2-Hour Food, History and Street Art Tour of Ponce City Market

Ponce City Market is more than a food hall. It is a huge former Sears building with a 1923 past, a modern Atlanta food scene, and a front door opening onto the BeltLine. This tour connects all three, with tastings of a burger, Cubano, Indian street food, gelato, French pastry, and more.

I like the way the food doubles as lunch, so you are not paying $95 for a few tiny bites. I also like the short BeltLine walk, which gives you street art, people-watching, and a break between rounds of food. The main consideration is pace: if you prefer a long architectural walk or a full sit-down meal, this compact tasting tour may feel light on walking and quick at each stop.

Key points to know before booking

• A Sears building with a second life: Ponce City Market occupies one of the Southeast’s largest brick buildings, built for Sears and Roebuck in 1923.
• Five food stops plus a drink: The tastings are designed to add up to a hearty lunch, with a local craft beer included for adults 21 and older.
• A short BeltLine break: About 30 minutes outside gives you a look at Eastside Trail street art and Atlanta’s popular walking route.
• Small groups matter: The maximum is 12 people, making it easier to ask questions and keep up with the guide.
• David is a frequent guide favorite: He uses old photos and a reproduction Sears catalog to make the building’s past easier to picture.
• Leave room in your morning: Several food portions are generous, and the best advice is simple: skip breakfast.

Why this tour works as an Atlanta introduction

Ponce City Market can be a lot to take in on your own. The building is large, the food choices spread across several areas, and the market blends old brickwork with a very modern dining scene. A guide gives you a plan and helps turn the building from a collection of restaurants into a place with a story.

The tour begins at 11 a.m. at the concierge desk near Onward Reserve. That timing makes sense. You move into lunch just as the day gets going, and the tasting portions are meant to carry you through the afternoon.

I see the appeal for a first visit to Atlanta. You get food, architecture, local restaurant names, and a short taste of the BeltLine without spending half a day on a formal city tour. You also finish back at the market, where you can continue exploring, return to a favorite food stall, or head elsewhere.

The format is social but not unwieldy. With no more than 12 people, the guide can check food preferences, answer questions, and keep the group together inside a busy public market. Larger groups often turn food tours into crowd management. This one has a better chance of feeling personal.

Inside the former Sears building

The most interesting part of Ponce City Market is the building itself. It was constructed in 1923 for Sears, Roebuck & Co., when the company’s stores and catalogs played a major role in how Americans bought household goods. The structure was later converted into the market and mixed-use destination you see today.

Your guide explains the building’s earlier purpose while pointing out details that are easy to miss when you are focused on menus. Old photographs help show how the property looked before its current use. One guide, David, has also used a reproduction Sears catalog from the early 1900s, a small prop that makes the period easier to understand.

That kind of object is useful. Dates and building facts can blur together, but a catalog gives you a sense of the products, design, and shopping culture connected to the old Sears operation. The tour is not only about what you eat. It shows how one large commercial building changed with Atlanta.

The market today is best understood as a place where old structure and new food culture meet. You may see original architectural details, restaurant counters, open seating, and shoppers moving through the same broad interior. The guide supplies the connection between those pieces.

Do not expect a quiet museum visit. Ponce City Market is an active public space, and the tour takes place inside it. That gives the experience energy, but it also means conversations can compete with general market noise.

The food stops, from burger to French pastry

The food is the strongest practical reason to book this experience. The advertised tastings come from five stops, and the menu covers several styles rather than repeating one kind of dish. Portions are substantial enough to form lunch, so eating a full breakfast first is a mistake.

The exact order can vary, but the planned selection gives you a useful sample of the market:

• A house-made burger with a soft brioche bun and bread-and-butter pickles
• A Cubano with roast pork seasoned with Cuban mojo, cheese, and pickles on local Cuban bread
• An Indian street-food item from Meherwan Irani’s restaurant
• Gelato that earned a place on Oprah’s Favorite Things list
• A yuzu lemonade with hibiscus syrup
• A French pastry, such as an éclair
• One local craft beer tasting

The burger receives special attention for good reason. The bun and pickles are made in-house, and the portion is served as a tasting rather than a full restaurant plate. It gives you a strong first bite without filling you before the rest of the tour.

The Cubano brings a different flavor profile, with roast pork, cheese, pickles, and mojo seasoning. It is a useful contrast to the burger and shows how the market moves between familiar American comfort food and more specific culinary traditions.

The Indian tasting comes from a restaurant connected with James Beard Award-winning chef Meherwan Irani. The menu description identifies it as Indian street food, and a tikka masala naan wrap has been served on the tour. If you like spice, this may be one of the more memorable stops. If you do not, tell the company about your preference at least 24 hours before the start.

Gelato provides a cold, sweet pause. The Oprah connection is a fun bit of food-world context, but the practical point is that this is more than a token spoonful. Several food portions are described as generous, and the gelato is one of the repeat favorites.

The drink tasting is a refreshing change from solid food. Yuzu lemonade with hibiscus syrup brings tartness and color, while the craft beer adds a local adult beverage option. The beer is available only to people 21 and older. If you do not drink, the company has made substitutions such as cider for a participant who requested it, but you should share preferences in advance.

The final French pastry gives the meal a proper finish. It may be served as a final tasting or something to take away, depending on the arrangement. Either way, you should expect dessert rather than a rushed last bite.

A useful break on the Eastside Trail

Between food rounds, the tour heads outside for about 30 minutes along the Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. This is not a long BeltLine trek. It is a short walk meant to let you move, see public art, and take in one of Atlanta’s best-known shared paths.

The break improves the food tour. Several rich tastings in a row can become tiring, and the change of setting helps reset your appetite. You also get a glimpse of how locals use the BeltLine for walking, biking, scooters, and meeting friends.

Street art is a key part of this section. The Eastside Trail has work by Atlanta artists along the route, so the walk is not simply a transfer between restaurants. Your guide connects the art and the path to the changing character of the surrounding area.

This portion is also where the experience feels most like a city tour. Inside the market, you focus on food and architecture. Outside, you see Atlanta in motion. It is a small sample, not a full BeltLine tour, but it gives you enough context to decide if you want to return for a longer walk.

If you want lots of exercise, adjust your expectations. One person found the walking portion shorter than hoped. The tour is food-led, with the BeltLine used as a pleasant interlude rather than the main event.

The guides make a real difference

The strongest repeated praise goes to the guides, especially David. He is described as friendly, attentive, funny, and well prepared. More important, he does the practical work that makes a food tour run smoothly: checking preferences, coordinating with food vendors, bringing items to the group, and keeping the tasting sequence moving.

David’s use of old photographs and a Sears catalog is especially helpful. He also brings personal connection as an Atlanta native, which adds local context to the building and the food scene. If David leads your departure, you can expect plenty of questions and a guide who pays attention to individual needs.

Janice has also led the tour and is described as gracious, fun, and clear when explaining Ponce City Market’s past. The company’s staff has adjusted spicy items and made food changes for dietary concerns when notified ahead of time.

That last point matters. Food tours can be awkward for people with allergies, celiac disease, or strong preferences if the operator learns about them at the meeting point. Send your information at least 24 hours before the tour. The company says it cannot promise menu changes without advance notice.

The guide’s role is not limited to reciting facts. At its best, the tour helps you decide where to return after the group ends. You leave with a better sense of which stalls fit your taste and how the market is organized.

Is $95 a fair price?

At $95 per person, this is not a cheap way to grab lunch. It can still be good value if you use the tour for several purposes at once.

The price includes five food tastings, a local craft beer, admission where required, and a small-group guide for about two hours. The food is meant to replace lunch, not merely begin it. You are also paying for access to several restaurants without ordering full portions at each one, plus the guide’s local knowledge and planning.

Compare that with buying a burger, sandwich, dessert, and drink separately at a popular market. You might spend less if you choose only one meal, but you would miss the range of the tour and would need to choose the stops yourself. The value is strongest for first-time visitors, food-focused couples, families, and friends who want an organized introduction.

The price is less appealing if you already know Ponce City Market well, dislike tasting menus, or want a leisurely meal at one restaurant. You also may not want this much food before an evening reservation.

The small group helps support the price. A maximum of 12 makes it more likely that you will hear the guide and get individual attention. The experience is also more useful than a simple walk-through because it includes explanations of the building, the chefs, and the market’s place in Atlanta.

Who should book it, and who should skip it?

I would choose this tour for a first Atlanta visit, a weekend with friends, a birthday, or a couple looking for something beyond a standard restaurant meal. It also works well for locals who have passed Ponce City Market but never learned how to navigate its food options.

Families can take part, and most people can participate. Service animals are allowed. The main physical requirement is comfortable walking, including the outdoor BeltLine portion. Wear walking shoes and dress for the weather.

Food lovers will get the most from it, especially if you like variety. The menu moves from burger to Cubano to Indian food to gelato and pastry, so you can compare several styles in one sitting.

I would hesitate to book if you need a fully customized menu but have not contacted the company in advance. I would also skip it if your priority is a long BeltLine walk, a detailed art tour, or a relaxed two-hour dinner. This experience is structured, social, and food-heavy.

The tour operates in all weather conditions, so bring suitable clothing. At the same time, poor weather can lead to cancellation, with a different date or full refund offered. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations inside 24 hours are not refunded.

Final call: a smart way to meet Ponce City Market

Book this tour if you want a filling food introduction with real Atlanta context. The combination is well judged: old Sears architecture, local restaurant tastings, a short BeltLine art walk, and a guide who can explain what you are seeing.

The best reason to go is not one single dish, though the burger and gelato may become favorites. It is the way the stops help you understand the market quickly. After two hours, you should know what to order, where to wander, and why this former Sears building matters to the city.

Skip it only if you want a long walk or a slow sit-down lunch. For everyone else, $95 buys a useful first look at one of Atlanta’s most distinctive food destinations, with enough food to count as lunch and enough local detail to make the visit stick.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at the Ponce City Market concierge desk near Onward Reserve, at 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308.

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 11 a.m. and lasts about two hours.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Food tastings at five stops are included, and the portions add up to a hearty lunch. A local craft beer tasting is also included.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 12 participants.

Can food allergies or preferences be accommodated?

You should notify the company at least 24 hours before the tour begins. Without advance notice, menu changes may not be possible.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours in advance are not refunded or accepted. If poor weather or an insufficient number of participants causes the company to cancel, you will be offered another date or experience, or a full refund.