Best Food Tour in Charleston SC: An Honest Review
We only review the tours we would tell a friend to book, and this one earns it well. We spent two hours sampling cuisine through the Charleston Historic District with a guide who paired every dish with the rich history behind it, from Gullah Geechee traditions to the story of how she-crab soup got its name. This guide covers the best food tour in Charleston for history buffs, what we ate at each stop, and where we went afterward. We’ll also discuss a few key considerations you should make when deciding on the right Charleston food tour for you.
This is not sponsored. We just really love to share our experiences when they work out so well, so you can enjoy them too.
Charleston Food Tour at a Glance
| The Quick Hits | |
| Tour we booked | Tastes Through Time by Best of Charleston Tours |
| Cost | $105 per person. We booked through Viator, but we recommend booking direct |
| Length | About 2 hours, three sit-down stops in air conditioning |
| Group size | Small group, 12 people max |
| Format | Everything within walking distance but with little walking. Every tasting is indoors and air conditioned |
| Our favorite stop | Oyster House for the Lowcountry sampler |
| Best for | Travelers who love food paired with real local history |
| Less ideal for | A bachelorette brunch crowd who wants a big boozy meal without the backstory |
| After the tour | Henry’s on the Market for an espresso martini and live music |
Charleston Food Tour Details: Tastes Through Time
We booked Tastes Through Time, run by Best of Charleston Tours at $105 per person. Here are some key details:
- We reserved through Viator out of habit, but if you can, book direct with the company so more of your money goes to them directly.
- But if you want more reviews, you can check it out here on Viator.
- The group caps at 12, so it never felt like following a flag through a crowd.
- Our guide, Page, was engaging, knowledgeable, and showed a real love for her city, and she is a big reason we would tell you to book this specific tour.
- Water and some soft drinks are included, and alcohol is extra if you would like a glass.
- Every tasting happens sitting down inside an air conditioned restaurant while your guide talks through the dish in front of you. We have done the street-food-on-your-feet version in plenty of cities, and in a Charleston summer, we were grateful for this one. If heat or mobility is a concern for anyone in your group, this format makes the tour easy to enjoy.
What You’ll Eat on the Charleston Food Tour
We went to three restaurants with three different plates that all told the story of Charleston through its cuisine. Here is how they compared before we get into each one:
| Stop | What we ate | Our take |
|---|---|---|
| Oyster House | Lowcountry sampler: she-crab soup, pimento cheese, shrimp and grits, hush puppies | Our favorite plate of the day, even without any oysters. This sampler says it all about Charleston and is delicious |
| T-Bonz | Fried chicken and rice pilau, with $5 old fashions and $6 wine | Come here for the drink specials and the pilau history. |
| Well Hung Vineyard | Braised beef over mashed potatoes with crispy onions | This was a lovely, more refined tasting in a really fun setting |
Oyster House: Our Favorite Stop
Our first stop turned out to be our favorite, and we did not eat a single oyster. Oyster House served us a Lowcountry sampler with she-crab soup, pimento cheese, shrimp and grits, and hush puppies. Every bite was fantastic, but the she-crab soup alone would have made the stop worth it. It was rich and delicious, and it came with a story we hadn’t heard before: the dish traces back to a Charleston mayor dressing up his crab soup for a visit from President Taft. Our guide told us the full story, and it’s a great one to listen to as you sample all the local dishes. We really want to come back to Oyster house for more … and some oysters, of course.
T-Bonz: Great History About the Plate
This is where our guide talked us through rice pilau and the Gullah Geechee roots of Charleston cooking. Rice built this region, and the enslaved West Africans who originally grew it and cooked it shaped a cuisine Charleston still thrives on today. The chicken at T-Bonz was not our favorite dish of the day, but the hot honey and pilau were fantastic, as well as the drink specials.
Budget Tip: T-Bonz offers $6 house wine and $5 old fashioneds. That’s a great deal by any standards and an easy way to save some of your budget for a nice meal.
Well Hung Vineyard: A Perfect Finish
Our last stop was at a wine bar where we had a lovely braised beef over mashed potatoes with crispy fried onions and a pan sauce. Well Hung is a Virginia winery with a Charleston tasting room and restaurant. The tasting here was smaller than the first two, which was exactly what we wanted after two bigger plates. It closed the meal on a satisfying note and we couldn’t eat another bit anyway. You can order a wine tasting flight or even some wine slushies for extra while you’re there. We even got some buttery, caramely benne wafers to go as an included perk of the tour.
Gullah Geechee Food in Charleston
What set this tour apart is that it never treated Charleston food as a checklist of dishes to photograph. Stories of Gullah Geechee culture were weaved through all of it. The descendants of enslaved West Africans in the Lowcountry kept a language and traditions going through generations, and you can taste that history in almost everything served here, from the rice to the seafood to the seasonings. Our guide tied each tasting back to that story.
Where to Go After Your Charleston Food Tour
When the tour ends you’ll be near the City Market, which is fantastic to explore. You may even want to pick up a sweetgrass basket after hearing the history. Next, we recommend heading to Henry’s on the Market, which has been a Charleston staple since 1932. We ordered espresso martinis upstairs and stuck around for the live music. You can also get a great view of the Charleston Historic District from the rooftop.
Who Should Book This Charleston Food Tour
- Best for: Travelers who want their food paired with genuine local history. The Gullah Geechee context is the highlight and what we will remember most. This tour is also perfect if you want to sit down inside with air conditioning to beat the heat in Charleston.
- Less ideal for: A bachelorette brunch crowd looking to socialize with little commentary. This is a tasting tour built around the food and the storytelling, so come for that and you will love it.
Is a Charleston Food Tour Worth It?
For us, yes. At $105 per person. You are paying for an experienced and knowledgeable guide, the rich history and storytelling, and three sit-down tastings in the air conditioning. We definitely did not leave hungry! But if all you want is the most food for your money, a lunch reservation will do that better. If you want to discover Charleston through its cuisine, this tour is for you. We think it’s the best Charleston food tour.
Charleston Food Tour FAQ
How much does a Charleston food tour cost?
We paid $105 per person for Tastes Through Time. We booked through Viator, though you can also book direct with Best of Charleston Tours. Charleston food tours generally cost in that range for a small-group, multi-stop tasting. Prices vary by season and by how many stops are included, so check the current listing before you book.
How long is a Charleston food tour?
Ours lasted about 2-2.5 hours with three sit-down stops. That is typical for a food tasting tour in the Historic District. Plan for a little over two hours once you factor in walking between restaurants. They are all very close to each other.
Do you need to book a Charleston food tour in advance?
Yes. Small-group tours cap at around 12 people and popular time slots fill up fast, especially in spring and fall. We would book at least a few days out, and further ahead during busy weekends.
Is a Charleston food tour enough for lunch?
Yes. Everyone has a different appetite, but the three tastings were equivalent to more than a full meal. So, come with an appetite.
What is the best Charleston food tour for history and Gullah Geechee culture?
We think this has to be the best tour for history. Our guide tied every dish to local history and tradition. If that context is what you want, it is the tour we would highly recommend.
Where to Stay in Charleston, SC
Mid-Range
- Hyatt House Charleston/Historic District is central and an easy base for getting around downtown on foot. It isn’t a special-occasion hotel, but with prices being so high in downtown Charleston it gives you an affordable, walkable option. It’s even better on a Hyatt free-night reward.
Comfortable
- The Vendue is Charleston’s art hotel, and the rotating artwork gives it more character than a standard boutique. It’s near the waterfront and the historic district, within walking distance of most of the hotspots. Just beware that it’s totally haunted, which adds to the Charleston charm.
Luxury
- Wentworth Mansion is a Gilded Age mansion turned into a five-star hotel, with 21 rooms, personal service, and a wine-and-appetizer hour. It’s a little removed from the busiest streets, which is part of the appeal for a splurge.