Waco, Texas: The Ultimate Guide on Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore

I can remember my first time going to Waco. The girls and I had just moved to the Dallas area four months prior, and we were looking for something to do on the 4th of July.

I felt like we had ventured onto a different planet! At that time I had hardly been south of Waxahachie and Austin had not even happened yet.

Two and a half years later, we would move within half an hour of Waco, and it slowly began to feel more like home. It was perfect timing, too, as Chip and Joanna Gaines had just finished building the Silos shortly after our move.

Here’s our guide to Waco, including everything Magnolia and beyond.

Before You Visit, You Should Know

The best time to visit the Waco area is early November or April because the weather is mild then. That being said, even the winter months are not too bad. Summer is manageable if you do outdoor activities in the mornings or late evenings and find indoor activities during the day’s heat.

If your focus is on checking out Chip and Joanna’s creations, it’s always fun to dress cutely. In the summertime, I recommend wearing comfortable clothes for the heat.

How to Get to Waco

DFW Airport to the north and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to the south are the closest if you are traveling on a major airline. Both of these locations are about ninety miles away; therefore, you will need to rent a car, get on I-35, and head south or north, respectively.

It’s possible that if you are flying any of these airlines: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Gulf Air, and United, you can fly directly into Waco Regional Airport. The airport is about fifteen miles from downtown at 7909 Karl May Dr, Waco, TX 76708, and multiple car rental companies are nearby.

Your Home Away From Home

Hotel

• Hotel 1928 This is Chip and Joanna Gaines’s new hotel. They did a great job of bringing back its style—even 100 years later. Combine the roaring 20s with a true deep Texas feel, and you may not even want to leave the hotel. Although, there’s too much else to see and do. So maybe divide your time wisely. This room will cost you around $375 for one night.
• Hampton Inn & Suites South I am a big fan of Hilton hotels if you want something franchised. The prices at most Hamptons are manageable (in the low one-hundreds), and the amenities are great. This particular location has an indoor pool and hot tub. Plus, that breakfast can’t be beat!
• 1700 South 2nd Street We stayed here in early 2024, and if you want the feel of college life with the comfort of having an apartment-style hotel, this one is for you. There is a washer and dryer in-unit, and you can cook for your people if you so wish. This hotel feels more like home.

Airbnb

• The Shotgun House This house was filmed for season three of “Fixer Upper” and is owned by Cameron and Jessie Bell. It’s a walkable distance to the Silos, but some of the roads don’t have sidewalks, so keep that in mind. There is also a full kitchen here as well, which is a big plus in my book. Want to stay up top in the loft? You’ll have to pull down the stairs with the chain lever. Similar to Hotel 1928, this will set you back about $300 a night
• Casa Kumwesu Okay, so this is not a Chip and Joanna Gaines house, but it is probably my favorite house out of the Airbnbs I’ve seen. If you know me, you know I love funky. This place is dripping with funkiness. <– That’s a play on words because the whole place (which sleeps eight) is ice cream-themed.
• Texas Sunshine Oasis For the same $300 we’ve been talking about, at this place, you get the entire 3-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house with a pool and a hot tub at your disposal. It just means you’ll have to drive into town. I think it’s a win-win if you ask me.

Camping Options

• Lake Whitney. So this lake is so near my house, I walk there almost nightly. We have also camped there numerous times. Some of our favorite places include:
  • Soldiers Bluff: It’s across the dam bridge and is truly a bluff. Great views, and it’s not uncommon to see people cliff-jumping from this site (though… I can’t say I recommend it since it is, technically, illegal. People have died)
  • Cedar Creek: This is where I walk. You could easily get a spot on the water if you arrive at the right time. Either way, the entire area is fairly nice.

Dig In! Let’s Eat

If you know me, you know one of my favorite things to do is eat and drink coffee, so this will be a fairly extensive list. I hope it helps!

Breakfast and Coffee

• Common Grounds If you are going for coffee, this should be your stop. They don’t have much on the food front, but their coffee is top-notch. Which, you know, makes total sense as they are across from Baylor University.
  • Drink Recommendations: If you’re not getting a seasonal drink, then opt for their no-bull, which has secret sauce, espresso, and milk
• Fabled Coffee Shop This coffee shop is also a bookstore. Even better, there are papers that tell you which employee has read which book and what they liked about it. It’s a perfect way to start a conversation!
  • Drink Recommendations: I typically go for the Muggle Mocha, with butterscotch and chocolate notes. It’s probably just because I’m a muggle.
• Glory Bell is Nestled inside a church; I often hit this coffee shop before going to the farmer’s market. The area is very large; if you go early enough, it is still very quiet. It would be a great place to get work done.
  • Drink Recommendations: You have many options here. If I feel like being a bit normal, I’ll order the Honey Bee with honey and cinnamon. I’ll get the Chunky Monkey Latte with creme de banana syrup, macadamia nut syrup, and chocolate sauce if I feel more adventurous. Yum!
• Pinewood Coffee Bar: What I love most about this coffee shop is its aesthetic. It has a very funky, 70s vibe, and the outdoor space is perfect during the cooler months. Their syrups are also handmade, giving them that extra little zing.
  • Drink Recommendations: Go with their house latte, but remember, syrup is not a big deal for them—and that has its place.
• Dichotomy Coffee and Spirits This one is also very close to the downtown farmers’ market. The girls and I especially love their balcony area, which overlooks the parking lot where the farmers set up.
  • Drink Recommendations: Use a seasonal menu item as the baristas create them.
• Reign Coffee Company This coffee shop is not downtown but is worth the stop. It’s cute, with light colors on the walls. The baristas are also super sweet. I will return to a coffee shop just for how I’m treated, and this is one of them. Added bonus: the drinks and scones are delicious, too!
  • Drink Recommendations: A seasonal drink or a latte with their hazelnut and chocolate syrups.
• Lighthouse Coffee & Wine I actually stumbled upon Lighthouse by accident. I was looking for Glory Bell. My friend and I went in here instead. The baristas are knowledgeable about the coffee and will have some in-depth conversations with you about coffee if they know you’re into it.
  • Drink Recommendations: A mocha is a solid win here.

Lunch

• Mamaka Bowls Nevaeh has stated that this is her absolute favorite place to eat in Texas. I have to admit, it’s pretty high up there for me, too. Mamaka Bowls is a smoothie bowl place, and while they do have acai, it’s truly more smoothie-style (most of my bowls are made with bananas as the base).
  • Recommendations: I really need to expand my life… I pretty much always get the bean, which has coffee, peanut butter, agave, cacao nibs, banana, and almond milk. Then it’s topped with homemade granola, banana, blueberries*, and cacao nibs. *I swap the blueberries for strawberries.
• Magnolia Table Designed to fit the Magnolia aesthetic, this is another restaurant you should make reservations for. They are only open for lunch, which tends to get very busy. One thing to note is that it is not near the Silos but right off I-35 by Health Burger and Rudy’s BBQ.
  • Recommendations: Honestly, opt for a seasonal item. You’ll know the ingredients are local and fresh, which is always a win in my book!
• Twisted Roots Burger is not your average burger restaurant, and Guy Fieri even said so in the second season of Diners, Drive-In, and Dives. It’s a funky place with menu items that are equally as funky. They buy their buns locally; their toppings are made in-house, and those pickles. You’ll just have to see for yourself. Want to hear something even wilder? Depending on the season (it rotates) and if you are brave, you can swap your beef patty out for a beaver, emu, elk, lamb, ostrich, rabbit, camel, duck, boar, and kangaroo meat.
  • Recommendations: The Big Tex has cheddar, sliced avocado, fried onion strings, and chipotle sauce. Heart happiness!
• Cafe Homestead is a pretty neat destination, and I’ll go into full detail below, but the working farm has several different food places on site. Cafe Homestead is very popular, and we have not been able to get in yet. Instead, we drove down their driveway to Waco Waffles, and man, oh man, it did not disappoint. I recommend reserving a table in advance if you are going on a weekend.
  • Recommendations: Obviously, this will be for Waco Waffle Co., so if you have Cafe Homestead recommendations for me, be sure to email them to me. Anyway, I recommend the Texan Waffle. Do we see a theme here yet? It has a jalapeno cheddar waffle, brisket, pickled onions, an avocado, cheddar cheese, crispy fried jalapenos (which I asked to be omitted), and spiced sour cream.
• Union Hall is a food hall. This is an especially great restaurant if you have multiple people with different taste buds. Except for a coffee shop that no longer exists in the building, everything I’ve had from there has been top-notch.

Dinner

• Terry Black’s Waco Black’s BBQ is one of our favorite BBQ restaurants, and it’s not for the brisket. We actually like their beef ribs. The Waco location is the newest addition to the family chain.
  • Recommendation: I kind of already gave it away, but don’t shy away from their beef ribs—even if they are twice the size of your face.
• J.S. Barnett’s Whiskey House and Restaurant This place could be somewhere romantic; just be warned that it is known to get loud occasionally as well. If having spirits with dinner is your jam, this is the place for you. It’s also one that many things on the menu look good, so maybe split something and then splurge on dessert.
  • Recommendations: Their Osso Bucco with braised pork shank, whipped mashed potatoes, bacon greens, and demi-gloss is mouthwatering. For dessert, Barnett’s Bourbon Bread pudding is hands-down the best.
• Heitmiller Steakhouse doesn’t have a website. Wild. Yet it’s one of those places that all the locals talk about. So there’s your secret to living like a local while you are in Waco.
  • Recommendations: I’m just going to say it. Order the steak.
• The Brasserie at Hotel 1928 is located inside the Hotel (shocker, I know) and is another restaurant on Chip and Joanna’s list. I added this one to dinner because it allows you to try multiple of their restaurants in one day.
  • Recommendations: The appetizer menu caught my eye, with Korean-style wings with pickled cucumber and black garlic ranch. Black. Garlic. Ranch. Sold! Yes, Please!
• Southern Roots Brewing Company is the place where you want your chefs, brewers, waitresses, and everyone in between to become your friends. Be sure to check out their event happenings; you never know what kind of fun you might walk in on!
  • Recommendations: Their pizza is delicious (and this is VERY important to me), and I especially like their new beer, Flowers for Charlie, which has notes of hibiscus, strawberry, and white grape.

Sweet Tooth

• Silos Baking Co. Okay. I’m going to be real with you here for a minute. I’ve been to Magnolia’s coffee shop twice. Did not care for it. That’s why I didn’t add it to my coffee list. That being said, there’s a reason the billboards say something about Road trips being more fun with cupcakes… their bakery is ah. freaking. mazing. The line is long most of the time, so get there early, but whatever you do, don’t skip out on this one!
  • Recommendations: It depends on your taste buds. If you want something fresh, go for the lemon lavender cupcake. If you want traditional flavor, the cookies and cream are my go-to. They also have seasonal menu items; be sure to check those out!
• Heritage Creamery We went here after watching a movie several summers ago, and it is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. Since the ice cream is locally sourced, it all makes sense. The shop is fun; you can tell its owner might own the coffee shop next door (Common Grounds).
  • Recommendations: The cast iron cookie with ice cream on top. It’s messy but oh-so fun!
• Milk Bottle Cookies I first saw milk bottle cookies at Fabled and, naturally, had to order one. They are big cookies that the girls and I can easily share among the three of us. I have yet to go to their location, but I know the sweet tooth craving will be satisfied!
  • Recommendations: The Cup of Dirt or the Cookies in Cream. Their chocolate chip cookies are a good option if you like LOTTTTS of chocolate chips.

Things to Do

• Waco Surf is towards the north end of Waco and out on its own. But if you love the water and are adventurous in that way, they’ve got you. The wake park has cables, places to jump, and all that fun stuff. Then there are the slides that throw you off before you land in the water- I’m going to hard pass on that. The reason I go, then? To surf! Their wave simulator was the first in the nation and truly mimics the ocean. There are professional surfers who will fly to Waco just to surf their waves. Waco Surf has it all if this is your jam and you don’t want to travel to stay or eat elsewhere.
• Magnolia Silos. You knew this one was coming. The Silos have a great outdoor area for kids to run and play. There are several food trucks around if you get thirsty or need a bite to eat but don’t want to leave the area. And then, of course, there is the shopping. If you have the same aesthetic as Joanna, she’s got you covered!
• Spice Village But maybe you finish at the Silos and still crave some more shopping. Then head over to Spice Village. This is a boutique lovers paradise! So much so that Joanna Gaines started her rise to power by having a booth in Spice Village. My mom and I go there often when she’s in town- it gets us on our steps and gives us several hours to enjoy each other’s time.
• Cameron Park Okay. So maybe you’re on the other end of this spectrum and not looking to shop all day. That’s okay. Cameron Park for the win. They have twenty-six miles of trails, some low near the water, some higher, with amazing views of the Brazos River. There is a park with a water area for hot days. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, check out the Cameron Park Zoo, which is the perfect way to spend about half a day.
• Dr Pepper Museum This one is on my girls’ list of things to do. There are several different tours, including the extreme pepper experience, which allows you to have a private guided tour of both historic Museum buildings, make your own Dr. Pepper, and get a large Dr. Pepper float and a glass Dr. Pepper bottle.
• Homestead Heritage is a working, nondenominational, Christian-based multi-family farm with multiple things to do throughout the land. There is plenty to see and do, from their restaurants to the leather, quilt, and basket-weaving shops! On Labor Day weekend, they host a sorghum festival and a homestead fair in early December.
• Waco Mammoth National Monument This is a climate-controlled guided tour—no worries about being too hot! The rangers are very knowledgeable and will spend about twenty minutes walking you through the active digging area despite the site’s smaller size. Given how hot it is in Texas, it’s not surprising that in addition to the Mammoths, you will see fossils of other animals, including a camel.
• Branch Davidians Massacre Site Okay. This one will not be on many people’s lists. I get that, and I understand. The shootout happened when I was still in elementary school. I remember watching the news about it fairly regularly during my spring break that year. Brandon and I have also watched documentaries on it as well, so it wasn’t surprising when we took a trip there. It’s a very somber place, but in my opinion, it’s somewhere we should go for nothing more than to pay respect to a place and people who impacted our history without even wanting to.
• Waco Downtown Farmers Market. I regularly visit the farmers’ market, which is open every Saturday from nine to one, and Wednesday evenings as well. On Saturdays, there are food trucks in addition to produce vendors. And my personal favorite? The Round Rock honey location!

Wrapping It Up

Whether you are stopping for a bite while trying to get from Dallas—Fort Worth to Austin or looking to make a week of it, Waco is a great place to stop. I can’t wait to hear about your adventures!