Heart O' Texas Foodways

Situated in the Heart of Texas, Waco’s food services reflect the diverse eating habits and culinary practices of the state at large. As far as regional fare is concerned, diners have their pick of establishments that serve everything from standards of Southern comfort food like chicken fried steak and Frito pie to Tex-Mex offerings such as enchiladas and fajitas. Here, family-owned barbecue restaurants thrive, their passed-down recipes drawing in loyal customers that span generations. Local sandwich shops and burger joints operate proudly beside franchises, their commitment to quality ingredients and homegrown flavors earning them a long-standing place in the community despite increased external competition. When it comes to food industries, Waco is most well-known as the birthplace of Dr Pepper, a soft drink much beloved by Texans. The city has also been home to specialty grocery stores which featured imported fine foodstuffs. This tour highlights some of Waco’s historic eateries and invites you to experience the diverse palate of the Heart of Texas.

Vitek's BBQ

For over 100 years, Vitek's Grocery and, now, BBQ restaurant, has remained a cherished business in the Waco area, providing residents with quality meats and a community gathering place. The story of Vitek's BBQ began in 1915, when…

Magnolia Table

Positioned on what used to be the only highway through town, Magnolia Table now draws in patrons from around the country and the globe. Though a new restaurant itself, the Table resides in a building with a rich history that has welcomed hungry…

Magnolia Market at the Silos

A decade ago no one dreamed that two abandoned cottonseed silos would become the icon of a burgeoning retail empire—yet that is exactly what happened. After the Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Mill closed in 1958 and the silos ceased to serve as storage in…

Cupp's Drive-Inn

Nestled behind several fast food chains at Fifteenth Street and Speight Avenue, Cupp’s Drive-Inn has been offering diner favorites to local residents and Baylor students and staff for seventy years and counting. The small diner offers a window into…

Kitok Restaurant

Over the past forty years, Kitok Restaurant has gone from a humble diner to a local institution, known for its blend of American and Korean fare. But when it first opened in 1975, owner Kitok Moore stuck to diner classics and hesitated calling her…

Dr Pepper Museum

Few major products are as closely identified with the people and environment where they began as Dr Pepper in Waco. Developing from a soft drink invented at a local drugstore to one of the largest and most popular industries in the world, Dr Pepper…

Elite Cafe

In the early twentieth century, George and Michael Colias immigrated to America from Sparta, Greece, in order to join their two brothers residing in Waco. Just teenagers at the time, the four young men worked together at Chris’ Café as busboys and…

Health Camp

In 1948, brothers-in-law Jack Schaevitz and Lou Stein opened a small mobile food cart at James Connally Air Force Base. The two became so successful selling burgers and frozen custard to military men that they opened a small restaurant on the Waco…

O&H Rare Foods

During World War II, Waco provided a place of refuge and hope of starting anew for many seeking refuge from persecution, such as Otto and Hilde Levy. As tensions escalated throughout Germany as a result of Nazi discrimination, Otto Levy and Hilde…

George's

In 1930, Harry Burmeister opened Harry B’s at 1925 Speight Avenue. Burmeister, a former Baylor student and founding member of the Noze Brothers society, developed the small restaurant, soon making it a local favorite. The original restaurant…

Jasper's Bar-B-Que

At the corner of Clifton Street and Elm Avenue is Jasper’s Bar-B-Que, Waco’s oldest-operating barbecue restaurant. Although East Waco has undergone many changes, Jasper’s has never changed locations and remains a place where residents today can…

La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant & Cantina serves as a landmark of the success of the Castillo family—one of the oldest Central Texas restaurant families still in business today. Family patriarch Antonio P. Castillo Sr. started the Castillo…