Chicago is a city that may not get as much hype as New York or Los Angeles, but can certainly hold its own in any regard. With its breathtaking architecture, rich culture and history, and a wide diversity of food, it certainly surprised me the first time I visited.

I’ve since gone back quite a few times, with each new visit indulging me in new things to do, new foods to try, and new stories to soak in.

If you want to make the most of your time in the Windy City, I highly recommend taking on one of the 7 top  Chicago food tours currently available today, that are well worth your time and money. Let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Chicago Architecture Cruise Tours & Chicago Dinner Cruises.

Best Food Tours in Chicago

	Chicago Favorites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour	Chicago Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours	Chicago in a Day: Food, History and Architecture Walking Tour
Location:	410 N Michigan Ave, Chicago	400 S State St, Chicago	The Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St, Chicago
Start:	11:30 AM or 5:30 PM	11:30 AM, 1:30 AM, 3:30 PM	10:00 AM
Duration:	3 hours	3 hours	5 hours
Includes:	Food tasting, local, professional English-speaking guide, 4-5 food stops, free 2-hour bike or kayak rental included	Local guide, Deep Dish Pizza with Sausage, Gourmet Popcorn, Chicago-style Hot Dog, Italian Beef Sandwich, Brownie	4 food stops and samples including Deep dish pizza & Italian beef sandwich, transportation between tour halves, professional tour guide
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Chicago Food Tours For 2025

1. Chicago Favorites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour
2. Chicago Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours
3. Chicago in a Day: Food, History and Architecture Walking Tour
4. Chicago Gangster and Food Walking Tour
5. Bikes, Bites, and Brews: Chicago’s Signature Dishes Bike Tour
6. Chicago Pizza Tour
7. Chicago’s Chinatown Food and Walking Tour

Chicago Food Tour Reviews

1. Chicago Favorites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour

Perhaps one of the most pleasant surprises in all my travels has been the Chicago food scene – from the “classics” to straight-up foodie trends. The Chicago Favorites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour is one of the best ways to dive right into the heart of the city’s most iconic eats.

You’ll not only get to try legendary Chicago style and savoring the city’s famous hot dogs – it’s about experiencing them in their authentic settings, guided by local experts who know the backstory behind each one.

You get the choice of going on either a lunchtime or a dinnertime tour, though the option you select will change only the first stop on your tour. Regardless of the one you select, you’ll go through the 1.5-mile famous Loop downtown filled with not only amazing food, but plenty of fascinating historical and cultural sights!

During the winter, you’ll use the Chicago Pedway system, which consists of tunnels and bridges to keep you warmer, and during the warmer months, you’ll travel along the promenades.

Start off (in the morning/daytime tour) at the famed Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, where you’ll learn all about the dish’s history in Chicago before trying their iconic stuffed cheese pies.

For evening tours, you’ll meet at Gino’s East, before heading down the Magnificent Mile and trying a Max’s Take Out hot dog – a typical hot dog consisting of an all-beef frankfurter in a poppy seed bun.

Along the way, we stopped at notable landmarks like the Wrigley Building, Cloud Gate, the Palmer House, and The Chicago Theatre, taking time to stop for photos and hear all these fascinating stories about the history and culture behind each one.

One of the highlights for me was definitely trying the Palmer House’s famous brownie recipe – after all, this is where the iconic dessert was actually invented back in 1893! As if all that weren’t fun enough, you even get a free 2-hour bike or kayak rental when you take this tour! Y

ou can use it at any point for 3 days before or after your tour, though it would probably be best to use it after, with all your newfound knowledge about the city!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Chicago Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours

The Chicago Walking Food Tour with Secret Food Tours is more than just a casual stroll through one of the Windy City’s most interesting neighborhoods – it’s a fun-filled adventure to how their most iconic dishes came to be.

You’ll learn all about iconic Chicago eats, legendary architecture, as well as the culture and history that make the city what it is today – all from an expert local guide! This is by far one of my favorite guides, and if it’s your first time in Chicago, it’s a great way to get a lay of the land and a feel for what makes this special place tick.

I’d say that this one does place a bit more focus on hidden gems rather than just ticking off popular landmarks, which offers more insight into the more “authentic” parts of the city.

Staying on-brand with that, they only offer small-group tours and even a private group option where it’s literally just you and your guide if that’s what you prefer. However, if you’re looking to save a bit of cash, the small-group tour is still quite an intimate experience and allows for more personalized attention from your guide.

New York pizza is often the one most people know about, but the first time I tried a real Chicago deep-dish pizza, I realized that they’re just as good – just a very different style. If you’re curious about the differences between each one you’ll learn the ins and outs, before taking a stroll for some more sightseeing, stop to try the Italian beef sandwich, which originated in Chicago.

As you continue along, you’ll get to try other traditional Chicago treats like hot dogs, brownies, and more – taking stops at various points of interest but still strolling enough to keep the digestion moving so you never feel overly full.

If you have a few hours available in your schedule and would like to connect with a passionate, local guide who feels more like a longtime friend with immense local food knowledge, you’ll love this one.

It’s a perfect balance between beloved classics and more unique, off-the-beaten-path findings, ensuring you have a wider understanding of Chicago’s food offerings that mimic the city’s evolution in other aspects.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Chicago in a Day: Food, History and Architecture Walking Tour

Whether you’re a foodie, history buff, architecture aficionado, or someone just interested in getting to know more about Chicago, this carefully curated excursion is right up your alley.

The Chicago in a Day: Food, History and Architecture Walking Tour is a deep dive into the heart and soul of Chicago, known for its world-class food scene, fascinating history, and iconic architecture.

Experience it all in a well-organized, seamless format with an expert local guide who knows the area like the back of their hand, offering an incomparable look at what makes the Windy City both a cultural and culinary powerhouse.

I really liked the small group group that maxed out at just 12 people, making for a more intimate and personalized experience rather than just feeling like another head in the crowd.

Our guide did a great job of keeping us all engaged, with an interesting, educational narration that was easy to follow and brought the past to life. While you’ll certainly cover a lot of ground, the time just flies by, and there’s never a moment of boredom!

What really sets this tour apart is its all-encompassing approach, where you’ll get to see Chicago quite literally (as well as figuratively) from multiple angles. From towering skyscrapers to strolling through historic neighborhoods, you’ll get to see and learn firsthand about how the city has evolved into the architectural wonder it is today.

Along the way, you’ll stop at famous eateries to sample famous dishes from the area, including its signature deep-dish pizza and the Chicago-style hot dog.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Chicago Gangster and Food Walking Tour

One of the most interesting aspects of Chicago to me is its infamous Prohibition-era past, filled with not only some of the most delicious eats but some of the most notorious mobsters.

Learn all about the likes of mafia bosses like Al Capone and John Dillinger as you walk the very streets where they once ruled, discovering how their larger-than-life legends shaped the city we know today.

The Chicago Gangster and Food Walking Tour combines incredible local food along with folklore and history, transporting you back to a time when speakeasies thrived and secrets were whispered in dark back rooms.

Guided by an expert storyteller, you’ll gain incredible insight into how Prohibition fueled an intense culture of crime, innovation, and culinary creativity, forever changing Chicago’s identity in a way that’s still palpable today.

Small group sizes ensure a more intimate experience, giving you the chance to ask questions at your leisure and really connect with your surroundings. While you’ll learn about the grittier gangland past, you should expect plenty of opulence, with legendary establishments and breathtaking architecture that are still relevant today.

As it’s only a 2-hour tour, I’d recommend this excursion to those with a packed schedule and/or those who need more flexibility when it comes to start times. There are various start times available, and as it starts off right in the Loop, it’s very easy to get to as it’s close to most of the popular hotels.

Expect cool stops where you’ll see secret tunnels to restaurants once used by gangsters, mansions, and cathedrals, with plenty of amazing food samples along the way.

We got to try the classic Chicago deep dish pizza which was amazing, along with the Chicago hot dog, consisting of their red hot beef hot dogs on a poppy seed bun, with yellow mustard, neon-green sweet relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a dill pickle spear, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Bikes, Bites, and Brews: Chicago’s Signature Dishes Bike Tour

While I love how you connect with your environment while walking, you’ll cover much more ground if traveling by bicycle. The Bikes, Bites, and Brews: Chicago’s Signature Dishes Bike Tour is a fantastic, active way to see the city’s different neighborhoods, soaking up the city’s electric energy, and enjoying iconic eats. I

t’s perfect for food lovers and cycling enthusiasts alike, with an expert guide there to ensure you stay safe and learn the proper way to navigate the streets.

Your tour kicks off by meeting up with your guide and the rest of your small group at the bike shop, where you’ll be fitted with a bike that works best for you, along with a helmet to ensure you’re safety.

Speaking of which, before you set off on the streets, you’ll go through a safety briefing and have any and all of your questions answered. Then it’s time to hit the streets, where you’ll surely work up an appetite while learning all about the history of places you pass.

The itinerary does vary a bit depending on whether you take the day or the night tour: the former covers Wrigleyville, Old Town, Lincoln Park, and the Gold Coast. The night tour covers the Gold Coast, Chicago’s Riverwalk, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, and Chicago’s Lakefront Trail.

Regardless of which one you select, you’ll stop at a couple different breweries, a famous pizza shot, a hot dog stand, and a bakery.

If you’re someone who gets cold easily and it’s not during the summertime, I definitely recommend the day tour, as it can get quite chilly once night approaches. Keep in mind that the tour covers around 13 miles of biking, so make sure this is something you’re physically fit enough to do comfortably.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

6. Chicago Pizza Tour

One thing that you simply can’t miss when in the Windy City is its famous pizza – although you should know that there are plenty of “inauthentic” pizza places you could easily fall prey to.

Avoid the risk completely by going with an expert local guide on the Chicago Pizza Tour – with an exclusive glimpse into what makes the city’s pies so legendary. Traveling in the comfort of a mini-coach, you’ll be taken to some of the most iconic pizzerias and hidden gems, no matter what the season looks like.

Start out by meeting your guide and the rest of your group at 11:00 am, where you’ll learn all about Chicago’s unique pizza-making culture and history – as you’ll be visiting 4 different pizzerias, you’ll see just how varied the dish and its background are.

Our first stop was at Pizano’s Pizza in The Magnificent Mile, where we learned about how it dates all the way back to 1943, when they first created the deep dish pizza! I had no idea the place it was created was still around, which was really amazing to see firsthand!

Next up is Flo & Santo’s, which is right next to Grant Park, and is quite a bit different in style – opposite to the deep dish, this one is a thin-crust, tavern-style pizza that melds both Italian and Polish flavors.

After that, you’ll try Pequod’s, which has been around for over 50 years, dishing out their famous burnt cheese, caramelized crust, and sweet sauce! This one had been recommended to me for quite a while by friends, so it was cool that this tour allowed me to try so many different options without “committing” to just one.

The last stop may vary depending on what your group wants or perhaps even the time of day, though the guides are very flexible and try to make sure everyone is pleased.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

7. Chicago’s Chinatown Food and Walking Tour

Last but certainly not least, is the Chicago’s Chinatown Food and Walking Tour, which took me to places I hadn’t seen on any other similar excursion! In fact, I have to admit that I didn’t even know Chicago had a Chinatown until I took this tour, which offers a full-fledged food exploration with plenty of traditional dishes and snacks!

If you’re curious to not only get to try some delicious food but hear fascinating stories about the area and its cuisine, look no further! Known as one of Chicago’s most vibrant and historic neighborhoods, this tour takes you right to the center of Chinatown’s authentic flavors and cultural richness.

Far from your typical food tour that covers more of the metropolis’ “classic” dishes, this one focuses more on Chinatown’s treasures, where each dish shows off different traditions, innovations, and love. It feels like a very authentic focus, showcasing hand-selected eateries that exemplify the diversity and depth of Chinese cuisine.

You’ll try recipes that have been passed down through many generations, from savory dim sum to perfectly prepared Peking duck! Not only that, but you’ll also get to see and learn about the art, architecture, and rich community that have made Chinatown a crucial part of the Windy City’s cultural landscape.

Listen to the tales of immigration, resilience, and creativity that took place right here, in a small-group format that ensures an intimate atmosphere more appropriate for this kind of learning. If you’d like to see beyond the Magnificent Mile and/or “The Loop”, I can’t recommend this tour enough!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience