Abbington Distinctive Banquets

It’s a banquet facility ~ what do people expect? Parking lot was able to accommodate the number of cars for the occasion on the day I was there, but a very large wedding or other function might be out of luck. I suppose they could park in the lot for the other businesses next door. The entry area is bright and airy. Couches and some chairs are too soft and waaaaaaaaaaaaay too big for an average sized person to sit on and still have their feet on the ground. Maybe that was intentional.
The room for our function was fine, nothing special. The food was tasty, I’ll give them that. Ample servers so we could not understand why our entrees sat on trays while everyone else was busy eating. Once served, I did enjoy it. On the down side, our server had horrendously horrible breath. I mean knock you out of your chair bad. When dessert was served, I mentioned I was allergic to chocolate. Too bad for me, I never got anything for dessert. I never said I would not like to enjoy dessert, but not even vanilla ice cream was offered.
So, with all the good and the bad, it was A-​OK.

We had our April 16 wedding reception here. I fell in love with the venue immediately. They were fantastic to work with during the whole planning process. I worked with Alyssa, and she never made me feel like a burden even when I called, emailed, or stopped by with a crazy amount of concerns. The day was fabulous and our guests cannot stop racing about the staff and service.

I will update my review again after the wedding but my fiancé and I booked here for our 9÷9÷2016 wedding and they are just wonderful people. Tara is super helpful nice responses back to her email crazy fast. I have met a few other people who work here the chef is really nice as well we tasted some food before booking and all I can say is yummm! I also spoke to a few other people while dropping off payments they gave me wedding tips and were so sweet to me. I feel like I can just relax about the wedding they are so easy to work with. Also compared to other places a great value. I’ll update after the big day but I’m sure it’ll be more of a rave review.

My friends and I celebrated New Year’s here in December 2015/​January 2016. We are in our mid-​twenties and left our hometown of Chicago to come party here. I was mostly happy with our experience. We had appetizers, a main course, dessert, snacks, and an open bar for most of the night. I was pretty disappointed with the steak served. It was chewy and seemed boiled. The bartenders also wouldn’t serve shots. Overall, the crowd was mixed age-​wise. The DJ was good and catered to all ages. I would like to consider go my back, but some things would need to be improved for next time!

New Years Party. Dinner was good. Service was attentive. However, the band sucked. Played songs that you couldn’t dance to. I mean really, that was their job– keep the people dancing. I didn’t pay for a concert. I just want to dance my way to the New Year count down!

My daughter had her wedding at the Abbington on 7÷11÷15. We had the best time. The staff from the moment we signed the contract to the last song of the wedding was nothing short of spectacular. From owner Mike, Tara, Paulete, Betty, and Ryan just to name a few. I only wish i could name each staff member by name as well. Special thanks to the head chef. The food was absolutely cooked to perfection. The filet mignon and orange roughy was as good as it was for the personal tasting. From the appetizers to sweet table and everything in between couldn’t have been any better. Also i recommend using some of the preferred vendor’s they work with. Made everything much easier. Once again i would like to thank everyone at the Abbington and highly recommend them for any future event. Sincerely the Italian father.

I had my daughters baptism here the staff was very friendly and easy to work with, compliments to the chef on the chicken tuscano. It was an overall great experience.

We had our wedding here three weeks ago and couldn’t be happier! The location was gorgeous and the staff was more than helpful and accommodating. The food was delicious, service was amazing, and our wedding guests are still raving about how beautiful it was and how they loved our wedding.
If you are looking for a wedding venue, I highly recommend the Abbington!

This is a beautiful location and not too far from all of the major highways.
We have had a few events that have taken place here and I have to say that the staff from start to finish have always been great and the food has never let me down.
They are very accommodating in emergency cases and you can always find a manager or supervisor to be around during your event.
I highly recommend this banquet for your next special life event.

Went to a wedding here last night. This banquet hall is gorgeous! The food was delicious and the dance floor is gigantic. The bathrooms were very clean as well. It is also located close to the expressway which makes it very accessible. I have another wedding here in a few months and I’m definitely looking forward to it. I’m sure this place is great for other occasions, not just weddings.

We had our wedding reception at the Abbington this past June, and they exceeded our expectations. First off, the venue is beautiful inside. The décor in the banquet rooms is elegant and tasteful. It was easy to pick our table covers/​chair covers/​flowers without worrying that it would clash with the rest of the room. Second, the food was delicious. Everything from the appetizers (especially the shrimp and mozzarella/​tomato skewers) to the enormous dessert table were tasty. None of our guests left hungry, and we got many compliments on how good the food was.
The staff at the Abbington were phenomenal from the initial planning to the final details. Mike was our main contact person, and he was always available to answer any questions/​concerns we had, no matter how trivial. He was flexible with his schedule to meet our needs, and he was even there that night, popping in to make sure everything was just as we wanted it. Tara was also great to work with; she helped us pick out the room decorations, and offered suggestions to achieve the vision I had for the room. The night of the wedding, the staff was amazing. Paulette, our captain, was so organized and made sure the whole night went smoothly. She is such a sweetheart, and her phrase for the night was «Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll take care of everything»…and we didn’t, and she did!
The night was magical, and our guests had an amazing time. We could not have been happier with our reception.

This is the location where we host the prom for our school each year– we always have a very pleasant experience. They do a nice job hosting a large crowd (around 700 students) who are all eating at the same time. They offer a nice variety of menu options– with a range of prices. They also offer a variety of starters and late night food, in addition to dessert buffets (which we haven’t tried yet). The appetizers and late night food are both good– I have tried both in our years working with them. We plan to continue to use Abbington Banquets in the future– and I would highly recommend them for school proms, and I would imagine weddings as well!

So before you read this review here are a couple of caveats– first– I was here for a business meeting so all the of glitz and glamor I am going to mention probably looks better at night for a more formal function; and secondly, I am not a fan of banquet halls .
But all that aside– if you are looking for a large space for a wedding or other function, you may want to look at the Abbington. Located out in Glen Ellyn (hard to find since the address says Route 53 but it is really on Butterfield Road– enter by the McDonald’s just south of Butterfield on Route 53 if your GPS is like mine and refuses to find this place!) there is plenty of free parking and the place is huge.
The style is a little «fake classy» for my style with the crystal chandeliers, the columns and pillars, and the crown molding around the ceiling hearkening back to a «southern belle» era. It’s a lot over the top for my more subtle taste (kind of like a fancy country club but not quite pulling it off) but if I squint and picture a bride at the top of the stairs or a gathering in the main lobby area, it might be okay so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt. Again– I was here for a business meeting during the day which probably didn’t show off the space as well.
The food was quite good and the service was very attentive. I made a face at the «pink chicken» that they were serving and the manager was over right away to tell me that it was «Strawberry chicken» and it actually tasted quite good for banquet hall food. I also thought that the side dishes and desserts were flavorful and quickly replenished for our larger group.
The pricing to rent this place is reasonable (at least for a day meeting) which also upped my rating.
There are also plenty of restrooms which is also a big plus in my book for a place that hosts large functions.
All in all, functional, if just a little over the top for a business meeting. I’m betting that when the place is decked out for a wedding with the tables glittering in the chandelier light that it is actually quite lovely if this is your style.

I had my wedding here on November 16, 2013 and can’t say enough good things about this place!!! Yes, I agree that at first the location doesn’t seem the best, in a strip mall right next to Walmart (at first I was also skeptical) but the venue is beautiful and classy inside; the chandeliers added a very nice touch to all of our wedding pictures. Compared to other banquet halls that did not have the same ambiance, I was able to have a beautiful wedding without the grand hotel prices and I was very happy at the end of the day :) The only negative I felt was the bridal-​room which a little dusty and could use some improvements including better lighting.
Kathy was very flexible and allowed us to bring in an outside caterer and decorator (for our Indian wedding) and allow serving to be done family style, which was a nice elegant touch to our reception. Do note that if a caterer or decorator offends her in anyway or messes up in the past, you will hear about it! She only lets in the best, but was still very flexible with our choices. We did have a little miscommunication about the video slide show and the equipment needed the day of the wedding, but other than that she was very helpful with any questions/​requests we had and even visited us and our guests during the reception to ensure everything was okay. She is not the type of banquet manager to bail or take vacation day during your event, that is for sure! Also a shot out to awesome Javier who ensured everything was setup and moving smoothly the day off.
The staff there is efficient and excellent. Some of our guests did complain that the family-​style service was «too hustled and quick» as some people had cake taken away before they were able to eat it which is unfortunate as it was very good cake (not included in the wedding package btw), but to be honest that is better than buffet style service at most Indian weddings, where dinner is not served until 10 pm!
I would not hesitate in having my reception here again! Thank you Abbington staff :)

You wouldn’t think a banquet hall flanked by a Wal-​Mart and a McDonald’s would be anything special, but by God, I love this place.
My husband and I had our wedding reception here on Friday, September 13^th 2013. We wanted something close to our house, and this place fit the bill! We initially contacted Kathy, and she handled everything. One of my favorite things about the Abbington is that they came with vendor recommendations! We used a photographer (Studio One), Florist (Shamrock Gardens), Baker (The Baking Institute), Hotel (Embassy Suites) and DJ (Admit One DJ’s) from their preferred vendor list… they were all fantastic! Our room looked amazing, everything was perfect! The food was so good, we recieved compliments all night long. we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful banquet hall to compliment our beautiful day. Look here, ask for Kathy and prepared to be amazed!

The place is nice, I will give it that, but it’s all about the little things. Décor=good. Cleanliness=not so much.
The food was just «a-​ok». Not great by any stretch of the imagination. But I was here for a wedding, so it was very mass-​produced (and tasted that way). The waiter we had was really good, though!
Another thing that was gross was three things out of our meal were disgusting. One was a water glass, one was a soup spoon, and the other was a knife. Where is the quality control? Why isn’t this being noticed? Was it just our table or were other tables experiencing the filthiness, too?

I want to thank The Abbington and especially Bob for making my husband’s and my special day one to remember. We received exceptional service from Bob from start to finish. My husband and I paid for our wedding ourselves, and Bob was more than willing to talk to us about our options and work within our budget. Unlike other places, I never felt like we had to add on a whole bunch of extras to get super star service.
Our reception was phenomenal, the service was impeccable and they were incredibly attentive to the littlest details — such as making sure that my husband and I had time to eat by not clearing our plates away, or taking care of any special meal requests. The food was very good, the appetizers delectable and the champagne was so good that my mother and sister in law have sent me on a hunt to discover what kind it was, they enjoyed it so much.
My husband and I are city people, we like a modernist look, and were a little bummed initially that all the places with hardwood floors, sweeping windows and exposed brick were so expensive. Our entire wedding was nontraditional, and we didn’t want a traditional reception venue. I’m so glad we changed our tune. We’ve received so many compliments and I’ve had multiple people tell us that it was the best wedding they have ever been to. Thanks to Bob and his staff for helping make it so.

I was at a wedding here recently.
Great venue. Great food. Great service. Yaya, great everything.
Except one small thing.
I ordered a round of 3 drinks from the old bartender Ken. I gave him a 20 and told him to give me back 15 (it was an open bar) He gave me back a 10. I said to him, «I asked for 15 back.» He looked at me and patted the 10 and then walked away. Very strange as his English was fine.
I don’t know if that’s considered stealing or just really sh*tty service.
I no longer tipped him.
Outside of that scenario, great place.

Seeing mixed reviews about this place, I was somewhat concerned about coming here for a wedding reception. I even warned my wife to avoid couscous if we see it served, but from the moment I set foot in the place, I was impressed. Let me dispel any concerns you may have.
Abbington has it nailed perfectly in the arrangement of the whole place. You walk into a vast open lobby area, not the crammed standing room only area you find at some places when guests arrive and the dining area is not open yet. Plenty of places to sit down or walk around and mingle before dinner.
A flight of stairs up leads you to the bridal party’s dressing room, which was very close to the head table, so everyone in the party could go back and forth without getting into the crowd of guests and family, another well-​conceived plan in the layout of the place. The window dressings in the dining hall look simply majestic with elegant curtains hung with precise care and detail.
And then the food. Appetizers served by the staff were plentiful. Tasty triangular pieces of spinach pie, mushroom caps and the biggest breaded shrimp I’ve seen anywhere outside of Las Vegas. After all the toasts and speeches were over, the doors flung open and an army of servers emerged from the kitchen with bread and salads as if the whole event was precisely staged to the moment. Loved the salad and dressing too. Two bottles of wine were on every table. They served Copper Ridge, one of my favorites, especially the white zinfandel. The rest of the meal was perfect, with cream of chicken soup, steak and twice-​baked potato all worthy of praise. And even as we ate, attentive staff carefully watched the table and removed empty plates and glasses to prevent the overcrowding of tables with dishes as it seems to plague so many fancy receptions I’ve attended at even far more expensive venues. My mother-​in-​law, who has difficulty walking, even got a glass of water brought to the table, which I know would be easily ignored or forgotten by the staff at other places too.
Overall, an impressive, clean and beautiful place to host a wedding reception. While I don’t know of the costs and arrangements needed to book an event here, I can confidently speak from my own exceptional dining and service experience I received.
By the way, getting here is easy though the place is set back behind a mall area, since it’s between the Wal-​Mart and McDonald’s at Rt. 53 and Butterfield. Plenty of parking and a distinctive white front make it easy to spot once you go into the mall.

Who wants to be married when there is snow, cold sharp winds, and in the Chicago winter weather? Tell me what craziness possess a person to choose January to wed? So, with no choice on our part my bf and I traveled to Chicago, IL to attended his sister’s wedding here at the Abbington.
After settling, eating and resting, we headed off to the Abbington for the wedding rehearsal. I was very surprised at how beautiful this place was even though it hasn’t been dressed up. His sister has good taste and was baffled by the location. It’s in a somewhat remote looking location in the suburban areas.
During the wedding, I noticed the decorations were elegantly done to the specifications of the bride’s request. There were enough well decorated tables with beautiful flower arrangements to accommodate over 200 people. Everything was in it’s place and in it’s place everything was.
Appetizers were super good. Pigs blanket had a crunch to it that I couldn’t pin point which gave it a good texture. The chicken was moist and blended well with the honey mustard sauce. I wish I had the chance to taste the shrimp, but failed to be quick enough to get a bite.
The first course was the salad. Not much to say but it had lettuce, tomatoes, and Italian dressing. It was just blah. Second course was the potato soup. Mmmm… very well done and had a lot of flavor to it. As for the third course, surprisingly enough was the strawberry sorbet to clean the pallet. If I could have this over and over again, I would. I am not normally a sweet kind of person and much prefer salty foods, but this was really good. Our fourth course was the Lemon Butter Chicken with Asparagus and red potatoes. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. I loved every bite of this dish. When you place the chicken with the red potatoes and asparagus, the taste is phenomenal. Fifth and final course was the cake. I had the Red Velvet part and for a cake, it was good. I’m just not a cake person.
The DJ chosen was very entertaining, the open bar is always great, and the lady in charge of the whole banquet was very friendly and attentive. Anyone living in Chicago and plan on getting married could benefit from having it here. Though I can’t compare with anything else.