During this food and drink tour, sample Southern favorites while learning about history and culture.
Join in on one of North America's most sought-after Secret Food Tours, and experience the culinary delights of Charleston's French Quarter like never before!
These five-star rated tour takes you on a foodie adventure through the city's picturesque and historic streets with experienced guides passionate about sharing the stories behind the delicious dishes you'll be sampling.
Discover how pirates, pandemics, natural disasters, and wars have all shaped Charleston's unique food scene as you indulge in low-country cuisine, including Carolina-style BBQ, Shrimp & Grits, and an exceptional handmade ice cream… and you'll also get to enjoy a surprise Secret Dish, carefully selected by these expert guides to showcase the best of Charleston's culinary scene! For those who want to take their experience to the next level, we offer a thoughtfully curated Upgraded Drinks Package, with quality libations served at select stops throughout the tour.
This food tour includes two cocktails and wine to pair with the food you'll be served. Non-alcoholic drinks may be substituted if requested by the guest.
Palmetto punch, a refreshing and fruity cocktail with pineapple juice, orange juice, rum and grenadine
Charleston spiked tea, a cocktail with vodka, peach schnapps and lemon juice
Mini wine flight with three distinct wines from curated vineyards
Please note that the served food & drinks can sometimes change due to seasonality. Also, food tour menus cannot be modified to adapt to most dietary restrictions.
Reviews guests left for other experiences with Guide Shawn or Local Guide
Dean Amann
10 Jul 2023
Food was good but not tied to the history of the South or of Charleston - there didn't seem to be a connection.
Dean Amann
09 Jul 2023
Not much history or history of the food in Charleston was shared.
Not much was tied together of the food and what it meant to the South
Jennifer
27 Oct 2022
This is such a fun and engaging food tour! We highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the food scene in Charleston!
Reviews Guide Shawn or Local Guide received outside of Cozymeal
Scott
27 Jan 2023
As a resident of Charleston who has been on numerous tours, I can say that this one was the best. First off, Guilds, the tour guide, is a local who grew up knowing almost everyone in the food industry. This is a true insider tour because of his familiarity with that subject as well as the city and its residents. The food was exquisite. Each dish was excellent and used produce and proteins from South Carolina. Your time and money will be well spent on the conversation and food. You won't be let down, and you'll also get a good meal and some entertainment!
Shane M
27 Jan 2023
With so many must-try places to eat in Charleston, we decided that taking a food tour would be the most efficient way to sample the local food and save time. The Downtown Charleston Food Tour is what we did. The best choice ever! Mimi was the ideal host, providing details about the food and the background of Charleston as well! P.S. The portions were enormous, and the food was absolutely delicious! That evening, we were unable to eat dinner. We had such a great time on the tour that we decided to go on the Farm to Table Experience the following day!
Nicky M.
07 Dec 2022
What a great, relaxing approach to discovering more about Charleston! Laurie was a top-notch tour guide. While we sampled Charleston-specific cuisine, she told us tales about the city's rich history and traditions. We took a tour through the lovely French Quarter neighborhood, stopping at 5 delicious restaurants along the route for the food. With a great couple, it was a really private tour, and Laurie made us all feel quite at ease. We appreciate your support in making our first very long trip to Charleston memorable. This tour comes highly recommended. Thank you, Laurie.
Ivan
07 Dec 2022
On this food tour of Charleston's French Quarter, we had a blast! Jessi was a fantastic tour guide—friendly and relaxed, he made sure we kept to the schedule without ever making us feel rushed, and he gave us lots of useful information on the local cuisine and interesting places as we traveled. We visited five different places, sampling a variety of Charleston-area specialties at each stop. I highly recommend this food tour as a delightful and enjoyable way to learn more about a lovely city and its particular flavor.
Beatrice
05 Dec 2022
Oliver provided a wonderful experience, I must say! He was very intelligent, fascinating, and friendly. He took us to six fantastic places where we sampled local food including Irish food and barbeque, drank beer in one of the oldest taverns in America, and had a meal at one of Charleston's fine dining establishments. He revealed to us certain mysteries that we eagerly anticipate learning later. He was always on time and well-organized, and his generosity was a special experience. We definitely recommend Oliver serve as your tour guide.
Marc
05 Dec 2022
Local Charleston resident here. Laurie served as my tour guide. She took us to some incredible local spots that I was unaware of and told us a ton of fascinating tales about how Charleston's cuisine and drink have contributed significantly to the city's history. All of us on the trip felt welcome thanks to Laurie's warmth, friendliness, and expert knowledge. She also patiently answered all of our queries. In the city I call home, I never anticipated to discover so many undiscovered jewels! You won't go away hungry though! This was some of the nicest food I've had in Charleston, and the portions were generous. I adore Laurie and would recommend this tour!
Ciara
05 Dec 2022
Jessi, our tour guide, was outstanding. She took us to five fantastic locations, and she had meticulously planned the entire trip in advance. The menu included a wide choice of tasty cuisine and drinks. We also valued Jessi's familiarity with Charleston's past. She shared some really fascinating information with us about the early days of colonization, the various religious groups that immigrated from Europe, as well as some significant contributions made by women and African Americans over the course of the previous 300 years. Overall, a fantastic experience.
W.
05 Dec 2022
We highly recommend doing this tour! If we hadn't done this trip, we would have missed out on how lovely this part of the city was. The tour guide, Jessi, was fantastic! She is also a cook and shared with us some advice on utilizing our own green egg smoker as well as a few of his own dishes. She was quite knowledgeable about Charleston as a local. This tour was by far our favorite out of the two that we took in Charleston that week. We skipped dinner that night because we were too full. We enjoyed the finest shrimp and grits in the entire city on this trip! Also fantastic was the Nutella dessert.
Liza
02 Dec 2022
Our guide did a great job. While we were traveling to each destination, he was extremely knowledgeable about the food we ate as well as the history of Charleston. We laughed a lot and had fantastic chats. He even organized a Happy Birthday song for my daughter at the restaurant. Her 22nd birthday was celebrated in a wonderful way. This was an excellent opportunity to sample the fantastic food that Charleston has to offer. You won't regret trying this tour and eating like the natives.
A.
02 Dec 2022
In downtown Charleston, Laurie made a great food tour guide. I've taken various cuisine tours, but Laurie provided a lot more information about each establishment we visited. The options were excellent. The shrimp and grits were fantastic. The she-crab soup was well-liked by all.
Then beignets a distinctive but tasty twist.
To top it all off, Laurie guided us around the eateries' streets while explaining the significance of several Charleston landmarks. I adored it!
Absolutely worth the cost!
As expert tour guides, Guide Shawn and their team love providing guests with memorable, food-focused experiences in Charleston. Their food tours are peppered with historical and cultural facts with the best local food as the featured moments. From Southern specialties like shrimp and grits and fried green tomatoes, discover Charleston’s culinary authenticity with Guide Shawn and their team.
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Cancellation Policy
Flexible booking: Cancel or reschedule this event's reservation for free up to 48 hours before the event.This experience is not refundable as it includes a meal kit.
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