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Hel's Kitchen Catering Reviews

Hel's Kitchen Catering

Hel's Kitchen Catering

Northbrook, IL
4.9 out of 5 rating, 25 Reviews
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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
25 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
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    4.9 out of 5 rating
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100% Recommended by couples

Awards

25
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
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    Abby Sent on 04/16/2018
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    Could not recommend Linda and the rest of the Hel's team more. They were so detail oriented, understanding, and helped us to make our wedding unforgettable. We had people emailing us after our wedding complimenting the food. Hel's made sure that my husband and I had food/drinks the entire night, and were able to relax and enjoy the evening. The presentation was absolutely beautiful, and our guests were taken care of the entire evening. I couldn't recommend Hel's more highly!
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    Lara Sent on 10/14/2018
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    No words would do justice for the appreciation we have for David Borris and his team at Hel’s Kitchen. We started our journey to find a caterer with two things in mind: quality, interesting food, and a limited budget. Despite working in the wedding industry as musicians, we had never hired a caterer and we did not realize how invaluable a caterer can be to the actual planning process and flow of the entire event. We went through several catering interviews over several months before realizing that our first instincts were correct. Not only does Hel’s provide 30 years of food experience, they provide 30 years of people and planning experience.

    We were happy that our initial consultation happened to be with the owner of this well-established North Shore gem (although everyone we worked with was fantastic!). David is a friendly, welcoming, honest, and down-to-earth expert with the patience of a saint. We asked questions throughout our conversations and he answered every one of them. Our parents were welcomed into the process as well (which was important because Lara’s mom is French! ;)). We changed our minds about the details many times and David invested hours in our event before we even officially agreed to use Hel’s. When a few details changed, he even gave us a follow up tasting to ensure our satisfaction. David (and all of his staff) are extremely thorough, detail oriented and hard-working. They will listen to your concerns, explain everything, share price breakdowns, and work with you to make sure you are satisfied with every detail. See this link for our full review! https://www.yelp.com/biz/hels-kitchen-catering-northbrook?hrid=aqQU7iCyKNpmUMYk3988Mg
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    Elizabeth Sent on 06/26/2017
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    Linda and the rest of the staff at Hel's Kitchen Catering were wonderful. They were so helpful through the entire planning process. She was extremely flexible with all the little changes I wanted to make and helping us stay within our budget, while still providing a beautiful and tasty meal. On the day of they were perfect. Linda told me they would take care of everything and they did. Everything they set up looked great and the food was so good. I without doubt recommend them to anyone looking to hire a caterer.
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  • ProteasAndMagnolias
    Arrianna Sent on 04/25/2015
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    Hel's Kitchen catering services are fantastic. We were very pleased with the tasting (freshest ingredients, wonderful menu), and Linda Norgaila is a consummate professional. She was extremely helpful, not only with planning the menu, but also with planning out the whole day. I also loved her finesse, and I look forward to our wedding reception!
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    Scott Sent on 09/04/2014
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    Working with the team at Hel's kitchen could not have been more pleasant. They listened and heard everything we spoke about at our first meeting. They welcomed feedback and adapted to meet any alterations we discussed at the tasting. They outdid themselves! They thought of everything; they were creative, innovative, thoughtful, professional, adaptable, and took charge so we could stay the center of the universe during the most wonderful day of our lives! Our guests were as awed by the food as we were.....people have been asking who the caterer was ever since. Will Borris was fantastic to work with. And the DIY Champagne Bar was a huge hit!
  • User1696166 Sent on 07/05/2014
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    We were impressed with Hel's Kitchen in every way! Will Borris was very responsive and great to work with. His knowledge of our wedding ceremony and reception venue really came in handy, especially when it started pouring a few minutes before our ceremony was supposed to start and we (well, they) had to move everything inside! Most importantly, the food was delicious, including the vegan and gluten-free options for certain guests, and there was more than enough of it. Our guests let us know how much they enjoyed the food and the service. The setup looked fantastic, too, and Hel's coordinated very well with our other vendors. All in all, a wonderful experience, and we definitely recommend.
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    Stacy Sent on 06/22/2014
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    "Tell me what you want, and we'll make it happen" was the theme that Linda Norgaila and the Hel's Kitchen Team adopted from the day we first discussed our wedding plans.
    Our wedding was at The Grove, in Glenview and we weren't sure what setup we would use for the ceremony and reception given the unpredictable weather we had in May.
    We found great comfort in having Linda in our corner as she was prepared with a plan A,B and C depending on the weather.
    We knew the food was going to be fantastic when we had the tasting, and it did not disappoint. All the guests loved the food and the service was exceptional.
    The staff made sure everyone's glasses were full at all times and everyone got our butlered dessert!
    Hel's kitchen and Linda were very professional and friendly which made the ceremony and reception flow through perfectly.

    A true pleasure to work with and we would recommend them to anyone.

    Thank you Linda and Hel's Kitchen!
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    Melinda Sent on 04/27/2014
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    Will was amazing at not only keeping in touch with us, but also responding back to emails that we sent. They were very cautious of our budget and didn't make any changes without approving it through us first. They also kept us aware of what some of the cheaper options were. Will was there most of the reception and made sure to introduce us to the person who would be taking over when he left. The food was AMAZING! and the staff was fun and accessible for all our needs!
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    Thu Sent on 09/19/2011
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    We had our wedding at A New Leaf on 9.10.11. We chose Hel's Kitchen as our caterer and loved every moment of the planning process with them! It all had to do with Nikee.

    She was our point person from the beginning and the process couldn't have been smoother! She is so sweet, flexible, and accommodating! She truly 'got' us! She nailed the menu from the start, listened to all of our needs, and perfected every little detail. My husband loved them for the detailed breakdown of the costs and how really worked with our budget!

    Nikee never once let her guard down, she was always pleasant, smiling, and positive. Any bride needs a person like Nikee and any catering company needs a person like her! Nikee also had a great partner who was so wonderful to work with as well, Sandy was just as fabulous if Nikee was away!

    Our walk through at the venue was wonderful, she really helped me breakdown the set up, she helped me with my ideas, my needs for decor, and really knew the venue to give me advice on how everything would work! It makes any bride feel great to know that she can make things happen and make it look beautiful!

    The day of our wedding, I walked in and just LOVED the linens! My ideas and her input made it come to life and look gorgeous! Everything was set up just right and made the venue traffic just flow easily. The food got rave reviews! Our guests said it was the best wedding food ever! Everywhere we went, everyone complimented us on the food! It was such a wonderful feeling to know we chose the right caterer, menu, and our guests were just beaming over the food!

    Anyone who needs a fabulous caterer, fantastic food, and the friendliest person to work with need to go to Hel's Kitchen! My husband and I were very satisfied and happy...we had a perfect wedding day thanks in part to Nikee and Hel's!
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    Jill Sent on 07/25/2011
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    Hel's Kitchen far exceeded our expectations and our guests are still talking about how good the food was. Nikee was great to work with and did a fantastic job coordinating the food and drinks for our wedding. We knew we wanted a buffet and were able to look through their options on their website. They were very flexible in letting us add or change items to fit what we wanted.
    For our cocktail hour we did three different appetizers (bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed dates, beef-wrapped asparagus, and parmesan artichoke dip) as well as a Sushi Station which included a sushi chef making rolls for guests on the spot.
    Dinner was a buffet with chicken, fish, potatoes and grilled vegetables. We had a plated salad and bread baskets served tableside. They let us bring in our wedding cake. Since we did a buffet we were able to take home the leftovers and they were delicious!
    One of the best things Hel's Kitchen did was to make sure my husband and I got a plate of the appetizers (including the sushi) and a pre-made plate at dinner so that we were able to eat some of the food at the wedding. We were very happy with their service and would definitely use them again for another special event!
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    Whitney Sent on 07/29/2011
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    I just got married on June 11th at Promontory Point in Chicago (Hyde Park neighborhood) Hel's Kitchen was our caterer, and they were AWESOME! From the beginning, my husband and I knew we had a pretty strict budget, but also wanted something romantic and picnic-y to go with our reception sight and laidback personalities. Nicolle Fellows was our event coordinator and she was a dream to work with. All the other reviews praising her are completely accurate. Nikee is sweet, knowledgeable, professional and worked with us so that we could fit our budget and have the perfect wedding reception.
    The food at our reception was delicious, our tasting was lovely and Hel's kitchen staff was fabulous! During our reception, Sandy was overseeing things and she made sure each little detail went off without a hitch. We did a lot of DIY things for our tables & Hel's allowed us to drop it off the day before and they set up everything prior to our guests arriving. Flowers, candles, favors...they really went above and beyond. One of the servers made sure I had wine every time I ran out. He got me lots of salmon canapes when we first arrived at the reception which was so important because I barely got to eat prior to that. It made me a very happy bride. The bartenders even opened up and set out lots of bottles of beer so the conga line we took by it would not be parched.
    I cannot say enough good things about Hel's, Nikee and all the staff who were at my wedding. I highly recommend Hel's Kitchen!
  • carolynandbrian
    Carolyn Sent on 12/02/2010
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    Hel's Kitchen was simply amazing for our wedding on October 23, 2010. I had the greatest time working with Nikee, and she was absolutely as sweet as could be with all of my last minute changes, requests, details, questions, etc. etc. I couldn't say anything that would be "too nice" for the group that was staffing our event, either. The food was prepared impeccably and the front of the house was top notch. Every little detail was taken care of, and we truly felt like guests at our own wedding. I highly suggest anyone who is looking for a caring, creative and unique catering experience to call Nikee, you will be stunned with the results.
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    Michelle Sent on 10/21/2010
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    Hooray for Nikee!!!! The food at our wedding ROCKED. We wanted a vegetarian wedding and, early on, we started to doubt that decision because we were worried our meat-eating friends and family would be faint with iron-deprivation halfway through the cocktail hour. Nikee reassured us that we could have a kick-butt vegetarian buffet that would leave no one missing meat. And oh did Hel's deliver! The food was AWESOME - our guests were raving about it and everyone was stuffed. What we really appreciated, however, was how warm, friendly and flexible Nikee was. She was fun to work with, she was easy with recommendations that would help us save money, and we trusted her 100%. We nevereverever felt like we were being ripped off and Nikee was always quick to get back to us, answer out nutty questions, and all the other vendors she recommended (cake, flowers, liquor) ended up being awesome too. We had a small snafu with our liquor delivery and Nikee went out of her way to work it out for us, even though it was our problem to deal with. Should we need a caterer again, we will DEFINITELY go with Hel's. THANK YOU NIKEE!!!!!
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    Elizabeth Sent on 12/05/2010
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    We used Hel's Kitchen as our caterer for our wedding reception at the Redfield Estate at the Grove. It was one of the best decisions we made. Living in Denver, we had to do a lot of our wedding planning over email & the phone. Our coordinator, Nikee, did a fantastic job helping us throughout the planning process. I was even more impressed by how smoothly our reception ran. The food was amazing! The staff was so friendly, helpful and attentive to all our guests. Everything worked out just beautifully! Hel's Kitchen went above and beyond to make sure my husband & I, as well as our guests, were taken care of throughout the whole evening. I cannot express how pleased I was with their services. I would highly recommend them and I will use them again if we ever do another event in Chicago.
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    Rachel Sent on 11/29/2010
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    We had a great experience with Hel's Kitchen. We had our wedding at the Kenilworth Club, where Lisa recommended Hel's Kitchen. Jillian from Hel's Kitchen was WONDERFUL! The food was great, everything was perfect. We used Hel's Kitchen for our linens as well and they were beautiful. I 100% recommend Hel's Kitchen and Jillian, who again was simply a pleasure to work with!
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    Jenny Sent on 05/29/2009
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    Hel's Kitchen was awesome to work with! Nikee was my coordinator, and she was just great. So friendly and so on top of things (even with a 3 mo. old baby!). I loved her! On the day of, they showed up way early and were well underway setting up by the time I arrived at 2 PM. They all worked quickly and courteously. Our supervisor for the night, Kelly, was just SUCH a gentleman. He really went above and beyond. When it was discovered that Sam's had shorted us all the red wine we ordered, he walked down the street to Treasure Island and bought a bunch of wine for us. He was so sweet and seemed like a great guy to work for. Our bartender was really nice as well, though I can't remember her name. No one complained about the service, and most importantly, EVERYONE LOVED THE FOOD. We had several people tell us that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had, and it was a buffet! Yay for Hel and his kitchen!!
  • Maria
    Maria Sent on 06/04/2009
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    Cannot say enough good things about Hel's Kitchen. Our food was simply delicious, and the quality was better than several other caterers who charged double the price. If I could give an extra star for value, I would. Our guests raved about the food! Our coordinator, Nikee, was also fantastic. She was extremely organized and easy to work with through the planning process. If I have another big party to plan, my first call will be to Hel's.
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    Christina Sent on 11/04/2008
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    they went above and beyond my expectations. the day before the reception, we dropped off items to be set up by the caterer, including candles, table numbers, placecards, favors, etc. and they did a beautiful job. the food was fantastic, the service impeccable, they truly helped make the night perfect.
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    Kimberly Sent on 07/26/2008
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    Pure excellence - from the coordinator to the event staff. The food and service was fabulous. We'd definitely use Hel's Kitchen again for any event!
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    Alissa Sent on 02/23/2009
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    What an experience this was! Let's just say that the food was absolutely IMPECCABLE!
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    Elizabeth Sent on 05/15/2018
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    Hel’s Kitchen catered our wedding reception, and it was delicious! Katie Borris was wonderful in helping us to plan the wedding and making sure that everyone’s needs were met, giving us a lot of personal attention. We chose a family style dinner for the guests, and everyone seemed to enjoy with their dinner! The supervisor in charge of the evening made everything run incredibly smoothly; my husband and I didn’t have to worry about a thing. The staff very graciously made sure that my husband and I both ate, making plates of appetizers and entrees for us, and they made sure that (if we wanted), we always had a drink in our hand! The supervisor handed me a drink seconds after my husband noticed that I had almost finished mine. It was like magic! It was such a wonderful evening, thanks to Hel’s Kitchen!
  • User1701051 Sent on 07/08/2014
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    We worked with Linda at Hel’s Kitchen Catering for our wedding at Redfield Grove, Glenview this past June and would recommend them in the future. Though I would not say that the prices were low, we had to choose from only 5 vendors and their quote came in the middle. Saying that, we were extremely impressed with the quality of the food and would say they are easily a cut above most catering companies on the quality of the food. Not only do they have a gigantic menu to choose from, there is extra care taken to ensure good quality. It is not just an iceberg salad and bread rolls but a roasted tomato and fig salad and a selection of amazing breads at the table. We got great compliments on the food – especially the appetizers – so would highly recommend the food. Linda also was very responsive, we originally had to select the catering company while we were living abroad and they were easy to deal with and would communicate by either phone or email, whatever you prefer. My only troubles was that at times we felt like we were told how we must do things rather than it being up to us, in terms of setting up where the food and drinks, plated v buffet, and general layout. It is good to have a vendor with experience at your vendor and we were thankful for that but they were a little pushy at times. However, on the day of the wedding everything ran really smoothly, all the food came out on time and their staff were very professional.
  • User1008987 Sent on 11/08/2012
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    My husband and I had a WONDERFUL experience with Hel's Kitchen! Amazing food for our cocktail hour and reception. They were extremely flexible with our wants/needs. We wanted a pasta course (a MUST for my Italian family) - DONE no problem. We wanted a signature drink that needed to be a slushy consistency- DONE, they even rented a slushy machine to make sure it stayed this consistency for the entire cocktail hour... whey were a HIT! We wanted late night snacks with a tater-tot bar- DONE!!!! Even when we went in for the tasting and I told them i wanted some type of spinach with our filet, they whipped it up in a matter of minutes for us to try. The quality of the food was top notch and our guests raved about how every piece of food the entire night was warm, prepared and displayed professionally and just plain tastey! I've been to a TON of weddings in my lifetime, and I have to say our food was the best... but i may be a little biased :) Wait staff was polite and professional. We paid a pretty penny for the entire experience, but it was completely worth it. The only complaint I had the entire night was that there was a pretty big gap between the intermezzo course and the main course... our guests were getting a little restless. But overall, we thoroughly enjoyed working with Hel's and their staff. Big two thumbs up!!
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    Stephanie Sent on 07/06/2010
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    My experience with Hel's was almost fantastic. I used them for my June 2010 outdoor buffet wedding with table served beverages and passed appetizers.

    The pre-event service was beyond a 5.0 Star rating. My coordinator was Nikee and she was far more patient than necessary. Between my husband, my mother, and myself, we were more than a handful, and Nikee was really patient, and flexible.

    On the other hand, the wait staff, not as great. I used to cater in high school, and I know how tough it is, but you're not supposed to let the clients see it. The crew they sent didn't seem to flow very well together, and I'm not sure if they'd worked together before.

    In the end though, the food was fantastic, it was what we needed it to be - casual, fun, and tasty!
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    Melissa Sent on 07/22/2008
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    The food is outstanding! We did a buffet style dinner and it tasted better than any other wedding food I have ever had! The event coordinator Courtney was very nice and easy to work with. She was very accomodating. However, the head server that night (Inga was her name) was very unprofessional and basically annoying. The last thing you want to do on your wedding is deal with a bitchy, know-it-all server. But she was easy enough to ignore, so it really was not an issue. They also took care of the linens, setup at the site and the table setup. It was great! Highly recommended minus Inga!!!
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