Waco’s Best Brunch Spots

Brunch is a well-known cure for weekend warriors—a chance to nurse a hangover, connect with friends and family, redeem a difficult week, or just eat a very late breakfast. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find it in Waco, from craft cocktails to carafes of cheap mimosas to tacos, waffles, shaved Brussels sprouts, and more. 

Here are some of the best locally-owned brunch spots, so you can satisfy those weekend cravings Waco style. Go forth and brunch!

Hecho En Waco

Hecho En Waco is a polished, bustling eatery in downtown Waco just a stone’s throw from Magnolia Market at the Silos. Despite the ample dining room, bar, and outdoor patio seating, this place fills up quickly, so you’ll want to make reservations ahead of time if your schedule is tight or you’re in a large group. Craft margaritas of every description and mimosas from the full bar will whet your appetite while you choose between excellent offerings such as gooey chorimigas, restorative pozole verde, hearty huevos divorciados, classic chilaquiles and more. The chips, salsa, and refried bean dip are addictive, the service is always friendly and attentive, and the vibe is lively.

Insider Tip: Everything is good but the homey pozole verde, chorimigas, and huevos rancheros are fantastic, as is the Alico Mex-Martini made with Heradura Reposada tequila, Grand Marnier, and fresh lemon juice. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 2 pm.

Pricing: $$

Olive Branch

For hearty fare and affordable carafes of mimosas, the Olive Branch is your spot. Wacoans flock to the lofted dining room on the weekends for brunch specials like the delicious eggs sardou (creamed spinach, artichoke, poached eggs, hollandaise, bacon), breakfast skillets both vegan and brisket-laden, chicken biscuit sandwiches, and a few non-breakfast items such as pastas and salads.

Insider Tip: The eggs sardou are a real treat, the skillets are very tasty, and the breakfast burrito is massive enough to bury any hangover, aided by those cheap carafes of mimosas. Brunch is served on Sunday from 10 am to 2 pm.

Pricing: $$

Milo All Day

Whether you’re in jeans and a t-shirt or your Sunday finest, the stylish, airy dining room and spacious outdoor patio at Milo All Day will set the tone for a fun bougie brunch. The “shareables” menu is excellent, featuring standouts such as truffle fries, crispy brussel sprouts with sorghum chile and sesame, and fabulous pimento cheese and crackers. Round things out with smoked pork chilaquiles, blue corn waffles (with bacon granola!), or the classic dish from Milo’s food truck days, the farmer’s daughter (roasted sweet potato, summer squash, brussels, salsa verde, fried egg). Wash it all down with mimosas or a craft cocktail from the extensive bar menu (you’ll find several made with Balcones whiskey) and that’s your Sunday (or Saturday) sorted.

Insider tip: The pimento cheese is wonderful, as are the truffle fries and anything on the seasonally-changing menu that features Nashville-style hot chicken (currently it’s the hot chicken tacos). Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm.

Pricing: $$-$$$

El Ranchito #5

El Ranchito doesn’t have a special brunch menu, but with a full bar and breakfast served all day, you’ll find your brunch needs met even if it’s 4 pm on a Tuesday. (Hello service industry folks without traditional M-F schedules, I see you!) The breakfast menu features all the Mexican and Tex-Mex hits such as chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, pancakes, and egg platters, while the lunch and dinner items offer similar variety, from the gringo burrito (smothered in queso) to the parrilladas (skillets) to chiles rellenos. The complimentary dishes of fresh, hot tortilla chips and wonderful warm salsa roja will tide you over til your food arrives along with your frozen coronarita (frozen margarita with a bottle of corona upended in the ice).

Insider Tip: Everything is great, but the breakfast tacos—all the tacos really, particularly the carnitas and carbon—are awesome, and you’ll want to be sure you have extra salsa roja and salsa verde. If you’re seriously hungry, the delicious cazadores parrillada (hunter’s skillet) is a hearty, sizzling skillet of quail legs, sliced sausage, peppers, and onions drizzled with a spicy queso sauce.

Pricing: $

Waffle Chic

Waffle Chic offers neither booze nor indoor seating, but this food truck has some of the best fried chicken and waffles in town. Situated at the Magnolia Market where there is plenty of outdoor seating and play room for kids, Waffle Chic serves up savory and sweet dishes featuring undetectably gluten-free waffles (fluffy, spiced, yummy), organic fruit, and glowingly friendly service from chef and proprietor Shamica Evans. Build your own waffles with the toppings on offer or choose a specialty dish like the waffle sliders with bacon, egg, cheese, and a side of fruit or the lemony-light pretty woman featuring a waffle topped with strawberries, pecans, lemon zest, organic maple syrup, and strawberry cream cheese.

Insider tip: You can’t go wrong here, but the savory-sweet combos really stand out for their balance of flavors, not to mention the perfectly cooked fried chicken tenders. The brunch babe—a waffle topped with those juicy-crisp tenders, bacon, egg (cooked medium in a waffle press), avocado, chives, and a side of organic maple syrup—is a showstopper. (Read my full review of Waffle Chic for more info.) Follow Waffle Chic on Instagram to confirm the truck’s location as sometimes it moves other locations around Waco.

Pricing: $