F.A.Q.

What kind of food will we have?

That depends on the tour and the time of year. You can expect a variety of food groups and flavors. Our South Orange tour currently features small batch pastries, Mexican street tacos, legendary sub sandwiches from the birthplace of the sloppy joe, and more.

Are there veggie options?

Our tours do feature vegetarian dishes, but since menus vary, please confirm with us ahead of time.

What if I have a food allergy?

Please notify us at info@chowtownfoodtours.com at least 72 hours in advance of the tour if you have any allergies that prevent you from eating certain foods. We will work with you to ensure your safety and satisfaction at each of the stops on our food tours.

Who exactly are you?

Chow Town Food Tours is the evil scheme of Max Gray, a native New Jerseyan with strong opinions on food -- the food of the Jersey suburbs, to be exact. He is on a mission to deliver the most fun, entertaining, and delicious food tour experience around by taking the 'BS' out of the suburbs.

In all seriousness, Max founded Chow Town to share his love of food and community with folks of all backgrounds and creeds. Book a tour now and come on down to Chow Town!

Why the suburbs?

The Jersey suburbs are an absolute cornucopia of untapped culinary joy. This underrated, multicultural area is bursting with vibrant food traditions ranging from Italian to Ethiopian and everything in between. Book a tour today and find out what you've been missing!

What are public tours?

Public tours are offered on a somewhat predictable schedule during the warmer months of the year (roughly May - October), and these tickets are available for purchase by the general public. Regular tours are popular, probably because they have been lovingly designed together with our restaurant partners to appeal to a general audience, with certain aspects of the menu that can be customized for folks with allergies and dietary restrictions.

Regular tours are a great way to meet other fun-loving, curious, open-minded people from all across the area. You never know when you might meet a new friend, colleague, or neighbor on one of these dynamic, culinary adventures. Visit Public Tours to book your ticket!

What are private tours then?

Private tours, on the other hand, are just for you and your own group -- whether it's a celebration with friends, a birthday or bachelorette party, an office gathering, or just an excuse to explore the world with friends or loved ones. They are not open to the public. Private tours can be scheduled for almost any time and are curated to fit the needs and interests of your specific group. Generally the minimum group size that we prefer is five individuals.

Call us at (862)227-2626 to schedule a Private Tour or navigate to our Corporate Tours page if you are seeking a special package for your office or business team.

How long do tours last?

It depends on the group and the location, but walking tours are about 3 hours from start to finish. We recommend you budget at least three hours to enjoy the full experience.

Where do you host tours?

During the warmer months, we run regular, public tours of Montclair, South Orange, and Denville, as well as infrequent tours of Madison and Morristown, all in the beautiful and mysterious realm of Northern New Jersey.

If you'd like to tour a town that isn't on that list, please call us at (862)227-2626 to discuss a private tour. We gladly run private tours of almost any town in northern NJ! We have dynamic and adaptable itineraries and menus that we look forward to discussing with you.

Do you offer refunds?

Our tours require a lot of planning and preparation. We pay advance deposits to the small business owners on our tours to ensure the best experience for guests. For that reason, we are unable to provide refunds at this time.

However, if you notify us more than 72 hours prior to your tour, we will work with you to reschedule you to a more convenient date at another time.

I loved our tour! How do I support the local restaurant owners we met?

We are so glad to hear it! Building up our NJ communities is a big reason for why we do this. We suggest following them on social media and purchasing other products from them after the tour is over.

Another way would be to register for another tour with Chow Town. Click here to read about the other tours we are offering. We love our repeat customers and happily offer them a discount on their return visits! It would be a pleasure to see you again.