DC Metro Food Tours

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this guided walking tour of old Capitol Hill neighborhoods. Combining history, architecture and diverse food experiences with an easy outdoor stroll was a highlight of our week-long visit to Washington, DC. It is the perfect antidote to days spent indoors touring museums and uninspired cafeteria dining. We especially enjoyed the soul food barbeque and Natalie, our charming knowledgeable guide.

By walking to eating destinations in Old Town you learn about the history of the town along the way while simultaneously building up an appetite and suspense regarding your next destination. Food was tasty and, contrary to expectations, portions were not small.

We toured with Robert, who was an excellent guide. He really had an in depth knowledge of the town and its history. We also enjoyed all of the food that we had. The restaurants were really interesting, as was their food. We weren't as full afterward as I had expected, so we returned for a casual dinner to Bilbo Baggins. All in all, it was a very enjoyable afternoon. I would definitely try one of the other tours when I am in the area again.

There were five of us, some seniors, who took this tour on November 7th and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The choice of restaurants and the food selected at each one was excellent. We especially liked the choice of small, owner operated places. The commentary on the history and highlights of Old Town was informative and interesting. And it certainly helped that the day was warm and sunny!

I decided to buy tickets for the tour as part of a day-out with my girlfriend. I didn't quite know what to expect before the tour started, but by the end, had had a really good afternoon. The guided tour of Alexandria was not the typical historical drawl - instead it was a combination of quirky facts, tidbits about the modern/historical neighbourhoods and some good (and varied) food. I would highly recommend the tour - especially as part of a fuller day-out in the area.

I read the description and was sold on this tour- I had to do it. It was OK except.... We expected at least some food that might have a historical relevance, but instead there was none, and even Meditation food thrown in the mix. The food was more of a tour of the current restaurants in the town and what they had to offer. There seemed to be a lot of fried foods. The facts were questionable- especially when the guide said that no one knew who was depicted on a statue and the sign called them out! We did not get to go in any historical restaurants....and there wasn't even a blurb on the type of food they ate back then... Good parts- I learned a bit....I was not hungry at the end, and I saw a town I would not have visited if it had not been for this tour. But, if you are only in DC for a short time, I would not recommend this day trip out of the city- we regretted it. I wished I had left early as my boyfriend wanted....but we spent a lot on the tour and I kept hoping it would get better.....

I took my parents out for my Father's birthday and we had a lovely time. Our guide was very knowledgeable and led us through parts of Capitol Hill I never knew existed. The food was very good, too. Walking was a perfect way to break up the meals.

The Capitol Hill Food Tour provided an excellent opportunity to sample a variety of different restaurants in the Capitol Hill area (Indian, Salvadorian, southern soul food, etc.). The tour was VERY well mapped out and provided an excellent overview of the history and legacy within the Capitol Hill area of DC. Our guide was well versed in her knowledge of both the cuisine and history, and was very responsive to the group's questions, comments, etc. The portion sizes at each restaurant were well worth the money and the amount of walking in between each stop was perfect. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who loves food, history, or just wants to experience something new and different. I can't wait to try out one of the other tours this group offers! Overall, this was an amazing culinary experience!

Inspired by a great idea of not just sightseeing, but also tasting some food, we were full of enthusiastic expectations. I should say that they were fulfilled about 80%. The food was good (though not excellent, and it was not always clear why this particular restaurant /cuisine was chosen). Maybe it would have been better if we had one full-size dish at each place, rather than sampling this and that. the guide was very nice, cheerful and knowledgeable. the big surprise was that sightseeing was no less enjoyable than the food :))))) If I had to do this again, I would probably consider pure sightseeing.

Both the history and the food were excellent. Our guide was wonderful. She was very engaging and knowledgeable. I live in the area and have recommended the tour to several friends. It is wonderful for both locals and visitors. I plan on trying your other tours soon.

We were previously on the Alexandria tour, so comparing the two I can say: maybe there's less history on the Capitol Hill tour, but the food fully makes up for it! We liked it even better than in Alexandria. We had the same guide, Natalie, she was as fantastic as in Alexandria :) the group was small and composed of very nice people, we really enjoyed the company. On the food: Indian cuisine was delicious, Salvatorian food - truly generous samplings, but we did not like it as much as Indian: soul food - good but the restaurant was...well...I would barely call it decent. Flies and non-food smells are not exactly what makes you enjoy your meal; plastic forks and half-filled plastic glasses are also not something you would hope for... the Eastern market desserts, again, were delicious - but a cup of tea or coffee to go with it would have made it sooo much nicer! In short: very good tour, and a great way to spend the afternoon!

Having gone on other food tours, I had high hopes for this one. I'm a pretty adventurous eater and was very excited to try out these restaurants. However, the tour didn't get off to a great start. Our tickets told us to meet at a certain spot, which we did. We were a few minutes late but still before the departure time that was stated on the ticket. We were confused when no one else was around. The tour guide did call our cell phone to inform us that they had already departed and were at the first destination. Turns out, the meeting place on the ticket wasn't even the correct place were they had met. The only explanation was that "sometimes the tickets say to meet at that place which isn't correct." When we finally made it to the first place, there was no explanation or apology on why the tour departed early, which I found slightly annoying. At the end of the tour another participant said that she was glad they left early to get a head start on the tour. The food at the first place was good. It was a standard ethiopian breakfast and very filling. After we left that place, we went across the street for a traditional coffee ceremony. This restaurant was nice and had been decorated like an ethiopian home. The coffee ceremony is a lengthy process which was interested to watch. However, I found that while we were waiting for everything to be set up there was a serious lull in conversation and information giving from the tour guides. There were moments that we sat in complete silence which I found incredibly awkward. The coffee was good and the appetizer we had was also tasty. Next we stopped at an ethiopian music store. It was interesting to see both traditional and contemporary music videos. It was nice to also get a glimpse into that part of their culture and not just the food. We walked to another restaurant for more food. I also found this place to be quite enjoyable. Plenty of different things were served and it was all very good. We ended the tour eating dessert. I learned that any of their sweet desserts are all italian in origin. I was surprised to be eating tiramisu and biscotti, but they were delicious. Overall, I thought the food was pretty good, but I feel like we just paid $100 for us to eat an ethiopian meal. I liked that the tour guides were pretty laid back and easy to talk to/with, but sometimes the lack of conversation lead me to believe that they were inexperienced and slightly unprofessional. I can't say that I would tell someone to go on this tour, however I would recommend some of the restaurants to someone looking for ethiopian in DC.

Our guide was very friendly and knew his history about Alexandria. I highly recommend this tour for those who want to learn about the history of Alexandria and for those who like to eat. We walked a lot and stopped at 4 places, 3 restaurants and then the last stop was a local Cafe. The last stop was not a sit down like the restaurant tours were. Although the coffee was good and the cake was delicious my group would have enjoyed it more with a sit down rather than sitting in the hallway.e. The first 2 restaurant stops were great! The last one was a Lebanese restaurant, food was ver good but we felt rushed at this stop. There is plenty of food to eat on this tour and overall was a great experience. We left feeling full. Another thing you only get water with your food so bring extra money if you want to have a drink.

I thought the tour was wonderful but I was expecting to stop at 5 restaurants. One of our stops was at the Alexandria Lyceum for a small glass of cider. While the building was full of interesting displays I hardly consider that worth $10, or 1/5 of the $50. Aside from that it was a great and I liked one of the stops so much I went there for dinner following the tour.

My husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy a private tour on a wintery afternoon. Sarah, our guide, couldn't have been sweeter, and was happy to take the two of us all over Capitol Hill. Our tour of the fascinating neighborhood was fact-filled and fun, but very informal, just like travelling around with a good friend. The restaurants were welcoming and all of the food was delicious--my favorite was the Mulligitawney soup. The stops were well-timed and a good opportunity to warm up and rest our tired feet. We had more than enough to eat and drink and skipped dinner that evening. It was a great way to see a part of DC that was new to us and to appreciate the unique architecture and culture of Capitol Hill. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves food and who would like to see DC "off the beaten path". Hope to take the Alexandria tour sometime in the future.