As I was settling in to watch the end of the Rangers game on Tuesday evening, the WacoFork wire alerted me to the possible closing of Lake Brazos Steakhouse. I was pointed in the direction of Twitter and the tweeter, whoever he or she was, apparently had the story hot and correct.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm out of town at the moment, so I wasn't able to flesh this thing out on my own on Wednesday, but Waco Tribune-Herald business writer Mike Copeland reported that the health department closed Lake Brazos and the owners took the cue to call it.
The steakhouse, reportedly, will not reopen.
There was a time when I would have categorized this as the end of a Waco tradition. Back in the good old days, when the restaurant was called Miller Family Brazos Steakhouse, it easily placed among my top five favorite restaurants in town and couldn't be beat for comfortable, riverside ambiance.
But since a fire in 2000 forced the restaurant to open at a new location, it's never felt quite the same. Earlier this year, Lake Brazos attempted to makeover its image and become sort of a Jimmy Buffett-esque beach steakhouse.
Maybe flip-flops in the kitchen didn't fly with the health department. Just kidding. That was not a reason given for the health department's closure of the restaurant. In fact, the Tribune-Herald reported that the health department declined to give specifics.
Local downtown coffee shops taking shape
We reported a couple of weeks ago that Dichotomy, the coffee shop that has gained popularity at the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, has acquired a downtown location on Austin Avenue. In the meantime, Dichotomy will begin selling coffee at the Croft Art Gallery.
That's part of a major coffee infusion to our downtown. There will soon be at least three options for coffee within a 10 minute walk of the suspension bridge.
I did some snooping at Crepe & Roasters on Franklin this week, but only managed to see that it appears a few weeks away from being ready. I'm tracking it and will have more info soon.
And of course, Trailhead Coffee Shope at Outdoor Waco (Franklin and University Parks) has become a coffee hot spot.
So can three coffee shops within about a four-block area coexist? I hope so, especially since all three of them bring something different to the table. Dichotomy will be coffee and spirits and the only true coffee house of the three. Crepe & Roasters will apparently be more focused on breakfast, though I still need to confirm this. And Trailhead is a part of a larger lifestyle concept store.
And don't forget about Legacy Cafe & Art Gallery, which continues to evolve its decor and menu. I've spent a couple of Saturday afternoons there lately and the coffee bar is certainly convenient.
A new pizza place gets made
Also from the WacoFork wire, the Killeen-based Chicago eatery (that's a weird phrase) WiseGuys will be opening on Valley Mills Drive. The restaurant has announced via its website that the Waco location is coming soon.
More on this story as it develops.
