Unexpected Atlanta

You must take this walking tour and ask for the guide to be Zoe. It was an incredible morning and I am grateful for her knowledge. She shared so much information about the area and its history. Zoe's perspective and kindness will stay with me.

I did the Historic Market Food Tour + Biscuit Class — I loved it! Our guide, Joy, was awesome. She's also a great biscuit making teacher. I learned a ton on this tour, and it gave me a deeper understanding of the market scene in Atlanta. I highly recommend it.

Met up with a friend from up North and I wanted him to have an authentic Southern experience. Glenn (with 2 "n"s) was an excellent tour guide and host and we learned about the history of the market as well as having some amazing food experiences and, of course, making biscuits! We both had a great time and highly recommended this tour. Forgive the extra dough in my biscuit pan!

Leigh was an outstanding tour guide on our MLK walking tour! It has been one of my all time favorite experiences during a vacay/staycay. I highly recommend this tour and will definitely book with Unexpected Atlanta again!

Really enjoyed our Grant park food and history tour with tour guide Courtney! I have lived in Atlanta for 34 years and didn’t even realize how much I didn’t know about the city’s history. The tour was well paced, the food samples were perfectly portioned, and the guide was knowledgeable and engaging!

Leigh was our tour guide. It was great. There were stories we had never heard before. It was just an excellent experience.

I recently participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour with Unexpected Atlanta, and it was an outstanding experience. Our tour guide, Kristin S., was phenomenal. Her knowledge was impressive, and her passion for the subject was truly inspiring. You could tell she genuinely enjoys what she does. This tour was an incredible learning experience, providing information and insights that aren't typically taught in schools. As a public health practitioner currently completing my Policy Fellowship in Atlanta, I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the struggles and triumphs of African American leaders. In my work with government officials to increase accessibility and advocate for communities, this tour gave me valuable context on the resilience and dedication required to fight for justice and equality. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to expand their knowledge and appreciation of this significant part of history.

Wonderful tour! Our guide, Courtney was great. The restaurants and bars had delicious food and interesting drinks. The locations were historic and beautiful. Highly recommend.

Our tour guide, Delaney, was first class. Knew the material, both on historical Atlanta and the food samplers, was extremely personable and was totally aware of how56rtf hot it was. We'll definitely use Unexpected Atlanta again for one of their other tours.

We took the MLK Jr. tour with Jessica on a Sunday morning and it turned into our favorite part of our trip. She took us to all of the important spots during his time in Atlanta, sharing stories that I had not heard before. A much better option than just visiting these sites on your own!

Loved our walking tour of historical sites! Our guide was knowledgeable about both history and the neighborhoods we walked through and clearly has a passion for Atlanta. I learned so much, and our pace allowed us the space and time to reflect as we walked. We engaged history in a way we never would have from a bus or car. Totally recommend this company for the experience and the learning environment

A lot of fun and great food. We are stuffed. We learned to make biscuits and they taste great. Our guide Kristen was wonderful. I highly recommend you take this food tour. You will not leave hungry

Yesterday I joined the Mystery Midtown Restaurant Tour through Unexpected Atlanta. Great way to learn newly shared historical facts about Midtown all while solving mystery items. Food and drinks were all from newer restaurants to me and the best way to meet people is over shared food experiences. We had a shift in weather and they instantly pivoted while still encompassing all highlights. I left stuffed from all the food. Grab friends and go have a blast. It is a deal for all you get. Kristen makes it fun and added to the whole experience.

The Cabbagetown art tour Was AWESOME. Areielle was very nice, professional and knowledgeable about the art along the way.

Every tour that Unexpected Atlanta does is top notch and a can't miss. Earlier this year I took the Sweet Auburn Market/Municipal Market and Biscuit making and had a blast. Recently I did the Prohibition Progressive Dinner tour and was blown away. Why don't we paint the town with @unexpectedatl's Prohibition Progressive Dinner? Recently, I took my niece to downtown Atlanta to experience Unexpected Atlanta's best tour to date, a prohibition era food tour that includes a gourmet Atlanta food and cocktail dinner thought the lens for the roaring 20's! Explore iconic locations and learn about prohibition history from a friendly character guide. Plus enjoy 9 hearty tastings and 3 full sized cocktails at 4 distinct locations! See why we think it is the bees knees: Stop 1: The Chandler Hotel to learn about Coca-Cola history and how prohibition changed the formula forever!! Enjoy @bygeorgeatl, the original Coca-Cola bank location, with cheesy cornbread, spicy, creamy shrimp and grits (or chicken and grits), and the classic Asa Old Fashioned. Then, head down to visit the Vault! The original coca-cola recipe location! Stop 2: The 191 building used to be the Majestic Hotel, this building was rebuilt in that style with soaring ceilings and gaudy lighting. Inside Alma Cucina explore the Tequila Daisy, a popular drink of the prohibition era, better known as a margarita today. Here we also enjoy tasty fried cheese, a tasty taco with rice and beans, and creamy elote! Stop 3: Red Phone Booth Atlanta. Did you know speakeasies used to be called Blind Tigers or Blind Pigs? This true 20s prohibition stop, you'll enjoy a corpse reviver # 2, a lemonade forward cocktail prominent in the era. Stop 4: Hyatt Regency Downtown, a beautiful hotel designed by John Portman. Go up to the rotating restaurant, Polaris for their Blue Dome dessert! Chocolate honey caramel flourless cake encased in blue and a Hyatt 65% chocolate accent with honeycomb design. This is a nod to the fact they keep bees on the roof of the hotel! I learned so much about Atlanta and the Prohibition era and you will too! The tour guide was delightful and each stop had the best service. I'd highly recommend this for any occasion, date nights, girls night, etc.

I have been coming to Atlanta pretty regularly for the past few years and I am so glad I found this company (honestly wish I had found them sooner). We did the MLK which is a MUST DO tour of Atlanta- it's a great walk through MLK and John Lewis' Fourth Ward. Lots of secret spots and fun stories. The best combination of real and entertaining. Ask for Paris- she was SUPER!! I am now intrigued by the other tours they have- street art and different food tours. We will be booking another tour our next visit (and they give a discount to repeat customers!)

Our first time in Atlanta and although on a time crunch we wanted to book a historic tour. I stumbled upon Unexpected Atlanta on trip advisor and so glad that I booked the King Historic District Tour($40 per person). Our tour guide was Arielle and she was upbeat, informative, kept us interacted and didn't just unload a bunch of historic information. I learned so much and appreciated she also educated us on Atlantas general history as well as other key players in Atlanta history. It didn't just focus on MLK which is a very important person in history but also so many other key players which I had no idea about! The tour was a leisure 2 mile walk and appreciate the water stop in the middle. I would definitely book another tour with Unexpected Atlanta as it was a great experience, clear communication and they even took photos which they emailed the following day. Overall, a 10/10 experience! Thank you Arielle and Unexpected Atlanta!

Joy was an absolute...well, joy! We got to take a food tour through the Municipal/ Curb Market. The food was amazing, and our amazing guide even helped us make Southern Biscuits! My wife and I are still debating whether the Jamabalaya or the Meat Pie was superior, but we both agree that Joy breaking into song at the end of the tour was the highlight! Would recommend to anyone. They are also very sensitive to any dietary needs or restrictions. I was almost jealous that one of the vegetarians in our group got some Mac & Cheese!

Leigh our tour guide was informative and fun. I appreciated learning more about MLK and other Atlanta leaders who helped to shape civil rights in the US

Kristin was absolutely amazing!! We took the tour through Grant Park and it was the perfect combination of history and delicious food. The walk through the cemetery was fantastic -- we got to see a few of the most historic graves and learn about the history of the park. The first stop will be a place to return to and the final stop was a PERFECT ending. The guides take pictures of you throughout the tour so that you don't have to worry about a thing! It was a small group - just the people I booked it with! Which was honestly such a treat. Kristin was so funny and knowledgeable. She also has hand sanitizer for every stop which honestly - so thoughtful! I cannot recommend this tour enough! The tour is about a 1.5 mile walk - but it is slow and there is plenty of shade. We luckily went in the fall so it wasn't too warm but if you are going in the summer bring a hat and some sunscreen. Can't recommend this enough! I will definitely be going on the other tours.

All around a great experience with a wonderful tour guide (Areal)!! She provided us with such great historical information and was lots of fun. The art that we were exposed to was beautiful and inspiring! :)

OMG! So good! And all inside the historic market place, Sweet Auburn Market. The food we tried were absolutely delicious, and our tour guide, the lovely Joy, was an absolute joy. I'll be sure to recommend the tour to anyone visiting the Atlanta area.

Jaime, our tour guide was engaging, energetic and knowledgeable - truly enjoyed her enthusiasm and introducing us to the residents of Oakwood Cemetery in such a beautiful and respectful manner. Kennedy, the new guide shadowing her was also friendly and engaging! We do ALOT of Food Tours - across the nation ... and while good ... certainly didn't meet the description of what we purchased via Viator: - 9 food tastings and one alcoholic beverage from 3 locally owned restaurants ... we got 6 tastings from 3 restaurants! - small group tours of no more than 6 people ... we had 10 people! - tour of Grant Park was a complete misrepresentation; as the actual park was not even in the area and not included as distance was prohibitive. Two in our group had seafood allergies - the substitution dishes were ok. Prior notice of allergies was given when booked. Two in our group didn't eat pork, either - this restaurant handled their substitutions better than the other. Jaime did her best to meet the needs of everyone - just felt a bit underwhelmed by the food selections when considering the number of restaurants open and available in the area. Six Feet Under - shrimp & grits and catfish. The Fire Pit - a bite of pork belly with tomato jam and pretzel with refreshing drink - My Little Pony Punch. The Little Tart - chocolate chip cookie and bite of peach tart.

Joy was the absolute best! She was warm, welcoming and so knowledgeable. We tried foods from several different vendors all while getting so much information on the history of not just the market but Atlanta as a city. Such a great experience, would absolutely suggest this tour to anyone visiting the area! Thanks again, Joy!

Our tour guide, Joy, was great! I was so full after our tour! Learned a lot about Atlanta and it's history. Highly recommend!

Paris was great! She was outgoing and easy to get along with as well as being very professional. She knew her script well and was quick to problem solve if anything unexpected happened. My husband and I enjoyed our date very much!

The Cabbagetown street art tour with Leigh was absolutely fantastic! I was so impressed with her depth of knowledge of the local history and culture along with her expertise in interpreting visual art and guiding her audience in doing the same. I've taken many walking tours in various cities, and this is definitely the best one I've experienced. I loved being immersed in the neighborhood's vibrant street art while also learning more about the meaning behind the artwork. Plus Leigh is hilarious and has the best anecdotes. Closing with a participatory art activity at a local bar was a great way to cap off the experience. Can't wait to take a tour of another neighborhood with Leigh!

I really enjoyed this food tour! I went with 6 or so girlfriends on a bachelorette party for a daytime activity other than drinking. The bbq stop was huge! I really liked the refreshing alcoholic beverage served with it. I didn't care for the pork belly so much and felt that could have been left of the plate. I also liked the meat pie a lot! It was really tasty! All the spots were really good but half end up being in the market since so many good restaurants are their. Joy was a great tour guide! I also liked the photo op stop she did and that she sends a follow up email after the tour. Joy was very informative, personable, and energetic. Mrs.D from the popcorn shop was also very lovely and sweet! That was a great stop as well!

I loved this tour. My husband took me for my birthday. It was raining but our tour guide Joy made everything fun and enjoyable. The food was great and the history of Atlanta is very interesting. Would definitely do a tour with them again.

Fabulous tour. Such interesting history. Joy was a great tour guide. Recommend this for visitors as well as locals.

What a joy the Grant Park food tour was with Kristin. A group of 6 of us joined her - plus another 3 folks from out of town - for great food and a wonderful history tour. Kristin was knowledgeable, entertaining, friendly, and thoughtful in her guiding. We'd recommend the tour, and our guide, to locals and visitors alike! Yum!

I can only discuss my experience and not the booking part because my friend did that for us. I didn't realize it was going to be so much history in our discussion of the food and it was really cool. Akilah was our guide and throughout she asked us history questions & we had to guess if "Native Americans, Great Britain, or Africans" contributed that technique to food culture. It was freezing cold and the wind was disrespectful, but Akilah didn't flinch. She continued to tell the stories without flinching although we were all miserable and looked it. There was some good diversity in the food stops: soul food at Paschal's (I didn't think the food looked that great but it tasted amazing), BBQ @ Smoke Ring, Arden's Garden juicery (then a LONG walk) to the market which had our final stops. I had my first meat pie (best crust I've ever eaten @ Panbury's), tea (Just Add Honey), Metro Deli, and a New Orleans snack shop (Miss D's Pralines). This was my first food tour and now I'm going to be looking for them everywhere I travel. It was an amazing experience and I'm glad it was included in my bachelorette experience.

Our tour of the Martin Luther King Jr Historic Section with Leigh was awesome! She was so knowledgeable, entertaining and thorough! We learned so much about the large part Atlanta played in the early days of desegregation and promoting equality. We highly recommend this tour!

What can you do with a group of hungry and thirsty co-workers to let loose after a long day at work? Do a food tour with Unexpected Atlanta Walking Tours! No need to worry about designating a DD, because ladies and gents, this place will make sure you ride in style to and from your hotel in a trolley! Joy and Kristin were amazing guides and cracked the ice right from the get go on our way to our first tasting tour stop. We quickly adopted them into our group, they were amazing! They made sure all our needs were met at our foodie stops and the quality of food and drinks we had at the selected restaurants were great! They incorporated history and picture ops for the 'gram during our tour. We also visited Grant Park Cemetery which was worth the trip in itself! Everyone from our tour guides to the restaurant staff and trolley driver were great! I can't wait to do this again!

Okay, took me a while to actually get around to writing this review, but here I am! We went on the MLK Jr Walking Tour in late March when we were vacationing in Atlanta. I absolutely loved this tour. The history was on point and brought me back to reliving grade school, when I first learned about MLK Jr and the impact he's had on our culture. I was surprised to learn so many things too that I had not learned in school. I'm actually not going to talk about all the fun things I learned because I recommend going on the tour to find out yourself! It really wasn't a whole ton of walking, which made it super manageable. We got to see so so much in such a small area. It truly was amazing to see all the points of history there.

Attended the Southern Food Walk Tour yesterday - HANDS DOWN THE BEST TOUR of ATLANTA for my fellow foodies. Booking was easy, meeting location was easily accessible and its SOOOO MUCH FOOD. Kristine was the B-O-M-B sharing her personal stories and as a native knowing all the funny history behind so of the most historic sites in Atlanta. The walk was about 2 miles, but it didn't AT ALL feel like it to my feet. Each restaurant they have partnered with were so gracious to us as we entered and left, they genuinely made you feel like you were having a full meal instead of a tasting. If you are in Atlanta and have anytime to spare I do suggest you take one of their two tours offered. I was extremely excited to call this my farewell meal as I left to come home following our last stop where we got the best hug and treats to close out our adventure. Thank you KRISTEN!

Our tour was interesting and fun; I knew some of the historical facts but Paris (our guide) was able to show how much of the city's history is intertwined. Paris was so friendly, and I loved that she gave us a mini-icebreaker question to start the tour so that we could get to know the other people in our group a little bit.

I thought the food tour was pretty good but extremely overpriced. The tour cost $75. You get 7 samples: 1. Fried chicken leg, grits and yams. Maybe $10 2. Plate of meats and cocktail. Maybe $20 3. Sample of juice. Very small and looks like free samples. 4. Half a meat pie. $3.50 5. Small sample of tea. Max $1 6. Small samples of beans, corn bread and peach pie. Max $5 7. Small sample of popcorn and fudge. Seems like free samples you would get. The tour was very well done. I loved that there are so many places you can sit and drink water and use the bathroom. I didn't know anything about Atlanta before the tour and although I do know more now. It wasn't very much.... I thought i would have learned more. I don't mind paying that much cuz it was a good experience but it is overpriced. What I didn't like it what I thought this was pricey and the tour guide asked for a tip... I paid $75 and was asked to tip... I know her time cost money too but think about it. $75x 12 people: $900. Say the food cost $450. That leaves $450 for both the guide and her company for 3.5 hours. I would recommend looking for a different tour. Looks like the ones my friends did for a lot more food. I didn't brother taking pictures of the free samples NOTE- I was not full after the tour.

The tour through the King History district was well worth the time. We learned more about the district than we would have on our own. Our tour guide Margaret did an awesome job at historic storytelling as we walked through the district - highlighting the interconnectedness of several civil rights leaders including MLK.

Took the Southern Food walking tour today, what a treat! I lived in Atlanta area for 8 years but have been away for the last 4, it was wonderful to tour parts of the city I had never been to before. It included 7 delicious food stops, all satisfying and different. Jamie was our guide & she was very knowledgeable, friendly & funny! She kept the group entertained all day & ensured we all got back to our destination safely. She is a local & it surely showed, she knew many great stories of the city. Thanks for such a wonderful day in the city! A few tips: bring water, wear comfortable shoes

This exceeded my expectations! Not because of the food, though (which was bomb). Our tour guides for the day were amazing - Jennifer and Ashley. They were incredibly informative, friendly, and passionate about what they are doing. Our group was made up of people from all over and I was fortunate enough to be a tourist in my own city for the day. There were several from New York, Jersey, and Portland. And even a person from Barbados if I remember correctly. It was a fun, diverse group of people :) We started at Paschal's and were served their famous fried chicken, cornbread dressing, gravy, and candied yams. Coming from the south, I am a lover of fried chicken and I couldn't believe I hadn't been to this spot before. My boyfriend's parents were also on the tour with us and his mother expressed that she typically doesn't like sweet potato, but thoroughly enjoyed it there. Next, we walked over to Smoke Ring where we were greeted with pork belly, chicken, brunswick stew, mac and cheese, collard greens, and a drink. Pork belly with the vinegar-based BBQ sauce along with the mac and cheese were my favorites! The drink was called the Bootlegger's Companion. As the menu says, it is Midnight Moon strawberry shine with Sprite and lemonade. Yum! Everyone on the tour got a second round! My boyfriend's mom had never had collard greens before coming from the north - so she definitely got her fill of what we've got cookin' down here this weekend! After we got our tummies filled with food and goodness, we walked it off by getting a history lesson at various stops. Then we got to Arden's Garden where we tried two different drinks and "cheesy" kale. I put quotations around it because there actually wasn't cheese on it! Completely vegan and tasted awesome. And that's coming from someone who fears veggies (most of the time, not all the time). Drinks were great! First one was made with pineapple, apple, ginger. The other was those three ingredients plus kale, spinach, lemon. You couldn't taste the vegetables at all. We then ventured off to the last spots at the Municipal/Curb Market. I can't believe I never knew this existed, y'all. It had some places I'd eaten from or heard of before, but I had no idea this little hub of amazing was right downtown. We got to try Panbury's, Just Add Honey, Metro Deli & Soul Food, and Miss D's Pralines. Breakdown- *Panbury's: meat pies! With a cute love story! *Just Add Honey: Georgia Peach tea *Metro Deli & Soul Food: West African inspired beans, hoecakes, and banana pudding *Miss D's Pralines: cheese and caramel popcorn, pralines The banana pudding was probably the best out of the market. With the meat pies coming up second. But OVERALL: 5 stars. As it says on their site, "Amazing food. Unexpected places. Get off the eaten path to discover Atlanta" Thank you, Jennifer and Ashley for making this such a wonderful experience.

We had such a wonderful time on this walking food tour. Our guide Arielle was engaging and very knowledgeable.

The MLK walking tour with unexpected Atlanta was absolutely incredible - I could not say enough good things to describe how WOW'ed I was by the tour! Emily (our tour guide) was knowledgable about all things on the tour and any other tid bits you want to know about Atlanta. She was passionate about sharing all aspects of the stories of MLK and so many that influenced his trajectory and the history of that time period in Atlanta. As someone who is local, I learned so much about the history of the city and have a renewed appreciation for living here. Great for a visit or local. Will likely go again!

1st off Jamie our guide was fun, knowledgeable and really personable. If you are black or were raised in the south most of the food (fried chicken, yums, grits, pulled pork, pork belly, ho cakes etc) on the tour won't be anything new to you. There are a few new foods that I will leave as a surprise for you. All the establishments provided nice small portions of great tasting foods and drinks and Jamie was right there with interesting facts that were on topic and made every place on and around the tour have significance that otherwise would have been lost to us. I highly recommend taking this tour and if possible with Jamie as your guide. My wife and I had a great time and will be taking one of the other tours in the future.

Jaimie was excellent tour guide. Learned so much about history of Atlanta including Snaketown, Moorehouse, Spellman, and Martin Luther King Jr. Food was excellent. Would go back to Paschals and other venues. Open air market with Sweet D's excellent.

What a great way to enjoy great food, learn about Atlanta's rich history and get a little exercise to boot! Well worth your time in Atlanta. Margaret was "the perfect guide"!

I have been wanting to learn more about the Atlanta history and food culture. I was so happy with our guide Jaimie! She was engaging, knowledgeable and took time to talk to each member of our group. She built a good rapport among the tour group people, where we each were sharing our impressions and thoughts about the food and the sites we were seeing. I can't wait to try their other tours, and look forward to having Jaimie as our guide! I can't wait to bring friends and family on the tours! OMG the chicken at Paschals! The BBQ at Smoke Ring and the strawberry moonshine cocktail! And thanks Jaimie for the thoughtful candle and birthday song for Renee at the end of our trip! She had such a great time!

I spent my birthday weekend in Atlanta and this food walk was the last thing we had planned for the trip and I'm happy we ended the trip with it! Jennifer was amazing and patient while ensuring that everyone had a great time. The samples we got were yummy and the walking wasn't too much. Kudos to Jennifer for allowing me to be her co-guide and helping introduce me to downtown Atlanta while keeping me fed and engaged!! I will definitely be back and be stopping a few of the spots we tried on our tour!

Incredible experience! It would be great for tourists or locals. The historical information and stories throughout the tour is great and not stuff you've heard a lot before. Jennifer, our tour guide, has fun, energetic and engaged everyone in the group. The food was good, but it truly is a tasting, not too much food. The first two stops are Paschal's and Smoke Ring. These are bigger tastes and very good. Will definitely go back to both. Arden's Garden is next. You end at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. On Saturdays, you go to Panbury's and on Sundays you go to Grindhouse Killer Burgers. You also go to Just Add Honey, Metro Deli and Soul Food, and Miss D's Pralines. If you get to meet Miss D, it is a treat!! You also get a lot of great information about the food itself and the restaurants. I cannot recommend this experience enough.

We enjoyed this fabulous three hour Grant Park Historical food tour with Kristin. She is so passionate about the history in the area and certainly provided us with knowledge that was so memorable. We enjoyed the history, food and tour. Highly recommend for locals, out of town guests or fun team event.

We had work group attend the Food Walk. Jennifer & Ashley were fantastic tour guides who show their love & passion for their city through food! Super fun and delicious!

Margaret greeted the group and immediately broke the ice with all the tour walkers. Then she started telling us some history facts and food facts. Then we started off the tour with yummy fried chicken, cheese grits and candied yams. Walked some with stops so Margaret could share more Atlanta facts on our way to 6 more food stops. Some stops I enjoyed more than others, but overall had a great time!

My family just finished the Juneteenth + BBQ virtual tour and it was fantastic. We learned a lot we didn't know about Harriet Tubman, emancipation day celebrations, barbecue, and so much more. I do regret not booking the ATL Treat Box to go with it! Next time we will not make that same mistake. Tour guides Jen and Margaret were well-matched and were a great duo who played well off each other as well as the audience. We got a kick out of the passing of the drink, LOL. Well done to all involved!

Great tour, Ariel was amazing. Very knowledgeable and kind. Definitely would recommend!

I have known about these walking food tours of Atlanta for a while and finally scheduled one. I have driven through Atlanta's neighborhoods but it is an entirely new experience to take the time to stroll through the streets and hear of the history from an accomplished storyteller like Kristin. She provided information and insights that brought the city to life. And then there was the food. We were able to taste some great items and learn about how they fit into the culinary history of Atlanta and the South. We are looking forward to taking in one of the other options they provide.

Today, it was very cold and windy in Atlanta. However, our tour guide, Kennedy Park was spectacular, highly energetic, very knowledgeable and made our tour great. The tour was very informative and the three food stops were the best. Thank you!

Absolutely amazing!!! Love this tour. Our guides were fantastic and so knowledgeable. The food was perfect. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting Atlanta.