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.

Vitek's

Location: 1600 Speight Avenue, Waco, TX 76706 254-752-7591

Hours: 10:00am – 5:30pm Tuesday - Friday

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: Of course. Limited outside seating is available and even more limited inside seating. During peak lunchtime hours, you should expect standing room only!
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 8
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 9 $5 - $6 bucks goes a long way!
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): Depends upon the time of day. Mostly 7+. During peak eating time the staff is behind the counter making things happen and keeping the line moving. No time for chit chat. Give your order and get out of the way.

Recommended Items: I have two favorites:
1. Gut Pak – A bed of Frito’s chips topped with chopped BBQ, onions, pickles, sauce, shredded cheese and jalepenos! My heart just stopped!!
2. Sliced hot link sandwich – How can you go wrong with generous slices of hot links on soft, moist lunch bread. You can top it off with BBQ sauce if you don’t mind getting your hands and shirt dirty.

“Off the Menu” Items:

Health Conscious Selection(s): Are you kidding me???!!!

Review:

Vitek’s offers a good selection of BBQ items such as brisket, chopped, sliced, etc. A full array of sandwiches can also be requested and sliced fresh to order. I have eaten at this place dozens of times beginning in 1990 and have not been disappointed yet. Vitek’s is a cornerstone in the community. It has been operating for decades now and the long-time owner recently sold his stake to his children. The kids have done some modest renovations, mostly inside, and have upgraded the technology. Their changes are a nice upgrade to the overall feel of the place. I heard recently that they were looking to acquire a beer license and, if they are successful, I would bet they will be packed on game day!

Final Thoughts/Comments: The astute lunch eater will grace the doors of Vitek’s either well before 11:30 or after 1:00pm, unless of course, you have plenty of time to wait in the chow line that goes out the door during lunch time each day. This is a place rich in heritage and food…it is a must try at least once a month/quarter, or at least as often as your heart physician will allow.

Real Deal Soul Food

Location: 821 Clifton Street 254-235-7685

Hours: 7:00 am – 6:00pm Tuesday – Sunday Closed on Monday

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: The atmosphere is casual and comfortable.
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 8
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): 8+
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): 7

Recommended Items: You can’t go wrong with the meat loaf w/ macaroni & cheese, yams and greens. And of course, it comes with cornbread!!

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

Health Conscious Selection(s): You can’t be serious.

Review:

At Real Deal you will find a generous assortment of good ole fashioned blue collar type plates. Meat Loaf, Chicken, Chops, etc. You will also be pleased with the tasty sides.

Final Thoughts/Comments: If you are looking for a really good, filling lunch, Real Deal is sure to hit the spot. Don’t be bashful to request variations of the menu items as the staff is sure to please!

Pollos El Rey (King of the Chicken)

Location: 25th & Morrow (In the parking lot of the B & B grocery store)

Hours: Open 7 days. Lunch time thru dinner

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: There is limited outdoor-only seating as the facility is mostly designed as a “take out only” type store.
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): Excellent food quality - 9
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): Excellent value purchase – 10. I am able to feed my family of 2 adults and 4 children for about $15.00 with a few choice pieces of chicken left over.
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): Staff is friendly but sometimes difficult to understand as Spanish is the primary language. However, for the Gringo’s there is still no problem making due.

Recommended Items: There are two basic orders. Either the whole or half roasted chicken. This order comes with freshly made tortillas, a whole roasted onion and limes. Side items such as rice and beans can be added to the order for around $2.00. This addition is well worth the cost as the beans are some of the best that I have ever eaten. They are prepared with ham hocks, chopped hot dogs and other seasonings. I must confess that after all the beans are gone I enjoy drinking the remaining bean juice to “top off” my meal!! This place is not for the “snooty” eater. Fantastic!!

Be sure to also ask for a generous portion of their red and green sauce. The red sauce is a traditional blend of tomatoes and jalapeños as well as onions and other spices. It is clear that this sauce is made fresh daily. Caution yourself on the green sauce as it is a pureed blend of jalapeños and sour cream blended to make a smooth light green mixture. The flavor is excellent but the heat catches up to you after a few bites.

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

Health Conscious Selection(s): The roasted chicken can be made “health conscious” if you choose to remove the skin before eating. However, I would suggest sticking with the skin on as the flavor is the best in town.

Final Thoughts/Comments: The Pollo is a fine “working man’s” type of place. Either eating on the portable table outside or via take out you will not be disappointed. A word of advice…if you decide to eat at the Pollo I would recommend taking some moist napkins (baby wipes) with you as the regular napkins just don’t do the job on a well roasted chicken skin.

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.

Baris / Mama Baris

Location: 904 N. Valley Mills Drive 254-772-2900
1201 Hewitt Drive 254-666-6188

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 11:00am – 9:00pm

Ability to Loiter During Lunch: Both locations sport a roomy place to sit stay awhile. The Hewitt location is more up to date and is quite a bit nicer for those big on décor.
Quality Rating (scale of 1-10): 9!!
Value Rating (scale of 1-10): If you pick one of the daily lunch specials the value is 9.5!!
Staff Rating (scale of 1-10): Since day one the service has been ok - 5

Recommended Items: The Tuesday lunch special is the Calzone around $4.50. I have the Calzone no matter what day I eat there because I find it to be the very best value on the whole menu. Pizza dough stuffed with sausage and mozzarella/ricotta cheese along with a side of sauce for dipping. Enough for one of me and two of most folks. The Calzone also comes stuffed with cheese and spinach for vegetarians in the house. You can also customize it to include beef, mushrooms or others items if you like the extras.

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

Health Conscious Selection(s): For salad eaters my wife is really big on the Baris Salad. This is a huge salad full of lettuce, olives, mushrooms, peppers, etc. This is plenty for the healthy eater.

You will also find grilled chicken items on the menu for those that need a little meat with their healthy entrée.

Review:

Baris is a traditional, family-owned establishment. Both mother and daughter operate the two separate locations. Even the granddaughter gets in on the action by waiting tables at the Hewitt location. You will find everything from hand-made pizzas to spaghetti and lasagna. The fettuchini is also a real treat as the alfredo sauce is some of the best I have ever had. To start each meal off right you can also enjoy fresh baked rolls that are provided sparingly with the purchase of most entrees.

Final Thoughts/Comments: For most eaters I would stick with the daily lunch specials. These are very inexpensive and will give you a good variety of food with each new day that you dine in. For larger parties, the Hewitt location provides space for banquets or parties of 8++++. We often catch the Hewitt location for Sunday lunches with a larger crowd.