As a native Wacoan, I grew up dining almost exclusively on local fare. I fondly remember Friday nights (our weekly “dining out” meal) at El Conquistador, Miller’s Steakhouse, or Pelican’s Seafood. It turns out that I’m not the only one who loves local Waco food.

Waco Restaurant Week is dedicated to celebrating and partaking of the local Waco food scene, with a side of charity. Locally-owned food trucks, restaurants, bars, coffee/tea shops, and other fun food concepts offer special menus, deals, and promotions to showcase their culinary offerings to the Waco community. A portion of the registrations, sponsorships, and event proceeds is donated to a local charity. This year, the chosen charity is Keep Waco Beautiful’s Waco Green Business Alliance, which educates and empowers local businesses to adopt sustainable practices.

Waco Restaurant Week originally started as a weekend event in 2019. After a pause during the COVID years, it returned last year and has expanded to a full week in 2024. This expansion highlights the growing impact of tourism, which brought in $783 million to our area last year. The hospitality industry plays a big role too, with over 13,000 people—about 10% of Waco’s workforce—working in it.

Restaurants aren’t just about food, and neither is Waco Restaurant Week. In addition to fabulous food, the week features a full plate of fun. You can find events, live music, food and drink pairings, and entertainment all over town.

• Take a date kayaking with Sunshine Paddles Adventures down the Brazos & grab a slice of pizza at Slow Rise Slice House
• Make it a Mom’s Night with fried chicken at The Wine Shoppe 
• The whole family can enjoy Green & Gold Day specials to usher in Baylor Homecoming

If you missed out this year, be sure to visit Waco Restaurant Week’s social media page to see all the fun that was had! Their event webpage provides a full list of participating restaurants with available specials as the event approaches. Waco Restaurant Week is a surefire way to have fun and support the community for many years to come. We are already looking forward to 2025!