A funeral funeral luncheon is an opportunity to bring family and friends together after a difficult day. In Chicago, restaurants and banquet venues offer private spaces, prepared menus and different service options.
Blue Fire Restaurant in Elmwood Park is a strong option for families looking for a private gathering space with customizable memorial catering. Its three banquet packages include European-inspired dishes, from crispy chicken and pasta to salmon, steak and lamb.
Elmcrest offers a dedicated funeral luncheon menu and several banquet rooms, while Gala Banquets and Jolly Inn provide structured meal packages with familiar comfort dishes. Alpine Banquet Haus adds another option for families who prefer a set menu with traditional lunch courses.
These five venues serve different needs, but each of them offers a practical way for guests to arrange the meal and have time to reconnect with one another.
Blue Fire Restaurant: Private Memorial Gatherings
Address: 7438 W North Ave, Elmwood Park, IL 60707, United States
Hours: Mon–Thu, 12 PM–12 AM; Fri, 12 PM–1 AM; Sat, 11 AM–1 AM; Sun, 11 AM–12 AM
Google Maps Rating: 4.8/5
Banquet Capacity: 120+ guests
Funeral Luncheon Price Range: 35–115 per person
Special Features: Dedicated funeral banquets and memorial luncheons, customizable plated and buffet menus, private event space, bar and patio, menu tastings and decoration arrangements.
Blue Fire approaches memorial gatherings with an understanding that families need a comfortable, private place. The restaurant offers funeral banquets and memorial luncheons with customizable catering, including plated meals, buffet-style service and light refreshments. A bar and patio provide additional space, while the restaurant’s European-inspired cuisine gives the meal a familiar, welcoming character.
Blue Fire offers three banquet packages. The Classic Package includes house or Caesar salad, crispy chicken with roasted potatoes, and a choice of fettuccine, linguine or rigatoni with marinara sauce. The Premium Package adds a choice of appetizer or salad, one main course, one pasta selection and a cake. The VIP Package includes all listed appetizers, two main-course selections, two pasta selections, a cake option and specified beverages.
Premium and VIP menus feature salmon, rib-eye steak and crispy chicken, while VIP guests can also choose lamb. Starters include Greek salad, a cheese and meat board, raspberry chicken salad and bruschetta. Pasta comes with marinara, Alfredo or alla vodka sauce, and desserts include Medovik, Spartak and cheesecake. The VIP package also includes specified alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Families can discuss menu customization, decorations and tastings with Blue Fire. Monday–Thursday prices incur an additional 11% tax and 20% gratuity.
The Elmcrest Banquets & Catering: Dedicated Funeral Luncheons in Elmwood Park
Address: 7370 W Grand Ave, Elmwood Park, IL 60707, United States
Office Hours: Mon–Thu, 9 AM–7 PM; Fri, 9 AM–6 PM; Sat–Sun, 10 AM–5 PM
Google Maps Rating: 4.4/5
Banquet Capacity: 50–500 guests
Funeral Luncheon Price Range: 15.95–20.95 per person; Greek-style luncheon ($25.95/person)
Special Features: Dedicated funeral luncheon menu, four banquet rooms, family-style meals and event coordination.
The Elmcrest is a long-established family-owned venue built in 1929. The restaurant has been part of Elmwood Park since its beginnings as an ice cream parlor. Today, it focuses on banquets and catering, including funeral luncheons.
Four rooms accommodate gatherings ranging from 50 to 500 people, making the venue suitable for different family sizes. The menu balances familiar comfort food with several entrée choices. Among options is half-roasted chicken with Italian seasonings or prepared Grecian-style or roiled tilapia with lemon butter or De Jonghe-style preparation. One can try Chicken Française with lemon and white wine sauce. There are also family-style combinations of roast chicken or beef.
Soup options include chicken noodle, Tuscan minestrone and Grecian cream of chicken, while sides include rosemary-roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes with gravy. Desserts include Italian spumoni, French vanilla ice cream and rainbow sherbet. The Greek-style luncheon features Grecian salad, roast chicken, baked cod and Vesuvio potatoes.
Gala Banquets: Traditional Comfort Food and Straightforward Memorial Packages
Address: 5639 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, United States
Hours: Contact the venue to confirm available event times
Google Maps Rating: 4.6/5
Banquet Capacity: Up to 300 guests
Funeral Luncheon Price Range: $21.95–27.95 per person, before tax and gratuity
Special Features: Dedicated memorial luncheon menu, buffet options, traditional comfort food, banquet service and complimentary parking.
Gala Banquets offers dedicated memorial luncheon packages with soup, salad, meat entrées, sides and vegetables. The menu includes mushroom barley, chicken noodle and cream of broccoli soups, along with garden, Caesar and Greek salads.
Entrées range from roasted chicken, lemon chicken and beef in gravy to barbecue ribs, breaded pork chops, breaded fish and Polish sausage with sauerkraut. Sides include mostaccioli, Alfredo pasta, rice with vegetables, potato dumplings and pierogi. Warm rolls, mashed potatoes, vegetables and desserts complete the meal.
Published packages start at $21.95 per person for soup, salad, two meat selections, a side and vegetables. Higher-priced options include additional meat choices, with the $27.95 package listing a bottle of wine. Packages also include coffee, hot tea, table decorations, background music and complimentary parking. Prices exclude sales tax and an 18% gratuity.
Jolly Inn Restaurant & Banquet Hall: Polish Cuisine and Flexible Memorial Packages
Address: 6501 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60634, United States
Hours: Tue–Sun, 11 AM–8 PM
Google Maps Rating: 4.0/5
Banquet Capacity: 40–300 guests, four event rooms
Memorial Luncheon Price Range: $21.95–$29.95 per person
Special Features: Dedicated memorial luncheon packages, four event rooms, Polish buffet, catering and included non-alcoholic beverages.
For those who appreciate Polish comfort food and an organized private gathering, Jolly Inn offers a reassuringly familiar approach. Its four event rooms accommodate different group sizes, with spaces for smaller family luncheons and larger receptions. The restaurant offers a three-hour memorial luncheon package.
The menu includes mushroom barley, chicken noodle and cream of broccoli soups, along with garden, Caesar and Greek salads. Entrées range from roasted chicken, lemon chicken and beef in gravy to barbecue ribs, breaded pork chops, breaded fish and Polish sausage with sauerkraut. Sides include mostaccioli, Alfredo pasta, rice with vegetables, potato dumplings and pierogi. Mixed vegetables and desserts complete the meal.
One practical detail is that the published packages include more than the meal itself. Warm rolls, mashed potatoes, ice cream, coffee, hot tea, table decorations, background music and free parking are included with the listed set-menu options.
Alpine Banquet Haus: Traditional Memorial Meals in Westchester
Address: 11141 W Roosevelt Rd, Westchester, IL 60154, United States
Hours: Contact the venue to arrange an event time
Google Maps Rating: 4.1/5
Banquet Capacity: 30+ guests
Funeral Luncheon Price Range: 21.95–22.95 per person, before tax and gratuity
Special Features: Dedicated funeral luncheon menu, group packages for 30 or more guests, full bar and customizable event arrangements.
Alpine Banquet Haus offers dedicated funeral luncheon packages for families gathering after a memorial service. It’s located across from Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Westchester. Its set menus simplify ordering, with packages available for parties of 30 or more guests.
The four packages feature different combinations of traditional entrées. Options include roast pork with roast chicken and Polish sausage, breaded pork with chicken and tilapia, or roast beef with chicken and pasta. Another combination features roast beef, Chicken Vesuvio and Italian sausage. Sides include mostaccioli, mashed potatoes, dumplings and vegetables such as green beans, corn and sauerkraut.
For those seeking a traditional meal near a local cemetery, Alpine Banquet Haus offers a straightforward option for bringing family and friends together. Each package includes bread and butter, homemade soup, garden salad, a side dish, vegetables, dessert, coffee, hot tea and soda. Desserts include ice cream, sorbet and Bundt cake, apple strudel and kolacky.
Chicago and its nearby suburbs offer several ways to arrange a memorial luncheon with care. Blue Fire is a strong choice for families who want customizable catering, three package levels and a restaurant setting for a larger gathering. The Elmcrest provides a dedicated funeral menu and a wide range of room sizes, while Gala Banquets and Jolly Inn offer structured packages built around familiar comfort food. Alpine Banquet Haus adds another option for groups of 30 or more. Comparing the menu, guest count, location and included services can help families choose a venue that lets them spend more time together.