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Brothels, Bites and Booze: A Culinary Tour of San Diego's Questionable Past

Brothels, Bites and Booze: A Culinary Tour of San Diego's Questionable Past

Overview

The Brothels, Bites and Booze culinary tour of San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter will take you back to a time of scandal and debauchery. Marvel at the antique architecture, learn about the early red light district, and sample flavors at 4 local establishments.

City: San Diego

Tue 19 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $75.00

Make a reservation

Tue 19 Nov

Starting at $75.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Drink samples

Food tasting

Additional Info

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Minimum age is 18 years
There is a minimum of 4 passengers to operate. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund

What To Expect

Gaslamp Quarter

Often called the Historic Heart of San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter is the main dining and entertainment district of the city. With more than 150 bars and restaurants and 94 registered historic buildings, this nightlife playground has a lot to see and do, as well as a fascinating past. The Brothels, Bites and Booze tour will introduce you to the beginnings of San Diego as a port town – learn why it became one of the more notorious red light districts of its time, and find out how this once-undesired neighborhood became a fun and vibrant nightlife destination for both locals and visitors. After meeting your guide, you’ll embark on a journey of scandalous tales, unique cocktails and local cuisine. On the tour, you’ll make new friends, hear interesting stories, sing karaoke and explore new tastes at local restaurants*.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (399)

Karen F

Jun 2019

We had a private tour since we had 9 in our group. That was nice. What was a downer was our tour guide, Kirk. We all were disappointed by his inability to keep the group entertained w/ his lack of knowledge. He lost our attention because of his arrogance and the way he spoke to us. We stopped at 4 locations, Mexican, Greek, Pizza and Ice Cream. The Mexican Restaurant (Patron's Corner) was a great stop along the way. The food was great and the margarita was the best I ever had and I don't like tequila. The next stop was Greek (Meze) and the food (Lamb Guyro) was great but the drink left something to be desired. I don't eat Lamb but they made me a veggie gyro for me and it was delicious. Our next stop was a Pizza place (Ciro's) where the pizza had been sitting in a case for who knows how long. We choose which slice we wanted and they warmed it up and served it w/ beer. The last stop was for sweets (Sugar) a dessert bar where we had ice cream. The atmosphere was loud but the dessert was delicious. Overall the tour was okay. I would try and get a better tour guide as this one lacked some people/service skills and even came across rude at times. Since we booked our tour together and it included gratuity, he even trolled everyone at the end for an additional tip.

Response from Host

Jul 2019

Hello there! I have spoken to Kirk about this feedback, and he's working on being more cognizant with guests. He does have a very strong personality, and I can see how some guests may find it a little too strong. We are all very passionate about touring in San Diego, and take these bits of feedback very seriously. Thank you so much.

Johnlw007

Jun 2019

Great little tour with bites to eat drinks and information. We went to 3 restaurant and then finished with an ice cream. Mexican was particularly good. Guide had some interesting information. Would recommend!

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Thank you for joining us in San Diego! We are glad you had a good time.

Ang723

Jun 2019

Our guide was Stephen (Stef - on). He was funny, a little goofy; definitely personable; and sort of knowledgeable. The information actually gleaned from this tour was minimal and sort of a yawner. We went to four locations. Two were awesome and two were not. Our first stop was Meze (Greek fusion) and it was superb food (some sort of gyro meat taco) and drink (can't remember what it was but it was unusual and really tasty). Next up was The Public (Irish) and it was equally delicious (shepherd's pie & Guinness). The history of this bar being shipped over from Ireland was cool and our server was Irish girl working on a student visa for the summer. Stephen was appropriately cute with her. Our next stop was Ciro's Pizza and it was very underwhelming. It was the typical, choose a slice from the window; they microwave it and you pretend to enjoy limp, greasy pizza that's been sitting around who knows how long. The actual selection of slices was predictable and nothing innovative. We both had spinach and ricotta that was extremely bland; ever heard of garlic? Our last stop was LeParfait Paris for dessert. I don't like sweets, so nothing I could say here would be fair. Everyone on the tour got to choose two macaroons. My friend liked the hazlenut version. I wouldn't recommend this tour for people who care about getting maximum historical information or even for people who really want a great food experience (ours was 50%). If you've been on tons of other kinds of walking tours and you're not picky; this one is definitely worth $60.

Response from Host

Jun 2019

Thank you for joining our tour! I’m happy to find you enjoyed Meze and The Field. Ciro’s Pizzeria is a staple in the Gaslamp, and their pies are made fresh quite regularly. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience there. The spinach ricotta is a favorite flavor there, so maybe they were having an off day...? Regardless, I will mention this feedback to them. There is quite a bit of history in the Gaslamp, and Stefan has access to some interesting stories, so I’m perplexed as to why he wouldn’t have shared as much as possible. I’ll resend him the script and have a chat to jog his memory. Thanks again for joining the tour. Perhaps we will see you on another tour next time you’re in San Diego!