Feastio

  • Restaurants
  • Drinks
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Destinations
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Destinations
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Texas

    10 Coffee Shops in Waco Where You Can Sip, Read, and Relax

    Published: May 13, 2025 by Dave Lee

    Waco's coffee shop scene offers a charming mix of cute cafes and stylish hangouts popular with college students. Since I started attending Baylor football and basketball games with Kel in 2021, the city has grown on me.

    Chalkboard menu at Street Dog Cafe in East Waco, TX.
    Chalkboard menu at Street Dog Cafe

    With each visit, I've explored more of Waco's restaurants and cafes—from craft pour-overs at Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits to Magnolia Press by Chip and Joanna Gaines. Here's where to sip, savor, and enjoy the city's cafe culture.

    Table of Contents

    • Waco Cafes
      • 1. For Keeps Coffee & Bakery
      • 2. Bitty & Beau's Coffee
      • 3. Fabled Bookshop & Cafe
      • 4. Pinewood Coffee Bar
      • 5. Magnolia Press Coffee Co.
      • 6. The Cafe at Hotel 1928
      • 7. Be Kind Coffee
      • 8. Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits
      • 9. Street Dog Cafe
      • 10. Milk Bottle Cookies

    Waco Cafes

    1. For Keeps Coffee & Bakery

    Ginger molasses cookie and an iced latte at For Keeps Coffee & Bakery.
    A ginger molasses cookie and an iced latte

    For Keeps Coffee in Waco is a third-wave shop founded by Cameron and Danielle Philgreen. It combines their creative backgrounds (as wedding photographers and real estate investors) with a passion for high-quality coffee.

    This multi-roaster cafe emphasizes ethically sourced coffee beans and offers a variety of single-origin pour-overs. An on-site bakery crafts fresh pastries daily. This past winter, the chocolate gingerbread loaf was a nice complement to my vanilla bean pistachio cappuccino.

    I adore the minimalist design aesthetic at For Keeps Coffee. This local favorite has plenty of seating, yet it's always full when I drop by.

    The parking lot is tiny, so it's usually easier to head straight for street parking on N 37th Street. 3619 Bosque Blvd, Waco, TX, forkeepscoffee.com

    2. Bitty & Beau's Coffee

    Watermelon iced tea and a cold brew with foam at Bitty and Beau's, one of the best coffee shops in Waco.
    Watermelon iced tea and a cold brew with foam

    It took me a little too long to discover Bitty & Beau's Coffee, given it's in the heart of downtown Waco, a block south of the Brazos River.

    According to their website, "Bitty & Beau's Coffee is a human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop, where people with intellectual & developmental disabilities are valued in the workplace. It's a place where diversity isn't just appreciated, it's celebrated."

    The founders' family inspired the business. Bitty and Beau are two of Amy and Ben Wright's four children who were born with Down syndrome. A third was born with autism. What began as a single coffee shop in Wilmington, North Carolina, has expanded to 18 locations nationwide.

    Pastry case at Bitty & Beau's Coffee.
    Baked goods at Bitty & Beau's

    When Kel and I visited Bitty & Beau's, the friendly staff welcomed us warmly. The pastry case was chock-full of bagels, cookies, Rice Krispies, and fresh muffins.

    I ordered a cold brew with foam, and Kel got a refreshing watermelon iced tea and a lemon cranberry muffin. In addition to standard espresso drinks, they serve chai and matcha lattes (hot or cold), frappes, and fruit smoothies.

    The next time you're craving coffee or tea in Waco, consider the difference you can make in people's lives by spending a few dollars at Bitty & Beau's. 110 Franklin Avenue, Waco, TX, bittyandbeauscoffee.com

    3. Fabled Bookshop & Cafe

    The coffee counter inside Fabled Bookshop and Cafe.
    The coffee counter

    If you're a coffee lover looking for a quiet place with a cozy atmosphere, head for Fabled Bookshop & Cafe, a few blocks south of Bitty & Beau's. A J.R.R. Tolkien-inspired mural adorns the side of the building, and a six-foot-tall wooden owl greets guests inside the front door.

    After posing with the owl for a photo, Kel made a beeline for the books while I visited the coffee counter. Delicious drinks, like the Harry Potter-inspired Muggle Mocha, are named after literary characters.

    Channeling my childhood reading, I ordered the Hunny Pot Latte, a spiced honey latte with ground cinnamon inspired by Winnie the Pooh. Milk Bottle Cookies are available if you're hungry. 215 S 4th St, Waco, TX, fabledbookshop.com

    4. Pinewood Coffee Bar

    Pinewood is one of the best coffee shops in Waco, TX.
    A record player playing The Talking Heads

    The coolness factor at Pinewood Social is off the charts, from the vinyl records spinning behind the bar to housemade syrups like salted rosemary maple (yes, please!)

    This roaster, coffee shop, and public house (i.e., bar) focuses on the basics and does them well. They even bundle whole bean coffee with records to listen to while you sip your brew at home.

    Inside, you'll likely find Baylor University students and others on laptops around the bar. I haven't had much luck getting a seat inside, but when the weather is nice, there's a lovely tree-covered patio to enjoy. Customers can bring a packed lunch to eat at Pinewood if they order a drink. 2223 Austin Ave B, Waco, TX, pinewoodwaco.com

    5. Magnolia Press Coffee Co.

    Chocolate cake and a winter spice latte at Magnolia Press Coffee Co.
    Chocolate cake and a winter spice latte

    No story about Waco would be complete without mentioning Magnolia, the wildly popular retail and hospitality brand that Chip and Joanna Gaines created.

    A few months before I visited Magnolia Table for breakfast, I grabbed a winter spice latte and chocolate cake at Magnolia Press Coffee Co at The Silos. Despite chilly, wet weather, the line was still out the door. The coffee shop, which opened at the Silos in 2020, is enormous. It fills a space in a historic building previously used for yoga and CrossFit.

    As I've come to expect from anything Joanna Gaines touches, the branding and interior design are attractive. An assortment of pastries made fresh daily was on display.

    My default is chocolate, so I chose the Magnolia Press chocolate cake with buttercream filling, which felt like a fancy Hostess snack. The hot, spiced latte on a cold and dreary day served to warm me up before we drove the 90 miles back to Austin. 418 S 8th St, Waco, TX, magnolia.com

    6. The Cafe at Hotel 1928

    Cafe seating at Hotel 1928.
    Cafe seating

    Five blocks north of the Silos is another Gaines' Fixer Upper project, the Hotel 1928, which opened on November 3, 2023. The beautifully appointed hotel features a cafe with seating overlooking the two-story library, in a living room-like space with a fireplace, and a room with windows.

    Whether staying at the hotel or dropping by to look inside the common areas and dining spaces, The Cafe at Hotel 1928 is worth a few minutes of your time. Drip coffee, espresso drinks, matcha lattes, and tea are available, as are a small selection of pastries and light bites. 701 Washington Ave, Waco, TX, hotel1928.com

    7. Be Kind Coffee

    Iced pink horchaita made with strawberry, chai, and breve at Be Kind Coffee.
    Iced pink horchaita (strawberry, chai, breve)

    Be Kind Coffee, founded in 2021 by Waco native Will Suarez and Alex Sanchez, is a third-wave coffee shop committed to fostering community through kindness. It's right there in the name.

    The cafe offers a vegan-friendly menu, including specialty lattes like the honey oat milk-based Be Kind Latte and an on-site bakery known for its chocolate chip cookies.

    Suarez's design background and Sanchez's food photography experience contribute to the shop's fun branding and atmosphere. Together, they aim to create a welcoming space where quality coffee and compassion go hand in hand.1534 Washington Ave, Waco, TX, bekindcoffeecrew.com

    Note: Be Kind Coffee's second location in Union Hall is temporarily closed.

    8. Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits

    A mural by Anna Charney inside Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits in downtown Waco.
    A colorful mural by Anna Charney

    For more than 10 years, Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits has occupied a renovated storefront in downtown Waco. A mix of modern and vintage elements defines the space. The interior features exposed brickwork, floor tiles reminiscent of the original shop, and furnishings by local artisans.

    The coffee house serves a range of espresso-based drinks, including macchiatos, cortados, cappuccinos, lattes, and batch brew coffee, all made with beans from local roastery Apex Coffee Roasters.

    Unique offerings like the "1885"—a combination of espresso and Dr Pepper over ice—highlight their innovative approach to coffee. A rooftop deck provides views of downtown and delivers a distinctive coffee experience in Waco. 508 Austin Ave, Waco, TX, dichotomycs.com

    9. Street Dog Cafe

    Coffee, pastries, and quiche at Street Dog Cafe in Waco.
    Coffee, chai, pastries, and quiche

    Street Dog Cafe is on a mission "to bring awareness to helping dogs get foster placements or adopted into their forever families." This breakfast and lunch spot provides drip coffee and espresso drinks with housemade syrups.

    When Kel and I stopped by this new coffee shop in East Waco for breakfast on a Wednesday morning, we ordered an assortment of goodies to fuel our drive home:

    • Cappuccino
    • Chai latte
    • Parmesan herb biscuit
    • Breakfast cookie (nuts, seeds, cranberries, and peanut butter)
    • Vegetarian quiche

    Street Dog Cafe sells custom desserts, including a chocolate cake with espresso buttercream frosting and strawberry rhubarb pie. 406 Elm Ave, Waco, TX, streetdogcafe.com

    10. Milk Bottle Cookies

    Marigold and Dirt Box cookies from Milk Bottle Cookies.
    Marigold and "Cup of Dirt" cookies

    I'm including Milk Bottle Cookies on my list as we're superfans. Since 2021, we've stopped by to pick up cookies a half-dozen times. Chocolate-dipped strawberry, red velvet, chocolate chip, marigold, and "Cup of Dirt" cookies—we've tried them all.

    The first cookie we tried, "Better Than Sex," remains our favorite. As Milk Bottle Cookies' Instagram account describes, it's "chocolate dough packed with Heath bar bits, dark chocolate nibs, and wrapped in creamy vanilla buttercream, topped with more Heath dust and a drizzle of caramel."

    The menu offers espresso drinks, pour-overs, cold brew, chai, milk (of course), and tea to enjoy with your cookies. 218 S 11th St, Waco, TX, milkbottlecookies.com

    Whether you’re in town for a Baylor game, a weekend getaway, or just passing through, the best coffee shops in Waco offer more than a caffeine fix. They reflect the city’s creative energy and sense of community, one cup at a time.

    Related Stories

    • Pasta|Bar lasagna (credit: Sarah Block Photography).
      My Pasta Bar Experience, From Aperol Cocktails to Punk Rock Desserts
    • Eel with bone marrow (credit: Suzi Pratt Photos).
      Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: One Meal, 17 Courses, and a Whole Lot of Sake
    • LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue beef cheek.
      My Thoughts on Texas Monthly’s 2025 List of the 50 Best BBQ Joints
    • Dave Lee at Hotel Drover (photo by Kelly Lemons).
      My Weekend at Hotel Drover: Western Charm in Fort Worth's Historic Stockyards
    142 shares
    • Share
    • Email
    Dave Lee

    Dave Lee

    Food Writer

    I'm on a mission to find the best food in Texas and beyond.

    About Me

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Dave Lee
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Subscribe

    Contact

    • dave(at)feastio.com

    Copyright © 2025 Feastio

    142 shares
    • 142