Richmond Carytown Food Tour: 6 Stops & Local Stories

4.96

(137 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I thought I knew Richmond, but Carytown surprised me. The tour started outside this bakery with the smell of fresh bread drifting out — honestly, I almost wandered in before our guide even said hello. There were seven of us, plus Chris (our guide), who grew up nearby and had that easy way of talking like he’s just chatting with friends. He pointed out a mural I’d passed a hundred times but never really looked at. Funny how you miss things right under your nose.

We hit five or six spots — it depends on the day, Chris said, because sometimes a shop closes early or someone’s grandma is making cookies next door. At one café, I tried a pimento cheese biscuit that was so crumbly it fell apart in my hand (no regrets). The owner came out to say hi and told us how she started the place after moving from Atlanta. You could tell she meant it when she talked about “feeding people like family.” I still think about that biscuit.

There was this candy shop where the air smelled like sugar and childhood. Someone in our group asked about the old theater across the street and Chris launched into this story about bootleg movies and roller skates — not sure if he was kidding, but everyone laughed anyway. Walking between stops, we learned bits about Carytown’s history: protests in the ‘70s, why there are so many vintage stores now, little things you don’t get from just reading signs.

By the end, I was full (seriously — don’t eat breakfast first) and kind of wishing we could keep wandering. It wasn’t fancy or scripted; just real people sharing food and stories. If you want to book the Carytown food tour from Richmond with a local guide, they include all tastings and run rain or shine — which is good because apparently Richmond weather does what it wants.