My wife and I have done food tours in several cities and this one was just average.
Positives:
- It introduced us to Ybor City, which we probably would have never thought of visiting. It is a historic treasure and well worth a visit. We came back two other times to visit during our trip.
- The food was good, diverse, and we didn't leave hungry.
- We did learn about the history of the area.
- The guide was pleasant and very friendly. She kept everyone together and made sure we had our meals, etc..
Areas of improvement:
- The guide provided nothing about the food or the restaurant. Every other tour provided some combination of: the history of the restaurant, the chef, the cuisine, the specific food you were trying. On this tour, we were told what we were having and that is it. We were seated in the restaurant and the guide never said a word and pretty much kept to herself.
- She was a new tour guide (and new to the area) so she hadn't yet developed the appropriate skills of a good guide. I applaud her for memorizing the historical information. However, she was hurrying to read the material and didn't have the pacing of an experienced guide. Being new to Florida and the area makes it difficult to have the knowledge and experience.
- The pacing of the tour was a bit off. We were warned at the beginning that due to COVID and staff shortages, the restaurants might be a bit slower than usual and we found this to be the case. There was quite a bit of waiting for the food. That might have been fine, had the guide been filling the time with something. Instead, we waited and chatted with others on the tour.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from taking this tour. It was fun and we enjoyed it. Compared to the comparable tours we have taken, it just wasn't as complete.