It All Started with a New Orleans Idea

Back in 2017, my sister Karen had just returned from a New Orleans trip with something bigger than beads or recipes: a vision.

She had experienced a food tour there that opened her eyes to what Galveston was missing. We had the flavors. We had the architecture. We had the kind of layered history tourists crave. But no one had stitched it together into a real, walkable culinary experience.

So she built it from scratch. That tour became Taste of the Strand, the first-ever food and drink tour on Galveston Island.

With my help on PR, marketing, Google search setup, and local buzz generation, we got it out into the world. I even helped with video work, photo content, early branding. It was a true grassroots hustle.

But as life pulled me in another direction, I stepped back — while Karen took it forward, growing Taste of the Strand into a tour that would soon span over 21 locations in under four hours.

The Pandemic Didn’t Stop the Tour — It Transformed It

Then came 2020. The tour was already at peak complexity. And then, state safety mandates hit: spacing rules, group limits, logistical chaos.

Instead of shutting it down, Karen adapted. She split the original master tour into three distinct legs:

• One for families
• One for food-and-drink pairings (like tapas tastings)
• One for the grown-up crowd wanting local bars, drinks, and music

That last one is the route I would later take over and refine: Pubs N’ Grubs. It was never just about drinking. It was about where the locals actually go — the places you wouldn’t find unless someone showed you.

When I Came Back, the Island Had Changed (And So Had I)

After taking care of private matters off-Island, I returned — just as my sister invited me to rejoin the project. Only this time, it wasn’t to promote her brand. It was to run my own.

I had already been dreaming up cigar-and-culture tours, thinking they’d be my first move. But the need to build out infrastructure, connect with guests, and grow visibility meant I started with the drink-forward tours instead.

So I stepped into the world we had once created together — now with a new role and vision.

Pubs N’ Grubs was reborn, not as a spin-off, but as a true legacy tour evolved for today’s guests.

Why Pubs N’ Grubs Isn’t a Cookie-Cutter Tour

Here’s the deal:

• No corporate chains
• No high-gloss branding
• No loops designed for Instagram moments

This is a local-first, adult-only experience. Guests are often 50–65 and have traveled the world. They want the good stuff, unfiltered. See what locals actually think.

We walk. We drink. We catch music if it happens (most nights, it does). We adapt on the fly—that’s what the Island demands. The night could only happen here.

The patios are real. The bands are real. The surprises? Those are bonus.

The Tour May Evolve — But the Roots Matter

Soon, cigar tours will open — both walking and sit-down. They’ll build on the same Island sensibility: relaxed, flavorful, no B.S.

Even as new tours launch, Pubs N’ Grubs will stay the heartbeat. Because it came out of something honest—not a pitch deck or franchise manual, but a real Island experiment that kept going.

We kept it raw. We kept it true. You can feel that in every bite, every pour, every stop.