Dave's Specialty Foods

My sister throws the best parties and often serves food that she prepares at home. With out of town family visiting, and a busy weekend schedule, she ordered the five main items from one of her favorite go-to spots, Dave's Specialty Foods in Mount Prospect. Every item was just as delicious as it was beautiful and artfully displayed! Guests could not stop commenting about the food. Judy ordered a Smoked Salmon platter (my favorite), Herbed Chicken Breasts with a fabulous customized sauce, out-of-this world Smashed Potatoes (minus the standard Cajun seasonings), a lovely Crudité Platter and a Caesar Salad. Everything was fabulous! Chef Dave has many loyal customers in our network of friends and caters all sizes and types of events. The store, conveniently located downtown near the train station also has an extensive lunch menu. Strongly recommend!

We used Dave and his team to cater our wedding last August. Everyone was so happy to be working our event and my guests were so pleased with everyones cheerful attitude. They were very professional and easy to work with through my whole planning process. I gave them my budget and they were able to work with me on options for my day. I didn't really have much of a vision for how I wanted my food for the day of, but Dave gave us soo many creative ideas and made us feel like we couldn't have picked a more perfect team for this day. Sue, Dave & Maggie were the three contact people we kept in touch with through the whole process. To this day... ALL of my guests (I'm not even over exaggerating) have been saying our food was the best food they ever had at a wedding. Every bit of it was so fresh. They knew the right quantities of food for my guests, which is a big deal for us because it prevented overspending where we didn't need it. They seriously made my day and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a great caterer. This food was beyond what I was expecting and I'm so happy we found them.

Absolutely fabulous! Dave is so wonderfully warm & welcoming, his "cooking class" was such a fun time & the FOOD...wow! I'm excited to try lunch there soon!

Delicious sandwiches and cookies. Several different sandwiches to choose from, pulled pork, salmon salad and tuna were what we chose. About 7 different cookies available to choose from, chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal with raisins etc. Give them a try.

We catered for a dinner party at our home and I regret not taking pictures. Everything tasted amazing! Portions were generous and the staff were so helpful. Our guests raved about the food. The tarts are a must! Chicken was so moist and flavorful. We will definitely be using them again whenever we have gatherings or events.

Had a private dinner with my family at Dave's last night. It was great! The food was excellent. We had stuffed mushrooms, avocado toast, polenta and pesto, hand rolled lasagna, pork shoulder with blueberry sauce and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Everything was handmade right in front of us and delicious. We loved having the place ourselves and dined for at least 3 hours. Dave, our chef entertained us and told us tons of cooking secrets. The shop is BYOB so we brought all of our favorite refreshments. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. We plan to come back for many more meals.

I work in downtown MP and Dave's is a favorite lunch spot for me and my coworkers. When I had a memorial service and dinner to plan, naturally I thought of Dave's for catering. They were super easy to work with, made excellent menu suggestions to meet my needs, and everything wint off without a hitch. Everyone raved about the food. Thank you, Dave and Maggie!

Went to Dave's for our daughter in laws shower. Great location- Dave and his daughter were very accommodating and created a very special event. The food was fantastic and Dave was very entertaining. All our guests really enjoyed the event. We were really pleased with how everything went!

I was lucky enough to attend a wedding catered by Dave & his team. Appetizers, dinner and desserts were delicious! His staff was friendly & great. I just wish I took more food pictures!

My sister throws the best parties and often serves food that she prepares at home. With out of town family visiting, and a busy weekend schedule, she ordered the five main items from one of her favorite go-to spots, Dave's Specialty Foods in Mount Prospect. Every item was just as delicious as it was beautiful and artfully displayed! Guests could not stop commenting about the food and how good everything was. Judy ordered a Smoked Salmon platter (my favorite), Herbed Chicken Breasts with a fabulous customized sauce, out-of-this world Smashed Potatoes (minus the standard Cajun seasonings), a lovely Crudité Platter and a Caesar Salad. Everything was fabulous! Chef Dave has many loyal customers in our network of friends and caters all sizes and types of events. The store, conveniently located downtown near the train station also has an extensive lunch menu. Strongly recommend!

Don't really like to post a review with only one visit. But I was very impressed. Yes, I know chef Dave has quite a Pedegree - but that doesnt always translate forward. But the sandwich I had was outstanding. It's a half hour from my house and I will be making the drive back. I had the salmon sandwich. The descriptions of the sandwiches are rather underwhelming on the ugly dry-erase board behind the counter. I almost walked right back out upon entering. But the sandwich surpassed the menu. So a reverse of what you normally get at resturants right? I mean the pictures on menus always look scrumptious and then you get it and it's just slop. This was the opposite. Just a perfect sandwich. And thats something nowadays. Chef Dave our host was gregarious and funny. (In our forcibly homogenized state, that has less and less personality these days, this guy was refreshing. I mean did he actually just talk to us? Did he actually just show some personality? Shocking in 2023.)

Attended a private event at Dave's on a Thursday night. Great intimate space for our group to mingle with apps and drinks before dinner and then dine at a tall long table which butted up against the stove where Dave provided some education on what was cooking and our dinner. It was a lovely experience to be able to socialize in the room before sitting down to dinner. BYOB was also a great bonus. They provided the glass wear. The food was very good, desert was awesome and the service all night was very personable. They do catering, private events on site, and lunch in the restaurant. I have had them cater an event for 85 in the past, they delivered and set up the food, and everything was also excellent.

Love love love this place. Dave is a great chef and everything he makes is sooooo delicious. I wish it was closer to my home because I would eat there every day

What a hidden gem!! I ordered a quick sandwich to go - the tomato pesto. It was delicious. The bread was perfectly grilled and the flavor combination was just right. They have a unique menu and do some private events. I want to think on a girls night or holiday event so we can experience a cooking class with Dave.

We had a delicious meal. Our 2020 Jenn Air gas oven/stove is broken again after a visit from Nicor We heard of Dave's advance order only. Very, delicious considering we had to use microwave but Dave recommended oven heating. We love Dave. Not happy at all with high grade Jenn Air gas ovens , grrr

Had the food catered for a party and everything was outstanding. Special shout-out for the cheese puffs, rumaki and brisket.

If you and your friends are looking for an unforgettable way to hang out for an enjoyable evening of food and drink, I highly recommend one of Dave's learning dinners. You only need 6 people to arrange one. And you can either have Dave cook for you while you sit chatting with your friends, or Dave will teach you how to make the wonderful dishes he creates for you. Dave said about 90% of these dinners are him teaching as he cooks. Of the other 10%, many people say afterward they wished they had learned while they ate. We did the learning dinner. Dave is an accomplished chef who's worked at some of the midwest's finest restaurants. He's unpretentious, animated, engaging and appears very much at home teaching while he cooks. I learned a lot about food at our dinner; how to prepare it and more importantly, how to make everyday food more flavorful. His dinners are very interactive so it's not like the Dave show where you sit and listen for 3 hours. The food had some unique ingredients like the appetizer he made with Kataifi shredded pastry dough. For the entre, we had incredibly tender short ribs, with risotto, and sliced Brussel sprouts. Dessert was crepes with custard and caramelized apples. I'm a pizza and hamburger kinda guy, but I can appreciate a meal when it's done this well. Dave is also very accommodating during the meal. As he was cooking one friend told him she doesn't eat wheat and another told him she doesn't eat meat. Dave made special dishes for them without skipping a beat. On average the meals are 3 to 3.5 hours. I recommend a Friday or Saturday night versus a school night. We went on Tuesday at 7:00 and were out of there by 10:30. So it's not crazy late but could be if you catch an early train to work. The meals are BYOB. We brought several bottles of wine and an opener. (Dave might have one but we didn't assume he would because he doesn't sell wines.) I can't think of a more fun evening than being in this casual setting with friends, enjoying the amazing food and learning from culinary professor Dave!

The sign in the window says "our sandwiches don't suck". Mind blown on the chicken sandwich with caramelized onions and apple chutney!! No, dear Dave, they certainly do not suck!!! I am secretly happy that you are a bit of a drive from my house or your chicken sandwich might become an obsession.

Dave's sandwiches are simply the YUMMIEST around! From porta bella to salmon... and everything in between, these sandwiches are a delight to my tastebuds! Dave also offers catering. So far, I have ordered a green bean side dish, cookies, and a pot pie. All were delicious! This place is a gem in Mount Prospect. I look forward to my next visit!

Dave is a cool dude. I came in for the first time today for lunch and he was taking orders, slinging sandwiches and keeping the trains on schedule all by himself, and he did it with joy. It made you happy just to be there. Now, the sandwich: I asked which one to try, and when I rattled off my contenders Dave immediately said: Portobello. He was so right. The bread is fresh and toasted perfectly. The pesto is fresh and flavorful. The portobellos were (fresh, had to say it) and marinated and seasoned to perfection. The melted mozzarella on top was *chef's kiss.* IT IS ALL FRESH. This place rules and I will be back. Keep on keepin' it real, Dave.

This past Sunday I catered a family party from Dave's Specialty Foods. I cannot even express what a great experience from the planning to delivery. Maggie helped me get my number of items and proportions on point. Delivery was friendly and efficient. Now the food.......amazing! From the meatballs to the brisket and so on. Every dish was flavorful and left the guests wanting more! I highly recommend this restaurant!

Saw the reviews and decided to pop in to order some food for an upcoming party. Service is very helpful and friendly. I got some excellent ideas on what to order. While she was ringing up my order, I perused the sandwich and soup menu and decided to try them. I ordered a tomato mozzarella sandwich and a pint of potato dill soup. Both were OUTSTANDING! I can't wait to share the party trays with my friends. I'm sure they will be impressed. I highly recommend! They have cooking classes too, if you're so inclined.

The Portobello is my absolute new favorite sandwich ever!!! Tried it for the first time today and can't wait to go back again. Also Dave and his staff were so friendly, I felt like part of the family

You cannot order food or eat here without encountering Dave, the namesake and force of nature. He's unabashedly the friendliest person I have ever met and will inevitably cheer up whatever kind of day you have going. He's a rare and wonderful man. Now. His sandwiches are other-worldly! They're amazing! Being vegetarian, I have only had his non meat selections, the cheese and the veggie, but they are good enough to make my mouth water just thinking about them. He's the last of a dying breed of restauranteurs who really care about their food and their customers. Get him while he lasts!

We catered a small family party at our home and were so pleased with everything. The cheese puffs lived up to the hype. Order extra. The sandwiches and salads were so flavorful and fresh. We will definitely use Dave's Specialty Foods for our next family party.

Dave has provided amazing food for our family for so many years and important events! My wife and I just moved permanently to MP three weeks ago. Eating in more is obviously the reality of most of our lives these days. To celebrate our anniversary yesterday, my mother in law had Dave prepare appetizers, salad, and several sides to accompany the steaks I had planned to BBQ. Everything was really amazing! Thank you for helping make our night less stressful in the kitchen, and super tasty at the table!

We went to Dave's for lunch today for the first time. The shop has great atmosphere. The smells of cooking appeal, and the decor is fun. Our sandwiches we're so delicious, and so was the brownie. Will definitely be back again and again. Many items on the menu for vegetarians.

Highly recommend for catering. My family had a retirement dinner for me and hired Dave to make the meal. My own personal chef and oh my, the food was FABULOUS. Dave was also entertaining and explained how he made all the courses. It was such a special evening. Thank you Dave!!

I emailed Dave two days before an event I had in a desperate attempt for catering as I needed something for 15 people to eat outside on a sweltering day and couldn't think of what else to do. He emailed back with a proposed menu and absolutely killed it! Everything was phenomenal. The flavors were absolutely delicious. I was impressed with the menu he came up with under the conditions I gave him (we served everything on ice outside in 100 degrees and it was fresh and delicious) and on such short notice. Everyone loved it and couldn't stop talking about how good it was.

Thanks for an absolutely delicious Mother's Day Meal! Everything was so good and enjoyed by all! My favorite was the Risotto Cakes (as usual) ! Or was it the Salmon w Mango Salsas! Or was it dessert! The quick reheat instructions made it so simple for my family to cook for me! Thanks Dave and Maggie and your "team"!

Great place for cooking classes! Dave is very casual about his presentation- very easy going and makes you feel comfortable. We have been part of a New Orleans cooking class (beignets!!), knife skills class (hands-on class), french bistro night (very delicious, his specialty), and farm to table. The classes are entertaining and it helps they are BYOB. Keep in mind that the only student, hands on class, is the knife skills class.

I feel so lucky to work only a few buildings down from Dave's Specialty!!!! It is so easy for me to get a quick lunch at the world's friendliest man's business. You are always sure to see Dave and his smiling face! Whenever I enter the building, Dave is there with a smile as if I am a very important person! His daughter who helps out is just as kind and personable! Let's just say the apple does not fall far from the tree. Today, I ordered zucchini bread, risotto cake, and mushroom soup! All very delicious. I have never catered from Dave, but I hope I have an event coming up so I can choose him!

I had a client appreciation event at Dave's. We did a standing/sitting/mingling heavy appetizers, with BYOB beer & wine from Binny's. Then Dave did a couple of great cooking demonstrations, taught us a lot about cooking. Too much to fit in a Yelp review. Even clients who are GREAT cooks learned a lot. I told Dave I wanted a sort of faux cooking class, small dishes, standing/sitting/mingling, with BYOB, and he pulled it off marvelously. Dave put together a great menu for me to approve, and he made sure that no one went home hungry. My clients loved this event.

Best cooking class ever for my siblings and I! Everything came out outright delicious. Dave was just incredible and hilarious. Highly recommend.

My family has been doing business with Dave for years now. This fall, he catered my wedding, and we couldn't have been happier with our decision. Dave's team was professional, and the food was exquisite. Can't recommend enough!

Great place and a friendly atmosphere love the sandwiches I hope they start serving coffee soon

We have ordered a couple of dinners from Dave's in the past month or two, and we definitely will continue to do so. Last week, the salmon dinner with champagne sauce was excellent, as were the grilled vegetables. A couple of weeks ago, we ordered the eggplant stacks, and those had incredible flavors and textures. I'm so glad we discovered Dave's. We will definitely be back for lunches, desserts, and dinners!

I selected their chicken breast sandwich that had this amazing goat cheese on it. It was a hot sandwich so it was all nice and healthy. And a very reasonable price with a very reasonable portion end it was a great lunch. Not too heavy so I could easily get back to work for the rest of the day. We also tried their side of potato salad. It had the perfect amount of dill - and everyone knows how difficult it is to get the right amount of dill! Will definitely be going back

It feels weird writing this review because after a year of planning a wedding together-- it feels like he and Sue are part of our family and not just the caterer at our wedding. The food was amazingly well priced and delicious as hell (people kept coming up during both the cocktail hour and the reception asking us for recipes). They are all incredibly nice and hospitable and took care of us throughout the entire process. We are not only going to use this company again for as many different types of events as possible (or just to order those amazing cheese puffs for sitting around the house) but we plan on going there for classes or even just lunch. LOVE THIS COMPANY!

Amazing sandwiches! Every time I come out to the suburbs I enjoy coming here. Quality good food every time!

My husband and I have attended a few of Dave's classes. Not only were we entertained, but we learned amazing tips we have used years later. Recipes are great and easy to replicate.

Dave's Specialty Foods in Mt Prospect, IL offers fresh food made daily to carry out or enjoy at the large table located inside. They also offer cooking classes once a week. If you like cheese, check out their selection. They have just about everything. This is a video of the store: http://chicagobuffets.ning.com/video/video/show?id=1988700%3AVideo%3A307 They also have a wide variety of loose leaf teas. I tried their chamomile tea and it was great. Enjoy, Todor Krecu http://hotfortea.yelp.com/

He always has really delicious and interesting items. For example, their BBQ Pork Portabellos are absolutely delicious. The Bread Pudding is soft and filled with flavor. I could go on forever with all the delicious items. His customer service is excellent as well. My family used him for a wedding shower and it was extremely easy to work with him especially in arranging the food choices and delivery time. The day of the event everything was right and just as tasty as we could have wanted. Whenever I'm in Mt. Propsect on a Saturday afternoon I try and make sure to grab lunch from there.

We just had a baby shower. Dave delivered the food in very snowy weather to another county with the hot food totally hot and the salad nice and cold. He and his daughter were friendly yet totally professional. They helped set-up, explained what to do, and then arranged to pick up items on another day. ALL of the guests raved about the food! They could not believe we had never used Dave's before. However I will use them again and will recommend them to others. Making the arrangements prior to the shower was easy because the scheduler was also very helpful. I could not be more pleased with Dave's Specialty Foods.

I actually ate at my own wedding! And it is one of the best memories of the day. From meeting Dave to planning with him to eating his delicious food to his very professional follow-up, I highly recommend him. Dave catered our wedding at the Byron Colby Barn. On their list of recommended caterers you'll find a wide variety. There are catering companies who do food, and real foodies who have grown into catering. Dave is the latter. He has a passion for food, he's an expert chef, and he has assembled a team to cater events very well. Plus, he is reasonably priced for such high-end food. Be prepared that the small store can get very busy and they can be slow in responding to emails. But don't let that freak you out. In retrospect, with all my wedding vendors, I've found what matters most is the day-of performance, followed by the ease of planning. Whenever I spoke with Dave it was a fun, easy process, and he gave me a lot of expert planning advice (mixed with funny anecdotes to illustrate his points!) On the day, his crew arrived and set up the space on time and as planned. As he put it: "You may have a lot of people there to help, but we arrive prepared to do it all." He also did us a few huge logistical favors above and beyond the job. Above all, the food was spectacular. We had brisket that just crumbled under the fork, sweet & tender mango chicken, colorful spinach salad that is not the generic spinach salad you're thinking of, his signature risotto cakes, fresh fruit, herb-roasted veggies and . . . I missed the hors d'ourves while taking photos, but our guests still talk about them, especially the cheese puffs!

We used Chef Dave's catering service for a party at our house this weekend and would highly recommend him to anyone. From ordering, to delivery, to clean-up the service was fabulous. The food quality was second to none and our guests couldn't stop raving about it. We will certainly my use Dave again in the future for our next special event.

I had Dave's cater my small wedding. We had 30 people and he was the only one really interested in such a small affair. I was hooked the second I tried his food! In fact I canceled another tasting I had scheduled for the next day because I knew Dave's was the right decision. I love, love, loved his food! Service at the wedding was amazing. his staff was friendly and helpful. The food was all incredibly beautiful and well presented. In fact 6 months later I have guests still talking about how delicious it all was! If I didn't live 5 hours away I have a feeling I'd be eating there quite often!

I cannot rave enough about Dave, his staff, service, food and AWESOMENESS!!!! We had Dave cater our wedding. We met with him back in January while looking for caters and we fell in love with him instantly. His food is fantastic and he's so easy going. The whole process was a breeze. We had about 140 people at our wedding and we did passed appetizers during cocktail hour and then a dinner buffet. The appetizers were insanely delicious as was the buffet dinner. People raved about the food the whole night and the service was impeccable. If we ever need to do another catered party Dave will be the only one we call. Thank you Dave for making our wedding fabulous!! You should seriously consider Dave's Specialty Foods for any event.

My wife and I are having a 50th wedding anniversary for her parents and as you all know, there are very few in each family. It is a special (Golden) time for them and for her family! We wanted it to be special in all areas from music to food, as you all know people walk away talking about the food. We drove to Dave's and tried his sandwiches, we were not happy at all, you could not taste the chicken because the berries over-powered it, the pulled pork was nothing special and the PBJ sandwiches where made with Skippy PB. We sat with him for about 30 minutes and gave him all the info in what we wanted in the food. Over the period of 3 weeks, I had talked to him 4 times and every time I talked to him, he had no idea who I was or what I was doing calling him, granted we only meet once but I had talked to him 3 other times and every time I had to tell him my story of who, what, where, when and why. Sigh...... I will not be doing a tasting with him nor will I recommend him to any one and that bothers me because he has probably worked very hard to get to where he is. On the other hand, his customer service was very poor in all areas. This is my experience with him and I know others have had great experiences so for what it is worth to whoever reads this, don't judge Dave's by my review.

Had lots of fun here for a cooking class with a private group of our friends! We went a couple years ago, and I hope we go again sometime soon!

Excellent lunch menu! I'm vegan, and they made me their veggie sandwich without cheese or butter. It was amazing and flavorful!

Too bad folks flying by on the Metra train don't know about this place. Dave's got a fine little place. His tuna sandwich is delicious. I'll be back. Thumbs up!

A long overdue review - Dave and his team catered our wedding a few years back out at Vehe Barn in Deer Park and our friends and fam still talk about the food to this day. If you need an event caterer, look no further - you will not be disappointed with the quality or quantity. We didn't have to worry about a thing - they brought all of the dishes and the chairs, were more than accommodating serving everyone hors d'oeuvres and cocktails outside prior to the ceremony, and it was the best garden party/barn wedding ever! My only regret is that we barely had time to taste anything! Stay Awesome, Dave!

This is a gourmet take-out place that also does catering and classes. Both the food and Dave himself are awesome. Here's a guy who not only has a passion for food, but also major people skills. Everything he makes is delicious, including the to-go sandwiches. He also stocks a great selection of cheese. While places like this are a little more common in the city, it's a rare find in the northwest suburbs, and is sorely needed in that area. People must be getting on the bandwagon, because Dave just moved to a bigger location!

We chose Dave's to cater our wedding and we weren't disappointed. All of the food was amazing. We chose to have cupcakes instead of a cake. They were the best cupcakes I've ever had. The staff was so friendly and wonderful. We had a couple of guests that were late and they saved plates for them! Wonderful people who truly care about your experience. Guests kept complimenting the rumaki, risotto cakes, and the fresh fish but it was all delicious. We highly recommend Dave's to cater your next event!

Dave and his team catered our wedding at the Hoosier Grove Barn earlier this month. The food was INCREDIBLE and they were fantastic to work with! Responsive, helpful, and went above and beyond what was expected of them. Our guests raved about the food all night. Look no further - Dave's Specialty Foods is the real deal. One of the best decisions we made!

Dave and his team were amazing caterers for our wedding. They completely listened to what we wanted and walked us through what we needed each step of the way. They were very communicative, enthusiastic, pleasant to work with, and reasonably priced. We were honestly shocked to find all these things in a wedding vendor since sadly most people hear the word "wedding" and tack on 20% or give you an attitude. Sue and the staff set up our venue perfectly and it looked beautiful. Dave's cooking was delicious and all our guests were delighted with his delicious cooking. We did not have to worry about a single thing all night, which was amazing for us, and everything ran smoothly. I cannot recommend Dave and his staff highly enough. If you're looking for a caterer: STOP. Just use Dave already!

Dave's recently catered my daughter's wedding and we couldn't have been happier with the food and the service. We had not been to an event that Dave's catered but we took a chance on him because of the positive reviews from the coordinator at the venue we used. From the beginning Dave and his staff were very nice and accommodating. My daughter was living out of the country for a year before her wedding so it was especially difficult organizing the wedding, but we didn't worry at all about the catering once we booked Dave's. When we had our tasing Dave personally met with us and had a menu prepared based on his emails with my daughter. The food was delicious. There were reports that some guests licked their plates! But a lot of how an event goes depends on the service, and Dave's staff was excellent. We had cocktails outside then went inside for dinner. Everything, both inside and out, was set up beautifully. The servers couldn't have been more professional and friendly. We still have friends who are talking about the bartenders on a first name basis! Often at weddings it's difficult to get an appetizer at cocktail hour, but we were so happy to see several servers out passing trays and everyone we talked to raved about the appetizers. We had a plated dinner for 180 and all the guests were served hot food in a timely manner. That is not an easy feat! Dave was absolutely upfront about the cost. His estimate inclued everything, there were no hidden costs. The final bill was just what we expected. I would recommend Dave's Specialty Foods to anyone who is planning an event and we will surely use them again.