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    A jewel on the Brazos

    More than Magnolia: All the best places to visit, eat, and stay in Waco

    Brandon Watson
    Jun 27, 2018 | 4:05 pm

    Houstonians could be forgiven for thinking of Waco as a sleepy Central Texas town, mostly known as a pit stop between Dallas and Austin. But the city is a Texas travel destination all its own.

    The growth of Baylor University and the smash success of Fixer Upper has helped the city blossom with top-notch restaurants, stylish boutiques, and family-friendly attractions. But if all you know about Waco is Magnolia Market, you’re only getting part of the story of what makes the city great.

    Where to eat and drink
    Health Camp
    In this age of paleo diets and Lululemon, the name of this burger stand might seem ironic, but think of it as a boost for your mental health. Not much has changed since it opened on the Waco traffic circle in 1949. The burgers are still juicy, the onion rings are still salty and crisp, and the frozen custard — available in flavors ranging from bubble gum to chocolate chip cheesecake — is still the cure for what ails you.

    Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits
    By day, this charming space is a coffeehouse, serving traditional Italian espresso drinks and beans from local coffee roaster Apex. During the evening, it turns into a stylish speakeasy, serving both classic cocktails and original creations such as a smoked tea Old Fashioned with rye and chicory pecan bitters. For real local flavor, try one of the drinks made from spirits from award-winning local distillery Balcones. The maple Manhattan made with brisket-infused corn whiskey is a delight.

    Kitok Restaurant
    The can’t-miss dish at this long-running Korean-American restaurant is the Oriental fries, a huge haystack of tempura-battered vegetables that are great even without a drop of ketchup. The hefty Liplocker burger is worth an order, but jump to the other side of the menu to find some of the best bulgogi in Central Texas and sweet and spicy galbi (short ribs) marinated in soy sauce, wine, honey, and ginger.

    Magnolia Table
    The latest jewel in Chip and Joanna Gaines’ crown, this daytime restaurant, housed in the former Elite Cafe, keeps the historical Spanish-style architecture intact while injecting it with Joanna’s modern farmhouse sensibilities. (Yes, there’s shiplap.) The menu is just as contemporary with breakfast plates; avocado toast; a terrific pastry basket; and a hefty burger with a 44 Farms beef patty dressed with Havarti, arugula, heirloom tomatoes, and your choice of bacon-onion or jalapeño jam. Don’t skip the biscuits, served either alone or made into a strawberry shortcake.

    Sinclair
    Located just a short drive outside of Waco in Clifton, this farm-to-table eatery from Hillside Farmacy chef Sonya Coté defies expectations of what a small town restaurant can be. As in all her restaurants, Coté only uses the best Texas ingredients to craft an approachable but creative menu. Start off with the Killer Wedge salad and an order of chicken-fried quail legs before moving on to a black Angus ribeye slathered in chili butter. Between bites, take a look around the dining room — you might just spot former President George W. Bush.

    Where to shop
    The Findery
    With a style similar to nearby Magnolia Market, this home store features a mix of new and one-of-a-kind goods. Find shabby chic furniture, farmhouse enamelware, and wall planters with a lived-in patina. Don’t have room for any new decor? The shop also carries womenswear like embroidered floral dresses and easy denim and knit separates.

    Harp Design Co.
    Owned by Clint and Kelly Harp, hosts of the DIY Network’s Wood Work, this showroom is filled to the brim with wood cutting boards, kitchen utensil sets, hand-tooled candlesticks, rustic wall hangings, earrings, and more. More surprisingly, it also has great basic linens and a good selection of body products from Austin’s Thrive Handmade, including the cult rosemary and lavender body scrub.

    Hey Sugar Candy Store
    If you have a sweet tooth, this colorful downtown shop is paradise. The cases are filled with chocolate truffles, gummies, jelly beans, flavored popcorn, and other nostalgic treats. Check out the soda wall to find a mix of vintage favorites and modern artisan pops. There’s even a ranch dressing flavored soda if you really want to get weird with it.

    Spice Village
    Be warned, a trip to Spice Village might take up a good chunk of your day. Renovated from an industrial building in the heart of downtown Waco, the sprawling destination is full of dozens of nooks and crannies and you will want to investigate all. Shop women’s and men’s apparel, antiques and home goods, bath and body products, and unique gifts from local artisans. You might even find a few oddities, like a taxidermy coat hook spotted during a recent trip.

    What to see
    Balcones Distilling
    The tour at the distillery takes you through the entire whisky-making process, ending with a tasting of all the company’s products. Develop your nose and palate on the introductory tour or take a deep dive with one of the distillers on the VIP experience. Make sure you book before your trip since slots fill up quickly.

    Cameron Park Zoo
    The whole family will love the 52 acres of natural habitat featuring gibbons, bald eagles, Galapagos tortoises, elephants, giraffes, and big cats. But the breathtaking exhibits are just part of the show. Older kids aged 15 and up can be a zookeeper for the day and help with the feeding and care of animals. Meanwhile, little ones can have an adventure in a secret garden with a playground and a splash pad.

    Dr Pepper Museum
    Be a pepper too at this museum which explores the history, culture, and science of Texas’ favorite soft drink. In addition to the exhibits, visit the liquid lab to learn how to cook with soda, how carbon dioxide gives the drink its signature fizz, and how flavors are developed. Before you leave, stop by Frosty’s Soda Shop for an old-fashioned egg cream, a handmade fountain drink, or a Blue Bell ice cream float.

    Waco Hippodrome Theatre
    This beautiful venue has been entertaining Wacoans for more than a century. The tradition continues today with a full slate of live music and traveling theatrical productions. Between major acts, the Hippodrome hosts trivia nights and screens first-run films where you can enjoy the full food and beverage menu from the comfort of your seat.

    Where to stay
    1700 South 2nd
    Just a short jaunt from Magnolia Market and downtown, this trendy apartment-hotel allows you to rent two-bedroom, two-bath condos full of homey amenities like a fully-stocked kitchen and a washer and dryer, but with boutique hotel perks like luxe linens and towels. Best yet, all units include a personal patio perfect for sipping a glass of wine after a long day of sightseeing.

    Fixer Upper Airbnbs
    Although the Gaineses frown on the practice, several of the homes featured on Fixer Upper are available for rent, including a midcentury modern charmer and the German Schmear house. Great for large groups, the houses give you an up-close look at Magnolia style for about what you would pay for a single room in big Texas cities.

    Stop for a drink at Balcones Distilling.

    Balcones Distillery Waco
    Balcones Distillery/ Facebook
    Stop for a drink at Balcones Distilling.
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    Preservation efforts

    South Texas mission makes list of America’s most endangered historic places

    Associated Press
    May 21, 2026 | 4:00 pm
    Ruidosa Church
    Facebook/Friends of the Ruidosa Church
    El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus in Ruidosa, Texas is considered an endangered place.

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A historic South Texas mission joins the Stonewall National Monument, the President's House Site, and the Women's Rights National Historic Park among 11 sites on this year's annual list of the most endangered historic places in the United States compiled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

    The 2026 list, announced Wednesday, May 20, marks America's 250th anniversary with the foundational principle that everyone is created equal as the theme, said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the nonprofit organization. The 11 sites offer examples of how, over time, Americans have fought against injustice and for equality, she said.

    “We wanted to think about those ideas, especially this notion that all human beings are created equal and find places, sometimes unsung places ... that not all Americans routinely think about," Quillen told The Associated Press.

    The sites are spread across the United States — from New York and California on the East and West Coasts, to Alabama and Texas in the South, to Michigan in the Midwest and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah in the Rocky Mountain West.

    At least three of the sites — Stonewall, the El Corazon church in Texas, and President's House in Philadelphia — have been endangered by Trump administration actions.

    “We want to save these places," Quillen said, “not just because the bricks and mortar is important but because the stories these places hold are important."

    For the first time since the list debuted in 1988, each site on the 2026 list will receive a one-time $25,000 grant to help highlight their connections to the principle that all people are created equal and address the threats they face.

    The 11 sites are:

    Ruidosa, Texas: El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus
    The more than century-old adobe church served as a refuge and place of worship for Mexican and Mexican American farming communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River. Vacant since the 1950s, the structure has benefited from continued restoration provided by the nonprofit Friends of the Ruidosa Church but remains threatened by proposed construction of a U.S. border wall that could come within a few hundred yards of the property. (The nonprofit has posted an official statement and more information about the border wall here.) Ruidosa is in far west Texas, roughly 35 miles northwest of Presidio and 46 miles southwest of Marfa, near the rugged Chinati Mountains.

    El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus A historic photograph of El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus.Facebook/Friends of the Ruidosa Church

    Montgomery, Alabama: Ben Moore Hotel
    The hotel was a refuge for Black people living under laws that enforced racial separation in the South. Prolonged vacancy has caused structural deterioration and the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood surrounding it faces pressure from development. The hotel housed key players from the Civil Rights Movement, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy. The Conservation Fund announced in November that it would help preserve the hotel.

    Modoc County, California: Tule Lake Segregation Center
    Initially known as the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, it was set up as a camp but later became a segregation center where Japanese Americans who were thought to be disloyal to the United States were imprisoned. The site is now a national monument managed by the National Park Service. Only 37 acres of the 1,100-acre site is protected. Most of it is at risk of permanent alteration from a proposed nearby construction project.

    California: Angel Island Immigration Station
    It was the largest immigration port on the West Coast between 1910 and 1940, particularly for immigrants from Asia and the Pacific. Hundreds of thousands were processed, detained and/or interrogated there because of their race. The station currently is threatened by physical, environmental, political and economic factors. Additional funding is needed for structural repairs and programming to increase awareness.

    Somerset, Massachusetts: Swansea Friends Meeting House
    Recognized as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the state, it was built in 1701 to serve as a refuge by a congregation fleeing religious persecution and looking for a safe place to worship. The building has been closed for years and needs significant rehabilitation.

    Michigan: Detroit Association of Women's Clubs
    Founded in 1921, the association was one of the first Black organizations in Detroit to own their headquarters building, which was purchased in 1941. But the building has been closed since 2024, when water pipes burst and damaged the interior. Money is needed to help the association reopen the building.

    New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah: Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape
    The landscape is an ancestral homeland sustained for over a millennium by the Pueblo and Hopi people, but is threatened by changes to federal land policy that could open up significant portions to oil and gas development. Permanent protections and tribal consultation are needed to protect its cultural integrity.

    Seneca Falls, New York: Women's Rights National Historical Park
    The park tells the story of the first Women's Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, in July 1848. It faces a deferred maintenance backlog of over $10 million. Additional funding and support are needed to help preserve the park as a place to teach visitors about the history of women's rights.

    New York: Stonewall National Monument
    The first and only U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history was the subject of administration actions that saw the rainbow Pride flag removed from its flagpole earlier this year before it was restored. The National Park Service had removed the flag in February, citing federal guidance that limited the agency to displaying only the American, Interior Department and POW/MIA flags. But the administration reversed course in April as it agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by advocacy and historic preservation groups that sought to block the flag's removal at the Manhattan site.

    After Trump returned to office, he ended diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and many references to transgender people were excised from the Stonewall monument’s website and materials. The Republican administration similarly has put national parks, museums and landmarks under a messaging microscope, aiming to remove or alter materials that it says are “divisive or partisan” or “inappropriately disparage Americans.”

    Philadelphia: The President's House Site
    The administration abruptly removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington, the first U.S. president, who lived there when Philadelphia served as the nation's capital. The exhibits were taken down as part of a broad effort by the administration to remove from federal properties information it deems “disparaging” to Americans. The issue is currently the subject of litigation between the city and federal government.

    Heath Springs, South Carolina: Hanging Rock Revolutionary War Battlefield
    The Battle of Hanging Rock was a key battle in the Southern Campaigns of the Revolutionary War and is considered a Patriot victory that helped boost morale and ultimately weaken British control in South Carolina. Only portions of the core battlefield are protected and open to the public, with the area anticipating population growth and increasing development pressures.

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