the Vendador table, in its most abundant form
The Vendador Buffet
Abundant, beautifully composed, and totally personalized. Our buffet presentations bring the same thoughtfully sourced ingredients and philosophy to events where conversation flows as freely as the food.
Every buffet is built by Chef Francis and the same culinary team that cooks our tasting menus: the same Midwest sourcing, the same technique, and the same hospitality. For open houses, cocktail receptions, and large family celebrations, our buffets are displayed intentionally, from our collection of beautiful platters, ceramic pots, and hand-selected serviceware, or simply chafing dishes, arranged and styled so the table itself becomes a talking point of the evening.
backyard parties, from noon to midnight
Noon
The rentals arrive on time in the morning: tables, linens, florals, the bar. By early afternoon the backyard is dressed, the kitchen is organized, and the grills are already warming.
Four O’Clock
The bar opens: spritzes, signature cocktails, bourbon flights, and sommelier-selected wines. Everyone is ready for the first hellos.
Four Thirty
Canapés from the kitchen and skewers off the robata grill start making their rounds, tray by tray.
Six O’Clock
The grill is lit in an interactive display in front of your guests: steaks to order, playful robata skewers, and whatever the season calls for, cooked in the open air.
Seven O’Clock
The buffet opens as the lights twinkle on. Long tables fill with friends and family, and plates come back for seconds. Dinner is on your time. The cooking is on our team.
Midnight
The DJ turns it up, the dancing gets going, and the backyard glows until the last toast. Cleanup is not for you to worry about. The Vendador team takes care of everything, so you wake up in the morning with only fond memories of everyone gathering the night before.
It starts with the form below. Please fill in your date, guest count, a little about the space we will be working in, and the occasion you can’t wait to celebrate.
Next, chat with Chef Francis about your occasion and all the event details over the phone. Buffet menus are custom-designed through the same consultation as our private dining experiences. We do not use sample menus or catering packages.
Your buffet menu is designed around the season and the shape of your gathering. How you would like it displayed, where you are located, and what types of interactivity you are hoping for will all define the best menu for your event and the display details that go with it.
Buffets carry our standard $2,000 event minimum, and a deposit secures your date. Everything else is designed together, since no two events are alike.
Word of Mouth
five stars & over 300 reviews on Google
“Chef Francis and his team flawlessly executed for our 30–40 person BBQ! The setup was beautiful and the timing was spot on. The food was the real star: every dish was packed with incredible flavor, perfectly balanced, and clearly crafted with high-quality ingredients. Everyone was raving all afternoon and going back for seconds (and thirds!).”
“We hosted my sister’s bridal shower at home with Vendador and had the most amazing experience. Chef Francis and the team brought a full restaurant-level experience right into our dining room and the food was genuinely stunning. Everyone was so attentive and the service was truly at the highest level!”
“It started with a magnificent cocktail hour and I was blown away by the quality of ingredients. The raw bar was utterly divine, overflowing with the best lobster and crab. Vendador is one of the most unique and exceptional dining experiences available today.”
Drop-off service is reserved for returning Vendador clients and our corporate clients. For the families and companies we already cook for, we deliver beautifully finished spreads for the casual weekends, game days, and office gatherings between the big occasions.
If we have set your table before, email our team about drop-off catering.
We occasionally cater film sets, commercial shoots, and productions around Chicago. Production runs on the clock, and so does our service: exacting timing, chef-prepared meals ready to the minute, and a cast and crew fed without ever throwing off the schedule.
Our buffets scale from intimate gatherings up to 300 guests. Your guest count shapes the menu, the stations, and the service during your consultation.
Yes. Corporate buffet catering is one of our most requested formats, for office gatherings, client entertainment, and company celebrations throughout Chicagoland.
The same culinary team, the same Midwest sourcing, and the same technique behind our tasting menus build every buffet. The format changes; the standard does not.
Yes. Our team arrives with the platters, ceramic pots, and serviceware, styles the spread in place, serves through the event, and breaks everything down when it ends.
Always. Every buffet menu is custom-designed, so allergies, vegetarian and vegan guests, and specific preferences are built into the spread from the start.
Every proposal is custom. Our standard event minimum is $2,000, and everything else is designed around your guest count, menu, and setting during your consultation.