Summer Palace

Location: 1201 North Hewitt Drive, Waco, Texas 76712
666-0806

Hours:

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 6/10
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 6/10
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 7/10
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 5/10

Recommended Items: Various shrimp and crab dishes

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s):

Review:

Summer Palace is located in the Westrock Shopping Center on Hewitt Drive, and it takes a traditional formula, the Chinese buffet, and tries to do it as well as possible. On most points, it succeeds, and it is one of the better Chinese buffets in town.

A salad bar is available and offers a large number of items for those who want it, but the main attraction at the Summer Palace is the gigantic buffet that offers all manner of Asian cuisine. Of particular interest is the wide variety of crab, shrimp, and other seafood items available to diners, a feature that sets this restaurant apart from most other Chinese buffets. The beef and chicken dishes are good as well. On most visits, all of the food items are hot and kept fresh, and several varieties of soup are also available. For desert, there are many different items available, but the soft serve machine with its array of toppings is the favorite of most patrons.

The staff do an adequate job of keeping the buffet stocked, but it often takes a request to get a drink refilled or any special items that may be needed.

If you are a fan of Chinese buffets, you probably should check this place out. It is one of the better Chinese buffet values in town.

Taqueria Queretaro

Location: 611 W. Loop 340, Waco, Texas 76712
399-0934

Hours:

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 8/10
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: Parrilladas Mixtas (grilled beef and chicken), Chimichangas, Tortas

“Off the Menu” Items: Torta Cubana (fantastic!)

Health Conscious Selection(s):

Review:

Located just off of the Imperial Drive Exit on Highway 6 in what many Wacoans remember as the “old Friends Restaurant” building, this restaurant is a welcome addition to the Waco restaurant scene, despite the fact that it belongs to an already crowded restaurant category. Named after the state in central Mexico, Taqueria Queretaro (pronounced “care-et-are-oh”) has quickly carved a niche for itself in the Waco Mexican food scene by serving up a wide range of traditional Mexican favorites and some more eclectic menu items as well. Upon arrival, diners are allowed to seat themselves at any available table and are quickly greeted by the friendly wait staff. Fresh tortilla chips and a choice of red, green, and/or poblano salsas are brought to the table for consumption. The green salsa (made with jalapenos and just a bit of sour cream) is particularly delicious. Drinks are served in large glasses, which is both necessary and appreciated given the dining fare. For those dining after work, in addition to iced tea and soft drinks the restaurant also serves a number of imported beers in the bottle and has an open bar available.

The menu offers a variety of plates featuring enchiladas, burritos, tacos, tamales, and other standard Mexican fare. The chimichanga, a burrito which is quickly deep-fried to create a crunchy outer layer, is an excellent choice and is served with rice and a choice of refried or charro beans. A number of different tortas are also available, and the Torta Cubana is this reviewer’s personal favorite. The torta is a Mexican sandwich served on an oblong roll called a bolillo, and the Torta Cubana (inspired by the classic Cuban sandwich) contains fried pork, ham, melted cheese, avocado slices, and jalapeno slices. Appropriately enough, it is served by itself, as it is more than likely as big as your face! The Lunch Guys have dined at Taqueria Queretaro on quite a few occasions and have yet to have a subpar meal. For those intimidated by the numerous choices available, one simply cannot go wrong with the daily special, often priced at $4.99 or less, which provides both quality and value in the same tasty package.

The staff is friendly and courteous, and they work to accommodate every dining request. When things aren’t quite as busy, they are also likely to strike up a conversation with diners, soliciting opinions regarding the quality of the food and the service. When the lunch crowd stacks up, service can slow down a bit, but it doesn’t detract in the least from the dining experience. For those desiring a long lunch hour, this restaurant provides ample opportunity to loiter and chew the fat (literally and figuratively).

All factors considered, there isn’t a finer option for Mexican food in the Waco city limits. If you haven’t been there yet (or this week), you’re missing out.

One-Stop Bar-B-Que

Location: 1101 East Waco Drive, Waco, TX 76704
759-0335
www.onestopbarbque.com

Hours: M-Sat, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

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: Sliced Beef, Ribs, Hot Links

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s):

Review:

One Stop Bar-B-Que is a barbecue stand located at the intersection of Garrison and East Waco Drive in Waco, Texas. Operated primarily as a pick-up operation, there are several tables available for the dine-in customer as well. It’s easy to miss as you’re driving by, but if you don’t stop, you’re the one missing out.

When you step up to the counter, you are greeted by the owner himself, who takes your order and then steps back into the kitchen to prepare it. Definitely a friendly sort, the owner will often bring out samples of other meats that weren’t even ordered, just to give diners a taste of what they might have missed. The menu offers standard barbecue fare, including sliced beef, ribs, homemade sausage, hot links, bologna, ham, and turkey legs. The meat can be ordered in a sandwich or plate configuration, and the plate is a particularly good value, as you get potato salad and beans for an additional 50 cents. The sliced beef, ribs, and hot links are particularly tasty, and they are dressed in the restaurant’s peppery barbecue sauce and served with pickles, onions, and white bread. For those desiring desert, sweet potato pie and peach cobbler are also on the menu. Additionally, the restaurant has custom catering services available.

Although it is not as well-known as some of the other barbecue joints in town, this place definitely competes with the best. It probably falls short of Tony DeMaria’s and Rudy’s, but it beats the rest and does it at a fair price. This place is definitely worth a look for barbecue connoisseurs.

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.

The Coffee Shop Cafe

Location: 1005 Highway 84, McGregor, TX 76657
840-2027
http://www.thecoffeeshop.us/

Hours: M-Sat, 6:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Sun., 6:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 6/10
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: chicken fried steak, various daily buffets

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s): salad bar

Review:

The Coffee Shop Café, located on Highway 84 in McGregor, is one of the more famous restaurants in the area. A favorite of celebrity area residents like President Bush and Jessica Simpson, this restaurant has been serving up great food for years. Previously owned by Sammy Citrano, it is currently operated by his brother, Donald Citrano, who is carrying on with the successful formula that made this restaurant a hit.

The menu offers a number of excellent selections and appetizers, including the chicken-fried steak, which is one of the tastier versions in the area. The thing that drives the success of this restaurant, however, is its buffet. Whether it is the weekend breakfast buffet, the daily lunch or evening buffet, the Thursday night fajita and enchilada buffet, or the Friday night catfish buffet, The Coffee Shop knows how a buffet should be done. Offering several meat selections, homemade vegetables and sides, chips with queso and salsa, and other savory treats, the lunch buffet is a great bargain, even if it does leave you stuffed and unable to get much work done in the afternoon! For the health conscious, they also offer a very good salad bar with a wide selection of items on it. To top things off, the buffet comes with the desert of the day, which is always a tasty way to finish the meal.

The wait staff are friendly and welcoming, and the restaurant is clean and inviting. The photographs of celebrity visitors and various knick-knacks on the wall add to the experience and give The Coffee Shop the feel of a true, family-owned country restaurant.

It’s a bit of a drive for those in Waco to make it for lunch, but if you have the time, you won’t come away disappointed. The Coffee Shop is worth the investment, both in time and in calories.

Tony Demaria's BBQ

Location: 1000 Elm Street, Waco, TX 76704
755-8888
http://www.tonysbarbque.com/

Hours: M-F, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; Sat., 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: 6/10
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 9/10
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 8/10
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 8/10

Recommended Items: The “Order, Mixed” (brisket and sausage); Beef Ribs

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s): Go somewhere else!

Review:

Tony Demaria’s BBQ has been a fixture on Elm Street in East Waco since 1946, and with good reason. Geoff DeMaria, the owner, is faithfully carrying on the tradition that his father, Tony DeMaria, Jr., started, and thankfully for Waco restaurant patrons, that doesn’t look to change any time soon. DeMaria’s has a serving line that extends to the door on most days from around 11:30 a.m. on, and if you want to make sure you get something to eat, it’s best to get there early, because they stop serving when the meat runs out.

The menu offers your basic barbecue essentials, including brisket, sausage, bologna, and on Wednesday, all-you-care-to-eat ribs. The brisket and sausage, in particular, are excellent choices. The steady choice of most patrons is the “Order”, which gets you around ½ lb of meat on butcher paper with bread, pickles, onions, and peppers. On Wednesdays, of course, the ribs are hard to pass up, as the meat essentially falls off of the bone. The groan from those still in line is audible when they announce, “Folks, we are now out of ribs!”, which tells you just how good they are. For those that enjoy sides, barbecue plates are available, and the potato salad, beans, and cole slaw are all delicious. The barbecue sauce is vinegar-based and is very flavorful. For the more adventurous, the “hot” sauce is excellent as well and adds an extra kick to the meat.

For many, however, the distinguishing feature at DeMaria’s that sets it apart from just about every other barbecue joint in town is what they affectionately refer to as the “gravy”. This concoction, which is essentially brisket drippings with some spices added, makes the meal complete. Simply wrap your meat in a slice of white bread, dip it in the gravy, and you will experience a little taste of barbecue heaven.

The wait staff are friendly and will accommodate special requests for additional items once diners are seated at the table. They regularly patrol the tables asking if more bread is needed, engage in conversation with the patrons, and generally make the dining experience more pleasurable.

Tony Demaria’s is a unique restaurant in that you will find folks from all walks of life dining there on any given day. You will see movers and shakers in one corner, and construction workers in another. With the picnic bench and folding table seating, you will often see such diverse folks sitting together at the same table, enjoying the thing that brings them together – a love for great barbecue.

While the menu is fairly simple and the building itself is unassuming, Tony DeMaria’s BBQ is the best barbecue joint in Waco, bar none. Anyone who isn’t there on a regular basis simply can’t be considered a serious barbecue fan.

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.