The 6 Best Dallas Food Tours

Dallas is a Texan city with a unique cuisine, the result of the fusion between Mexican and Texan cultures. That's why an interesting way to get to know the city, and one of the most enjoyable things you can do in Dallas, is to take a food tour, which will also give you the chance to experience its vibrant social and cultural life.

In addition to sampling typical Tex-Mex dishes, you will visit the city's iconic sites and learn about their importance to its culture and history, such as Dealey Plaza and the JFK Memorial. You can also sample some of the world's most exquisite chocolates, visit select bakeries in Waco, or try typical drinks while listening to the city's most mysterious stories. In this article, I'll tell you about these and other things you can do in Dallas.

Dallas' chocolate shops are among the best in the world, which is why one of the best food tours you can take in the city is a chocolate tour of Dallas, especially if you are a lover of this exquisite sweet treat.

You can take this tour any day of the year, except for some holidays, and it takes place during the day. You will be taken by bus to the different chocolate shops, where the guide will tell you how the chocolates are made, the history of the chocolate shops, and which chocolates or sweets have made them famous. It is one of the best things to do with children in Dallas, although you should make sure they don't overindulge in chocolate.

During the tour, you will visit some of Dallas' most famous chocolate shops, such as Isabelly's Chocolates & Sweet Treats, Kate Weiser Chocolate and Kokopelli Sweets, where you will also find ice cream and cakes.

Details of interest

• Price: around €56 per person.
• Duration: approximately 3-4 hours.
• Transportation: bus.
• Advantages of this option: includes chocolate and other sweet treats.
• Disadvantages of this option: not all chocolate shops have vegan and/or gluten-free options.

A great way to sample the city's typical cuisine is to sign up for a Tex Mex tour of Dallas, where you can visit some of the city's most iconic locations. Tex Mex cuisine is a fusion of Mexican and Texan cuisine and includes dishes such as burritos, tacos, chilli con carne, chimichangas, nachos and fried foods, which you can accompany with a typical drink such as margaritas.

This is a bus tour for around 18 people and lasts about 4 hours. It starts at midday and includes food and drink tastings and bottled water. You will be accompanied by an expert guide who will recommend the best dishes at each restaurant, which you can continue to enjoy throughout your stay in the city. Many of these restaurants also have vegan and gluten-free options.

This tour is a great way to see the city's landmarks, such as Dealey Plaza, where JFK was assassinated, or the places where the famous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde hid, while learning about Dallas' cuisine and history.

More information

• Price: around £65 per person.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.
• Transport: bus.
• Advantages of this option: the guides will recommend the best Tex Mex dishes. Includes tastings, drinks and bottled water. There are vegan and gluten-free options in the restaurants.
• Disadvantages of this option: only for those over 21 years of age.

If you want to sample typical Dallas cuisine and learn about the city's culture and history, this gastronomic tour is a great way to combine food and culture. In addition to tasting the most exquisite dishes, you will visit the most iconic sites in Dallas, accompanied by a local guide who will tell you the story behind each of these sites and their cultural significance.

The tour is conducted on foot with small groups of people, usually at midday. Keep in mind that you will need to bring extra money for the tastings, which cost around €30. Children can also participate in this excursion.

During this tour, you will sample typical Tex-Mex dishes and learn how they differ from traditional Mexican food. Typical dishes include burritos, tacos, chilli con carne, chimichangas and many more, which you can accompany with a margarita.

One of the places you will visit is Dealey Plaza, where, as I mentioned earlier, the assassination that shocked the entire world, the assassination of JFK, took place, and Memorial Plaza, where the memorial in honour of the former president was erected. Taking this tour is a great way to learn more about these events that shaped the city's past, while sampling the most delicious foods.

Details of interest

• Price: around €39 per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will discover the best dining options in Dallas, as well as the history and culture of the city.
• Disadvantages of this option: food and drink tastings are not included.

Magnolia Market in Waco not only has the best home décor shops in the area, but it's also a great place to try typical local dishes, the best baked goods and pastries, and buy high-quality roasted coffee. The complex, built in two silos, is also a pleasant place with outdoor spaces where you can have a good time.

To get there, you can take a full-day private tour of Magnolia Market and the city of Waco, accompanied by a guide who will tell you about the most interesting aspects of the market and the cities of Waco and Dallas. The tour includes round-trip transportation by car from Dallas with the people travelling with you, as it is private. For this very reason, it is a tour that you can customise according to your interests.

Magnolia Market has a café, food trucks with dining options made with select ingredients, and a restaurant with home-cooked meals. If you want to eat at the restaurant, it is best to make a reservation before you go. You can check the menu on the Magnolia Table website. Silos Baking, the market's bakery, is inspired by traditional bakeries and offers delicious cupcakes, cookies, and much more.

The complex also has a vegetable garden and special areas for children, with giant insect sculptures and mushroom-shaped seats. You will have enough time to explore the market and also visit nearby sites such as the Waco suspension bridge.

Details of interest

• Price: between €180 and €546 per person, depending on how many people are accompanying you on the excursion
• Duration: approximately 9 hours
• Means of transport: car
• Advantages of this option: you will travel in a comfortable car to Magnolia Market, and you will have enough time to explore it and sample the culinary delights it has to offer
• Disadvantages of this option: food and drink tastings are not included

Another very interesting way to discover the city's typical food and drinks is to take a ghost tour of Dallas at night, visiting haunted bars and listening to the most paranormal stories that have taken place in the city. It's also a great way to meet other travellers and share experiences.

These tours last between 2 and 3 hours, with groups of up to 20 people. They are conducted on foot and accompanied by a guide who will tell you the stories in an entertaining and intriguing way. Only people over the age of 21 can participate.

Not only will you visit haunted bars, but you will also learn about the mystery surrounding the death of JFK, who was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, and the secret behind the giant eye in Main Street Garden. Another of the city's paranormal stories is that of the Lady of White Rock, whose ghost has been seen wandering around a hotel.

Details of interest

• Price: around €36 per person.
• Duration: approximately 2-3 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will discover four haunted bars and the city's greatest mysteries.
• Disadvantages of this option: only available to people over the age of 21. Does not include food or drink tastings.

Signing up for a bar crawl treasure hunt in Dallas is a fun and original way to discover the best bars in the city while completing the challenges set by the game. All you need to do is download an app to your mobile phone and complete the tasks it sets you, as many as you want and at your own pace.

As you complete the challenges, you'll learn about the food and drink options at each of the bars. It's ideal to do with a group of friends or family, although you can also do the challenges on your own and take the opportunity to meet new people along the way. It's one of the best things to do in Dallas at night and you're sure to have a lot of fun, even if you don't win.

Details of interest

• Price: around €12 per person
• Duration: you can do the quest at any time at your own pace.
• Transport: you must make your own way to the bars.
• Advantages of this option: it's a fun way to get to know the best bars in Dallas and their drinks menus.
• Disadvantages of this option: it is self-guided. Tastings are not included.

Before booking a tour in Dallas, it is important to read all the details about the excursion to know for sure what is and is not included, so you can be prepared for anything that may happen. Some tours include food and/or drink tastings, but not all, so you may need to bring extra money to pay for them.

It is also important to know how long the tour will last and where the meeting point is, so that you can arrive on time and without confusion. My advice is to take the food tour during the first few days after you arrive in Dallas, especially if you are staying for several days, so that you know which culinary delights you cannot miss during your stay in the city.

Many food tours have age restrictions because they take place at night or include alcoholic beverage tastings, and are therefore not suitable for children. So if you are travelling to Dallas with children, it is important to make sure that the food tour has no age restrictions before booking.

On the other hand, if you have dietary restrictions, it is best to make sure that the tours offer those options and to let the guide know so that they can recommend the best dishes for you. Many restaurants offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals, but they are not guaranteed at all the restaurants you will visit during the tour.

Hiring a food tour has its advantages, as you are accompanied by an expert guide who will recommend the best dishes and guarantee you the best experience in the city's restaurants. If you take this tour on the first few days of your arrival in the city, you will be able to take advantage of everything you have learned for the rest of your stay. But it is also highly recommended if you are visiting Dallas for just one day.

On the other hand, taking a food tour gives you the chance to meet other travellers, share travel experiences and have a good time while learning about the city's typical food, the history behind each of the dishes and Texan culture. There are also tours that allow you to learn about more specific manufacturing processes, such as chocolate making.

Many food tours also include a tour of Dallas' most iconic sites, such as Dealey Plaza, the giant eye at Main Street Garden, or the JFK Memorial, so you'll also learn about them. Others, however, focus on the city's greatest mysteries. In short, if you take a food tour, in addition to tasting the best dishes, you will learn what makes the city of Dallas unique.