Kuma's Catering Reviews
Reviews
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Awards
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![Tyler]()
Tyler Sent on 09/27/2025The food, great it is
We would HIGHLY recommend hiring Kuma's for your catering needs. We recently worked with them for our own wedding and it could not have been better! We tried several different caterers but no one could compare to Kuma's flavors! Once we chose our food and linen color we literally did not have to think about anything else even through the big day. The whole team was great to work with, we started by setting up everything through Lisa and on the day of Mia and Nick and the rest of the Kuma's team did an amazing job! Our guests raved about the food and I'm sure we will be hearing more rave reviews for years to come!Kuma's Catering's reply:
Thank you so much for trusting me and my team and thank you for leaving this review, it means a lot.
Congrats and Cheers to a lifetime of happiness and great food : )
Lisa -
![Joe]()
Joe T. Sent on 11/19/2024Best vendor experience - best of the best
We can’t say enough great things about our decision to have Kuma’s cater our wedding. Lisa is the absolute best, and goes above and beyond to do anything and everything to make sure things go perfectly. We had a few tastings at the Fulton/West Loop location to try different plates for the buffet, and Lisa was always excited and brought great energy and was a joy to work with and even just to talk with. She’s an absolutely wonderful person, and the service, quality and happy wedding guests says it all.
As bride and groom, Lisa had our plates ready ahead of time so we didn’t have to go to the table. She made sure we always had snacks and drinks (crucial when you’re the wedding couple). She handled all the desserts for our dessert table. We elected to forego a cake, and instead went with local donuts, cupcakes and cookie bakeries. Lisa handled all of it for us.
Our guests (120 people, at The Fairlie) all could not stop talking about how much they loved the food. Burgers, apps, mac and cheese, some salad/veggies, and other goodies. The chicken and waffle skewers were a STAR of the show too.
Do yourself a favor and meet with Lisa if nothing else. Her personality and the quality of the food will convince you it’s the best decision you can make for your wedding! -
![Tyler]()
Tyler Sent on 09/01/2024Our best wedding decision!
Lisa and her team were absolutely incredible! We booked them for catering and bar services for our August 2024 wedding and from the very beginning we knew we made the right choice. We didn't have a wedding coordinator and really had no idea what we were doing. Upon meeting Lisa for the first time, she eased all of our fears! She was knowledgeable, not only regarding catering but having our wedding run smoothly overall. She was quick to address all of our questions and concerns and helped us set up a perfect menu for our guests.
On the day of our wedding, Kuma's showed up on time and set up quickly. Everyone was extremely friendly, kind and proactive on what needed to be done. They helped us with our last minute décor set up and made themselves available to anything we needed.
The food was AMAZING! We are still getting compliments on how good everything was and how much they loved the non traditional wedding food! We highly recommend going with the mac and cheese and Iron Maiden chicken sliders! Lisa also recommended a last minute change to the vegetable dish which was definitely the right call!
Our guests loved the bar staff and raved about how quick and nice they were. The drinks were perfectly made and they stayed engaged with everyone. They made sure I (bride) was taken care of every time I walked by. We also passed out shots on our dance floor and they made sure we had them all poured and ready to go!
They stayed with us until the end of the night and assisted with clean up, getting our center pieces/tablecloths and alcohol organized. It was so helpful to us and made our next day clean up so much smoother.
Kuma's Catering went above and beyond, we can't thank Lisa and her team enough! They exceeded our expectations and we are forever grateful that they took so much time and care to make our day as perfect as possible. I highly recommend Kuma's Catering for their professionalism, attention to details and incredible food! They are perfect for any event and you will not be disappointed. We plan on continuing to use them for our future catering needs and will always be recommending them to everyone we know.
Thank you so much for everything!
Tyler -
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![Morgan]()
Morgan Sent on 06/24/2024Great food with even better service!
Finding the right vendor for food was extremely important to us... We didn't want the "traditional" wedding food and desired something that would leave our guests wanting more. In addition, we were looking for a vendor to accommodate gluten free needs. All that being said, we hit the jackpot when it came to Kuma's Catering!!! Not only is their food absolutely phenomenal, but from start to finish we had the absolute best experience working with Lisa and her team. Lisa was truly the glue that held our wedding day together. She constantly went out of her way to make us feel heard, seen, and help us through the little details. Additionally, when we found out certain allergies of our guests, Lisa helped us navigate and accommodated everyone. It has been a few weeks since our wedding and our guests are still calling us to rave about Kumas. I cannot recommend them enough! -
![Jason]()
Jason Sent on 05/11/2024Fantastic Vendor
Working with Kuma's was a wonderful experience from start to finish! From the beginning, the head caterer, Lisa, made us feel comfortable and confident in planning the catering. Not only was the food itself fantastic, but Lisa felt like a true partner in her willingness to work with us, be flexible, and provide many recommendations that helped everything come together. The day-of event went perfectly as planned and we received so many compliments from our guests on the quality of the food and bartending services. Would highly recommend Lisa and the team at Kuma's for catering! -
Leah Sent on 05/06/2024
Hire Kuma's Catering!
Lisa and her team at Kuma's were AMAZING to work with for our wedding at Greenhouse Loft on March 22, 2024. From start to finish, Lisa went above and beyond to make sure our planning process was as stress free as possible and that the wedding went smoothly. She gave advice on creating the menu, helped coordinate ordering additional linens/rentals, and simply checked in when she knew I was experiencing peak stress levels. We hired them for both catering and bar services, and everything was wonderful! They made great signature cocktails and kept the bar moving and drinks flowing all night long. And the food was INCREDIBLE! It tasted just as fresh, warm, and delicious as when we went in for our tastings to create our menu. Our guests gave such raving reviews about how much the LOVED they food, that we have family asking to go to Kuma's next time they visit the city. Even though we ordered desserts from a separate vendor, Lisa helped with setting them up and creating a beautiful dessert display after dinner - this was a huge plus and took one more thing off our own shoulders to plan. Ultimately, Lisa was absolutely wonderful to work with, and we 100% recommend using Kuma's Catering for your next event! -
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![Ariel]()
Ariel Sent on 04/23/2024Best catering experience ever
I do not have enough good things to say about Lisa and her staff at Kuma's Catering. She was available to us whenever we needed to ask questions, participate in not two, but THREE tastings (since we couldn't decide between all of the incredible food options available). And the menu was so customizable, we were able to serve all of our guests with a myriad allergies and dietary restrictions where everyone was happy with their meal. And everyone told us specifically how much they enjoyed the food- the sliders are just the right size to feel full but not over stuffed and still have room to enjoy the many sides and dessert! Again, Lisa was incredibly kind, upbeat, helpful, and friendly every step of the way. She was so flexible with last minute changes and guests with multiple severe allergies, and she made sure that no detail was overlooked. We cannot recommend her and her team enough! -
![Sheena]()
Sheena Sent on 09/21/2023Food to remember on a special day
Don't hesitate when it comes to choosing Kuma's catering for your big day! Lisa is spectacular to work with, and makes the entire catering process stress free! We waited up until a month or so before the wedding to find our caterer, so there was a bit of a time crunch, but we felt so much more at ease when we got in touch with Lisa. Everything from the tasting menu up until the big day, we never felt anything but excitement to have Kuma's catering our event. All of our guests said it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding! We had an intimate backyard wedding with about 50 guests, and it suited the vibe perfectly. There are options for everyone, and it fit within our budget! Book Kuma's catering for your big day! -
![Rebecca]()
Rebecca Sent on 08/23/2023This team is a force to be reckoned with
How do I even start to review Kumas… everything about this team will exceed your expectations.
When we started looking for food, we quickly realized it was going to be a much harder task than we ever could have imagined… wedding food kind of sucks. After probably 10+ bad tastings we were defeated and anxious about how we were going to feed our friends and family, they expect a lot as we’re pretty big foodies.
We were recommended to Lisa and it was game over. We had a tasting with Lisa, and she made us feel like we had finally found *the one*… funny how many times you have to find *the one* during this process. The food at the tasting was incredible but what was really impressive was that the quality at the wedding was even better. every single appetizer (still sad pictures trumped the chicken and waffle aps, still dreaming about these), entree and even the desserts she helps coordinate (another woman small Chicago business!) everything was amazing.
They even recreated a BOTM that my husband had 5 years ago that he had been telling me about our whole relationship, he seriously was obsessed. So even if you’re on the fence and want something special, just reach out, I have no doubt that Lisa and her team will make it happen.
The real stars of the show is her & her team… would I be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, yes- 5 people for a 145 person wedding…. How? I still have no idea, because I swear, it felt like there was 15 of them there. They are a well oiled machine and my guests LOVED them. I got a text message that said “kuma's slayed, they did more than any other staff member lol” and I couldn’t agree more. Lisa and her small but mighty team not only handled the food and my bar, but they jumped to do anything that anyone needed help with… I could cry thinking about how this team went above and beyond for me- Lisa even started calling DJ friends when we thought our DJ wasn’t going to show up… how is she even real?!
Lisa and Team- I cannot even form words to express how much we loved and adored your team. Thank you x103847292 from the bottom of our heart. Our guests loved the food, and desserts… probably a little too much- I’ve gotten no less than 2 comments about this a day…
WE LOVE YOU GUYS. -
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Angela Sent on 08/16/2023
Best Catering Decision You Can Make For Your Event
This review is long overdue!
If you are looking for amazing food and service for your wedding, cocktail party, corporate event, or honestly, ANY event catering and service you need, you can’t go wrong with Lisa and her team at Kuma’s.
One of the top three important items we wanted to concentrate on for our wedding was the catering (food and service). We have been big fans of Kuma’s for a long time which led me to look at them for our catering needs. We looked at a few places which we thought would work for our vibe, but after meeting with Lisa, we knew we had to have Kuma’s catering. Starting with the tasting, refining the menu before the day, as well as the actual day, Lisa was extremely responsive and communicative and really worked with us and our budget to make sure our day was memorable and special.
Their sliders are exceptionally delicious (make sure to get the chicken Iron Maiden), and despite them being known for their burgers, Kuma’s has the capability to accommodate all sorts of dietary restrictions including vegans, vegetarians, those with gluten free and dairy allergies, and even the pickiest of kids! We had nine kids attending our wedding and I was concerned they would not enjoy the sliders as much as the adults. Lisa offered to provide a tray of chicken tenders with sauces for the kiddos to accommodate them to go along with the mac and cheese we had put on the menu. Moreover, everything is prepared fresh and never frozen, which is remarkable in today’s market. The basil vinaigrette used for the house salad was made fresh the day of and if I could, I’d buy a bottle every week. Furthermore, there are special items you can only get with catering, and we highly suggest ordering the buffalo chicken bites, jalapeno popper bites, and especially the artichoke dip. They were out of this world amazing.
Everyone left extremely satisfied and we still get compliments on how amazingly delicious the food was, not to mention the exceptional level of service. Lisa was extremely attentive and beyond helpful with set up and clearing and made sure we didn’t have anything to worry about at the end of the night. Nick, our bartender, was super helpful with last-minute tasks before guests arrived, and made sure everyone had a drink and were taken well care of.
As I said before, we were big fans of Kuma’s prior to our wedding and this experience just cemented our love for them even more. We will definitely use them for our catering needs in the future.
If you are looking for something unique and special that will have everyone remembering your event in the best possible way, we highly recommend you book Kuma’s! -
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![Megan]()
Megan Sent on 07/18/2023Fantastic catering
I selected a wedding venue with a "preferred" catering list but could also choose outside of that list. I was looking for BBQ food at first due to the venue being at a contemporary barn, the preferred list BBQ food tastings were very underwhelming and the staff were unorganized. While trying to figure out a catering service outside of the venue's preferred list I came across Kuma's Corner catering and sent an inquiry for a food tasting. I saw that Kuma's Corner had pulled pork sliders which is something I wanted to include on my menu along with the typical Kuma's Corner food options. Lisa, the catering manager, is fantastic. The moment my now husband and I met her we KNEW we had to have Kuma's Corner at our wedding. The food was amazing and everything included in the catering package worked with our budget. Lisa went above and beyond to make sure our wedding day went smoothly, she even made menu's for our guest tables! Lisa was very responsive to emails/ phone calls and answered all of my questions. The day of my wedding, Lisa and her team did an amazing job! All of my wedding guests have been raving about how great the food was at our wedding and the staff at Kuma's Corner! If you are ever looking for catering.... CHOOSE KUMAS CORNER. -
![Christine]()
Christine Sent on 06/15/2023Lisa is amazing
We did a bunch of tastings for our wedding and our last was with Lisa. We didn't need to do anymore because she sold us!! Lisa was the absolute best. She was warm, welcoming, excited, and so incredible. She put together a wonderful platter which we knew we had to have at our wedding. Lisa was so helpful throughout the planning process and was such a joy to have on our special day. Lisa is truly wonderful and I could not recommend her or Kumas more. -
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![Samantha]()
Samantha Sent on 12/20/2021Absolutely perfect!
Kuma’s did an excellent job! Everything was absolutely perfect. Lisa was attentive, flexible and had great suggestions. The food was plentiful, warm, and the guests were raving about it! They even had gluten free buns for the sliders.
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![Danny]()
Danny Sent on 11/18/2019Great food, perfect amount and suggestions
Lisa did an amazing job fine tuning what we wanted. We wanted to provide options and she set us up perfectly making sure everyone was taken care of. She was right on time, food was warm and had everything provided if we needed it. The price was low for the quality. Perfect for our needs.Kuma's Catering's reply:
Danny
Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words.
Congrats and it looked like a fun group of friends and family.
Cheers!
Lisa
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