Bucktown & Wicker Park Food Tour

If you are somewhat chicken to take the plunge and purchase tickets from a company you have no idea about...in an area of Chicago you know nothing about...eating food you probably would never make, let alone eat....?? Do this tour. We live in a small Iowa town and have visited many large cities. We never seem to have the guts to do something like this. What possesed me this time? Probably the comments/reviews you see here. The food was excellent. We ate at places we probably would overlook or not try. I have been to Chicago numerous times but never had a tour. In our party of 4...2 currently live in Chicago. They both said they would definitely eat at a couple of the places, now. And this is a great way to do a touristy-thing without going to the top of the Sears Tower or Navy Pier! (Boring!!) I would say that if the other Chicago Food Planet Tours are this good? We would go on our return trip to Chicago. The three hour tour (time-wise) just about right. Didn't feel rushed and you need to walk between the food! Healthy portions - no 'samples' here! My only somewhat (half-hearted) negative comment would be that the tour guide was a bit over-the-top. Really personable and friendly but I felt she said some things she didn't have the backgrounding or knowledge on some of the buildings. And that is minor, minor complaint! She knew the restaurants...and the food & owners background. Really talked-up 'eat at local restaurants'. Couldn't agree more! I mean if I am going Chicago I am NOT eating at a place I can eat in my neighborhood! And as far as the price? I felt it was worth every dime.

Loved the food tour but would recommend the walk through Wicker Park be rerouted to avoid walking the gauntlet of homeless people. My group was very uncomfortable during this part of the tour. With this small exception, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that wants to try a variety of foods in local Chicago neighborhoods.

Second year we have participated in the food tour. Can't wait for next years food tour of China town. I actually liked this tour better than the gold coast tour because I enjoyed the food much more. It seemed more varied from the hot dog to the middle eastern to the grilled vegetable salad everything was awesome. Keep up the good work.

Great tour, great food, interesting history and architecture in the area! We absolutely loved it! Our tour leader (Carey) was fantastic!

These tours are absolutely fantastic. They are a great way to find out about Chicago's rich culture and architecture while enjoying fabulous food from small places (the kind that locals attend regularly) you would never discover on your own. Two years ago we did the Old Town tour and continue to return to those shops every year. This year we did the Bucktown tour and enjoyed it just as much. We will definately be going back for some falafel and ice cream!! The tour guides are very personable and a wealth of information. You get plenty of food, but not so much as to feel uncomfortable or like you are wasting food (unlike a tour we did last year with a different company!!!). Chicago Food Planet Tours are very porfessional and will accomodate a variety of dietary restrictions. I can't say one bad thing about these tours. They are simply brilliant!

Carrie was a fantastic guide! She was so knowledgeable of the area's history, the local food artists, and her love for the neighbourhood shone through. It was really great to get just far enough out of the downtown tourist scene and see a vibrant thriving community area of the city. The eating/walking pacing was excellent and there was the perfect amount and variety of delicious food to sample to satisfy everyone. We were perfectly full but not so stuffed that we felt we couldn't sample the last delicious bit of ice cream. Well done Food Planet - one of the highlights of our visit for sure.

This tour had amazing food tastings; the guide knew great local history without sounding like a tour guide; and the neighborhoods were really fun to walk through. It poured rain, but being from Portland, it didn't bother me a bit.

I am from the suburbs of Chicago my wife is not. We spent the night downtown and were looking for something to do the next day. I found the tour online and could not be more pleased with the experience. The food was a diverse cross-section of the foods the neighborhood had to offer. Kent our guide made the tour interesting and provided great incite on the history of the area. I would suggest it to anyone with an empty belly that wants to get away from the touristy areas downtown and get a real feel for what Chicago-land has to offer.

My wife, Gerry and I spent a week in Chicago, including three days in Wicker Park/Bucktown. The Tour food choices were great and local, Kent, our guide was a trendy hipster who loves the area and shows it in his knowledge of the food, architecture and other highlights of the area. A must-do during your visit.

Along with giving us a good flavor for local history and architecture in 2 neighborhoods not usually visited by tourists, our guide, Kent, led us to tastings of locally cherished foods and treats - from the oldest hot dog stand in Chicago to the most popular pizza place, to unusual gourmet groceries, to incredible sweet chocolate treats and a view of the newest ice cream process in the U.S. Very enjoyable experience, many good photo ops, learned a ton, highly recommended.