27 Waco Restaurants You Need to Visit

Take a day off from Chipotle and McAlister’s and try something new! Waco is full of charming, locally-owned restaurants. 

Whether you’re a new freshman unfamiliar with the town or a returning student looking to experience new and different restaurants in Waco, stop by and give these local eateries a try. 

Burgers

• Cupp’s (1424 Speight Ave. at Speight and 14th. Just be sure to go before they close at 3:30!) 
• Dave’s Burger Barn (600 N. Patricia St. 20% off with college ID on Tuesdays!)
• Captain Billy Whizzbang’s (901 Lake Air Dr., at Valley Mills and Lake Air) 
• Health Camp (2601 Circle Road, on the “Circle of Death.” Be sure to order one of their milkshakes!) 
• Dubl-R Burgers (1810 Herring Ave.)    

• Shorty’s Pizza Shack (1712 S. 12th St. This is a favorite of Baylor students, and it’s conveniently located right off campus at 12th and Bagby) 
• Poppa Rollo’s (703 N. Valley Mills Dr.) 
• Baris (904 N. Valley Mills Dr. The only bad thing about this place is the tiny parking lot!)  

• George’s (1925 Speight Ave. I recommend the chicken tenders.) 
• Elite Café (2132 S. Valley Mills Dr., on the “Circle of Death.”) 
• Cricket’s Grill & Draft House (221 Mary Ave. Cricket’s is a sports bar downtown with pool tables, shuffleboard and more.) 
• Jake’s Texas Tea Room (613 Austin Ave. in downtown Waco. Jake’s is a fun vintage-style restaurant with Southern food and live entertainment.)  

• Teriyaki Park (220 S. 2nd St. near Wild West.)
• Wako Roll (2804 W Loop 340 in the Central Texas Marketplace.) 
• Clay Pot (920 S. Jack Kulgen Expy. Right next to campus!)

• What About Cupcakes (108 N. 25th St., at Washington Ave. and 25th. How can you say no to the cutest cupcake shop in Waco?)
• Olive Branch (215 S. 2nd St., underneath Spice Village. With sandwiches, salads, soups and an excellent variety of cookies and cupcakes, Olive Branch is always on point.) 
• Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppe (105 S. 5th St. in downtown Waco or 1412 N. Valley Mills Dr.)
• Food for Thought (1121 Speight Ave. at 12th St. and Speight Ave. They have sandwiches, pizza, smoothies and more!) 
• Lula Jane’s (406 Elm St. This place specializes in breakfast, desserts and comfort food. They close at 3 p.m.!)
• Café Cappuccino (100 N. 6th St or 4700 Bosque Blvd. Café Cap is the perfect lunch/brunch spot! Just go before they close at 2 p.m.)

• Taqueria Zacatecas or “Taco Z” (2311 La Salle Ave.)
• La Fiesta (3815 Franklin Ave., at Franklin and Valley Mills.) 
• Tres (723 S. 6th St., behind Sonic. They also have salsa dancing upstairs on Saturday nights, if anyone is into that.)    

• Dichotomy (508 Austin Ave. in downtown Waco. Even though it’s pretty new, this coffee shop is already world-famous…seriously.) 
• DiamondBack’s Steakhouse (217 Mary Ave., by Ninfa’s.) 
• Vitek’s BBQ (1600 Speight Ave., at Speight and 16th St.)