Candidate for interview coming from Austin to Dallas, agreed to meet halfway at Waco. Not knowing much about Waco eateries decided to check Yelp. Took a chance on 1424 Bistro for the dinner meeting/interview and was pleasantly surprised. Good service, small menu with some eclectic choices. Tried the crawfish étouffée and was pleased, good flavors and nice portion size. Wait staff was attentive, very reasonable prices, convenient location. Will definitely try again next time we are in town. read more

Do yourself a favor...don't expect much. Cheese and fruit tray for 16.00 was laughable. Cubed cheese, grapes, sliced orange and crackers! The special tonight was flounder picatta. Haha. Dry fish and no wine sauce, capers nor lemon. Manager was "too busy" to talk with us. Won't be back. read more

Awesome local establishment. This family owned restaurant has great food, drinks, and a comfortable atmosphere. A true Waco original.

WOW Waco!!! You succeeded in transporting me to the likes of one of the finest restaurants in the big city this evening. The service from the moment I entered was so welcoming and accommodating. Sam was my server and she was completely lovely- from the moment she greeted me with water and a beautiful smile, to helping me with each selection that went into building a fabulous meal. I started with the house salad which was fresh and simple so as not to confuse the palate (get the homemade creamy Greek dressing), then the Sea Bass-perfectly prepared-with the lemon carrot rice & snap peas, all fresh and flavorful! And from someone who generally passes on the bread, I recommend a cheat night. This fluffy, buttery goodness is melt in your mouth worth it! The chocolate creme brûlée was the big finish and it did not disappoint! You would be hard pressed to find a better chocolate dessert anywhere. This will be my go-to every time I am in Waco! read more

We always go to 1424 for special occasions. I'd recommend making a reservation just because then you're guaranteed a table. Our waiters have always been fantastic and the food is amazing. We've yet to be disappointed! read more

My husband and I were visiting Waco, and we definitely recommend this place if you want to try a local business. Our waiter started by letting us know their daily specials, and even gave us a few recommendations. She made sure we were enjoying our time there from start to finish. 1424 had great owners, employees, and delicious food. We can't wait to be back in the area to enjoy it all over again! read more

I went here for the first time yesterday for dinner with my significant other l. We were traveling from Austin to Dallas and thought we'd have dinner at a min-chain restaurant. Horrible service, we were seated and then not spoken to for 10-15 min. We ended up standing up & leaving and going to Red Lobster (which only had two stars on yelp). We read previous reviews about 1424 in regards to slow service but were hopeful only to be extremely disappointed. Hopefully the owner will get a clue and increase the staff. read more

What a treat we had in store when we arrived at 1424 Bistro for dinner tonight after it was recommended to us to try while visiting Waco. Once inside we found a charming dining area and an attentive and knowledgeable waitress. The four of us had different entrees and each was perfection. The 1424 Wellington was cooked perfectly, the lamb chops were presented beautifully and tasted wonderful and the Orange Roughy with crab in a dill cream sauce was one of the best seafood dishes I have had (and I live on the Gulf Coast). It will definitely be on my itinerary when returning to Waco and I will recommend it to friends. I wish I lived closer as I would be a regular! read more

Terrible experience! Paid out the rear for special Valentine dinner for a bad meal. Severely overpriced. I don't mind paying for a good meal but this was awful. Our waiter was nice but the when we asked to pay for partial (what we ate) and our drinks they still way overpriced us. Appetizer was some grapes 2 pieces of cheese and 2 crackers. Then small bowl of potatoes soup and a small salad for $50! I was doing my best to tolerate the meal until our over cooked shrimp and steak came out. We asked for a manager and she never came. My husband went to find her and the first thing she said was "I'm extremely busy, what do you need?" This used to be our favorite place to go and splurge at but never again and I will tell everyone in Waco the same. read more

I asked at work for a nice restaurant for Wife's birthday. I was told that 1424 was really great for a special occasion restaurant. We drove the 35 miles to try this place out. I was pleasantly surprised when we entered. It was like we were entering an old brick wine cellar with alcoves, brick pillars, and a cement floor that told you this place had been used for different venues over the years. There were high wood plank ceilings that made you think there was a floor above. Overall it was almost intimate. The noise level was low, the ambiance romantic. Our server approached us quickly and immediately told us that the A/C had gone out and there was a party of 45 in the back room. She let us know they were a little slower than usual but that she would do her best to make sure we enjoyed our dinner. The place was warm. I had to remove my sport coat and tie. They had ceiling fans all over but never turned them on. I had 6 of the raw blue point oysters to start. The horseradish was perfect, the sauce had just a touch of spicy. The oysters were a big hit! Wife always watches closely while I enjoy slurping fresh oysters, but reuses to try them. She said the rapture on my face while eating them is amazing to watch. For a main course Wife ordered the scallops with orange Vermouth butter sauce on rice ($26) and I had the lamb shank with mushroom gravy ($18), accompanied by roasted corn and steamed broccoli. We started with a Caesar Salad that our server told us had hand-made Caesar dressing prepared by her, and asked how we liked our dressing. I told her that I preferred a bold Caesar that made the corners of my jaw tingle. The dressing fell far short of that, but was still much better than normal Caesar out of a jar. In the perfect amount of time our main course arrived.Every bite was an absolute waltz in my mouth. Even the broccoli was perfectly cooked with just a tiny bit of crunch. The roasted corn with tiny pieces of pimento and onion was over the top with flavor. The lamb shank? Oohhh my goodness. It was a "mouthgasm". It was cooked to perfection and fell off the bone with the slightest effort, but not overcooked. The lamb taste was mild and sweet. The rosemary did not overwhelm the lamb, it was a perfect embellishment.The portions were plentiful, the plate looked full and the presentation was perfect. Wife said her scallops were perfectly cooked, not overcooked like many places. She loved her rice and enjoyed the salad. For dessert Wife had a chocolate silk cake that was excellent. I had a vanilla Crème Brûlée that was close to perfection, but the top crust was paper-thin, just a hair too thin but that is a minor point. So why didn't this adorable romantic bistro rate 5 stars? It was the fine details that killed it. So here is my Good, Bad, and Ugly. The Good - The ambiance, the service, and the food was amazing. The server letting us know that service may be a little slow due to the large party, but we thought the timing and the service were perfect. The place is clean. The bathrooms, while very plain and utilitarian, were spotless. Our server cared, and although all the servers were shiny with a sheen of perspiration from the lack of AC, they did their jobs professionally. The food was worth every penny! The Bad - They did not turn on the fans to get some air moving, it got hot. Our table was close to track lights that put out tons of heat. They really need to invest in low heat or LED bulbs. My salad dressing was not bad, per se, but I was so excited when the server told me she understood how I liked it, and it just did not measure up. The Ugly - This is where they lost a star. The bread they brought to the table seemed like an afterthought. Instead of warm and tasty it was cold, tasted old, was chewy and almost stale. (In restaurants that I managed when younger, we found that the smell of fresh baked bread increased our sales) The butter, instead of a nice whipped butter, came in individual plastic and foil cups, the kind you get in any cafeteria or old coffee shop. The bread course introduces you to the fare to come, and this course failed miserably. Because this was a birthday dinner, I called ahead for reservations and specifically told the gentleman that it was a birthday dinner and to make sure the server knew. He told me Wife's dessert would be on-the-house and he would take care of it. They failed. The server comp'd both our deserts after I pointed out the problem, but I was disappointed because they did not sing or put a candle on the cake. The server said had she known, she would have made dessert special. They also could have told me the place was a little warm and we would have dressed quite differently. I hope the owner reads this and makes a few changes. When I spend $100 for dinner I really want it to be excellent, and it almost was. I really want to give this place 5 stars, and hope we can. They are so close! We shall return soon and try it again! read more

TL;DR LITERALLY the worst dining experience I have ever had. Go ANYWHERE else, Taco Bell, a soup kitchen, Denny's, your own house... Full disclosure, I am a food industry professional with years of experience owning and managing full-service upscale restaurants. I was in Waco on business not long ago. Each night of our stay a different associate of my group picked a place for dinner. I had my eye on this place but one of my guys picked it the night before I could. I'm glad it was him and not me... We walked in and noticed a pic of local hero David Crowder on the wall. We took it as a good sign. We were wrong, and Mr. Crowder should ask them to remove his visage from this place. We were sat at a table in the charming brick-walled dining room and given menus. I asked for a wine list and after about 5 minutes the hostess returned with it. The server had not yet arrived for a greet, so we assumed we would have plenty of time to look for a bottle to go with our appetizers. Once the server showed up we all had decided to forgo the wine as the selection was, shall we say, not so great. We ordered Calamari with Marinara as an appetizer. One of the first things out of our server's mouth was that he was not from Waco, he was Florida, and he was not fond of Waco, or Texas. I think he thinks we were judging him as being a local yokel or some such thing as he was very strenuous on this point. Maybe because we obviously are from out of town...? I dunno. Anyhow, we look over the menu and realize that the kitchen apparently makes one sauce and puts it on every other dish. We are looking forward to the warm-fresh bread on the menu as well. What comes out is cold and obviously out of a bag. The butter is in a packet like you get at IHOP with a ToGo order. When I am paying around $200 for dinner for 3, I expect bread you baked and butter you portioned! Then the Calamari arrived. Calamari is something that should not be cooked by rookies, and it is a dish I judge harshly. This one failed miserably. It was chewy and overcooked. The menu stated that the dish was served with marina, which is not original but is expected. It came with no sauce at all. We asked for the sauce and the server was surprised by our request. He said he would see if he could find some. He wandered to the kitchen and returned 10 minutes later with a ramekin of what was obviously Prego. We asked him "is this Prego?" and he laughed and said "yes, this place sucks". We had mostly finished our app at this point, so the sauce was useless... and cold. We used it to make the bread at the very least slightly palatable. We should have left there. We ordered, I won't bore you with the food details. Here's all you need to know. 3 diners ordered 3 different dishes. All 3 had the same sauce on it. The Wellington was a joke and was cold. The other two guys just didn't have ANYTHING good to say about their meals. The server was rude, unattentive and unhelpful. When I told him at the end that he gave the worst service I have ever experienced he simply couldn't believe it. I asked him if he thought he was doing a good job and in all seriousness he responded with a resounding "yes". Just avoid this place and wait a few months for it to go away and perhaps this charming spot will be picked up by people who know what they are doing and how to make a restaurant work. read more

Just left our "graduation dinner" at 1424. 7:30 reservation. Seated at 8:15. Okay, its a busy night -- Baylor graduation. But it turns out this place is out of control, with no one managing things. We order around 8:45 pm. Several apologies about food taking long, etc. Nice waitress. At 9:45, i inquire about what's going on with the manager. At 10:05, we're told that our food was indeed made, but delivered to another table (maybe, they aren't really sure). They offer to make the food, but the six month old baby with us is done-zo, and so are we. But wait a minute, we still must pay for the wine before we go. Absolutely the worst restaurant experience of the last 20 years. Never going back. read more

It is a VERY rare occasion when I literally couldn't eat my meal because it was so bad. I can eat, and like, almost anything. I ordered pork tenderloin ($27) & asked that it be well done, seared corn (or something to that effect), & sugar snap peas. It came with a salad also. The salad was great! Field greens with raspberry vinaigrette. However, the meal itself was awful. The pork was cooked medium well (still pink), and although I tried to eat it, I just couldn't. It was not very hot, as was the rest of my meal, and VERY tough. The edges tasted like it had been warmed in the microwave. The corn, which was EXTREMELY overpriced (something like $6), was simply Mexicorn out of a can, with a little chili powder added. The peas were pretty good, but almost cold. I got Vanilla Creme brûlée, and it was INCREDIBLY good. It almost made the meal worthwhile. The service was very good, and the restaurant itself was clean, with a great ambiance. If I return, as I was with a group who likes this restaurant, I'll definitely rethink what I order. I do believe in second chances. read more

A bit hard to locate - but well worth the effort ! Great atmosphere (despite the poor acoustics) and GREAT waiters who provide superb service. Food is simply fantastic with good variety. Lamb Shank and steaks have never disappointed in being a great treat. Slightly pricy - but well worth the cost. Romantic atmosphere and has a great regular following so I do recommend avoiding high customer time periods. read more

I don't know why people continue to compare Waco restaurants to Dallas or Houston. Do you see reviews of Dallas restaurants that say, "well it's not as good as New York or Paris?" Come on. This is a great place to eat in Waco. The prices are reasonable ($15-35 for an entree) for the atmosphere and quality of food. Good place to take a date. The lunch is very inexpensive and very good. People that work there are very nice. You are welcome to stay in Dallas if it's just so much better. read more

The best food in Waco without a doubt. I've been several times and they nail it every time. I've not been disappointed. Perfectly cooked fish etc. somebody back there knows what they are doing! read more

I am visiting for the weekend and a local friend recommended. Outstanding Sea Bass and my waitress Misty B was friendly, organized, had a great personality and is a real asset to this business. I understand there is a sister restaurant called Alpha and Omega. I'll visit tomorrow morning! She is positive advertising for sure. Thanks for a great meal read more

This restaurant is in my opinion the best restaurant in Waco. I was looking for a nice place to take my girlfriend for her birthday and ended up striking gold with this restaurant. We had no idea what to expect going in and were pleasantly surprised to find this gem just outside of downtown Waco. The atmospehere is quiet and romantic and the service is incredible. I've been three times and have yet to have a waiter I haven't liked. The last time I went, we had Dylan as our waiter. He was possibly the best waiter I've had at any restaurant. He was funny, polite, and when there was a misunderstanding about my order, he quickly replaced my meal with what I'd thought I ordered. On top of that, my girlfriend and I got a dessert on the house out of it too! This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time and I hope you'll have as good of an experience as mine. read more

Adrien E from Dallas was right on the money. Compared to a city that has decent restaurants this place is just OK. But for Waco, it's really now the only other "fine dining" there is, other than 135 Prime which has "dumbed down" since opening and now has K-Mart lighting.. The EXCELLENT, top notch (compared to any city, IMHO), Green Room bit the dust. Now, casual yet great (IMHO) Seite Mares is closed. as well. We have only two choices left. Sadly, the chain parking lots are full and there must not be a market in Waco for great food Enough ranting...We ate at 1424 last night: The GOOD side: - Service was prompt and pleasant - Ordered the filet mignon special - with blue cheese and mushroom sauce. The quality of the meat was very good. - The fish (scallops, shrimp, and tilapia) were very fresh tasting - House salad with blue cheese dressing was very good - green, crisp and chilled. --Setting and ambiance pleasant - tablecloths and candles, at least. The BAD side: --No full bar so you are SOL if you want a cocktail - just wine and beer served --Adrien was right - bread was not freshly made and came cold --My filet was barely luke warm - perfectly cooked inside, but the cool . overall temp distracted a bit from the overall enjoyment, The mushroom sauce was quite bland and the blue cheese did not seem of very good quality--had no real bite to it. --Overall, the food lacked flavor..or lacked the proper flavors. It was all fresh...but underseasoned or poorly seasoned. The Greek potatoes that the waiter highly recommended were poorly executed. They tasted like someone just doused them with a grocery store jar of "greek seasoning". instead of layering and incorporating flavors. There was no "crisp" to them at all and classic Greek potatoes are made with rosemary thyme and lemon. I did not taste those flavors. Same with the piccata sauce - it had no depth of flavor and was not prepared properly ether. I think overall - this is a fairly good place...for Waco . I think that the bones are there to make this a very good, if not excellent restaurant -- but it would probably either take some additional culinary classes or a new chef. I lean toward the latter - since, IMO, you either have the knack and palate for creating flavors, or you don't. read more

I ate here several months ago with my daughter and son-in-law. I had eaten here twice before with decent results. To my dismay there were no Greek menu items to be had besides the waiter recommended Greek potatoes. I asked the waiter and he seemed confused by my question, so I guess the few menu items they did have are gone. The salad was decent and about all I ate. The main course was only alright but what I remember is the "steamed vegetables" which were big pieces of almost raw carrot with absolutely nothing on them. Dry as a bone. I had the Greek potatoes which were shriveled potatoes that had been under a warming lamp for hours (if not days). As it was a special occasion I did not complain (too much) but it was really a terrible meal. The first half of the meal the service was OK but after a table of Baylor girls came in, our waiter disappeared. Don't get the Wellington, it is a piece of beef and a triangle of puff pastry. Lazy chef. read more

One of the best restaurants in Waco. It is a little pricey, but the food is worth it. The ambience is elegant and romantic. I love the southwest tilapia. You can go off-menu and get the delicious stuffed grape leaves. If you want something light go for the grilled chicken caesar salad, the best I've ever had. read more

This is a great family owned restaurant. It is such a great spot if you like fresh ingredients and fresh seafood. I ordered an appetizer of oysters. They were extremely fresh and tasty, for my entree I had the Sea Bass with peas and potato medley, I was blown away. It was full of flavor and you can tell that they take pride in the food they serve. My friend had the beef wellington and she loved it as well. This is one of my favorite spots in waco because of the quality and freshness of the food. I see some pretty harsh reviews, go and try it out. You won't be disappointed. Don't let some of these bad reviews keep you from trying this fantastic restaurant. read more

A completely underwhelming experience! The service was average but the food was poorly cooked and the portions were minuscule. I'm not sure why anyone would eat here more than once. read more

A great place for an elegant night out. Good food and a great atmosphere. Terrible parking though and rather expensive. Some nights have live music so check ahead. read more

Service was slow, food was less than stellar. We ordered etouffee, ahi tuna and fettuccini alfredo. The rice was undercooked, the tuna was overlooked and bland. Sent the tuna back and then it came out cold....still bland. We also had Caesar salad that was wilted and drenched in dressing. The creme brûlée was ok...nothing fancy...no raspberry or mint leaf or thick sugary crust. For the $$ I would expect a more. It's a shame cause it's a cute place. read more

Our waiter, Anna, was so sweet and wonderful. The atmosphere is wonderful. Our appetizer was delicious - the shrimp and scallops. So good! However, neither of our meals were very good. I ordered the ahi tuna and my husband had the shrimp scampi. We agreed that his pasta tasted like a pasta meal that comes out of the frozen section at H-E-B. My ahi tuna was fine, but definitely not worth the 30$ we paid for it. Overall, it was fine. It's really disappointing though that the food is not of better quality. We were really hoping to have found a new favorite date night spot. However, their lunch prices seem much more reasonable and we are still willing to try lunch. Will not be back for dinner. read more

Arrived 5:20 on Thursday evening to a nearly empty restaurant; not much busier when we left. Service was prompt and helpful. Tilapia with a corn sauce was very good as was the tortilla soup. read more

My husband took me here two nights ago for a special dinner date. He has been here on several occasions previously; first time for me. I ordered a lemon drop martini -- very refreshing! The server brought out our house salads--heaping plates of lettuce with two small slices of tomato that appeared to be past their prime. I ordered chicken piccata and inquired which rice dish was better. My server suggested the spicy rice and said it was not very spicy. The chicken was overcooked, dry and tough. The rice was VERY spicy -- even my husband who likes spicy dishes thought it was too spicy. (Not food related but the bathroom light in the women's rest room was out -- you had to keep the stall door open to see the sink.) read more

Absolutely love 1424 Bistro! The choices are endless and the quality of the food is impeccably fresh. After living in Washington my whole life, I am used to fresh seafood and was pleasantly surprised by how exceptional their fish was! Love their spicy rice pilaf and broccoli was perfectly steamed! Unlimited healthy options. Staff is always friendly. Recommended for all! read more

After reading so many positive reviews we had high hopes for a delicious meal. Sadly we where disappointed. We enjoy mussels but where skeptical of how fresh they might be. Our server assured us they where fresh daily so we ordered them for an appetizer. Big mistake. Every other mussel we had to spit out. Not so romantic. My wife selected the mexi martini because it said it was made with fresh squeezed lime juice. After tasting the drink we both new it was made with store boughten mix and our server verified that. Needles to say we sent it back. Overall the food was just mediocre. read more

We were hoping for more. Most of the muscles for our appetizer we spit out in front of each other on a romantic date because they were DISGUSTING. The steak was really good. The sautéed potatoes were mushy. The sugar snapped peas were nice and crunchy. The service was good. The mixed drinks were not made from fresh juice as they advertised on the menu. The beer choice we selected from the menu was not available. The bread they brought out free could have been wonder bread in a bowl. The Caesar salad was missing it's kick. read more

A menu that covers all the bases you could want and every dish done right. Their mutton chops were indescribable. The bar is fantastic as well. read more

New to Waco, and this restaurant makes living here worth it! Locally owned, with great food and great service!!

The food was good, but not good enough for the wait. There were two tables around us who had to leave after only getting drinks because the wait was too long. After we got waters we had to ask another waitress nearby to get ours just so we could order drinks. We did go on a Saturday night, but it wasn't that busy and there were empty tables all around us. Also the seafood piccata came with one single scallop which was unfortunate. read more

I would consider giving them 4 stars, but many of their seafood specials were unsustainble/overfished and if that is important to you, largely limits their menu. Otherwise, the service was good, but it wasn't busy when we went on a tuesday night. We had calamari and the seafood picatta, both were good. The carrot rice was probably the best thing. It seemed a litte expensive for what you got, but they had a decent wine list, especially if you get a bottle. read more

Not bad for Waco. They have the freshest fish in town. We enjoyed the spicy rice with the fish specials.

Quaint atmosphere. Excellent wait staff. Delicious food. Great seafood entrees; ample portions. Family owned/operated. A must stop when visiting Waco. read more

I have eaten at 1424 over a dozen times and have loved it every time. I usually go during lunch with my wife and we order the Hummus & Pita as well as the Gyros (only on the lunch menu). They are both amazing, and I believe 1424 has the most delicious pita bread in town. Their dinner menu is slightly pricey, but no less delicious. Their ingredients are of high quality, and the ambience is great. I could not recommend this place highly enough. Give it a try and I do not think you will be disappointed. read more

Legit. The whole package. Service quick, pleasant and attntive. Food is lovely, wine list is super long ( I'm not wine literate so i can't say if it's a great list, but lots of diners around us seemed to be enjoying their selections). Diverse menu, beef Wellington is greatness. Shrimp ettoufee is really good as well. Table side cheese flambe was fun and tasty. Not cheap, but i believe you get what you pay for here. read more

They completely oversold graduation night. Absolutely pathetic service. Waited an hour and a half for food. Won't be coming back anytime soon. read more