Harvard Alum’s Love of French Fries Inspires New Harvard Square Food Tour

Off The Beaten Path Food Tours launches a French Fry & Pairings Food Tour after guests began asking to book the experience before it even existed.

CAMBRIDGE, MA, UNITED STATES, September 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A casual idea from a Harvard alum has turned into one of Harvard Square’s newest food experiences that's perfect for this college town: an entire walking tour dedicated to French fries and the foods and drinks that pair with them.

Off The Beaten Path Food Tours and Experiences has launched the Harvard Square French Fry & Pairings Food Tour, a guided 90-minute culinary walk featuring creative French fries, pairings, local restaurants and stories from one of the country’s most famous college neighborhoods.

The idea came from Off The Beaten Path tour guide Larom, a Harvard University alum, who realized that Harvard Square had something visitors might not expect: a lot of really good French fries.

Larom began imagining what a food tour built around them might look like as she also was giving their famous Donut Tour. While leading other tours, she started telling guests about her idea for a French fry tour.

Then something surprising happened.

Guests began contacting Off The Beaten Path Food Tours asking how they could sign up.

“The tour didn’t even exist yet, and people wanted to book it,” said Lizzie Bell, owner of Off The Beaten Path Food Tours which is a local. “Larom would mention her idea to guests, and they were excited enough to contact us afterward. At that point, we knew we had to create it.”

Turning a Favorite Side Dish Into the Main Event

The new tour turns one of America’s most familiar foods into a way to explore Harvard Square and its french fry wars over the decades.

Guests walk through the neighborhood while sampling different styles of French fries and thoughtfully selected pairings at local restaurants. Between tastings, guests explore Harvard Square on foot and hear stories about french fry history, Harvard University, neighborhood landmarks, local history, and restaurants.

Samples include: sweet potato fries with raspberry lime rickeys at Bartleys Burger Cottage, greek fries with peach lemonade at Saloniki, bbq fries with mocktails at Smoke Shop, and/or crazy fries and freak frappes at Boston Burger Company. The tour is fun for all ages with surprises!

The company also offers a unique food, donut, and chocolate tour. "Harvard Square is known around the world for the university, and the city itself is so vibrant,” explains Bell. “Food gives people a really fun way to experience the neighborhood.”

A Food Tour Guests Asked For

The unusual way the tour came to life reflects a larger trend in experiential travel: visitors increasingly want activities that feel specific to the place they are visiting rather than generic sightseeing experiences.

The French Fry & Pairings Food Tour was essentially market-tested by accident. Larom shared the concept conversationally with guests, and their response demonstrated there was an appetite for the experience before the company formally developed it. This type of research is helpful for tiny family owned businesses competing against global multinational competitors.

The experience is intended not only for tourists visiting Cambridge but also for Greater Boston residents looking for something different to do with friends, family members, coworkers or visiting guests. An interest in French fries is strongly encouraged.

Discovering Harvard Square Through Food

Off The Beaten Path Food Tours and Experiences specializes in culinary walking tours designed to help guests discover neighborhoods through their restaurants, history and local stories. Their tours are given by authentic local guides who often work day jobs.

The company offers experiences in Cambridge, Somerville and the Greater Boston area such as Quincy, with an emphasis on locally owned establishments and places visitors may not discover on a typical sightseeing itinerary.

The new Harvard Square French Fry & Pairings Food Tour follows that same philosophy while building an entire experience around an unexpectedly universal food. The tour runs Thursdays at 5:30-7pm and Sundays at 3:30-5pm.

For the small business, what began as a fun idea shared with guests has now become a real Harvard Square experience. And for the guests who contacted the company asking when they could sign up, the wait is over.

Lizzie Bell
Off The Beaten Path Food Tours
+1 617-714-9384
email us here
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