Cocina Fusion Reviews
Reviews
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![Jackie]()
Jackie Sent on 04/22/2026Cocina Fusion has my heart!
I cannot say enough incredible things about Cocina Fusion! As a recent Chicago bride, I can honestly say that booking them was one of the best decisions we made for our entire wedding. They were the very first tasting we went to and holy moly — they completely blew us away. The food, the decor, the presentation — I fell in love with everything! That is when girl math kicked in and the vision came to life! The green water goblets? Absolute must have. The gold chargers? Non-negotiable. Late night snack? Well obviously, because we are not monsters! But the churro cart — I had no idea I needed one until we tasted the churros from Cocina Fusion. So incredibly delicious. On the day of, our guests could not stop raving about the food and decor, and honestly that is the greatest feeling in the world as a bride! If I had to, I would choose them all over again in a heartbeat. We are so grateful for Cindy and the entire team, who were so supportive every step of the way. Our dream wedding would not have been possible without them! Do yourself a favor and just book, because you will not regret it! -
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![Martin]()
Martin Sent on 09/29/2025Mult-Cultural Wedding
What a great experience working with Cocina Fusion. During and after the wedding, so many people came up to us to rave about the food. We hosted a multi-cultural wedding and everyone seemed satisfied. The staff and owners are very kind, knowledgeable, and accommodating. The dishes range from classic to unique, and nearly everything we ate was nothing short of amazing. We are super eager to recommend them to anyone needing a large catering event, as we are dying to try the food again. Food was available throughout the night, and again, many of the options we chose were really fun. My personal favorite was the Poblano Risotto Cakes. We also had the pleasure previously of attending a cocina fusion catered event for their taco bar. Super delicious and memorable as well. -
![Kim]()
Kim Sent on 09/14/2025Book with Cocina Fusion!
After our tasting at Cocina Fusion with Cindy, we knew we had found the perfect match for our tastes. The food was phenomenal, and their churros and late-night tacos were a huge hit! It’s rare for guests to rave about wedding cuisine, but our friends and families continue to talk about everything served long after the wedding/to this day! From the chicken and waffle appetizers to the main courses—featuring a delightful combination of chicken and beef or a stuffed pepper with the most incredible red pepper cream sauce—Cocina Fusion kept our guests' plates full and satisfied all night long! Having the chance to take a break from dancing and dine on churros with dipping sauce and/or make a plate of tacos following what was an exquisite dinner was fantastic! Hire them! They are wonderful! -
![Sebastian]()
Sebastian Sent on 08/07/2025Five Stars Aren’t Enough for Juliana and the Team
At every stage of the process from our tasting through the wedding day, we continued to feel luckier and luckier that we found Cocina Fusion to cater our 170 person wedding at Artifact Events.
I could rave about how good the food was, and how every guest seemed to have a different favorite appetizer, or how our moms took leftovers home from the tasting to our dads insisting they had to try the food that night... but I'd fall short in raving just about the food. Juliana was absolutely incredible to work with throughout the entire process. It felt like we had a bonus wedding planner, helping us make smart decisions along the way and guiding us through thoughtful ideas during our walkthrough. Cocina Fusion and Juliana certainly made our wedding day an absolute success! Our guests loved the food, and the catering team never let our glasses run empty. Would highly recommend! -
![Will]()
Will Sent on 07/10/2025Kind and Delicious!
Cocina Fusion was awesome! Throughout the entire process, they were communicative, understanding, and kind. And most importantly, the food was incredible! Great selection and even better execution. -
![Margaret]()
Margaret Sent on 06/02/2025Highly Recommend Cocina Fusion! 10/10
We can't say enough good things about working with Cocina Fusion for our 5/3/25 wedding. Cindy was wonderful to work with from tasting to wedding day and the food was DELICIOUS. Multiple people came up to us to say best wedding food ever and we couldn't agree more. We also worked with Cocina on our place settings and linens which looked beautiful. Couldn't recommend more!!
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![Julia]()
Julia Sent on 04/27/2025The BEST of the best
We cannot say enough amazing things about Cocina Fusion! They absolutely went above and beyond for our wedding, and we are still getting compliments from our guests about how incredible the food was. The taco and steak stations they provided were out of this world — everything was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented.
Beyond just the food, their full service was outstanding. The team helped the entire day flow so smoothly, allowing my husband and me to truly relax and enjoy every moment. Working with Cindy was such a pleasure — she was professional, kind, and so genuinely invested in making our day perfect.
We are endlessly grateful for Cocina Fusion and would recommend them a million times over to anyone looking for unforgettable catering. Thank you for making our wedding day even more special -
![Molly]()
Molly Sent on 03/24/2025Stop your search.. Cocina Fusion is the best!
The hype is SO real!! We booked Cocina Fusion before our tasting based on their reviews and taco bar offering, and it was the best decision ever. Cindy and the entire team went above and beyond to make our day truly special. Everything was perfect, from the tasting to the actual wedding day. Even though the team is incredibly busy, Cindy always took the time to respond to any questions leading up to the big day. So many of our guests raved about the food and drinks. I highly recommend Cocina Fusion to anyone planning a wedding or event! -
![Daniel]()
Daniel Sent on 12/30/2024Best food at the best price!
I cannot recommend Cocina Fusion enough as a wedding caterer! From the moment we tasted their food, we knew they were the perfect fit for our special day. Not only was their food the best tasting out of all the caterers we tried, but their prices were also incredibly reasonable. Their chimichurri steak was an absolute standout - it was the best I've ever had. But it wasn't just the main course that impressed us. The appetizers and cocktails were equally delicious and beautifully presented.
But what truly sets Cocina Fusion apart is their exceptional service. They made sure that my partner and I actually got to eat on our wedding day by bringing apps to our suite right after the ceremony. It was such a thoughtful gesture and truly made us feel taken care of (highly recommend the empanadas for this part!).
The staff at Cocina Fusion were also amazing. They were professional, friendly, and went above and beyond to make sure our guests were well taken care of. Overall, Cocina Fusion exceeded all of our expectations and played a huge role in making our wedding day perfect. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a dream caterer - they truly are the best in Chicago. Thank you to Cindy and everyone at Cocina Fusion for making our special day even more memorable!
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![Helen]()
Helen Sent on 12/03/2024Absolutely the best, five stars all around!
If you're looking for a caterer who makes unbelievably delicious food, has incredible attention to detail, and is extremely professional, please choose Cocina Fusion. If I could give Cocina Fusion 10 stars, I would. I knew we wanted Cocina as our caterer when we had their food at my best friend's wedding 2 years ago. Their food was that amazing that I still remembered everything we ate and my friend was raving about her experience with them. We worked with Cindy starting from our tasting until the day of our wedding. Cindy was amazing to work with and her team is so on top of everything at all times. After we signed with Cocina Fusion, Cindy made sure to send reminder emails about all of our deadlines but never made us feel pressured. We really appreciated that, especially in the midst of stressful wedding planning. Cocina Fusion's food is the BEST wedding food I have ever eaten at all weddings I've been to and all of our guests felt the exact sentiment, especially my family! It made us so happy that our guests enjoyed our cocktail hour and reception so much and that is all thanks to our wonderful caterer. And best of all, we had 4 people at our wedding who had their wedding food catered by Cocina so you know that Cocina is a top choice for weddings in Chicago. We are so grateful for the team and we cannot recommend them enough. -
![Stephanie]()
Stephanie Sent on 11/12/2024They were amazing
Cocina Fusion was AMAZING!! We could not be happier with the service and the delicious food. We really wanted to try something new with the taco bar and it was a total hit. We still have guests talking about how good everything was. The churro cart was also a nice little touch! Highly recommend them. We wish we could get married all over again just to eat the food. -
![Caissa]()
Caissa Sent on 11/06/2024best wedding food EVER
We only went to one food tasting because as soon as we had Cocina's food- it was a done deal. My husband and I take pride in serving good food for our wedding as we are big foodies!! We LOVED everything we had during our tasting, the variety, the flavor, and the service from day one. Cindy and team were exceptional in making our dream wedding perfect. Cindy was responsive, organized, collaborative, and helped us a lot with the way our floor plan went. Loved everything about it. Okay now the food- we are now one month in and we still have guests tell us how good the food was for our wedding. Some telling us that it was the best wedding food they ever had, especially the stuffed mushroom chicken! On the day of the wedding, we appreciate how attentive Cindy and team was with the details of everything we talked about during the final walk through. It was executed perfectly, everything ran smooth and on time. We are so grateful to have them as our catering team and so thankful of how they took care of all of us from start to finish. Thank you Cocina! We will always recommend you to family & friends. -
![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 11/04/2024Highly recommend cocina fusion!
WOW! We used Cocina Fusion for our catering service for our wedding and they did such an AMAZING job! Working with Cindy was extremely smooth, she was very professional, came prepared to every meeting and interaction! She was always available and helped us with a wide range of topics including menu choices to the floor layout plan to the table linen colors!
All of our guests kept talking about how good the food options were and the amount of food more than expected. We loved all the cocktail appetizers, the main courses, and of course the Chicago Dogs for dessert! The table linens and presentation looked perfect. The Cocina Fusion service team was excellent and courteous the entire night.
They were very flexible and open to pricing ranges and working with us to understand what was needed and the prices appropriately reflected!
We HIGHLY recommend working with Cindy and the Cocina Fusion team as they are professional, flexible, and their food tastes great! Thank you!! -
![Andrea]()
Andrea Sent on 10/24/2024Everything Was Perfect!
Picking Cocina Fusion was one of the best decisions of our wedding! When comparing vendors, their pricing was the most reasonable, and we were blown away with the quality of their food! We chose to serve family style at Fairlie; us and our guests thoroughly enjoyed all our food choices - including our vegan and dairy-free guests who raved about the quality of their special plates (with one claiming they had the best fried potatoes of their life!) With the bride's side being Mexican-American and the groom's side being American, we appreciated the wide variety of offerings from Cocina Fusion. We were able to highlight some Mexican recipes during cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres and kept it classic American for dinner. From the hors d'oeuvres (can’t recommend the potato taquitos enough), salads, dinner rolls, our entree selections, and desert (churro bar) - the quality was great across the board.
Another token of appreciation to the Cocina Fusion Team, Juliana was incredibly responsive from day one to the day of the wedding, the bar staff and catering team were friendly and accommodating to our guests, and Anaxi’s recipes are so delicious. We can’t have imagined a better choice for our special day, and we highly recommend them! -
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![Lucy]()
Lucy Sent on 10/21/2024Delicious, Memorable, and Exceptional!
Juliana and her team were reliable, responsible, and professional from our initial tasting to our wedding reception! All of our guests loved the food, and Cocina Fusion had the best menu by far of any caterer we tried, so it was a no-brainer to work with them! Hiring them is the best decision you could make for your wedding! -
Molly Sent on 10/09/2024
Cocina Fusión Wedding Catering
Cocina Fusión went above and beyond to meet our needs! We knew when me and my husband went for our tasting for our wedding just how professional this company is as well as Cindy. Cindy was very organized when helping us choose everything for our reception. The food was outstanding, and that’s the one thing everyone keeps talking about from our reception about how great the food was! If I could give more stars I would! I highly recommend them for any event! -
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![Becca]()
Becca Sent on 10/04/2024Great Experience Start to Finish
Cocina Fusion was absolutely fantastic to work with from start to finish of our wedding planning. We had such a lovely tasting with them and knew right away that they were the right vendor for us. Prior to the wedding day we had a meeting to finalize details and I had mentioned that I wish I had chosen gold flatware and they did a complimentary upgrade for us! Truly went above and beyond to make sure I had the perfect day. After dinner, I had several people come up to me raving about the food. Truly would recommend Cocina Fusion for any Chicago brides. -
![Kasia]()
Kasia Sent on 09/27/2024Delicious Food & Amazing Team!!
We had Cocina Fusion cater for our wedding and they were INCREDIBLE! The food was absolutely delicious and the team was so wonderful to work with. Cindy was our catering manager for our wedding and she went above and beyond throughout the entire planning process as well as on the wedding day. She always responded to all of our emails so promptly, gave us incredible advice whenever we needed it, and made sure that everything ran smoothly on our day. Cindy was truly so wonderful to work with, our biggest thank you to her!!
And the food was beyond incredible! It was way better than your standard "wedding food" - we had so many guests raving about it afterwards! For our entree, we went with the salmon with mango pico de gallo & the chimichurri chicken - SO good!! And for our appetizers, we had corn & cheese empanadas, bacon-wrapped dates, arepas, and mushroom risotto bites. Everything was so delicious! I personally can't stop thinking about how good the empanadas were. We also had late night hot dogs, sliders, and churros which was an amazing addition to the event.
Cocina Fusion was truly amazing. We would hire them again in a heartbeat. We plan on recommending them to all of our family and friends for their weddings/events. Thank you to Cindy and the rest of the CF team!! -
![Amanda]()
Amanda Sent on 09/26/2024Book Cocina Fusion Now!
What's not to say about Cocina Fusion that you haven't already read in these amazing 5 star reviews! They are without a doubt the best vendor we had at our wedding, and honestly one of the first ones we booked as we planned our September 20, 2024 wedding! Cindy and her team are without a doubt the most attentive and her relationship with our venue manager was pure bliss. They made sure that we were able to eat our delicious appetizers and personally handed us our signature drinks as we entered cocktail hour. Just a prime example of attentiveness they had the entire day! Our guests wouldn't stop complimenting the food and I'm so glad they loved it as much as we did when we had our first tasting! Everything was so perfect! Muchisimas Gracias Juliana, Cindy and Team! -
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![Nely]()
Nely Sent on 09/24/2024Loved Cocina Fusion!
I would recommend Cocina Fusion for all your catering needs! We were blown away at our tasting and took leftovers home to my parents - my parents tried it and said "cancel your other tastings book them". my family is latino and i wanted authentic Latin food served at our wedding, and already had a high bar coming from a family of good cooks - their dishes did not disappoint and all our guests raved about the food, especially the churro cart! Cindy was an absolutely pleasure to work with and was so responsive to all our needs. thank you so much Cocina fusion -
Diane Sent on 04/20/2024
12/10 experience with Cocina Fusion!
Working with Juliana and the Cocina Fusion team is one of the best wedding planning decisions we made. They were flexible and so easy to work with. I felt like Juliana really cared about making sure we had the best day possible - in planning the menu she gave us great recommendations in making our selections and offering ideas to balance our priorities. Everything we served was truly phenomenal - our guests are still raving about the feed 2 weeks after the wedding.
Juliana was very responsive to any questions we had throughout the process and her team was on top of everything day of. Highly recommend! -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 11/03/2023Best Wedding Food Ever!
Cocina Fusion is the “best wedding food I’ve ever had, hands down” as commented by MANY of our guests! My husband and I worked with them for our August 2023 wedding. Juliana was great to work with from start to finish. She is always quick to respond via email so it was easy to set up our initial tasting, which was enjoyable, comprehensive, and fun! She also had great advice and answers to all our questions about timeline, how to do wine and bar service, allergies and dietary restrictions, and more. We had two other meetings with Juliana which were much appreciated – one meeting to select linens and do a table mock up, and another at the final vendor meeting. She worked so well with our coordinator and other vendors and was so great to work with throughout the way.
The food and service were outstanding. We went with the corn and cheese empanadas, mini crispy chicken taquitos, and plantain chips with grilled shrimp for our appetizers, the fusion salad to start, and the chimichurri steak, chipotle chicken, and stuffed poblano pepper for our entrees, accompanied by cilantro rice and baked plantains. After the ceremony there was a tray of appetizers waiting for us in the bridal suite, as well as our two signature cocktails, so we could get a quick bite before mingling at the cocktail hour! And at dinner, the staff made sure to ask before clearing my plate, as I had gotten pulled up quickly after dinner service. Everything was delicious! The ceremony and reception spaces were set up beautifully (there is so much behind the scenes work that the catering team does that goes unrecognized!) and service went perfectly. The bartenders were great too! We got so many compliments on our signature drinks (as well as the food, obviously!). I cannot recommend working with Cocina Fusion enough! -
Veronica Sent on 10/15/2023
Delicious Food from an Amazing Team!
My husband and I worked with Cocina Fusion for our wedding in August at Loft Lucia. Julianna and her team were amazing to work with from the very beginning of planning to the tasting to the day of! Their staff on sight during the wedding day were professional, efficient, and courteous. They especially took great care of us during the wedding day as the bride and groom, ensuring we had plenty of appetizers, dinner first and a drink in hand. We loved that we could serve Latin-inspired/fusion food at a reasonable price for our event. Our personal favorites from our menu included the short rib empanadas, chimichurri steak and the churro cart with ice cream for dessert, which was a massive hit with our guests. We highly recommend!!! -
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Patricia Sent on 10/10/2023
Excellent Caterer of Latin Fusion
Juliana and her team at Cocina Fusion were excellent in every measure. Her email communication is prompt. She anticipates issues and is proactive in resolving them before they become problems. The event staff was professional, personable and fun. And the food!!! Rave reviews. Heard from many guests (even the foodies) that meal was delicious and "best wedding food ever." We had the Chimichurri Steak, Chicken Poblano, Rice cake, tower of vegetables, fusion (arugula) salad and Churro Cart. Vegetarian was Stuffed Poblano Pepper. Appetizers :spinach & cheese empanadas, chipotle meatballs, bacon wrapped dates, mushroom cups with goat cheese.
The venue had its challenges for Juliana, her husband (the chef) and staff but they never complained and made it work.
Could not recommend more highly. -
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![Zach]()
Zach Sent on 10/06/2023Amazing bang for your buck
The team at Cocina Fusion is full of rockstars! From the moment we got in contact with them, through tastings, planning, and the day of, our service was incredible. Not only is the food amazing, but the people were so nice and made us feel heard throughout the process. They were flexible and accommodating of our requests, and they were very responsive to all of our questions. I would recommend Cocina Fusion without any hesitation. -
Sam Y. Sent on 08/12/2023
Incredible wedding catering experience with Cocina Fusion
My wife and I could not be happier with our experience working with Cocina Fusion to cater our wedding! First and foremost, the food was AMAZING! Every single appetizer was absolutely delicious, our short rib barbacoa was one of the best short ribs we've ever had, and we heard rave reviews from every single guest we spoke to about the meal and food service - multiple guests said it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding! Providing delicious food for 140 guests can't be easy, but Juliana and Anaxi made it happen! Juliana was an incredible partner to work with throughout the planning process, always extremely helpful and responsive, and the tasting was one of the highlights of our wedding planning process. They provide plenty of options to choose from so every couple can find something suitable for them. They are also extremely flexible when it comes to allergies/restrictions and helped us accommodate every single guest. We also used Cocina Fusion's rentals for our charger plates, flatware, linens, and napkins, and it was absolutely stunning. Everyone on the team was extremely nice and made sure every guest had everything they needed! We are so thankful for Juliana, Anaxi, and the team for providing such an incredible catering experience! -
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![Danya]()
Danya Sent on 07/16/2023The best wedding caterer!
There aren't enough words to describe how happy my husband and I are that we chose to work with Cocina Fusion for our wedding! From the start, they blew us away. We were so overwhelmed with catering choices at the start of our planning process, but after our first conversation with Juliana, we knew we were going to go with Cocina Fusion. Juliana and her team were attentive, so kind, and flexible. No matter how many questions or requests we had, Juliana was more than willing to work with us.
When we went for our tasting, we were even more blown away than we could've expected. The service and setup was amazing, but nothing could've prepared us for how good the food was. Having tasty food was high on our priority list when planning our wedding, and we knew we made the right choice after our tasting. Cocina Fusion did not disappoint on our wedding day either. They helped us with our seating chart and set up, and dinner service was incredibly smooth. The waitstaff was wonderful, and our guests could not stop raving about the food. We also got the churro cart for dessert which was a huge hit.
We will always recommend Cocina Fusion, and we are so grateful that they made our wedding day perfect! -
![Matthew]()
Matthew Sent on 06/01/2023The Dream Caterer
You can’t get a better caterer for your wedding than Cocina Fusion. Not only does Cocina serve the kind of food you would find at a highly recommended restaurant, but Juliana is a superstar organizer that will make your wedding a breeze.
THE FOOD
Cocina Fusion’s food produces that “wow factor.” Our guests couldn’t stop raving about it, with some even requesting recipes. Several guests gushed over both our appetizers (burrata, mini chicken arepa, mini shrimp cocktail, beef empanadas) and our dinner (chef salad with strawberries, chimichurri steak, blackened chicken with mango salsa, Cajun potato wedges). My now-wife and I were not surprised. We were extremely diligent (and borderline OCD) in our search for and research of potential caterers: We read through the websites, wedding-website profiles, and reviews of at least 300 caterers in the Chicagoland areas; we spoke with dozens of recently wedded couples; we had in-depth interviews with over a dozen caterers on our short list; and we went to half a dozen taste tests. Some of the food that we tasted was equivalent to sub-part elementary cafeteria food. And most of the food we tried and heard about can best be described as “ok.” However, Cocina Fusion’s food was a revelation. It was just that much better than all the other caterers.
THE SERVICE
Cocina Fusion was incredibly flexible and gracious with all our appetizer and dinner requests, essentially making from scratch appetizers and dishes that we really wanted but that were not on its ordinary menu. Juliana was also extremely accommodating in allowing us to change our minds multiple times regarding some of the appetizer selections and entrees, as well as the table design. And perhaps most helpful, Juliana is one of those people that just has it all together. Her attention to detail and diligence gives you the invaluable comfort of knowing you are in the best of hands and simply don’t have to worry about the food service at all. She knows all the right questions to ask you, the venue, and all your other vendors. With Juliana at the helm, you know your appetizer and dinner service will run smoothly. And for the cherry on top, Juliana will go out of her way to make sure that you get to try each and every appetizer, and that you have the opportunity to eat dinner.
Exceptional food, exceptional service, and an overall first-rate experience. Unless you can hire Bobby Flay as your caterer, you would be crazy not to hire Cocina Fusion for your wedding. -
![Tamara]()
Tamara Sent on 05/31/2023The Best Catering Experience - Amazing Food and Team!
We are so thrilled we chose Cocina Fusion as our caterer for our April 2023 wedding! Great communication from the very start - Juliana's attention to detail, responsiveness and professionalism made Cocina Fusion one of the easiest to work with out of all our vendors. Juliana and Anaxi made us feel very welcomed and prioritized at our tasting, and the food was AMAZING - I'm still drooling over the bacon-wrapped dates and the herb and butter salmon! The serving staff was awesome - I so appreciated that they brought a tray of appetizers up to the bridal suite for us as soon as we arrived at our venue, to make sure the wedding party got to eat! You're in the best of hands with Cocina Fusion! -
![K B]()
K B Sent on 04/07/2023Food so good, my nephew made four plates!
If I could give a star for every compliment we received from our wedding guests we would have a full galaxy on our hands. We knew from the moment we booked our date that Cocina Fusion was going to be our one and ONLY choice for catering. My husband is a DJ, so he's seen his fair share of catering meals, and each time he DJs and event he RAVES about the food Cocina Fusion provides.
From our first tasting, we knew our taco bar buffet would be a huge hit with our guests and it was! We knew we wanted something non-traditional and something that our guests would love to eat - and who doesn't love tacos?! We also hired them for a late night churro cart which was a favorite of everyone.
All night we kept having people come up to us talking about how incredible the food was and people wanted to visit the "Cocina Fusion Restaurant" the next time they visited Chicago :)
Beyond the amazing food though Julianna, Chef and the entire team were thoughtful, attentive and kind the entire event. My father is a stickler for service and he kept telling me how amazing the staff was and how friendly and accommodating everyone was the entire night. They even indulged my nephew who clearly loved the food and made four visits to the taco buffet! Can't say enough about this team and all they took care of for the wedding from the linens, room flip, food to service - they did it all and I wouldn't recommend anyone else to future brides in the Chicago area! -
![Ele]()
Ele H. Sent on 02/28/2023The BEST food, drinks, and TEAM!
The Cocina Fusion team are an absolute class act. From first quote to wedding day, Juliana and her team were absolute professionals - responded promptly and clearly, and were always willing to work with my husband and I to make our vision a reality. Multiple of our guests came up to us at the wedding to tell us that it was actually the BEST food they have ever had. I loved how easy they made the whole process. I have already recommended Cocina Fusion to multiple of my close friends, and I know you cannot go wrong with this amazing company! -
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![Steven]()
Steven Sent on 12/27/2022If you want your guests to enjoy your wedding...
One thing people always take away from a wedding is whether the food was good, bad, or forgettable.
We went to a friend’s wedding loved the food, so we looked into using the same caterer. From scheduling a tasting before the wedding to the actual day, our experience as Cocina Fusion's clients was well thought out and stress-free. Juliana and the team actually care about their customers which shows in the customer experience and the food. Rave reviews from our guests about the food–that's a W!
I’ve been to hundreds of weddings (I was a wedding DJ) and I can easily say Cocina serves the best food I've ever had at weddings.
Here's what we ended up going with:
Appetizers:
Bacon wrapped dates with side of roasted red pepper tomato sauce
Spinach & cheese (V) empanada (the only thing that wasn't gluten free)
Mini crispy chicken taquitos
Entrees:
Chicken: chimichurri chicken: chicken | chimichurri sauce
Beef: herb butter steak: grilled steak | herbs & butter
Vegetarian: poblano pepper | green onion | corn | zucchini | roasted red pepper coconut cream sauce & sides
Sides:
Mushroom risotto cakes
Grilled vegetable tower: yellow squash, eggplant, zucchini, balsamic glaze
We’re so happy Cocina Fusion catered our wedding. Everything worked out perfectly with them! -
![Allie]()
Allie Sent on 11/14/2022Amazing Experience!
We could not recommend Cocina Fusion more. The food was SO good and flavorful. They made the whole process easy and took care of anything we needed. We got so many compliments on the food from the guests. We would highly recommend them. 10/10!! -
Brooke Sent on 11/07/2022
Look No Further for an UH-MA-ZING Caterer
Cocina Fusion's food was well seasoned, cooked, and delicious. Juliana and team were full of professional people who attended to our every need and executed our special requests flawlessly. If you're looking for a reliable, friendly, and hard-working caterer with amazing food, you can look no further than Cocina. Their food is exciting and unique - a rarity when looking for a wedding caterer. -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 10/11/2022An Incredible Experience and Phenomenal Food
Choosing Cocina Fusion Catering was hands down one of the best decisions we made for our wedding thanks to Juliana, her husband (the chef), and the Cocina staff.
In regards to the food: Of all the things we planned for our guests, the dinner was the most discussed. Countless people told me it was the best wedding food they ever had and my brother who has traveled the world told me he drools just thinking about it (with big shout outs to the poblano risotto cake that we chose by a happy accident!). I also know that the bride and groom often don't end up eating too much of their dinner due to stress/busyness of the day but 1) Juliana made sure we had appetizers and food in front of us 2) It was so delicious we absolutely ate all of it.
In regards to the service: It was so sweet how often the wait staff checked on us to see if we needed anything. In addition, the set up was beautiful and service was efficient. Not only that, I was blown away at how detailed and supportive Juliana was with the whole wedding set up and she gave us access to use a program called "All Seated" that made planning and communication seamless for my coordinator, venue owner, DJ, florist, etc.
Special thanks to Juliana: As a Korean couple, we love Latin foods but it was so sweet to find out that Juliana and her husband love Korean food and we happily exchanged restaurant recommendations at the tasting (which will be one of my favorite memories and experiences in the process of planning). Also, we were a couple who was affected by the Zephyr/Stockhouse bankruptcy/scandal in the Fall of 2022 but we actually found out about our venue closing thanks to Juliana emailing us as soon as she heard (literally at 1am). Though the venue did not formally confirm their closing till a month before the wedding, thanks to her promptness in informing us, we were able to find a new venue and she was so flexible and accommodating in helping us replan our wedding in just two months.
We cannot say enough about how thankful we are and we will be crossing our fingers for them to open a restaurant because we sure do miss their food ◡̈ -
Colleen Sent on 10/01/2022
Excellent food, even better service!
We partnered with Cocina Fusion for our June 2022 wedding (after years & months of COVID related reschedules & postponements!) and cannot recommend them highly enough!
Not only is their food delicious with a wide menu of excellent, unique & creative options (months later, our guests are still raving about the menu!), the entire team is incredibly professional, talented, and reliable.
Most importantly - Cocina makes things EASY and stress-free; they act like true, collaborative partners & trusted advisers to your event - and are flexible in customizing their offerings to your needs & vision. Throughout the whole process - Juliana was so responsive, accommodating, and patient to work with and helped ensure our event went off flawlessly - asking all the right questions & offering suggestions that would have never crossed our minds. Even though she had another commitment the night of our wedding - she ensured we had a top-notch day-of lead, and still dropped by to say congratulations and ensure everything was running smoothly. Further, the hospitality provided by the entire staff on our wedding day was excellent - from the day-of coordinator, the servers, and bartenders (one of whom even graciously helped me track down some scissors for a last minute alteration, ha!). The service was so smooth, and the Cocina team did a fantastic job of anticipating every need and ensuring our drinks & bellies were happily full! We couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Thank you, Cocina Fusion!! -
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![Meredith]()
Meredith Sent on 09/19/2022Best Cater Hands Down!
Cocina Fusion was absolutely the most delicious catering option for our wedding! We loved the appetizers and the build your own taco bar! Our guests all across the board commented that our wedding had the best food they ever had at any wedding!
Juliana (the owner) is super organized, easily reachable, and makes the wedding planning process seamless! Juliana made planning our wedding a breeze!
Best cater and one of the best vendors we could have ever worked with.
~Meredith & Rob -
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Florence Sent on 08/29/2022Must Hire Them!
My goodness, where do I even start with Cocina Fusion? From the first tasting to our wedding...they were phenomenal every step of the way. All our dishes we decided on were so tasty and fresh during the wedding. Marcela was very timely and professional during the entire process and their team of servers were amazing. I had a couple oddball requests and they fulfilled them with no resistance. Thank you Cocina Fusion for making my catering experience a joy as a bride! -
2D4D541Bec205D69C962B257C118Ad29773Fff13 Sent on 07/06/2022
Amazing, Organized and Enthusiastic Wedding Caterers
Juliana, Anaxi, Marcela and their Cocina Fusion team were exemplary, terrific, and hands down amazing caterers that will go above and beyond for your wedding. We worked with Cocina Fusion for over two years due to the pandemic and a wedding reschedule and they were extremely communicative, caring, and genuine all throughout. We were in constant contact with Marcela and we could not express enough compliments for her enthusiasm and passion in ensuring not only the catering was perfect, but also our wedding day as a whole. Our day of wedding coordinator had rave compliments for Marcela in that she was very perceptive and observant of everything occurring and provided help without being asked to outside of the catering duties. We selected interactive dinner stations for our wedding and the unique experience was a hit with the guests. We received satisfied praises about dinner from guests young to the elderly. Cocina Fusion is an authentic, unique, organized, and charming caterer and will elevate your wedding experience. -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 06/28/2022Absolutely cannot be beat.
If you are looking for the best caterer in Chicago, you found it. We had Cocina Fusion for our wedding at Room 1520 in March of 2022 and we STILL have guests telling us in this extremely busy wedding season, the food at our wedding was the best they've ever had.
We taste tested with so many caterers before knowing for sure that the team at Cocina Fusion was the best choice, not just because of the quality and taste in food, but also because we felt we could trust them completely and know that we would have nothing to worry about on our day. Juliana was so kind and amazing to work with, and they are truly a team of passionate professionals. Juliana was so amazing in making sure we ate on the day of the wedding, and making sure a board of the appetizers were set aside for us during our private moment after the ceremony. The mini empanadas and chicken tacos were the talk of the night, and the mushroom risotto cakes are STILL brought up in conversation to us. My Korean parents had never had pasilla steak before and they said their only regret that night was being almost too full to finish. The portions are REAL people portions, and every single guest said they were full and happy and blown away by the dinner.
We added on their churro cart and Icecream cart, and the team set up our dessert table so beautifully I couldn't have asked for anything more. My husband and I said from the beginning of wedding planning that food was one of our top priorities, and Cocina Fusion delivered beyond our expectations. We are forever grateful to Cocina Fusion for making our day as seamless and beautiful as it was. It was a dream come true. -
![Reeanna]()
Reeanna Sent on 05/04/2022Outstanding
Juliana and the entire Cocina Fusion staff were amazing. Juliana was very responsive in a very timely manner. Everyone was professional and the food was delicious! I would highly recommend. -
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![Kaitlin]()
Kaitlin Sent on 12/28/2021Unique and memorable food!
We used Cocina Fusion for our wedding caterer. Food was the number one priority of my husband. He read their menu and was set on reaching out/tasting. They were the only caterer we tasted with and we are glad that was the case! The food was amazing. All of our guests commented on how impressed they were! Juliana was always so responsive in our communications. She gave me advice about multiple aspects of the wedding planning process (even if that wasn't her main priority). We love Cocina Fusion and hope to have the opportunity to dine with them again in the future!! -
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Alisha Sent on 12/28/2021Best caterer ever
Our venue had a set list of vendors that we were required to choose from, and even after our tasting (before finding Cocina), we were wildly unimpressed with those other caterers and bewildered by the costs. Although we had a wedding planner, we stumbled upon Cocina Fusion on our own, & it was by far the best decision we could’ve made. Marcela was such a genuine and warm person to work with. Our tasting went so well, and they were so accommodating and helpful with my husband’s family’s many food allergies/sensitivities. After the tasting, we were sold on Cocina Fusion. The food was remarkable. It was really special that we were able to incorporate the Latin fusion menu into our wedding as my father and his family are from Mexico. When it came to wedding day, Marcela was so attentive and sweet. I ended up having an awful stomach ache throughout the day (probably nerves), and she was so helpful and caring. She packed me a to go box of food, so that I could properly enjoy the food when I was feeling better. She even came by during dinner and asked me if I wanted anything from the bar, and she brought me something on her own time just to be thoughtful. I’ll truly never forget her kindness and how genuine she was throughout our whole experience. Everyone RAVED about the food- our wedding party, our friends, our family, EVERYONE. Everything was so delicious! Our favorites were the poblano chicken, ceviche, and chimichurri empanada. I wish I could order from there like takeout on weekends. The food is unreal. The staff is impeccable! The price is more affordable than a lot of other caterers who don’t have anywhere close to the style and flavor as CF. And working with Marcela was easy, & I looked forward to seeing her and connecting with her all throughout the process. Going with Cocina Fusion was the best decision we made! To those of you who think you are stuck with that set list of vendors from your venue, YOU ARE NOT. Most might charge a small fee to get out of that (our venue ended up not charging us anything), but Cocina Fusion will save you money, bring you more originality and flavor, and keep your guests away from typical “wedding food” that we know everyone loathes. GO WITH COCINA FUSION! -
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Stacey Sent on 12/05/2021Cocina Fusion is an amazing choice!
We chose Cocina Fusion to be our caterer; our wedding was over a month ago and our guests are STILL talking about how delicious the food was! Some guests have even said that it was the best wedding food they have ever had! We decided to go with Mexican food (my husband's favorite), as well as a crepe station (my favorite) and Cocina Fusion did not disappoint. Appetizers were served on the rooftop at sunet, specifically spinach and cheese empanadas, shredded cheese arepas, and round brioche with spinach and potato foam - the food was SO good, the bartenders kept the party vibe flowing, and the staff was friendly, responsive, and professional!
Because it was late October, we were worried that we werent able to do our cocktail hour outside; we communicated our concerns to our caterer and they were empathetic, accomodating, and communicative about options and boundaries which helped us to prepare. And it all worked out! During dinner, we had a taco bar that included short-rib barbacoa, carne asada, poblano chicken, and Mexican rajas. We served Mexican rice and baked plantains, and all the taco fixings! So many people went up for seconds! Our crepe station was nutella, stawberries, banannas, blackberries, and powered sugar. It was the perfect treat after an hour of dancing!
Juliana was amazing in answering our questions and helping us to plan during the uncertainty of COVID. Her staff were unbelievable. Our point of contact for the day, Marcela, made sure that we had everything we needed at all times. We highly recommend Cocina Fusion for all of your catering needs! -
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Nicole Sent on 11/15/2021Best Food Ever!
It's been six weeks since our wedding and our guests are still raving about Cocina Fusion. We worked primarily worked with Marcela and everything went so well from our first meeting to the day of! We chose the family style option, as we really wanted our guests to feel at home during dinner, everyone loved it! Our guests were never hungry and had plenty of food! At the last minute (less than a week to go) we asked if it was possible to add the Churro Cart, and we are so glad we did, as all of our guests raved about them. All of the food was so good that we couldn't even tell you a guest favorite, they talked about every appetizers, main course, and dessert equally! We loved the fusion aspect of Cocina Fusion as our wedding was a mixed cultural wedding (Mexican and American) we felt like we were able to serve food that everyone loved! The service was outstanding, the waiters and the bartenders were so extremely nice and did everything they could to make our guests happy. I would recommend Cocina Fusion to anyone who wants your wedding dinner to be remembered forever! -
![Amelia]()
Amelia Sent on 11/11/2021Best Experience
Cocina Fusion was the perfect catering choice fair our wedding. Our guests and us enjoyed our food so much! As we have a huge Puerto Rican family we wanted something that was not your typical wedding food. Our appetizer with Lechon was so good, our guests are still asking us about it. Marcela did a great job coordinating our services and helping us go forward with our palming throughout the shut down during covid. She was responsive, and easy to communicate with answering all questions we had. The day of they even made sure my husband, and I got to have every appetizer while we were shooting photos. Cocina Fusion is amazing in every aspect!
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![Anita]()
Anita Sent on 10/31/2021The Perfect Wedding Caterer!
Marcela and her team at Cocina Fusion did an incredible job at our wedding and we are so happy that they were our caterer! Not only was the food delicious (still getting complements weeks after our wedding!), it was also presented beautifully, from the passed hors-d'oeuvres to the entrees to the adorable churro cart to close the evening. Marcela is incredibly detail-oriented and goes the extra mile to make sure everything is to her clients' tastes. Having had to postpone our wedding date 3 times due to COVID, she was also extremely responsive and flexible in helping us every step of the way. Cocina Fusion was such a joy to work with and perfect catering for us - we cannot recommend them more! -
Rolane Sent on 10/27/2021
Exceptional service and awesome tasting food!
Cocina Fusion sold us on their chimichurri steak and chipotle chicken! Yum!!😁 The appetizers we picked were amazing as well. The food seriously taste incredible and the service was exceptional for the price. All guests left with a full stomach!
We worked with Juliana the entire wedding process with ease. Even having to move our original wedding date a year out due to the pandemic, she was able to manage to accommodate the request. She's very kind and communicative not only to us but also to all the other vendors she has to work with to make our wedding happen. The wedding planning process went smooth thanks to her and her hard work. We appreciate you, Juliana! -
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![Kristen]()
Kristen Sent on 09/15/2021Amazing Food. Amazing Staff.
One of the best decisions we made for our wedding was hiring Cocina Fusion as our caterer! We wanted a Latin themed menu and after a lot of research, we landed on Cocina Fusion. We worked with Marcela and she was nothing short of friendly, warm, accommodating and patient as we had to postpone our wedding due to COVID-19. She checked in with us throughout the year and when it came down the the wire, she was there for us and answered literally any question we had. She even made a recommendation for a signature drink which was a HIT! Everyone also raved about the food! I highly recommend the chimichurri steak and chicken florentine. Family style seems to be the way to go these days and I'm glad Marcela suggested we do it- each guest was able to have both entrees. Also wanted to shout out the bartenders who worked at our wedding. They were awesome! Marcela and the staff made our day so special. I highly recommend using Cocina Fusion to cater your event. You won't be disappointed! -
Andrew Sent on 09/12/2021
Fantastic Food, Even Better Service
Cocina Fusion was the perfect catering choice for our wedding. We had the taco bar with churro cart and bartending services. All of the food was excellent. It tasted just as good on our wedding day as the original tasting. Marcela did a great job coordinating the service throughout the evening. She was responsive and easy to communicate with over the 18 months since we booked their services. As we neared the day she asked all the right questions to get every detail right. They even made special portions of each appetizer and course for one guest who was allergic to onions and garlic! Our guests raved about the food. -
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![Eugenio]()
Eugenio Sent on 07/28/2021Superb, Delicious, and Authentic!
If you had to come up with a list of the most important things for a wedding, what would be in your top 3? For my wife and I, one of, if not the most important, was food and booze. We consider ourselves semi-foodies with a decent palette, thus, we wanted to make sure the food at our wedding was excellent. Of course, what is food without a refreshing beverage to go along with it? With that said, we were extra critical when choosing the caterer we wanted for our wedding, and Cocina Fusion delivered in spades, and then some.
My wife and I always envisioned having Latin American food at our wedding; leaning toward Mexican cuisine to pay tribute to my roots, but including flavors from other countries to represent the diversity of Latinos. Cocina Fusion seemingly specializes in this, as the flavors from the first tasting wowed us. We got to try multiple dishes from our choosing to narrow down the menu we wanted, and every dish was both uniquely flavored and authentic. None of the appetizers, entrees, and sides that we tasted disappointed, making it that much harder to choose what we wanted. When we finally did decide, we went with a couple of appetizers that included a mini sope to be passed around cocktail hour, the chipotle chicken and short rib barbacoa as the entrees, along with a grilled vegetable tower and arroz con gandules as the sides. We also opted for them to provide the drinks and bartenders, along with a churro station.
Due to COVID-19, we had to reschedule our wedding multiple times, yet, Cocina Fusion did everything in their power to be with us for the big day, something we are extremely grateful for. Once the date finally settled, and we began to talk through the process and details, Marcela was not only the epitome of professionalism, but also helped guide us along the way with things such as seating arrangements and time line, major checkboxes we gladly accepted her aid and input on. Besides flexibility with the date change, they were also flexible with including and arranging our party favors to ensure everything was in place in a way that we pictured and made sense in the grand scheme of the reception.
When the day finally came, the staff were ready to go right on time starting with cocktail hour. The servers were making sure all the guests were asked if they wanted appetizers, which were enjoyed by those who had them, and the beverages mixed by the bartenders got everyone into the festive mood we wanted them in! Dinner was served on time as well, and the servers moved like clockwork, bringing all seated guests food at the exact time, rather than serving some guests first. It is the small details I noted and also received compliments on like this that made the night feel magical. The food was even more scrumptious than I remembered, which was a sentiment echoed by other guests I spoke with; a few weeks out, and I am still receiving glamorous reviews by family and friends about the food! The salad was fresh and light, the barbacoa melted in your mouth, the salsa had a yummy spicy kick to it, the chicken was tender and sauce delicious, and the vegetable tower and arroz cooked to perfection. I unfortunately did not get to try the churros, but from what other guests told me, they were on par with the quality and taste of the rest of the food. Yet, the one thing that shocked people in the best way about the dinner, besides the food, was the service.
We expected the wait staff to be adequate, but describing them solely in this fashion does not do them justice. Every server went above and beyond to ensure all of our guests, and not just my wife and I, felt cared for and special. No guest emptied a plate without being asked if they wanted more, or if there was anything missing they would have liked. Numerous guests made sure to provide similar feedback to me about the staff, and one friend went as far as saying this was the best service he had ever received. As for the bartenders, they knew exactly how to keep the party going, and did a phenomenal job at keeping everyone jovial, along with keeping tabs on those that were close to reaching their limit; for these guests, including me, a glass of water was given to re-energize, and then kept the booze flowing. A definite plus was the option to have Anti-Hero from Revolution Brewing as one of the beers, which I went with seeing as it's a local beer to Chicago and overall great!
In summary, my hat goes off to everyone at Cocina Fusion, from the wonderful Marcela, to the brilliant chef, to the attentive waiters, and last, but certainly not least, to the amazing bartenders. They were key to making our night memorable, and provided a huge amount of joy to everyone! I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caterer! -
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Danielle Sent on 07/19/2021Guests raved about food
Fantastic! Our guests are still talking about the amazing food (a five-star taco bar and delicious passed apps). Even our pickiest eater raved about the food which was a huge win!
We hired Cocina after attending a 2017 wedding they catered and we started our own wedding plan from there. Juliana gave us a list of venues they work with and we selected Ovation — the perfect pairing! Juliana was highly communicative, compassionate and professional throughout our two years of planning. Even with the disruptions and trauma of COVID, Cocina Fusion was an excellent vendor. We trusted them and felt so supported by their entire team. They delivered 100%! Wonderful bartenders and staff. They didn’t miss a single detail and made great recommendations for enhancing our modified vision. Bonus: the gold chargers they provided were fire🔥 -
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Mayra Sent on 06/23/2021Hire them! You won’t regret it!
Cocina Fusion is the only caterer I would choose again and again! The food and service was amazing; top quality!! Marcela was so great in the planning process and supporting my nutty demands (can you send me pics of how this would look?)! Again, best service ever! The appetizers, main course and late night snacks were to die for. We are still getting compliments on the food! Know that when you hire Cocina Fusion you are putting your money on the right team who will go above and beyond to make sure your day is perfect. You won’t regret it. -
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Daniel Sent on 05/26/2021Outstanding!
We are extremely pleased and amazed with the wonderful work and team from Cocina Fusion. Juliana was phenomenal and such a great help to us throughout the planning process. She is a very reliable and knowledgeable person. We knew we could easily seek her advice about anything regarding our wedding. Our reception ran smoothly thanks to her. She was very attentive throughout the night and we seriously cannot thank her enough. Overall, Cocina Fusion surpassed our expectations. The food and service was outstanding. The mole was perfection. Our guests are still raving about it. Kudos to the chef and supporting staff! We cannot say enough amazing things about Cocina Fusion. We highly recommend them!
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