Personal & private chefs · Chicago
Find a vetted personal chef in Chicago for weekly meal prep, or hire a private chef for a special occasion at home. Serving Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Lakeview, the Loop, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Featured chefs
Every chef on Sous is vetted, ServSafe-certified, and background-checked. Browse, watch their intros, and request the one that fits your vibe.
What is Sous
A personal chef — sometimes called a private chef — collaborates with you to make a menu you'll love, shops for groceries at your favorite store, cooks for you in your kitchen, and leaves it cleaner than they found it.
Weekly ServiceFor busy families who want home-cooked meals without the time cost.
Your chef gets to know your family's needs, comes to your home weekly, cooks, and leaves your kitchen cleaner than they found it.
$258–282 + groceriesaverage chef fee · 4 dinners, 16 servings
Private DiningFor groups celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, bachelorette parties, dinner parties.
A chef comes to your home, prepares an unforgettable meal, and handles everything from menu to cleanup.
$625–680 + groceriesaverage chef fee · 8 guests, 3 courses
How it works
See who's available in your area, learn how they cook, and read what their clients say.
Message the chefs you like, talk through your tastes, diet, and kitchen, and build a menu together.
They shop, cook, plate, and leave your kitchen cleaner than they found it.
Why families choose Sous
Amazing experience with Chef Vlad! He prepared a wonderful dinner for us, 5 courses, including one of the best risottos I've ever had. From the personalized menu to the wine pairings to the highest quality of ingredients, everything was perfect. Great conversation and such a fun night.
Jack H.
Chicago · Sous customer
Who Sous is for
Most of our customers told us they never imagined hiring a personal chef. Here's what they say now.
“My nanny who made meals for us quit and Chef Maurice was an absolute lifesaver.”
After the baby, dinner becomes the part of the day no one has bandwidth for. A chef who knows your family takes it off the list.
“I got a fridge full of mix-and-match dishes and I've been eating like a queen for less than it would have cost to DoorDash McDonald's 8 times.”
A fridge full of meat, veggies, sides, and sauces — built around what you actually like to eat. A weekly chef often costs about what your delivery habit already does.
“She's just been nailing it every single time. I think she just really knows us a lot more now.”
Whole foods, ingredients you can name, and menus that get more dialed in every week.
“5 courses, including one of the best risottos I've ever had. From the personalized menu to the wine pairings to the highest quality of ingredients, everything was perfect.”
A chef brings the restaurant to your home for the night that has to be perfect.
Real pricing
Pricing on Sous is dynamic — your menu, your hours, and your chef all shape what you pay. Below are platform averages, not fixed prices.
Groceries billed separately as a reimbursement. Your price varies with hours and your chef's rate.
4 dinners Mon–Thurs · family of 4 · 1hr menu planning + 1hr grocery shopping + 4hr in-home cooking & cleanup
Avg chef hourly rate ~$43–$47/hr × 6 hours
Groceries billed separately as a reimbursement. Your price varies with guests, courses, and your chef's rate.
8 guests · 3 courses · private dining at home
From Chicago kitchens
Chef Carson and Sous are a lifesaver! We're expecting a new baby and Carson has helped us stay fed, happy and stress free!
Kelsey G.
Chicago · Postpartum meal prep
Sous helped us orchestrate a one-of-a-kind private dinner for my father in law's milestone birthday. Chef Issa was very easy to communicate with leading up to the event and the food was delicious! It was a night to remember.
Deanna B.
Chicago · Milestone birthday dinner
I'm not the best cook and a picky eater. I was connected with Chef Judith and it has been a really good experience. Each time we discuss the menu — what I liked, what could improve. She tailors it to me and leaves me with a clean kitchen at the end.
T. Rob
Chicago · Picky-eater meal prep
Common questions
If your question isn't here, message us — most replies are within an hour during the day.
Weekly meal prep in Chicago averages around $260 in chef fees plus about $140 in groceries for 4 dinners (16 servings, family of 4). Special occasion dining for 8 guests averages around $634 in chef fees plus about $230 in groceries — roughly $110 per guest, all-in.
In your home. Sous chefs shop at the store you choose, drive to your home, cook in your kitchen, plate the food, and clean up before they leave. Sous is not a delivery service or a meal kit — your food never sits in a warming bag.
Browse Chicago chefs on Sous, watch their intro videos, chat with the ones you like, and collaborate on a menu together. Most chefs respond within a day. From there you confirm a date, your chef shops, and they arrive at your home to cook.
Yes — that's our Special Occasion service. Most parties are 6–12 guests with a 3-course menu the chef collaborates with you on. Bachelorettes, anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and dinner parties at home are the most common bookings.
It's one of the most common reasons people use Sous. Several Chicago chefs specialize in postpartum-friendly cooking — warming, easy-to-reheat meals, lactation-supportive ingredients, and freezer-ready portions for the early weeks.
Yes. Every chef on Sous is ServSafe-certified and asked about allergen handling during onboarding. You can filter chefs by diet — gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, low-FODMAP, halal, kosher — and your chef builds the menu around your household.
Yes. Gift cards cover any service amount. The recipient picks their own chef, collaborates on the menu, and chooses the date — you just hand over the food.
Most Chicago weekly meal prep clients spend less than they were spending on delivery for the same number of nights — and they get real, tailored, in-home cooking instead of warming-bag food. The math usually shocks people.
Ready when you are
Browse Chicago chefs, watch a few intros, and book the one that fits. Your chef shops, cooks in your kitchen, and cleans up before they go.