The last year has brought about selection of burger joints that have come to the west side of I-35. I had the idea for this in the form of a comedic decision tree on how to pick which to select for your day, but it grew far too large to fit in a viable web display format online. Since we were too large to do the decision tree, I will instead go at this from a rundown of all the options and provide you with breakdown of each, as I see them from my view and try to zoom out and see from others as well. While I am not a normal consumer of fast foods, I have recently ventured to try each of these in the last month or so to give them each a fair shake and refresh my view on them.
The Contenders (West of I-35 between UParks and 10th St)
- Freddy's
- In-N-Out Burger
- Jack in the Box
- McDonald's
- Sonic
- Twisted Root Burger Co.
- Wendy's
- Whataburger
My mini-review of each, in alphabetical order:
Freddy's - 817 S Jack Kultgen Expressway, Waco, TX 76706 Hours 10:30am-10pm
One of the new entrants in this part of town after establishing a successful market out in Hewitt, Freddy's brings their old fashioned style steakburgers and shakes to the burger challenge. A steakburger at Freddy's will in my experience be a generously seasoned some may say overly salted very thin (and large) patty or patties, with a great 'crunch'/caramelized crisp edge to the patty. The vegetable addons are using fresh leaf lettuce and fresh onions and tomato.
As you see these reviews you will notice I'm not fond of most potato french fries, and I value good flavor and crispness, it is a personal preference others may not share. I find Freddy's thin matchstick fries to be the best of all in the group of 8 here. They are well seasoned and they are perfectly crisp. I will say I had them twice and they were overly oily once, but once using the napkins to sop away the oils they still retained good crispness, and they were just out of the oil hot when served. Freddy's serves their fries with 'Fry Sauce' or Ketchup, the Fry Sauce is essentially ketchup and mayo blended, not my preference but some may enjoy it immensely.
Freddy's also serves custard based desserts, including concretes and shakes. If there is one knock I have for Freddy's it would be that it is one of the most expensive fast food meals I have bought, and it only goes up if you get the desserts, as they will each cost almost as much as the combo with a small drink. They also close entirely too early in an area that while school is in session doesn't slow down till after midnight.
Take-away: High quality, but expensive fast food burger, very thin but flavorful large patty. The beef patty tends to be larger than the bun.
In-N-Out Burger - 801 S 4th St, Waco, TX 76706 Hours 10:30-1am
The newest of the new, and the fastest of the group now that it has settled down. What is an In-N-Out burger? It falls somewhere in size between a slider and a normal burger, it is similar in size to what you may find as a 'Junior' or 'Value' burger at many other places, but don't let that detract you from devouring them or customizing them to have up to 4 patties and 4 slices of cheese. They are a very affordable option with a lot of encouraged customization available. While I just compared them to a value entry on other companies menus, that is only for size of the patty and bun reference, the fresh meat and superior quality veggies(leaf lettuce, crisp flavorful tomato, vibrant yet mild onion) are evident when you take the first bite. Notably missing from the menu are Jalapenos, a disappointment to me but the available sport peppers to bring the heat, just a much different flavor profile.
I've enjoyed In-N-Out burgers several times in California, and it is a welcome addition to Waco, however one of the biggest fails at In-N-Out is clearly their french fries. I simply cannot eat them and enjoy as a stand alone side, many people order them 'animal style' which makes them with cheese, a large portion of grilled onions and the In-N-Out sauce (essentially a thousand island dressing) smothering over the fries. Shakes are also on offer and bring good flavor and texture to the dessert options, the classic and simple Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate.
Take-away: Very fast ordering and food prep for one of the freshest burgers you can find, at a price that seems to be a decade behind the times and could easily sell for 20-30% higher price and still be a good value. Possible downsides would be that they have a limited menu, if you have someone that wants chicken or no meats. No chicken, but they will do a 'veggie style' that has all veggies and no meat, and they will do that as a grilled cheese on a bun too. My order is a double double, grilled onions, grilled mustard, add chilies(since no jalapeno), and no sauce.
Jack in the Box - 725 University Parks Dr, Waco, TX 76706 Open 24 hours
This is one of the older options, I am not going to spend as long on it as the new offerings. Open 24 hours, has an extensive value menu and cheap tacos for the munchies crowd. When I go, which isn't often, I normally find myself ordering the Sourdough Jack and adding all the veggies. I am sure there may be some Jack fans that want to comment, feel free to do so. In the early morning hours it is one of the only options and a viable alternative to Whataburger if their line is around the block as it is so often.
Take-away: Less busy alternative.
Cons: They never have coffee after midnight and say they don't make it until “morning”. This seems to be systemwide. Annoying. I really dislike creating a negative on one but not the others, but this has happened to me more than once in my Jack experiences.
McDonald's - 906 S 6th St, Waco, TX 76703 Drive Thru 8am-11PM
Again one of the older options. McDonald's fries are the classic, most others try to be them, but few if any have the success in making one its equal. Most know exactly what you get when you pick McDonalds, but in short they have a good selection from the low cost value items up to some increasing quality premium and flavorful top end items. I find this particular location to be wildly inconsistent and frequently out of random items, rarely do they have all items available and often basics like ketchup are out or highly rationed. I hope someone had some good ketchup soup at home with all the condiments! All day limited menu breakfast is available so you can get your breakfast sandwich craving whenever they are open, which I say because their hours are posted to close at 11pm but frequently they are open later in my experience.
Take-away: Probably not the best overall Mcdonald's to highlight what is good about McDonalds as they are too inconsistent across the board.
Sonic - 801 S 6th St, Waco, TX 76706 Hours: 7am-Midnight Fri/Sat open till 2am
It seems like there is a Sonic at nearly every small town and all over the country and growing steadily now. They offer a huge menu with something to please almost everyone. A Sonic burger is notably not as fresh as some of the others available, but hits the spot for some and is fast and convenient. I find the Toaster lineup to be more of my liking when at Sonic. Their veggies are leaving a bit to be desired, utilizing highly shredded iceberg lettuce, and just normal quality tomato. Sonic fries are about on the level of In-N-Out, maybe slightly better and more crisp at their peak. My family really enjoys their all beef hotdog options. Where Sonic excels is the rest of the menu and the fruity slush drinks and huge variety of shake/ice cream creations.
Take-away: Average burger, but big menu to reach more taste preferences, and a complete cold creations menu. Solid breakfast options in their burritos and sandwiches to round out their presence.
Twisted Root Burger Co. - 801 S 2nd St, Waco, TX 76706 Hours 11AM-11PM – Dine-in or Take out, no “Drive Thru”
I have to admit to eating at Twisted Root more than any of the others here now, I've made it a go-to place for business meetings in the early afternoon hours. To those that know Fuddruckers, there are quite a few similarities. I would call Twisted Root inspired by, and expanded upon Fuddruckers but with a more 'Austin' ambiance, and having full bar service. One can make ordering a burger at Twisted Root as easy or complex as you like, some of the meat or non meat options you simply can't find anywhere else, the same with the addons available. My last burger was a customized Spicy Goat, goat cheese simply isn't something that is available on a burger in Waco outside of Twisted Root, or my home. The options are too vast to list here, but everything from the normal to the exotic can be had, including vegetarian(vegan) and gluten free.
Service is unique, you order and get a card with an actors name, and when your order is ready a few minutes later they call the actors name out, and you pickup your order. Your burger comes as Bread(or no bread)/patty/cheese and then the leaf lettuce, onions, tomato(if you ask!) on the side. It comes dry and you pickup Mayo if you so desire, and chose from a good selection of house made pickles at the counter. Once at your table you have a basket with condiments like the normal ketchup and mustard, but also their created variations including a horseradish dijon, ancho chili ketchup, and some BBQ sauces. The bread is hearty and stands up well to the condiments and super juicy patty, these are easily the best burgers in the area. The sides are a good match to the burgers from fries to fried pickles, green beans and pork skins.
Twisted Root doesn't stop there, they also create their own soda flavors and tea/lemonades, which are always interesting, but not always a favorite. They add to that hand made custard that they create shakes from the classics to interesting, and even adult shakes with liquors and liqueurs a'plenty. A full bar is available, with large projection TVs showing music videos or sports of the day. The service is fast and you can have your order quickly, dare I say faster going in than sitting in Whataburger drive through if over 5 cars long.
Take-away: Best burger & sides, full bar. If you don't just have to use the drive through, this is the place. Great atmosphere, not overly loud but not library quiet, great for a business meeting or casual social lunch or dinner. Something for everyone here.
Wendy's - 811 S 5th St, Waco, TX 76706 Hours: 10am-3am
Wendy's is another of the established chains, offering a large menu with a lot of options. Burger-wise they have a lot of options the Hot n Juicy is the centerpiece and an average burger, I personally do not care for the Wendy's bread, it always falls apart when eating the burger(or chicken sandwich), it is simply too soft and crumbly. I have a friend that goes often for the baconator in a lettuce wrap and really enjoys it this way. The veggies are all fresh and leaf lettuce with flavorful tomato and onion. Wendy's fries are much improved in recent years with the natural cut sea salt fries, but still a step below Mcdonald's or Freddy's. Wendy's is open late and offers a good selection of desserts and alternative menu items.
Take-away: Reliable fast service, open till 3am.
Whataburger - 928 S 7th St, Waco, TX 76706 Open 24 hours
Whataburger - A Texas classic. Freshly made burgers available around the clock, at least in the drive-thru. For many Texas a Whataburger is more than food, but a complete experience. This particular Whataburger would be an experience including a very long wait. In Whataburger tradition, a burger is a not started till you finish your last word on the order and made with good quality beef, but veggies that are of lesser quality than Freddy's, In-N-Out, or Twisted Root. The lettuce for example is a simple iceberg leaf, so no flavor, but the onions are strong and the tomato generally very fresh. Whataburger is well known for their mustard and it is a focal point on their burgers unless you order otherwise. Whataburger has jalapeno and will grill them, your onions or basically anything any way you want it. Whataburger hamburgers are very large in size and bun and burger patty both hold the ingredients well and fill you up fast. Fries are particularly limp and not salted much at this location, rarely are they hot and fresh, a disappointment paired with a super hot burger. Whataburger has a complete menu including chicken, dessert, and breakfast offerings.
Take-away: Expect a long wait, especially at this location, but a freshly cooked burger 24/7. Prices are a bit higher than average fast food, and food is above average, but probably not to the pinnacle of Texas some make it out to be.
While this article covers the I35 West Side, don't forget the local Mom and Pop shop Cupp's Drive In, across on Speight Ave.
