Chicago Food Tour: 6 Dishes With Deep Dish Pizza & Beef Sandwich

Join Secret Food Tours for a three-hour small-group food tour in Chicago. The six dishes sampled include deep dish pizza and a beef sandwich. Tickets start at $84.99, and the tour holds a 4.9 rating from 1007 reviews.

Overview

Six dishes, three hours, and a walk through downtown Chicago: this Secret Food Tours outing serves deep dish pizza, a Chicago-style hot dog, an Italian beef sandwich and more while passing the city's Financial District and several landmark buildings. You meet at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria on South State Street, where the guide waits with an orange umbrella, and finish across the street from Millennium Park. In between, the route passes through the Financial District, past Calder's Flamingo, by Willis Tower, and into the Rookery Building and the Palmer House lobby.

The food lineup covers the classics: deep dish pizza, gourmet popcorn, a Chicago-style hot dog, an Italian beef sandwich, and a fudgy brownie, plus a Secret Dish the guide reveals on the day. Reviewers often describe the mix as part food tour, part history and architecture tour, with several saying they learned a lot about the city between bites.

It suits travellers who want food and sightseeing in one outing rather than a nonstop eating crawl. Several reviewers praised the blend of history, buildings, and food, though one who had already taken an architecture tour found the historical material repetitive. The group is capped at 12 people, and the tour involves a fair amount of walking, so comfortable shoes matter.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Lou Malnati'sMeet at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, 805 S State St. The guide waits with an orange umbrella for easy recognition.
2. Chicago Public LibraryA stop at the Hall Branch of the Chicago Public Library, about 20 minutes, with free admission.
3. Financial DistrictA roughly 10 minute walk through the Financial District, free to enter.
4. Calder's FlamingoAbout 10 minutes at Calder's Flamingo sculpture, free admission.
5. Willis TowerAround 20 minutes at Willis Tower, free admission.
6. The Rookery BuildingAbout 30 minutes at the Rookery Building, free admission.
7. Palmer House lobbyRoughly 20 minutes in the historic lobby of the Palmer House Hilton, free admission.
8. End at Millennium ParkThe tour ends across the street from Millennium Park.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points worth knowing before booking, drawn from the listing and from what travellers report.

• Come hungry. Six dishes are served across the tour, and several reviewers say there is a lot of food. Pacing yourself is wise, since one reviewer felt the later stops were jammed together.
• Wear walking shoes. The listing warns of a fair amount of walking and recommends comfortable shoes.
• Food comes late. One reviewer noted the first food stop came well over an hour into the tour, so a light snack beforehand may help. The tour mixes history and architecture with the eating rather than moving food stop to food stop.
• Group size. The group is capped at a maximum of 12 travellers.
• Weather and diet. The tour requires good weather, so rain may affect plans, though one reviewer said rain with an umbrella did not spoil the experience. Contact the operator in advance about dietary requirements so they can try to accommodate them.
• Tips and transport. Gratuities are not included, nor is hotel pickup and drop-off. You make your own way to the meeting point and back.

Common issues. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, and the listing asks that participants have no heart problems or other serious medical conditions. It requires a minimum number of travellers to run, and if that minimum is not met you are offered a different date or a full refund; poor weather works the same way. One reviewer reported a mix-up with the meeting point instructions and had trouble reaching the operator quickly, so it pays to confirm the details on the booking page before departure. Another felt the food stops were clustered too late in the tour, leaving the group hungry early and stuffed by the end, and one wished the food venues were the city's very best rather than solid well known chains.

Common Questions