By Erika Kuehl | Staff Writer
Not every Tuesday night calls for an expensive dinner, but sometimes you just need a good meal with friends. I ventured downtown to satisfy my craving for real non-microwavable food and ended up on Fourth Street at a new restaurant, Red Herring.
To start, I ordered the sourdough focaccia with whipped olive oil butter. It’s safe to say that is probably the best bread I’ve had in Waco. It was perfectly salty and easy to rip apart and share with friends. It was gone in about two minutes.
Next was the confit potatoes that had a delicious garlic emulsion under them. These reminded me of that girl on TikTok who makes the “unreal” potatoes. Usually, I wouldn’t order potatoes off the menu because they tend to be lackluster and flavorless, but these were unreal. Perfectly crunchy and soft in the middle, I couldn’t recommend them more.
I ordered everything at once, and there was barely any waiting time. As soon as I had the first bite of a dish, another one appeared out of thin air, hot and fresh. I got the spaghetti alla chitarra for the main course, which is a Cacio e Pepe pasta. The cheese pull on this pasta was so good that you would have to video it. Flavorful and rich, I would share this with a friend — unless you’re Michael Scott carb-loading for a fun run race.
Next were the chicken thigh skewers, which weren’t dry but were nothing to write home about. To finish off this fantastic meal, I went with the unconventional tiramisu. Instead of coffee, there seemed to be a strawberry and blackberry compote that pleasantly surprised me. It was fresh, light and perfect to share with a group.
I split this meal with a friend and spent around $52, which isn’t bad for an upscale spot in Waco. The ambience was a part of the bill. Being surrounded by moody lighting and beautiful chandeliers made the experience worth it. The service was excellent and attentive, and nothing let me down except the fact that there were no purse hooks in the women’s bathroom.
Red Herring is the perfect spot for a graduation party or when your parents visit Waco. It’s an excuse to dress up and venture to the rooftop bar after dinner (if you’re of age, of course). I will be visiting again, but be warned: You will leave a lot fuller than when you came in.
