While Chicago is known for the best deep-dish pizza and barbecue in all of Illinois, the Windy City doesn’t stop there when it comes to delicious eats. Whether you’re munching on Vienna Beef Chicago dogs at Wrigley Field or enjoying an elegant dinner along the Magnificent Mile, the options are plenty in Chi-Town.
If you’re planning an office lunch, breakfast, or employee appreciation event, Chicago catering restaurants have a lot to offer. With vast menus featuring everything from tacos and subs to blend-your-own protein shakes, you’re sure to find something to satisfy every palate in the office.
For a head start on your menu, this top 10 list highlights some of the most popular eateries offering the best catering in Chicago.
1. Honky Tonk BBQ
In business for over 15 years, Honky Tonk BBQ — aka “The Tonk” — is a beloved eatery in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. If you’re in the mood for Southern-style BBQ, The Tonk is the place. Choose from boxed lunches with options including pulled pork, brisket, or smoked chicken sandwiches, along with comforting sides like mac and cheese, cornbread, and baked beans.
For the plant-based people in your group, Honky Tonk BBQ offers delicious salads such as The Girlfriend, a fresh blend of lettuce, jicama, blueberries, and walnuts, as well as vegan and vegetarian-friendly sides. A la carte barbecue meats include rib tips, brisket, wings, and pulled chicken, and all meat options come with sauce. Make sure to let your caterer know if you’ll be needing extra napkins or utensils. Notable: Vegetarian Empanadas with Spanish Manchego cheese and sweet corn.
2. Arepa George
Arepa George offers tasty Colombian-fusion fare, complete with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options. The restaurant gets rave reviews for its service and delicious food, with one reviewer exclaiming, “I love that this place exists!”
Arepa George’s empanadas are one of the most popular menu items, with flavor options that include spinach and cheese, mushroom, beef, plantain, and chicken curry. All empanadas come with flavorful sauces, and you can order trays that serve up to 12.
Some additional menu favorites include shredded chicken arepas made with cornmeal cake and Colombian tamales loaded with chicken, pork, fresh veggies, and savory beef brisket.
For something lighter, Arepa George also offers a variety of bowls made with protein options like salmon, chicken, or beef, served with shredded cabbage, avocado, and vinaigrette dressing. Sides include red potatoes with creole sauce, chips and pico, fried plantains, and many more. Notable: Coconut Shrimp with chipotle sauce, red and green pepper, onions, and sweet plantains.
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3. Taqueria Invicto
In the mood for some authentic Mexican cuisine? Taqueria Invicto offers everything from standard catering to full-service taco stands where your guests can build their own tacos with all the fixings. Taco trays are the most-ordered item, and each tray provides enough tacos for up to five people. Flavor options include hongos (mushroom) tacos, elotes (Mexican street corn) tacos, and aguacate fritos (fried avocado) tacos.
Taco bars provide everything your guests will need to make their own taco creations. Available in options for two or three tacos per person, taco bars come with a choice of two or three proteins, flour or corn tortillas, guacamole, salsa, onions, and limes. The restaurant also provides chafing dishes to keep everything warm at the customer’s request. Notable: Horchata Chocolate Chip Cookies.
4. Amba Grill Mediterranean
As one loyal customer stated, “I don’t think there are words to describe how delicious this food is.” When it comes to the best Mediterranean Chicago catering restaurants, Amba Grill Mediterranean can’t be beat.
The veggie sampler is one of Amba’s most popular catering items, and it comes with salad, baba ghanoush, pita bread, grape leaves, and tahini sauce. Each platter serves up to two people, so you’ll want to make sure to order enough portions to serve your entire group.
The falafel (deep-fried chickpea patties) platter serves up to 12, and it comes with tahini sauce. You can also order pita bread hummus for up to 12 to enjoy with the falafel, along with assorted baklava for up to six people for dessert.
Beverages such as bottled water, specialty sodas, and ginger mint lemonade are also available for catered orders. Notable: French Fry Sandwich with tomatoes, cucumber, tahini, and seasonings.
5. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
Home to “the best deep dish pizza in Chicago,” Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria has been serving happy, hungry customers since 1971. This family-owned pizza shop has expanded over the years, but the classic deep dish recipe remains the same. All pizzas are handmade from scratch, with a flaky, buttery crust recipe that’s been in the family for generations.
If you’re planning a pizza party for the office, look no further than Lou’s. The “Crowd Pleaser” large pizza package serves up to 20 people, and it comes with four 14-inch deep dish pizzas in cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and spinach, a pan of salad, and a tray of fresh cookies or brownies.
When placing your order, make sure to ask for napkins, plates, and cutlery if necessary. Notable: “The Lou” Thin Crust Pizza.
6. Protein Bar & Kitchen
For something light and healthy to perk up your crew, Protein Bar & Kitchen is a great option. Committed to promoting health and wellness, the Kitchen offers a wide array of fresh catering options for breakfasts, lunches, and even midday snacks.
Some popular options include the breakfast Bar-Rito box with assorted burritos packed with eggs, cheese, and fresh veggies, oatmeal bars with all the fixings, Bar-Rito wraps, and fruit bowls.
Another fun option is the build-your-own shake blending event, where members of the Protein Bar & Kitchen crew visit your location and blend healthy shakes for group sizes of 30 to 500 people. Shake flavors include peanut butter and jelly, tropical fruit, and berry banana, among others. Notable: Green Goddess Salad.
7. Garifuna Flava
For a taste of the Caribbean, Garifuna Flava catering will bring a touch of the islands straight to your office. This family-owned and -operated eatery offers a fusion of Caribbean, Latin, and indigenous Garifuna cuisine, with both per-person and pan-size catering.
Garifuna Flava’s Caribbean platter serves a minimum of 10 people, and it comes with a choice of jerk chicken, shrimp, fish, oxtails, beef patties, or jerk wings, plus three sides. You can also order veggie patties in place of meat.
Hot entrees include Belizean beef stew, oxtail stew, and sauteed shrimp, and the caramel pound cake made with milk and caramel sauce makes the perfect dessert. If you need utensils, be sure to order extra from the miscellaneous menu section. Notable: Belizean Potato Salad.
8. Fire Bar & Grill
Fire Bar & Grill is a busy sports bar and restaurant in the heart of Chicago, offering a wide range of classic favorites such as pizza, chicken tenders, nachos, and mozzarella sticks. Fire’s “dough-nuggets” consist of deep fried dough tossed with garlic parmesan dressing, and they’re so tasty, it’s hard to eat just one.
The 4th Down package is the grill’s most-ordered catering option, and it comes with three orders of dough-nuggets, pasta, salad, four thin crust pizzas, and 50 chicken wings. Some additional and equally delicious choices include Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, steak kabobs, and chicken kabobs. Notable: Vodka Penne Pasta.
9. Humboldt Haus
If sandwiches are on the menu for your catered office lunch, Humboldt Haus has you covered. This popular sandwich and beer joint uses only the freshest ingredients to make specialty sandwiches suitable for both meat lovers and vegetarians.
All sandwiches are packaged individually, with options that include classics such as Italian, BLT, and “Nothing But Veggies.” The Beast is a top seller, featuring a blend of turkey, pastrami, ham, mortadella, roast beef, and salami paired with provolone and an abundance of fixings. The restaurant also serves beverages, sides, and mouth-watering desserts — make sure to save room for the caramel peanut butter pie. Notable: Mushroom Melt with provolone cheese and veggies.
10. Bombay Eats
Bombay Eats is a family-owned restaurant and food truck, offering authentic Indian cuisine inspired by the mouth-watering street food in Mumbai. One of the most popular lunchtime meals is the grab-n-go bowl lunch box, with bowl options that include lamb curry, chicken tikka, or beef kabob. Each box comes with a choice of rice or salad and a package of Indian cookies.
Perfect for large parties, the Bombay rice platter serves up to 10. It features a savory blend of basmati and wild rice, and it comes with a choice of veggie, protein, and sauce. The restaurant also provides canned sodas, bottled water, and assorted smoothies. Notable: Potato and Pea Samosas.
Find the best Chicago catering restaurants through ezCater
From deep-dish pizza to tangy barbecue and everything in between, restaurants in the Windy City have what you need to make your meeting or event truly delicious. If you’re ready to place an order, the team at ezCater can help you narrow down your restaurant options and ensure your food arrives on time, as ordered.
