Dropped $85 on a 'secret' local food tour in Asheville and got led to a chain sub place

River Bailey · 2026-09-16T08:55:05.45265+00:00

So my partner and I were in Asheville two weekends ago and saw this flyer at our hotel for a "locals only hidden gems food tour." It was $85 a person so we figured it had to be legit, right? The guide walked our group of nine people to a sandwich shop that I'm pretty sure has locations in like 40 states, then a smoothie place, and finished at a parking lot taco truck that wasn't even open. Total walking time was 20 minutes and the whole thing lasted barely over an hour. The kicker is the guide kept saying he grew up there, but when I asked him where to get real barbecue he pointed at the same chain again. Has anyone actually found a real way to get local food recs in a new town without getting scammed by these tour companies?

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Dropped $85 on a 'secret' local food tour in Asheville and got led to a chain sub place | Ask The Locals - Topic Shares