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Off-Campus Dining:

C+

(explain this grade)

Comparable Schools'
Off-Campus Dining Grades:

Quick Stats

Best Pizza

  • Papa Rollo's Pizza

Best Breakfast

  • IHOP
  • Rudy's BBQ

Best Chinese

  • Summer Palace
  • Teriyaki Park

Best Healthy

  • Health Camp

Best Wings

  • Vitek's Barbeque

Best Place to Take Your Parents

  • La Fiesta
  • Ninfa's
  • Rosa's Cafe
  • Texas Roadhouse

College Prowler Take

Right across the street from campus, on the other side of I-35, lies the strip center of fast-food chains known as Fast-food Row, including Fazoli’s, Taco Cabana, and McAlister’s Deli. Even closer to campus is Dubl-R Burgers. In terms of eating off campus, the amount of choices and their variation are aplenty, even for a medium-sized city.

The saddest thing about Baylor students is that many of them won’t explore the privately-owned, non-chain dining options off campus. There are a million little places all over Waco, some of which are owned and operated by Baylor alumni, that are fantastic. The most popular places are regularly packed if you try to go during the dinner rush, either because of reputation or because most students aren’t willing to pay $7 and risk food poisoning in a place they’ve never heard of. The plus side to having so many of the chains is that you’re offered the consistency of regular restaurants whose specials and atmosphere are always predictable. The biggest perk about living in a college town, especially one where there really isn’t a whole lot to do in terms of nightlife, is that the restaurants do their best to make up for what everything else lacks.

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Anonymous says:

Good restaurants off campus are...

Good restaurants off campus are Quiznos (subs), George’s, Fuddruckers, La Fiesta, Ninfas, Viteks, and several other local places around.

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Anonymous says:

There are good restaurants in...

There are good restaurants in town, but if you’re from a big city, you might be used to a larger selection. There are typical chain restaurants and smaller places in town.

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Anonymous says:

The best places to eat in Waco...

The best places to eat in Waco are: Viteks (Gut Pack, baby!), Food For Thought, George’s (but only if you get the chicken jack), Bush’s Chicken, and the normal chains that are in every city.

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Anonymous says:

Local restaurants like Schmaltzes...

Local restaurants like Schmaltzes and the Clay Pot just rock, and chains are chains.

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Anonymous says:

Fast-Food Row is really close...

Fast-Food Row is really close (other side of the freeway). Taco Cabana is the best place to go after 2 a.m. unless you want to fight the drunks at Whataburger.

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Facts

Student Favorites

  • Bush's Chicken
  • Chili's Bar & Grill
  • Cricket's Grill and Draft House
  • George's Restaurant
  • Ninfa's
  • Vitek's Barbeque

Other Places to Check Out

  • Applebees
  • Casa Ole
  • Food for Thought
  • Fuddruckers
  • Lolita's
  • Quiznos
  • Schmaltzes
  • Sloepokes

24-Hour Dining

  • Taco Cabana
  • Whataburger

Grocery Stores

HEB
1102 Speight St., Waco
(254) 752-0374

Target
5401 Bosque Blvd.
(254) 399-0067

Wal-Mart
4320 Franklin Ave., Waco
(254) 751-0464

Restaurant Listing

Bush's Chicken
Chicken
1704 S. Valley Mills Drive, Waco
(254) 754-2212
Price: $6
Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.

Buzzard Billy's
Cajun, seafood, American
208 S. University Parks Drive, near campus
(254) 753-2778
www.buzzardbillys.com
Price: $12
Funky atmosphere, all located in historic buildings
Hours: Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Sunday 11 a.m.–11 p.m

Chili's Grill & Bar
American
5804 Bosque Blvd., off Valley Mills Drive
(254) 776-8330
www.chilis.com
Price: $12
Chain restaurant
Hours: Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m., Saturday–Sunday 11–12 a.m.

Clay Pot
Vietnamese
920 Interstate 35 S., just south of campus
(254) 756-2721
Price: $7
Sit on the floor, play cards while you wait, listen to live music
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Cricket's Grill and Draft House
American
211 Mary Ave., on Franklin Strip
(254) 754-4677
Price: $10
Pool, shuffleboard, videogames, big-screen TVs
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–2 a.m.

Dubl-R Hamburgers
American
1810 Herring Ave.
(254) 753-1603
Price: $7
Hours: Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m.

Fazoli's
Italian
919 S. Sixth St., under the highway from campus
(254) 752-2929
www.fazolis.com
Price: $8
Fast-food Italian
Hours: Monday–Thursday 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m.

George's Restaurant
American
1925 Speight Ave.
(254) 753-1421
Price: $8
Many celebrities such as Barbara Walters, George Bush, and Pat Green have eaten there.
Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–11 p.m., bar open until 12 a.m.

Health Camp
American
On the Circle
(254) 752-2081
Price: $8
Shakes
Hours: Daily 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.

Jason's Deli
Sandwiches
4302 W. Waco Dr.
(254) 772-6611
www.jasonsdeli.com
Price: $8
Hours: Daily 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

La Fiesta
Mexican
3815 Franklin Ave., Corner of Franklin and Valley Mills Drive
(254) 756-4701
Price: $12
Two-for-one happy hour on Mondays
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

McAlister's Deli
Sandwiches
1505 Hewitt Dr.
(254) 420-3353
www.mcalistersdeli.com
Price: $10
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 10:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.

Michna's Bar-B-Que
Barbeque
2803 Franklin Ave.
(254) 752-3650
Price: $8
BBQ Buffet
Hours: Monday–Wednesday 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Thursday 9:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday–Saturday 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Ninfa's
Mexican
215 Mary Ave.
(254) 757-2050
Price: $10
Ninfaritas during happy hour
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m–11 p.m.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant
Italian
5921 W. Waco Dr.
(254) 751-1667
www.olivegarden.com
Price: $15
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11a.m.–11 p.m.

On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
Mexican
4320 W. Waco Drive, Corner of Waco Drive and Valley Mills Drive
(254) 399-9986
www.ontheborder.com
Price: $10
Outside dining
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 11 a.m.–12 a.m.

Papa Rollo's Pizza
Italian
703 N. Valley Mills Drive
(254) 772-9348
Price: $8
Look around for the NoZe Brothers Fraternity
Hours: Monday–Wednesday 2 p.m.–11 p.m., Thursday–Saturday 11 a.m.–12:45 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–11:45 p.m.

Rosa's Cafe
Mexican
4200 Franklin Ave., Waco
(254) 741-9283
Price: $5-$10 per person
Every year, Rosa's hands out a gift card that details five ways to eat there for $5 or less.
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Rudy's BBQ
BBQ
2510 Circle Rd., on the circle
(254) 750-9995
Price: $8
Sauces
Hours: Sunday–Thursday 7 a.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 7 a.m–10:30 p.m.

Summer Palace
Chinese
1520 N. Valley Mills Drive, Waco
(254) 776-8081
Price: $9
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Taco Cabana
Mexican
825 S. Sixth St.
(254) 752-4334
Price: $9
Hours: Daily 24 hours

Teriyaki Park
Japanese
220 S. 2nd St. # 1C2, Waco
(254) 714-1416
Price: $10-$20 per person
They take Bear Bucks. Green Tea Ice Cream is a local favorite.
Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Texas Roadhouse
Steakhouse
2815 La Salle Ave., just off the circle
(254) 662-1177
www.texasroadhouse.com
Price: $14
Free peanuts, enormous chicken-fried steak, attractive servers
Hours: Monday–Thursday 4 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday 4 p.m.–11 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.–11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Vitek's Barbeque
BBQ
1600 Speight Ave.
(254) 752-7591
Price: $7
The gut pack
Hours: Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Vito's Italian Trattoria
Italian
1200 N. Valley Mills Dr.
(254) 776-5536
Price: $12
Hours: Monday–Saturday 5 p.m.–10 p.m.

Whataburger
Burgers
928 S. 7th St., Waco
(254) 753-0389
Price: $5 per person
Hours: Daily 24 hours

Did You Know?

Every fall, right after the start of classes, is Waco’s annual Salsaritaville. Salsaritaville takes place in the center of town and is a competition between local restaurants’ margaritas, queso, and salsa. Ticket holders can enjoy the food and drinks while the judges decide on the winner.

A huge Czech community lives just north of Waco, where you can enjoy Westfest, specialty baked kolaches, and other Czech food at the Czech Stop

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