Pilsen Secret Garden - Chicago, Illinois

Martha C.

*A Dream Wedding in the Most Magical Space*

Note before I start: I got married Sept 2024 and I planned my entire wedding—DIY, hands-on, no planner. Just me and Beth. So when I say this venue and team were everything, I mean it.

*The Space – Absolutely Magical*
This venue is beyond beautiful. There’s an aura to it that feels otherworldly. It’s called the Secret Garden for a reason—tucked away in Chicago, yet the moment you step inside, you feel transported somewhere else. Many of our guests said they forgot they were even in the city.

This is not a ballroom-style, glitzy Chicago venue. You come here for character, for a space that speaks for itself without needing over-the-top décor. The ivy-covered walls, lush greenery, and intimate ceremony space are effortlessly stunning. If you love a vintage, rustic aesthetic, you’ll fall in love instantly.

This was the first and only venue my husband and I visited. The moment we stepped in, we knew: this was it. I still love walking by those red doors in Pilsen because this space will always be special to me.

*Beth & the Planning Process*
Beth, the venue owner and coordinator, was an absolute dream to work with. Beth, you’re my girl—I love you.

I’m a project manager in tech—I live in the details of planning and execution. Beth is a no-BS, straight-to-the-point, pragmatic executor. If you expect to be treated like royalty, this isn’t the place for you. But if you want someone who knows her business and executes flawlessly, she’s your girl.

I loved how easy communication was. She was always like, if you need something “Call me whenever, and if I don’t pick up, send me a text and I’ll get back to you.” It really worked for me.

To address some rude reviews: Beth runs a restaurant and wedding venue. You are not the center of her universe before your event. If you expect immediate responses 24/7, that’s a you problem. This a project and you have to be a good planner, build in buffer time for your dependencies.

That being said, she went above and beyond. We met multiple times to talk vision, setup, and details. She played the role of wedding designer, and good luck getting that level of personal touch anywhere else. Like I said, I had no planner—just me and Beth—and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

*The Wedding Day – Flawless Execution*
The day was perfect. Beth and her team handled everything, allowing me to be in full-on la-la land.

I later found out there was a lighting issue under our tent—never noticed, because she handled it. Her team, including her husband (who was out there smoking the meats!), worked behind the scenes to make sure everything ran seamlessly.

It was everything you dream of—just being present and enjoying the day without a single worry. And the sweetest touch? She sent us back to our hotel with leftovers because, like most couples, we barely ate.

*The Food – People Still Talk About It*
Months later, guests still rave about the food. And that’s exactly what you want people to remember.

We wanted a communal, backyard-style feast—something cozy, delicious, and perfect for a celebration (and lots of drinking 😉 ). Every bite was perfection, the mac and cheese, divine. Beth also accommodated our vegetarian, vegan, and meat-loving guests, we even had a family member that has celiac and she made sure we were able to accommodate their dietary needs. Also, can't forget to give a kudos to the bartenders. Absolutely flawless, everyone had a drink in hand all night long.

*Final Thoughts*
I can sit here forever and talk about how perfect my wedding was, all thanks to Beth and the team at Pilsen Secret Garden. It was everything and so much more

This venue isn’t for everyone—but for those who get it, it’s magical. If you want an intimate, beautifully executed wedding, you won’t find a better place.

A million thank-yous to Beth and her team for making our wedding the most incredible experience of our lives.

E. J.

Not ADA compliant. Look up other code compliance issues. Rotten wood, mold, cracks, no upkeep. Depressing way to try to make money, an entirely dangerous venue.
Through reading reviews, the staff seem incompetent, unhelpful, and unable to take responsibility for their actions or lack thereof. I have not personally interacted with any staff/ownership that I am aware of, I've only attended an event as a guest and recognized the instability myself. My opinion of staff comes from whoever is down there arguing about the accessibility of the place.

You can look up their half a dozen building code violations from an inspection they had earlier this year. I'm glad I don't have to return.

Nick W.

If you’re looking for a beautiful and tailored experience, you’ve come to the perfect venue. This place has EVERYTHING. Vines, leaves, cobblestones, helpful staff, ample space, and the location is unbeatable! My friend got married here just a few days ago and I’m like dang maybe I should find a random man to marry just so I can be wed in this gorgeous garden.

Claudia N.

I had an amazing time at Pilsen Secret Garden for a friends wedding! The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, with a beautiful setting that made my visit to Chicago truly enjoyable. The staff was friendly and attentive, and the overall vibe was perfect for a relaxing day. I highly recommend this hidden gem for a wedding!

H

Hello, I'm the family member in a wheelchair from previous reviews. I wasn't going to say anything because frankly, I now understand that I was intentionally misled by both the venue and the bride. However, there's a lot of things being said that do not reflect reality, so I'd like to provide necessary context and some regrounding to the actual world we live in.

First of all, some definitions. Oxford describes gravel as "a loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones". Notice the phrasing there of small water-worn or pounded. Gravel is NOT defined as 2-4inch wide fully in tact stones with rounded edges that cannot have a wheel safely atop them.

Yes, I was told the ramp was gravel. Part of the issue is that is not gravel. The other issue would be the photo that I received, which did show the gravel landing at the top of the slope with rocks on it. I was told that texture of gravel proceeded the whole way down, not that it switched to large fully in tact stones.

The next definition I'd like to give comes directly from the ADA, and will unfortunately need to be done in pieces. I'd like to define a wheelchair access ramp, because it seems to be what is missing in this entire situation. You can look up the full rules and regulations by googling "Access Board Chapter 4: Ramp Requirements". In short, a ramp must have a specific angle and based on the length traversed needs flat landings to rest on. A sharp slope of unsupported earth, whether gravel or not, cannot be called a wheelchair ramp as it is unsafe. The very act of doing so is illegal.

Now we'll move onto the asking for help part. When I arrived and nearly rolled down this slope, a blonde woman dressed in black appeared and stared at us for multiple seconds until we got a bit further down and asked us if she could be of any help. There's no help to get a wheelchair down full rocks short of carrying me. Since she's been rude in previous responses to the situation let me save her breath: I'm fat and it would've been impossible to carry me. But beyond that, I also have a genetic condition and spinal deformity. My partner had to receive training on lift assists, and if I ever fully fall to the ground and need to be picked up an ambulance needs to be called because I am one of the very few people in this world who can physically dislocate their spine.I was led by the owner to the area where the ceremony was and left at the very back. At no point was any indication made that a chair had been taken out of one of the rows to accommodate my wheelchair, and it's not as though someone seated can see over a crowd of people. Once my partner did find this seat and we went up there, we got to hear guests behind us openly make fun of us for 'breaking up their group' because apparently they had silently prepared these seats for other members of their group, since they were not marked as handicapped in any way.

There's no way to ask for help in any way because the owner didn't make herself known to us and the rest of the staff were either actively serving food or indoors in an area I could not get to. I have not even fully gone through my experience at this venue, but I've hit the character limit for reviews so I'll leave you with this: I have never felt so dehumanized in my life, and to be told I was suffering in silence when I brought this up multiple times and left early is cruel. It's clear I was the first wheelchair user to ever enter this venue, and it felt like I was a human experiment to see just how dangerous it was. There's been 0 compassion after the fact, and my only regret was protecting my safety instead of letting myself get hurt to a point of requiring an ambulance since everyone was going to outright accuse me of lying anyways.

Jade C.

We just got married here this weekend. The venue is gorgeous. We received compliments on the beautiful venue from almost every guest. Our original venue cancelled on us 6 months before our wedding date. We were so lucky that the secret garden had our date available. Our wedding guests said it was a blessing that the original venue cancelled and we found the secret garden.

It has a cozy cottagecore meets whimsy vibe. We had a fire going with chairs around it. There was a vintage truck that people loved taking photos with. There are lots of different areas tucked away to get beautiful photographs.

The food is AMAZING. People are still talking about the banana pudding. We're both vegetarian and didn't want meat at our wedding. Most of our guests are not vegetarians but they've been talking about how delicious it was nonstop.

All of the staff are so nice and accommodating. The staff and the venue owner Beth made sure we had everything we needed before during and after the wedding. Their sister business Honky Tonk BBQ stored our cupcakes and flowers in their walk in fridge overnight so we didn't have to transport them on the morning of. Beth also kindly let us come in before our wedding day to set things up.

Charlie U.

Not ADA compliant in the least. Do not book this place if you have mobility issues. They will be condescending if this is pointed out. The staff don't care and will WATCH disabled customers struggle rather than help them. Utterly incompetent. If you have disabled family or friends don't disrespect them by bringing them to this place.

Matthew P.

I recently attended an event here and had a lovely time. The space transitioned beautifully from day to night, and had a peaceful vibe that made it easy to forget we were in the city. Staff were all gracious and attentive!