our wedding day!!
My wife and I booked Wooden Paddle within weeks of our wedding due to last minute vendor changes on behalf of COVID-19. If you are even considering this caterer, RUN to lock down your date. The staff were so accommodating and genuinely excited ...
to be a part of our day. On top of five star service, their food was outstanding. At first, we got a lot of side comments about booking pizza for our wedding, but let me tell you, we received so many compliments for how fun, gourmet, and delicious our menu was. Unfortunately, we were unable to book their bar services due to our venue's restrictions. However, I highly recommend their mixed drinks and cocktails as well. If you book with Wooden Paddle, I promise you will not be disappointed!
If you are in need of a caterer for a special event, look no further! Wooden Paddle truly provides five-star service, and their food is beyond delicious. Not only that, but they are so transparent and helpful throughout the entire experience. W...
e booked with them last minute for our wedding, and it was the by far the best decision we made. The entire process was seamless from start to finish. They are really on top of their game, even in the middle of a pandemic. I cannot recommend them enough!
Wooden Paddle prides itself on being totally unpretentious and super fun too. Which is exactly what we wanted for the food vibe at our wedding. From our very first tasting where we walked out so full, and so impressed with absolutely every opti...
on that we had zero doubt that they were who we wanted at our big day. To the back and forth over the months leading up to the wedding day - figuring out menu items, navigating COVID scenario planning. And finally to the big day actually happening. Jonathan, Celina and the entire team over at Wooden Paddle definitely delivered on amazing food, fabulous service and so much fun.
I’m an Italian girl who will not, I mean will NOT, eat meatballs out at restaurants. I have high standards from my family ones and it’s just not worth the disappointment. But Wooden Paddle meatballs? Well, they are the only ones I will eat out! And based on the number of comments in person and on social media from our guests, I’m not alone in raving about them! And to top it all off with those amazing pizzas, in that gorgeous oven. It simply does not get any better.
Jonathan (one of the owners) specifically was not only right in there with the crew throwing pizzas in the oven, but he went out of his way to make sure me and my husband were taking the time to eat and were doing ok.
So, whether you’re looking for a great spot for a date night and want to swing into their storefront in Lemont, or have an event of your own you’re looking to get catered, I could not recommend Wooden Paddle more. You are truly missing out if you’re not grabbing some of their amazing food!
(I will share photos as soon as I have them!) :)
If I could give 10 stars, I would! Wooden Paddle, Celina (coordinator) and Jonathan (owner), were amazing to work with! We started wedding planning in July 2019 (pre-covid) for a wedding in June 2020 (middle of covid-chaos) and they were so ...
helpful. There was great communication about changes, how they would continue to accommodate through the mess, etc. We changed headcount about a million times because we kept learning new city/state ordinances, and Celina was so understanding through it all.
On our wedding day, they were nothing short of perfect. Food was delicious (everybody complimented us!) and our beverage package and service was spot on. I am so thankful that during a time so full of disruption, tears, and confusion, they offered one item on my long checklist that did not add more stress to the Covid-wedding planning experience. Thank you so much for making our day perfect!
Wooden Paddle “Wowed” the Crowd 3/13/20!!!
From the tasting held by Johnathan to every step of planning and execution with Celina our daughter’s wedding was PERFECT! Anything I needed to add to our event and/or change was promptly responded to....
The day of the wedding Celina and her crew were there on time and every person we were in contact with were so friendly and professional. The appetizers were amazing and professionally served. Then the “main event” the serving of the pizzas had everyone in awe at how unique and fabulous the pizzas were!!! The dessert pizza was phenomenal! I will certainly recommend Wooden Paddle to our friends not only for weddings but for any event.
Thank you for making my daughters wedding exactly what she wanted it to be and more!!!
I am so glad we chose Wooden Paddle for our caterer. Johnathan was awesome and is so passionate about what he does. The bar was outstanding! The pizza was phenomenal and people still haven't stoped raving about our wedding day. We could not hav...
e been happier about choosing this company.
Okay, Ill just start by saying WOW. The first time we met Johnathan at wooden paddle we knew we had done good. We did our tasting with him and everything was AMAZING. It was a no brainer to choose Wooden Paddle. And let me tell you they DID NOT...
disappoint. The served us the most delicious drinks (that literally no one would stop raving about, including the hubby and I and the some of the best pizza anyone at the wedding has ever had. These people do it right! Behind the scenes Celina made sure that every single detail was set in stone. Our experience with wooden paddle was far beyond our expectations and if you are looking for something different for your wedding, look no further!
We used Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and all the guest loved the pizza
We used Wooden Paddle to cater our wedding and they were amazing! From the beginning they were very professional and worked with us to make our wedding day food amazing! Our guests raved over the food!!
When first looking for a caterer for our wedding, we knew we didn’t want the “typical wedding food.” Finding Wooden Paddle was the best answer! First off, the experience booking them was so easy and they are very helpful with questions as they ...
arose. Jon, Brianna, and Celina were so great to work with! We went into the tasting having an idea which pizzas we’d like and probably wouldn’t like, then ended up loving literally everything on the menu! It was hard to just pick 4!
Fast forward to the big day...let’s put it simple, it was perfect and exactly what I envisioned! The day of staff was very professional and attentive. It’s so refreshing to have a vendor come in with a team and just immediately start working with no questions asked. Our guests are still raving about how delicious the food was and what a great unique idea.
We chose family style. The service was quick, with very little wait time in between courses and pizzas coming out. The best part was the customization, asking each table which pizza they liked the most and wanted more of. Especially for the bride and groom!
If you’re looking to stand apart from every other wedding, look no further and book Wooden Paddle!
When first looking for a caterer for our wedding, we knew we didn’t want the “typical wedding food.” Finding Wooden Paddle was the best answer! First off, the experience booking them was so easy and they are very helpful with questions as they ...
arose. Jon, Brianna, and Celina were so great to work with! We went into the tasting having an idea which pizzas we’d like and probably wouldn’t like, then ended up loving literally everything on the menu! It was hard to just pick 4!
Fast forward to the big day...let’s put it simple, it was perfect and exactly what I envisioned! The day of staff was very professional and attentive. As a bride, it’s so refreshing to have a vendor come in with a team and just immediately start working with no questions asked. Our guests are still raving about how delicious the food was and what a great unique idea.
We chose family style. The service was quick, with very little wait time in between courses and pizzas coming out. The best part was the customization, asking each table which pizza they liked the most and wanted more of. Especially for the bride and groom!
If you’re looking to stand apart from every other wedding, look no further and book Wooden Paddle!
Wooden paddle was absolutely amazing! They put together a vegetarian menu for us and all of our guests raved about how delicious and fun the pizza was! Definitely one of the best decisions we made for our outdoor wedding.
We are so happy we chose Wooden Paddle as our caterer for our wedding in September. The staff was so pleasant to work with. From the moment we booked to the wedding day, our experience could not have been more perfect and stress-free. The food...
was delicious, and we received so many compliments about the quality of food and the friendliness of the staff. We did a family style dinner and as hesitant as I was, it turned out to be the best decision we made! The staff was professional, timely and very attentive. I would highly recommend Wooden Paddle to anyone looking for a caterer without hesitation. We can't thank the staff at Wooden Paddle enough for making our big day PERFECT!!!
These guys are amazing, from letting you sample everything on the menu before hand,t o the prompt and professional service at our back yard wedding. It's a very unique experience and people were really impressed,highly recommend!
Wooden Paddle went above and beyond to make sure that everyone at our wedding got what they wanted. We were extremely impressed and all of our guests were too. Our gluten free guests even raved about how good it was which is extremely impressiv...
e in my opinion because gluten free crust can be pretty hit or miss. They even went out of their way to make a special salad for me and the groom since we hate onions and made us special pizzas with cute little notes to take home at the end of the night. Absolutely loved everything about the dinner and would definitely hire them again!
From the dinner tasting, to correspondence about our order from about 2,000 miles away, to our actual wedding day- Wooden Paddle delivered an experience that made the stressful act of wedding planning much less so.
The food- fantastic. Every g...
uest we had complimented the speed, taste, and quality of everything we ordered. I still have dreams about the pizza with truffle oil on it, it's to die for. The appetizers were incredible, the salads were fresh, and just everything about it was everything we wanted.
The prices were not only competitive, but they were something that basically no other vendor offered when that word "wedding" was tacked on- they were fair.
I would recommend Wooden Paddle to literally ANYONE with 110% confidence. I wouldn't have changed a single thing about what we ordered or how they did at our wedding.
We LOVED Wooden Paddle catering for our wedding day! The service from start to finish was spectacular. They were more than willing to work with us on special dietary restrictions, food selections, and responsive in a timely manner. Not only ...
were they a joy to work with but the food was delicious and exactly what we had hoped for! We had so many compliments on the pizza (some said it was the best pizza they ever had)! We are so grateful they were a part of our day, they do not disappoint!
Where do we even begin to describe the service we received from Wooden Paddle for our recent wedding. Absolutely amazing from start to finish! From the moment we sat down for our trial to the wedding day they have been nothing but perfection! T...
hey made the whole experience even better and the attention to our specific needs was so comforting during a stressful time. If you are looking for delicious food, unique options and the best service look no further than Wooden Paddle!! Thank you for making our BIG day Perfect!! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and belly....Isalia +Alma
Wooden Paddle Pizza was epic from start to finish! My wife and I went to a tasting before the restaurant was even open to the public yet, but we could already see the direction it was heading; pure awesomeness! From every employee, to emailing ...
back and forth with contracts and questions, and tasting food along the way, Wooden Paddle went above and beyond to help us! They were timely, friendly, and very helpful. Our guests could not stop talking about the food the day of, and we are still getting rave reviews about the decision to go with pizza for our reception! That was the thing, we wanted something different, and unique because chicken and steak just didn’t fit our mold- and we are so glad that we went with Wooden Paddle. All of the food that night was amazing, and the best part is that we feel we’ve made friends with Jonathon, who showed up the day of the wedding to make sure that everything was running smoothly and precise. Now we plan on visiting our new friends, very often! Thank you Wooden Paddle for being so accepting, caring, and on your A-game the entire process! We couldn’t have been happier
We could not be happier with Wooden Paddle. Even now, a month after our wedding, guests are telling us how good the pizza and bruschetta was. I believe we got Margherita, Pretty Fly for a White Pie, Buzzkill and Sausage Fest Pizzas, as well a...
s Burrata Toasts and the Simple Greens Salad. Everything was classy, timely, and tasty. I highly recommend.
Wooden Paddle did an amazing job catering our wedding. The pizza was elevated, gorgeous, and most of all delicious. We felt it was a great deal for how unique and creative a caterer they were, and our guests still can't stop raving about how ta...
sty the food was. The staff was kind and timely. We can't wait to continue to frequent the restaurant to reminisce on our wedding food!!
Wooden Paddle did an awesome job catering our wedding! The pizza was just as delicious catered as was to enjoy in the restaurant. Their food and desserts were a big hit for all of our family and friends. Our guests were constantly leaving their...
seats to get 2nd and 3rd helpings. Highly recommend Wooden Paddle to cater your wedding and not only deliver great food but excellent professionalism!
I am SO glad we chose Wooden Paddle to cater our event. The food was absolutely perfect! And since we were having an outdoor wedding, I was nervous about making the right choice for food. Everything turned out fantastic! The pizza was hot, fres...
h, and delicious! The appetizers were served by their staff and everyone was thrilled. As the bride, I was even able to pick out my own pizza separate from the rest. Which was great because I’m veggie, and the rest of my family isn’t. Hahah! The toughest part of this whole process was narrowing down what we wanted to order! Seriously. During our tasting I was switching back and forth because everything was so amazing. Luckily, we had some time to decide. The staff was professional, on time, and kind. They made this such an easy process. I would recommend them to everyone!
Wooden paddle is absolutely incredible. Not only was the food delicious, but they go above and beyond to make sure the day runs smoothly! They arrived early to get set up with plenty of time, had food ready right on time, and even brought food ...
to my new husband and I. They worked with me to figure out a meal plan when our guest list was smaller than expected (destination wedding!) and were beyond helpful in answering every question I had. I cannot recommend them enough!
I am going to start with our first meeting with Jonathan and Brianna of Wooden Paddle. I arrived before my fiancé did and I was instructed to discuss details with Jon before she arrived. As my fiancé showed up to meet Brianna about 15 minutes ...
later, they arrived to our table to ask how far along Jon and I have made progress. Jonathan and I made much progress... as we discussed the Bears and our fantasy football teams, however, we did forget to talk about the catering options. My fiancé was none too happy with myself.
As we finally discussed the catering options, Wooden Paddle went out of their way to make sure we tried every option that was available. If we liked a certain option, they made sure to keep tabs on it. They were really easy to work with. When it came to contacting Wooden Paddle, again, it was easy to do so. They were available by email or by phone and in a very timely manner.
Wooden Paddle made changes at our request and did not have any issues whatsoever ever. They were very easy to work with and very accommodating. They arrived early and made sure everything was set up correctly.
Onto the food itself... I personally enjoyed it very much. It was made quickly and everyone was happy to see the food made right in front of them. The salad was a huge hit with everyone. My brother was so enamored by it, that he is now trying to replicate it himself (he is not very good at it.) Everyone was very complimentary of the food and gave great complements.
All in all, I was VERY happy with how everything turned out. I am super appreciative for everything that they did for us. I recommend Wooden Paddle to anyone who is looking for something different.
If you want to work with GREAT people and people who care about you and your special day, Brianna and Jonathan of Wooden Paddle are your GO TO people.
Having Wooden Paddle as our caterer for our wedding day was one of the BEST decisions we could have made!! They made the planning process so easy- we just picked our menu out, and they took care of the rest! We were in contact the the entire ti...
me leading up to our wedding, and always received a super prompt answer to any questions we did have. The food was absolutely AMAZING, and their service that day was beyond what was expected. The owners are absolutely amazing, and made our decision to go with them the easiest one of our wedding planning. We don’t have one regret about having them, and would pick them again in a heartbeat!! Thank you again!! Xoxo.
Wooden Paddle catered our wedding on 8/30/19 and it was AMAZING! I cannot say enough good things about them. They were so professional, timely, and easy to work with throughout our entire planning process. All of our guests are still raving abo...
ut how wonderful the food was - and not to mention how cool it was having the oven right outside our venue where people could watch! Every pizza, salad, appetizers, gelato, and dessert pizza was a hit and their service was impeccable. Hands-down the best wedding caterer EVER!!
My wife and I were recently married and use wooden paddle for our catering. They were reccomend to us by our wedding venue. The experience we both had throughout the whole planning process with wooden paddle was absolutely amazing! We were invi...
ted out to their resturant for a tasting and were sold on the spot, the food was delicious and the people were fantastic. Me being the foodie/armature chef that I am I was ecstatic to see the mobile pizza oven setup outside the venue when we pulled up. Jonathan and his team killed it by slinging delicious pizzas all while making sure we had everything we needed, he personally brought us our food! My wife and I weren't looking for that traditional steak or fish type wedding dinner and wooden paddle definitely helped us achieve that. We have gotten nothing but rave reviews from our friends and family about the food. My personal favorite pizza from them would have to be the buzzkill or the smoke a shrooms. We will for sure be forever customers of wooden paddle!
Working with Wooden Paddle leading up to the wedding was a delight. They were always quick to respond and answer any questions I had. The day of was crazy because my wedding was supposed to be mostly outside, but Wooden Paddle was ready for tha...
t possibility and made a smooth transition into serving inside. There was a tiny mixup with which end of the venue I wanted to start eating first but that was easily resolved. All my guests loved the food and definitely went up for seconds! They were impressed with the uniqueness of Wooden Paddle, and their favorite pizza was the truffle mushroom! What was also nice was the fact that they were very familiar with my venue too so that was an easy choice of caterer for me. Loved Wooden Paddle and I would cater through them again!
AMAZING!!!!! Everyone LOVED the food and they were able to accommodate our gluten free guests. The staff was so nice and they moved with such flow throughout the event. I’d highly recommended them for your next event.
Contact them for a tasting! They were incredible and all of our guests are still talking about the food. Our favorite pizza was the BuzzKill and all of our guests were stuffed after dinner. They make sure to cater to all of your guests!
Wooden Paddle was amazing! They went above and beyond to make our wedding fantastic, fun, and delicious. The food is excellent and the staff was so friendly, responsible, efficient, and and fun. We had an outdoor reception and experienced downp...
our rain just an hour before it began. Wooden paddle was reassuring, kept things moving on schedule, and they were total troopers about the rain. On a stressful day, made even more stressful by weather, it was great to not have to worry about the catering. In terms of planning, we felt well supported at every step of the way. They were responsive and eager to assist in all of our concerns, from hiring additional weight staff to insuring gluten and dairy free options.
We keep getting compliments from our guests on how amazing the food and service was. We could not have imagined having anything else for our wedding. During the planning process Brianna was extremely responsive which I really appreciated!! They...
also brought myself and my husband a plate of appetizers for ourselves during cocktail hour to share before joining our guests. Seriously go with wooden paddle if you want to have a company you can trust with your special day
This was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding reception! I have always said that I wanted pizza at my wedding and the Wooden Paddle was phenomenal! We have heard countless compliments about the menu choice and the quality of the me...
al. I even had two tables full of Italian friends come in for my wedding and they all raved about the pizza.
They were wonderful to work with from the tasting to the day off, where everything went off without a problem. Both the owners and all of the people who came to work the event were incredibly nice. We would 100% recommend the Wooden Paddle for your wedding reception and are thrilled they have a brick and mortar restaurant where we can go eat on our anniversary!
Listen up, folks. This place & these people are the real deal! From the first time we reached out about their catering to the time we were eating their bomb pizza at our wedding, we had the best experience. My husband and I didn't want a typica...
l mid-western menu; we wanted a meal that matched our personalities! Leading up to the day where the details count, every one of our questions were answered promptly and with care. We weren't just another customer to them. They made it seem like our wedding day was just as important to them. On the day of, people went bananas over the appetizers and we couldn't wait for them to enjoy their dinner. Some people were worried about how long dinner service would take because the pizza is made on-site, but, it turned out that the pizzas were coming out faster than our guests could walk through the line! What a great situation to be in. Overall, choosing Wooden Paddle made a stressful wedding season a lot less stressful. They thought through and took care of details so I didn't have to. If you're on the fence about choosing them as the caterer for your special day, get off the fence and go for it. You won't regret it!
Normally, when people hear that pizza will be served at a wedding, they don't think of artisan food, satisfying presentation, or a certain level of classiness. However, with Wooden Paddle, that's exactly what we received.
Some people had do...
ubts that they could keep up with our 200+ person guest list, yet with the ability to crank out a pizza in less than 5 minutes (brick oven is where it's at), they had no problem keeping all of the hungry mouths fed.
My mother-in-law was concerned that we wanted to go this route (see previous list of expectations) so she wanted order additional catering so that it wasn't just pizza. Again, Wooden Paddle delivered with their other courses: caprese pops, salad, desert pizza (amazing, btw), and gelato. That's just the items we ordered, they had a great variety to choose from and we didn't regret a single bit of having them cater for us.
Amazing food, utmost professionalism, and great presentation aside; one of the best parts of the whole experience was the reaction from our guests.
The owners were very professional, with emails and quotes well in advance. On top of that, their deadlines allowed for flexibility by confirming the final count up to a week before the wedding. We're so glad we trusted Wooden Paddle with our wedding!
My husband and I got married over the summer and Wooden Paddle was THE PERFECT addition to our outdoor wedding. John and Nora were so accommodating and made everything flow beautifully. Not only was the food (pizzas, cannolis and gelato!!) amaz...
ing, but their set up at our wedding was nothing short of perfect. Our family and friends loved the concept and so did we. I would pick them a millions times over. 3 months later and we are still getting compliments on our food! If you’re looking for a way to add something upbeat, fun and different, Wooden Paddle is the answer! Highly recommend!!
Contact Info for Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering
212 Stephen Street, Lemont, IL
Meet the Team
Celina Meiss
Coordinator
Hey there! I’m Celina, Wooden Paddle's event coordinator. For every event, there are loads of little details that play a crucial role in making your vision become a reality. And I believe that when they all come together seamlessly, you’re able to be fully present and really, really enjoy celebrating with your nearest & dearest. So, I work behind the scenes to ensure just that. Let’s chat and see if we’re a good fit!
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Wooden Paddle Wood-Fired Catering