No Shiplap Here: Magnolia Table in Waco Is Worth the Drive Down I-35

The debut episode of Chip and Joanna Gaines’ HGTV home makeover series, Fixer Upper, aired in 2013. That pilot episode marked the beginning of the duo’s meteoric rise to fame. Along the way, they became the faces of HGTV, started their own Magnolia Network, produced more Fixer Upper spinoffs than we can count, and authored several New York Times bestsellers.

Chip and Joanna are bona fide Waco royalty. From their humble house-flipping days in the early 2000s, they’ve since gone on to amass a dynasty of epic proportions. Included in that dynasty: Their flagship restaurant Magnolia Table, a bakery (Silos Baking Co.), and artisanal coffee shop (Magnolia Press).
We’ve heard a lot about these places over the years. Some raved, some said they were overrated and overpriced. But when we found ourselves in Waco recently (90-ish miles south of Dallas), we went to see for ourselves.

Magnolia Table, which opened in 2018, oozes Chip and Joanna’s modern farmhouse-style flair — from the menu (many entrees incorporate produce from the Gaines’ personal garden) to the interior design. The space is bright and beautiful (as you’d expect), and you can see the complete renovation of it on Season 5, Episode 18 of Fixer Upper, which can be streamed on Max.
This place gets busy. We’ve read that weekend wait times can stretch well beyond an hour, and on a random Tuesday, it was packed nearly to capacity by the time we left. Magnolia Table is brunch-style until 3 p.m. daily, then at 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday transitions to a separate dinner menu.

We opened with Jo’s Buttermilk Biscuits — you can have them served with strawberry butter, sausage gravy or a flight of various house butters. The biscuits are Joanna’s personal recipe. We went with the biscuits and sausage gravy ($11.50), and when it comes to biscuits and gravy, this was upper-tier stuff. The gravy was on point, and the biscuits were big, sturdy, yet still light and fluffy inside.
Next was Magnolia Table’s Strawberry Champagne Salad ($16): Arugula, strawberries, apples, roasted almonds and finely shaved Pecorino Romano tossed in a house strawberry champagne vinaigrette. The price is a little steep for a meatless salad, but nonetheless, it’s a fine salad.

Some other brunch options include classic deviled eggs with brown sugar peppered bacon strips, assorted pastry baskets, lemon lavender donut holes, strawberry whipped cream-topped French toast coated in a caramel cornflake crunch, lemon blueberry pancakes, a slider flight, and the Gaines Brothers Burger (44 Farms beef on a brioche bun, melted Havarti, and your choice of jalapeno drip jam or bacon onion jam).

We wrapped up our weekday brunch with the 1919 Pimiento Grilled Cheese ($14), which comes with a cup of the daily house soup (that day it was chicken orzo). This grilled cheese comes on sourdough, and the pimiento really sets it apart from your average grilled cheese sandwich.

The Bakery and Coffee Shop

Our visit showed us that Magnolia Table isn’t just a gimmick, evidenced by its healthy Google and Yelp customer ratings (4.5 and 4.0, respectively). The food is good with an ambiance to match. Two miles away at Chip and Joanna’s bustling Magnolia Market (which encompasses two city blocks), you’ll find their bakery and coffee shop.

We stopped by the bakery for a cinnamon roll and an oatmeal cream cookie pie (if you’re a fan of Little Debbie oatmeal pies, this will rock your world) and then capped our stop in Waco with a latte from the Gaines’ stylish coffee shop, Magnolia Press.
Reservations for Magnolia Table aren't required, but they're encouraged to minimize wait time. A "Take Away Market" is also open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with limited to-go menu items, coffee, pastries and pre-boxed lunches.

Magnolia Table, 2132 S. Valley Mills Dr, Waco. Monday – Wednesday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Thursday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. (breakfast/lunch); 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. (dinner)

Silos Baking Co., 601 Webster Avenue, Waco. Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Magnolia Press, 418 S. 8th Street, Waco. Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.