Dallas Food Tour: Deep Ellum BBQ & Tex-Mex with 5 Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.81 (187 reviews) 89% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration3h 30m

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Five Stops Through Dallas Barbecue & Tex-Mex in the Heart of Deep Ellum

You walk through Deep Ellum's art district and stop at five different spots for brisket, tacos, chili, quesadillas, pecan pie, and a mystery dish. A local guide leads a small group for just over three hours, handling all the restaurant stops so you don't have to plan them yourself. Wear good shoes and book ahead if you have dietary restrictions.

3h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Deep Ellum food and culture tour

Explore Deep Ellum murals and galleries
Pass by historic Ford Model T plant
See old-fashioned butcher shop
Taste cowboy-style BBQ brisket
Try traditional Adobada Taco
Sample spicy chili con carne
Enjoy cheesy chicken quesadillas
Savor boozy pecan pie
Discover the Secret Dish

The Experience

You walk into Deep Ellum expecting street art and music venues, and you get that — but what stays with you is the taste. The tour starts in the mural-filled district where the old Ford plant once built Model Ts, and now it's a maze of brewpubs, galleries, and the kind of restaurants that don't advertise much because locals already know. Your guide, someone who actually lives here, moves the group at a pace that lets you breathe between stops. It's a little over three hours total, which sounds short until you realize you're eating five separate dishes and walking blocks of uneven sidewalks in between.

The food itself is straightforward — no surprises meant to impress, just the things Dallas does better than most places. Slow-smoked cowboy-style brisket that's been sitting in a smoker since before dawn. A traditional Adobada taco that tastes like someone's been making it the same way for decades. Chili con carne that actually has heat, a cheesy chicken quesadilla, and then pecan pie with enough bourbon in it that you taste the South in a single bite. There's also a vintage soda somewhere in the rotation and a secret dish that the guide won't name until you're standing in front of it — which is either charming or annoying depending on how much you like surprises. The group stays small, which means you're not herding through a restaurant like a school trip.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, because Deep Ellum's streets are old and the pavement doesn't always cooperate. Public transit is nearby if your feet give out before the tour ends, though most people make it through. If you have dietary needs, you have to call ahead — they'll work with you, but they need notice. And no pets, which is the one hard rule. The itinerary can shift depending on what the restaurants have that day or if the weather turns, so it's not a locked-in menu, but the core five tastings stay the same.

What’s included

Your tour includes five food tastings: slow-smoked cowboy-style BBQ brisket, traditional Adobada taco, chili con carne, cheesy chicken quesadilla, and boozy Southern pecan pie.
You'll also get a vintage soda and an exclusive secret dish revealed during the tour.
A local guide leads you through the art-filled streets of Deep Ellum for just over three hours, handling all restaurant stops so you only have to show up and walk.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to taste what Dallas actually eats without spending the day researching restaurants and making reservations — the guide knows where to go and the timing is already locked in.