Italian
"The problem with eating italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again." - George Miller
Baris
Good luck finding a parking spot in this hoppin' Italian spot on Valley Mills Drive. And, yes, you will get a ticket if you park next door and walk over (I can personally attest to this). From pizza to lasagna, Baris has all the Italian classics you could want/need at prices that will leave you more than satisfied.
904 North Valley Mills Drive
11am-10pm Tue-Thu; 11am-11pm Fri-Sat; 12pm-10pm Sun; Closed Mon
Di Campli’s Italian Ristorante
With a master’s degree from an Italian culinary school, Massimo Di Campli brings authentic home-made Italian food to Waco! With appetizers ranging from Burrata Caprese to Pizzas, and a dinner menu with everything from a Ribeye to a Short Rib Papardelle, Di Campli’s is an absolute hit.
6500 Woodway Drive, Ste 121
11am-2pm, 4-9pm Mon-Thu; 11am-10pm Fri-Sat; Closed Sun
La Bottega
Imagine a warm afternoon, lounging on a terrace in a hilltop town in Italy. You’re gathered with family and friends at a large table, talking and laughing and enjoying delicious cheese, wine and small bites while the sweetness of life and simple pleasures washes over you. Now imagine you could reproduce this sublime feeling in Waco.
9111 Jordan Lane
11am-8pm Tue-Wed; 11am-9pm Thu-Sat
Poppa Rollo's
A great place to take the kids, you can get great pizza, pasta, wings, and beer while they scamper off and play old-school video games or watch classic cartoons and movies. Poppa Rollo's has been doing it since 1969 with seating for up to 500. Their gluten-free pizza is so good that, when my wife ordered it, I didn't know it was a gluten-free crust.
703 North Valley Mills Drive; 1201 Hewitt Drive
11am-11:30pm Mon-Thu; 11am-12am Fri-Sat; 11am-11pm Sun
Portofino's
Located in the heart of downtown, Portofino's ambiance takes you back to intimate Italian restaurants you see in movies where everyone wears a suit. Wish everyone still wore a suit, if I'm being honest. The bruschetta is incredible and you can't go wrong with the chicken parmigiana or the baked ziti. You won't save room for dessert, but you should go ahead and get it, anyway.
725 Austin Avenue
4pm-9pm Sun-Mon, Wed-Thu; 4-10pm Fri; 1-10pm Sat; Closed Tue