Harry Caray’s Catering & Events

Harry Caray’s catered our July 4^th wedding at Prairie Productions in the West Loop. They did a fantastic job. My husband and I worked closely with Andy Burwell at Harry Caray’s to create our dream wedding. Instead of doing a sitdown dinner for 185 people, we wanted to throw a party with lots of food but didn’t want to follow too much tradition. Andy helped us plan an amazing menu with light and heavy passed appetizers including mini sliders with bacon and gouda and braised beef empanadas. We also served stuffed soft pretzels as a late night snack, which was Andy’s idea and a huge hit! I really cannot say enough about Andy and his commitment to making our reception the absolute best. He went above and beyond. Friends and family continue to tell me how wonderful the night was, that the food was terrific and that the staff was so attentive and friendly.

I contacted Harry Caray’s about possibly catering our wedding reception. They had great reviews and their sample menus looked incredible.
Our contact person seemed like a really nice guy and was genuinely excited, but I think he was overstretched. He responded well at first but became more and more unreliable. Eventually I gave up.
Many caterers around the city have been very professional and timely and able to work around a budget. I will go with one of these! :)

We used Harry Caray’s for my son’s wedding at Columbus Park Refectory. There were quite a few preferred vendors and I think I talked to about 10 of them. Initially, I thought our budget would eliminate Harry’s right away, but I looked at their website and thought we might have a chance to make this work. I was also impressed with the beer list — more than just Bud Light and Coors.
When the bride and I first met Gabi, we were not overly impressed. She was a little reserved and that put us off a bit. But she was very accommodating about us being late and it was evident Gabi was very knowledgeable about her craft. After future conversations and meetings, we decided to go with Harry Caray’s. Gabi worked with us on the menu, equipment and especially the budget. Our bride got everything she wanted including the Chivari chairs! Can’t thank Gabi enough for that!
On the day of the wedding, Gabi and her staff dealt with a very unpleasant manager at Columbus Park Refectory. But we did not notice a thing! Gabi still had the ceremony set up in time, made sure cocktail hour was fabulous and our dinner was superb! Everyone raved about the food –from the appetizers to the vodka pasta to the beef tenderloin. Also, I don’t know how Gabi did it, but our buffet line was never longer than 2 – 3 people!
I also can’t say enough about the service. The staff was very attentive. They made a special plate for my mother-​in-​law and always had our wine glasses filled. They were also very polite.
Like the previous reviewers said better than I, Gabi and her staff are awesome! You will be in good hands with her and Harry Caray’s! We highly recommend them!

Haray Caray’s was one of the preferred vendors of our wedding site: The Harold Washington Library. We tried all the vendors, and we ended up going with Harry Caray’s for our wedding in August 2010.
We felt the combination of food quality and price was the best out of the vendors. We also felt that Gabi was the best person that we met with, and were happy to know that she would be there on the wedding day.
Gabi was very responsive to any questions we had. She helped us select a great menu for our cocktail hour and for our entrees. She was also very helpful in recommending other wedding services such as photographers and DJs. She also coordinated the use of an Indian caterer for us as we had Indian food at the wedding as well. She is a wonderful person to work with!
Gabi and staff did a great job on our wedding day. The service was fantastic, and the food was amazing (my bride and I thought so, as did our guests). The staff took the time to make appetizer plates for my bride and I as we went off to take pictures.
Overall, I had a fantastic experience using Haray Caray’s as my caterer. I highly recommend using them!

I debated myself on the amount of stars to give Harry Caray’s catering. I finally decided on 3, because «catering» is not only food, but service and professionalism.
We had a list of preferred vendors for our wedding venue (Catalyst Ranch 5 ***** stars) in October 2008. We chose Harry Caray’s because it’s a Chicago staple. We chose international stations, passed hors d’oeuvres, a signature cocktail and a dessert station (cake, however, was made by Mark Seaman from Marked for Dessert… absolutely the best pastry chef)). All in all, the food was great! I have no complaints there. Harry Caray’s is always solid when it comes to culinary expertise.
So now comes my dilemma to my rating of their catering… When we set up our consultation and initial meetings with them, it was a year out from our wedding. We met with David (who no longer works there), and had a great feel for them. He explained everything to us and said to wait until closer to the wedding to set up a tasting, but gave us menu ideas and so much information. We were on board. However, 6 weeks before the wedding, we had not heard from David or anyone from Harry Caray’s, so I decided to call because I wanted to get the ball rolling on a tasting and nail down the menu. That’s where it all started to fall apart. I was informed by David’s REPLACEMENT that David did leave the company on a good note (he moved out of state to be with his family), and she was taking over. I can no longer remember her name, I think I blocked it out. She actually made me feel like I was a burden! WHAT?! She was shocked that I hadn’t called earlier and also wanted to know why I wanted to do a tasting. A tasting for what because we hadn’t nailed down a menu… she had no frickin’ clue what she was doing. It eventually got to the point that she was so incompetent that my liaison at the Catalyst Ranch called her boss and he took over. (I called the Catalyst Ranch because they only work with 5 caterers. So I felt that they should know what was going on with a company that they recommended) We never did get that tasting, so I was really nervous and had virtually no clue what to expect. Like I said, the food was great. However, we got no discount for my frustration and their lack of professionalism. The only ‘discount’ we did get was for the linens. The orange tablecloths that we wanted on all the tables were no where to be found… They literally just forgot.
I’m sorry that my wedding was only for 90 people and not 300. Was it that I wasn’t giving you enough money to care?
Harry Caray’s Catering is not a place I would recommend from my personal experience. And trust me, I don’t just ‘not recommend’ them. I actually tell people to not use them. However, if I have the opportunity to go to an event through them (and have a chance to talk to the hosts about their experience with them), I will continue to not recommend them. My views are not unchanging… I can be won back. We’ll see.

I chose Harry Caray as my wedding cater for my wedding at Promontory Point. Gabi was very helpful and patient with us through the whole process. It’s been a very pleasant experience working with her and her team. Unfortunately the fact that she won’t make it to my wedding day is the only negative i can think of. The food is good and affordable. I will definitely recommend HCC to any bride, especially if you choose Promontory Point as your venue. HCC team is very familiar with the venue and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Great place to get a variety of food. Been there three times. A little pricey but good food. What isn’t in Chicago. Good service.

The first of the wedding reviews…
Our wedding was this past weekend at Promontory Point and we hired Harry Caray’s in part because they are a Park District preferred vendor. We couldn’t be happier with our decision.
We only gave ourselves 3 months to plan the entire wedding so things got hectic at times, but things with Harry Caray’s were smooth the entire way. Gabi — the event captain — was extremely accommodating, helpful, and professional throughout the whole process. She went above and beyond our expectations and even helped us find a great florist and designer when our original florist bailed.
It provided us great peace of mind on the day of the wedding to know that everything was in good hands. We did passed hors d’oeuvres and two buffet stations for the meal and everything was delicious. The service was seamless and everything was kept clean and orderly throughout the evening. Gabi and her staff even took the time to prepare plates for my wife and me so we didn’t miss out on any of the food while we snuck off for pictures.
Overall, a great experience!