Waco, better known for Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Magnolia store at the Silos then it is for anything else. I doubt most people had even heard of Waco before Fixer Upper, the house renovation show on HGTV starring the Gaines. Well, me either! But now I have been to Waco 3 times to see Magnolia at the Silos and always enjoy this amazing place the Gaines have created. I call it the Disneyland for adult women.
So a couple weeks ago my dear friend from Idaho came to Texas. It was a short weekend but on the list of “to-dos” was definitely to make it out to Waco, TX. It’s about a 3 hour drive from San Antonio, each way! But that time truly flew by as we caught up on everything over the car ride.
In my previous visits the Magnolia Table restaurant did not exist yet, so this trip it was a must! When we arrived in Waco we went straight to the restaurant as it was already 11:30 am and we thought we could grab an early lunch before making it over to the Silos. But forget it! There was a 2 1/2 hour wait! What! Fortunately, they send you a text when your table is ready but you have to be back within 7 minutes of that text or they might give your table away! With that long of a wait we figured we would jump back in the car and go see the Magnolia store and head back to Magnolia restaurant about 30 minutes before our table is ready, sounds like a perfect plan!
From Magnolia Table the Silos are only about 5 or so minute drive
At the Silos it was busy but it was a Saturday so that’s to be expected. The Magnolia Bakery had a line out the door per usual, so we skipped this. We first headed to the Magnolia Seed store to see all the plants Joanna has. It is super cute and has a little shed & green house amongst the garden. Inside the Seed store you can find pots, faux plants, gardening tools, seeds, etc.
Right before the Seed Shop we stopped at the flower stand and I got a lovely little arrangement of flowers nicely wrapped up to take home. Guess what, all these flowers were faux! Honestly, had us fooled at first because they look and almost feel so real! The flowers are really great quality and the stems and leaves are pliable.
The Magnolia Store is one of the main things you see when you walk onto the lot. We headed right in with no line. The Spring theme greeted us at the entrance and we made our way through the crowded store. All of the online items are displayed in store and showcased in ways to help you see how it could look in your house.
Didn’t feel like long at the Silos before we got a text that our table was ready, a whole hour early! Well, we knew we only had 7 minutes to get back to the restaurant to get our table so we hustled out of the Silos and literally made it in time with not a minute to spare!
The décor of Magnolia Table was bistro style with cute black and white stripped umbrellas on the outside tables for those eating at the to-go window. Inside the black and white theme continued, with subway and penny tiles on the flooring and walls, wood and metal accents and touches of green plants through out, complete Joanne Gaines style! The kitchen was open air, so you could sit at the bar and watch the chefs cook. We sat at a little table near the back along the window.
The Food at Magnolia Table did not disappoint! Honestly the whole menu sounded lovely! With choices for vegetarians and they even have housemade gluten-free bread!
We shared the parmesan & chive tater-tots with a side of ketchup. Perfectly golden brown and crispy on the outside but warm and tender inside! And a decent serving too!
We both ordered the freshly squeezed Prickly Pear Lemonade mainly because we got to keep the cute glass jar it was served in. The lemonade was also amazing, not too sweet!
My friend got the turkey sandwich on gluten-free bread, which was stacked high with deli sliced turkey, havarti cheese, tomato and lettuce with a pickle wedge and side of potato chips. I opted for the veggie wrap filled with heirloom tomatoes, avocado, watermelon radish, onion, lettuce and to-die-for buttermilk ranch dressing (I need this recipe). A side of assorted berries came with the wrap as well.
The menu had a great selection depending if you wanted lunch or breakfast. Salads, sandwiches, quiches, burgers, biscuits, pancakes, eggs, sausage, etc. We did not get any breakfast foods but the table next to us did and they were all raving about their meal. So next time, I’ll try the breakfast.
Our bill came with two little wax paper wrapped caramels, that just was the cherry on top!
After lunch, we both wanted to head to Joanna’s Little Shop on Bosque street. This is where Joanna opened up her original Magnolia store back in the day and has reopened it to house her old seasonal or slightly damaged items on great discount, 40-60% or more off the sale prices.
TIP: if you bought something at Magnolia at the Silos you get an extra 10% off here
Definitely found a few items to take back to San Antonio.
If you have never been to Waco, TX to see the Magnolia shops and restaurant I would highly recommend you to visit! It really is a fun day and everyone is so nice who work at Magnolia. If you want to avoid the crowds try to visit on a weekday as weekends are guaranteed to be busy and have lines.
