I’ll be honest. A day trip to Waco, Texas has never really been on my bucket list — gasp!
However, as I started noticing groups of my friends traveling from afar to get a taste of the Magnolia Market, my interest in the small town peaked. My friend was coming to visit me for our annual girls trip. Since I couldn’t slip away from my responsibilities at home, I knew a day trip to Waco was the perfect opportunity to go somewhere close, but new and interesting.
Here’s the day trip we planned and executed starting and ending in the DFW area.
Getting to Waco
We started with exercise and a quick makeover by a friend with
Our drive from the DFW area was only 1 ½
When you arrive in Waco, get your name down at Magnolia Table immediately. They have an awesome system to text you when your table is ready. This means you can leave the property if the wait is long, and still be in line to eat.
Magnolia Table
Magnolia Table only serves breakfast and lunch. Made in a historic building, but restored in pure Fixer-Upper style, the entire restaurant, is a sight for the designer in every woman. You’ll want to spend time checking out the waiting area, bar, cafe and even the bathroom.
We went to Magnolia Table on a random cold Thursday in February and our wait to eat was 35 mins. I’ve heard on busier days, it can get up to 3 hours. Plan to put your name on the list accordingly. Magnolia Table closes at 3 and they will stop the line in order to get through all the customers by 3.
Opting for a seat at the bar saved us a lot of time since it was only the two of us. Waiting for a table will take longer. There are kids menus and coloring pages to occupy their attention.
What to do while you wait
Magnolia Table has a tiny store connected to it. I say tiny because I expected more to do in the vicinity of the restaurant. But with a very slow walk through, looking at each item, we finished with the tiny shop in about 15 mins. The good news is you can buy some of the food to-go from this shop.
The bad news is, you will probably still have quite a bit of time until you will be seated. And saying no to the deliciousness listed on the café list can be difficult. But seriously, wait to eat until you get seated. It’s worth it. If you have several hours, drive over to Magnolia Market and do the next section first.
The waiting area has heaters in the winter. I’ll need to go back to check if there are misters in the summer, but since it is outdoors in Texas, I would assume this is a must. It is a covered area with plenty of comfortable outdoor seating. There is a coffee cart around the corner if you want a drink as you wait.
right?
Eating at Magnolia Table
The service and food at Magnolia table was phenomenal. There is a greeter and a door holder as you enter the restaurant. Our waitress was right there and was within reach most of our meal.
Everything we ordered was amazing. The number one recommended item is Avocado Toast… and for good reason! It was delicious! We paired it with a bowl of Tomato soup with croutons and it was divine on a cold day!
The Gaines Brother burger was equally amazing. We tried both kinds of jam. We didn’t care for the Jalapeno Jam, but the Bacon Onion spread was delicious .
We got a sample of several different butters to try on our toast. The strawberry butter was our favorite.
For 2 entrees and a bowl of soup, we spent $32. Most of the entrees are between $9-$15. It was good food and a great atmosphere, I give it 2 thumbs up.
We opted not to get dessert so we could indulge at the Silo Baking Co. at Magnolia Market.
Magnolia Market
Outdoor Area at the Silos
I’m not sure how my brain came up with this mistake, but I seriously thought the Market was inside the silos! I was disappointed that the silos are basically just there as a backdrop to the open square.
The shopping is in a warehouse building across from the silos. The bakery is located in a small building in front of the silos. There are 2 restrooms, both immaculately decorated if you want to get any great ideas for bathrooms!
One area of the outdoor square includes an open garden area, a tiny greenhouse and a small store that sells seeds. I loved the log teepee perfect for little ones.
There is a green turf area complete with volleyballs, cornrow games, and bean bags. The classic green truck, wooden swings, plant-lined shelves, and beautiful outdoor décor line the area.
Eating at Magnolia Market
Another thing I didn’t realize is that Magnolia square is lined with food trucks. With covered picnic tables and a
Shopping at Magnolia Market
The Market was smaller than we expected. Basically 2 large rooms filled with décor, plants, candles, T-shirts and cooking utensils. My friend and I each found some items to bring home with us. Military gets a 10% discount!
Silos Baking Co.
The bakery across the way offers cupcakes, cookies and cinnamon rolls. The line here can also be very long. And in my opinion, not necessarily worth the wait. Our cinnamon roll was dry and hard, but the cookies were to die for! I’ll have to go back to try the cupcakes since we were very full!
We spent about 1 ½ hours milling around the Market area and then were ready to move on.
Dr. Pepper Museum
Since my friend and I love Dr. Pepper, we knew we wanted to tour the birthplace of our favorite soda. Having just been to the Coke Museum in Atlanta, I knew what to expect with exhibits, history and lots of bottling information. While not nearly as extensive as the high- budget Coke museum, it is also half the cost.
The Dr. Pepper Musuem offered a science show teaching about taste receptors and smell receptors. We enjoyed volunteering to try different experiments with our sense of smell.
I was disappointed that a sample of Dr. Pepper wasn’t included with my groupon ticket admission. If you buy a ticket at the desk you are treated to one Dr. Pepper. The original Dr. Pepper is made with real sugar, so you might be surprised at the taste difference.
Original Magnolia Shop
The original Magnolia shop is about 10 minutes away from the downtown area. We heard this is where they sell discounted items and wanted to check it out.
The shopping here was very small with a limited number of things for sell. Most of it was 50% off retail. I got a $60 candle for half off, but was still shocked I spent $30 on one candle! While I enjoyed a little more shopping, if you are short on time, a trip to the older Magnolia store could be cut.
Driving around Waco
I always enjoy driving through the city I am visiting to get a feel for what it’s like to live there.
Driving around Waco I thought the homes and streets were interesting, but I was really hoping to see one of the homes that was restored on fixer upper. We looked everywhere for a driving tour that would take us to the homes they restored, but to no avail.
Who will make me a tour to see the new houses?
Other shopping in Waco
We had a few more hours before the shops closed, so we wandered around down town Waco stepping into jewelry, clothing, décor and lighting shops. I honestly expected to have more shopping on this trip, but most of the shops were small and manageable. That’s my kind of shopping! I get overwhelmed when there is too much stuff.
Waco Suspension Bridge
Last minute, we decided drive to the Waco Suspension bridge right near the Dr. Pepper museum that kept popping up on google maps. I thought it might be a quick stop for a photo op. However, when I saw the entire area along the river I knew I wanted to get out and walk around.
We parked (free parking everywhere in Waco!) right in front of the Suspension Bridge. Here you’ll find a sculpture of a herd of Longhorn cattle that use to make their way across this bridge. The view of the river from the middle of the bridge was gorgeous.
We walked across the bridge and along the river to the Doris Miller memorial. This is a peaceful and beautiful monument.
If I had more time, I would’ve loved to go for a run or a longer walk all along the river. There is paved path along both sides of the river with various bridges crossing over head.
Czech Store: Slovacek
The sun was setting so we headed back home towards Fort Worth. We didn’t make it far until we realized we wanted a little dinner. Let’s be honest, we were still stuffed from lunch at Magnolia Table and desert at the Market Bakery. We stopped in West, Texas at the Czech store, Slovacek.
Here we found a truck stop rivaling Buckees. If you’ve driven through Texas then you know the fame of these stops! At slovaceks you’ll find fudge, a frozen yogurt bar, Texas souvenirs, toys, a bakery and meats galore. We helped ourselves to brisket and Bavaria’s. Creamed fruit drinks bottled nearby in Dublin, Texas (which we learned about at the DP museum) wrapped up the meal nicely.
Waco Conclusion?
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Waco with my best friend. That being said, I’m not sure it demands a trip across the country for several days of touring. We spent several hours and felt we got to see and experience everything Magnolia had to offer. Plus, most of the items you can buy online. {Thank you Bestie for buying me Magnolia Table: A collection of recipes for gathering on Amazon and saving $15}
But If you are a Joanna Gaines Fan girl or a designer or a shopping lover, this could very well be your thing.
What else would you add to a trip to Waco? I know more of my friends would like to go here so I’d love something new to explore on my next trip. Please send me any other tips and I will update and add them here.
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1 Comment
I had no idea Waco was so close to DFW area! I am definitely planning a trip here for this summer now. I love Chip and Joanna!