The tour was well-organized and our tour guide was knowledgeable of each dish and the history of Carlsbad. I enjoyed learning about the city and stopping to hear about the murals around town. The food was delicious.

Took our tour with Ben yesterday. He made the day fun and interesting. Everything we tried was great! And it's dog friendly so our furry friend got to enjoy the adventure with us.

This tour was absolutely amazing. Our guide David was so interesting, informative and fun that we enjoyed him as much as the places we visited. We tasted pasta Bolognese, special tomatoes from Naples and home-made limoncello at Cicciotti's, Tacos Pastor at Senor Grubby's, savory crepes at Froglander's, Srawberry shortcake and wine at Witch Creek Winery (I took a bottle of their Cool Cat Sparkling home) and ended with a gelato flight at Gelatolove. While enjoying this gastronomic wonder, David also share with us much of the history of Carlsbad, including how it got it's name and how Artisanal Alkaline water made it famous.

What a great way to spend a day in Carlsbad! David, our guide, was knowledgeable and fun, the food was delicious, and we learned a lot about the interesting history of Carlsbad. We were fortunate to be in a fun group of people, which just added to the enjoyment of our tour. I highly recommend taking this tour!

This was our second Carlsbad Food tour and Wine tasting. We liked the tour we took in 2022, so we decided to do it again. We were pleasantly surprised. This time we met Ben. He was able to keep our interest as he had a different slant on the tour. His focus was on food and art. We did visit two of the same eateries and a couple different ones. The walk was at a nice pace and because there were only three of us on the tour we got to chat and ask a lot of questions. Ben's affinity for food gave us a different view. Thank you!

Ben gave us a great introduction to Carlsbad and its restaurants. We arrived the day before and thought a good tour would be a fun way to combine lunch and an introduction to the city.

It was wonderful! The food and wine were delicious. David, our guide, was great, very informative and interesting. Definitely would do it again!

It was an awesome tour. Dave was our tour guide and he was so knowledgeable about Carlsbad that kept us entertained and moving from one restaurant to another. The three hours went by so fast. The food was great and very filling. We took our 10 year old grandson and he really enjoyed himself tasting the different foods.

Mark, our tour guide, really did a great job. He shared great food picks and history of Carlsbad CA. We met nice people and shared a great day and experience. It made our trip special. Highly recommend this tour.

Ben was great! The food was awesome! The artwork and city history was great to learn about. Highly recommend it when you're in town.

5/17/24 informative, relaxed and great food, Definite recommend anytime you are in Carlsbad! 10/10

Learned a lot about the area and loved the food. Ben did an amazing job.”

Had a great time!! Well worth the price, great stops and Ben our tour guide was fantastic! Good history of the area! Went away full and pleased with our decision to do this!

Fun tour and as a local it was really cool to find out some history about the area that we didn't know ! Ben was great and very knowledgeable about the food and the culture. Definitely going to check out another tour !

What a wonderful 3 hour tour! David was amazing. informative, answered all of our questions, gave us many suggestions. perfect! His knowledge of the town was outstanding. The restaurants we sampled were great. Highly recommend!

What a fun tour. Kellie was a fantastic tour guide and great conversationalist. She shared so much about the history of Carlsbad as well as info on the owners of the places we visited. They focus on family owned establishments which was nice. Come to this tour hungry as we experienced lots of great food. Highly recommend this tour for a fun and filling and informative time.

Our guide David was fantastic! He's passionate about Carlsbad and knows so much of the history. He's also familiar with the food scene and had some great recommendations. We had a group of 16 and he organized it so that we were easily accommodated at every place and didn't feel like a big group. I recommend this as an activity for a larger group as it gave us all an opportunity to shuffle around and talk to different people throughout the evening.

Our guide Ben was fantastic! The tour was a blast with so much cool history and delicious food and wine. The stops at art murals were amazing. I’d absolutely recommend!!

Excellent tour. If you are in town for a few days take the tour early in your stay so you can revisit the spots. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this tour.

I cannot say enough good things about the quality of the tour and Ben the Tour leader. We started promptly and flow of the restaurants was well thought out, the food was amazing and there was an unexpected bonus part of the tour where we got a historical tour of Carlsbad Village alongside some really cool street art. Ben created a warm, inviting atmosphere, and even invited the people on the tour to share about themselves and it was fun hanging out with the other people while moving from spot to spot. I would definitely recommend this to her to others!

David was excellent, knowledgeable, and tons of fun. We learned a lot and enjoyed every minute. The food was great and we appreciated all of the suggestions for future dining experiences. David went above and beyond what we expected.

Lots of interesting historic tidbits along with yummy bites. Guide was steeped in local culture and pointed out other places to enjoy. So we went back the next day and did just that!

Encinitas food tour was exceptional.!! Ben was personable and provided interesting history of the area, great places to eat and drink!! Highly recommend to book at the start of your trip so you know where to go and eat and drink again!!

Great experience Feb 2024 • Couples Ben provided a great tour for us! Very happy with the food and tour! It was a nice a relaxing experience while trying some great local places.

Beautiful weather and great company Ben was the best; if you're a foodie, book a tour with him. Stops were evenly spaced, and he handled my gluten intolerance and black pepper allergy with the restaurants so that I had a great time! Highly recommend going on this tour as soon as you arrive!

Carlsbad with Ben Feb 2024 • Family We had the best time with Ben!! He was a wonderful tour guide and showed us so many great sights in Carlsbad! Would highly recommend Ben and this tour!!!

Very fun walking tour with Ben, our tour guide. We visited several delicious restaurants and tasted some yummy food. Especially loved the gourmet doughnuts at The Goods! Really enjoyed learning about the interesting history of Carlsbad.

Our guide Ed was very informative and entertaining. Would recommend doing this tour first thing if you’re on vacation or otherwise.

This tour was absolutely amazing. Our guide David was so interesting,informative and fun that we enjoyed him as much as the places we visited. We tasted pasta bolognese, special tomatoes from Naples and home-made limoncello at Cicciotti's, Tacos Pastor at Senor Grubby's, savory crepes at Froglander's, Srawberry shortcake and wine at Witch Creek Winery (I took a bottle of their Cool Cat Sparkling home) and ended with a gelato flight at Gelatolove. While enjoying this gastranomic wonder, David also share with us much of the history of Carlsbad, including how it got it's name and how Artisanal Alkaline water made it famous.

Fun Way to Spend the Day What a great way to spend a day in Carlsbad! David, our guide, was knowledgeable and fun, the food was delicious, and we learned a lot about the interesting history of Carlsbad. We were fortunate to be in a fun group of people, which just added to the enjoyment of our tour. I highly recommend taking this tour!

So much fun at the Carlsbad Food Tour with Ben! We had a wonderful time with Ben...lots of great information about Carlsbad and the delicious restaurants we sampled. Thank you for making my birthday amazing!!!!!

We had a wonderful time with Ben Mastracco as our tour guide. It rained the day of our tour, but Ben didn't let that stop us from moving on. He was full of facts and information about the area which made our tour very interesting. He was friendly and took time to answer all our questions. The food choices were great! We will definitely be going back to many of the places where we ate.

This was a birthday surprise for my daughter. She and I thoroughly enjoyed the rainy-day Carlsbad Food Tour led by expert tour guide Ben ! More than just outstanding food, we liked learning about the insider history of Carlsbad and the local murals. A very worthwhile afternoon, and would absolutely recommend. Thank you for a fun-filled tour !

One of the best food tours we have ever taken. David had fantastic historical knowledge to approach seeing Carlsbad as well as great taste in food. We enjoyed every minute

We had the most wonderful time with our wonderful host David who showed us Carlsbad . Not only was he fabulous at historical story telling his wealth of Carlsbad history was amazing as was his choices in food We had a glorious afternoon and we are moving to .

We had a wonderful time with Ben Mastracco as our tour guide. It rained the day of our tour, but Ben didn't let that stop us from moving on. He was full of facts and information about the area which made our tour very interesting. He was friendly and took time to answer all our questions. The food choices were great! We will definitely be going back to many of the places where we ate.

We had a marvelous time. David we loved your stories. Such an awesome activity. Thanks again for being the best storyteller and tour guide

4 Canadian gals booked a last minute tour and David was our guide. He was excellent. He knew the history behind the area and town, the historical people then and now taking over the businesses. David introduced us to many good restaurants (plus others) & the owners/families, plus he knew the local arts/sports/agriculture/infrastructure/business in the area. He's an asset to your tour group! I will refer many friends to this area because of the great experience.

The tour guide Ben did a great job moving us along from place to place, meanwhile sharing a bit of history of establishments and of the city of Carlsbad.

A wonderful tour with an excellent variety of food with a knowledgeable guide Ben. I highly recommend it to learn about Carlsbad and to enjoy delicious food.

Tour was excellent & a lot of fun. David was very knowledgeable on local restaurants & history of Carlsbad and area. Food was awesome particularly the mushroom gnocchi. Highly recommend!

Ben was funny and super knowledgeable. I had a great time. Highly recommend . Great day date idea!

This was a fabulous experience & my tastebuds were overjoyed! I’m a foodie & historian so this tour was the best of both worlds. Our tour guide Edward was phenomenal so go on Thursday or Sunday (lol) I’m definitely doing this tour again when I’m in the area. Mediterranean , Italian , Mexican, fresh juices, doughnuts and more.

Wonderful tour and knowledgeable host. Will do again. The food and restaurants were great especially the history and local knowledge.

David was excellent! He is an encyclopedia of knowledge and very enjoyable to listen to. Food was delicious and we highly recommend

Ben was wonderful. Great food and very interesting. We learned a lot about the street art in Carlsbad and went to some really interesting restaurants. We will definitely gift this tour to others. Thank you Ben!

Delicious food choices, great energy from our guide Ben, and very knowledgeable of the city history...

My husband and I enjoyed the walking food tour. He was 12 weeks past a total knee replacement surgery so I was looking for something that we thought he could do. He didn’t have any problems. The restaurants were all within a 4 to 5 block radius. The diversity of food was delicious and we got an enjoyable history lesson by Ed our tour guide. He was an enthusiastic guide with great stories. Being a group of 7 people, we were small enough to be able to get to know each other a bit. Ed began the conversations and took an interest in everyone in our group. I highly recommend Ed and this tour. Ask for Ed. He works on Thursdays (and sometimes Sundays).

Ed was an awesome guide! Food and drinks were great at every stop. We all left with very full bellies. It’s a must do with family and friends! More fun that just hanging out at one restaurant. What a great variety of yummy food and drinks!

Ed - “Dirt”, was our favorite part of the tour apart from the food. He was very knowledgeable about all the places he took us and threw out fun facts about the restaurants and the owners and he makes an effort to connect with the people on his tour. At each stop you feel like you have plenty of time to eat and drink, as well as talk to each other so you don’t feel rushed at all. Definitely go hungry because you will be eating SO MUCH good food, and DEFINITELY go on Thursdays when Ed guides the tours, it’ll be one of the best parts of your trip!

WOW what a great afternoon! We were so excited to do this walking food tour. We had one other couple on the tour which made for a more "private" like feeling. John was our guide and he must be the happiest person I've seen. Always smiling. We started our walk and John began to explain the history of Carlsbad. I didn't realize it would be an historical tour also--added bonus. The foods were delicious, the company was warm. We stopped at 6 places to get a taste of their offerings. And John taught us about things I would have never known. Like the history of the Bird of Paradise flower and the meaning of a mural that I would have admired and then never given another thought unless John explained the meaning behind it. The walk was easy and in a small area with much to see. I would recommend this tour to everyone, foodie or not. TIP--taking the tour on a Wednesday will coincide with the Carlsbad State St Farmers market.

We did this tour with friends of ours for a reunion get together in Carlsbad. This is a great way to learn about Carlsbad and the village area while having some good fellowship, food and wine. Highly recommend it. Ben was our tour guide and very knowledgeable on food and Carlsbad history. Awesome tour guide!

Fun Food Tour March 2023

We had a deliciously wonderful time! The food stops were tasty and we put in almost 7,000 steps! Great way to be introduced to so many shops and restaurants! Enjoyed learning the history of the area too! No food allergies for us, but lactose-free foods were provided for the one person in our group that did! Had a great time, totally recommend it.

Loved It

We had a great time on the tour with Cheri! She was very knowledgeable about the restaurants and general history of Carlsbad. She also made suggestions about other things to do in the area. Definitely do the tour near the beginning of your time here so you can go back for more of what interests you. The food was wonderful. Everything was well timed.

Great Way to Explore

Cherie was a fantastic tour guide leading us through the stops in Carlsbad to include local history background. Definitely recommend those new to the area to get some ideas for dinners out, friend meetups and date nights. Will definitely be returning to most if not all of the stops we made! Thank you Cherie and Carlsbad Food Tours! We had lots of fun.

A Carlsbad Must Do

Five of my girlfriends and I went on the Tour of Carlsbad. Our tour guide Veronica was wonderful and very knowledgeable. We loved the food, the walking and the information. Just the right amount of time in restaurants. I think they had a perfect order to the stops. I highly recommend this tour. We're going to book another one for sure!

Fabulous Way to Experience Carlsbad

Whether you are local or a tourist, this food tour is a MUST! It's a great combination of food, fun, and history. I live locally but had a group of women come to town from all over the country for a convention. CFT was extremely professional and made the whole experience easy. I highly recommend for this for any occasion. Too much fun!

This tour was absolutely fantastic! Our tour guide, Dave, was incredibly versed in the history of Carlsbad, as well as the food scene. The food was delicious and very generous portions were given. I would highly recommend.

What an amazing experience. Loved everything about the tour from the food selections to the stories about the history of Carlsbad. I would highly recommend David as he spoke with such passion and enthusiasm. All of our questions were answered as he knew so much about the city and back stories about the chefs/restaurants.

I've never done a food tour and I'm happy this was my first experience. We were in a group of eight which was a good size. Ed "Dirt" was our guide and he gave us a lot of Carlsbad history while we walked from place to place. He was knowledgeable and friendly with a kind of swagger you'd see in old Westerns. Turns out he has acted in a few and had some additional behind the scenes stories that were really fun and interesting. All food stops had delicious food including a savory crepe sample, vodka pasta, limoncello, avocado toast, pork tacos, wine, mac and cheese, fried brussel sprouts with pork belly, and a donut. We were so full! Ed was mindful of any dietary restrictions/preferences and made sure to convey those to all the restaurants upon arrival. He was also very attentive to all guests. All in all it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the afternoon and we felt it was worth the price. Please don't forget to tip your guide generously. They certainly deserve it!

The tour was great. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad which he covered while we were casually walking around the village. We had six stops (food, drinks and desserts- all fantastic!). The guide gave us background on each establishment and also pointed out other restaurants in the area that were worth trying (so many we want to go back to try!). This was my first food tour and I would advise you book it for day 1 of your trip so you have a chance to try some that weren’t on the tour. I think I’ll try to do this sort of thing at the beginning of all my future trips. Five stars!!

I grew up in Carlsbad and didn't think I could learn SO MUCH I didn't know. This tour goes beyond the food and wine (although the food and wine is amazing too). Thank you David for making my afternoon with my mom so special! Highly recommend!

This by far was one of the best walking tours and food tours I’ve ever done. Dave was an amazing tour guide and I learned so much about the history of Carlsbad. Highly recommend taking this tour.

This is an excellent tour of Carlsbad village. David was so nice, easy to talk to and had very good suggestions of where to go and eat while we're in town. The places he took us to were all good and fun as well. I recommend this tour. Take it at the beginning of your visit to Carlsbad so that you can go to most of the places that he recommends.

Ben did an amazing job of taking us around Carlsbad. Not only did we get to experience some delicious food, but we also got to enjoy some tasty adult beverages. More importantly, Ben interjected historical tidbits on Carlsbad along the way as well as introduced us to the local street art scene. Awesome way to spend an afternoon; highly recommend Ben and the tour.

What a fabulous experience Our guide was Ben and he was great. The tour was very well organized and included an excellent variety of eateries. But it is much more than that! It included history of Carlsbad and sites that gave a taste of the local culture. It was a great 3 hours.

My best girlfriend and I elected to go on this tour. We have know each other for 63 years. We had not been on a food tour before and we didn't know what to expect. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The Donut shop, Good Eats was amazing! I don't even like donuts and they were one of a kind donuts & pastries. We tried Italian food which was so fresh and tasty and the Limoncello was homemade and wonderful. We tried Mexican food, Senior Gruby's which was good but not a highlight of the tour. The strawberry shortcake at the shop that specializes in strawberry shortcake was delicious. I am not even a dessert eater and I admit it was great. The winery we went to was a nice shop but we didn't really care for the wine that we sampled. I guess we are wine snobs! Our tour was given by David. David was amazing! David is also somewhat of a history buff for this area so we learned so many things about the town of Carlsbad, the historic buildings, history of the area, and Carlsbad alkaline water from a historic site. We bought a case of the water as it was so delicious and refreshing. We also had Gelato at a shop that makes it fresh and creative every day. Flavors we never tried before. David also mentioned other restaurants that we might want to try in the future. I 100% think this tour was worth it but that is if you happen to get David as I don't know anyone else who directs these tours. :) I had a great video of the bakery products but I couldn't get it to load. ;(

Great food with a great tour guide I loved the variety of food and drinks and especially enjoyed the skillful guidance from Ben. We visited six restaurants around the Carlsbad Village area, some were savory and others were sweet. Ben was a delight with his friendliness and wealth of information about the city and its history.

Fabulous tour ! Our guide Ed (AKA Dirt ) was not only knowledgeable but entertaining. We went to some of his favorite food spots . You do not leave hungry ! We try to do a food tour in every city we visit and this tour does not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this food tour !

One of the best tasting tours I have been on. Great information about the history of the town and even better local restaurants that’s have awesome food!

If you plan on visiting Carlsbad or a nearby destination, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. It was fun, delicious and so interesting! Total bargain for the price!

Ben was amazing. We learned a bunch about the town and ate some great food. Would recommend his tour to everyone visiting and living locally!

My wife and I had a wonderful tour while visiting Carlsbad for the first time. Our food tour guide, David was great! He was very knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad and gave us great suggestions for local restaurants. The tour included some great eating spots ranging from pasta, tacos, crepes and dessert. I would highly recommend this tour.

Loved this tour! We are locals (low 30s) and went with my mother and father in law (64-70s) and it was really great to get to stop by some restaurants, hear the history etc! Ben was a great tour guide too! Also seriously go with an empty stomach because you get full!

Carlsbad Food Tour and Encinitas Food Tour are excellent. The food sampling and history/local lore is well researched and the tour guides are excited to share them with you. The food selection is well balanced and quite filling. You won't go hungry.

Ben was an amazing tour guide. He made the experience very fun and enjoyable. This was a memorable experience.

This was a wonderful tour! I've stayed in Encinitas about 8 times but had only been to one place on the tour before. Ben is an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about the city and the food. I will definitely return to the places we visited. Great variety and great way to spend a few hours exploring the food scene here

5-Star Experience

A must thing to do when you're in Carlsbad. Besides sampling a great selection of appetizers, sweets and wine tastings, you'll also learn about the cultural history of Carlsbad. Thanks Cherie!

Loved It!

Wonderful tour guide, great food, wonderful walk around Carlsbad, interesting information and history on Carlsbad. What a fun way to get to know Carlsbad! We really enjoyed our 3 hours eating delicious local food, sampling tasty wines and getting to know Carlsbad. We would do this tour again!

It was spectacular!!! Kelly was a GREAT hostess!!

“The food tour of Carlsbad with Ben was really fun! My husband and I had been here a couple of times but this time we felt like we really got to know the area. The food variation was great and it was nice that both beer and wine were offered during the tour. My favorite was the vintage shop we ended the tour at!”

Had an amazing time with David. Very fun guy and knowledgeable of everything regarding history and food! Thank you David!

I cannot say enough good things about the quality of the tour and Ben the Tour leader. We started promptly and flow of the restaurants was well thought out, the food was amazing and there was an unexpected bonus part of the tour where we got a historical tour of Carlsbad Village alongside some really cool street art. Ben created a warm, inviting atmosphere, and even invited the people on the tour to share about themselves and it was fun hanging out with the other people while moving from spot to spot. I would definitely recommend this to her to others!

“This was such a fun day, Ben was an expert and entertaining, guide. The food choices were great. We will be back!”

Ben was awesome and super knowledgeable! He had a ton of great recommendations and showed us a great time. We would recommend this tour to anyone who enjoys great food and good conversation!

My husband and I were visiting San Diego for a wedding and decided to do the food tour in Carlsbad and it was our favorite thing we did the whole week! The food was great and our tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable!! I highly recommend!

Great tour guide, made the tour interesting and fun.

The tour was fantastic! David was able to incorporate fascinating history and amazing food tastings! Would definitely recommend to friends!

Super great host and knowledgeable. Definitely an experience to remember!

This was incredibly interesting, informative. The food was excellent and Ben was the best tour guide and host! It was very enjoyable and I learned a lot. Highly recommend even for the locals to take it. I am sure they will learn new things.

The tour was fantastic! Excellent tour guide and delicious food! I especially liked how David, our tour guide, offered some history about Carlsbad throughout the tour. It made it more special and unique. I highly recommend this tour for everyone!

“As a solo traveler I’m always looking for fun activities to do. This was a great way to spend the day in Carlsbad, eating delicious food, learning about the history and meeting new people! Highly recommend!”

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the Carlsbad Food Tour. The weather was perfect which made the walk even more pleasant. The restaurants we visited were great, serving good food and whetting our whistle to return for more. Our guide David was 5-star! He was so personable and enthusiastically presented the facts about Carlsbad and some prominent citizens who influenced the growth and development of this charming town. He really seems to love his job. It made us realize that we need to visit Carlsbad more often (from Poway) and explore more of this beautiful city. We will definitely recommend this tour to our friends and family who visit. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon.

Ben did a fantastic job on our Encinitas Vegetarian/Vegan food tour! Sprinkled with a little local history along the way, it was super fun and tasty. We are not even vegetarian, but as recent transplants to Encinitas, it was a great way to try some new places. Highly recommend! Even for the meat lovers out there.

My friends and I took the tour with guide Ben on Saturday, 4/23/22...Ben is a great guide, very friendly & informed...the food stops were all fabulous and the wine was fruity and delicious. This tour really enticed us to come back and continue to explore Carlsbad and all it has to offer! The train stop right in walking distance of everything is wonderful too! We would defiantly recommend this tour!

Had the opportunity to take the Carlsbad Food Tours hosted by Mr. David Jensen, the local expert. I learned so much about the history of Carlsbad and several great culinary restaurants. I strongly recommend this tour which includes Italian, Mexican, French food tasting, as well as, wine tasting at the local winery and fresh gelato

My father and I had an amazing time on this tour. David was friendly and super informative - we learned a ton about the city while also experiencing some incredibly delicious food. We even went back to the Italian restaurant from the tour that night because it was so good we wanted more. Highly recommend!

We did a tour today with Ben in Encinitas -- it was AMAZING! Learned all about Encinitas. We are NOT vegetarians and this was a vegetarian tour and believe me, it was worth it -- the food was delicious, the history was fun and we are planning to go to every single venue he took us to again on our own. We have been to Encinitas many times and Ben introduced us to areas and restaurants we didn't even know existed! Highly recommend this tour with Ben!

This tour was great! All the food we tried was delicious. Ben was extremely knowledgeable about the area and cuisine!

I did the Food Tour in Carlsbad this past Saturday, 6/25/22, and it was a great experience! It was my first time and I loved it. Ben Mastracco was our tour guide, he did such a great job taking us around to see some murals by local artist and some history of the city. He is very knowledgeable and took us to some great spots to eat, and try some wine at Witch Creek Winery. The Strawberry Shack was delicious, as well! Overall, this is a must do! You will enjoy it!

We just did the Carlsbad food tour, it was amazing, so much good food and history, and well worth the price, such a fun afternoon/day thing. We live in Carlsbad and it was great for locals too

My husband and I did the food tour with David as our guide and we could not recommend it enough!!! David was the best tour guide! He was extremely knowledgeable about each restaurant as well as the area and history of Carlsbad. Carlsbad was a perfect little town to walk through and experience, I would definitely come and recommend the tour to anyone visiting!

Amazing Experience! We did the Vegan Encinitas food tour with Ben today, and it was awesome! We are new to food tours ... so did know what to expect. Highly impressed with the bits of Encinitas history that was weaved in as well as background info. on the restaurant we ate at. On top of that the food was delicious. Doughnuts, tacos, beer, and more. What else could you ask for on a beautiful Sunday in Encinitas. Thank again Ben!!! It was great to meet you :)

We were in Carlsbad to celebrate a birthday and there were 10 of us in our group - family and friends. Our guide was David and he was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Carlsbad both past and present. The food stops were really good especially the Italian restaurant (our first stop) and the gelato place (our last stop).I would definitely recommend it.

David was very friendly, fun and knowledgeable regarding Carlsbad past and present. The food and drinks were great. We had a great time! Highly recommend.

It was my first food tour and this time with my seven best mom friends. We all had a great time. Ben, our tour guide was very knowledgeable, friendly and professional- Ben was great!!!! I learned a lot about Carlsbad and it's interesting history. The food we tasted were all good! We went back to get some more food to take home! It was such a fun time that we will definitely be back with our respective families. Thanks , Ben!

We arrived in Carlsbad on a Friday and booked this tour for Saturday so we would know good local places to eat while in town for the week. Ben was a very knowledgeable and engaging guide; we learned about Carlsbad and local artists and all the stops were wonderful! We will definitely return to the places we visited! Nice job, Ben!

I am a Carlsbad local that had guests in town for the holidays so I decided to book this tour to show them a how nice our town is. My guest had a great time and loved the tour. But so did I. I learned so many things that even as a local I didn't know AND of course the food was fantastic! Our Guide Ed was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny and attentive to our group, making sure we all were satisfied, full, and happy. His talk about the Carlsbad water was really GREAT (I won't spoiler alert this - you will have to take the tour yourself) We LOVED this and it was well worth the price. Thank you Carlsbad Food Tours. I will do this tour again!

I've never done a food tour and I'm happy this was my first experience. We were in a group of eight which was a good size. Ed "Dirt" was our guide and he gave us a lot of Carlsbad history while we walked from place to place. He was knowledgeable and friendly with a kind of swagger you'd see in old Westerns. Turns out he has acted in a few and had some additional behind the scenes stories that were really fun and interesting. All food stops had delicious food including a savory crepe sample, vodka pasta, limoncello, avocado toast, pork tacos, wine, mac and cheese, fried Brussel sprouts with pork belly, and a donut. We were so full! Ed was mindful of any dietary restrictions/preferences and made sure to convey those to all the restaurants upon arrival. He was also very attentive to all guests. All in all it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the afternoon and we felt it was worth the price. Please don't forget to tip your guide generously. They certainly deserve it!

Great food & history. David was exceptional. One of the best food tours we have taken!

We had a great time with Ed "Dirt" on the Carlsbad Food Tour! I've been one other time on the tour, and have had a great experience both times! New tour guides or different days of the week allow for a totally different tour! It is worth repeating, it's worth doing if you're a local, if you're visiting Carlsbad from out of town, start your trip with the tour! You'll know where to make all of your dinner reservations after. Thanks for the great experience, laughs, stories, and great food!

Took the Carlsbad Food Tour today for my husband's birthday. Being a Monday we were the only couple so we had a private tour with David. He was an amazing tour guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad. The 6 places we stopped were all so delicious. If you are going to take this tour have a very small breakfast because we were so full when we finished. We would definitely recommend this tour!!

Took the tour with David, and a big bachelorette group plus my husband and I! Davis was great, super knowledgeable about the area. The restaurant and food selections were the best! We had a wonderful time and highly recommend this tour!

4/21/23 A fun 3 hours for the family. 4/12/23 We have visited friends in Carlsbad many times before but never visited the downtown area. Our group had 21 people but we never felt crowded. We had a chance to try bites of very good foods. A small piece of advice, take some $1's and $5's with you to tip the servers at the restaurants you visit. Cheers.

5/4/23 Highly recommend this tour. Great food and Dave was so informative this is a must do for sure. I learned so much about the town of Carlsbad and the history

5/26/23 Excellent food, wine and beer tasting with a bit of history mixed in. Ben, our tour guide, is very knowledgeable!

6/3/23 Ben was amazing. We learned a bunch about the town and ate some great food. Would recommend his tour to everyone visiting and living locally

6/3/23 Loved this tour! We are locals (low 30s) and went with my mother and father in law (64-70s) and it was really great to get to stop by some restaurants, hear the history etc! Ben was a great tour guide too! Also seriously go with an empty stomach because you get full!

6/17/23 Great, unique experience. Even if you live in the area you will learn something new. You get to taste various foods, in the Carlsbad Village area, learn about local art and culture. Fun thing to do with friends. Ben was a great host!

6/23/23 We had the BEST time! Ed (aka Dirt; he'll explain why) was such a great tour guide -- both knowledgeable and lots of fun. Our three hours flew by, with the right blend of walking, chatting, laughing, and, naturally, feasting. Although every tour might be a little different, we hit French (Froglander's crepes), Italian (Cicciotti's limoncello), Mexican (Senor Grubby's tacos al pastor), and Cali (Choice's avocado toast) cuisine; and then, can you imagine, Barrel Republic (of course, there's beer, but don't pass up the spicy mac n cheese or roasted Brussels sprouts) and the most incredible brown butter and sea salt donuts at The Goods (and yeah, we brought a half dozen back home). Highly recommend this tour!

6/29/23 Ed and Kelly were awesome!! It was a great treat, great food and drinks and Ed had a lot of knowledge to share! We were a work group and this was a really nice change of pace and a great team building for us!!!

7/9/23 My great friend of 60+ years and I took the tour to celebrate her birthday. We both had the most amazing time! Our Tour Director, David, was so fun, enthusiastic and filled with excitement about Carlsbad's interesting history and incredible restaurants! We learned so much and couldn't have asked for a better time! The other people on the tour were really nice too and the weather was perfect as well! We both intend to bring other friends and family to enjoy the tour!!

7/14/23 Ben was a great tour guide! We loved the food, history, art and meeting the other people on the tour! Would highly recommend!

7/23/23 Definitely recommend the Encinitas Food Tour!! Fun way to see and learn about the town while tasting some delicious food. Ben was awesome

7/23/23 We had a great time with Ben on the Encinitas tour! Tacos, beer, sandwich, fruit tart, vegan brisket fries, donuts. Wow! Throw in a little history and a great walk. What a day!

7/29/23 Our tour guide Ben was great. Very knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad. Great food tasting and the wine tasting at the end with a strawberry shortcake treat was the cherry on top. It's good walk around town so wear comfortable shoes.

8/11/23 Ben gave a great food tour. Explained the history and background of the various restaurants and being a chef himself had a very good selection of food for each of the places. We found this to be one of the best food tours!

8/11/23 Ben was excellent. He was so fun and interesting during the whole tour. I loved all the spots he took us. It was also awesome learning more about the restaurants, the history behind the restaurants , the art around the city itself. Thank you again Ben. My husband Mike and I enjoyed your tour and would totally recommend you !!

8/18/23 Ben is a great tour guide. Everywhere we stopped was a home run. Donuts, Italian food, tacos, crepes, wine tasting. All good.

8/27/23 Ben was a fantastic guide! He shared is extensive knowledge of the local history and the food scene in Carlsbad. A thoroughly enjoyable tour, well worth it!

9/9/23 So delicious and Ben was an amazing guide. Lived all these restaurants and the history tips.

I just had the pleasure to go on this 3 hour food experience in Carlsbad. Ben was our guide and he was very knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk with. We had three substantial stops for Mexican, Italian and crepes. And three fun spots for sweets and a wine tasting. It was my friends birthday present and she loved it too. They also have started one in Encinitas that I can't wait to do. It's a fun afternoon. 9/23/23

Awesome tour, food was amazing! Ben was a wonderful tour guide and very accommodating. 10/6/23

Ben was a great guide. Food choices were great. Loved hearing the local history as well. 10/21/23

Excellent tour, learned some fun history and had some delicious food. Ben was a great guide! 10/21/23

Our guide, David, was exceptional. He gave us interesting historical insights about Carlsbad in addition to excellent food/restaurant choices. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! July 2023

This was a fun tour with great food and a very knowledgeable guide who taught us a lot about the history of Carlsbad. August 2023

Great selection of restaurants. The selections were diverse and all of them were delicious. Our tour guide was fun and personable and made the afternoon fun.

Ben was a fantastic guide! He shared is extensive knowledge of the local history and the food scene in Carlsbad. A thoroughly enjoyable tour, well worth it!

My friend and I enjoy food tours when we travel, and this was no exception. Ben was our guide, and he did a great job telling us the history of the city and the art murals as we walked from restaurant to restaurant. We stopped at six venues for food tasting and ended with wine tasting at Witch Creek Winery and a fresh strawberry shortcake dessert. A great way to get to know a city and enjoy food tasting. Our tour ended as the Farmer's Market on State Street opened.

Excellent tour. If you are in town for a few days take the tour early in your stay so you can revisit the spots. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this tour.

Ben was very informative enjoyed walking and dining with him. Great day weather was excellent for the day trip. Loved the murals.

Our guide Ben was fantastic! The tour was a blast with so much cool history and delicious food and wine. The stops at art murals were amazing. I’d absolutely recommend!!

Our guide David was fantastic! He's passionate about Carlsbad and knows so much of the history. He's also familiar with the food scene and had some great recommendations. We had a group of 16 and he organized it so that we were easily accommodated at every place and didn't feel like a big group. I recommend this as an activity for a larger group as it gave us all an opportunity to shuffle around and talk to different people throughout the evening.

What a fun tour. Kellie was a fantastic tour guide and great conversationalist. She shared so much about the history of Carlsbad as well as info on the owners of the places we visited. They focus on family owned establishments which was nice. Come to this tour hungry as we experienced lots of great food. Highly recommend this tour for a fun and filling and informative time.

David was excellent. Very knowledgeable and interesting. A lot of answers to questions about local history.

Ben was a fabulous guide with just the right balance of history and food! Highly recommend!

Our tour with Ben was great. He is knowledgeable about the area and its history and the info made it especially interesting. The food was great and generous so come hungry. He was able to accommodate gluten free choices.

I took my office team for team building and this was the best one we have done yet! We are local to North County San Diego and one of us grew up in Carlsbad. We all learned things we didn't know about the history of Carlsbad and the local artist. We visited restaurants we have never been and probably wouldn't have been if it wasn't for this tour! Now we will all come back to those restaurants because everything was amazing! We came hungry and left full and happy! One of us had an egg allergy and our tour guide Ben made sure every place we went to had an alternative. Every accommodating! Our tour guide Ben was awesome and I 10/10 recommend for families visiting, locals that want to do something fun, or date night!

“Great experience! Highly recommended! Ben was engaging, informative and personalized the experience to make everything just right!”

What a wonderful 3 hour tour! David was amazing, informative, answered all of our questions, gave us many suggestions. perfect! His knowledge of the town was outstanding. The restaurants we sampled were great. Highly recommend!

If you plan on visiting Carlsbad or a nearby destination, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. It was fun, delicious and so interesting! Total bargain for the price! May 2023

My wife and I had a wonderful tour while visiting Carlsbad for the first time. Our food tour guide, David was great! He was very knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad and gave us great suggestions for local restaurants. The tour included some great eating spots ranging from pasta, tacos, crepes and dessert. I would highly recommend this tour. June 2023

Ben and the tour were both fantastic!!! Loved not only the food but hearing all of the history of Carlsbad! Never felt rushed; pace was perfect. And the street art was fantastic!! Would definitely do it again!!! June 2023

Ben was a wonderful guide adding both his knowledge of food and the history of Carlsbad to an absolutely delightful tour. You will not be disappointed by the quality and quantity of the food. July 2023

My husband and I enjoyed the Encinitas Food Tour so much yesterday! Ben was a fantastic host, so friendly and knowledgeable about the area. All the stops were an excellent choice. We loved the little stories Ben told along the way. I think I may dream about those fresh warm donuts! Thanks for a fantastic day, Ben! We HIGHLY recommend this tour. There are so many restaurants in Encinitas, it's crazy how many options you have. We're already planning to hit up the bread place for another one of those sandwiches tomorrow. Holy cow, it was good!

We had an amazing food tour with Carlsbad Food tours for our bachelorette party. Ben was helpful, friendly and fun. We enjoyed everywhere we stopped and would highly recommend! July 2023

“Had a great time on our first food tour, our tour guide Ben was awesome.” Sept 2023

“A wonderful experience! Ben exposed us to not only a variety of tastes and culinary delights , but also the hidden urban art that the area provides. The big plus for us was learning the history of the Carlsbad area , something that Ben was very knowledgeable. Highly recommend!!” Sept 2023

Thoroughly enjoyed. Great selection of places, all very tasty. Ben was so accommodating (and patient !:-) Love the art and local history too! July 2023

Great experience! Learned a ton about the area and loved the food! Thank you July 2023

My friend of 66 years and I took the tour for her birthday. What an amazing time we had thanks to David, our fun and enthusiastic guide!! We absolutely loved the different restaurants we visited and learned so much about the history of Carlsbad!! The weather was perfect as well which made the day even more special. July 2023

The Taste of Carlsbad Tour with friends on 9/26/23 was more than I expected. Not only were the restaurants wonderful, but some history of the area was included. Ben did a terrific job! It was a fun afternoon. Sept 2023

It was a gift to myself for my 60th and it did not disappoint. The tour guide was so detailed and knew his stuff. Sept 2023

Ben was an amazing tour guide and we are hoping to book the Encinitas tour soon. Great Carlsbad trivia and loved that the murals were incorporated in the walk. Sept 2023

This food tour was more than I was expecting. David did such a great job on showing us Carlsbad and shared so much food and history. I would definitely recommend this tour! Oct 2023

Happy to hear you had a great time on your tour with us. Our tour guides love to share all the things that make Carlsbad a special place to live and visit. Carlsbad has interesting history, culture, architecture and art around town. We do also have another tour you may enjoy: Encinitas Food Tour.com, check it out Oct 2023

Tour was a blast! Ben was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide. The food and wine were amazing. I'd recommend for anybody looking for some walking, delicious food and wine and some history of the city.

The tour was wonderful! My friends and I purchased the tour as a way to celebrate 4 birthdays and the tour didn't disappoint. We are locals to the area, so this was a fun way to learn about the history of Carlsbad as well as check out some new restaurants and eateries. Highly recommend and good for all ages.

My friends and I booked the Carlsbad Food Tour as a way to celebrate our birthdays. We were a group of 6 people and we were joined by another 4 guests. Together we were guided through downtown Carlsbad with easy walks to a variety of eateries and some historic landmarks. We really enjoyed the touch of history provided by our tour guide and we loved the food and drinks provided. Many of us are locals to the area, so this was a fun way to try out new places. If you're from out of town or a local I highly recommend giving this tour a shot.

Had a fabulous time. Ben was a great tour guide. We learned a lot about Carlsbad and tried some new places we have not been to.

Our office had great fun on this food tour and had six food stops (about half dessert, half savory). But easily the most enjoyable part of the tour was learning about the history of Carlsbad from our tour guide, David. He presented the story in such an engaging and well thought out manner, and covered so many interesting dimensions of Carlsbad's historical uniqueness. In terms of logistics, both David (our tour guide) and Cherimarie (Carlsbad Food Tours contact) were responsive and professional - it was just an exceptional experience all around! Thank you!

Group of 8 went on this food and wine tour for work team building event. Ben was our guide and we all had a great time. Super interesting information - especially loved to hear about all the cool art around town. The food was delicious and definitely recommend going hungry because you will be stuffed at the end. Thank you for wonderful afternoon!

 Team Building Event Review A great way to break free from a business trip!

We booked the food tour for about 15 of us and had a great time. Downtown Carlsbad is a cute little surfing village with lots of history, restaurants, and shops. We made stops at Caldo Pomodoro for their famous garlic bread, delicious marinara, giant meatball, and artichoke dip; Humble Olive Oils for their flavored oils and vinegars; Vigilucci's Gourmet Market for the most amazing fresh made pasta in vodka sauce and lots of treats available from Italy; Witch Creek Winery for a wine tasting and for those who didn't want wine, there was delicious coffee (I got the nitro pour cold brew- delish!); Gregorio's Italian Restaurant had awesome eggplant sliders; Sub Zero Ice Cream was a real treat, frozen with Nitrogen and boy does it deliver on flavor! We had to skip Senor Grubby's pork tacos because we were on a time crunch, but the last stop was the Carlsbad Chocolate Bar and it did not disappoint. Everyone had a great time and there was truly something for every appetite! Thanks again from all of at the Laboratory Products Association!

Loved this tour! We are locals (low 30s) and went with my mother and father in law (64-70s) and it was really great to get to stop by some restaurants, hear the history etc! Ben was a great tour guide too! Also seriously go with an empty stomach because you get full!

My wife and I had a wonderful tour while visiting Carlsbad for the first time. Our food tour guide, David was great! He was very knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad and gave us great suggestions for local restaurants. The tour included some great eating spots ranging from pasta, tacos, crepes and dessert. I would highly recommend this tour.

Ben was amazing. We learned a bunch about the town and ate some great food. Would recommend his tour to everyone visiting and living locally!

If you plan on visiting Carlsbad or a nearby destination, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour. It was fun, delicious and so interesting! Total bargain for the price!

One of the best tasting tours I have been on. Great information about the history of the town and even better local restaurants that’s have awesome food!

Fabulous tour ! Our guide Ed (AKA Dirt ) was not only knowledgeable but entertaining. We went to some of his favorite food spots . You do not leave hungry ! We try to do a food tour in every city we visit and this tour does not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this food tour !

Great food with a great tour guide I loved the variety of food and drinks and especially enjoyed the skillful guidance from Ben. We visited six restaurants around the Carlsbad Village area, some were savory and others were sweet. Ben was a delight with his friendliness and wealth of information about the city and its history.

My best girlfriend and I elected to go on this tour. We have know each other for 63 years. We had not been on a food tour before and we didn't know what to expect. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The Donut shop, Good Eats was amazing! I don't even like donuts and they were one of a kind donuts & pastries. We tried Italian food which was so fresh and tasty and the Limoncello was homemade and wonderful. We tried Mexican food, Senior Gruby's which was good but not a highlight of the tour. The strawberry shortcake at the shop that specializes in strawberry shortcake was delicious. I am not even a dessert eater and I admit it was great. The winery we went to was a nice shop but we didn't really care for the wine that we sampled. I guess we are wine snobs! Our tour was given by David. David was amazing! David is also somewhat of a history buff for this area so we learned so many things about the town of Carlsbad, the historic buildings, history of the area, and Carlsbad alkaline water from a historic site. We bought a case of the water as it was so delicious and refreshing. We also had Gelato at a shop that makes it fresh and creative every day. Flavors we never tried before. David also mentioned other restaurants that we might want to try in the future. I 100% think this tour was worth it but that is if you happen to get David as I don't know anyone else who directs these tours. :) I had a great video of the bakery products but I couldn't get it to load. ;(

What a fabulous experience Our guide was Ben and he was great. The tour was very well organized and included an excellent variety of eateries. But it is much more than that! It included history of Carlsbad and sites that gave a taste of the local culture. It was a great 3 hours.

Ben did an amazing job of taking us around Carlsbad. Not only did we get to experience some delicious food, but we also got to enjoy some tasty adult beverages. More importantly, Ben interjected historical tidbits on Carlsbad along the way as well as introduced us to the local street art scene. Awesome way to spend an afternoon; highly recommend Ben and the tour.

This is an excellent tour of Carlsbad village. David was so nice, easy to talk to and had very good suggestions of where to go and eat while we're in town. The places he took us to were all good and fun as well. I recommend this tour. Take it at the beginning of your visit to Carlsbad so that you can go to most of the places that he recommends.

This by far was one of the best walking tours and food tours I’ve ever done. Dave was an amazing tour guide and I learned so much about the history of Carlsbad. Highly recommend taking this tour.

I grew up in Carlsbad and didn't think I could learn SO MUCH I didn't know. This tour goes beyond the food and wine (although the food and wine is amazing too). Thank you David for making my afternoon with my mom so special! Highly recommend!

The tour was great. Our tour guide was super knowledgeable about the history of Carlsbad which he covered while we were casually walking around the village. We had six stops (food, drinks and desserts- all fantastic!). The guide gave us background on each establishment and also pointed out other restaurants in the area that were worth trying (so many we want to go back to try!). This was my first food tour and I would advise you book it for day 1 of your trip so you have a chance to try some that weren’t on the tour. I think I’ll try to do this sort of thing at the beginning of all my future trips. Five stars!!

I've never done a food tour and I'm happy this was my first experience. We were in a group of eight which was a good size. Ed "Dirt" was our guide and he gave us a lot of Carlsbad history while we walked from place to place. He was knowledgeable and friendly with a kind of swagger you'd see in old Westerns. Turns out he has acted in a few and had some additional behind the scenes stories that were really fun and interesting. All food stops had delicious food including a savory crepe sample, vodka pasta, limoncello, avocado toast, pork tacos, wine, mac and cheese, fried brussel sprouts with pork belly, and a donut. We were so full! Ed was mindful of any dietary restrictions/preferences and made sure to convey those to all the restaurants upon arrival. He was also very attentive to all guests. All in all it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the afternoon and we felt it was worth the price. Please don't forget to tip your guide generously. They certainly deserve it!

What an amazing experience. Loved everything about the tour from the food selections to the stories about the history of Carlsbad. I would highly recommend David as he spoke with such passion and enthusiasm. All of our questions were answered as he knew so much about the city and back stories about the chefs/restaurants.

This tour was absolutely fantastic! Our tour guide, Dave, was incredibly versed in the history of Carlsbad, as well as the food scene. The food was delicious and very generous portions were given. I would highly recommend.