Eat+Drink

Our Visit to Magnolia Table Waco, Texas!

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

On our road trip to Waco, Texas, to visit the Magnolia Market at the Silos, I thought we needed to have the entire Chip and Joanna Gaines experience, which means eating at their famous restaurant that serves up Magnolia Table recipes-Magnolia Table Waco, Texas.

Magnolia Table Waco, Texas. Try all the Magnolia Table recipes in person!

Magnolia Table Waco History

We arrived on a weekday around noon. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It amazes me how someone has the craft, the vision to make something old, and unwanted into something of pure beauty.

The Magnolia Table Waco once was a diner-style restaurant called the Elite Cafe. The Elite Cafe was open for business for over 100 years in Waco and one of the first spots in Waco to have air conditioning which, if you’ve been in Texas heat, you know how popular the Elite Cafe must have been.

Chip and Joanna Gaines kept some of the historical elements at the Magnolia Table from the Elite Café that fed Waco's locals for 100 years

After a devastating tornado in 1953, the Elite Cafe closed. Chip and Joanna Gaines purchased the property and began renovation, being careful to preserve its rich Waco history with a significant fresh look.

When we went to the restaurant, the exterior was getting a little “Fixer Upper.” Scaffolding was covering much of the outside. It was a bummer not to see the finished product, but I know historic buildings need much upkeep and care after a renovation.

Our Visit to the Magnolia Silos: Our family trip to the Magnolia Silos in Waco Texas. Read the guide to the silos HERE!

Magnolia Table

Reservations and Waiting for a Table

We traveled to Waco on weekdays, and I tried to get a reservation, but no luck. An estimate on the Magnolia Table website will tell you the current wait time for the restaurant. Forty-four minutes, not too shabby.

So we thought. We waited an hour and thirty minutes, then an hour inside for food. The restaurant is bustling, which is a good thing.

Just from experience, you will wait. Its a super popular spot.

Waiting for a table with a ginger-ale at Magnolia Table

There is a ‘Take Away+Market” you can browse while waiting or get a pastry and refreshments.

You can shop for some Magnolia merchandise like mugs, cookware, and Magnolia Table cookbooks. You can also order from the Magnolia menu to go.

Tips for the Magnolia Table Waco

  • I highly suggest getting a reservation. A ton of the time, they are not available. Just be prepared to wait if you do not have a reservation, and most of the waiting is outdoors. Bring an extra jacket, umbrella, whatever the weather may be.
  • If you have kids, especially young ones, the wait for the table is not fun, waiting for food is particularly not fun for the littles. Ipads, snacks, writing tablets, fidget boards help, just like you’re on a road trip or airplane ride. The wait is about that long.
  • Dogs are welcome at the Magnolia Table on the patio
  • The Take Away + Market has cake slices that are the same as the cupcakes at The Silo Baking Co. Just larger ;0
  • The Take Away and Market also have a butter flight to take home…buy it.

Magnolia Table Menu

I do not think we properly enjoyed our experience at the Magnolia Table. My kids and I ordered quickly, and I just wanted to eat and run because the three-year-old was over it at that point.

After we waited so long for a table, which is fine, I knew this going in.

If you are traveling with young children, try as hard as you may get a reservation. Kids do not have the resilience as us adults when waiting for food.

Visiting the Magnolia Market Silos: Heading to Waco for some fun in sun and family time at the Waco Silos? Here are some tips for a smooth trip and experience HERE.

The breadbasket at Magnolia Table. You can get some of the recipes in the Magnolia Table cookbook. we ran home and tried the zucchini bread which turned out amazing!

First things, first. Order the breadbasket. Order a glass of cold iced tea, fresh-brewed coffee, and hot chocolate depending on the weather to go with the bread basket.

Along with the Magnolia Table bread basket, order the butter flight. The strawberry butter is divine.

Joanna Gaines Zucchini Bread Recipe

I bought the Magnolia Table cookbook to have Joanna Gaines’s Zucchini Bread recipe. My kids, the pickest humans on the planet, absolutely loved the zucchini bread. The basket was our favorite part of the experience.

Farm Breakfast at the Magnolia Table

I second-guessed my meal at last second. I got the turkey melt sandwich. It was ok. I should have gone with my first choice, Gaines Brothers Burger.

It looked amazing.

My daughter got the farm breakfast and my son the yogurt granola.

All in all, we had a fantastic experience.

I highly recommend getting the Magnolia Table cookbook, first and second editions.

There are recipes from the Magnolia Table restaurant and The Silos Baking Co. at the Magnolia Market at the Silos. We tried Joanna Gaines Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe right when we got home.

I love my cookbook; I have loved the recipes I have tried thus far. The Magnolia Table zucchini bread recipe in the second edition is my whole family’s favorite.

This post may contain affiliate links. I may get a tiny commission for recommending items at no cost or obligation to you.

Comments are closed.

Pin It