Canal Street Eatery Review
Heirloom Event Company does not receive a commission for positive reviews or venue referrals for Canal Street Eatery.
Canal Street Eatery might just be one of the most delightful surprises among Chicago wedding venues. By day, it’s a bright and welcoming restaurant. But come night, it transforms into an elegant canvas for celebrating love—a setting that feels intimate, stylish, and completely unique. Blending the warm charm of its restaurant roots with the thoughtful curation expected of a boutique wedding venue, Canal Street Eatery captures the heart without sacrificing sophistication.
Price
Hosting your wedding at Canal Street Eatery comes with surprising value for the impeccable experience it provides. The total investment for a wedding here is $11,315.13, which includes a $7,750 food and beverage minimum and a $500 room rental fee. An 18% gratuity is automatically added for all staff, which really helped our couple appropriately budget.
With the venue closed to the public on weekends, you’ll feel like the entire space is exclusively tailored for your needs. This exclusivity creates a wonderfully private atmosphere, perfect for celebrating with your loved ones.
What’s Included:
Ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception all held onsite
Tables, chairs, linens, napkins and silverware
Custom menus at each place setting
Custom bar signage
AV & music included: Sonos system, Spotify playlist (managed by staff), wireless mic/speake
Two signature cocktails included with the option to pre-batch
The menu is where Canal Street truly shines. For our 2024 couple, their guests enjoyed charcuterie boards and appetizers during cocktail hour. Dinner followed with plated antipasto-style entrées. Guests could choose from roasted salmon with couscous and asparagus, chicken with mashed potatoes and green bean almandine, or steak with fingerling potatoes. Vegetarian guests were invited to pick a custom entrée. For dessert, the staff brought out a spread of assorted cookies, cupcakes, and chocolate mousse cups—just the right sweet ending to a meal that felt thoughtfully curated from start to finish.
Rating: 7/10
Planning Process
From our very first interaction, we were in awe of Elise McGill, who led us through the planning with a calm, steady hand and a collaborative spirit. Elise’s ability to respond promptly, offer creative solutions, and stay three steps ahead of potential challenges is unmatched.
She worked closely with us to deliver a breathtaking experience within a $12K all-in budget, proving that stunning weddings don’t have to come with sky-high price tags. Menu tweaks, layout reconfigurations—every detail was thoughtfully considered to match the couple’s vision.
Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, Elise introduced us to Thaina Santos, who handled day-of coordination effortlessly. Thaina’s steady presence, coupled with organized walkthroughs and detailed communication, made the final weeks both smooth and stress-free. The couple had the chance to preview every aspect of the day through scheduled walkthroughs, which allowed for thoughtful refinements that prioritized their guests’ experience.
Rating: 7/10
Day-Of Execution
Every single member of the Canal Street Eatery staff was exceptional. From holding late guests back until after the ceremony—per the couple’s wishes—to seamless tech support with the microphone and Spotify transitions, their attentiveness never wavered. Communication was clear and consistent, especially around the bar tab—a detail that couples (and planners alike) can appreciate.
In fact, the couple ended up so far under budget that the staff sent guests home with bottles of wine, each adorned with a custom sticker of the bride and groom to ensure not a dollar went to waste. It was such a thoughtful and personable touch that encapsulated the venue’s ethos of going above and beyond.
Rating: 6/10
Is This the Venue for You?
Do not sleep on this venue—if you're looking for something unique, warm, and intimate, you should seriously consider Canal Street Eatery. It is effortlessly cool, unexpectedly charming, and flawlessly run. It’s the perfect blend of cozy restaurant vibes by day and modern, elevated wedding venue by night. The food is genuinely phenomenal, the space feels personal without being cramped, and the service? Impeccable. Whether you're hosting 50 or 100 guests, this spot feels like a thoughtfully curated dinner party with your favorite people. Add in the flexibility, the attention to detail, and the team that truly gets it—and you’ve got a recipe for an unforgettable celebration.
If you’re searching for something intimate, stylish, and stress-free, Canal Street Eatery should be at the very top of your list.