Private Chef in Ocean City
Large family rentals, multi-generational groups, and picky eaters — with menus built around Ocean City's dry-town status.
Ocean City is one of the biggest family rental markets on the Jersey Shore. The houses are large, the groups are multi-generational, and the week is usually built around the house. Chef Matts Culinary Creations cooks on-site in your Ocean City rental, turning the kitchen into the best restaurant of the week — no packing up the kids, no restaurant waits, and no one stuck doing dishes.
We serve Ocean City, Sea Isle City, and Strathmere. Because Ocean City is a dry town, we also plan menus around whether your group is bringing their own wine or skipping alcohol entirely.
Learn more about our personal chef services.
Check AvailabilityOur Personal Chef Services
Three ways to book Chef Matt — pick the one that fits your week or your occasion.
Vacation Chef
Multi-night private dining across your Ocean City rental stay — different menus each night, full service, and zero cleanup. From $125/person.
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Private Dinners
A polished dinner party in your beach house starting at $125/person — coursed or family-style for the whole family group.
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Breakfast & Brunch
A relaxed morning spread starting at $150/person — ideal before the beach, boardwalk, or checkout.
Learn MoreWhat to Expect From a Personal Chef in Ocean City
Booking a personal chef in Ocean City is designed to feel effortless from the very first conversation. Chef Matt starts by learning about your household — how many people you're feeding, the dietary preferences and restrictions in your home, the kitchen you're working with, and the kind of experience you want to create. From there, he builds a fully custom menu and confirms every detail in writing before the date so there are no surprises on the day of service.
Every booking includes complete planning, sourcing of fresh seasonal ingredients, in-home cooking, plating or portioning, and a full kitchen cleanup before he leaves. For weekly meal prep clients in Ocean City, that means meals labeled, dated, and stored in your refrigerator or freezer with simple reheating instructions. For private dinner parties, it means a full course-by-course experience served on your own table, with Chef Matt handling pacing, presentation, and clearing throughout the evening.
With more than eighteen years in professional kitchens — including time as an executive chef by age twenty-two and ongoing membership in the United States Personal Chef Association — Chef Matt brings restaurant-level technique into homes throughout Ocean City. The result is food that tastes like a fine-dining experience, served in the comfort of the place you already love most.
Why Book a Private Chef in Ocean City
Ocean City draws large extended families who rent a house for a week and want a few meals to happen without effort. The age range is wide, the palates are wider, and the best dinner of the week usually happens at the rental. A private chef solves the logistics: one menu that works for kids and grandparents, served at one time, with the kitchen cleaned before anyone goes to bed.
For a full guide to private chef dinners in Ocean City vacation rentals, including how arrival dinners and multi-night stays work, see our beach house vacation rental chef service.
Ocean City is also a dry town, which changes how some groups approach dinner. Alcohol is not sold in town, so guests either bring their own or simply don't serve it. We build menus around that reality — either dishes that pair well with BYOB wine or a fully non-alcoholic experience where the food carries the evening.
Ideal For
- Multi-generational family rentals with a wide age range
- Groups with picky eaters or multiple dietary needs
- Week-long stays with two or three dinners across the trip
- Milestone birthdays, reunions, and family celebrations
- Arrival-day dinners for houses that show up empty
- Relaxed brunches before the beach or the boardwalk
Services & Pricing in Ocean City
- Vacation Chef — $125/person for dinner. The most popular Ocean City booking: two or three dinners across a week-long rental, with menus that rotate so no one repeats a meal. Eight-guest minimum ($1,000). See private dinner parties.
- Private Dinners — $125/person. A single standout evening for a birthday, reunion, or special occasion. Coursed or family-style depending on the group and the house. Eight-guest minimum ($1,000).
- Breakfast & Brunch — $150/person. A relaxed morning spread before the beach or the boardwalk. Eight-guest minimum ($1,200). See private brunch chef.
- Grocery Reimbursement & Gratuity. Groceries are reimbursed at cost. There is no New Jersey sales tax on grocery reimbursement. A 20% gratuity is automatically applied to all parties over $1,000.
The Dry Town Detail
Ocean City is a dry town — alcohol is not sold within city limits. For private dinners, this usually means one of two things: guests bring their own wine or beer (BYOB) and we design a menu around those pairings, or the group skips alcohol and the menu is built to stand alone. Either way, it's handled upfront in the planning so there are no surprises at the table.
This detail is specific to Ocean City. If your group is staying in a nearby town where alcohol is available, or if you have a mixed itinerary across Sea Isle City or Strathmere, we can adjust the approach for each night.
Areas Served
Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Strathmere — plus surrounding Ocean County barrier island addresses. For the full Jersey Shore region, including Cape May, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Long Beach Island, and Monmouth County, see private chef services at the Jersey Shore. For statewide coverage, see private chef services in New Jersey.
Sample Ocean City Menus
Family-Style Arrival Dinner
Grilled flatbreads with whipped ricotta and herbs. Heirloom tomato salad with basil and burrata. Herb-roasted chicken with lemon and olive oil, grilled local fish with summer salsa, and roasted seasonal vegetables. Cornbread and honey butter. Fresh berry crisp with vanilla ice cream.
Coursed Birthday Dinner
Chilled watermelon soup with mint. Pan-seared scallops with cauliflower purée. Dry-aged ribeye with rosemary and roasted fingerling potatoes. Summer corn and zucchini. Chocolate pot de crème with sea salt.
Sunday Beach Brunch
Smoked salmon board with capers, red onion, and dill cream. Vegetable frittata with local cheese. Buttermilk biscuits, seasonal fruit, and fresh pastries. Build-your-own sparkling lemonade and orange juice.
Book a Private Chef in Ocean City
Request a BookingHow It Works
- 1
Share Your Rental Dates
Tell us your Ocean City rental dates, group size, how many nights you'd like a chef, and any dietary needs or BYOB preferences.
- 2
Receive a Custom Menu Plan
Chef Matt builds menus for your stay — calibrated to your group, your kitchen, and the dry-town logistics.
- 3
We Provision and Cook On-Site
All ingredients and equipment arrive with the chef. No grocery runs, no prep work, no cleanup for you.
- 4
Enjoy the House
Dinner is served when you want it. The kitchen is left clean and your family stays together for the evening.
Areas We Serve
Private chef services for Ocean City, Sea Isle City, and Strathmere — in-home dining for large family rentals, multi-generational groups, and picky eaters.
Local Sourcing & Seasonal Menus
Menus for clients in Ocean City are written around the season and the local market. Chef Matt sources fresh produce, seafood, and proteins from trusted regional purveyors and grocers, then builds each menu around what's actually at peak that week — heirloom tomatoes and stone fruit in late summer, root vegetables and braises in the colder months, and fresh-caught seafood whenever the catch supports it. Every menu is reviewed with you in advance, with full flexibility for allergies, gluten-free or dairy-free needs, vegetarian and pescatarian preferences, kid-friendly versions, and any cultural or religious considerations in your household.
Meet Your Personal Chef
- 18+ years professional kitchen experience
- Executive Chef by age 22
- Academy of Culinary Arts graduate
- USPCA member
- Specialized in dietary-aware cooking
Chef Matt brings restaurant-quality dining directly to your home. Every meal is crafted around your preferences, dietary needs, and lifestyle — sourced with intention and cooked with precision.
Learn More About Chef MattWhat Our Clients Say
"Amazing dinner for ten by Chef Matt in our LBI home. We loved every bite of the meal he prepared for my husband's 60th birthday. There were constant comments from my family 'this is the best I ever had!'"
Gail A.
Long Beach Island, NJ
"We hired Chef Matt for a bachelor party dinner of 10. The meal was excellent — the guys are still talking about it."
D K
Jersey Shore
"We hired Chef Matt for a birthday dinner party, and the entire experience exceeded every expectation. The menu was absolutely phenomenal."
Heather Rehfuss
New Jersey
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Book Your Personal Chef?
Fill out our short availability form — no obligation, no pressure. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.
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