J&L Catering - Catering in Chicago

For more than three decades, J&L Catering has helped Chicago clients bring people together over thoughtfully prepared food. Co-owner Ted Grady and chef-owner Kevin Kelly lead the team, combining culinary creativity with detailed event planning. We build each event around the host’s goals, guest needs, and setting, and our planners coordinate menus, rentals, linens, floor plans, staff, and design. Our office is at 1639 West Walnut Street in Chicago.

Our chefs create globally inspired menus with seasonal, local ingredients whenever possible. Choices include breakfast pastries and egg dishes, hot buffets, room-temperature menus, salads, sandwiches, chicken, salmon, steak, pasta, Mediterranean meatballs, Greek salad, and seasonal sides. We can adjust menus to suit an event’s style, including vegan and gluten-free selections, and develop custom offerings when a sample menu does not fit the occasion.

We cater weddings, social gatherings, and corporate events, from client breakfasts and boxed lunches to house parties, birthdays, showers, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and black-tie galas. For corporate events, we coordinate food and beverage service, event staffing, rentals, florals, décor, entertainment, and valet service. We also work with venues across Chicagoland, helping clients connect the menu and service plan with their chosen setting.

Thoughtful sourcing is important to our work. We partner with local, organic, and nonprofit suppliers when possible and support community efforts involving hospitality education, anti-poverty work, green initiatives, donations, and the arts. Whether you need convenient drop-off catering or a fully planned event, we focus on clear communication, fresh food, and service that keeps the day running smoothly.