Such a cool little restaurant. If you like old cars & The classic American diner, you'll love this place. The food is EXCELLENT ! The service is fast & friendly. The prices are fair especially since you can really taste the quality and care the clearly goes into the cooking. (The best fried chicken I have had in a long time). It's located down down town Waco -so the location is great & they have a nice patio area. Odd hours... brunch & lunch hours only. But an excellent choice to bring the family for lunch after church on Sunday read more

Have ate here twice now. Food and service is great! I recommend Hamburger steak or the Philly cheese melt!

Such a fun place with a retro diner theme! The staff were all so kind and our server gave us great recommendations. The chicken strips are huge but so delicious! The Texas cheesesteak was fairly good, not too spicy. They have a big variety of menu options and fun kids meals! Great location as well- only two blocks from the Farmer's Market. read more

Bottom Line: Extremely good pie & average sweet tea at reasonable prices. Kitschy interior decor & very friendly staff. Top Line: I stopped in to have a piece of their buttermilk pie $4.50'ish and a glass of sweet tea $2.25. The tea was pretty average, being simply sweet without a lot of distinctly black tea flavor shining through. But at a couple of bucks for a usual large size drink glass, Jake's delivered on the price and value fronts. Their buttermilk pie was an epiphany. The crust was very substantial: thick & hard to the fork. I feared it would be dry to the max. I was wrong. The crust was indeed dang sturdy. But there was so much butter in it that, at first bite, my mouth screamed, "Cookie!! This is a cookie!" It tasted like a homemade chocolate chip cookie without the chocolate. Exactly that flavor. The custardish filling was equally tasty, being extremely rich and sweet. While you might expect a buttermilk pie to bring some tang from the buttermilk, such was not the case. There was simply sweetness floating out of the sturdy filling in drenching clouds of sugary goodness, with subtle shadings of vanilla. The texture changed with temperature: being a sturdy gelatinous creme when cold, that became more liquid plasma as it warmed toward room temperature. The crusty top of the filling was also very noteworthy. It was like a coating of succulent little crumbles of creme brulee crust hanging tenuously onto each other to create a friable plating of toasted sugar begging for breaking. It was a delightfully crunchy texture contrast to the creaminess of the filling on which it floated. And last, but certainly not least, a huge shout-out to the staff at Jake's for their high energy, super friendly hustle & care of their customers. While the line of diners waiting to be seated can get long, the staff keeps it moving at a quick clip given the number of people they are cycling through their establishment. My waitress was as friendly, courteous, and hospitable as you could ever want. Kudos to the staff for making us diners feel welcome. I hope to hit up Jake's again before my sojourn in Waco is done. read more

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Cool diner eats. When in Texas we had to try one of the blue plate specials, chicken fried steak w/2 sides. Batter was surprisingly light, gravy was tasty and the butter corn and fried okra sides went really well with everything. Sweet tea was not too sweet and the watermelon slices were juicy and sweet. Another sweet thing was the service. Very hospitable. Great place to stop in to if you're hungry and/or have kids. Plenty of parking at side lot. read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - Complimentary soft bread & butter - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

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We ate here on a Sunday with a rather large group. We were lucky to get seated almost immediately due to mere timing of departure of another large group. The ambiance of this establishment is awesome! Classic cars and wall decor made it feel like a 70s diner fit with Dublin sodas, was a great touch and bottled sodas were yummy! On Sunday, it's family style day, and that's exactly what we got. Huge portions of chicken fried steak and tendies along side all you can eat sides like classic mash potatoes and green beans. Not to mention the table made salad, was awesome! Our waitress, Cindy, was amazing and catered to every need and kept our sweet teas comin. Def a go to spot for a great family meal and good vibes. read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Such a fun place to eat. The kids got their food served in a paper car. They loved looking at all the cool things on the walls as well as the cars in the restaurant. The food was good and the servings were huge. The staff was very friendly. read more

Down home cooking!! Family style sides with some wonderful main dishes! Had the pot roast and definitely better that I make it. So juicy and tender. Hubby had catfish that was a perfectly cooked and super fresh with a little bit of spicy edge. Daughter had the ground steak. The brown gravy with it is yummy! I used it on my mashed potatoes! We were so full we didn't get to the desserts so we'll start there next time lol. The singing Elvis entertainment was the cherry on top of the evening! He walked through the restaurant and sang to each table. His song selections were fantastic!! Can't wait to bring more family to see the interior, eat good food and have Elvis sing to them. The decor is AWESOME!! That in itself is worth going in!! read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - Elvis live on Saturday night - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

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Super cute space located in downtown Waco. Loved the car shop ambiance! We ordered a cheeseburger and fries and it was deeelish! Huge portion, glad we chose to split our meal! Before the meal we asked about deserts that menu says are homemade and the waitress offered key lime pie, buttermilk pie and a coconut cake, all sounded so good, but we were too full afterwards to partake! Great spot for kids too! I would recommend read more

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This place is so neat! I stopped by here on my way back to Dallas from Austin and I was not expecting to have such a positive experience! Jake's took me back in time and I felt like I was really in a small town diner. The atmosphere was exceptional and I was constantly amused by something on the walls. The service we received was so great! It was truly southern hospitality. Not only did our waitress check back but even the table cleaners and busboys made sure everyone in the restaurant was being taken care of, I've never seen that before! Now to the main part - FOOD. Of course we had to try their friend chicken and we also ordered chicken fried chicken! Both were tasty and homemade. I personally like my fried chicken spicy so this isn't my favorite but it was still good! Their sides have to be the best part of the meal for me. Everything is family style and we got salad, rolls, fries, beans, and mashed potatoes. It was A LOT and it was DELISH. This place is a hidden gem in Waco and I suggest you stop by when you have the chance! read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

This is such a neat way to serve food. The salad and veggies are served family style (at least they are on Sunday) and each person picks their own main entree. The staff was so polite and the food was delicious! Very family friendly! read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

Quirky 50s style diner. The place was packed for Saturday lunch. Lots of families and assumed college students. I was quickly seated and after looking over the menu of common diner favorites, I went with the Premium Chicken Sandwich, which was described as grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and Swiss cheese on a sourdough bun. Hold the cheese please. I went with a "premium side" of fried green beans instead of the usual French fries. I noticed the green beans were written "spicy" fried green beans, so I wondered whether the quotes around spicy meant they're not really spicy, but that's just my own grammar nerdiness. I'm sure they're really spicy...right? The verdict: The order arrived within 5 minutes, which was really surprising but welcome since I was rushing back to a seminar at Baylor GSSW on foot. It was nicely played and everything looked fresh. The chicken breast was moist, but I'd describe the taste as good enough since salt was the only seasoning. After adding some mustard the sandwich was good enough to get me through. The fried green beans were indeed spicy, and not in the way of Hot Cheetos but like some slivers of serrano may have been slid into the batter with the bean. Overall it was a good meal for Waco. I returned to my seminar and fought off sleep for the rest of the day. I would eat here again if ever near downtown Waco again and in the mood for diner food. read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - Premium Chicken Sandwich with Spicy Fried Green Beans - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

Everything was excellent! Burgers, chicken salad fries, onion rings, cheese curds and loved the dill pickle chips!

Delicious food, great service, and a fun atmosphere. If we're ever visiting Waco again, we'll return.

Tis is a very nice restaurant (not a tea house). The decor is American automobile related and very cute. The food is tasty and the service is great. read more

TRIPLE TO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE TOP OF THE 9TH! What a cool joint! This place was one of the most interesting restaurants at which I've ever eaten. It's was decorated with all sorts of vintage gas station / automobile memorabilia. From gas station signs to old gas pumps to actual sections of vintage cars to antique license plates, this was like a walk through a time machine. My wife and son hit this place on a Saturday night for parents' weekend at Baylor. The menu is different during the week so be sure and try both times. Saturday nights is like a meat and three place, but better because the veggies are served family style and are all-you-can-eat. My son had the chicken fried steak and said it was very good and my wife had the fried catfish which was good as well. I was so full from lunch that I just had veggies. We had black eyed peas, green beans, cream corn, and mashed potatoes. It was all very good. The cornbread was great as well. Also, there two older guys playing cover music up front which only added to the experience. See my photos for some good pics. Be sure to check it out. I can't wait to get back to this place. read more

#3stars I will be nice and give three stars to this place. It was very quaint in the decoration and the location. We also got to enjoy Marilyn Monroe sing during our dinner which was cute....but the food was not very good at all. My chicken fried steak just had no flavor and was mostly over cooked breading and the side ( green beans, black eyed peas, corn and mashed potatoes and gravy and a salad ) were just ok. The salad was my favorite part of the meal, they called it a ceasar but it wasnt a typical ceasar. It had bacon, green onions in it and was very thinly sliced lettuce. Maybe just go here for the atmosphere and a milkshake. They also have Elvis here on occasion! read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

Great homemade food. Family owned. Great atmosphere. Service is outstanding. Desserts are amazing

Jake. Real man. Real family. Real deal. Jake Jr. (probably mid-late 60s) was working, as were his wife, daughter, other family members ... and staff who act like family. A diverse and friendly crowd, waiting at the bar and all around. Genuine antique garage kitch ... but fun. Mix in a little Texas attitude: like the sign under the TV showing weekend sports that reads, "We will not show any games with players that do not stand for the National Anthem." So, take your free speech and protest elsewhere. And right beside the sign, you can shoot a miniature basketball for a free dessert. These combine to make for a tough decision for a two-sport athelete with an attitude. Jake chatted with us like we were favorite cousins and when we said Sunday lunch was like eating at grandma's he said, "We don't want you thinking you ate at a restaurant. We want you thinking you ate at home." And you do! Friday evening through Sunday, order your entree, and the sides come family style, with a starter of table-side Caesar salad and homemade rolls and cornbread (all delicious) ... made it hard to save room for the main meal ... we both did the grilled catfish filets with light cajun seasoning ... 5 sides arrive: creamed corn, black-eyed peas with pork, flat green bean chunks, whipped potatoes and gravy. Not our standard fare and all were delicious and piping hot. We chatted up others who were thrilled with the chicken fried steak, the fried chicken and the pot roast ... and one couple asked to take the left-over sides after finishing their entrees. Yep, they are that good. All or mostly Texan brews and decent wines. Too full for dessert but will try it next time! Extremely reasonable prices. Go. Enjoy. Congratulate Jake on a great family and a great experience. Shoot a basket, and, make sure to stand if the National Anthem comes on the game channel ... or no food for you! Can't wait to bring friends here from Dallas. read more

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Servixe horrible. Foos was not tasty at all, ambiance was busy and unpleasant. Pollo Loco

Never go there on a Sunday! First off, it was so hot in the restaurant that I got nauseous and almost threw up in the bathroom. Secondly, we were a group of 8, so we had to wait 20 minutes (which I can understand), however, instead of sitting us at the large table, they split us into 2 tables back to back so we couldn't talk to the rest of the people in our group. It took 20 minutes before the waitress came and took our drink order, then another 20 before she came and took our food order. We then waited an hour for our food, which was really disappointing. *side note - I do not eat a lot of food and was not hungry because I was nauseous from the heat and they would not let me order off the child's menu, which I have been able do to at this restaurant before** The "caesar" salad was given to us with ranch, not caesar dressing. And we were uninformed the food would come out family style - and our waitress did not bring us plates to serve the sides on, we had to ask another waitress for them. Finally, when we were finished eating, we were informed we were not allowed to take our sides home because people were asking for free refills - just don't offer free refills then.... Very disappointed that we had to fight to take home food that we paid for. Food was not worth the price that we paid and waitress seemed to not know what she was doing. read more

Hands down the best patty melt I've had!! Loved the atmosphere and the old school vibe. Our kids loved the cars that their meals came in and the fact that they got watermelon slices as a side. The whole family had a great time. Husband said his burger was just okay and same with the fries but both the kids loved their mini burgers and chicken tenders read more

Oh man. I don't know where to start. Chicken fried steak with jalapeño gravy..... YES PLEASE read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - Great family style dinner n one happy family. - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

We've dined at Jake's many times and we've never been disappointed. The food and the customer service is wonderful. If you're reading this review, make sure you save room for a dessert. They are all homemade and delicious! I always have the pecan pie or bread pudding. If there's any left. Lol. It's a great lunch spot. I hope they start opening back up for dinner soon. The Buttermilk Pie, Chicken Fried Steak, and Hamburger Steak are all excellent choices as well. read more

Absolutely loved the atmosphere, perfect location and amazing food! I had the patty melt with sweet potato fries-- a must try in my book! The children's meal was so cute and served in a paper classic car cut out! read more

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True home-style food served in a home-style way... family style that is. My youngest son and I showed up on a Friday night on our way home to Georgetown from Dallas and just our luck there had been a Baylor home game. So there was a bit of a wait but it turned out the Yelp reviews were spot-on, as usual, and it was worth it! They do family style on Friday and Saturday nights with some great sides (including cream corn!). My son and I split the chicken-fried steak and it as a great one! And we found out quickly why it's called a "tea house" because the iced tea is fantastic! We drink a lot of sweet tea all over and Jake's is darn near perfect. I must have had five glasses myself but I needed it to wash down all the great food (including seconds of that great creamed corn!). The live music was a great touch and it looked to me like they made great milk shakes. We were way too stuffed to even attempt one on this trip but we'll be back. I'm gonna bring the whole crew so we can really enjoy the family-style dinner and not be as rushed as we were during our first visit. No wonder the crowd we ran into were a bunch of locals. Great joint! read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

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*This would have been a five star review because of how good the food is. Unfortunately, the service really killed it. We walk in with two parties ahead of us. Our party of six was told we would be seated in a few minutes - no problem. But then a party of 17 walks in. Overhearing their conversation, the gentleman at the desk told them it would be difficult to seat them (an hour wait). About two minutes later, all 17 of them are seated with our party of 6 is still waiting (there is no place to wait so we were constantly in people's way). Again, more parties are walking through the door and getting seated right away while we are still standing there. I don't mind waiting but when you're the only party that doesn't get seated when you only have 6 in your party compared to 17...it's a little aggravating. read more

Always friendly and delicious service. Their sweet potato fries are a step above the rest. To date I've never had a bad meal or experience, you just can't go wrong read more

Meatloaf on Thursday with mashed potatoes and okra was very good. My husband said he'd sure do it again!

This place screams the 50's, they've got antique signs all over the walls and classic cars chopped in half connected to the booths. The burgers are great and heavy! the food isn't battered in grease and the waiters and servers are very friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone and will definitely be coming back read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - a man sitting in a restaurant - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

Every meal I have had here has been excellent. Friendly waitstaff. Throwback gas station decor. Recommended. read more

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If you like 50's style service station decor then this is the place for you. Great place for a quick lunch. Kids meals are in cardboard 50's cars. Food is very fresh including the burger toppings. I had the Avocado burger. Desserts are to die for. Homemade. Wide open seating. Could be loud given the number of patrons and time of day but wasn't the case for our family. Waitstaff was extremely nice and prompt. The do have a section of craft beer and a few domestics on draft. read more

We had our dogs, so even though it was warm outside, we opted to sit out in the patio area. Our server was quick to unlock the gate so we could get in and get seated rather quickly, they do offer umbrellas to give you shade from the heat. My husband and I split the patty melt and some french fries. Their french fries are cut fresh, not frozen. The patty melt with seasoned nicely and had two different types of cheese, both Swiss and American along with the grilled onions. They offer two kinds of ketchup, regular and jalapeño. The jalapeño had a nice kick to it. Our server was also quick to offer to bring out a bowl of water for our dogs and when I requested a unseasoned burger patty for them to split they were very accommodating and it truly only cost a extra three dollars. The inside had a great atmosphere decorated and all kinds of old car fanatics memorabilia. The restrooms were clean. That's always a plus with me. read more

Just YUMMMM! We came to a Waco today to tour Magnolia and stumbled upon this lil gem downtown while we were just cruising around and it is perfect! My hubs had chicken fried chicken with homemade mashed potatoes and I had the trio sampler (salad and fruit). Great variety... the zucchini muffin was amazing! Although we were full as a tick we split a piece of Buttermilk Pecan Pie and all I can say is oh meh gerd... just eat it! Divine! The interior of this place is like a retro gas station- super cool and staff was friendly! read more

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This is a fun place to eat. The food is good, and it seems like you've gone back in time a bit. We stopped in on a whim and were not disappointed. Burgers on a hub cap? Oh, yes please....add Green Chiles, ok. Extra mustard and two patties, damn straight! Good all around food, homemade and I do mean HOMEMADE cakes, pies and other tasty treats! Chill atmosphere with really cool decor that has lots of eye candy. Nice staff and just plain cool cars and signage that isn't oft seen these days. read more

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A friend and I enjoyed our lunches today. We had the Blue Plate Special (pork roast, green beans, mashed potatoes) and a Thunderbird sandwich. The food was good. The server was attentive and polite. The sweet potato fries were a rip off at $4.95. read more

I met a friend from out of town yesterday at Jake's. I ordered the pollo loco with green beans and a garden salad. It was so bland and gross. The green beans tasted like a can. The chicken was just blah. The green salad and ranch was the best thing. I was super disappointed. It's been before pandemic since I've been in. We loved to come for friend chicken Sunday's and loved the food. Hopefully today was just a fluke, but I don't want to pay good money for nursing home food. read more

So, we were planning to go to George's but there was zero parking. Jake's was the second place on our list so we headed there. And meh. We should have parked and walked to George's. Food is just okay. We have family-style dining in Dallas. And seriously, it's way better. I had the chicken friend steak and my daughter had the grilled chicken topped with cheese, onions, peppers and avocados. Both were okay. Creamed corn, good. Mashed potatoes were okay. Gravy was kinda okay. Black-eyed peas were under cooked. Green-beans were bad. The Caesar salad prepared table side was good but why go to all the trouble to prepare it table side? It's not like you are asking how much of anything to put in there. And when the servers are slammed, it's a huge waste of all our time. It was not busy when we got there, but wait times for drinks, food, etc were crazy bad. Our server was sweet and very good. Not sure where the breakdown occurred, but it was bad. Live music started about 6-7 p.m. and was nice but if we'd been sitting closer to the stage we would have had to talk loudly to converse. I liked the singers style and music selection. The place is cute. Street parking, no lot. Small place, so be ready to wait to be seated. Prices are $15 a plate because family style ain't a cheap concept. You can take leftover entree, but not sides--that's standard at these places. read more

Neatly designed place but not impressed. Siren goes off every little bit. Ordered the chicken sandwich and was presented with a bun filled with several plain and bland chicken tenders that wouldn't stay within the bun which made for messing and difficult eating. Frustrated and expected one chicken breast that filled the bun like most chicken sandwiches. Wont be back. read more

Good food. Great services. Friendly environment. The downtown exterior gives the appearance of a dive food place, but the interior is updated modern with a retro twist. If you are looking for vintage and a trip down nostalgia lane, you've found the right place. The food was great and I'd love to come back when I get back this way. read more

Jake's Texas Tea House - Blue Plate Special - American Near Me - Waco, Texas

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