A Green & Gold Guide to Baylor Homecoming

Perhaps it’s a little too on the nose to say that, while in Waco for Homecoming, you can enjoy treats made by Baylor alumni at 10, 2 and 4. Regardless, it isn’t far from the truth. Talented and enterprising Baylor graduates have made Waco their permanent home, offering tasty morsels and sumptuous sips for morning, noon and night. What follows is a roadmap to enjoying Baylor-made bites and beverages throughout your visit. 

MORNING 

STREET DOG CAFÉ 

While the name may suggest hot dogs, Street Dog Café offers a culinary experience worthy of culinary awards. Housed in the building many Baylor alumni will remember as Lula Jane’s, Street Dog has set a new standard over the past three years, serving some of the best morning fares in Central Texas. 

To begin, they brew Merit Coffee, a statewide benchmark for exceptional coffee, and pair it with an extensive selection of breakfast and brunch items, including plenty of options for those with dietary restrictions. You'll find scratch-made pastries, biscuits, flavored breads and muffins, alongside familiar favorites like hashes and toasts. But there are some real surprises, too. 

Order a breakfast pizza and watch Street Dog shine. Caramelized onions, bacon, egg and cheddar combine atop brioche bread to create a morning symphony. 

The café’s name also reflects one of its founding principles: regularly partnering with area shelters and animal rescues to improve the lives of local dogs and the people who care for them. 

Easter egg: Missing Lula Jane’s Baked Oatmeal? Street Dog still has it! The recipe was passed down and remains on the menu. 

BAKED BLISS 

To find a genuine taste of home cooking and the intoxicatingly cozy scent of freshly baked goods, look no further than Baked Bliss. Beginning in a home kitchen with cherished family recipes, the business grew to offer cinnamon rolls, scones, kolaches and other pastries from a convenient food truck. 

For well over a decade, Baked Bliss has delivered pastry goodness to Waco. Its baking operation eventually moved into a brick-and-mortar location near downtown, while the food truck remains part of the business, bringing heirloom-inspired treats to hungry patrons. 

The cupcakes, crowned with rich icing, are indulgent and feature flavors that change with the seasons. But the scones are where Baked Bliss truly shines, with savory and sweet varieties sure to satisfy the hungriest Bear. 

Can't decide? Breakfast combinations offer the best of both worlds, pairing heartier dishes with miniature pastries. Want a slice of quiche and a mini-cinnie? Baked Bliss has you covered. 

Easter egg: Beyond individual retail sales, Baked Bliss offers an extensive catering and takeout menu, including whole pies available to order. The Pumpkin Chiffon Pie reimagines a time-honored classic and, if you have a large party to share it with, is not to be missed. 

NOON 

CHA COMMUNITY 

Moving closer to campus, Waco's boba and dumpling staple, Cha Community, is now just steps from Baylor at Eighth Street near Common Grounds. This alumni-owned business offers much more than a quick bite for patrons heading home or strolling along the Bear Trail. 

These cultural trendsetters have become a go-to destination for soup dumplings, steamed buns, formal and informal tea services, and an impressive spectrum of beverages, from coffee to boba and beyond. 

But the inviting storefront represents more than a retail business. It's a gathering place where Cha Community seeks to build relationships and bridge cultural gaps, all while serving delicious dishes and drinks. 

Easter egg: With a nod to bento-style dining, the Braised Pork Box offers the best of all worlds, combining its featured entrée with rice and dumplings to satisfy both hunger and culinary curiosity. 

REVIVAL EASTSIDE EATERY  

On any list of Waco's best burgers, Revival routinely appears at or near the top. Firmly established in the city's dining culture, this East Side favorite is both a weekday lunch destination and an ideal weekend date spot, marrying locally sourced, farmers market-quality ingredients with innovative preparations. 

From the same team dedicated to wholesome recipes and dishes at Street Dog, Revival proves that a great meal requires no compromises. Ambience, service, food quality and, yes, those fries are all operating at peak performance. 

Whether you choose a fresh, hearty salad (try the Eve, featuring roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts alongside apples and dried cranberries) or a pepper jack and sriracha-fueled burger (that would be the Elijah), Revival delivers food worthy of serious appreciation without a hint of pretension. 

Easter egg: As we've been saying for years (and meaning it), the secret star of the menu remains the Technicolor Dreamcoat sandwich. But don't overlook the burgers featuring Revival's caramelized balsamic onions or balsamic onion bacon jam. Both send the flavor into the stratosphere. 

DINNER 

JD’S 

Dining with a cause has never been so delicious. JD's Café, a combination of culinary creativity, catering and community service, rose from literal ashes.  

Decades ago, JD's Art Café, a quaint favorite among Baylor students, caught fire and closed, depriving Waco of a beloved, independent institution. Fast-forward to 2024, when JD's reemerged like a phoenix, bringing high-quality cuisine to a warm, casual setting while renewing its commitment to the surrounding community. 

Now located in Woodway rather than downtown, JD's is dedicated to alleviating food insecurity, partnering with local nonprofits to address community needs. 

Its menu features fresh, inventive fusion dishes that combine culinary traditions and bright ingredients. The Filipino Chicken Adobo and Three-Chili Ribeye, for example, demonstrate how the kitchen marries Central Texas sensibilities with global flavors. 

JD's is also an excellent choice for groups with dietary restrictions, offering gluten-free options for nearly everything and identifying potential allergens on its menu. Add impeccable service, a bright and welcoming space that makes the most of natural light, and a convenient grab-and-go menu, and you've got a destination for just about any Bear. 

Easter egg: Lunch and dinner are excellent choices (and we can't praise the Cowboy Steak Frites, served with "Perfect" fries, enough), but brunch may be the real standout. Chicken and a Blueberry Waffle, topped with just the right amount of syrup, is perfect for powering through a bad day or celebrating a great one. 

YAKI 

Make a list of the local haunts Baylor alumni miss most after leaving Waco, and you'll find a diverse collection of eateries and cozy corners. But among those nostalgic favorites, one dish holds a special place: a box of pillowy rice, a protein of choice, a generous helping of favorite "Soss" and a slaw that offers more than a passing nod to eating your vegetables. 

In the ultimate expression of "if you know, you know," Yaki has become not only a mainstay of Baylor student diets but a treasured part of the Waco experience. 

Its appeal is straightforward: simple presentation, thoughtful preparation and plenty of options. Choose your protein, select your Soss and perhaps add a side of Nugs. Trust us, the Soss is boss. 

Together, those ingredients have made this Waco-only staple a favorite among generations of hungry Bears. 

Easter egg: Did we say "a side of Nugs"? Yes. Yes, we did. And no one who makes that choice has ever regretted it. 

ANYTIME/DESSERT 

HERITAGE CREAMERY 

Gone are many of the soda shops and ice cream parlors of old. Supermarket shelves stocked with endless flavors, combined with the convenience of delivery, have made seeking out a scoop from a specialty shop something of a deliberate excursion. And in Texas, Blue Bell casts a particularly large shadow (its CEO is a Baylor alum, by the way). 

But if ever there were a reason to make a special trip, Heritage Creamery provides it. 

With high-quality, homemade ice cream and a focus on inventive, unexpected flavors, Heritage elevates familiar favorites with the culinary flair you'd expect from a white-tablecloth restaurant.  

Take the Salty Vanilla Bean, which adds just enough salt to amplify the vanilla's sweetness. Or the butter pecan, made richer with brown butter. Even cookies and cream gets a distinctly Baylor-inspired treatment, pairing green ice cream with golden cookies. 

More than just something "for the 'Gram," Heritage's scoops are worth seeking out, whether you're visiting for Homecoming or simply enjoying a Friday night in Waco. And if you attended Baylor in the past decade, you probably already know. 

Easter egg: Don't sleep on Heritage's cookies. Better yet, order an ice cream sandwich and mix and match cookie and ice cream flavors for a little mad science of the most delicious kind. 

DICHOTOMY 

Downtown Waco has undergone more than a few transformations. Businesses have come and gone along Austin Avenue, but one of its most enduring establishments remains a Baylor and Waco favorite. 

Dichotomy Coffee has evolved with the times while staying true to its dedication to the art of coffee and the ideal coffeehouse atmosphere. 

Long committed to sourcing exceptional beans from around the world, Dichotomy eventually cut out the middleman and launched its own roasting enterprise, Apex Roasters. Today, those beans anchor an expansive coffee menu complemented by teas, matcha and other steeped beverages, perfect for starting the day or easing through a leisurely afternoon downtown.  

Easter egg: Combining two distinctly Waco favorites, the 1885 blends Apex espresso with Dr Pepper (along with a hint of vanilla and splash of half-and-half) for a taste of the region, with just enough sweetness and caffeine to energize any Baylor visit. 

POP’S LEMONADE 

It comes as no surprise that summers last impossibly long in Central Texas. Every Baylor student learns that the hot months begin in April and don't relent until well into fall (and those 90-degree Christmases on Fifth aren't as rare as we'd like to think).  

Fortunately, there's a refreshing way for Bears to beat the heat. 

Whether at a Baylor basketball game, a campus pop-up or the brick-and-mortar location on Franklin Avenue, Pop's Lemonade offers just the thing to counter an endless summer. 

Its balance of tart and sweet is precisely what the forecast demands, delivering an icy burst of refreshment when the Texas sun is at its most relentless. 

Choose a familiar favorite like Classic, Strawberry or Pop Palmer, or venture into more adventurous territory with Blackberry Cinnamon or Piña Colada. Whatever your preference, this Baylor alumni-owned business is rarely far from reach.  

Easter egg: Despite the summer focus, Golden Hour Lemonade, with its blend of cinnamon, vanilla and apple, is delightfully fall-coded. 

NOTE: With so many Baylor alumni-owned food and beverage establishments calling Waco home, it's tough to keep track of them all. New businesses continue to emerge, and there are only so many hours (and meals and snacks) in a day. If we've overlooked a Baylor alumni-owned restaurant or food service business, please email Community_Relations@baylor.edu and let us know!