Waco, Texas may just be known for being “that town between Austin and Dallas”, but if you need a little break on the long drive between these two big Texas towns, you might want to stop by and try a few of the best restaurants the town has to offer.
When it comes to Italian food in Waco, Texas, Baris is definitely the place to eat. It’s not just one of the best restaurants in town, but one of the cheapest, as well. You’ll find Baris on Valley Mills Drive, Waco’s main drag. It doesn’t look like much on the outside, being in one of the older, smaller buildings on the road, but take a step inside and the smell of fresh homemade rolls lets you know that you are definitely going to enjoy your meal.
Baris offers a wide variety of Italian dishes, but a basic big bowl of their spaghetti with meatballs, which will only cost you around $5.00, is one of the best items on their menu. Their marinara sauce is amazing, and they use the extremely thick and flavorful tomato sauce on most dishes on the menu. My husband is more of a spaghetti-and-meatballs kind of guy (although he does like to add mushrooms), but one of my favorite items on the menu is the eggplant parmigiana. It’s very light, making it a great dish for dieters, and it’s topped with plenty of that wonderful sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese (it, too, costs just around $5.00). Another great dish is the pasta sampler, and Baris also makes a pretty good pizza; you can even purchase one large slice of their special or cheese pizza for about $2.00 to go along with your meal if you want to try it along with something else on the menu.
But despite all of the amazing Italian dishes that one of the best restaurants in Waco, Texas has to offer, one of the things I love most about Baris is the house salad dressing. Just get a small Baris salad along with your meal (it’s topped with plenty of shredded mozzarella cheese, black olives, mushrooms, and a pepperoncini, and it’s really not all that small) and top it off with plenty of the oil, vinegar, and tomato-based house dressing; I could seriously eat the stuff with a spoon! It’s tangy, rich, and utterly addicting, and it’s even great along with the gigantic fresh-baked rolls that come along with your meal. I often find myself dribbling a little bit of it on the bread just because I simply can’t get enough!
The restaurant is BYOB, though most patrons prepare to wine and dine. Just let your waiter or waitress know you’ve brought a bottle, and they’ll pop the cork and bring you a few glasses.
Baris is located at 904 North Valley Mills Drive, and the phone number for the restaurant is (254)772-2900 (you can make orders for pick-up). The staff here are always extremely friendly and attentive, even though the restaurant is sometimes packed with an eclectic mix of college students and families who appreciate the amazing food that’s so amazingly priced. You’ll often see “Mama Baris” at the checkout counter, and she’s always friendly and gracious to her guests. Unfortunately, Baris is closed on Monday, and it can be difficult to find a parking spot, but it’s worth the wait.
It’s hard to believe that in a town like Waco, Texas that prides itself on its barbeque and Tex-Mex, one of the best restaurants in town is this quaint little Italian restaurant, but it’s a nice break from the stereotypical Texas fare.
