J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House

We visited Barnett’s because it was a short walk from the Waco Convention Center. Since we were there for lunch, we did not try the whiskey (unfortunately). The restaurant is something of a dive but has an eclectic menu. Our table ordered the Bacon Waffle, the Whiskey House Special salad, J.S. Barnett’s Signature Burger, and a Deviled Egg Salad Sandwich. Portions were large and we were served quickly.

Just happened to be traveling through Waco and decided to stop for some food and a drink; happened upon Barnett’s Whiskey House and I’m glad we did. The food was most excellent, the atmosphere was good and the service was top notch! Looking forward to hearing the live music later this evening. Will definitely stop in anytime I come through or near Waco.

Came into Barnett’s tonight and enjoyed a River Spritz and an Espresso Martini, both were amazing!

First time at J.S. Barnett’s Whiskey House & Restaurant and I’ll be back!! Shoutout to Haylii, the bartenders, and hostess for the great service. They made it an even better evening. The burger was great- too great apparently for me to take a picture. I just wanted to dig in. The Texas Twinkies from the BBQ trailer on the back patio were tasty. I wanted some queso with brisket but they were out. Guess that means I need to come back! The drinks are excellent, well crafted. Thanks J.S. Barnett’s for a wonderful evening!!

We had a wonderful dinner and time at the J.S. Barnett Restaurant! The whiskey bacon, Gouda pasta and tri-tips were amazing!!

The food was great. Probably our favorite meal while staying here in Waco. We ordered bourbon ham Benedict and the crab and avocado Benedict and both were fantastic. Our blood Mary’s were perfect. The only thing I did not like was that they add a 20% charge to your bill “to cover costs” and it does not go to the server as a tip. 20% is the standard tip these days, as someone who used to be a server I feel this is unfair to the staff. They also charge an additional 3.5% credit card fee. So I just felt like a scam.

We had an absolutely delightful experience! The service was warm and attentive, and the food was outstanding. We ordered the filet and potatoes—both were cooked to perfection. For dessert, we enjoyed the bread pudding, which was rich, comforting, and flawlessly prepared. Every bite of the meal was a treat. The only downside was the added “gratuity” charge. When we asked about it, we were told it actually goes to the bar to cover wages, not to the server as a tip. This felt a bit misleading. If a charge like this is necessary, it would be clearer and fairer to label it a “surcharge” so guests can still tip their server appropriately. That said, everything else was wonderful, and we truly enjoyed our time here!

I’ve been coming to Barnett’s for the last few years—initially for the bourbon selection and then for the food. It’s always been a spot I’ve enjoyed visiting when I’m in Waco. That said, I’ve now had a similar experience on my last two visits (December 2025 and again in March 2026) that was a little frustrating. The menu seems to be pretty out of date—both for bourbon pours and for the food menu. Back in December, five of us ordered dinner and were told after ordering that several items weren’t actually available. We reordered, and even then some of the replacements still didn’t come out as expected. On this most recent visit in March, it was a similar situation. Several bottles listed on the bourbon menu weren’t available, and when I tried to order dessert to go (the bread pudding), I was told they no longer make it. I then asked about the limoncello and was told the same thing. Barnett’s still has a great atmosphere and I’ve always appreciated their focus on bourbon, but it would really help if the menus—both food and whiskey—were kept updated so guests know what’s actually available when ordering

The wonderful Ashley brook great care of us! The food and drinks were amazing. A gem in downtown Waco

We came for dinner and a drink on a girls wknd in Waco. The place a bit smokey from the grill/cooking but still very bearable. The service was friendly. My friend has a severe egg allergy and they made sure to correct her order and make her burger safe to eat with no complaints. This place is casual, but you won't be out of place if you're a little dressed up. Regardless, they make you feel welcome. I was starving and glad my pork shank came out quick! It fell off the bone and was moist and very well seasoned. The drinks were delicious and they didn't skimp on the alcohol. Overall a nice experience and delicious meal. They have an amazing selection of whiskey and I hear it's the place to go for an old fashion. Also, you can purchase a bottle (10 shots worth) and they put your name on the bottle and keep locked up and will bring it out anytime you return. I was told they have ppl who come often and those who maybe come 1x a yr.

Searched for a quick half way point from Fort Worth to Round Rock that was pet friendly, offered food and drinks. I came across this establishment and decided to give it a try. Marked as a whiskey bar, this place has all the selections you can possibly want along with standard beer and liquor options. They have a large outdoor patio with a stage and many areas to sit. I can see this place get pretty busy during the summer and with the university nearby, I am certain many scholars have slid up to the bar for a pint or two. They say they are a pet friendly establishment with pictures online showing dogs inside the restaurant. It was January and chilly so outside was kind of hard to sit at. They were kind enough to allow us to have our dog inside as long as he behaved. He is a small good boy so that was easy but note I cannot imagine management allowing a lot of pets inside so make note of that when bringing a pet. They have two menus- one is a BBQ food truck that is outside on the patio and the other is the restaurant kitchen menu. I cannot comment on food as we decided not to order... now let me explain why. Upon entering the establishment, we saw it was a tight bar/restaurant and weren't sure about bringing in our dog. We walked back outside and tried the patio. A kind waitress brought us water for our dog but didn't ask us if we wanted anything which we realized after she was with the food truck. I went inside and asked if we could bring the dog in and sat at their little seating area. We never got asked if we would like anything to drink. We had to go to the bar and order. Although they were kind and even after saying we weren't from around here and it was our first time, there was really no warm welcome or greeting. We quickly finished our drink and left. I won't be back.

Decent atmosphere, terrible food and drinks. Their filet that costs $28 looks more like half of a HEB steak. Hot Toddies were very bitter, lemons seemed old. Old fashion was more like straight whiskey on the rocks. Desert, the bread pudding was extremely dry and drowned in whip cream. Extremely disappointing experience, especially for the price.

Go for booze only!! The Old Fashioned was very good. We tried some of the bacon wrapped dates and cheese, not very good. Bacon was burnt and loosely wrapped that it was falling off the cheese/dates. Service was VERY slow! We went on a Sunday at 5 pm.

This place is a hidden gem! They boast the largest selection of whiskeys in Texas with 1200+ to choose from the the 3rd largest selection in the US. The burgers we had were also flavorful and the bartender was very friendly. We stumbled upon this place on our way back to Austin from Dallas. We will be back again!

I come here for brunch almost every time I visit Waco. The benedicts are my favorite thing to order and some of the cocktails are good for an afternoon drink, however, I did not enjoy the Bloody Mary. I'm not sure if the mix is house made or not but it was too sweet. Side note: if you are hungover and sensitive to smell and sound maybe skip this spot for brunch; I've been here a couple of times where something burned in the kitchen and the whole place smells on top of really loud music blasting right in your face.

Probably the most amazing whisky list I've ever seen. Also the menu included gin, tequila, etc. Also smaller selections of beer and wine but whiskey is the star here. We didn't like the Deviled eggs at all. They put some kind of not traditional spin on them which we didn't care for. Pretzel with cheese and mustard sauces were good though.

My wife and I came for brunch which is typically amazing but not the last two times! First I ordered a Bloody Mary and the server never put the order in. Second we ordered Bacon Sandos and Eggs Benedict. The Bacon Sandos are a jalapeno and cheese cornbread wrapped in bacon but ours came out with a crouton, a block of cheese, and a piece of bacon with no explanation of why the substitution. For the price of $11 it was very poor choice. When the server asked if we were ready to check out she took our card and brought back the final receipt without the itemized copy. After asking for a copy since the total didn't line up we noticed that they charged gratuity on a two person ticket without mentioning it. We would have paid an additional tip on the total which already included a tip. Terrible service and after years of eating here we will not be going back due to their shady practices!

Top notch service from the moment we walked in. An expansive drink menu with no bad choices. Great food to with friendly service. A+ music going in the bar too!

We had high hopes for what has been rated the "best brunch in Waco" this morning - and now we have no idea how they received this rating. First, we ordered water for the table. FYI - tap water in Waco is perfectly safe to drink and actually tastes much better than the imported Italian bottles of water that the restaurant forces you to purchase if you order water. They also brought glasses of ice with the water (that's right, ice made from the tap water of Waco!!). We asked the server if we could just get tap water - she told us "this is the image the restaurant is trying to have, they don't serve tap water." One of the glasses of ice had MOLD on a piece of ice - meaning they likely have not cleaned out their ice chest recently. We walked out to the car to grab our own bottles of ice water. Ordered a beer. The waitress brought the wrong, very gross, hibiscus beer. Then brought another beer, which did not taste like it does from the local brewery where it is made. It's likely that the beer lines have not been cleaned out either, much like the ice chest. We didn't say anything about it since we just wanted to order food. At this point, the waitress completely disappeared for at least 10 minutes, while we still hadn't been able to place our food order. She came back and asked if we were ready. It took at least another 30 minutes to receive avocado toast, biscuits and gravy, French toast, waffles, and eggs Benedict. Those who ordered the eggs Benedict and avocado toast said it was good. That's the two stars. The rest - biscuits and gravy - the biscuits were described as "tastes like it's 3 days old..." and immediately crumbled like sand to demonstrate. When the waitress delivered them, she looked at the plate and asked if we wanted more sausage on top, which we didn't understand. Were they not served with the amount of sausage they came with? Or was she just trying to upcharge us yet again for something? The waffle and the $12 French toast - both came out without the whipped cream that the menu says they should have. As the waitress delivered the waffle, she said they ran out of whipped cream in the kitchen and went to the bar bring back flat, runny unsweetened cream in a shot glass. The French toast had no butter, syrup, whipped cream, or sauce with the cherries - it was just as dry as the attached photo, and yet the center was completely soggy and tasted off. The waitress didn't notice anything off about it and we had to chase her down (literally got up from the table at this point) to get whipped cream and syrup. It was still the flat runny cream from the bar. Didn't finish the French toast, and half of the diners noted feeling not well, unsettled stomachs after brunch. Thankfully, they didn't charge us for the water or the beer. Not sure if that was an error on the servers part or if they felt bad about the terrible service, drinks, and food? They didn't tell us, but we won't be back to find out either as there are much better places for brunch in Waco.

Sunday brunch was sub par at best and we really wanted to like it. Snagged seats at the bar ordered 2 apps, the bacon and deviled eggs. Bacon was good?but nothing special and served with a side of mayo? Menu said spicy remoulade. Deviled eggs were also served on top of mayo? 5 eggs in the order 2 left on the plate. Biscuits n gravy saved the day if a bit odd with crumbled sausage just on top. Avocado toast was mid.

Drinks are good ! Service if that is part of the experience you want don't not look here. I understand New Year's Day should still on point.

Dez is the greatest and most beautiful soul in the world! She always makes my Sunday better with her bright smile and friendly personality

We got there at noon today (Saturday). We got a seat and after 15 minutes of nobody stopping by, we left. It looks like a nice place though.

Two stars simply because the staff were friendly, however, I would not recommend for dinner. The restaurant itself is dark, cramped and loud. May be better suited as just a bar. I had to send my drunk back due to something floating in it. They had run out of the liquor in it so no remake possible. I ordered the filet, medium, which had to be remade when I cut in to find it bleeding. A lady at a table near us also had to send hers back. Also, something was going wonky with the water and they only had fancy bottled water, luckily they forgot to add the $4 bottle to our bill.

I recently had dinner at J.S. Barnett's. The Beer Cheese Burger was fantastic! It was the best cheeseburger I've had all year. Although the restaurant shares my same initials and last name, I'm not aware if we are related. I will however brag about a family restaurant in Waco. :) Alex was our waiter and she was pretty funny. Rebecca helped me pick a great baseball hat and a couple of shirts. I definitely recommend Barnett's. Good atmosphere, superb service and outstanding food and drink.

We had high hopes for a Whiskey House. Going for my whiskey fiend husband's birthday, it did not live up to expectations. My husband was expecting a wide selection of whiskeys, but no options were provided. He ordered an old fashioned and was mildly satisfied. I went with a margarita, and ended up getting a very tart limeade with little to no liquor. I had a couple sips and was done. The menu was very limited. I was excited to try the deviled eggs and bacon. I love deviled eggs, but these eggs tasted spoiled. I expected a classy twist to the bacon, but it was just a plate of bacon that I could have made at home. I will say the grilled cheese and the chicken sandwich were great, they are the only thing that saved this place from 1 star. However the burger was quite the let down. Expecting a smother of pimento cheese and jalapeños galore, there was one little dollop of cheese and 3 jalapeños. The burger itself was about 1/8" thick. Way to thin to even be considered a legitimate burger and was charred. The kicker at the end of our meal was the 4% up charge for using a credit card. They said "Since Covid, credit cards companies are charging more and all restaurants are adding the extra fee." We have never seen it on a receipt the way we did here and we did not see it the next day at another establishment close by. We definitely will not be returning.

Fantastic service, cool place, and lots of drinks to choose from! Chill inside and easy going. We came in from a drenching rain and was immediately sat and waited on! I loved the fall old fashioned/ definitely try it!!

Went for $5 pint & $5 burger night. Good food and service but bill was "shady". Gratuity built in for 2 people and another suggested tip. Completely misleading to the customer.

Had a super fun time at the Behind the Scenes Whiskey Tasting featuring Bardstown Bourbon company. The servers at the whiskey house were fun and nice and gave the place a great vibe and the visiting bourbon experts had great recommendations and a treasure trove of knowledge. Recommend!

The food is great & the whiskey selection is great! Our server was polite and helpful

Used to be one of favorite spots, I don't think we'll come back anytime soon. I ordered a Manhattan but the waitress couldn't tell me her well whiskey so I asked for the bartender to choose a good rye. It was not good, I couldn't finish it. We got a charcuterie board some Brussels sprouts and 4 street tacos, 4 drinks and the bill was $140. Way too expensive. The food is tasty but for what you get their prices are way out of the park. They used to have great drinks but last time and this time I didn't like my drink. Too many other places. Plus the servers weren't super friendly. Plus the band was HORRIBLE!! Who told the guy he could sing? It's super sad. There's 6 people watching him. Shame on me for not noticing my last review of Barnett's said it sucked. I need to read my own reviews!

Loved the vibes and chill atmosphere of this place! Staff was great too! Drinks are AMAZING!!!10/10! Unfortunately the food was a let down...Deviled eggs were not, I don't remember the menu description but they taste fishy, maybe they have crab, not sure but not very good. Ordered the pasta, it had potential but sauce was extremely runny. Now their Brisket sandwich from their food truck was glorious! Also got their bread pudding...it's HUGE!!!

Great lunch specials and the largest whiskey collection in Texas. Plus Guinness on draft is the best.

Awesome place. Great vibe. Amazing selection on spirits. Go here for lunch several times a week and always get great quick service from the cool bar staff. Highly recommend

Stopped in and overall glad we did, food was well prepared, and good portions. We stopped in during the mid afternoon time, so the place was mostly empty. Well maintained, and clean. Service was ok. Wasn't great, wasn't bad, only real complaints were ordering water, and getting the order right. They bring you bottled water instead of tap. Wouldn't be a big deal, but we stopped in with 2 kiddos and asked for water for them. Wasn't told it would be bottle, and before we could ask, the server made sure to open it as she walked to the table. Luckily it wasn't a large charge, but would have been nice to have been told ahead of time. Kept us from deciding to order more than we did, felt like it was a purposeful up charge, and we weren't going to order more to see what else was going to be charged. The order wasn't a big order, and one of my kiddos ordered his food asking for a few things to be left off. It came as it was listed on the menu with everything we asked not to be on it. Would we go back.. possibly. Food was worth the trip back, but service seemed lacking.

If you haven't stepped into Barnetts yet, you're really missing out. Right in the heart of Downtown activity, this is the most extensive whiskey bar around. Over 1200 whiskeys and 2000 total different bottles of alcohol; truly amazing. Not only do they have a wide variety of great drinks, they have awesome food and one of the best weekend brunches in town. A "must go to"!

5-star whiskey bar with 3-star pub food. One of the managers told us it's the biggest whiskey bar in Texas - and from what I saw, it's hard to argue. When I asked to see the list, our server dropped a small encyclopedia-sized book on our table. Texas, Kentucky, Irish, Scotch - you name it, they've probably got it, somewhere. Only difficulty might be locating your choice - our server vainly rooted through several cabinets for the Yellow Spot I ordered but came up empty. (A manager later found it.) Food was disappointing for the price. We ordered bacon-wrapped dates, but the kitchen accidentally sent out crab cakes - they were too thick and topped with frozen veggies that weren't quite thawed. (We didn't complain because the incorrect order was on the house.) Instead of a slice of cheese, burger was covered with shredded cheese that wasn't quite melted. Salmon was dry and overcooked. Still, a must-stop for whiskey lovers.

Come to drink, not to eat. Stopped in by happenstance on a Saturday during brunch hours on our way through to San Antonio. I guess I was expecting Irish pub style food... but it was kind of just normal American bar/brunch (brunch menu because of brunch hours, never saw the normal menu) and an odd Saturday special for a crab boil. I ordered shrimp n grits, my fiancé ordered the avocado toast. Shrimp and grits menu description: blackened shrimp, green Chile cheddar grits, two eggs, and a biscuit. I wasn't egg-zactly feeling breakfast-y, so I ordered sans eggs. What I got was a bowl of disappointment. Expectations were well seasoned shrimp, creamy saucy cheesy grits... instead the grits were hard, literally a bowl of grit balls, and the shrimp had zero seasoning, and the biscuit was over cooked and hard. The avocado toast was exactly that ... it's not exactly hard to cut open an avocado and schmear it on some toast. But it came with a "poached egg". A pretty pitiful poached egg. Not sure where they found such a small egg, because it was more like the size of a quail egg, and it was closer to hard boiled than poached. It also came in a bowl and sitting on a bed of greens. We were unsure if he was supposed to put that on top of the toast after picking it up, or if it was supposed to be a salad with no dressing. Either way, the egg and the greens didn't get consumed. They did comp my food since I couldn't really eat it, but The service in general was also lacking. Our dude spilled a quarter of our mimosa pitcher when he was trying to pour it, charged $2.75 for a flat coke in a whiskey sized glass, and only came to check on us when I actually flagged him down ... I don't hold that against him too hard, though, because I poked fun a little and he admitted it was still his first week on the job. Overall verdict - Stop in for a drink and to watch a game (Baylor was on at the bar) if you're in the area, but don't expect much from the food.. at least the brunch menu. We won't be back, and we're going to grab a a burger at in n out on the way instead now.

The selections of Scotch and Bourbon are incredible! My husband had the Ardbeg Kelpie and it was incredibly balanced with a nice heavy peat and smoke flavor. It wasn't too bright and totally worth the price! Especially since my brother generously footed the bill. I had the hot butter rum which was perfect for such a cold, wet, and rainy day! It hit the spot! There were two egg nogs shared and goodness they were tasty! We had a new server and he was fantastic! The couches were comfy and overall atmosphere was inviting like an English pub. Next time we are in town we'll be back! Loved it!!

Came in here for a quick lunch and a drink with a coworker and the staff was amazing! Alex went above and beyond giving us a list of places to check out while we were in town and even chased us down to give us our pint night glass we forgot! Thank y'all for your great hospitality! Ps. The shrimp po boy is delicious.

My family and I walked pass this place on our way to the Dr Pepper Museum and the smell of the crawfish is what caught my nose! My family doesnt eat crawfish but I convinced them to eat here considering they had other food options such as burgers, wrap, salads, and tacos. Upon entering the establishment, we were greeted with stares and not hellos. You would think a ghost walked in! After waiting a couple of minutes with no direction, I asked the waitress about ordering crawfish. I was told i needed to go outside to the patio area where the rruck was to order, yet while waiting outside on the patio we saw the waitor coming outside to take crawfish orders inside. My family however, stayed in the inside to order from their menu. Apparently, no one ever came to take their order so they came outside with me to order food from the truck. While placing my order, the cashier automatically included his tip in my total and when I asked about it, he acted as if he didnt know what happened. Crazy how I was told my total was $14 but as the card was swiped I received a text notification being charged $17. I was going to leave a tip anyway but you shouldn't automatically add your tip to someone's check as you please. I guess he tried to make up for it by giving me a free pop. After I ordered, my family ordered tacos. My food was ready quickly so I found a table and began to eat and listen to the live music while my family waited for their food. A 10 min wait (as the cashier said) turned into a 30 min wait which then turned into the kitchen never received their order and it'll be 10 more minutes. As a result, my family requested a refund because at this point, I'd already finished my crawfish plate that didnt come with sausage as I asked when purchasing and was told it did. The plate did come with 4 potatoes, corn and a tasty dipping sauce. The general manager provided the refund on one check (when the orders were placed separately) with a horrible attitude. I guess you can say, I regret even smelling the crawfish if I knew it came with such horrible customer service.

Awesome service, awesome bar tender, awesome drinks. Go here if you want high quality drinks with a high quality time. Cannot ask for a better service to experience ratio!

Emmanuel and Anastasia are always so great! They always make my experience spectacluar!! THANKYOU GUYS!!

Went in the other day and had Katrina and she was amazing! Lovely personality and offered me a lot of nice drink options. Can't wait to come back!

A great place for either a night out with friends or a date night. Emmanuel was very attentive & had great drink recommendations! We will definitely be back again.

Service was great ,my serve Emmanuel was engaging and kept the drinks coming ! Environment was next to none,I definitely recommend people to come here anytime they are in waco !

Went there and had great service by a server named Emmanuel chairez. Outstanding man, outstanding server and outstanding service by him. It makes sense why there's and E in Barnett's because they couldn't last there without my man Emmanuel

Katrina is the best addition to the business!! She's always smiling and super kind. Love her so much!! She's awesome!!

Amazing drinks and service as always ! Can't wait to go back ! Thank you Barnetts Whiskey House !

First time. Great service and suggestions from Beka. Brunch was delicious. Kids enjoyed the smores. Barnett Benedict highly recommended.

We were excited about this place.....but really disappointed. The margarita was great. Bar service was not attentive at all. The food was mediocre. The crab cake Benedict was lukewarm and the plates were cold. The remoulade sauce was as just mayo and some spice. We left disappointed.

They charge you their credit card fee! On our bill was a charge for a fee they incur if you use a credit card to pay. I have never seen this done before and was quite surprised. When asked, our server confirmed that's what this fee was for. I didn't make a big deal about. I did use a credit card to pay but I my tip was based on food and beverage alone. I never tip on the full amount as it includes tax, and in this case, their card fee. On a positive note. Atmosphere was great, food was good, and service was just fine. Only reason for 4* review is the credit card fee.

Great bar in downtown Waco. Love the atmosphere. Friendly, attentive staff. Drop by before or after a Baylor game!

We were unimpressed with our stop here for Brunch. The brunch cocktails were both pretty good (Bloody Mary and Rumchata Iced coffee). If you are only looking for drinks, this place is a good choice. The egg Benedict with Bacon and Brie was just barely okay. The two half's of the Benedict to each came with half a slice of bacon each and couldn't taste the Brie, and the biscuit was very small. The salad was a bit wilted. And the potato casserole was barely cooked potato hash with just a barely noticeable cheese which was under seasoned. The regular egg Benedict did not fare any better. Sitting at the bar, the service was great to get the drink order, but food for us took a very long time and getting the check also took a very long time. Other patrons came, got their food and left at least 10-15 min ahead of us.

Very impressed with the "spirit bible" and the vast selection. This would be lost on the average patron but for me, well, it was fun just reading the options. Granted, I'm not going to drop $80 on a 2 oz. pour when I have many of these bottles at home. Instead, I went with a couple of solid choices that never disappoint. My one concern is the pricing. Some are higher than they should be (Penelope, Redemption Rum Cask, Sagamore Spirit, Angel's Envy Rye) and some are lower than they should be (not going to say because they'll raise them). It's as though the person who set them threw darts at a price wheel. Anyway, overall impressed. That's what matters, right? And lastly, if you're one of those who thinks Pappy is "worth the price point", you have no clue how to rate bourbon, have more money than sense, and should be relegated to drinking only Jim Beam for the rest of your pathetic life. The SA Syndicate approves BPH. Come get a passport and explore.

Cody and Zach were wonderful! Great atmosphere, food, and drinks! Would highly recommend the gold rush and chicken sandwich!

Came here for the first time today. Double burger was superb 10/10. Service was incredible and bartender new what to get for persons pallets. I had 3 drinks in total and they were all exactly what I wanted another 10/10. Old fashioned is their specialty and it is smooth and delicious would highly recommend. Don't forget to tip your bartender!