Where the past ends and the present begins can be hard to discern in Waco, Texas. Its landmark suspension bridge, once a cattle-drive crossing on the Chisholm Trail, still hovers over the Brazos River as an echo of the city’s 19th-century frontier heritage. Baylor University, founded in 1845 (the same year Texas became a state), is sprawling with Georgian buildings and grand oak-lined paths. Even the Dr Pepper Museum stands as a sugary retro homage to the 141-year legacy of the popular soda, first brewed in a Waco drugstore. 

The Waco Hippodrome Theatre.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

Waco’s Wave of New

Places with long-woven histories tend to approach their ages in different ways, leaning into bygones or reaching out to modernity. Waco, it seems, is teetering toward the latter. Creatives and entrepreneurs are bringing life back to forgotten warehouses and once sleepy city blocks.

New destinations to stay, eat, and shop are catering to the millions of annual visitors who were initially called to the area by Joanna and Chip Gaines’ behemoth Magnolia brand and its resident hub, the Silos Grounds and Shops. 

Families playing classic outdoor games at Magnolia’s Silos Grounds and Shops.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

“What’s kept that energy going is that people discover so much more once they’re here,” says city councilwoman Andrea Barefield, a Waco native who inherited her civic passion from her late mother, who served as mayor. “Word spreads quickly when people feel genuinely welcomed, and I want them to see that Waco is more than they imagined.” 

Instead of fading into the broad-reaching Central Texas horizon—which is cut straight through by a cross-state highway that’s growing wider by the year—the town keeps marching ahead, outfitted with a fresh tagline: “Waco, a city to believe in.”

Red Herring restaurant at Hotel Herringbone.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

A Growing Culinary Scene

I can’t say that I thought I’d be surprised by the food scene, but it did sneak up on me. A wave of restaurant openings has brought contemporary flavors to whet local appetites. Georgia native chef Corey McEntyre blends seasonal ingredients with Southern comfort food at Milo and has introduced modern Mediterranean tapas at Red Herring (in a transformed 6,000-square-foot brick warehouse that’s attached to Hotel Herringbone). Dim and moody, its zebra-printed piano lounge and bar feel decidedly far away from the middle of Texas. 

“There’s a place here now for creatives to come and grow and be successful,” says McEntyre, who moved to Waco a decade ago. “The community is very supportive and game for change, and it feels like Waco is getting its own identity beyond the things it’s always been known for.” 

Red Herring’s Mediterranean-inspired menu from chefs Corey McEntyre, Joel Garza, and Katy Cotner.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

Equally unexpected is Opal’s Oysters, a coastal-inspired spot that’s run by the same family behind the famed Texas barbecue joint Terry Black’s, which you can find right next door. Named after the smoked-meat scion’s mother-in-law, the upscale restaurant focuses on seafood with a lineup of raw bar and cold dishes you might see on a New York City table. The crudo plate paired with a house cocktail offered me a goose-bumpingly cool escape from the heat outside. 

Classic Eats

Despite this growing culinary flourish, longtime local haunts still stay true to Waco’s hometown culture. Vitek’s Market, which has served the area for 110-plus years, was founded by a Texas-Czech butcher in 1915 and has been passed down through four generations. Its signature dish, the Gut Pak, is a delightfully over-the-top take on chili pie. 

Barbecue plates at Vitek’s Market.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

Schmaltz’s Sandwich Shoppe, a lunchtime favorite of Baylor University students for more than 50 years, also remains locally owned and beloved for its blue plate special featuring bread that’s baked fresh daily. 

Standout Stays

Boutique stays such as the recently opened Hotel Herringbone are further bolstering a time of trendiness within a once-lacking hospitality zone. The property, constructed primarily of shipping containers and designed in colorful Art Deco style, doubles as a community space with a patio for live music, a vibrant rooftop, and rotating pop-up stores. 

Bertie’s on the Rooftop at Hotel 1928.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

Hotel 1928, the Gaineses’ latest downtown venture, has reinvigorated what had been the Grand Karem Shrine Building, which was erected in the 1920s and stood abandoned for nearly two decades. The structure’s history as a meeting place has been reimagined, and it’s now outfitted with original Moorish Revival detailing and the couple’s hallmark style. The 33-room property also houses two restaurants, a cafe, a library, a ballroom, and a gift shop.

The Silos’ Ever-Expanding Experience

“We want it to feel like time well spent, where you can enjoy a little beauty, a little connection, and a little piece of our hometown,” says Joanna Gaines of the Silos, a bustling multiplex that spans two historic blocks, which she and Chip restored from a deserted lot that was once operated by an oil company. The Waco-based couple, whose house-flipping show Fixer Upper premiered in 2013 and spurred a fandom of epic proportions, established the indoor-outdoor concept just two years after their first episode aired. 

The Flower Shoppe at the Silos.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

It quickly became a pilgrimage site for people traveling from states and countries far away to get a peek into the town turned famous by Magnolia. (A store clerk told me about a group she’d met who had come all the way from New Zealand just for the experience.) In the past decade, the Silos have expanded to meet the enthusiasm of all these devotees.

There’s now a performance stage, a lush herb garden, a food truck village, and even a Wiffle ball field in addition to various retail concepts. “The dream was to create a place that feels like home—a place where you can find something you love, taste something delicious, and be inspired and encouraged to really slow down,” says Joanna.

“Branding the Brazos” sculpture, near the Waco Suspension Bridge.
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Photo: Wynn Myers

Secondhand Treasure Seeking 

Nearby, a wide-ranging assembly of secondhand stores, which made frequent appearances on Fixer Upper, remain the best spots to seek out character-filled pieces at a fraction of the price. With an empty car and honed junk-diving skills, I began a slow meander through various thrift and consignment shops, most of which are within a 5-mile radius. While digging for treasure at eclectic Junque in the Trunk, packed-to-the-brim Central Goods, and fashion-minded Julia’s Bazaar (to name only a few), it was easy to lose hours buried among what my grandma would’ve lovingly called “bric-a-brac” in her signature drawl. 

Before the day was gone, I was stuffing vintage framed art, tiny milk glass vases, and a dusty cattle yoke into my car’s backseat. Despite all the new, it seems that old things still have a place in Waco.