A Hidden Waco Gem: Homestead Heritage
It’s one thing to eat local and sustainable food; it’s another to experience it firsthand. At Homestead Heritage, you have the opportunity to do just that.
The village is located just outside of Waco on 510 acres. The land has given them ample room to have several restaurants, a blacksmith shop, farms, a quilt shop, and even a school that teaches traditional lessons hands-on with the things happening around the farm.
Here’s a bit of what goes on at this sustainable institution.
The Restaurants
Cafe Homestead is where I really wanted to eat, but they were fully booked, so if you go over the weekend, plan to reserve a spot!
Their food rotates as the seasons do since most of the produce is grown on-site. The meat is also, but naturally, a little easier to obtain throughout the year.
We were going in the spring, and some of the items I saw that looked good included a coffee burger melt and the Brazos Valley salad, which has chicken, fresh strawberries, blueberries, toasted pecans, slivered red onion, and Brazos Valley truffle gold cheese on romaine with a bright vinaigrette.
Alas, that was not for us that day; honestly, I have no complaints. We ended up down the road between their grocery store and Cafe Homestead at their Waco Waffle Co. restaurant. It was phenomenal!
As busy as the day was, we could have gotten seats outside; however, we recognized the rare opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors in Texas before it became scorchingly hot, so we opted to eat outside.
Mom got the brisket salad, Bre the chicken basket, and I was the bad girl who got the Texan waffle. I mean, when at a waffle place, right?
The Texan waffle comes with a jalapeño cheddar waffle, Red Wagon BBQ, cheddar cheese, avocado, pickled onions, crispy fried jalapeños, spiced sour cream, and barbecue sauce!
If you’re looking for something sweeter, they have that too!
The Activities
There is so much going on at Homestead Heritage. One of the most intriguing things to me is their water- and electric-powered mills that help them grind their grains. The grains include corn meal (the blue is my favorite) and wheat. Even better? You can buy it at the store or in several locations between Waco and the metroplex.
My mother-in-law visited several years ago while we were working and said she also enjoyed the quilting store. She bought several things of hand-spun yarn while she was there.
In addition, a blacksmith shop makes tools for use around the homestead and sells items in its stores.
The store in question is a general store that can help you start with all your homesteading needs, including books. Ugh, I love books. I took so many pictures of different books to ensure I researched them before buying them.
Last, but not least, I am a bit disappointed I didn’t get to check out the Brazos Valley Cheese Shop and Cheese Cave, which I have seen advertised on a billboard going out of Waco and didn’t realize it was on site. Next time!
Wrapping It Up
If you want to know more, behind the Ploughshed, there is a twenty-minute video you can watch where they explain their way of living.
You can also visit their website to check out any activities they may have coming up soon-they typically have about 120 a year!
