As a female entrepreneur, I’m always excited to support other women in business—especially in the food tour industry. That’s what drew me to Incloodie Food Tours, launched by Lauren Williams in Dallas in September 2023. The name “Incloodie” cleverly blends “include” and “foodie,” reflecting Lauren’s personal experience of feeling excluded due to dietary restrictions. Her mission? To create food tours where everyone—particularly those eating gluten-free—feels genuinely welcome.
I brought along two fun-loving friends: Ana, a local who lives just outside Dallas, and Alexa, who was visiting from Bozeman. We joined the lunch-hour “Tejano Trails: Walking Food Tour” through Dallas’ Bishop Arts District. While it wasn’t in the typical downtown tourist zone, that was exactly the appeal—we were eager to venture off the beaten path and discover the neighborhood’s local favorites.
No Texas food tour would be complete without classic meat and potatoes! At Charco Broiler, we were each served a generous portion of charbroiled steak accompanied by a fresh salad and full-sized baked potato. Talk about a substantial start to our culinary adventure!
This Bishop Arts institution has been serving up favorites since 1963. If you need help finding it, just look up—”Sonny the Steer,” the iconic rooftop mascot installed in 2002. He stands watch over the neighborhood as a beloved local landmark.
Lauren delighted us with an unexpected treat: homemade Ponche Navideño, a traditional Mexican holiday punch. This aromatic beverage showcased a beautiful blend of fresh and dried fruits—tamarind, prunes, hibiscus, and tejocotes. Don’t know what tejocotes are? Also known as “Mexican hawthorn,” they are crab apple-like fruit with sweet-tart notes of plum and apricot. Simmered with water and sweetened with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), each cup was topped with fresh fruit and a cinnamon stick. Our drinks were served in rustic handmade earthenware that elevated the entire experience.
While the punch itself was non-alcoholic, Lauren came well-prepared: she brought along a bottle of Oaxacan mezcal and Tajín-dusted orange slices for those ready to kick things up a notch.
Our next stop was a family-run Salvadoran bakery and restaurant. Beyond their impressive array of baked goods, the true specialty here is pupusas—thick, handmade corn cakes with a delightfully crispy exterior. Ours arrived filled with loroco and cheese, accompanied by a traditional cabbage slaw.
Loroco, we learned, is actually an edible flower bud with a unique flavor profile that falls somewhere between squash and broccoli. It was a completely new taste experience for me!
This stop might have been my favorite! Xamán Café is an award-winning gem. It’s a hip yet cozy Mexican café where we sampled marranitos (traditional gingerbread-spiced cookies shaped like little pigs) paired with rich Oaxacan hot chocolate.
But Lauren had another surprise up her sleeve: she served the hot chocolate in a calabash, a dried and hollowed gourd that was remarkably lightweight. It added a wonderfully authentic, tactile element to the experience.
Every great food tour needs a grand finale, and ours came at ¡Trompo! taco restaurant. Lauren ordered their signature Trompo taco for us—succulent spit-roasted pork (prepared shawarma-style on a vertical rotisserie) topped with white onion, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and tangy tomatillo-based salsa verde that brought just the right amount of heat.
The name “trompo” actually refers to this distinctive cooking method. It involves rotating the meal slowly so that it caramelizes on the spit and creates those perfectly charred, flavorful edges that make this style of taco so beloved.
Along our gastronomic journey, Lauren also pointed some cool murals and even the theater that Lee Harvey Oswald fled to after assassinating JFK. She did a great job, and we’re excited to see her business grow.
Cheers, Samantha at Rocky Mountain Food Tours
(So, what’s a food tour, anyway…?)
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