Opal's Oysters

This place was incredible and such a gem in Waco! I travel for work and always eating at fine dining restaurants. This will be marked as one of my favorite experiences. The oysters were out of this world. Pairing of the crab cake with the lemon caper sauce and fresh herb salad was such a flavor explosion. The caramelized cauliflower with macadamia nuts was such a flavorful surprise. Martini was made perfectly and only $5 desserts! The service was great! Alex was my bartender and he had the best suggestions for the food and things to do in Waco. I met one of the managers and marketing guy. They were generous enough to give me free oysters to try after filming some marketing. Great people. Great atmosphere. Great prices.

Tuesday late lunch, so restaurant was not busy. Beautiful decor. Ask for a patio table while the weather is still great. Everything was wonderful. Sadly, cannot remember our server’s name, but she was great. Started with fresh oysters, perfectly prepared and nice presentation. I had the Blue Crab Louis salad & Lobster Mac & Cheese. My friend had Purple Haze Berry salad, Blue Crabcake, & Carmelized Cauliflower. Delicious! The salads were fresh & beautifully prepared. (House-made 1000 Island dressing yum!) My friend commented the crabcake was the best she ever had and she’s from Louisiana. The lobster mac & cheese had generous portions of lobster. Although I would recommend any dishe we had, you really have to try the caramelized cauliflower. Strawberry Bundt cake to go. Very good! “Special occasion“ prices, but worth it!

This is a fabulous experience! Came in last night for dinner and enjoyed it tremendously! Ann was a great bartender. The place does get packed quickly so either make a reservation or get there early for lunch or dinner. I love that they have an open kitchen with seats. Definitely will be back!

Stevie is such a fantastic server and took great care of me and my husband today while we were out for a lunch date. Every time we come here, we’re always so impressed with the level of service, food quality, and atmosphere. They keep us coming back time and time again! Also, the basque cheesecake is to DIE for!

This was the best meal and dining experience I have had in YEARS. We sat at the Oyster Bar which is not for everyone.i will admit. It's loud at prime dinner time due to food being prepped in front of you. But this doesn't bother my husband and I. We literally love kitchen chaos. Lol we were able to see food going out and being expo'd. We ended up getting oysters and 5 appetizers then a dessert but because we were asking and talking with chefs they let us try some things I would have Never ordered and now will Go Back and get on purpose. My husband and I cant stop talking about how good it was. BEST CRAB CAKE I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!

We just had an amazing meal at Opal’s! Extensive bar menu with lots of specialty drinks. Started with a variety of fresh oysters as an appetizer. They were amazing! Followed those with crab cakes and a lobster roll with truffle fries. We have been all over the United States and we both said that this food was some of the best we have ever had! We topped it off with lemon tarts that were to die for! You will not be disappointed going here!

Oysters, mains, drinks, and service was spectacular. The poltena and friend rice wasn't for us. I think they are trying to do too much on the sides and going truffle oil crazy. Stick to the basics 🤌 We will be returning. Great experience. And we came from 45 minutes away!

Don’t walk. Run. This place exceeded all of my expectations. Big shoutout to my waitress Hailee. Thank you for being so patience, so kind, and extremely knowledgeable to me with this being my first time there. Thank you sierra, Elizabeth, Brooke and head chef Austin. Because of your kindness and excellent customer service. You have now received a lifelong customer. I cant wait to see yall next month!

DANNY was our server and his knowledge about the food and attention to detail was exceptional! I came here with my girlfriend and family and we ordered the mussels, seabass, crab cake, and lobster roll as meals. Our sides were the homeade fries, brocolli, and caulflower. We also had a dozen oysters. All of the food was really delicious, compliments to the chefs! Chris, the manager came by as well to check on us and make sure everything came out perfect! Kennith, Sitina, Justin and a few others checked on us as well as they were passing by among a few others of Danny's coworkers. Staff was very friendly and helpfull. I've ate at pretty much all the restaurants around Waco and I have to say without a doubt this is the best high end restaurant in Waco, Tx. Danny's service was top notch and I would highly recommend anyone to go try out Opal's in Waco,Tx!!! The ambiance at Opal's was very serene and tranquil. Thank you Danny, Chris, Sitina, Justin, Kennith and the rest of the Opal's team for making our time a memorable one!

3.5 stars! For seafood lovers, this is the place to find oysters, scallops, fish, and more. We ordered: Oysters on the half shell (two types) Butternut squash soup Roasted cauliflower Herb salad on the side Chilean sea bass Scallops Lobster roll Cheesy polenta Crab fried rice My friends enjoyed the wine selections and libations while we waited for our meal, watching enviously as the tables to our left and right were served before us despite the couples arriving after us. Other than the serving snafu, the food was delicious and plated prettily. My soup was a bit lukewarm while the cauliflower dish was a bit liberal on the salt. The side herb salad was just that ... a few pieces of basil and chives dressed with lemon. No salad greens, lol, so imagine my surprise. Since our meal came late to the table, we were the last remaining foursome in the section of the restaurant and turns out that makes for a quieter dining experience. Just be careful of the real candle that served as table lighting -- lovely romantic glow but our graduate felt the flame a couple of times reaching for the shared dishes. Street parking only. Check them out.

Made reservations for four for lunch on the patio. We were sat on the sidewalk, in March, and it was so hot! They didn't have umbrellas out, but hopefully they put some out for the summer. They do have a covered patio, so be specific when asking for seating when you make reservations for outside. The ambiance was bougie in a small town. I had the lobster roll and it was delicious! The french fries were good. The restaurant is VERY expensive, especially for eating in Waco. The food was great, but due to the prices, I would not visit here often. If $$ is not an issue, then go for it. It was delicious!

Waco is not known for high quality fine dining, but it has been evolving with Terry Blacks and new 1928 Hotel. Opals is a new spot that just opened right behind Terry Blacks and it should not be missed! Best parking is at Terry Blacks and walking over or street parking. | F O O D | Smoked Salmon 6/10 - well balanced and big app NY Strip 8/10 - incredibly moist and tender Cheesy Polenta 8/10- truffle and cheese YES PLEASE! Caramelized Cauliflower 6/10- kinda bland wanted more herbs and salt Belgian Chocolate Cake 7.5/10- warmed up slice! | A T M O S P H E R E | Quaint and small indoor space making it intimate elevating the fine dining experience. The round bar perfect for just going to get a drink and outside area is full of greenery to make it enchanting in its own way. | O V E R A L L | Opals is a breathe of fresh air as overall the food and atmosphere fit the tone of the place. The prices are higher, but so is the quality and service as each dish was well balanced. Newly opened and perfect for a special date night. Will be back 8/10

Arrived at Opal's on a Tuesday night with no reservation and we're sat immediately. Our server Andrea was so personable and easy to talk to. We started off with oysters, and then moved on to mussels, sea bass, and the crab fried rice. All of which were definitely something to write home about. Great experience and ambiance such a needed addition in Waco!

This was our second time to Opal's and it was fantastic. We sat outside on the patio in the evening and it was lovely. Our server was friendly, attentive, and gave great recommendations. In this trip we had the lobster roll, salmon, and broccolini. And a side of the spicy crackers because we loved them so much from last time.

Tried Opal's this weekend. Had a reservation for 9:30 and they bumped us up to 9:09 when we kindly asked. Was a good move because we didn't know they close at 10! We unknowingly shut the place down and they were just as kind and patient with us as ever. Our server was very kind, attentive, and informative, and the food was tasty, beautiful, and thoughtful. We ordered zero gulf oysters, two of the west coast, and two east coast (great white). The great white was our favorite-- such a great balance of clean and bright flavor. Looking forward to returning and trying the other east coast options; I believed there were two other options. We also ordered the peach burrata as we love ourselves some burrata. While we wish the peach flavor was more present, we loved the brûlée on it and the other flavors meshed so well. The burrata was perfectly salty and went perfectly with the sweet sauce, greens, and salty burrata. Only wish they would include a crostini to add a crispy texture to the plate. For entrees, we ordered: I ordered the Clam Linguine-- this was such a pretty dish. The pasta and clams were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was creamy and bright. Everything I want out of a seafood pasta dish. My husband ordered the Cheeseburger for variety and because it looked special. All about trying a good looking burger. It had an egg on top that we ordered medium. T'was yummy but we wish the bacon was a bit thicker and the seasoning on the hamburger patty were more present. Still worth trying if you like a classic cheeseburger with a twist, but I think we'll try the Red Snapper (as recommended) next time. The decor and ambiance inside was on point. We spent quite a bit of time taking everything in and commenting on the aesthetic. Sides: There was a good variety of sides though they could use one more veggie or two. Sides were large and enough to feed 2-3 people. We ordered the Parmesan Fries- perfectly crispy and the Parmesan brought some nice, salty flavor. Nice to pair with the burger or have a nice crispy side for contrast to much of the menu. Glazed Carrots-- I am not usually a big fan of cooked carrots but if all cooked carrots tasted like this, I could be a convert. Wish I had more room in my stomach to eat more of these! Will definitely be ordering again. Dessert: Strawberry Bundt Cake was recommended by our server and the perfect end to our meal. Not too sweet and flavors balanced well. Reminded us a little of a strawberry shortcake. Sitting inside Opal's we found ourselves saying, "This doesn't feel like Waco!" Much more like a spot you'd find in a bigger city. So glad they're here. Waco needs more spots like this-- places with good, creative food, and stellar aesthetic. Found out they are owned by the Terry Black's folks. Would be fun to see a collab! Hope they do well!

Too crowded, too noisy, flies. Food was good but will not go back unless it is cooler and we can sit outside.

Had dinner for Valentine's Day and it was fantastic! We sat in the enclosed patio and it was so nice. There were plenty of heaters and they provided a blanket if needed which was so thoughtful. The blanket was not needed as the temperature was perfect. The Prix fix menu gave us the opportunity to try different menu items. We devoured everything except the herb salad served with the seafood entree - didn't really care for that. Everything else was delicious. Service was attentive and courteous. Music and vibe was relaxing and comfortable. Great experience!

Love the atmosphere, service and drinks are top notch. Everything I've eaten here is delish, the oysters are just too tiny for $4 ea. they have several varieties to choose from and we tried 3 but all too small. Still love everything else about opals and will keep returning.

French style oysters were excellent, very good wine selection, broccolini side was great, tartare was good, scallops were good (a little small for the price), and service by Jacob was excellent! Desserts missed a bit. The lemon tarts were good, but strawberry Bundt cake was too cake-y, not moist enough. Could use more of a sauce or whipped cream (or smaller cake portion).

Tried Opal's for lunch. Service was excellent. Love the ambience. Way overpriced however. $28 hamburger is the most expensive hamburger I have had in the world, and this is Waco! It was good, but no hamburger is that good!! Disappointed in the two best selling type oysters that were recommended. East coast - Very briny, small, and not a lot of flavor. Crab bisque, with a puff pastry, was pretty good but a bit too much tarragon.

Wonderful food!! Lobster roll was great and so was the fried rice with crab meat. We sat on patio and it was a great setting for nice afternoon. Great ambiance and great service.

Food was exceptional... fresh and flavorful... well seasoned. Drinks are primo! I suggest making reservations... especially on holiday weekends... ask for Elizabeth ... she is wonderful , has an upbeat personality and full of great suggestions.

Warm hospitality, beautiful decor and fresh oysters is what one can expect. This is the first of its kind restaurant here in Waco and I was so happy to see that Opal's was completely packed with customers. This town can definitely use more establishments like this and I hope they will be here for the long haul.

Stopped in for a appetizer and beer before a event in Waco and the place didn't disappoint. Food is very fresh and service is excellent. A nice quaint spot in the downtown area of Waco. Outdoor seating with heaters. We had a 1/2 dozen east coast oysters and the lobster bisque. Excellent .

Excellent food was delicious and flavorful. The staff was attentive, helpful and friendly. Love sitting on the patio. It was pleasant.

My husband and I went to Opal's a week ago to celebrate our anniversary and were very underwhelmed. The tables were crammed in the restaurant so close together. We were sitting so close to the people next to us that it was awkward to carry on a conversation. The food was okay but very overpriced with very small portions. I had the clam linguine and he had a lobster roll.

I stopped in on my way back to Dallas to try out Opal's. I only tried the lobster bisque because I honestly wasn't that hungry but had seen a video about this place and wanted to try it out. The soup was bomb! I'm going to go back and have dinner on Saturday. Oh! I also had a lemon drop which was pretty good. Service was 10/10. Nice restaurant. I really do want to go back and try some other items on the menu. The drive is about 75 mins. Not too bad.

Wow, I was surprisingly so underwhelmed. Two cocktails Diet Coke Broiled oysters (3) Ceviche Clam chowder Lobster Roll Texas redfish Server Ana was lovely and kind. Everything tasted good. The skin and or the chimichurri on the redfish was SO salty. And that "petite" herb salad was just sprigs of basil and parsley. No reason why it could not have came with an actual salad. The lobster roll came overdressed in some kind of mayo dill situation. You can't taste the lobster at all. Seating was awful. It's our first time so we didn't know. Sitting at the patio bar meant baking in the sun the whole time. I can hear everyone's conversations. No fans outside so it just smelled like BO and perfume. I had to ask for the umbrella to be opened and they assumed it was the party of four behind us who requested it. They didn't acknowledge me or the fact that the sun was STILL beating down on us at 7pm. For the amount we spent, I wish they offered a better dining experience. Who would want to eat in the sun like that? In Texas??? If we came back, I think we'd only bother with the appetizers.

Seriously so delicious! This is arguably Waco's best fine dining restaurant if you are looking for an upscale and intimate place to be. We sat on the inside oyster bar and got to watch all the chefs at work, it was quite impressive. Nothing you order here is bad-- everything is delicious and presented so thoughtfully. They have an array of oysters and serve it well. It is a great place for a special occasion, be sure to make a reservation on their website because they fill up fast. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

We took a day trip to Waco and decided to check it out!! Everything about Opals is amazing! The ambiance, service and food were all top notch!! Will definitely be coming back when I'm in town!!

Fresh oysters in Waco ! I mean fresh! Blew me away. Excellent wine list too ! Sat outside great Al fresco experience.

Man oh man. In my opinion, and all things considered, Opals is the best restaurant in all of Waco. Might be on of the best in all of Texas. The food is amazing, vibes are the best, decor makes you feel like you're on vacation in Nantucket. Service was excellent, an overall great experience every time.

This place is fantastic. From the ambiance to the food... it is seriously amazing. We tried the lobster roll, the burrata with honey comb and grilled peaches and blackberries, the oysters, lobster mac n cheese and my kids split the smash burger and fries. It was seriously amazing start to finish. We ate with our two small children and they brought the food out very quickly and we were able to eat and get out before an epic rainstorm hit. Highly recommend this place! Service was top notch too.

We spent our first wedding anniversary here and were completely blown away! We ordered Ceviche, tuna tartare, Sea bass, lobster bisque, 2 different wines, an espresso martini and every single one was cooked and flavored to perfection! The staff even wrote us a sweet note and gave us a complimentary dessert! We will absolutely be spending future holidays and date nights here! Waco NEEDED this!!

Great fresh crab cakes! Delicious, moist strawberry bundt cake! The charbroiled oysters were so good!

Food and atmosphere were really fun and welcoming! Stevie was a great server! we will definitely be back to see her!

Food was incredible Service was fantastic Ambience felt like we weren't in waco Only reason I don't want to recommend it is so we can still get a table. It's amazing!

The food and the service were good but over priced. Be careful when sitting outside. We were sat at a table directly in the sun for over 45 minutes. We asked to move and we were told we could not. This had us really regretting our choice and unfortunately cannot take the chance of having the same experience again

We are visiting our BU daughter and stumbled upon this gem. The ambiance, beautiful! The food, delicious. The staff all very helpful and kind. A wonderful new dining option in Waco.

The food was impeccable, service friendly above and beyond! We sat at the bar and got to watch the dishes be prepared and were extremely impressed at the professionalism and speed with which this brand new restaurant funct

The best seafood restaurant I've ever been to! Exceptional service and every item we ordered was outstanding- nothing was average- all was exceptional. I will definitely return!

Oysters on the half shell way over priced,( cocktail sauce not good. Wedge salad had a very different dressing on it. Needed more dressing. No bacon bits on it. The Oder for scallops had 3 scallops on it. Garlic butter ended more garlic.. Red fish had a very mild flavor. Good. Again more garlic and salt need. Instead of basil on the side of the plate it should have been spinach. Over priced for servings . Won't be back.

The food, service and atmosphere were amazing! We even booked our next reservation while dining. It's exactly what Waco needed!

We did not wait as we were seated at our reservation time on the patio. Seating was comfy with a padded bench chair and each table area felt secluded because of the beautiful decor. Great for romantic evenings for couples. The service was amazing and the cocktails were beautiful as well as delicious. Our table had the oyster platter that sampled different types and they were a big hit. The entrees were great both seafood and landfair especially the filet mignon. The AGM Jay checked in on us and our server was very attentive. Our party of 4 had a great experience and we highly recommend Opals for a night out.

Wow!! This place was awesome! Service was great, everything we ate was amazing and I was looking around and everything I didn't order looked amazing! Bread and butter was out of this world! All seafood was great and the burger may have been the best burger I ever had, very messy, but so worth it! Lemon tart was also super good. Our outside table under umbrellas was the perfect vibe! Can't wait to come back and try more

The food and service was great! We really loved the quaint, cozy indoor and outdoor space. I would recommend this place all-day long!

It was all good. Loves the ambiance and service was excellent. The food was all good but my favorite was the lox.

The food and drinks were a 10/10. Our server was very helpful explaining the menu and having some awesome recommendations! The ambiance is the best Waco has to offer. Patio seating if available is definitely the move!

Amazing! So happy to have this place in Waco! Oysters are amazing, we tried so much food and it was all incredible. Service is perfection. The overall atmosphere was so great.

Did not disappoint. I had an issue making online reservations for 6 for an indoor table ‍then I called to understand why I and if they are unable to seat six indoors in this cold weather ‍that was an iffy conversation. .. So I decided that my husband and myself would just go in and talk with someone. We went in and sat at the bar so I can make reservations for an upcoming event. The bartender absolutely fabulous. We ordered 6 Texas oysters the smoked salmon, and lobster bisque. The food did not disappoint!!!! We make sure to eat lobster bisque anytime it's offered and this is the absolute best in Central Texas . The Smoke Salmon appetizer was superb! Texas oysters for San Leon made my home sick . Please please make a Happy Hour menu we would entertain this place weekly. It's a bit pricey so this is a special occasion place .

Great addition to the vibrant Waco food scene. Ongoing debate as to which of the three soups are best. Wonderful salads and we've enjoyed the oysters as well as scallops, crab cakes and mussels. Live the outdoor patio seating with fireplace. Although the tables and chairs are packed in it doesn't feel crowded.

OMG wow!! We were driving north to Wisconsin from Austin and decided to stop in Waco for lunch. I found this place on Yelp. The photos and reviews looked great and it was only 3 minutes off the highway, so it seemed like a perfect stop before we enter the world of fried cheeses! We started with a half dozen oysters. We love east coast oysters and they had like 6 different choices just from the east coast! The 3 types we ordered were delicious!! Then we shared the salmon lox and the buratta, which had pears substituted in for the peaches at the time. Both were amazing! We got a lot more salmon than we were anticipating and will definitely order this again the next time we visit. The buratta also was amazing. I love the herbs they had on the side which really amplified and complimented the flavors. We shared the red snapper with brown butter sauce to finish off our meal. This was equally as amazing as the rest of our meal. There were similar herbs on the side as we had with the buratta. I never would have paired fish with mint, but it went surprisingly well. Definitely lived it with basil and tarragon bites too. The fresh herbs on the side really change up the flavor throughout your meal. 5 star meal. 5 star service. 5 star atmosphere... we felt a little underdressed in our hoody and tshirt, since we were just driving through, but no one seemed to mind. Because of this restaurant, I think this is going to be on our work-week destination list for next winter (we like to road trip and stay in different destinations on our way to and from vacation destinations).

Food was really good. I was surprised at the quality of fresh oysters at such an inland restaurant. Nice ambiance.

Hands down the best restaurant in Waco Texas. From the ambience to the food all the way to the servers. Me and my wife got the chilean Seabass, mussels, tuna tar tar, cheesy polenta (which is to literally die for) and fries. We were so impressed with the complexity of the flavors in each dish and are definitely going to make this a staple in our lives. If you're looking somewhere to eat, look here

Just had a truely unique (for waco) dinner at OPAL'S. Fresh oysters, several kinds, their version of Oysters Rockefeller, mussels, scallops, lobster Mac and cheese and a crab cake! All top notch! Not cheap- but what is these days! Date night, special occasion? You will not be disappointed!

Superlative restaurant; food, service, and atmosphere. Our server told us the restaurant only opened two weeks prior to our visit, which surprised us as everything seemed like a lovely, lively, well-oiled machine. If you go, order the Frenchie oysters, and the Basque cheesecake.

Everything here is amazing. Fantastic oysters, great seafood, good servers, cool spot. Cannot recommend highly enough. It's one of the best restaurants in Waco. (And would do well in any major city as well.)