Chow Down Charleston Food Tours
Chow Down Charleston Food Tours
Chow Down Charleston Food Tours
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Eat like a local on our food tasting and historical walking tours of downtown Charleston, SC. We explore the heart of downtown, as well as smaller local neighborhoods off the beaten path. Our Downtown's Local Flavors Tour enjoys 6 unique tasting locations while indulging in the rich history that only Charleston can offer. All food tastings are included on the tour - enough for a lunch meal for most guests. Our Culinary History Walking Tour ventures into the historic residential "South of Broad" district to uncover the culinary history of Charleston. We'll also hand out a few Southern snacks along the way. Advanced reservation is required as group sizes are limited. Chow-Down through Chucktown with us!
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Chow Down Charleston Food Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
224 reviews
Excellent
204
Very good
13
Average
6
Poor
0
Terrible
1
KLH1956
Lethbridge, Canada363 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Our Chow Down Food Tour Guide was Reed and Reed was a fountain of knowledge about Charleston.
We had six stops; five food and one food store. As we went from one food stop to the next we stopped to learn about the history of Charleston, especially downtown Charleston. One of the interesting discussions was about Broad Street. We also learned about the architecture of several buildings, which famous people had visited Charleston, the politics and economics of Charleston, and the effects of the revolutionary and Civil Wars on Charleston.
Te first food stop was at the beginning of the tour, The Brown Dog Deli. At the Brown Dog Deli we had their Pig 'n' Fig Sandwich, a tasty spin on a pulled pork sandwich. Step two was at the Gaulart & Maliclet Cafe Restaurant, also known as Fast and French. We had their Bucheron Salad, which was topped with creamy Chevre. The Third stop was at Queen Street Grocery, a small store converted into a Restaurant with a smaller store attached. The delicious Murray Crepe was what they offered us to taste. It had been named after Bill Murray, who frequents Charleston frequently. It featured turkey and cheese with a delicious sauce. Stop four was at Kitchen 208, a restaurant that is unique in downtown Charleston because it opens early and serves Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch and then closes mid afternoon. We had Grits topped with Okra and a Tomato Sauce. The flavour of the sauce enhanced the flavour of the creamy grits. So far we had had 4 food home runs and were getting pretty full, so the next walk and stop was to Low Country Olive Oil. At Low Country we tasted several of their custom flavoured olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Guess what? The best way to enjoy balsamic vinegars is on vanilla ice cream! In effect, the last two stops would wind up being dessert stops. The last and final stop, was definitely a dessert stop; Chirstophe's Macaron et Chocolat. Christophe is a Chocolatier and Patissier; a European trained Chocolate and Pastry Creator and Maker. Christophe's Coconut Macaron melted in your mouth spreading all the flavours around your tongue and mouth. Then the custom made Lemon flavoured Chocolate Truffle did the same. To wash the desserts down we had a glass of cold Chocolate and Coffee beverages mixed together, perfect for a hot Charleston afternoon!
This is one food tour that should not be missed, it is an all inclusive experience about Charleston!
Awesome tour Reed! Keep up the great work, you're a fantastic Ambassador for Charleston.
We had six stops; five food and one food store. As we went from one food stop to the next we stopped to learn about the history of Charleston, especially downtown Charleston. One of the interesting discussions was about Broad Street. We also learned about the architecture of several buildings, which famous people had visited Charleston, the politics and economics of Charleston, and the effects of the revolutionary and Civil Wars on Charleston.
Te first food stop was at the beginning of the tour, The Brown Dog Deli. At the Brown Dog Deli we had their Pig 'n' Fig Sandwich, a tasty spin on a pulled pork sandwich. Step two was at the Gaulart & Maliclet Cafe Restaurant, also known as Fast and French. We had their Bucheron Salad, which was topped with creamy Chevre. The Third stop was at Queen Street Grocery, a small store converted into a Restaurant with a smaller store attached. The delicious Murray Crepe was what they offered us to taste. It had been named after Bill Murray, who frequents Charleston frequently. It featured turkey and cheese with a delicious sauce. Stop four was at Kitchen 208, a restaurant that is unique in downtown Charleston because it opens early and serves Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch and then closes mid afternoon. We had Grits topped with Okra and a Tomato Sauce. The flavour of the sauce enhanced the flavour of the creamy grits. So far we had had 4 food home runs and were getting pretty full, so the next walk and stop was to Low Country Olive Oil. At Low Country we tasted several of their custom flavoured olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Guess what? The best way to enjoy balsamic vinegars is on vanilla ice cream! In effect, the last two stops would wind up being dessert stops. The last and final stop, was definitely a dessert stop; Chirstophe's Macaron et Chocolat. Christophe is a Chocolatier and Patissier; a European trained Chocolate and Pastry Creator and Maker. Christophe's Coconut Macaron melted in your mouth spreading all the flavours around your tongue and mouth. Then the custom made Lemon flavoured Chocolate Truffle did the same. To wash the desserts down we had a glass of cold Chocolate and Coffee beverages mixed together, perfect for a hot Charleston afternoon!
This is one food tour that should not be missed, it is an all inclusive experience about Charleston!
Awesome tour Reed! Keep up the great work, you're a fantastic Ambassador for Charleston.
Written July 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tammy F
Ayden, NC267 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
Knew that we would be eating, but this tour was more than that! Reed was our guide and we started the tour outside our first restaurant. When they say you should come hungry, you NEED to come hungry. The first location we had almost a WHOLE sandwich! As we walked to the next restaurant, Reed talked about the history of the different buildings and architecture, plus basic history of that area of Charleston. The entire tour was very interesting by itself, and the food was amazing! There are more than enough stops to fill you up! I was full by the end of the 3rd stop, and there were 3 more after that! Each place was different and unique, with it's own character. These places are where the locals go, and the prices are very much within your budget! I was very full and glad that we had the walk in between places to help make room for more food! I won't give out any hints, but will say you will learn a lot and eat a lot and want to come back for more! I want to spend another day or two just eating at all the places that we visited. Biggest decision? Which place to go to eat our last night! This is an amazing tour and well worth the time. Amazingly off the beaten track!
Written August 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BRPROC
Pittsford, NY61 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
Very enjoyable tour of Charleston without being a “foodie”. Nicely balanced. Am I up to 100 characters yet?
Written April 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
playparkfun
Lapeer, MI218 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
This was an off the beaten path good tour. It was in an old run down section of town. The first stop was poor boy and Moscow mule at the rarebit. VERYNICE very tasty! It was downhill from there. A pizza shop nothing special and the 3 dessert places. Bagels, pastry and popsicles. Awful! I make better pastry and popsIckes. Really 2 week old popsicles called fresh!!! They had freezer burn. The other stops were under cooked. I guess I expected more. Do no waste your money on this tour.!!!!!!!
Written May 16, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TUT69
Derry, NH26 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
My wife and I had the BEST time. The tour guide Reid was terrific, and we had a great group of "new best friends" for the day.I really can't expound much on all the positives from the previous reviewers, but I will say that some "minus" comments about some of the stops turned out to be my favorites. Even my least favorite tasting was a great learning experience.
Do this tour first as you'll want to return to visit the great chefs, servers and gastronomical artists you'll meet along the way. Looking forward to doing it again!!!!
Do this tour first as you'll want to return to visit the great chefs, servers and gastronomical artists you'll meet along the way. Looking forward to doing it again!!!!
Written September 8, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Burghfoodie
Pittsburgh, PA26 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
Our family of four loved the food tour with Reid. A nice variety of food tastings and places visited. We really enjoyed the balsamic vinegar/oil tasting stop paired with ice cream, such a great idea! Reid also provided us with historical tidbits throughout the tour. We left with a better appreciation of Charleston....its food culture and history. We'll be back!
Written August 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mikaela G
Cohutta, GA163 contributions
Aug 2015 • Friends
I have been on many food tours in a few different cities. This one was one of the best! I loved that we went off the beaten path and got a dose of history along the way. It was wonderful!
Reid was our guide and he was fun, informative, and had a good reputation with the restaurants we visited.
I can't tell you enough how enjoyable this food tour was.
If you are there for the week, I recommend going earlier in the week to get an idea of all the places you want to go back to!
You will walk a lot. But it is not difficult.
You will get plenty to eat.
There is water at every stop.
The restaurants allow you to use their restrooms.
Reid was our guide and he was fun, informative, and had a good reputation with the restaurants we visited.
I can't tell you enough how enjoyable this food tour was.
If you are there for the week, I recommend going earlier in the week to get an idea of all the places you want to go back to!
You will walk a lot. But it is not difficult.
You will get plenty to eat.
There is water at every stop.
The restaurants allow you to use their restrooms.
Written August 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LUV2travel-notmuch$
Kingston, ON147 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
Owners Reid and Jessica greeted us warmly and facilitated introductions among the group of tourists. They gave each tourist a printed itinerary for the afternoon and outlined the flow of the tour. Each of the stops was fabulous and each had a distinctive character and charming hosts. We had visits with the owners in a couple of spots. The food was plentiful and, in total, was easily the equivalent of a very full lunch. Our menu included a couple of versions of barbecue; a lovely turkey-brie crepe, with a soucon of salad and small glass of rose wine; a chilled cucumber dill soup with pate on crostini and we finished off the afternoon with a white chocolate truffle and macaron. A few nice surprises: both Reid and Jess are fully licensed as tour guides and provided a considerable amount of historical commentary as we walked from spot to spot. Also, the olive oil and vinegar specialty shop was a real highlight for many of us and really expanded our ideas of how vinegar can enhance everything from appetizers to dessert. An excellent, excellent way to spend three hours.
For those of you who are concerned about the extent of the walking on the trip; fear not. We didn't walk more than 10 minutes at any one time and we had comfortable air-conditioned seating at every stop. The pace is very manageable even for those who aren't particularly active.
Our only regret was that we waited until our last day in Charleston to take the tour and did not have the opportunity to go back to any of the 6 spots we visited.
For those of you who are concerned about the extent of the walking on the trip; fear not. We didn't walk more than 10 minutes at any one time and we had comfortable air-conditioned seating at every stop. The pace is very manageable even for those who aren't particularly active.
Our only regret was that we waited until our last day in Charleston to take the tour and did not have the opportunity to go back to any of the 6 spots we visited.
Written August 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AngelSonrisa
Washington138 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
We love to take food tours and this one did not disappoint. Reed takes you to off the beaten path to places that only locals would know about and that was just what we wanted. Along with great food he will speak about the history of the town as you walk along to each stop. It was actually much better than the carriage tour we took because this tour lasted 3 hours and I felt we got to take better pictures as well as eat good food. We learned just as much if not more than we did from the 1 hour carriage tour. I highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Charleston. The food was fantastic! We had 6 stops with plenty of food - so don't worry - you won't leave this tour hungry. Here were our stops: Brown Dog Deli - Pulled pork Sliders. Gaulart & Maliclet Fast & French - Ginger Carrot soup, Kimchi and grilled cheese sandwich with sausage. Queen Street Grocery - Crepes with turkey and spinach and side salad. Kitchen 208 - Cheese grits with salsa topper. Lowcountry Olive Oil - strawberries, popcorn and bread to try with many different vinegars and oils. Christophe - Stella (half coffee/half hot chocolate, Irish Cream Truffle and Coconut French macaroon.
Written March 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff G
Myrtle Beach, SC105 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
We were a small group of just my wife and I and walking around with our guide Reid was like walking around Charleston with a local friend who knew the spots that only locals would know. Local sites and history is mixed in with the tour, and we loved the food at every stop. From the delicious pork sandwich at the Brown Dog, glass of wine and tasty snack at the fast French place, and especially the off the beaten track, locals only Queen St grocery, which looks much like it must have when it opened in 1922, we enjoyed every stop, sampled some great olive oils, and fantastic local made gourmet chocolate treats at the last stop. We love doing food tours in cities we visit, especially ones that go to more of the local spots, and this one did just that. Would highly recommend this tour!
Written February 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is this tour hard for someone that can't walk distances or are the restaurants fairly close together?
Written June 9, 2021
Can you find out who your tour guide would be if you want a particular one?
Written October 25, 2019
About how many people are included in your Chef's Kitchen Tours?
Written August 31, 2019
How many people are in your tour group?
Written August 29, 2019
How do I make a reservation in advance and see the times the tour is available?
Written April 30, 2018
Check their website. That’s how we made our reservation.
Written June 3, 2018
My mom is on chemo and on bad days she uses a wheelchair. Is the tour handicapped accessible?
Written January 31, 2017
Hi there! Sorry for the delayed response, but no, we do not consider our tour route wheelchair accessible.
Unfortunately, many restaurants have a step or two into their front doors, and wheelchairs do not fit through a few of our tasting locations due to the historic nature of the buildings.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we wish your mother all the best as well!
Written February 23, 2017
Spiffire
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Is this a food sample tour or a full course type tour?
Written June 4, 2016
It is definitely not a sample tour. The portions at each stop are a good size and by the end of the tour you will most certainly be satisfied. Hope this helps :)
Written June 5, 2016
Hi I don't eat meat (but I do eat fish). Would your tours be suitable for me?
Written May 18, 2016
If you let them know of any dietary restrictions they will try to accommodate you. I don't eat seafood and they took this into account for me. Best to check with them directly in advance.
Bon Appetite,
Maureen
Written May 27, 2016
How long does the Chow Down Charleston Food Tour last? I see from an earlier post it starts at 11:00 AM. Also how many restaurants does the tour visit?
Written March 16, 2015
Hi there! We ask guests to budget around 3 hours for the tour - lately we have been averaging around 2 hrs and 45 minutes. We visit 6 different tasting locations on the tour with historical points of interest between each stop. Thanks for your question!
Written March 16, 2015
Could you tell me where you meet up and what streets you walk? I am wondering if we should do a walking tour in addition to this one or if this one covers a lot of history also? Thanks!
Written February 14, 2015
Hello, we start near the corner of Church St and Broad St. We cover most of Broad street, as well as Queen St, some of King St, and part of Meeting St.
I would say that the main focus of our tour is the food, but we set it up to stop at a tasting location, and then in between each tasting we stop at a historical point.
We like to add the historical interest points to shape our tour experience and allow guests to leave with a good feel for Charleston in general. However, if you are looking for a lot of specific history, you might enjoy doing a walking tour as well. There is so much history here that you are bound to hear something different on every tour. I hope that helps!
Written February 15, 2015
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