This is for catering — Nick and his team catered our wedding back in September and this is a long overdue post. What spurred this review however was I thought I saw Nick in our hometown(not Chicago) and got genuinely excited because he’s that good of a guy and I wanted to catch up with him! Planning a wedding from a distance is not easy — I was living on the West Coast when planning and moved to the East Coast when it was wedding time. oh and I was abroad for the month before my wedding. Nick was so open to our ideas and indulged last minute requests without changing the price too much on us. He really helped keep the costs reasonable which was a big deal for us as we paid for our own wedding. His staff was super easy to work with and the bartenders he hired helped make and serve three signature cocktails and a punch without long lines. Another piece of advice — don’t skimp on waiters and bartenders — never want a line for those things! My husband and I also LOVE food — 30th birthdays at French Laundry. birthday trips for tacos to Mexico City. wanting to eat at random restaurants in obscure foreign city type of people, and Nick’s food honest to God did not disappoint, both in taste and quantity. Food is the thing people continue talking about after a wedding and ours were all positive. This is not a category you want to skimp on. People will forget lighting, if you had a fan or not at the ceremony or even a menu, but people will remember the food(+ alcohol). The process was easy, the food was tasty and Nick is an awesome guy — what more could you want from a caterer?!
Addisen C.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
Real kitchen is a very good option at their price point. Had the catfish and rice… phenomenal. Good job Real Kitchen!
Jeanette B.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
Thank you to Real Kitchen Catering(Nick, Kim and Zoe) for an excellent 40th birthday event in my home. The food was delicious, made on site in my kitchen. They accommodated a dairy free menu and kept my son safe who has a dairy allergy. Everyone was kind and professional. All my friends and family had a blast. The kitchen was clean afterward and they helped me pack up the rentals. I would recommend Real Kitchen to anyone for an in-home event.
Corey F.
Classificação do local: 5 Wicker Park, Chicago, IL
The chicken club was awesome, everything else looks incredible, can’t wait to try it all!
Leah M.
Classificação do local: 5 Kihei, HI
This place is the best. The food is tasty, fresh and packaged ethically. They usually have one or two things that are vegetarian or veggie friendly. They have quite a few sides to pick from as well. They always have 4 – 5 sandwiches and 2 or 3 salads. I haven’t tried any of the desserts but they sure do look tasty. All of the mains are very satisfying. I usually can finish them, but I don’t feel guilty. There are a couple of tables if you want to dine in but the majority of people grab it to go.
Greg S.
Classificação do local: 4 Chicago, IL
The Amish chicken was fantastic, the salad was a little dry and the winter vegetable mix was very savory. Delivery was fast and online ordering was easy. Definitely going to go back.
Ben H.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
I bought takeout from them for the first time today and I was amazed. Two entrees, two sides, soup and salad all for around $ 40. The food was incredible! I loved the bacon wrapped meatloaf and the roasted tomato soup had me licking the bowl. Thank you, Real Kitchen; you completely live up to your name.
Lindsey M.
Classificação do local: 5 Rogers Park, Chicago, IL
Ordered for pick up today for the first time. Process was easy and fast. Food was delicious, fresh and flavorful. Love the variety!
M D.
Classificação do local: 4 Ravenswood, Chicago, IL
Just stopped by to pick up lunch — what a treat! I’ve been here before(hence my return) and it continues to impress. I ordered the roasted salmon with soba noodles and bok choy as well as the brussels sprouts with pancetta. Both dishes had a tremendous flavor and freshness. I just can’t express how happy I am with my lunch, thank you Chef!
Daniel M.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
This place specializes in preparing food for you to take home and heat up in your oven, but they also have a few small tables and serve coffee and can heat up food in the back for you to eat there. They change their menu weekly, but you can check it on their website. I’ve been here a couple of times and I’ve found the potato gratin dishes to be incredibly good, especially for the low price.
Evan W.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
This is a bit belated, but Nick and Real Kitchen catered our wedding on 4th of July weekend. Despite the busy holiday weekend, Nick and his team did a spectacular job. The food was delicious, and the staff was extremely professional and accommodating to all of our guests. When we first reached out to Nick, we told him that we liked Mexican and Thai-inspired dishes. At the tasting, we liked everything he prepared so much that we decided to offer both options at our wedding. It may seem like an odd combo, but our guests absolutely loved it(even the old folks, believe it or not). Our relatives and friends still mention to this day how it was the best and most original wedding food they had ever tasted. Nick was great about pricing as well. We gave him a range that was well below many of the more popular Chicago catering company quotes that we received, and he went out of his way to make sure we stayed close to it without compromising the quality of the meal. Nick also offered a lot of advice in planning the wedding timeline, beverages, plating and seating options, logistics, etc. We couldn’t have asked for a better or more personable caterer. I’d highly recommend anyone in the Chicago area that is planning a wedding or event to reach out to Nick at Real Kitchen. You will not be disappointed.
Kyle W.
Classificação do local: 5 Lansing, IL
Literally every time I’m in uptown I come here, they always have a sandwich I want for lunch, check online to make sure they haven’t sold out of the one you want though!
Lauren R.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
Real Kitchen catered our Sept 19th wedding and I could not have been happier to have chosen them as our caterer. From the start, Nick was very easy to work with, responsive and accommodating. Their prices were incredibly reasonable that it felt almost too good to be true, and didn’t upcharge for ridiculous things like cake cutting fees. Our initial tasting was excellent– we loved that their food wasn’t the same old boring wedding food– they had interesting ingredients and unique flavor combinations that went beyond the standard food I’ve had at weddings. Throughout planning we were very happy with our choice. …And then our wedding night happened and we were blown away. The food was DELICIOUS. I cannot even count how many guests came up to us raving about the food, unprompted by us. So many guests told us it was the best wedding food they’ve had. As far as the logistical execution of our wedding, they nailed that too– our room flip appeared to be seamless and was set up exactly as discussed. Felt that was worth mentioning as caterers can hold a large role in the flow of the night. For all brides and grooms out there looking for a reasonably priced caterer who won’t scam you and will serve delicious food: this is a no-brainer.
Ainsley M.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
Came here on a whim. Initially put off by the weird takeaway format but everything is delicious.
Kate J.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
The food is great, and so is the service. Everyone who works here is super friendly. It’s a little expensive for me, so I only stop in every once in a while, but it’s always worth it when I do.
Dustin G.
Classificação do local: 5 Chicago, IL
The other day we decided to get some sandwiches from Real Kitchen for lunch. We’d tried their food before but it had been a long time. I remembered the food being really good so we popped in on a quiet Saturday. Overall, the staff seemed confused. I said I needed a second to look over the menu and the cashier just sort of went silent. He didn’t offer any suggestions or explain the different types of foods and services they offer. In general, I felt somewhat ignored. He seemed pretty out of it if you know what I mean. The kitchen staff kept coming up to talk with him about random things like buying a mattress. They all seemed *cough* out of it too. We ordered two sandwiches and it took him about an hour to ring us up. The kitchen staff confirmed the two sandwiches about five different times through the pass-thru to the kitchen. Finally, a woman came into the kitchen and she seemed put together and started taking control of the slacker situation. I was really happy she came in. When our sandwiches were ready the cashier handed them to us with his hand. When he saw my face he asked if we wanted a bag and then got us one. He went to get us napkins then saw a smudge of mayo on the counter. He wiped it up with the napkins and then almost put them in the bag. When he saw I was looking he tossed them and gave me fresh ones. You may be wondering why I’ve given his place such a high rating. The food! With all we went through the get them the sandwiches were amazing. My chicken teriyaki sandwich was probably the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten. The chicken was cut to the perfect size, the shiitakes were bursting with flavor and the bread was crunchy but still soft. My husband’s roast beef was also great. The beef was perfectly cooked and cut to the most supremely delightful thickness. I can’t gush enough about the food. I’m willing to overlook the«realness» of Real Kitchen and I can’t wait to go back for more.
Amy W.
Classificação do local: 3 West Chicago, IL
I’ve ordered from Real Kitchen many times. It’s literally right out my back door, which makes it really convenient. I usually order the sandwiches and they’re normally really great. I love the bread and the ingredients are so fresh. Unfortunately, my experience today was less than stellar. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce and Ranch, which I’ve ordered several times before and have really liked. I ordered my sandwich around 12:00 pm for pick-up at 12:45 pm. I picked up my sandwich on time. When I got home, my sandwich had no lettuce, no tomato and almost no ranch. It was dry and the chicken was hard. I seriously think my sandwich was prepared right after I ordered it around noon and literally sat there for about 30 – 40 minutes until I picked it up. It was not a good sandwich. I could have prepared something just as bad in my own kitchen. Between this experience and the time I placed an order online for pick-up and they never even noticed my order was placed so had nothing prepared for me when I arrived to pick up my order, I had to give this place three stars. Lately, it’s been hit or miss for me. I’ll think twice about ordering from this place again. I think it really depends on who the chef/front of house person is on any given day. I’ll spend my money next door at the pizza place before I give this place another«go». At least the pizza is freshly prepared, ready when it’s supposed to be and prepared according to how the menu states it will be. I’m bummed out because a lot of their stuff is really good. I’ve just had some bad experiences the last few times and it makes me hesitant to want to try again.
Heather S.
Classificação do local: 4 Chicago, IL
Great food. I always recommend this place to pregnant and new moms for when they just don’t have time to make meals but don’t want typical not-so-healthy takeout every night. It’s been a great option for them and I’ll continue to refer clients here.
Jacquie M.
Classificação do local: 5 Downtown Ann Arbor, Detroit, MI
This was by far one of the best lunches I have ever had, especially for the price! I recently moved back to the area and was looking for a place to grab a quick bite with my grandparents and The Real Kitchen delivered. I will definitely be a repeat customer. Although the café is located in a strip mall, the layout, décor and design transform you to another place! It’s small, but charming, a great place for lunch with a friend or a good book! As I said, I went with my grandparents, two of us split an amazing salad with a ginger sesame dressing that was to die for! The portion was more than enough for two to split and had a lot of flavor, color and texture! Although the menu changes regularly, we all loved what we ordered so much that I wouldn’t hesitate to try anything on the menu. I got the Moroccan Eggplant sandwich, on a crusty multigrain bread with creamy goat cheese. My grandma got the roasted tomato soup and my grandpa got the shrimp po’ boy. We couldn’t eat our meals fast enough and were each raving about our choices between bites. For dessert we got their version of the tiramisu and a key lime mousse. The desserts are brought in by a local bakery and all look incredible! Both of our choices were worth writing about, but the key lime mousse was probably one of the best desserts I’ve ever had in my life! If nothing else, I will go back for that! Long story short, I can’t wait to make the Real Kitchen part of my regular routine and to bring all of my friends there!
Brad L.
Classificação do local: 2 Chicago, IL
Picked up an order one day while on my way home, was in the mood for a BLT which I didn’t see on their menu, but I figured what the heck? They call themselves a «Real Kitchen» and have bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise and bread, they should be able to handle that, right? Not so much! $ 8 sandwich I get 3 slices of bacon, 2 slices tomato, lettuce, they were out of mayonnaise so subbed some special sauce, and a bun… Not satisfying in the least. I mean for $ 8 at least put some bacon on the sandwich, that’s the whole idea of a BLT! The service was slow as well despite me being the only one waiting AND calling ahead 10 minutes. Their desserts looked delicious but were all over $ 5(except for the free cookie I got for checking in on Unilocal). I think that’s a lil steep for a quick carry out type place. I have to give them a little break since what I ordered was technically not on the menu, but let’s be realistic here, 3 slices of bacon on an $ 8 sandwich and being out of mayonnaise? Slow service too??? Too much! Thank goodness I got a free cookie with this package or I would have still been starving. I may try this place again someday, maybe just a fluke this time, but I’m not inclined to do so soon.