Jakes Texas Tea House

Fun retro diner with 50s car theme and candy colored leather booths. Their menu varies a bit between the week and Sunday but they're consistent with making Caesar salad table side and providing family style vegetable side dishes for the table. I especially enjoyed the chicken breast and creamed corn. The have booth, table, and bar seating in a large inside dining room as well as a few umbrella tables outside. There is street parking on surrounding blocks.

The cafe is located in downtown of Waco and has its own parking lot for visitors. The unusual design of the cafe attracts visitors of different ages, it is interesting to visit both adults and children. For children, there is a small police car, which they can jump into for only 25 cents. The waiters were very friendly and served quickly, although there were a lot of people in the cafe. The food was very fresh and tasty, we were satisfied. If you are in Waco, then be sure to visit this cafe. I think you will be satisfied.

Place was awesome and the food was delicious. The only thing that kinda worried me is the parking situation. But everything about this place is perfect!

We were going to eat at Magnolia Table, but there was a 1.5 hour wait. So our family went to Jake's Texas Tea House, which worked out great! We enjoyed the classic car decor and the food was delicious. They have Dublin sodas which are served in the bottle and with a cold, frosted glass for it. I would have loved to try their shakes, but I didn't have room for it after a cheeseburger and fries. I guess we'll have to stop by again! It wasn't noisy, which we appreciated, since we were meeting up with a relative and it allowed us to chat without issues.

I recently visited Jake’s Texas Teahouse and tried a few of their offerings. The atmosphere is really charming, and the service was excellent—friendly and attentive throughout our meal. As for the food, I had the chicken fried steak with fries and fried okra. While the sides were tasty, the chicken fried steak wasn’t quite my favorite. I felt the gravy could use a little more flavor to complement the dish. On the bright side, I also had the Cadillac Melt with a Caesar salad, and it was pretty good! However, a touch of salt and pepper would have made it even better. The decor is cozy and nostalgic, filled with classic touches that create a welcoming, throwback vibe. It’s a great spot for families with kids and anyone who enjoys taking in some old-school charm while they dine. Overall, the dining experience was enjoyable thanks to the warm service and great atmosphere. I’m sure with a few small tweaks to the seasoning, this place will be even better!

Jake’s Texas Tea House offers a charming atmosphere that feels like a step back in time, it's very vibrant and retro with its decor and cozy ambiance, The vibe is inviting and sets a wonderful tone for the dining experience. However, the food left much to be desired, the dishes lacked flavor and freshness, falling short of expectations for a Texas-inspired eatery, their meals didn’t live up to the hype. The service, on the other hand, was friendly and attentive, earning a solid 4/5. The staff was welcoming and prompt, doing their best to ensure guests had a pleasant time despite the food shortcomings. It loses a star cause it took a very long time for the food even when there wasn't that many people If you’re looking for a great spot to soak in the vintage vibes and enjoy good company, Jake’s Texas Tea House is worth a visit. But if food quality is your main priority, you may leave feeling disappointed.

Kid review: it was amazing. We met the owner, famous Jake, who was kind and funny. Ask him to teach you the straw trick. The old cars were very cool. The kids meals came in little cardboard cars.

A bit of a wait but so well worth it. Our server told us they were short staffed but indeed did her absolute best and made sure we never needed to top our drinks off, made sure our meals were to our liking and did it all with a bright sincere and pleasant smile. Well enjoy this restaurant, the food, the fabulous eye candy set up and the incredible dessert. Highly recommended if you travel through Waco. You won’t be disappointed.

Food is amazing... service is spectacular!!! My only complaint is that they aren't open all the time!!!! Atmosphere is a must see!!!! Get to Jake's Texas Tea house now!!!!

Sweet baby Jesus, that was a loooong wait!!! The timeline: 11:50 - Arrived 12:05 - Seated - Waited 20 minutes. 12:25 - Had to flag down waitress. 12:30 - We got waters - yay! We order and waitress says she will bring out salads. 12:31 - Another table is seated next to us. 12:35 - Table next to us that was seated 4 minutes ago got their salads. Wtf. 12:43 - Still waiting for salads. Approached waitress behind bar asking, begging for help. She asks what table and says she'll help. I go back and sit down. 12:47 - Wife points out the big crowd behind us that arrived well after us is being served. 12:47 and 50 seconds - Talked to owner or manager... 12:50 - We got our salads! Yay!! 1:00 - Finished salads. Waiting on the main course. 1:05 - Owner bring a main course. Finally!! 1:20 - Ask for check realizing I should have asked for a check upon arrival food because I fear I may be in for another long wait. 1:25 - Contemplate what I have done wrong in the eyes of God to deserve being trapped in fried chicken limbo. Begin the question the existence of god. 1:27 - Waitress stops by, warning me it may take a long time to do chekc because they have to do it by hand due to their computer system being down. I hand her my credit card to make the process quicker. 1:33 - Signed check. I'm free!!!

The ambiance alone is worth the stop. Even if you just pop in to eat some of their in house made desserts at their small bar top area. The retro themed eatery with gas themed memorabilia is an eye pleaser. The meals are served in old hubcaps, just to keep you submerged in that classic ol' timeliness. Regular burger was delicious with a side car of their fried okra. Kids meals are a wow factor as they use those 3D cardboard replica boxes of cars. Ours now drives around Barbie dolls! Their hours can be a bit inconvenient if you don't plan accordingly to eat here (open 11AM-2PM). Don't let that stop you for adding them to your Waco vacation plans!

This is a great retro diner in Waco! I loved the look of the restaurant and the comfy booth seating. Service was quick and our waitress was kind and accommodating our slight rush to make our Dr. Pepper museum tour. I got the Premium Burger with a side of Corn Nuggets. The burger was pretty good! I loved the super soft bun and melted cheese on top, only downside was the patty was slightly dry but it was huge and very filling. The corn nuggets were definitely my favorite, slightly sweet and not overly cooked. They paired great with a side of ranch! 100% recommend this spot if you are visiting Waco

The ambiance of this place 5 out of 5 as well as the customer service. You can tell they take pride in their diner. We stopped in on a Sunday where they have family style dining. We ordered the fried chicken which came with four sides with unlimited servings. The chicken was a little burnt and we felt the sides lacked a little flavor. Next time we visit we'll try something else on the menu. Overall it was a great experience and like I said before you can tell they are hard working people and care about their customers.

Traditional diner and the food is just as fabulous! Lunch service is traditional diner food, and dinner is served family style. We love the staff, they are always welcoming and personable.

Jake's looks great! The dessert we had was just splendid. But, our entrees were brought out by themselves. Part of the vegetables were delivered about 5-7 minutes later and the balance of our order about 5 minutes after that. Fried fish was warm when served cold when vegetables and tartar sauce arrived. Chicken fried steak similarly warm but also fried very hard. Should have ordered the fried chicken, it looked great and many patrons ordered it.

Does anyone remember a salad buffet called Sweet Tomatoes? Sadly, they no longer exist in Texas. One of my favorite dishes there was the broccoli salad. I have been in search for a replacement and found none. That is, until I went to Jake's. Best. Broccoli. Salad. EVER. I really need to ask if they are selling it by the pint because I totally would buy some the next time I'm in town!!

Our entire party of four loved this nostalgic diner. Everything was spot on from the chicken fried chicken to the Loco Pollo. The Italian sausage quiche of the day was excellent. Save room for the homemade Banana Pudding with real meringue.

Such a cool place to eat lunch and view all the auto history that is displayed. The restaurant has actual CARS inside and they are so unique! Tons of signs and gas pumps make the atmosphere awesome. I went with a family style lunch which they offer on the weekends. I choose the chicken fried steak and all the sides comes with it! Unlimited sides just FYI! Great place to enjoy a good lunch and dinner! It's a must try

Went for lunch on 4/10/22. It was Sunday and it appears like they have a family style menu on Sundays. You pick your main meat and they bring all the sides and salad out to share. IMO it was way to much food. I would prefer if they asked what sides we wanted to share and just bring those. Maybe with a larger group it works better but I hated to waste the food. All were warm but not hot. The main courses were good but not great. The catfish was cooked perfectly but needed some more seasoning. The CFS looked delicious but was a little on the tough side and the breading which was very tasty but was separating from the meat. This is a very cute place and is family run. I saw 3 generations working during this lunch. You gotta love that. We will come back next time we are passing through Waco.

Great food in a great atmosphere! I wish I could score the mustang hub cap at least once in my lifetime! IYKYN

The food is great and the service was better. The themed atmosphere is one of my favorites.

We showed up short before closing. The waitress was cheery and helpful. She even brewed us a fresh pot of coffee! Even after everyone had left, and they were officially closed, they didn't kick us out. The food was yummy. The sweet potato fries are to die for!

Great atmosphere and service. Interesting decor and large portions. Jake patrols the grounds, knows everyone and seems to enjoy His life.

Love the style that it has. The retro vintage ambiance is top tier. The food was delicious. Chicken salad sandwich with sweet potato fries, chef's kiss. The service was patient, friendly and quick.

Great hamburgers and banana pudding! We were looking for some place to grab lunch and glad we found Jake's!

The food was okay. I ordered the chicken fried chicken and it was basically two large chicken tenders. Not really any flavor in the batter. But I will say the crunch was there. For sides I got green beans and Mac and cheese. It was okay but my green beans came out cold. So my guess is they served that up first to the plate and it sat in the window while they cooked the chicken. For southern food where's the seasoning? It tastes like they are making food for old white people who can't handle flavor. The staff was nice and helpful when they forgot the gravy for my order. Seemed over priced for what you are getting.

Lunch at Jake's was a pleasant experience. We found street parking in front of the restaurant. The 50's decor was very nice. The food was the real highlight of the visit. The sandwiches were fresh and tasty. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. Sandwiches are served in car hubcaps and if your sandwich is served in a Mustang hubcap, your lunch is free. Check out my photo of my hubcap since my lunch was free...yeah!

Great food. Large portions. Decent prices. Nice staff. A nice addition to the restaurant options in Waco.

Everything about this place was wonderful! We all devoured our food, the service we received was helpful and friendly, and the ambiance was so cool! E ordered the chicken salad sandwich, beef tips lunch plate, hamburger steak smothered in cheese, peppers, & onions (I can't remember the official name), and a kid's grilled cheese. Everything hit the spot and we would definitely return. This was my mom's 6th trip here and I'm glad she suggested it!

Have ate here twice now. Food and service is great! I recommend Hamburger steak or the Philly cheese melt!

Delicious food, great service, and a fun atmosphere. If we're ever visiting Waco again, we'll return.

We were in Waco and looking for a place to eat that was different than where we are from so we figured we tried it out. Our waitress was great, love that Texas hospitality. The restaurant was decorated in a 50's/60's theme with gas pumps, old cars and signs with character. Food: roughhouse burger steak, mashed potatoes with gravy and fried okra. Chicken sandwich with fried. Chicken fried steak (the piece was the size of Texas) buttered corn and mashed potatoes with gravy. Dessert: banana pudding and Hershey symphony pie.

Such a fun place with a retro diner theme! The staff were all so kind and our server gave us great recommendations. The chicken strips are huge but so delicious! The Texas cheesesteak was fairly good, not too spicy. They have a big variety of menu options and fun kids meals! Great location as well- only two blocks from the Farmer's Market.

We ate here on a Sunday with a rather large group. We were lucky to get seated almost immediately due to mere timing of departure of another large group. The ambiance of this establishment is awesome! Classic cars and wall decor made it feel like a 70s diner fit with Dublin sodas, was a great touch and bottled sodas were yummy! On Sunday, it's family style day, and that's exactly what we got. Huge portions of chicken fried steak and tendies along side all you can eat sides like classic mash potatoes and green beans. Not to mention the table made salad, was awesome! Our waitress, Cindy, was amazing and catered to every need and kept our sweet teas comin. Def a go to spot for a great family meal and good vibes.

Amazing food. Amazing staff. Amazing atmosphere. Get the Cadillac Melt. You won't regret it. This place it's 5 stars on everything. It's unique with great food. Worth the wait. The kids food comes in a little car!!! My kids loved it.

Never go there on a Sunday! First off, it was so hot in the restaurant that I got nauseous and almost threw up in the bathroom. Secondly, we were a group of 8, so we had to wait 20 minutes (which I can understand), however, instead of sitting us at the large table, they split us into 2 tables back to back so we couldn't talk to the rest of the people in our group. It took 20 minutes before the waitress came and took our drink order, then another 20 before she came and took our food order. We then waited an hour for our food, which was really disappointing. *side note - I do not eat a lot of food and was not hungry because I was nauseous from the heat and they would not let me order off the child's menu, which I have been able do to at this restaurant before** The "caesar" salad was given to us with ranch, not caesar dressing. And we were uninformed the food would come out family style - and our waitress did not bring us plates to serve the sides on, we had to ask another waitress for them. Finally, when we were finished eating, we were informed we were not allowed to take our sides home because people were asking for free refills - just don't offer free refills then.... Very disappointed that we had to fight to take home food that we paid for. Food was not worth the price that we paid and waitress seemed to not know what she was doing.

Jake's Texas Tea House Nice fun old style diner decorated with old car signs, mini cars and actual portions of cars. Themed after a car garage. Ordered the Country French Turkey, kind of like a Club sandwich Chicken Fried Steakwhich was average. Was kind of underwhelmed and by the high Yelp reviews was disappointed. Personally don't know why this place is rated so high

Such a fun place to eat. The kids got their food served in a paper car. They loved looking at all the cool things on the walls as well as the cars in the restaurant. The food was good and the servings were huge. The staff was very friendly.

Tis is a very nice restaurant (not a tea house). The decor is American automobile related and very cute. The food is tasty and the service is great.

This was a cute (& not very busy) little outdoor patio where we thought we'd have a bit of lunch on Saturday, 3-6-21, after a trip to the Waco farmers market. We were seated right away at noon. We had our order taken pretty quickly. I ordered a BLT & my hubby got. Hamburger sliders and fries. We waited and waited for one hour and twenty minutes. Finally at 1:20 pm, we decided to get up and leave. I'm sorry that I don't have more to say except that my husband did get up after about an hours wait. He found a manager to ask about the whereabouts of our food. The manager seemed a bit disinterested. He did say they were "busy" & "they'd check on it." But another 20 minutes went by, & he nor anyone ever came to apologize or let us know what was taking so long for a couple of sandwiches. From what we could see, it was not super busy? (*See my video of the patio). We decided to leave & probably will not be going back to thIs restaurant. We just moved to the area from the Midwest. I'm sure there's plenty of other places to try, that we will enjoy & they hopefully will enjoy having our business too.

Cool diner eats. When in Texas we had to try one of the blue plate specials, chicken fried steak w/2 sides. Batter was surprisingly light, gravy was tasty and the butter corn and fried okra sides went really well with everything. Sweet tea was not too sweet and the watermelon slices were juicy and sweet. Another sweet thing was the service. Very hospitable. Great place to stop in to if you're hungry and/or have kids. Plenty of parking at side lot.

Edited: please read full thread It's unfortunate that we drove from Dallas to visit Jake's and did not even get seated. It seems like skipping parties to seat others is a reoccurring thing based off of the reviews I am seeing. Not sure for the reason for being skipped over, since we were a party of 2, and were in line before the three parties that arrived after us, yet got seated before us. It was not an issue for the host that he skipped us three times until we walked out. If you'd like a better food option and customer service while in Waco, I highly recommend Sascee's Southern Style Eatery. Their food is absolutely delicious and the customer service is amazing. Stacy, I find it hard to believe that you are genuinely apologetic about our experience. Below I have attached a picture for reference. We were In fact in your establishment, on Sunday September 27, around 1:30pm. According to yelp, maps, and your knowledge, you are open. As for the host, it's the white elderly male. I don't know what his title is, but he was the one who should be able to remember the situation. I have no desire to return to your establishment after your insincere apology.

Everything was excellent! Burgers, chicken salad fries, onion rings, cheese curds and loved the dill pickle chips!

Servixe horrible. Foos was not tasty at all, ambiance was busy and unpleasant. Pollo Loco

Always friendly and delicious service. Their sweet potato fries are a step above the rest. To date I've never had a bad meal or experience, you just can't go wrong

Hands down the best patty melt I've had!! Loved the atmosphere and the old school vibe. Our kids loved the cars that their meals came in and the fact that they got watermelon slices as a side. The whole family had a great time. Husband said his burger was just okay and same with the fries but both the kids loved their mini burgers and chicken tenders

Great homemade food. Family owned. Great atmosphere. Service is outstanding. Desserts are amazing

Such a cool little restaurant. If you like old cars & The classic American diner, you'll love this place. The food is EXCELLENT ! The service is fast & friendly. The prices are fair especially since you can really taste the quality and care the clearly goes into the cooking. (The best fried chicken I have had in a long time). It's located down down town Waco -so the location is great & they have a nice patio area. Odd hours... brunch & lunch hours only. But an excellent choice to bring the family for lunch after church on Sunday

Neatly designed place but not impressed. Siren goes off every little bit. Ordered the chicken sandwich and was presented with a bun filled with several plain and bland chicken tenders that wouldn't stay within the bun which made for messing and difficult eating. Frustrated and expected one chicken breast that filled the bun like most chicken sandwiches. Wont be back.

Super cute space located in downtown Waco. Loved the car shop ambiance! We ordered a cheeseburger and fries and it was deeelish! Huge portion, glad we chose to split our meal! Before the meal we asked about deserts that menu says are homemade and the waitress offered key lime pie, buttermilk pie and a coconut cake, all sounded so good, but we were too full afterwards to partake! Great spot for kids too! I would recommend

Bottom Line: Extremely good pie & average sweet tea at reasonable prices. Kitschy interior decor & very friendly staff. Top Line: I stopped in to have a piece of their buttermilk pie $4.50'ish and a glass of sweet tea $2.25. The tea was pretty average, being simply sweet without a lot of distinctly black tea flavor shining through. But at a couple of bucks for a usual large size drink glass, Jake's delivered on the price and value fronts. Their buttermilk pie was an epiphany. The crust was very substantial: thick & hard to the fork. I feared it would be dry to the max. I was wrong. The crust was indeed dang sturdy. But there was so much butter in it that, at first bite, my mouth screamed, "Cookie!! This is a cookie!" It tasted like a homemade chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate. Exactly that flavor. The custardish filling was equally tasty, being extremely rich and sweet. While you might expect a buttermilk pie to bring some tang from the buttermilk, such was not the case. There was simply sweetness floating out of the sturdy filling in drenching clouds of sugary goodness, with subtle shadings of vanilla. The texture changed with temperature: being a sturdy gelatinous creme when cold, that became more liquid plasma as it warmed toward room temperature. The crusty top of the filling was also very noteworthy. It was like a coating of succulent little crumbles of creme brulee crust hanging tenuously onto each other to create a friable plating of toasted sugar begging for breaking. It was a delightfully crunchy texture contrast to the creaminess of the filling on which it floated. And last, but certainly not least, a huge shout-out to the staff at Jake's for their high energy, super friendly hustle & care of their customers. While the line of diners waiting to be seated can get long, the staff keeps it moving at a quick clip given the number of people they are cycling through their establishment. My waitress was as friendly, courteous, and hospitable as you could ever want. Kudos to the staff for making us diners feel welcome. I hope to hit up Jake's again before my sojourn in Waco is done.

We had our dogs, so even though it was warm outside, we opted to sit out in the patio area. Our server was quick to unlock the gate so we could get in and get seated rather quickly, they do offer umbrellas to give you shade from the heat. My husband and I split the patty melt and some french fries. Their french fries are cut fresh, not frozen. The patty melt with seasoned nicely and had two different types of cheese, both Swiss and American along with the grilled onions. They offer two kinds of ketchup, regular and jalapeño. The jalapeño had a nice kick to it. Our server was also quick to offer to bring out a bowl of water for our dogs and when I requested a unseasoned burger patty for them to split they were very accommodating and it truly only cost a extra three dollars. The inside had a great atmosphere decorated and all kinds of old car fanatics memorabilia. The restrooms were clean. That's always a plus with me.

This is such a neat way to serve food. The salad and veggies are served family style (at least they are on Sunday) and each person picks their own main entree. The staff was so polite and the food was delicious! Very family friendly!

Wonderful- me Andrew my husband we just driving through Texas and wanted a good steak from a good steak place in Texas- easier said than done! But we finally found it at Jakes!!!!

Meatloaf on Thursday with mashed potatoes and okra was very good. My husband said he'd sure do it again!

Every meal I have had here has been excellent. Friendly waitstaff. Throwback gas station decor. Recommended.

A Waco original that has been lost to the tourism trade. That being said the food is still good and locals still go.