Waco, Texas

Waco used to be known for only two things: Baylor University, one of the nation’s largest Christian universities, and The Waco Massacre. But Chip and Joanna Gaines, along with HGTV, put an end to that – the couple almost single-handedly transformed the city and gave it something else to talk about.

And with that, my wife Maggie and I had three reasons to road trip to Texas. She loves all things Magnolia; I could retrace my various childhood stomping grounds; and it’s Texas.

When we went: October 2024

Where we stayed: A farm just East of Waco, via AirBnb

What we did: Walked and relaxed at Magnolia; shopped; ate good food

Notable stops along the way: Monument Valley; Albuquerque; Amarillo

Places we visited – things to do in Waco, Texas

• Magnolia, obviously. 9/10 – a sprawling acreage of old farm-style buildings, including the famed silos, food trucks, and shops. As a bonus, their annual festival was being held so there were lots of street vendors and musicians. Plenty of parking if you get there early, even on the festival weekend with streets closed.
• Baylor University – specifically, the Baylor Bear Habitat (free!)
• Texas Sports Hall of Fame – 7.5/10 – it’s not a huge place; score would probably increase if you followed a lot of Texas sports teams. There were a tom of exhibits featuring the Rangers, Longhorns, Cowboys, Spurs, Mavericks, and others – but it was a lot of framed photos and jerseys.
• Harp Design – 0/10 – this place is now a tour business, but Harp Design hadn’t been marked permanently closed yet when we tried to go
• Old Gulf station – 9.5/10 – great pit stop with lots of nicely and accurately restored pieces of Gulf history. When we were there, there was also a 50s Thunderbird as well.

Places where we ate – Waco restaurants

• Magnolia food trucks – 7.5/10. Everything was “decent” at these food trucks, but as is to be expected with food trucks in a touristy area, was nothing to write home about. The Alabama Sweet Tea was good, but the price was straight highway robbery. We did meet Joanna’s mom there, though! A genuine, sweet lady.
• Guess Family Barbecue – 6/10 – we went early for good selection, only to be told they didn’t have brisket that day. We had ribs, and they were just decent. According to Google Maps, this place is now closed.
• Magnolia Table (not by the Silos) – 7.5/10. Staff was nice even though we came in near close (which was like, 2pm); food was okay, but the selection was pretty narrow.
• Health Camp (next to Magnolia Table) – 9/10 – not healthy food, but some of the best burgers and shakes I’ve ever had
• Bakery Donuts – 9/10 – we went a little out of our way for this stop at the crack of dawn on the way out of town, and it was worth it
• Revival Eastside Eatery – nice vibe, just okay food – but they did have plenty of local and healthier options

Coffee shops in Waco

We love to try as many local coffee shops as we can when we visit places.

• Magnolia Press: 7.5/10. Despite lines out the door, being a tourist spot, the staff got orders out quickly. It was clear some of them did not want to be there, though. Coffee was okay, about on par with Starbucks or other large chains on their good days. This was also our water bottle-filling spot for afternoons walking around Magnolia.
• Pinewood Coffee Bar: 9/10. Really cool vibe mixing plants, records (some of which were for sale), and college student hangout. It was super crowded, but the coffee was great.
• Be Kind Coffee – 9.5/10 – very good coffee, great mission, friendly staff. This would be my first coffee spot if I ever found myself in Waco again.
• Lighthouse Coffee and Wine – 9/10 – great coffee, busy little shop in Downtown close to Magnolia and other shops
• Launch Pad Espresso -6.5/10 -[ after our 6am detour to Bakery Donuts, we swung by Launch Pad – there was only one worker, and she might not have had her coffee yet given how early we stopped – but it took a realllllly long time to get our coffees and the food my wife ordered. We sat at the drive thru window for several minutes hypothesizing about the delay. And if I recall, the coffee was just decent, but also decently priced.

Waco shops

We went to quite a lot of stores and shops, including:

• HEB – because we aren’t from Texas – 8/10. Great experience for a grocery store. Would definitely go back if we needed to stock up on another trip.
• Buc-ee’s – 10/10 for what it is, if you haven’t been – if you have, it’s probably just like the others you’ve been to
• Atwood’s. 8/10 if you haven’t been before. We visited mostly out of curiosity, since it’s a regional chain – this was a lot like Tractor Supply. Wide selection of pet goods and western wear
• Cavenders, because when in Rome – 7.5/10. It’s a standard western chain store, very similar to Boot Barn.
• Tecovas, because we hadn’t been in one. 7.5/10 The staff were nice, the store was clean, but as you may know, Tecovas is quite expensive.
• Gather, 6.5/10 – This is a local store specializing in pottery home goods. We pretty much turned around and left upon entering, only because the selection wasn’t great and prices were a bit above anything we would pay. But if pottery plates and mugs are your thing, you might enjoy this shop.
• Vintage Mío Records, 9.5/10 – a local record shop with massive selection in the most popular genres. We had a great conversation with the down-to-earth gentleman behind the counter, who also told us about a podcast interview taking place at the store later in the day.
• Ramble & Co, 7.5/10 – a local shop selling Waco-themed souvenirs, clothing, and home goods. Seemed geared toward the same target market as would visit Magnolia, and as such was located just adjacent and also had a tent at Magnolia’s festival. Selection was pretty decent, folks inside the store were nice.
• Shops at Magnolia, 7.5/10 – in terms of walking around and exploring, it was a 9 – but in terms of selection, a lot of the shops had the same items, and there wasn’t much from what I could tell that isn’t available online. Lastly, much of Magnolia’s goods are mass-produced in China. Not that this hasn’t become the standard, but it seems like it goes against Magnolia’s very DNA.
• Vendor tents at Magnolia, 7.5/10 – the vendor tents were in place due to the annual Magnolia festival. A lot of them seemed to be selling the same kind of items, but there was a decent amount of variety. It was nothing to write home about, but wasn’t a bad experience either.
• Coming Home to Waco, 8/10 – this is a nice local home decor shop featuring a lot of local handmade goods. If you’re into their style of decor, it’s definitely worth a look – if not, probably not because almost all of it is very similar in style. Check out photos on Google for more.
• Cameron Trading Co, 6/10 – this large antique store had quite a selection but not unlike any other with a footprint of its size. Some of the items seemed like a deal, others didn’t; there weren’t any true standouts, but I’m not an antiques expert. The back of the store features a still somewhat intact deli and butcher counter from when the building was once very obviously a grocer, so that was neat to see. It had an upstairs filled with heavy items such as old pianos. Lastly, as noted in Google reviews, the service was mostly absent and not terribly friendly. We were in search of a bathroom for our six-year-old before shopping inside, and instead of helping us out, the guy at the front broadly gestured toward a building next door.
• Rally House, 7/10 – a sports fan gear staple – just like the others you’ve been to, with the expected local team gear. The store was nearly empty because we were there in a non-peak period, and none of the employees really talked to us.
• Academy Sports & Outdoors, 7.5/10 – a standard big-box sporting goods chain

How we got around

We drove here in our newest (to us) family vehicle, a 2021 Nissan Titan, from Phoenix by way of northern Arizona, Monument Valley, and Amarillo, and circled back via El Paso.