Best Restaurants in Waco (2025)

Chef Corey McEntyre’s flagship pairs Texas farms with Southern swagger—house biscuits, seasonal plates, and serious cocktails. Featured in Eater Dallas and highlighted by Southern Living, it’s the reliable table locals recommend to visiting friends.

Red Herring Brings Mediterranean Food and Fine Dining to Waco | Eater Dallas

Inside the new Hotel Herringbone, I found a 6,000-square-foot restaurant that ushered in a sea-change for Waco dining by introducing the city’s first raw bar and chef’s table. The front of the space has floor-to-ceiling windows and a circular bar that feels like a destination unto itself; between the bar and dining room sits a grand piano-in-the-round surrounded by two-top tables, and live music is scheduled nightly to shift the room from dinner to nightlife. Executive chef Wacoan Corey McEntyre (also chef/owner of Milo) and chef de cuisine Joel Garza (from Uchi in Austin) built a Mediterranean-inspired menu touching on North Africa, southern Italy, and the Middle East, with notable spring dishes including house-made sourdough focaccia; oysters by the dozen or single dressed oysters; hamachi aquachile; squid ink bucatini with red shrimp, octopus, and chorizo; and duck confit with red harissa and hummus, all served family-style alongside large-format mains like whole fish (market-dependent), lamb shank with beet tabouli, and porchetta with golden raisin and pine nut pesto. The kitchen, with sous chef Katy Cotner, aims to make the food accessible while pushing Waco’s expectations of fine dining; the design mirrors that ambition, pairing the container aesthetic with art-deco touches, luxe materials, and brass for a slightly post-apocalyptic take on luxury. The raw bar sits in the back under a clamshell dotted with pearls, a second bar crafts drinks for the dining room next to the open kitchen and an eight-seat chef’s table where chefs prepare off-menu bites, and the playful cocktail program by lead mixologist Alex Merkelz (formerly of One Day) features clever drinks like an old fashioned with a “filthy cherry,” Cursedly Fashionably (an espresso-martini take), and Paperback Romance (a floral, fruity vodka cocktail), plus European wines from lesser-known cellars and a limited beer list. Red Herring is open daily from 4 p.m. to midnight; reservations recommended. - Courtney E. Smith

West of town, this independent steak‑and‑seafood room blends prime cuts with a raw bar and sushi from two Hell’s Kitchen alums. Covered by The Dallas Morning News, it’s a destination for celebratory dinners and serious wine lists.

A polished oyster and seafood spot with Baylor roots, attached to the barbecue campus downtown. Added to Eater Dallas’s essentials and applauded by national food writers, it brings caviar service and lobster rolls to the Brazos.

Family‑run and fiercely local, Helberg fought back from a 2023 fire to reopen with even more smoke. Recognized in Texas Monthly’s 2025 Top 50 (as reported by KWTX), the citrus‑marinated pork steak and pesto‑stuffed turkey are standouts.

A multigenerational local institution famous for the Gut Pak—Waco’s ultimate Fritos‑and‑smoked‑meat feast. Consistently recommended by Eater Dallas, it’s the rowdy, shared‑table side of the city’s barbecue story.

Serving East Waco since 1919, Jasper’s sticks to its old‑school chop, gravy, and sausage routine. It’s on Eater Dallas’s essentials and documented by Waco historians as a true neighborhood anchor.

Run by generations of the DeMaria family, this East Waco landmark serves brisket with its signature au jus‑style gravy, a Sicilian‑Texan tradition. Chronicled by Waco History and beloved by locals who line up before noon.

Family‑owned Neapolitan pies fired in a custom oven, plus handmade pastas and a tightly curated Italian wine list. A longtime local favorite for date night or Sunday brunch that shows Waco’s range beyond barbecue.

A Czech brewery‑restaurant and bakery within a boutique hotel downtown. Spotlighted by Southern Living, it pours house lagers alongside schnitzel, pork knuckle, and kolaches—Central Europe by way of the Brazos.

A family‑run staple serving Lebanese and Greek plates—kebabs, falafel, and baba ghanoush—since the 1990s. Included on Eater Dallas’s essential list, it’s a relaxed neighborhood counterpoint to downtown’s buzz.

Since 1975, this Korean‑American diner has served bulgogi and the beloved Lip Locker burger with the city’s signature “oriental fries.” Celebrated by Texas Highways, it’s a cross‑cultural classic you can only taste here.

At Homestead Heritage, this from‑scratch kitchen turns local beef, breads, and cheeses into Texas comfort plates. Rebuilt after a 2022 fire and now open again, it’s a serene, agrarian slice of Waco food culture.