Dallas Uptown Food Tour & Vintage Trolley Ride with Tastings

4.77

(130 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the trolley bell to be so loud — it sort of clanged right through my chest when we first hopped on in Uptown Dallas. Our guide, Marcus, grinned and waved us aboard like he’d done it a thousand times. The trolley itself smelled faintly of old wood and something sweet (maybe oil?), and I caught myself running my hand over the seat just because it felt so different from any bus or train I’ve ever been on. We rattled off down McKinney Avenue, sun flickering through the windows, and I realized I was actually hungry — which was lucky since this Uptown Eats food tour is basically one long excuse to eat.

The first stop was this Mediterranean place where the owner came out to say hi — his accent made me feel like we’d taken a wrong turn into another country. There was something bright and lemony in the air, and everyone at our table started guessing what was in the dip (I still don’t know). By the time we got to the Thai spot, people were already swapping stories about their favorite Dallas restaurants. Marcus told us how every ticket helps keep these old trolleys running — apparently they’re restored by hand at this Car Barn we’d get to see later. He said “Car Barn” like it was some secret club.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Texas comfort food in a place as trendy as West Village, but it tasted like someone’s grandma had snuck into the kitchen. There was a lot of laughter when one guy tried to pronounce something on the menu (Li laughed too — she’s from Plano). Dessert came last — soft, cold, just sweet enough that you want more but can’t fit another bite. The whole group seemed slower after that.

The best part? Getting to poke around the McKinney Avenue Trolley Car Barn with our guide explaining how they fix up these old cars. It smelled like grease and metal and old stories — there’s no other way to put it. One of the conductors let us ring the bell (louder up close), and for a second you could almost imagine what Dallas sounded like before all the traffic. I still think about that sound sometimes when I hear regular buses go by back home.