Charleston Culinary Tours · French Quarter
A 2.5-hour walk through the French Quarter and the City Market with tastings at four local restaurants, run by Charleston Culinary Tours. Pick it for the food: the operator promises a meal for most, and guests report leaving full.
This is the flagship walk of Charleston Culinary Tours, a local company with its office in a courtyard at 184 East Bay Street. Over 2.5 hours you eat at four restaurants in the French Quarter and around the City Market, and the guide ties each plate to the city's past. The stops change: the operator says destinations rotate on a daily basis, so nobody can promise you one dish.
How much food? The listing calls it "a meal for most", and the operator FAQ suggests a light lunch or no lunch before you go. Guests report BBQ sliders with cornbread, shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, hush puppies and a coconut cake at the end. Water is included. Alcohol is sold at most stops, and the guide's tip is on you: the FAQ calls 10% to 20% of the trip cost the common gratuity in Charleston.
Two catches. Vegan, dairy-free and soy-free diets cannot be accommodated, and every other diet has to reach the company at least 36 hours ahead. The same walk costs $95 per guest on the operator site against from $110 on Viator, with the same 24-hour free cancellation. And not every review glows: one September 2026 guest called the portions sampler-sized and the price too high.
The operator recommends a light lunch or none, and a late dinner reservation.
Check in at 184 East Bay Street, Suite 103. The office sits at the back of the courtyard, behind the iron gate.
Expect 20 to 25 minutes at each restaurant. Guests report barbecue sliders, cornbread and shrimp and grits on recent routes.
Cobblestones and uneven sidewalks, so wear flat shoes. The guide covers the Quarter and the Market as you go.
The last stops rotate daily. Several guests report a coconut cake to finish.
Every route finishes within 3 to 4 blocks of the meeting point. Ask the guide for dinner tips: reviewers say they give plenty.
★★★★★The food was delicious at each of the 4 stops. The combined amount of food we received during the tour was definitely equivalent to a full meal. We were stuffed when the tour ended.
★★★★★[...] We had a great guide named Summer who didn’t just talk food, she also knew so much about the city’s history. Kind of like two tours in one. Great variety of Southern food from BBQ to seafood and other good stuff in between.
★★★★★The first stop with the BBQ sliders and cornbread is the best. The second stop was a close second with shrimp and grits. [...]
Read next:
Four restaurant stops that add up to a meal for most guests, per the operator. Guests report leaving full; one called the portions sampler-sized.
Yes. The operator's site lists $95 per guest; Viator shows from $110. Both allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The operator does not recommend it for anyone under 8, and every guest who needs a seat needs a ticket at the same price.
Most diets, yes, with at least 36 hours' notice by phone or email. Vegan, dairy-free and soy-free diets cannot be accommodated, and substitutions may not be one-for-one.
Ready to book
Four local restaurants in the French Quarter and the Market, a meal for most, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Secret Food Tours: French QuarterA printed menu: pulled pork taco, she-crab soup, benne wafers, shrimp and grits and a secret dish.★ 4.9 · 3 hours · from $89
Bulldog Tours: Savor the FlavorsStarts at 18 Anson Street: grits, pralines, collards and barbecue, with a City Market stop. Ages 12+.★ 4.6 · 2.5 hours · from $111
Private Food & History TourYour party only: four courses at three restaurants, mostly indoors and wheelchair accessible, from 164 Church St.★ 4.8 · 3 hours · from $94