[ If you want a nice, concise descriiption of the latest Waco sensation "Wacotown" then I'm not sure I can give one. Basically, our friend Mike Trozzo had the itch to paint a mural with the Wacotown insignia on a downtown Waco building and he added the Heisman bear for good measure. Then, before we really knew what was happening, all the cool kids were walking around with Wacotown T-shirts and conversing with Wacotown on Twitter.
So we wanted in on it, to the extent that we asked Wacotown to give us the five best restaurants in Waco. Mike decided he wanted to write about the five most important restaurants in Waco. ]
5 most important restaurants in Waco (plus one)
There’s a big difference between the ‘best’ and the ‘most important’ restaurants. We don’t want to start a debate about Waco’s best restaurants, but we do want to start a discussion about what restaurants are most important for Waco’s future growth. Waco’s food scene has come a long way in the last ten years, and there are several places we love that are not listed below (maybe a future post?). Think of these as places primed to become the building blocks of Waco’s foodie future.
Vitek's (Fast Casual)
Waco is a college town. And every college town needs an iconic food item you can’t get anywhere else – enter Vitek’s and the Gut-Pak. What’s more “college” than a pile of Fritos, beans, cheese, chopped beef, sausage, pickles, onions, and peppers*? The Gut-Pak is so college that it’s currently in the Elite 8 of the Cooking Channel’s tournament of best college eats. But Vitek’s is by no means a dive – they’ve recently expanded their dining room and patio, have an established food truck for football games and Waco events, and recently opened the “Gut-Pak Shack” on Franklin Ave. Making great BBQ more accessible can only be a good thing. Let's hope the empire continues.
Bangkok Royal (Dine In)
Has this place always been this good? Try the green curry, the sweet rama, the spring rolls (we like both fried and fresh), the pad thai — it doesn't matter, it's all workin'. Sure, we'd love to pay the check at the table, but I still leave happy. Thai food in Waco? Our gut tells me YES. With Baylor’s new football stadium poised to revitalize the downtown riverfront, Bangkok Royal’s location is choice. With all that foot traffic, someone walking downtown and looking for pad thai is going to be really happy.
George's (Dine In)
George's has long-been the "representative" restaurant in Waco. Want proof? The sign on their door that tells me we Wacoans voted George's Bar as the Best of Waco for: 1) place to watch the Super Bowl, 2) local onion rings, 3) happy hour, 4) cheap eats, 5) atmosphere!, 6) outdoor dining, 7) place to take a visitor, 8) watering hole, 9) chicken fried steak, 10) catering, 11) service, 12) appetizers. Wow. It's an important place in town. A renovated dining room, a more focused menu, and a ban on smoking (we promise, it's not part of the charm) - and this place could be one that makes even non-Wacoans envious. But even if I've got my complaints, one thing is clear: Wacoans love George's.
Café Homestead (Dine In)
As far as we know, Café Homestead is the only farm-to-table option in the Waco area (Lula Jane's is close, and hopefully their deliciousness will soon be available after 1p). It's worth a trip. The food is great, always changing, and there's certainly plenty of it. Looking for atmosphere? You'll eat in the log cabin set in a village of New England barns. They serve lunch Monday-Saturday and breakfast on Saturdays, with a full menu and the best cinnamon roll we've ever had. Once a month, the café hosts a farm-to-table tasting dinner, and it's always a memorable experience (great news - Olive Branch Café has also launched monthly dinners they call Third Thursday). While tasting menu dinners are more of an event (big ticket), the service is exceptional, and you will have leftovers. Homestead dinners often finish with a surrey ride - just one of the things that makes this a great date spot.
Buzzard Billy's (Dine In)
Here’s another place that is in a prime spot to take advantage of the new riverfront stadium. Places along the water will be thrust into the spotlight. Buzzards is currently the only dining option on the Brazos, specializing in seafood and all things fried. Can you imagine if Billy flipped the script, expanded the deck, hung Edison bulbs, and served upscale American with a Cajun twist? A guy can dream. In the meantime I'll order the crawfish and and lick my fingers on the way out.
Farmers Market (Good times)
Is it a restaurant? A place where you can get a breakfast burrito, a waffle topped with a fried egg, crepes & nutella, tamales, a breakfast sandwich, brick oven pizza, Tikka Masala, and Pho, all within the span of 50 feet? Maybe we're splitting hairs... If you haven't been to the Farmer's Market downtown, go. This Saturday. Next Saturday - go and volunteer. The Farmer's Market is one of the most fun, unique, rich, surprising experiences in Waco. Rain or shine, droves of Wacoans get together under a canopy of oak trees, accompanied by live music, loads of produce, great coffee, and an increasing amount of delicious food to eat. See you Saturday.
*Bill calls them peppers, so we do too.
