The food was absolutely delicious. Our group was served family style so we had tastes of a lot of things. Turkey was melt in your mouth. We also got to try whiskey flights and Gabrielle was terrific at explaining the different whiskeys. I highly recommend you enjoy a meal here. And whiskey! read more

Found this place online. The interior is great elegant dive bar. The staff is amazing. They had a limited menu due to saint paddy's day. Our group got the Shepards hand pie was very good so was the bangers and mash. I got the Irish burger, I perfectly cooked burger topped with corn beef, sauerkraut, thousand island dressing. Simply amazing. Can't wait to come back read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Inside the Irish burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Would you like an overpriced, weak drink; cold appetizer and a "steakhouse" too big for its britches? Come to JS Barnett!! Sad, truly. We'd been recommended this place and were truly sad when we experienced it. The ambience is cute until you realized what you're about to be served. I got a cranberry Moscow mule with whiskey - asked if it was sweet before ordering - and received a glass of ginger beer with some cranberries on top. Boyfriend got an old fashioned that was so sweet it had a layer of syrup in the bottom of the glass. Also tried the skillet melt which turned out to be the cold, Burger King version of a sloppy Joe. The bar staff was sweet and answered initial questions but avoided checking on us despite me setting my drink far in front of me and never touching it. Also asked for a water after I realized how bad my drink was and never got one. 0/10 - don't recommend read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Skillet Melt with Chips - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Over priced food & drinks, and a $20 service charge for good measure! Food was not bad but well over priced for what it actually is. VERY slow service. Then they add a $20 service fee on top of over priced food and have the audacity to ask for a tip on top of the $20 fee for bad service. First and last trip! read more

Not at all what I expected. I honestly don't know why anyone needs a reservation for this bar. I would have given 4 stars for the delicious Caesar salad. But overall I have to give 2. Sorry to say There was one bartender, one waitress and one chef. Our meals chicken and steak both were not tasty. Chicken was hard and steak was not good. We constantly heard the bartender and waitress saying "sorry" to so many customers. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - ?steak? - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

The good... The crab egg Benedict was awesome! The shrimp from the shrimp & grits was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The biscuits were OK. Some were over cooked but overall, not a terrible choice. The location is cute and they have tall tables which is great for happy hour. The not so good... The grits from the shrimp and grits were hideous. It was watered down white mush with no salt, butter or anything of flavor. The wait staff is overworked. They had no bartender on Sunday morning so they were waiting tables, playing hostess and making drinks. Since the establishment has failed to make new menus or adjustments to the existing menu, you are upcharged 20% on your bill to cover the cost of doing business and the entire backside of the menu is not available. They don't tell you about the backside of the menu until you try to order from it. I elected to pay cash so I could save the additional fee but my bill was significantly higher than expected. When I compared the price of the shrimp and grits to the menu price, it was $9 more for the entree. This was not the "service charge", it was flat out the wrong price. I understand that times are tough but slapping a sticker on the front of the menu isn't the answer. If pricing needs to change, make paper menus or use a QR code. Do better. read more

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Searched for a quick half way point from Fort Worth to Round Rock that was pet friendly, offered food and drinks. I came across this establishment and decided to give it a try. Marked as a whiskey bar, this place has all the selections you can possibly want along with standard beer and liquor options. They have a large outdoor patio with a stage and many areas to sit. I can see this place get pretty busy during the summer and with the university nearby, I am certain many scholars have slid up to the bar for a pint or two. They say they are a pet friendly establishment with pictures online showing dogs inside the restaurant. It was January and chilly so outside was kind of hard to sit at. They were kind enough to allow us to have our dog inside as long as he behaved. He is a small good boy so that was easy but note I cannot imagine management allowing a lot of pets inside so make note of that when bringing a pet. They have two menus- one is a BBQ food truck that is outside on the patio and the other is the restaurant kitchen menu. I cannot comment on food as we decided not to order... now let me explain why. Upon entering the establishment, we saw it was a tight bar/restaurant and weren't sure about bringing in our dog. We walked back outside and tried the patio. A kind waitress brought us water for our dog but didn't ask us if we wanted anything which we realized after she was with the food truck. I went inside and asked if we could bring the dog in and sat at their little seating area. We never got asked if we would like anything to drink. We had to go to the bar and order. Although they were kind and even after saying we weren't from around here and it was our first time, there was really no warm welcome or greeting. We quickly finished our drink and left. I won't be back. read more

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Great food and service in a welcoming environment! Nice to have a Guinness with our hamburger read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Great Food and amazing whiskey! Definitely have to check this place out if you are in downtown Waco. The Pecan smoked Old Fashion was definitely good end to a long day! read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Great Burger and more Whiskey options than you could try in a lifetime... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

DO NOT go here for brunch! Food was bad today Place was freezing cold Food was served on disposable plates The only good thing was the service Very very disappointing read more

Such a cute spot! They have a huge patio area outside with a stage! This would definitely be an amazing place to see live music! We sat inside at the bar, Gabriel was our bartender. He was awesome, very friendly yet professional! He made the entire experience so fun, even serving my husband's drink in a different cup every time to make it more fun! They offer two menus one for the restaurant and one for the BBQ food truck on the patio. We ordered from the restaurant itself and had the candied bacon baskets as our appetizer, it was amazing and comes with a house sauce to dip it in. For our entree we both ordered the southern burger. Highly recommend and would definitely order again. Thank you for a beautiful Sunday brunch! read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Southern burger & chips - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Wade? What an amazing guy. So sweet and helped us navigate the area since we're not from here. Good stand up guy! read more

Great food and solid service! It's disappointing the mgmt charges credit card charges (3%) without letting you know. I will not return here since there are plenty of other establishments in town that don't try to nickel and dime you. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Credit card 3% charge on top of bill. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Everything went well except they forgot or didnt start Restaurant week when it was advertised. It wasn't a huge deal though we still thoroughly enjoyed our food and our evening out. read more

Great food! Great vibe! Great bourbon! Located in downtown Waco. This place is always a good time. Cool events and you can join the local whiskey club. Go check it out!! read more

Just terrible. Understandable that the food was fair. Pretzels were mediocre. Sauces were fair. Burgers were fine. Not bad. Service was a joke. I actually left my drinks on the edge of bar to get replenished. Nope. The bartenders were horrible. No observational skills. No awareness. Just awful. Nobody should come here to get drinks. Go somewhere with competent bartenders that pay attention!!!! read more

Food is meh drinks are good but a bit pricey for my taste. Patio is great when the weather is good. They add gratuity automatically to your ticket. read more

I come here for brunch almost every time I visit Waco. The benedicts are my favorite thing to order and some of the cocktails are good for an afternoon drink, however, I did not enjoy the Bloody Mary. I'm not sure if the mix is house made or not but it was too sweet. Side note: if you are hungover and sensitive to smell and sound maybe skip this spot for brunch; I've been here a couple of times where something burned in the kitchen and the whole place smells on top of really loud music blasting right in your face. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Southern Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Probably the most amazing whisky list I've ever seen. Also the menu included gin, tequila, etc. Also smaller selections of beer and wine but whiskey is the star here. We didn't like the Deviled eggs at all. They put some kind of not traditional spin on them which we didn't care for. Pretzel with cheese and mustard sauces were good though. read more

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Anastasia & Neal really too great care of me! It looks like they've done some upgrades to the place and it's so inviting. The new chefs menu was definitely items I haven't seen before but was excited about like the bacon cupcakes! So good! I didn't drink this time but the new atmosphere & food was awesome! Can't wait to try the bbq outside next! read more

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There was a hair on the bottom of my plate under my last waffle! Service was sub par. We paid them but then when we looked at receipt it wasn't our check. They laughed it off and said other waitress had ran our tab on another table and this was their tab but it was okay it was cheaper for us this way. Never brought us our real check to confirm. read more

We came for dinner and a drink on a girls wknd in Waco. The place a bit smokey from the grill/cooking but still very bearable. The service was friendly. My friend has a severe egg allergy and they made sure to correct her order and make her burger safe to eat with no complaints. This place is casual, but you won't be out of place if you're a little dressed up. Regardless, they make you feel welcome. I was starving and glad my pork shank came out quick! It fell off the bone and was moist and very well seasoned. The drinks were delicious and they didn't skimp on the alcohol. Overall a nice experience and delicious meal. They have an amazing selection of whiskey and I hear it's the place to go for an old fashion. Also, you can purchase a bottle (10 shots worth) and they put your name on the bottle and keep locked up and will bring it out anytime you return. I was told they have ppl who come often and those who maybe come 1x a yr. read more

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Top notch service from the moment we walked in. An expansive drink menu with no bad choices. Great food to with friendly service. A+ music going in the bar too! read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - The Pecan Wood Old Fashioned - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Went here for a classy old fashioned and dinner. Both were great. Mark, the chef, came out and told us about his "experiment " with our tomatoes and garlic. Whipped ricotta with a house special whiskey sauce. SO yummy! Great dinner (filet medallions) at a nice price plus a chat with our chef! Yes! read more

We had high hopes for what has been rated the "best brunch in Waco" this morning - and now we have no idea how they received this rating. First, we ordered water for the table. FYI - tap water in Waco is perfectly safe to drink and actually tastes much better than the imported Italian bottles of water that the restaurant forces you to purchase if you order water. They also brought glasses of ice with the water (that's right, ice made from the tap water of Waco!!). We asked the server if we could just get tap water - she told us "this is the image the restaurant is trying to have, they don't serve tap water." One of the glasses of ice had MOLD on a piece of ice - meaning they likely have not cleaned out their ice chest recently. We walked out to the car to grab our own bottles of ice water. Ordered a beer. The waitress brought the wrong, very gross, hibiscus beer. Then brought another beer, which did not taste like it does from the local brewery where it is made. It's likely that the beer lines have not been cleaned out either, much like the ice chest. We didn't say anything about it since we just wanted to order food. At this point, the waitress completely disappeared for at least 10 minutes, while we still hadn't been able to place our food order. She came back and asked if we were ready. It took at least another 30 minutes to receive avocado toast, biscuits and gravy, French toast, waffles, and eggs Benedict. Those who ordered the eggs Benedict and avocado toast said it was good. That's the two stars. The rest - biscuits and gravy - the biscuits were described as "tastes like it's 3 days old..." and immediately crumbled like sand to demonstrate. When the waitress delivered them, she looked at the plate and asked if we wanted more sausage on top, which we didn't understand. Were they not served with the amount of sausage they came with? Or was she just trying to upcharge us yet again for something? The waffle and the $12 French toast - both came out without the whipped cream that the menu says they should have. As the waitress delivered the waffle, she said they ran out of whipped cream in the kitchen and went to the bar bring back flat, runny unsweetened cream in a shot glass. The French toast had no butter, syrup, whipped cream, or sauce with the cherries - it was just as dry as the attached photo, and yet the center was completely soggy and tasted off. The waitress didn't notice anything off about it and we had to chase her down (literally got up from the table at this point) to get whipped cream and syrup. It was still the flat runny cream from the bar. Didn't finish the French toast, and half of the diners noted feeling not well, unsettled stomachs after brunch. Thankfully, they didn't charge us for the water or the beer. Not sure if that was an error on the servers part or if they felt bad about the terrible service, drinks, and food? They didn't tell us, but we won't be back to find out either as there are much better places for brunch in Waco. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - What the French toast should look like from the menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Fantastic!!! Service and food are both amazing. The Local's Menu, which is Mon-Wed, should not be missed.

I can't believe they charge $ 2.50 for an ice rock.They should at least tell you that they charge for it.

This place is a hidden gem! They boast the largest selection of whiskeys in Texas with 1200+ to choose from the the 3rd largest selection in the US. The burgers we had were also flavorful and the bartender was very friendly. We stumbled upon this place on our way back to Austin from Dallas. We will be back again! read more

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There is nothing classy or good about this place! What a joke! How did they get these rave reviews with Whiskey mag or whoever?! Had friends in from Kansas, we drove down from Dallas to spend a week in Hill Country, spending last night in Waco going home. We went there for Whiskey, Wine and food. These knuckleheads have on their menu that they charge a 20% service charge BEFORE tip!! Then they want you to tip after the service fee! What BS!!???? One of our guests ordered a $35 glass of wine. It had 1" of wine in the glass?! When her husband challenged the Clueless server, he said it was a 3 finger poor. Bwahahahaha. Poorly trained dude thought 1" inch of wine was 3 fingers tall! Must be Waco Schools education. We all itched at him and he just walked off! The Buffalo Trace old fashioned was watered down and was not all bourbon!! Looked like water! The glass had a 3" crack in it! I sent it back, and got the same watered down version on the replacement! It was so watery looking in color I said "Let's Go!" We asked for the bill before ordering food, paid and left immediately! $85 for 4 crappy drinks! We obviously didn't add a tip! Don't waste your time or money. It's a screw job! The only people getting good service and drinks are the regulars! And all the staff were rude!! We went to One Thirty Five Prime for dinner. Fabulous !! We spent $500 and loved everything they did! Barnetts could have had a big bill on us, but they're jerking customers around!! Screw them! read more

23% EXTRA FEES ON EVERYTHING!!!! We were hoping we'd discovered a new restaurant/bar to put into the rotation...until we saw the 20% fee to pay staff wages so the restaurant doesn't have to. Seriously, that's effectively the justification they write in fine print at the bottom of the menu, which also tells you to tip on top of that. Thinking of using a credit card? You can add 3% more to the entire bill, including the 20% you're already adding. So assume you buy $100 in food/drinks, your total, using the lowest suggested tip would be $157.88. Food & drinks=$100.00 Service fee (20%)=$20.00 Subtotal before tax=$120.00 Sales tax (8.25%)=$9.90 Subtotal before CC fee=$129.90 Credit card fee (3%)=$3.90 Total before tip =$133.80 Tip (18% of $133.80) =$24.08 Grand total = $157.88 Including the tax (which is less than half of the mandatory service/"pay our staff's wages" fee) your bill can be 57% higher than what you bought. In my opinion, that's not acceptable. If I'm not the owner, I'm not paying employees' wages or benefits. That's not my job or responsibility. I'm a customer and I'll pay for food/drink and tip (well) for good service. We won't be back. Good luck with whatever type of business model this is. LOL!!! read more

Service was fantastic, drinks were solid, and we really enjoyed our dishes. The bacon cupcakes were unique, and delicious. The house's spin on shrimp and grits made it stand out as a great dish, and the Cajun pasta was solid. read more

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The atmosphere is nice but the customer service was subpar and the food was not good. No seasoning or flavor. My water was never refilled and we didn't get the same type of attention other customers around us received. We waited forever for someone to bring us the check and then waited even longer for someone to pick up the credit card. Once we got the check back we saw that gratuity was already added. That's very shady without advance notice that that's your practice. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Chicken Cheesesteak Melt - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

The staff was very friendly and the service was great, but the rest of this visit was very disappointing. If you're looking for a chill bar with an English pub theme to have a decent burger and a beer, this is it. However, the place markets themselves as an extensive whiskey bar and restaurant with professional photography online to be more upscale than it is and the majority of the food and cocktails we had was of very low quality. Most of the items appeared to come out of a box or can, such as the Bourbon Street Pasta (pictured) or the side of beer cheese that came with the beer cheeseburger. The house old fashioned was very watery with a cheap whiskey and the whiskey sour was also made with cheap whiskey and what we believe was a mix that tasted like concentrate and not fresh lemon. The deviled eggs tasted decent, but they were served on a plate smeared in mayo. There was also 20% service charge applied that was thankfully disclosed on the front of the menu, but the prices were unreasonable for the quality of what we received. The chop salad had similar ingredients but was not prepared to look anything like the photos in the menu and online. The burger was the only thing we could confidently recommend, but l'd skip the beer cheese. This is a cool hangout, but it needs to market itself for what it is and not the upscale dining option you'd assume based on their online photos. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - The difference in the Cobb salad in the menu vs what I received. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Sunday brunch was sub par at best and we really wanted to like it. Snagged seats at the bar ordered 2 apps, the bacon and deviled eggs. Bacon was good?but nothing special and served with a side of mayo? Menu said spicy remoulade. Deviled eggs were also served on top of mayo? 5 eggs in the order 2 left on the plate. Biscuits n gravy saved the day if a bit odd with crumbled sausage just on top. Avocado toast was mid. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Deviled eggs 2/5 tops - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Used to be one of favorite spots, I don't think we'll come back anytime soon. I ordered a Manhattan but the waitress couldn't tell me her well whiskey so I asked for the bartender to choose a good rye. It was not good, I couldn't finish it. We got a charcuterie board some Brussels sprouts and 4 street tacos, 4 drinks and the bill was $140. Way too expensive. The food is tasty but for what you get their prices are way out of the park. They used to have great drinks but last time and this time I didn't like my drink. Too many other places. Plus the servers weren't super friendly. Plus the band was HORRIBLE!! Who told the guy he could sing? It's super sad. There's 6 people watching him. Shame on me for not noticing my last review of Barnett's said it sucked. I need to read my own reviews! read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Fall Old Fashioned - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

We had brunch today (07/27/2025) and had a great time! The food was great and Riley's service was fantastic!! We're looking forward to dining again at Barnett's! read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Brunch. Breakfast plate and Shrimp & Grits. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Love Barnetts! The "Cheers" laid back vibe is perfect anytime of day! The Monday Night burger and pint is a delicious deal to help you get over the "Mondays"! The weekend events are our favorite in Waco! Love the live music, the outdoor lounge area, and the fun themed events! Favorite bar in Waco! read more

So, I had a burger and chips. The burger was seasoned well. Next time I'll try the breakfast. read more

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House - Breakfast time - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Waco, Texas

Super cool spot in Waco that always has something going on. The service is great and they are rolling out a new menu I can't wait to stop by and try. read more

Decent atmosphere, terrible food and drinks. Their filet that costs $28 looks more like half of a HEB steak. Hot Toddies were very bitter, lemons seemed old. Old fashion was more like straight whiskey on the rocks. Desert, the bread pudding was extremely dry and drowned in whip cream. Extremely disappointing experience, especially for the price. read more