Folks can say what they want about Waco. I'm not sure what all that is these days, but I tell you what you can't say about Waco now or pretty much anytime I've lived here (and that includes a lot of years).
You can't say nothing ever happens here.
So much for breezing through the middle of July, waiting for the hot summer to go by and keeping a low profile. There are new things happening on the Waco restaurant scene almost daily, so there's work to be done.
In the last three weeks we've had no fewer than seven news items to report, including new restaurants in Outlaw BBQ and Fuzzy's Taco Shop, In-N-Out getting a step closer to Waco and Mama Fu's opening its doors. There's more today as the WacoFork wire alerted us to Nizza Pizza preparing to open a Waco location.
The cool part about this WacoFork gig for me is that I feel obligated to get around the state and try restaurants that either might be headed our way or just demand to be written about in this space.
To that end, since my sister, Calley Durant, had a baby in Fort Worth on Tuesday, I NEEDED to drive up to Cowtown a day early in order to refamiliarize myself with Fuzzy's Taco Shop. I'm pleased to report that I dined on tasty crawfish and shredded beef tacos (pictured), which along with an iced tea cost just $5 and change.
Mama Fu's is open!
It's the first in a series of restaurant opening which will take place during the next few months in the Aldi shopping center on Valley Mills Drive. Smashburger will be next, probably in September
Last week, I made a list of new things coming to our town that have my attention. I left something off the list because I was unsure of its status.
The Lone Mammoth was that thing. I'm relieved to tell you it's still on the way.
Ready for another exciting development in the new-restaurants-coming-to-Waco category?
We heard via the WacoFork wire recently that Fuzzy's Taco Shop had posted a job listing for a Waco store. We looked into it and received confirmation this week that Fuzzy's is coming.
I stopped by the soon-to-be-open Outlaw's BBQ and spoke with owner Kirk Taylor this morning. Taylor is preparing to open a pit-barbecue restaurant at 8th Street and La Salle. He said he was hoping to open by July 5, but it's looking like middle of July now.
Taylor will be offering pecan-smoked brisket, ribs and sausage — basically going for Texas barbecue as well as it can be done.
Imagine sipping a coffee, Irish coffee or cocktail on one of those autumnal evenings right after the hot weather has taken its fall break.
Get ready. It's going to be a reality as Dichotomy prepares to open at 5th Street and Austin Ave.
In February we told you that In-N-Out is looking to expand its Texas operation south of Dallas-Fort Worth and that Waco was in their plans. That little bit of news seemed to excite people, so of course we're going to stay on this story.
In the last four months, things seemed to have inched forward. I emailed my source at In-N-Out this week because I was starting to hear more rumors and more of you have been asking about In-N-Out. I got an answer within the afternoon. It's sort of like watching a download on your computer when you sit there and think "did it just move forward, I think it did."
It feels to me like our town has gone a little quiet at the moment.
Maybe it's because all the schools are out now, Baylor is sleep walking through the first half of summer session, some of my buds have exited for other places, some are preparing to make moves and some folks have just skipped town for a little while. I'm a glass-half-full type of guy lately, though, so I'ma just be happy that parking spaces are easy to find.
