FAQs

Definitely not!  In addition to delicious local food tastings, we also serve up a hearty helping of neighborhood commentary. We’ll share interesting information about the backgrounds and inspiration of the chefs/owners behind the eateries we visit, as well as plenty of historical, cultural and architectural information relevant to the neighborhood we are visiting.

Please see our South End, Allston  and Chinatown pages for more specific information about each neighborhood tour.

Our tours include tastings from 5-6 local eateries and collectively provide enough food for a satisfying lunch for most people.  We provide tastings, so please do not expect a full meal at each location. Tastings vary in portion size, with some tastings served while seated inside the restaurant, and others served in a more “on the go” manner to also allow time for the neighborhood component of the tour.

Please see our South End, Allston  and Chinatown pages for more specific information and to see a listing of eateries visited on each tour.

Bites are the main focus of our tastings. Sips are included when it makes sense as a compliment to the main tasting. The beverage samples we include may be alcoholic or non-alcoholic, are subject to change, and vary between tours. We are able to provide non-alcoholic alternatives for those who do not drink alcohol and those under 21 with advance notice. Please indicate this in your reservation under dietary restrictions when purchasing tickets.

Seeing as a good portion of our tours is spent outdoors and on foot exploring the local neighborhood, not all tasting stops are long enough for and/or conducive to serving beverages, including water.  As such, we highly recommend bringing along bottled water if you’d enjoy having something to drink throughout the experience.

We can provide vegetarian options in most tasting locations with advance notice. Please be sure to make this request when purchasing tickets as we will not be able to arrange for alternative options on the day of the tour.

We are not able to accommodate a vegan diet on any of our tours.

The dietary restrictions and allergies we are able to accommodate with alternative tastings are listed and may be selected for each guest at checkout for each tour.  All substitutions must be requested in advance, so please indicate accordingly in your reservation when purchasing tickets. Tastings are prepared ahead of time based on reservation notes, so we are unable to make changes to the orders on the fly on the day of the tour.

For allergies and restrictions not listed, as there may not always be a “next best” best option that also meets specific dietary needs, we are not able to provide substitutions in all tasting locations. However, our tours offer a good mix of foods, including vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free options.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased through FareHarbor either online or by calling 617-702-2483. Cash is not accepted for ticket purchases.

All sales are final unless a Refundable tour ticket is purchased at the time of booking. Tour tickets are sold based on availability for a specific date and time and your ticket is valid for that event only. We do not offer refunds, exchanges or re-scheduling once tickets have been purchased. There are no exceptions. Thank you for your cooperation.

Tour guide gratuities are not included in the ticket price. While not mandatory, if you had a great time, gratuities will be graciously accepted by your tour guide at the end of the tour. The standard gratuity in the industry is 10-20%.

Yes, in the tasting locations where we are seated and served, gratuities for the servers are included in the price of your ticket and have been taken care of behind the scenes.

Children ages 12 and older are welcome to participate.

Our tours last 2.5 – 3 hours and include a significant amount historical, cultural and/or architectural information. We spend a lot of time outdoors and on our feet, talking about and exploring the local neighborhood, and past experience has shown this to be quite challenging for the attention spans of young children.

Children ages 12 and older are welcome to participate in our tours. This activity is not appropriate to attend with infants and, due to space limitations, strollers are not permitted on any of our tours.

At this time, we do not offer discounted tickets for children or seniors.

Yes, Gift Certificates are available and make great gifts for holidays, birthdays, weddings and other special occasions! Please click here to purchase Gift Certificates.

Yes, Bites of Boston Food Tours can accommodate private group tours. Please visit the Private Group Tours page for more details.

South End – The tour meets near the intersection of Washington Street and Union Park Street in Boston’s South End. The exact meeting location will be provided at the time of ticket purchase.  The tour ends 2 blocks from where it begins.

Allston – The tour meets near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue. The exact meeting location will be provided at the time of ticket purchase.  The tour ends 2 blocks from where it begins.

Tours last between 2.5 – 3 hours and cover less than 2 miles. While we will be on our feet most of the time, we do walk at a moderately casual pace and stop frequently at tasting locations and neighborhood sites.

Seeing as our tours have been coordinated in advance to ensure an on-time tour and fresh food-tastings, it is critical for us to stay on schedule.  We do ask that you refrain from shopping until after the tour, but everything is within close proximity and we will provide all the information you need to return to your favorite spots easily.

Tours are held rain or shine. We do ask that you check the weather forecast and plan ahead. If rain is predicted, please bring an umbrella and proper rain gear.  Boston weather is quite variable, so please also plan attire accordingly for hot or cold temperatures depending the time of year you visit us!

South End – Parking is available but limited near the meeting location. Additionally, city parking meters have a 2-hour maximum limit, which is not sufficient to cover the duration of the tour. We find using the T or arriving in a cab is easiest, but parking garage options will be provided in a confirmation email following ticket purchase. We do recommend using one of the suggested parking garages to avoid any confusion with Boston parking rules and regulations.

Allston – We do not recommend trying to park in Allston. Parking is limited to meters with 2-hour limits in Allston, which is not sufficient to cover the duration of the tour. We highly recommend using the T or arriving by cab. Directions will be provided in a confirmation email following ticket purchase.

South End – Restrooms will be available at the beginning and end of the tour at the corresponding tasting locations.

Allston – Please use the restroom before arriving as restrooms will not be available at the meeting location or for the first hour or so of the tour.

Yes! Cameras are permitted and photos are highly encouraged.  In fact, please feel free to share your photos on our social media pages or directly through email – we love to see them!

Yes, our tours are accessible for wheelchairs.

For the South End tour,  please be aware this is a historic neighborhood and many of the sidewalks are old, made of brick, and quite uneven in some places.  Additionally, a few of the tasting locations themselves are not wheelchair accessible. While entry to the eatery may not be possible, we are usually able to accommodate with outdoor tastings at those locations. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@bitesofbostonfoodtours.com – we are happy to help assess your individual situation with a wheelchair.

We highly recommend you take this tour toward the beginning of your vacation so you have time to re-visit the neighborhood and your new favorite local eateries!  In addition to the tasting locations visited as part of the tour, we also talk about and provide a list of other favorite local eateries. As for day of the week, any day is an excellent day for a food tour!  However, tours do sell out quickly, so please book your tour well in advance for the best chance of getting tickets for your preferred date.

Absolutely!  While you may be familiar with the neighborhoods we visit and some of the stops along the way, you will likely try new foods at many tasting locations, as well as learn more about the establishments themselves. Additionally, we share some fun facts about the neighborhood’s history, architecture and culture that you may not be aware of.  Being a local, you will also have the unique opportunity to re-visit many of the eateries we visit, as well as others we recommend, at your leisure!  You may also consider taking our tours with visitors – our tours are an excellent activity with which to entertain out-of-town family and guests!

For the comfort of all of our guests and per Massachusetts regulations prohibiting animals in establishments serving food, we do not allow pets on our tours.

For the comfort of all of our guests, we kindly ask that you refrain from smoking during our tours.