By Emma Weidmann | Arts and Life Editor
Take a tour of Waco’s locally owned eats with this list for a few days’ worth of restaurants across the city. From breakfast platters to Cajun for dinner along the Brazos, there’s something for every palate.
Breakfast:
For breakfast, one of the best places to eat if you can beat the crowd is Cafe Cappuccino at 100 N Sixth St. in the heart of downtown. “Cafe Capp” has a classic diner feel with an extensive coffee menu and seasonal drinks all year round. If you’re searching for a pumpkin spice latte in July, this is the place to go. Plus, the breakfast menu is delicious, with an array of pancakes and breakfast sandwiches full of carbs. What more could you want?
Continuing with that continental breakfast feel, Our Breakfast Place at 4600 Franklin Ave. has even larger portions than Cafe Capp, with far more seating. You can still expect to wait outside if you go during the post-church rush, but the food makes it worth it.
Lastly, Harvest on 25th at 112 N 25th St. has great vegan and gluten-free options that are still delicious. But that’s not all there is to offer; you can still get a classic breakfast plate with sausage and the like. However, the menu is small and largely caters to health-food lovers and a vegan or gluten-free diet.
Lunch
For lunch, stop by The Mix Cafe at 1700 S Fifth St. This place offers a quick bite at a good price, so if you’re in the mood for a really delicious sandwich, look no further. This is the first stop on the list so far that is on the same side of Interstate 35 as the Baylor campus, making it convenient if you’re looking for the perfect post-campus tour lunch spot.
Stone Hearth Indian Cafe at 506 Austin Ave. is a great place to go family style and order a bunch of food for the table to share. Oh, and did I mention it’s delicious? Close to other downtown spots, this is a good place to go if you’ve worked up an appetite after exploring the Waco Downtown Farmer’s Market or Fabled Bookshop and Cafe.
Milo All Day at 1020 Franklin Ave. is a bit less casual and is a popular spot, so a reservation is helpful. The menu can be described as elevated Southern comfort food — so think fried chicken and biscuits, but dressed up. If you eat here, don’t leave without trying the truffle fries or the Brussels sprouts.
Dinner
Still hungry? No problem. For dinner, there are lots of scenic spots along the Brazos River for any taste. Slow Rise Slice House is the place to grab pizza, and you can look out on a beautiful sunset from the outdoor patio seating.
The Brazos Landing at 100 N Interstate 35 Frontage Road — which rebranded from Buzzard Billy’s last fall — offers Cajun food along the river. There’s plenty of indoor seating, as well as a large patio deck and an outdoor bar. To sum up this place in two words: hush puppies. Enough said.
There are a couple of good Italian places far from campus along Valley Mills Drive. Baris at 904 N Valley Mills Drive offers huge plates of carb-loaded pasta with exceptional bread for the table. There’s often a wait, but the comfort of a steaming plate of pasta makes it all OK.
Moroso Wood Fired Pizzeria at 4700 Bosque Blvd. recommends making a reservation, and for good reason. A little more upscale, this is where you could find a fancy pizza with prosciutto on it, but the prices themselves won’t leave your wallet hungry.
