User Review

The Olive Branch

DavieGBBQby

★★★★
Southern Baptist Cafe
The Olive Branch; A locally owned and operated (by a Baylor Graduate non-the less) Bakery & Café that specializes in fresh breakfasts, a diverse lunch menu (including home-made soups and freshly made sandwiches), homemade desserts, and specially blended coffees. They are located in the heart of Downtown Waco, in a huge building that they easily fill up with college students and workers there to chill, dine and study.

I have dined here only a couple times; once I dined in, the second time I snagged something to-go. For their lunch menu they have a pretty nice, but select men, that consists of salads, soups/pasta, sandwiches and combos of the aforementioned. The both times I gone by, I went a little early to beat any rush they might have… and man did I time it just right. Only a few minutes after I placed my order and sit down did the rush hit and the place start to fill up (and they are a roomy place.)

The first time I dined in I chose their Specialty Combo: which is ½ of any Branch specialty sandwich served with a cup of soup, &/or a small salad-Caesar, garden or fruit cup. The sandwich I chose was their Santa Fe Sandwich: Guacamole mayo, sliced turkey, chipotle jack cheese, tomato, & lettuce- Served on our homemade wheat bread. I got that sandwich with their small Caesar salad. The sandwich was served on their homemade wheat bread which was pretty tasty… not bland or chewy like you get at some places, with fresh lettuce, and other veggies. It came with a decent amount of turkey & cheese…. But I was a tad disappointed on the guacamole mayo spread. A big part of any Santa Fe sandwich is a nice guac kick, but I didn’t really get that and I was a tad disappointed on the front. Not to say the spread wasn’t good, it was alright. So over all on the sandwich I was decently pleased. The salad was filled with nice fresh & crunchy lettuce, little bit of cheese and a nice homemade Caesar dressing… it was alright as well. It was a filling, nice & light, slightly healthy lunch… which is what I was aiming for that day and I decided I’d come back at least once more to try some other stuff. Oh and did I mention I chowed down on one of their giant homemade cupcakes…. I honestly can’t remember the flavor name of the cupcake. But I do remember strong hints (aroma and flavor) of fresh french vanilla, a nice creamy frosting and a touch of ground cinnamon. That was the best part of the healthy lunch.

The second time around I kept it simple and went with their Traditional Combo: Choose 2 or 3 items; ½ Traditional Sandwich, Small salad: Caesar, fruit cup, or cup of soup. I chose a Ham & Cheese sandwich and a cup of their freshly made Broccoli Cheese soup (also came with a bag o’ potato chips & pickle spear). I ordered my Ham n Cheese sandwich on their freshly bake croissant bread (next time I wanna try their French), topped with lettuce, marinated shredded carrots and mayo. The croissant bread was nice and flaky and good flavor. The sandwich had a nice amount of ham, slice of fresh cheese, nice fresh lettuce and handful of shredded carrots which added nice crunch & slight flavor pop. The soup was the best part. I love Broccoli n Cheese soup. This soup had a nice consistency and creamy texture, had nice fresh chunks of properly cooked broccoli, which still had some nice bite to them, not all soggy like some places. The soup had a great fresh cheesy flavor. I wished I had ordered an extra bowl of it and another hunk of sandwich, as they went very well together… great for dunking. Will definitely be getting that soup again, especially with this cooler weather upon us.

Over all I give this place a pretty good rating. They focus on freshness & quality over quantity & ease. They are always friendly & efficient; they want to make your experience enjoyable. I can’t wait to get up one more and try out their breakfast menu. If you are ever looking for something a little on the lighter, maybe slightly healthier side this is a nice little deli to hit up… and then ruin it all with one of their huge cupcakes and sweet tea… cause that’s how you roll. Look for them on FB and Waco Board, you can win free soups off them.