My group's experience on the tour was highly uncomfortable. My friends and I were a group of 8, mostly women, people of color and Chicago locals. The tour guide's comments throughout the day consistently reflected racist views, and a significant portion of the facts that he shared were questionable in validity. He didn't seem to have prepared for a dietary restriction that we told him about far in advance. While it was clear that he had eaten at the restaurants before, we got the impression that he hadn't told any of them that we would be coming in that day with a large group. The tour ran long even though we cut out 1 or 2 stops. I implore everyone to use your money to support local restaurants directly instead of this sham. read more

Emailed to inquire about this service. Offered No guidance. Rude responses. Better companies to use out there that are more willing to help. Disappointing. read more

My fiancé and I went on the South Side Food Tour with Chef Greg and it was fantastic! When I first read the other yelp reviews, it seemed a bit weird that they all referred to the guide as 'Chef Greg', but hey, his name is Greg and he's a chef, so that's what you call him! But you can also just call him Greg. He's a real chill friendly guy. We went to four eateries which were all new to us even have lived on the South Side for a combined ~15 years. If it's a restaurant, they know you are coming so you can basically just sit and get food served to you or if it's a walk-up place, he'll do all the ordering for you. You spend about 2/3 of your time in restaurants and about a 1/3 driving around and Greg is a great tour guide. Whenever I write a review I feel like I'm biased if don't offer some suggestions. If I had to make any suggestion, it would be to for the historical / tour part to focus a bit more on food. The tour is reminiscent of like what Anthony Bourdain does though. He connects with people through food--remember that No Reservations was on the Travel Channel, not Food Network. So we drove past things various murals on the south side and architectural highlights like the Robie House, while Greg gave an overview of them. I would have liked to have learned a little more about the cultural influences on food. That being said, Chef Greg is super amiable and welcomes any questions. We took this tour for a special occasion but will definitely plan on taking another! read more

Greg cancelled our tour 2 hours prior to start via short text with no alternative options and would not answer a call or return a text message! Charged us $300 and yet to get money back. Be aware! Chad read more

I have done food tours all over the world but Greg's tours are my favorite! I've lived in Chicago for 3+ years now, my BF is from here, and we both agree Greg probably has more knowledge about Chicago than anyone we've ever met. Throughout the tour he told stories and shared history that made us feel like real cool kids in the know. He is also super hospitable! I've been on 2 tours now and he will go above and beyond to customize the tour to what you want to see/eat/are interested in. For example, I was reading Devil in the White City when I took the South Side Tour. When he found this out he whipped around to HH Holmes old house between some stops to show us where this all happened and tell more tales - awesome! Apart from Greg himself, what makes this tour standout is that you get to choose what you want off the menu and you get full entire portions (that you can take home if you wish)!! Not just skimpy small predetermined tastings. To me that's huge! Overall I can not say enough good things about this tour. It'll be a great time for everyone tourists and locals alike. Do yourself a favor and book (for when you feel it safe again) you'll be glad you did and booking the next one in no time. :) read more

STAY AWAY! I had a group of friends coming to Chicago and I wanted to give them a local Chicago experience via a food tour. After lots of research I chose Chef Driven food tours because of their positive reviews. However, after my experience and more careful examination I have realized that they have yet to receive one positive review in 2018 and that's because if you're looking for a quality experience, DO NOT use this company!! My complaint is primarily for what they charge you versus what you get. My group wound up paying $100/per person. And that's not even their regular rate which is $135/per person. There were 9 of us so we paid over $900 for the experience. They took us to Al's Beef for some mediocre low quality beef sandwiches. Then we got some cheap polish sausages. After that we got some cheap Mexican food at a hole in the wall in Pilsen village and then we went to a mediocre bakery for some butter cookies. I can't imagine collectively the food cost more than $20/per person. Of course you have to take into account transportation and the guide was nice, but I would have never paid more than $50/per person for this. That's not even the worst part. I called the company to talk about my experience. I have worked several years in customer service and know the customer should always come first. I have never been met with more hostility by questioning me what I do for a living and how I computed the economics of their pricing model. What I do know was that this problem could have been somewhat alleviated if they weren't so rude after the fact. When I did confront them they claimed someone in the group drank rare whiskey for over $100! Again, couldn't be more false. They took out a half drunken whiskey bottle with no label from the Mexican restaurant. Other than that we didn't consumer more than a few beers. They became defensive and hostile! Do not use this company if you're looking for a quality experience and don't want to get ripped off! read more

I went on two foodie tours with Chef Greg. The first one was just me and my husband. We were promptly picked up at our hotel and swept off to the South Side where we experienced extremely unique ethnic food. Chef Greg suggested items but we were free to pick out something ourselves. Beverages including alcohol are included. Greg is very knowledgeable about Chicago and history and made the ride fun and educational. The second foodie tour I arranged for 13 of my friends and myself because I liked the first one so much. My friends and I were attending a conference and this is just what we needed to reconnect. This time we had a van and a SUV which allowed us to mix and mingle. South side was the destination with some old favorites and some new! In our group we had people with food sensitivities and Chef Greg was able to accommodate everyone. We had a cooler with a fine mix of beverages so we never were lacking. Each tour is approximately 3.5 - 4 hours and there is never a dull moment. Well worth the price. I highly recommend this tour company. Easy to work with. Clear communication and they are happy to customize for your group. read more

This tour is a such a great time. Informative and delicious. You will learn a lot and eat even more. Great finds that I will go back to again to try even more. Chef Greg knows his stuff.... read more

My wife and I just went on the food tour last week and absolutely loved it. I was born and raised in Chicago, but I have been out of state for years. I wanted my wife to experience great Chicago food and this exactly what this tour did. The greatest compliment I can give them is that all the locations are not downtown, but rather are in the heart of Chicago. These locations are family owned (I know because at each place we met with the owners). Above all else this tour had different food palettes. It was not limited to just 1 type of food, but a good variety. I caution anyone, pace yourself. The food is great and the tour does a good job of spacing the meals, but trust me you want to pace yourself and try it all. Our guide was super knowledgeable about the Chicagoland area, gave great tidbits about the neighborhood, and was more than willing to take pictures of my wife and I at each location. Even if you're not a foodie, this is a must try! I highly suggest this tour. read more

There is no benefit and there is no bargain. We were charged an exorbitant amount of money ($100 a person) for what was an elementary food tour. For the money we spent (900 in total), we figured the outfit would provide an "in the kitchen" experience. Unfortunately, we got scammed. Chicago has a wonderful food scene, unfortunately we did not experience it. Save your money and pick a different company. read more

Best food tour I've ever been on. Hands down! Well worth every penny. We had plenty of food at each stop and lots of leftovers. Highly recommended! read more

This tour was a birthday present from my partner and I couldn't have enjoyed it more! We chose the Pilsen/Little Village tour and it was amazing. The tour guide (Chef Greg) was obviously very knowledgeable about the food and all of the restaurants we visited, but he was also knowledgeable about Chicago, in general, as he grew up there. All of the food we had, 5 kinds of tacos, fried shrimp, fried cod, and Italian beef, was delicious and I would certainly return to those restaurants. Stopping at the National Museum of Mexican Artwas was a great way to break up all the eating and they had lovely exhibits. I would highly recommend this tour company for anyone, locals or visitors, who want to get a quick deep dive into a neighborhood's food and culture. read more

We love doing food tours and have done them all over the country, so I would say we have seen a variety of tours. We met chef Greg right on time, maybe even a little early, and he informed us that we were the second tour and that it was only the two of us. Initially I was a little apprehensive, as we enjoy meeting other people from around the country (and world). I was so mistaken. We basically got a personalized food, culture, and history tour from Greg and hit some awesome places to eat. Greg was very gracious, very intelligent, and just an overall pleasure to have as our guide. This was one of our favorite tours from across the country, and we have done several in Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, San Diego, New Orleans, etc... read more

Wow what a great tour and very educational. My wife and I were truly amazed by the history provided by our guide Chef Greg. We went on the South side tour. The food stops were filled with tasty food that was very filling for both of us. Chef Greg made sure my vegetarian wife had plenty to eat at each location making the tour very personal for both of us. The owners of each location also took time to speak with us which helped to provide further information about each location. I would highly recommend the tour and hope to book another one upon a return trip to Chicago. read more

What a wonderful experience! My partner and I decided to book the Pilsen/Little Village tour. Chef Greg was very knowledgeable about the area as well as the food we we experienced. I'm from Chicago and this was a great way to introduce me to another area I don't frequent as much... though food. I would definitely book another tour in the future. read more

Don't waste your money. Unorganized and not worth the price. On the good side we met a nice couple.

Loved this tour! Greg was very knowledgeable about the history of Chicago and personable. We did the Bronzeville tour, all the food was amazing. Just pace yourself, there's lots of food. read more

I scheduled a special women's day out for the girls at work. Chef Greg did a fantastic job, planning the tour stops, picking us up and taking us to some fabulous places we would have never found on our own. He was prompt, courteous and shared a lot of information with us. The tour is a nice one because everyone was allowed to pick whatever they wanted. Beverages including alcohol was also provided. Very great price for what was provided. Thank you for all of the fun. read more

I had to reshedule our tour because of a family funeral and had the worst ever customer service. They were indescribably rude and unprofessional. We rescheduled days in advance of the tour and received confirmation. However, when they claimed we were no shows for the tour, we we repeatedly told our business with them was "finished" and to "NEVER CONTACT [THEM] AGAIN" as we attempted to explain that someone had confirmed our reschedule. After finally convincing them to give us a refund (since they refused to reschedule our tour), they emphasized again that they did not want our business and that we should never contact them again. Truly bizarre. read more

Unfortunately, in order to write this review, I was forced to pick a star and rate this company. If I could have, I would have not even given 1 star. Zero stars would have been more appropriate. I paid $100, plus more with tip and was incredibly disappointed, to say the least. The food was not good at any of the locations that we were taken to, subpar at best. And when we went to what was supposedly an "amazing bakery for dessert" as our last stop on the tour, the cookies I ate had to have been at least 2-3 days old. Gross. The best thing I ate on this tour were the french fries, but come on, it's pretty hard to mess up french fries. My advice is go use another food tour company. I guarantee you'll have a much better experience anywhere else. There are much better ones out there that won't rob you of your money. And the customer service is deplorable as well - extremely rude and hostile to a friend of mine who called to complain about our experience. To summarize, don't ever use this company. read more

South Side rocks! We saw many cool things on the South Side, who knew? The food was great! Garifuna food a new fav! Only downer you can't actually get on Obama's block and can only see from a distance. Chef Dale is the Egghead of Chicago hoods and food, rock on Dale! read more

This was by far the best decision I made while visiting Chicago. So much amazing food and information. Thank you!!!

Well we started getting a little suspicious when Greg told us that Illinois, not California or Texas, had the largest Latino population in the US. But that was ok. We then proceeded to eat at the "World Famous" Al's deli yet there was not a single person in line and we each shared $5 dollar sandwiches. Maybe this was an appetizer. Next stop was for hot dogs, which were also shared. After eating half a hot dog we were driven to a free museum, which had nothing to do with the food tour but at least Greg shared with us a ton of facts that he incorrectly read from the descriptions alongside the artwork. The museum was a nice break from all the half sandwiches. After the museum we visited the "best" taco place in Chicago, where not only do they sell tacos, but you can also buy perfume, it was also empty. Greg brought out a half drank bottle of whiskey, a few beers and we were off for our 2 day old dessert. Also notable that Greg did not eat at one of the restaurants, probably not sure himself what was in the sandwiches. read more

We did the Pilsen tour today and I must admit I need a nap after it ended. I loved the Italian beef and the best tacos I've ever had. Just when I couldn't eat anymore we stopped at Trohas Shrimp House and the finger licking addictive fried shrimp are to die for and THEN tiramisu at a lovely old school Italian-American mom and pop. The owner Maria was like the grandma you wish you had and Chef Dale "Egghead" grew up right down the street. Talk about local! This guy knows everything about the hood and food. Bravo Dale! read more

My family (my wife, 18 year old daughter, and I) first took the Pilsen tour. We liked it so much we had to experience the Southside as well. Although these tours center on food, they are actually much more than that. Chef Greg knows the neighborhoods intimately. He uses street art to illustrate the culture and the evolution of each area. Chef Greg amazed me with his deep knowledge of the demographics, architecture, history, and social structure of the communities. I could sense him patiently adapting the tour to the interests of the participants. He let us out of the van a couple times on each tour to make photos of some of the intricate street art. We visited sites of interest other than restaurants on both the Pilsen and Southside tours. Each place helped us gain a deeper appreciation of the local culture. Nevertheless, the food was the main attraction. Chef Greg took us to 4 or 5 different restaurants on each tour. You would not likely find these restaurants on your own. Locals eat at these places because they know the food tastes great. The restaurants on these tours don't boast a luxurious ambiance or a Michelin star. They just do one thing: they send out food that will blow out your taste buds with pleasure. I had the best sandwich ever at one stop. It was an Italian beef sub dipped in au jus. I could eat this sandwich every day. Chef Greg shows you how to order and eat like a local. My wife, a tiramisu connoisseur, raved about the authentic, melt in your mouth Italian dessert that marked our last food stop on the Pilsen tour. The culinary highlights of the Southside tour came from a soul food feast and a Caribbean/Central American food paradise. Both tours were wonderful. I hope to experience another one on my next visit to Chicago. read more