Meridian Banquets

I know this review is late, but better late than never, right? My husband and I got married last year on August 28^th. We had our reception here at Meridian Banquets. Janet and Vicky were so helpful and reassuring during the planning process. They were quick to respond whenever a question arose. We had the grand ballroom to fit 250 guests. Our bridal party of 20 people were able to fit on the platform. My husband and I had our sweetheart table in between them. It was such a beautiful set-​up. We were able to spend time together as newlyweds without being antisocial. I totally suggest getting the ceiling swag as it just brings the whole room together, and looks absolutely stunning.
Oh my goodness, the food! First of all, if you or any of your guests have food allergies, Meridian Banquets are very accommodating. My husband has dairy/​gluten allergies, and I am allergic to gluten. We also had quite a number guests with allergies and accommodations. Meridian Banquets takes this very seriously. They go above and beyond to make sure everyone is comfortable.
By the way, the food is AMAZING!!! For Hors d’oeuvres we had Fried Zucchini, Chicken Satay, Spring Rolls, and Italian Sausage. They were all gone before the bridal party could get to them! For the entrée we had Filet with Burgundy Shallots & Chicken Vesuvio. As sides we had the Perisienne Potatoes and Trinity of Vegetables. EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS. If our family member who works on a cattle farm says that this was the best steak he’s had at a wedding, then that says a lot about Meridian Banquet’s food. AMAZING! All the food is prepared on site. They even give you a box to take your food home if you cannot finish it. Our guests loved the food and service. I couldn’t ask for anything more. They made our wedding day so special!
If I were to have another huge event, I would totally have it here at Meridian Banquets! 5 Stars all around!

Thank you so much for helping to make our wedding special! The job was done perfect! Service, food, room, flexibility and nice employees
& owners! All excellent!!!

We got married at the Meridian on July 3^rd, 2015. We were thrilled with the Meridian. Overall everything was great and the staff was very accommodating!
Food: The food was delicious. Our guests raved about how they enjoyed the appetizers, the entrée and the sweets table. The bakery that the Meridian uses is great! My only complaint, (Minor one at that) is that you had to travel down to Chicago, near Harlem and Grand, to meet with the Baker to pick out your cake. The cake turned out great though! The sweets table was great! In fact, we had tons of sweets left over at the end of the night, which they will package up in to-​go containers for you to take home at the end of the night.
Bar: Great! Premium alcohol and beer. We had two bars open for 5 hours. There were two bar tenders serving and both of them were great! They were friendly with our guests.
Coordinators: We worked with Joyce and Janet. They were great. They really made every step of the way easy. They were very thorough with every option available and made sure that we were satisfied with our decisions. They were very flexible and on a few occasions they went above and beyond.
Venue: Beautiful! The actual lobby and walk-​in area is spacious and a great place to take pictures. We had approximately 170 guests and were able to take large group photos in areas they have set aside for photos. We decided on having our ceremony in the room where the reception was being held. The staff set up an area on the dance floor that was stunning!
We really have no complaints. We were happy with our decision to have our wedding at the Meridian. We heard no complaints from any of our guests, as a matter of fact, most of our guests raved about how good the food was and how beautiful the venue was.
I would highly recommend the Meridian to any of my family and friends!

My wife and I had our wedding reception at the Meridian in May 2014. Without a doubt, it was one of the best decisions that we ever made! The Meridian, admittedly, was not our first choice in reception halls, but it was large enough to fit our guest list (approximately 400 people) on the day that we wanted. We scheduled an appointment with Joyce the year before, and she was very friendly, informative, and patient as she showed us the facility and highlighted the perks of holding a reception at the Meridian. We must have asked her a million questions, and she answered each of them with a smile and without a hint of annoyance. She was a great saleswoman, but at no time did she ever pressure us or make us feel like we needed to make a choice right on the spot.
When we booked the Meridian, Joyce lucidly outlined every part of the contract for us so that we were aware of every dime and nickel that we would be spending to hold our reception there. My wife and I were a little bit uncertain about the menu at that point in time, but she reassured us that we could change it if we wished so long as we let her know about a week or two prior to the wedding taking place. We loved the flexibility. The tasting was easy to schedule, and the food was also very tasty as well. Joyce also assisted my wife in selecting the colors of the linens, table covers, and lighting in the reception hall.
Our subsequent wedding reception at the Meridian was absolutely perfect. Our guests were very impressed with the huge, high-​ceilinged foyer that greeted them upon entry. There’s a marble fountain in the middle of the room that many thought was very elegant and classy (that’s what my wife and I were hoping for). Our reception hall itself was amazing. The Meridian did an excellent job «swagging» the ceiling, installing the wall lights on the sides of the room, and working with our D.J. and photobooth company to set up their equipment. Although our guests were not heavy drinkers, a lot of them were pleased by the huge variety of alcohol available to them at the open bars (we had two).
The one thing I cannot emphasize enough is how good the food was! I’ve been to a lot of weddings in my life. Many times the food is dry, overcooked, or bland. My wife and I selected the filet mignon, chicken, and salmon. About half of our guests ordered the filet mignon, and they raved about how the meat came out perfectly tender and medium rare. At the head table, even I was surprised when I cut into my filet and found it exactly as I like my steaks cooked. Not only was it tender, but it was well flavored (we selected the shallot sauce). I didn’t taste the chicken, but many of our guests said that it was very good and not dry. I didn’t hear any comments about the fish, however.
All in all, my wife and I had a remarkable experience at the Merdian and recommend it to anyone interested in having a traditional wedding reception. The customer service is spectacular, and the food is some of the best that I’ve ever tasted at a banquet hall.

My husband and I held our wedding ceremony & reception at Meridian on Saturday, November 8, 2014.
Before deciding on using this wedding venue, we went and visited several other banquet halls and hotels in our area. As soon as we had our meeting with Joyce at Meridian, we knew we had found the right place for our wedding because it fit all of our criteria. It actually worked our great because this venue is right down the street from us too.
Joyce was very helpful and accommodating. She was able to put together a discounted package for us with a minimum of 80 guests. We did not want to have a large wedding and a lot of other places wanted a minimum of 100 guests. The other thing that really grabbed us was how beautiful the lobby and rooms were — lobby has high ceilings, a fountain in the middle and multiple photo-​opportunity spots for wedding photos (white couch with a backdrop, etc). Another reason why we knew we liked this place is because all of their rooms are separate rooms. Other venues would offer to split up a large room with a divider but by doing that, the room would not be soundproof (in the event that another wedding was taking place next door). Meridian used to be a movie theater so each room is its own and is soundproof. Our ceremony and reception were held in two separate rooms down the hall from one another.
We chose the 2014 Meridian Wedding Package which included: 6 hour event — a four course meal (choice of soup, salad, entrée, vegetable, potato, and wedding cake), bread & coffee, 4 hours of open bar with premium liquor, wine service during dinner, choice of colored napkins, a centerpiece consisting of a round mirror, 3 candles, and fresh roses, champagne for the head table, and a private bridal suite (with champagne and an assorted cheese tray). *Side note: Tina and Joyce made sure to give me the large bridal suite that was right outside of our reception room so that was very convenient!
We also added a sweet table and reception room uplighting to our package. We were going to add hors d’oeuvres but decided against it due to our budget. But it wasn’t a big deal — guests still snacked on the sweet table and visited the bar during cocktail hour.
Throughout my communication with Joyce and the rest of the staff, I always felt taken care of. Joyce had great ideas for things that I had trouble deciding on. She guaranteed me that our wedding would be memorable and beautiful. And it was. I did have a minor issue with scheduling a wedding rehearsal but it was quickly resolved. I had wanted to schedule it much farther in advance than was permissible.
Our ceremony and reception rooms were set up exactly how I wanted them to be. At my last meeting at Meridian, I met with Tina and went over all of my items to be placed in the reception room. The staff did an excellent job on assembling the rooms. I was amazed at how beautiful everything really was and at how it came together. Months and months of planning had paid off. Every little detail was perfect. Nothing was out of place.
The one thing that our guests have been complimenting us on is the food at Meridian. They recently got a new chef. The dinner was delicious. At our tasting, we were able to sample 3 items from each part of the dinner and decide what we liked best. Our main entrée was the Chicken Francaise. I had a few vegetarian guests and they loved their meal too (Tortellini with a tomato sauce).
Overall, I would definitely recommend this venue — especially if you are on a budget! Weddings can be very expensive but the staff at Meridian can put together a package to best suit your needs. If I could do this all over again, I would still have my wedding here. 5 stars.

Such a beautiful hall. My friend got married there a few weeks ago and the service and food were excellent… Bathrooms were clean, the staff was very attentive and the food was hot, tasty and good size portions. When I get married I will definitely have my reception here.

Awful customer service! And this is coming from someone who does wedding planning. Never dealt with such arrogant un sympathetic people in my life! Had to post pone the wedding due to personal circumstances my fiancé and I are now getting married at another venue so much better then this one! Could not be happier to not have my wedding with this venue. Every ounce of down payment we lost was worth it to get married else where.
If you choose to move forward with this place due to low pricing make sure you get Janet she’s the only one who will make it some what nice. If I could give a negative star I would!

I want to commend Tina at the Meridian for a wonderful experience. Obviously the wedding planning and preparation is a time-​constrained and stressful time. Tina minimized any hiccups and everything actually went smoothly without surprises. So if you’re looking for an excellent banquet hall with a great staff, Meridian is an excellent choice.

I just attended a wedding at Meridian as a member of the Bridal Party, so I can’t address price or any other details in the process of setting up the hall, but I did want to review some other services and issues from the wedding. The first thing that caught me off guard was the size of the bride’s room. It was the size of a small bathroom. Very dim lighting and no air conditioner. After complaining they did provide us with a fan. The banquet hall was set up beautifully and there was sufficient space for dancing and mingling. My biggest problem was with the flow of service. The time it took for the food to come out was incredibly long and far apart between dishes. The banquet staff was not serving fast enough and after everybody was done with salad, it took at least 20 minutes for the entrees to come out. The bartender for the wedding was just awful. I don’t think she smiled once and was extremely rude to the guests. Every time someone ordered a drink, she looked like we were burdening her. She overloaded the drinks with ice and put what seemed like a teaspoon of alcohol in each cocktail. I would suggest she leave the food and beverage service industry because she certainly didn’t have the personality for it. And a day like someone’s wedding day everything needs to be perfect.

We recently did an event for our daughter here and everything went very well. They are very responsive to most any request and very reasonable. Would highly recommend in the future.

Great place to consider having your wedding at if you are on a budget. We had our wedding here a few weeks ago. All the guests loved the venue, and raved about the hor’dourves.
We were both extremely busy during the planning process up to even the day, but our coordinator was very helpful and completely accommodating. Initially we weren’t completely sure of the guest count (as any fellow bride/​planner) would know, we choose between two different rooms. Each room had a different min. number of adults necessary to secure the room. We ended up taking the larger room that had the lovely cloud ceiling design. However, the week before the wedding our guest count was considerably lower than the min. Our coordinator worked with us. Planning the reception with the coordinator was perhaps the least stressful part of the entire process. We were able to drop off wedding favors, bulky centerpieces, and some décor a week in advance. There were last minute changes due to guests and timing, but the staff at Meridian came through exceptionally. The reception was smooth due to their experience, helpfulness, flexibility, and knowledge.
We were on a strict budget. There was no way we could stay within our budget if we had the reception in downtown Chicago. Granted, the building is right next to Walmart and is located within a shopping center. However, the interior is pretty-​in no way as amazing as the expensive venues of course, but it still has its own charm. As another reviewer noted, there is plenty of good food to go around. Your guests will not starve. We do not regret our choice of having our reception at Meridian Banquets. In the future, if an occasion arises we will most definitely go with Meridian again.

We recently held our wedding reception at Meridian Banquets on April 27.
I think everything turned out great. It wasn’t our original choice, but they honored our deposit and prices from the first venue that ended up going out of business.
Bill and Tina are very easy to work with and make sure that you have everything just how you want it. They room was beautiful and I couldn’t have asked for more.
The only reason I did not give five stars was because I was not impressed with the food. We actually never had a tasting there. Only tasted at the first venue and just never got around to it since we were in a rush to find a new venue with only 6 months before the wedding. The chicken seemed dry and the vegetables were undercooked. Everything else on the menu was good, especially the sweet table.

I had my wedding on July 30, 2011
Since day one they were absolutely helpful and patient responding to all the questions we had, specially when we were planning with Me (bride) living in Mexico and groom in Indiana.
During the process they were so helpful, making suggestions and they were always open to take a look at the room and take note of the requests we had for them.
The tasting was wonderful (Up to 6 persons) and it was absolutelly what i expected and the food was amazing, so hard to decide the menu, but at the end my guests all loved the food. They serve plenty size of food, so make sure your guests are pretty hungry so they can be able to finish their dinner.
Before the wedding, I dropped my favors and everything i wanted to be set up and they did it exactly according we talked about it during the entire planning.
The day of the wedding, the service, the food, the room, the sweet table (that’s extra), everything was absolutely beyond my expectations.
My now husband and I are really amazed and happy how everything turned out and have no ways to thank for the excellent service they provided.
The price (which are really reasonable), quality and service goes all hand by hand, you cannot go wrong with them.
We absolutely recommend it and definitely we are planning to come back for any other event in the future and suggest it to friends and family.
Thanks Joyce (Our coordinator at Meridian) and to the rest of the staff.

I have to say usually these types of businesses are trying to squeeze every dime out of you for your special occassion. Ive had my wedding and now my sons baptism and each time Tina has made sure we were getting our monies worth. This family owned business makes sure your special occassion is what you can afford and doesnt try to take your life savings. The food there is top notch and premium bar as a part of their regular package. Other places up charge for that. With all this being said this will be the only place that i will do business with for my occassions. Other arrogant business owners claim that they arent doing good business by giving reasonable prices but id have to say they know what they are doing because they are making life time promoters of the Meridian.

I had my wedding reception here. We went in for our first meeting and as much as my bride wanted to hate a reception hall, she couldn’t. Meridian has exceptional service and were very accommodating to all of our requests. The food is great. Not just for a reception hall, its genuinely good. I would have absolutely no reservations about sending my best friends here.

We went here for a baptism reception. The hall is pretty, but not extravagant, and the room we were in had beautiful, high ceilings with blue skies and clouds painted in the middle panels. The dance floor (which wasn’t used for this event) looked like it marble, which is different from other places I’ve seen.
The food was good — we had cream of broccoli soup, Caesar salad (which was a little heavy with the dressing) and lemon chicken with asparagus (which was a little overcooked). Our servers were attentive, especially since there were several toddlers at our table, and they seemed pretty adept at avoiding the little tots that were running around.
The room was very nice, and there’s a large lobby with a beautiful fountain. All in all, a pretty good place to throw a reception.

For a banquet hall, it’s terrific! The rooms are huge and after hearing that it used to be a movie theater the layout really makes a lot of sense. The food was good, for a large place like this, I expect to food to taste like it’s made: churned out. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I’m not saying it was extraordinary but definitely a lot better than some of the other places I’ve been to. The bar was shockingly well stocked and I have to mention the bartender, Harry, by name. He was terrific and remembered me among a sea of other Asian faces.
I was also told by some that they are very accommodating, not just with price, but with numbers/​dates. I believe the quote was «they were one of the few places that could do it that day for us and for the price we wanted.»
I usually hate weddings but this place made me think twice.

I’ve been to many weddings here. The Meridian is a great place to have a wedding reception or a big party. Since it was renovated from an old movie theater, it’s spacious with very high ceilings. The décor is elegant and neutral.
The food is and service is good. My sister has a few allergies and they accommodated her nicely. The sweet tables they set up were great.
Based on some conversations I’ve had, it also reasonably priced and they’ll work with you.

I went here for a wedding reception. This place used to be a theater but has now been newly renovated into this banquet hall. It is very nicely decorated, with a nice fountain in the lobby. The service here is great and they have very reasonable pricing. They have several banquets, and you can either rent out the entire facility, or just a portion of it depeding on the size of you party.