Kitok Restaurant

Location: 1815 North 18th Street, Waco, Texas 76707
754-1801

Hours:

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 4/10

Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10

Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10

Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10

Recommended Items: Double lip-locker, Oriental fries

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s):

Review:

Kitok’s is both well-known and a hole-in-the-wall. How to accomplish both? Well, the location is a non-descript white building with parking in the rear, off of 18th Street in Waco, yet, the presence of our esteemed Commander-in-Chief has drawn global mention of this diner in national newspapers. Not to mention the Polaroid of Jessica Simpson, a Waco native, eating at the restaurant, located at the entrance!

While Kitok’s offers a unique melange of both Korean and American food, and also offers a delightful array of both Korean and American staff, the true magic of Kitok’s lies in the cheeseburgers and Oriental fries. Do not shy from the “Double Lip-Locker”, an amazing double cheeseburger, where you can add your mayo and ketchup tableside. The Oriental Fries are finely shredded veggies, including carrot, potato and herbs, in a light tempura batter, fried to golden brown and served in a mound of crunchy goodness. If you are not a fan of this Asian delicacy, try the onion rings or fries, although I try to eat Asian as often as is possible.

While the location is small, and somewhat hard to find, the excellent food, unique Asian offerings, and lovely staff make this a “must-visit” for not just those who are fond of the Pacific-Rim, but any food fan.

Zeb's Backyard Grill

Location: 10207 China Spring Road (Behind Farm Bureau Insurance and next to the car wash) 254-836-8282

Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:00am – 8:30pm
www.ZebsBackyardGrill.com

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: This is a great place to relax and enjoy your full lunch hour.

Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): The burger quality is a full 10! No skimping on the beef or the fresh cut fries

Value Rating (scale of 1-10): The prices are not the cheapest burgers in town but for the flavor and freshness I give this place a 7++.

Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): Staff is friendly and Zeb, the owner, can always be found taking orders or flipping burgers - 8

Recommended Items: I almost always go with the “Wombo” burger. This is a bit more spicy with its jalepeno bun and pepper jack cheese.

I would also be sure to order a basket of fries. They are hand cut daily and are some of the best that I have ever had. I would go so far as to say that they are in the top 2 for “best fries in Waco.”

“Off the Menu” Items: None that I am aware of.

Health Conscious Selection(s): Zeb’s offers a wide selection of salads and sanchwiches for the healthier side of eating. I would encourage you to take a look at their website (www.ZebsBackyardGrill.com) for a full run down of the menu.

Review:

Zeb’s caters to all comers. Suits, jeans and the sports fan just in before the game. It’s wide menu selection of burgers, sandwiches and salads make it easy to please almost any appetite!

Final Thoughts/Comments: I have been to Zeb’s many times and have only had one poor experience due to slow food delivery. Of course, the place was packed out on a Saturday with soccer parents and kids lined out the door. If it is a weekend or if you are in the China Spring area you are already a big fan. If you have time constraints during your lunch break Zeb’s may be a bit too far out for the Woodway/Hewitt eater. However, if you are near downtown or north, I would give it a shot. Take the boss along so that he/she can be late along with you!

As an aside, I have heard that Zeb is looking opening a new spot in the Hewitt area. If he can git’r done then he will be tops in the Hewitt area.

Cupp's Drive In

Location: 1424 Speight Avenue, Waco, TX 76706 254-753-9364

Hours: Monday thru Friday 11:00am – 2:00pm

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: The smallish nature of Cupp’s makes it a bit more difficult to get a seat during peak lunch hours. There are about 4 booths available along with about 4-6 seats available at the counter area.
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): The burger and fries quality is a solid - 9
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): As far as burgers and fries go, the value is around a 7.5.
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): The staff is friendly but not too easy on the eyes - 5

Recommended Items: You can never go wrong with the burger baskets. The baskets come with your choice of freshly made burgers along with a side of hand cut fries or onion rings. Regarding the fries, I would venture that these are among the top 2 or 3 fries in town.

“Off the Menu” Items: None that I am aware of.

Health Conscious Selection(s): Unless you order a dinner salad, pansy, then I ‘m not sure if they can even spell “health conscious.”

Review:

Cupp’s provides a traditional “drive in” menu complete with burgers, fries and other common sandwich choices. The club, ham-n-cheese, grilled, cheese, etc. are some of the more popular items available.

Final Thoughts/Comments: If you are looking for a good “greasy spoon” then Cupp’s easily fits the bill. I have dined there many times and have yet to be disappointed regarding their tasty food flavor. Of course, the age of the venue and the décor leaves something to be desired, but if you focus on the lunch menu flavor then Cupp’s is sure to please.

Dubl-R Burgers

Location: 1810 Herring Avenue, Waco, TX 76708
753-1603

Hours: M-F, 11:00 a.m.-6:30 p.m; Sat., 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 3/10
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 8/10
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10

Recommended Items: Cheeseburger basket, onion rings

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s):

Review:

Dub-L-R Burgers is located just off of 19th Street on Herring Avenue. Hidden away in a building which formerly housed a barber shop, this restaurant is among Waco’s best burger joints. Upon arrival, patrons are immediately greeted by the cashier, who takes food orders at the counter. The restaurant has the feel of a diner in the 50's, with barstools by the counter and booths along the wall. This allows a view of the grill and the cooking and assembly process, an added bonus. Additional seating is available in the next room, and the daily soap operas are always playing on the television. Meanwhile, the chatter between the cooks and the regulars at the counter is worth the trip by itself.

This is a burger joint, and the menu offers a pretty standard assortment of burgers and sides, including onion rings, fries, and tater tots. But it’s not the wide variety on the menu that makes this place a Waco favorite, it’s the quality of the items that they do serve. The buns are slightly toasted on the grill, and the burgers are made from hand-formed patties (as any real burger should be), topped with fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, mustard and/or mayonnaise, along with any additional toppings that might be desired, such as cheese, chili, jalapenos, etc. The end result is an old-fashioned burger that satisfies even the most demanding critic.

The staff are friendly and enjoy engaging in dialogue with regular customers. The wait time is about average, but any wait for the food at Dubl-R is bound to be well worth it.

There are many joints in Waco that claim to have the best burger in town, but Dubl-R is 1 of only 2-3 places that can stake a legitimate claim to the title. Although this reviewer has them at No. 2, it’s clear that this is definitely a must-have meal for the Waco burger fanatic.

Britt's Burger Barn

Location: 1700 Colcord Avenue, Waco, TX 76708
235-9003

Hours: M-F, 10:00 a.m-5:00 p.m.; Sat., 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 7/10
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 9/10
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 9/10

Recommended Items: Fiesta Cheeseburger, Chicken Fried Steak, Onion Rings, Hand-Cut Fries

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s): Grilled Chicken Salad, Chef Salad

Review:

Located just two blocks away from the Jubilee Theater and just across the street from the site of the old Providence/St. Catherine’s, the Burger Barn has been an institution in Waco for many years, and it currently does business under the name of Britt’s Burger Barn. Owned and operated by Britt and Liz Edwards for the past two years, this restaurant is truly one of Waco’s hidden treasures. When you walk in you are immediately greeted by Liz, who is working the register. Happy to take your order or strike up a conversation, both Liz and Britt are wonderful people who enjoy giving people the gift of great food.

The menu offers a wide selection of burgers, from the traditional hamburger all the way to the Fiesta Cheeseburger, a staff (and patron) pick. It also offers sandwiches, including ham and turkey melts and Philly cheese steak and crawfish po-boy sandwiches. Dinners are also available, including chicken fried steak, catfish, fried shrimp, short ribs, and frog legs, served with a salad, fries, Texas toast or hushpuppies, and gravy or tartar sauce. The burgers are grilled to perfection and served on a toasted bun along with all of the fixin’s (lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions), and the chicken fried steak is a beautiful rendition of a Texas favorite. In fact, in this reviewer’s opinion there’s not a finer chicken fried steak in the city. Sides available with the burgers include hand-cut fries, onion rings, tater tots, and fried okra, all of which are mouth-watering and fabulous.

The waitress, Emily, is just as friendly as the owners are, and she is eager to accommodate any special requests and to keep the diners happy during their visit. The decor in the restaurant is an added bonus, as old movie posters, antiquated “advertisement” LPs, and other blasts from the past are there for your entertainment while you dine.

Other restaurants get more publicity, but this one definitely deserves any publicity that it gets and then some. In my eyes, this is the best burger in town, and everything that they put on your plate is top notch stuff. When you combine that with the fact that they are great people, you simply can’t go wrong. Any real burger or hole-in-the-wall enthusiast should make this a regular dining spot.