By Hank Holland | Reporter
Valentine’s Day is undeniably a hard holiday. You either worry about where to treat your date, or you worry about the other person not quite delivering. Students will undoubtedly face the problems of romancing their Valentine while on a college budget, so picking a place to eat is even more important.
As sweet as giving your date candy from CVS might seem, there are definitely ways to improve. Waco, despite its reputation for having mostly fast food and highway-accessible restaurants, does indeed have places to make your Feb. 14 a special and affordable one.
I get that Waco’s Top Golf is underwhelming to most, but Top Golf can come in handy when going with groups or on double dates. No matter what your thoughts on it are, you are basically guaranteed to make some good memories, and with its student-friendly menu, you can get plenty to satisfy yourself and your date.
How can you go wrong with a 1950s-style diner? Located right off La Salle Avenue, Health Camp offers an experience that I see few other students recognizing, and it’s been a staple of Waco since 1948. The burgers are probably the best in the city, and it never disappoints. I strongly recommend double-strawing a milkshake and tater tots.
Sure, DiCampli’s leans toward the pricier side, but there’s a reason Italian is tried and true. Maybe you aren’t tearing into steak and shrimp, but most of the pizzas and pastas are pretty well-priced. If worst comes to worst, get a Margherita pizza and let your date get something more bougie.
Mezcal has probably one of the best locations in Waco, sitting right on Austin Avenue and next to the Hippodrome Theatre. The fish tacos here are a favorite. Again, a little bit of monetary awareness might be necessary, because by the time dinner will be over, the rest of downtown Waco will have livened up.