theshark

bytheshark, November 11, 2012
I hate it when you talk a place up to your friends and then a place doesn't live up to expectations. When I heard The Egg and I was coming to Waco, I immediately got excited and told everyone that they should get excited about it. Being from Tyler originally, I've eaten at Tyler's Egg and I several times and began a love affair with their huge menu and range of breakfast flavors.

Due to some reason I don't know, it took me a few weeks to finally get over to check it out, and I lured a 10-top of people to come with me. I was nervous but excited. Was this going to live up to the hype? Am I crazy? Do I put faith in it being up to par in the restaurant's first few weeks? (See the majority of BJ's reviews...)

As soon as my party sat down and opened the menu, smiles happened all across the table. I think I heard "Whoa, this menu is huge" and "This will take Cafe Cap out of the rotation" within a few minutes of sitting down. People were sold on the menu alone. Then the food came. And then they ate it. And it was AMAZING.

The Eggs Benedicts were a big hit across the board (they have about 6 or 7 variations). Serving sizes are huge. You can also "load" your side of potatoes if you want to elevate your awesomeness. Lucky for me, their fall special is a pumpkin and pecan waffle and it was hands down the best waffle I've ever had. With one quick meal The Egg and I made 10 people repeat (and regular) customers. This is a way bigger deal to Waco breakfast connoisseurs than the Hewitt Cafe Cappuccino and I hope everyone gives it a try.

My only complaint is they close at 2 on weekdays and 2:30 on weekends. As a big proponent of breakfast for dinner, this makes me sad, but Cracker Barrel usually does the trick when the craving hits.

P.S.-Also, to clarify the title of this post, I did say the best breakfast in Waco. I say that because Homestead is a little outside Waco... Calm down people.
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I love Chuy's. They have one of the best happy hours in Waco, and consistently have great food. I could go through and tell you the things I order, but right now I'd rather talk about the REAL reason I go to Chuy's. The Sauces!

The creamy jalapeno ranch is what I like to call "Fat Kid Soup" and I could eat about 4 bowls in a sitting if I had no self control. Also, they have one of my favorite mexican salsas that is more like a blended extra spicy pico de gallo. You could (and should) try out all the great things on the menu, but if you want to go during happy hour and eat a meal of solely chips & ranch/salsa, just know that you're not the only one.
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
I don't really have anything negative to say about Five Guys, but now that In-N-Out has expanded to Texas, I can't wait for the "upscale" fast food burger showdown to happen in Waco. Among my friends, you're either a Five Guys person or an In-N-Out person (similar to the Freebirds vs. Chipotle argument), and I land in the In-N-Out camp. So, while I appreciate that Five Guys opened their Waco establishment. I'll try to not eat there as much out of principle that a better fast food burger is coming... Eventually...
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
Pretty much everything is excellent, but my personal goto is the Pad Thai bowl. I do think it should be known that they pre-make their spring rolls, so sometimes they're gelatinous and soggy.

Also, if you're not too hungry or want to be cheap, adults can order the Kid's Wei and you can add in fried rice and/or mixed veggies. I think it comes out to 4 bucks and is surprisingly a lot of food.
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
Do I want to eat more chicken? Yes. Do I want to eat this chicken at lunchtime when the drive thru is a mile long and there are 139 kids running around inside? No. Will I still go there despite this? Yes.
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Clay Pot
I love Indian food. Waco needs an Indian food restaurant. Clay Pot is not Indian, BUT they have a fantastic curry pot. Is this the best "Asian" place in Waco? Not at all. It's a weird blend of the whole Asian continent tweaked to cater to college students. I think the dishes they serve are very intersting in their own way, and when I crave curry, this is my only option. Plus, sometimes it's good to sit on the ground on a pillow while you eat. Right?
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
1 of 2 people found this review helpful
Salty Dog has come up in a few of my conversations lately and everyone asks the same question, "Where/What the heck is that?" I've been to Salty Dog a few times, and every time I go I'm shocked that there are a decent number of people inside. Who is going here when no one knows where it is? Who are they marketing to? Who do they WANT to dine/drink here? I don't know. It's a strange hodgepodge of Baylor/MCC students, post-game golfers, big groups of locals, and "Oh look, there's a family in the corner." I kind of feel special like I know the right wardrobe to Narnia when I open the door and voila!

The menu is typical bar food, the atmosphere is good w/ somewhere around 20 TVs all around, and everything is reasonably priced. Honestly, it's kind of far away and I'm not sure if the drive for Baylor students is worth it when they can go ahead and go to Cricket's or Dancing Bear, but I do think more people should consider Salty Dog a viable option for drinks and game watching.
bytheshark, June 22, 2011
Well, the Waco "froyo" explosion has finally happened. They're everywhere. How do you choose which one to go to? They're all basically the same, so go to the closest one. For Baylor students, Oso's is the best option, and is leaps and bounds better than Mr. Snow's Froyo on Lasalle.

My biggest inital complaint with Oso's has been fixed (No samples initially which is a HUGE Froyo Faux Pas IMHO), so I'm going to go ahead and say that this is an average Froyo place with a great location near Baylor that I hope is as successful as all the other ones. It's hard for me to give a rating higher than average for ANY froyo place unless you do something other than a bag of Froyo mix and an assortment of candy. I want someone to break the mold and open a homemade Italian Gelato place. Anyway, I'll split my time between Oso's and Three Spoons.
bytheshark, April 16, 2011
George's is the kind of American food that is familiar, mostly fried, and always tasty. If you're craving a big plate of heart attack, I recommend the El Nino. It's an entire chicken fried steak on top of two baked potatoes covered in white gravy.

All in all, it's a great place to get drinks, hang with friends, and watch sports. George's isn't breaking any new ground with their food, but it's a Waco institution for a reason.
bytheshark, April 16, 2011
Dubl-R has the best burger in Waco. The decor and location might be a little subpar, but you can't get a better old-school handmade greasy patty anywhere else. Get the basket with tots and sweet tea. A+
bytheshark, April 16, 2011
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Vitek's
I don't think Vitek's can compete with the likes of Tony Demaria's as far as pure BBQ quality goes, but they've made themselves a Waco/Baylor staple with the Gut Pack. Packed with BBQ, sausage, cheese, peppers, fritos, & pickles, it's like a Frito Pie on steriods.

If you're not too hungry, go with the small Gut Pak, but if you want to be a real man, go with the large.
bytheshark, April 16, 2011
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Taqueria El Crucero
Everything here is amazing, but "The Bear" might be heaven in burrito form. Be sure to ask for the green sauce (a secret spicy concoction) and pour it over everything for maximum awesomeness.