We went on a food tour of downtown Roanoke. Our guide was Ned. I thought the whole tour was run very well (I've been on about 5 other food tours) and saw that Ned was in contact with the next restaurant each time so that they were ready for us. Ned provided us with great information about the history of the town, the railroad (although some of that was incorrect as he kept saying Raleigh instead of Norfolk as it pertained to the railroad and it kept saying that one of the railway companies "left" when in fact, they were merged. Maybe this wouldn't have mattered so much except someone in our group was very familiar with the railroad) But Ned was very personable and you could tell he loved history and as we do too we really enjoyed his tour. The food on the tour was fairly varied and unique to the town (a must!) and it was great to hear the back story of the ownership of the restaurants. (I was a little worried when at the first two restaurants we were served seafood dishes, a seafood bisque and shrimp and grits as one person in our group doesn't really like seafood and I think this is a risky choice for a tour. Also at Chocolate Paper we were given two mediocre Asher chocolates to try instead of some of their more expensive and more delicious Debrands chocolates.) One person in our group thought there wasn't enough food and thought another restaurant or two should be added. I tend to agree when compared to the cost of this tour against other tours I've taken. Had the cost been a little lower I think the amount of food would've been fine. All in all, a great tour though. Ned really was a great guide, I hope he leads more tours, I really learned a lot! read more

See all

I had never been on a food tour before and this was fantastic. The food was great. Larry, our guide, was so knowledgeable. We learned way more about Roanoke than I would have ever imagined. Think about the cheesiest tour you have ever been on - this was the exact opposite. I'm going to look for food tours in every city we visit from now on simply based on this experience. read more

The food and history was great. Lynn was fantastic. She really knew her history and delivered an intelligent and entertaining presentation. The food was varied and delicious. 5 stars for sure. read more

The Tour of Naples is a full immersion experience! It starts off with a toast and the restaurant folks are excellent hosts. We learned how to make the Negroni cocktail and they took time to teach the flaming orange. Including a lot of interesting history and information about the spirits. The instruction on making the pizza and cocktail was so thorough that we felt like we really did something, while we learned in action. Worth the time and money. *they did ask if anyone is dry, but not sure what they offer in lieu of the cocktails or wine. read more

We did a private Food, Culture and History Tour with Lynn. It was outstanding! She was incredibly knowledgeable and obviously loves Roanoke--it was contagious! With a wide range of stops, it gave us a nice, broad spectrum of the Roanoke food scene. Everyone in our group of 16 gave it a resounding thumbs up! read more

What a fun way to learn about our new hometown! Ned was very informative and fun telling us about the history of Roanoke. The food stops were great, and Ned had the backstory on each place we stopped. I highly recommend this tour! read more

It was great! Learning about some of the history or Roanoke, along with fantastic eats! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. I absolutely would recommend! read more

We did the food, culture and history of Roanoke tour today. If you're thinking about doing this tour - don't wait book it now! Lynn our guide was great! She was personable and very knowledgeable about the area. The history and facts were so interesting that the food part almost became secondary. But don't worry the food was great too! I've done at least 1/2 dozen food/history tours around the US and beyond and the one in Roanoke is at the top of my list. read more

We had a great time on this tour. Ned was incredibly patient with our constant questions on the chilly day we toured Roanoke's food scene. Every bite was fantastic and the facts along the way told the story of Big Lick to Roanoke. Ned just didn't "read his script". He was engaging, he was curious, he really cares if you are having a good time. The amount and the variety of food was exactly what you would expect. We weren't full but certainly satisfied. We were thankful we had another day on our trip to go back and visit some of the places we saw along the way. Thank you for opening our eyes to the history and the yummy restaurants in the booming town of Roanoke. read more

Fun and informative, in my own neighborhood! This was the tour of Grandin Village. Started out at our wonderful neighborhood Rockfish restaurant, on to the fantastic Farmer's Market, toured the Co-Lab and our newly renovated Co-Op. Ventured over to the historic Grandin Theatre (and of course sampled their delicious popcorn), throughout the tour learning more about this delightful place we live, from our entertaining and informative tour guide Amelia. We ended the afternoon back at Rockfish, where Chef Tom treated us to an outstanding lunch made with the farm fresh ingredients from that mornings market. All of these places are the reason we picked this neighborhood to live, but it was a great reminder of what a special place Grandin Village is. Thanks Roanoke Food Tours! read more

Highly recommended for both native Roanokers and first-time visitors. My wife and I did a Saturday afternoon Food Tour with Becky. We were originally scheduled for Friday but Larry called to let us know we were the only ones signed up for that day. He suggested it would be more fun to go with the larger group Saturday. That advice was spot on. Going with the group gave us a chance to meet some nice folks and definitely enhanced the experience. The Food Tour meets up in the lobby of the Hotel Roanoke. Paid and valet parking were available in the hotel's lot, but on the weekends free parking is readily available on Shenandoah Avenue in front of the Hotel. Other good free alternatives are the Wells Fargo tower garage (enter off Salem Avenue, cross the pedestrian bridge) or the Gainsboro garage(one block down Shenandoah Ave.) Our guide Becky did a fantastic job. A native Roanoker and former restauranter, she is very knowledgeable of both the area's history and the local food scene. The seven restaurants on the tour covered a wide range from fine dining (Regency Room at the Hotel Roanoke) to super casual (Texas Tavern). My wife and I had sample several of the establishments before, but the sample plates introduced us to dishes we might not have tried on our own. Becky also filled us in on the history of each place and a bit of the background on the owners and chefs. My wife and I have lived in Roanoke for 20+ years, are are somewhat history local history buffs. Nevertheless Becky provided lots of tidbits we hadn't heard and kept it quite interesting for us. Be ready to do some walking if you take this tour. In addition to the seven eateries the tour makes stops at several landmarks like the Taubman Museum of Art and Center in the Square. There are plenty of breaks along the way, but if you are not comfortable walking a mile or two and being on your feet for an hour or so you might find this tour difficult. It's a very full three hours, but if I could suggest squeezing in one more thing it would be a stop in the lobby of the O. Winston Link Museum. Link was a well-know photographer who shot an iconic series of photographs of the final days of steam-powered railroading in Western Virginia. If you have a few minutes after the tour definitely stop by this great attraction. The Link is housed in a former passenger rail station on Shenandoah avenue adjacent to the hotel. From the museum's lobby houses a gift shop featuring a beautiful new stained glass artwork, a free gallery featuring the building designer Raymond Loewy, and the Roanoke Valley Visitor's Center. All in all, an excellent tour and great way to spend an afternoon! read more

Had a great time on the craft beer tour learned some new things and tasted some great beer. Rob was a great guide

We had a small group of 4, to meet covid restrictions, with Ned as our host. We learned a ton of history about Roanoke and ate some delicious food. Everything was well planned. read more

Great time! From the initial organizing with Larry to the great tour guide, Nadean...our group had a blast. Nadean, we appreciate your knowledge, passion and certainly patience with the bachelor party group! Thank you! Looking forward to doing this again!!! read more

Had such a great time learning about the history of Roanoke and tasting delicious food. I can't wait to go on the brunch tour and the craft beer tour in the future. read more

Tour Roanoke - Last stop on the tour - Food Tours Near Me

See all

Outstanding beer tour!!! Nadean was an incredible tour guide!! She even decorated the bus with happy 40th bday signs as a surprise! We went to 3 Breweries had amazing beers and met 8 amazing people on the tour. We all had so much fun together we went to Jack Brown's together after the tour! Can't beat this tour!!! read more

Tour Roanoke - Our 1st stop!! - Food Tours Near Me

See all

Had a blast this past weekend in Roanoke! It was the perfect halfway meeting spot for my girlfriend (who lives in DC) and myself (Charlotte). We did the food tour and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our tour guide, Becky, was very knowledgeable in regards to the history of Roanoke and created a fun atmosphere for us and the other family of five that was in our tour group. Definitely would recommend the food tour, especially if its being given by Becky! Oh! And the food was awesome! A very unique experience to Roanoke! read more

Just did the "Brunch Tour" in Sunday. Our tour guide was Gilbert. This is actually our second tour with them and also the second time Gilbert was our guide. Both time we just had such a great time! Every stop on the tour was a delicious treat. Gilbert was a wealth of knowledge on the history of the stops and town. Very insightful and absolutely fun! We will definitely be taking another tour with them!! read more

I was in Roanoke for business and was really struggling with homesickness. Our wonderful tour guides went above and beyond to introduce us to the city. They even were so gracious as to tell me lots of other sights to see and things to do outside of the tour. The food was delicious and we were welcomed with open arms by each stop. I really fell in love with Roanoke after this tour. I HIGHLY recommend it if you are visiting Roanoke! read more

I lived in Roanoke for a good part of my life but never learned so much in one day about the star city. This tour was awesome. Not only did this tour give me a WHOLE different outlook on the food that is available in Roanoke it opened up my eyes and showed me a different side in a historic sense. This was like a history class during and awesome cultural lunchen. I highly recommend this tour to anyone that think they know the city or to anyone who wants to see what different knowledge and food is out there. I promise you will learn something new and I promise you will try something you never have tried before food wise. read more

We came to Roanoke to explore the region and enjoy the fall colors. We left with a new appreciation for the history of the Star City and the wide variety of culinary delights available. From the Southern classic peanut soup and spoon bread (at the Hotel Roanoke) to the tabbouleh and meat pie (at Cedars of Lebanon) and everywhere else along the way we savored the variety, quality, and wonderful flavors we encountered. The three hour walk on a brisk fall day was properly paced, delightful, informative and very well managed by our guide. Highly recommended! read more

I recently moved to Roanoke and took my mom and aunt on the Blue Ridge Winery Tour. I have to say that this is an amazing tour and I highly recommend this to locals and out of town people alike. Larry is simply amazing and made sure we had a great experience. This is a must do tour if you are in the Roanoke area!!!!! read more

We went on the Sunday Brunch Tour and had a blast! Not only was the food amazing, the tour was fun and I learned so much about Roanoke. Amelia was funny, knowledgeable and made the entire day perfect. I highly recommend this to anyone visiting or anyone that already lives here. Seriously, one of the best things to do around here! read more

Tour Roanoke - Gorgeous bloody Mary at Metro - Food Tours Near Me

See all

Awesome experience!! My husband and I did this as part of our mountain getaway for our 10 year anniversary and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The food was fantastic and the portions were great! We were so full!! The tour guide was amazing and so helpful! We would do this again!! read more

I went on this tour with friends who were visiting from NYC, and it was really fantastic. It's a great little tour that has just the right amount of history, a great mix of good southern fare and exotic/eclectic food experiences, and it a great way to spend an afternoon. Everything we ate was delicious, and our tour guide, Becky, was warm, smart, accessible and fun. I will definitely be taking other guests to have this perfect little afternoon experience. I left feeling satisfied but not stuffed, and still had plenty of time to enjoy a full afternoon and evening with my friends afterwards. This tour is great in that you get to eat a lot of different things...but just a little of each one. I would recommend this tour to anyone who likes to walk, eat and explore! read more

I did the Sunday Brunch tour on a getaway weekend with my mom. What a fun way to explore the city, learn about the area, and sample delicious food! Our guide, Amelia, was so knowledgeable and friendly. We stopped at 6 restaurants or food shops - some tastings were larger than others, some were just a small bite. We also did the alcohol pairings, which were nice portions as well. I would say this was worth the money - we had a great time, were comfortably full afterwards, and felt good about supporting local businesses in downtown Roanoke. This will not be my last food tour and will look for this opportunity on future trips! read more

Absolutely the best tour! The food was delicious from the 7 resturants we visited and our tour guide Becky was amazing. I spent many, many summers in Roanoke as a child visiting grandparents and never knew the history that I learned from this tour. Definitely start the tour on an empty stomach! Enjoy! read more

I was a member of the Sunday Brunch tour and highly recommend it! From the warm and flavorful breakfast quesadilla, to the decadent she crab soup, the food was amazing and left me satisfied but not stuffed. The food was great and the tour was so entertaining and informative. Our tour guide, Larry, knew so many interesting facts about the city that I had never even heard of. For being a resident over 20 years and to get almost all new information, I think that's great! I highly recommend this tour and their other food tour for family, friends, visitors, and natives alike. Heard they are getting a brewery tour soon, can't wait to try that too!! read more

We had such a good time! Our guide, Amelia, was fun and we learned so much about Roanoke and its history. We went to a good variety of restaurants and sites and had some terrific food. read more

The food tour would be a perfect activity for locals and visitors alike! My group was all Roanoke natives and we learned so many interesting, new things about our cities history and food scene! Amelia was our guide and we were amazed at her knowledge and humor! Great food along the way including Billys, the famous Texas Tavern, and On the Rise bakery! A must do in the area read more

We are locals who decided to try out the brunch tour and see our city from the perspective of an outsider and enjoy great food! Our tour featured stops at Fork in the Market (breakfast quesadilla and cider), Metro (she crap soup and muffin), Firefly (juice), Billy's (fried chicken and biscuit with sausage gravy and mimosa), and ended at Hotel Roanoke (panna cotta). We have eaten at all of these places, but this tour gave a us a chance to try some new things and to hear about Roanoke from the perspective of our guide and the other participants. Overall the food was very good - the quesadilla was boring, but the regional cider was delicious and a really nice touch. The soup and muffin at Metro were terrific! The juice was a really neat addition, not something many people would order and a great opportunity to step out of the box. The chicken and biscuit was really delicious (I don't even like sausage gravy!) and very filling - the mimosa was a nice thought, but not very inspired. I was very excited that we would finish at the Hotel with dessert, but was actually disappointed in the panna cotta. I'm a fan of this dessert, but ours was just okay, and that was a surprise to me, but I know this is not the norm. Overall, the food was enjoyable, our guide was very good and had a great knowledge of history and culture in the Star City. There was plenty to eat and the amount of walking was just right. All of the restaurants did a great job and service was terrific. I would definitely recommend this tour to visitors and residents who want to have a fun day and enjoy what Roanoke has to offer. Am looking forward to signing up for other tours that are offered read more