By Kasey McMillian
Guest Reviewer
Vitek’s Bar-B-Q is a family-owned restaurant and has been a Waco favorite since 1915. The location, quality, service and prices have been known to attract Baylor students and locals for decades.
Located on 1600 Speight Ave., the menu ranges from $3 to $11 at most.
The menu consists of pulled pork nachos, a wide variety of sandwiches, and the barbecue plate where you can pick between brisket, rips, sausage, pork, turkey or ham. The optional sides are thick potato salad, traditional beans or creamy coleslaw.
Vitek’s set of choices are competing with chain restaurants like Rudy’s, but the original entrées keep their customers coming back.
And what Vitek’s is famous for is the Gut Pak.
The Gut Pak is a mixture of ingredients, like a Frito pie, but barbecue style. The small is $4.75 and the large is $7.50.
The Gut Pak begins with a base of Fritos then is layered with chopped beef, beans and your choice of eckrich, homemade or jalapeno sausage.
Then it is topped with a handful of cheddar cheese and their original barbecue sauce. It also comes with two slices of bread, pickles, onions and jalapenos on the side. Not the healthiest choice,but addictive.
When you open the door of the red old-time-y bistro, you get a whiff of smoked barbecue and a hint of pepper.
The atmosphere is very casual, dining utensils are plastic silverware and food is served on paper plates and red-checkered paper bowls.
Vitek’s wooden benches give it a country picnic feel, and the rustic pictures on the wall illustrate all the memories from the years before.
The service staff adds to the experience because they are constantly friendly and attentive.
If you need help deciding what to order (even though you really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu), the staff offers their advice.
Vitek’s prime-time is during lunch hours on Friday and Saturday, but when there are families and alumni in town for homecoming or Parents Weekend, there is almost always a line running alongside the building.
The restaurant added on to its indoor dining room, making it more spacious for their customers, and also added a patio for families, sororities and fraternities to host events.
Vitek’s owners even invested in a 40-foot mobile kitchen, “The Gut Pak Shack,” which is parked at the stadium on game days so fans can grab a quick meal while tailgating.
Vitek’s restaurant has been successful over the years because of its consistency, originality and affordable prices.
