Magnolia Table Restaurant: 12 BEST Insider TIPS!

Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco, Texas, is the latest exciting venture and addition to all things Fixer Upper and Magnolia for Chip and Joanna Gaines, and I was able to visit even before its grand opening!

Magnolia Table restaurant entry and waiting area with black and white tile, wood benches, and sign: THE GOOD OL DAYS ARE STILL TO COME. #magnoliatable #fixerupper #joannagaines #restaurant
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

Today is the day the reveal of this renovated restaurant will air on HGTV’s Fixer Upper, and now that I have been in the finished space, I can’t wait to see all the steps leading up to its transformation.

Magnolia Table Restaurant: 12 BEST Insider TIPS!

Earlier this month, my husband and I traveled to Texas (business for him, fun for me!) and made time for a visit to Waco to explore Magnolia Market at the Silos, the Silos Bakery, and so much more in Fixer Upper Land including the brand new Magnolia Table restaurant.

FIVE is a significant number currently for our favorite celebrity renovators…not only is it the final fifth season of their wildly popular Fixer Upper series, but Chip and Joanna Gaines are expecting their fifth child. Apparently, Chip Gaines has always dreamed of having a restaurant, and with all the success of Magnolia’s other businesses, it’s hard to see anything with their names on it as less than promising.

Magnolia Table restaurant started out as Elite Cafe, a popular restaurant Chip Gaines and his family enjoyed, and the Fixer Upper stars were excited “to get the opportunity to restore a Waco treasure into something new” (via Magnolia Market blog, June 2017).

Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco exterior with black and white decor and window boxes at the arched windows. #magnoliatable #restaurant #fixerupper #Waco #JoannaGaines
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS! photo: Hello Lovely Studio

1. Have an Early Breakfast at Magnolia Table Restaurant

Breakfast is the focus on Magnolia Table’s menu, and since there are no reservations, think about dining there early on a weekday when there is a less likely chance you’ll get stuck in a long line.

On our first visit to Magnolia Table, we arrived mid-morning on a Saturday, and the line was daunting so we hung out on the patio where you can order coffee. The restaurant seats 210 guests, and I’m guessing the out-of-towners especially like to linger inside this pretty place. Our second visit was 7-ish on a Monday morning, when we were seated immediately.

Curious about the menu at Magnolia Table?

Menu for Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco by Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer Upper. #magnoliatable #menu #breakfast #restaurant
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

Isn’t this a loving, inclusive bold message to visitors?

Magnolia Table restaurant interior: WHERE EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE sign, white subway tile, and black and white interior. #magnoliatable #restaurant #Waco #fixerupper
courtesy of HGTV (Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo Agency) 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!
Magnolia Table restaurant coffee bar with Elite Cafe sign and long marble bar with vintage style lighting. #fixerupper #magnoliatable #restaurant #bar #EliteCafe
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

2. Magnolia Table is not located at Magnolia Market at the Silos

Instead, you’ll have to travel 7 minutes to a traffic circle at 2132 S. Valley Mills Drive.

Magnolia Table restaurant exterior with black window boxes full of greenery. #magnoliatable #fixerupper #restaurant #waco
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – Exterior of Magnolia Table Restaurant – BEST Insider TIPS!

I loved the message below on the sign board when we visited Magnolia Table!

Magnolia Table restaurant sign outside the new Fixer Upper restaurant. COME AND GET IT CHIP! #magnoliatable #restaurant #fixerupper #waco
Charming sign at Magnolia Table Restaurant – BEST Insider TIPS! – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

3. Get Ready to Be Loved on by Magnolia Table Staff.

Magnolia Table is a tourist destination for lovers of HGTV’s Fixer Upper show, and the crowds mean servers and employees here have their plates full!

It was refreshing to be greeted and served by such wonderful folks working at Magnolia Table. We actually had the opportunity to chat with the manager of the restaurant both days we visited, and our servers went out of their way to make sure all of our needs were met. I can’t say enough about how friendly and accommodating the folks working here rolled with the demands of this booming business.

Magnolia Table restaurant interior with black and white decor and natural wood tables. #magnoliatable #restaurant #fixerupper #waco
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!
Magnolia Table restaurant black and white exterior and window boxes with greenery. #magnolia #magnoliatble #restaurant #fixerupper
Love the black window boxes at Magnolia Table Restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

4. Sing Hallelujah if You Are a Coffee Lover

Coffee lovers will have no problem caffeinating here since there are two coffee bars.

Magnolia Table restaurant interior with black and white floor tile, farmhouse style chandeliers, and redwood beams. #magnoliatable #farmhouse #restaurant #fixerupper
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – Interior of Magnolia Table restaurant in Waco

5. Prepare to Enter Magnolia Biscuit Heaven

Joanna’s favorite thing about Magnolia Table restaurant and the book of the same name releasing April 24? The biscuits, baby.

Even though biscuits are not a staple in my typical daily diet, I knew I would have to sample the country-style ones made with the recipe Joanna worked so hard for a year to perfect. They are definitely worth ordering! Joanna highly recommends pairing them with strawberry butter as an answer to a lot of life’s problems…

While the biscuits are heavenly, don’t pass up the blueberry muffins…here’s mine before it went to my hips.

Magnolia Table blueberry muffin. #blueberry #muffin #Magnolia
My delicious blueberry muffin from Magnolia Table – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Magnolia Table restaurant interior with ceiling beams, Magnolia sign, subway tile, and black and white decor. #magnoliatable #farmhousestyle #restaurant #fixerupper
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

6. This Cool Restaurant Has a Rich History

Magnolia Table is actually a renovated old one: Waco’s historic Elite Cafe.

“It had been a Waco icon for nearly 100 years,” Joanna said about the old cafe. “We couldn’t let a place with such a rich history be forgotten. I’m convinced that this place holds at least one memory for nearly everyone in Waco, Texas.” (via People magazine)

The old restaurant memorialized…photo: Hello Lovely Studio

The renovations to transform Elite Cafe into Magnolia Table reportedly cost $2 million (via Country Living).

The Elite Cafe was part of Waco’s history for nearly 100 years. From Magnolia’s site:

“Its original location on Austin Avenue, which opened in 1919, was the place to be back when it opened. The original menu featured a diner-style menu, and the restaurant was the first place in Waco to install “refrigerated air” (which we now, of course, call air conditioning), which people waited for hours just to experience. The original location became so popular that the owners opened this second location on the Waco Traffic Circle in 1941. It’s even rumored that Elvis Presley shared a meal with friends here on his way to Fort Hood. The renovation and menu development took about one year to complete, and the whole process from demo to design will be featured on season 5 of Fixer Upper.”

Exterior Magnolia Table Restaurant in Waco with black and white design, arches, window boxes, and modern farmhouse sconce lighting. #magnoliatable #exterior #restaurant #fixerupper
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS! – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

7. Don’t Bring a Pet If You Plan to Dine Inside

While no pets are allowed inside Magnolia Table restaurant, they are welcome on the patio.

We didn’t see a single pet on the two days we visited the restaurant.

Magnolia Table restaurant sign outside in Waco, Texas: COME AND GET IT CHIP! #magnoliatable #fixerupper #Chip
The restaurant at twilight – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

8. You’ll Likely Eat Homegrown Ingredients from Joanna’s own garden at Magnolia Farms!

Joanna Gaines grows vegetables for Magnolia Table in her garden, and her chickens provide some of the restaurant’s eggs!

Magnolia Table specializes in fresh, homegrown ingredients and good old fashioned cooking. There is something on their menu for everyone, including children, vegetarians, vegans, and followers of a gluten free diet.

Much of the produce used in dishes at Magnolia Table is grown locally at Joanna’s farm garden, and many of their eggs derive from her chickens. The restaurant also relies on local vendors for menu staples like grass-fed hamburger patties and freshly-squeezed lemonade.

Menu at #magnoliatable. 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!
Magnolia Table Menu – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

9. You Can Skip the Lines and Still Sample Deliciousness

There’s a takeaway market at Magnolia Table, serving baked goods and gifts.

A few fresh Magnolia Table favorites are available for take away. These items are already prepackaged and ready for you to drop in and carry out for lunch on-the-go. You’ll also be able to order coffee and espresso, and you can purchase a wide assortment of Magnolia Table gifts such as t-shirts, hats, mugs, olive oil and jams.

Magnolia Table Take out area with black and white stripe awning, living wall trellises, and concrete planters. #magnoliatable #blackandwhite #restaruant #fixerupper #takeout
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

Aren’t these living wall panels on the outside

Magnolia Table Take Out area with black and white decor, barn style lighting, stripe awning, and modern farmhouse decor. #magnoliatable
Take Out Area at Magnolia Table – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Magnolia Table gift shop area with black shelves and farmhouse style. #fixerupper #magnoliatable 3blackandwhite
Gift shop area of Take Away section of Magnolia Table – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Gift shop area of Magnolia Table - black and white decor and farmhouse style. #magnoliatable
Gift shop area in Magnolia Table restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Black and white floor tile in take away area in Magnolia Table restaurant. #magnoliatable #restaurant #blackandwhite #tile
Detail of black and white floor tile at Magnolia Table – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

10. If Parking is a Pain, Hop on a Free Shuttle

Since parking at Magnolia Table is limited, you can catch a free shuttle which runs every 20 minutes at Gander Mountain. Don’t try to walk to the restaurant.

The Waco Transit System provides a free shuttle that picks up at Gander Mountain and drops off at Magnolia Table approximately every 20 minutes. Please be advised that there are other stops along this route. We kindly ask that, for your safety, you do not attempt to cross Interstate 35 on foot.

Magnolia Table outdoor take away area with black and white. #magnoliatable #blackandwhite #patio
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

11. Allow the Decor to Inspire your Decorating Schemes!

There are so many great decor ideas to score from Magnolia Table’s interiors.

If you love modern farmhouse decor and the designs you see from Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper, you’ll love the design in here. Vaulted Ceilings, redwood beams, custom black and white floor tiles, white subway tile, black trim, barn style lighting, huge windows which allow abundant natural light, simple clean lines, natural wood surfaces, fresh greenery, and vintage style accents.

Even the bathroom has inspiring details. Want an insider peek from my visit?

Magnolia Table restaurant restroom area with black and white tile. #magnoliatable #fixerupper #blackandwhite
Black and white decor in Magnolia Table restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

I love the tile floors, and the dark grout for wall and floor tiles is both forgiving and attractive. And aren’t teh doors to each stall a nice touch?

White subway tile and black doors in Magnolia Table restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Black and white floor tile at Magnolia Table restaurant. #magnoliatable
Gorgeous decorative black and white tile at Magnolia Table restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio
Magnolia Table restaurant exterior with black flower boxes with greenery. #magnoliatable
Exterior of Magnolia Table restaurant – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

A black and white decor scheme inside and out feels so classic and crisp.

Detail of black flower box and window at #MagnoliaTable restaurant.
photo: Hello Lovely Studio – Magnolia Table restaurant
Magnolia Table restaurant exterior in Waco, Texas. #magnoliatable
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS! – photo: Hello Lovely Studio       

12. Use Those Leather Pouches You See at the Table

Leather pouches at Magnolia Table tables are meant for more than menus…

While wall-mounted leather pouches at each table hold menus, they are also meant to be a receptacle for cell phones to encourage unplugged, face to face, real conversation and intimacy like what was enjoyed in days gone by.

Magnolia Table restaurant - Detail of leather pouch for menu and cell phones at table. #magnoliatable
courtesy HGTV (Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo Agency) – 12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS!

Bonus Reminder: Magnolia Table is NOT OPEN ON SUNDAYS!

Hours of operation? Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Magnolia Table exterior with sign and evergreen tree. #magnoliatable
12 Magnolia Table Restaurant BEST Insider TIPS! – photo: Hello Lovely Studio

HOURS
Monday – Saturday
6:00am – 3:00pm

 ADDRESS
2132 S. Valley Mills Dr
Waco, TX 76706

Have you ever visited Waco or do you plan to?

For more Fixer Upper decor goodness, visit this recent renovation story and this one!

I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.

Peace to you right where you are.

-michele

Shop for items you already intended to buy on Amazon RIGHT HERE, and also find home decor here to keep decor inspiration flowing on Hello Lovely!

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14 Comments

  1. debbie
    March 28, 2018 / 6:06 am

    Aren’t they likable those Gaines! Would love a night in their B&B and lunch in that pretty restaurant, the commute’s a killer though. Good on them, I’m sure they work very hard for their success.

    • michele
      Author
      March 30, 2018 / 1:09 am

      Sooooo adorable, that entrepreneurial family. The restaurant is even better in person. Happy weekend, Debbie!

  2. Mary
    March 28, 2018 / 3:15 pm

    What a lucky duck you are to be a guest at Magnolia Table! Love the floor tiles. Such a treat to see it so thanks, Michele, for the tour. Like so many, I swoon over everything they do and I believe that they have a sincere love for their community, rebuilding it, one project at a time. Wouldn’t it be great if they held a nationwide contest where the winner got Chip and Jo to do their fixer upper? Hope that you had a great time. And, Happy Easter, dear Michele. I see Easter as a day of deep gratitude and unending joy for the future for all who are His.

    • michele
      Author
      March 30, 2018 / 12:57 am

      Thanks so much for adding to the beauty, Mary. I am a lucky duck! So blessed to see so much lovely. Sign me up for that contest you propose! Happy Easter to you. He is risen! 🙂

  3. March 29, 2018 / 6:10 am

    This is gorgeous! So very Chip & Joanna! Love the outdoor space, and the biscuit looks decadent, I’m sure everything they’re serving up is great!

    • michele
      Author
      March 30, 2018 / 12:54 am

      Even better in person, Holly! Thanks for tuning in, friend. 🙂

  4. Rhonda
    March 29, 2018 / 3:10 pm

    Thanks for sharing your experience! I want to go to Waco, but no plans yet. It screams “girl trip.”

    • michele
      Author
      March 30, 2018 / 12:30 am

      Sure does! I’m ready to return with a group of farmhouse chix! 🙂

  5. Jackie Colling
    March 31, 2018 / 4:48 pm

    My best friend and I plan to be there Labor Day weekend. Will the “Table” be open at all that weekend? I’ve looked over the menu and there are several items I would like to try and I plan to suggest my friend look over the menu as well.

  6. Kim
    May 31, 2018 / 6:16 pm

    We just returned from our girls trip to Waco (2nd visit) this time we stayed st the “bachelors episode fixer upper” we took the Waco tour and ate at Magnolia Table. The food was delicious and Joanne knows how to do it up right. Great time doesn’t with my sister inlaws and best friend. Yep we will be back.

    • michele
      Author
      May 31, 2018 / 6:39 pm

      That sounds amazing!!! So smart of you to stay at the bachelor’s fixer upper since you never know when these properties will sell. I need to learn to make Joanna’s biscuits – weren’t they amazing???

  7. Jols
    February 12, 2019 / 9:24 am

    Thanks for your post ! I’m going to magnolia this Saturday with my 2 young daughters and my best friend !! Girls weekend ! Can’t wait 😊 hope the lines aren’t insane being that it is cooler now . Hopefully no rain this weekend !

    • michele
      Author
      February 12, 2019 / 3:38 pm

      Yippeeeeee! It’s a great girls’ trip, and folks are so friendly even in the lines. Have a wonderful visit! 🙂

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Let’s SHOP!

White Slipcovered Sofa
SHOP MY HOME!
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Slipcovered Dining Chair
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Upholstered Dining Arm Chair
Shop My Breakfast Nook
White Matelasse Quilt
Tree Mural Wallpaper
Faux Potted French Lavender
Shaw Daybed
Distressed White French Country Chandelier
French Country Headboard
Oval Back Counter Stool, Set of 2
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Round French Tufted Ottoman
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Italian Candelabra Chandelier
Slipcovered Linen Chair
Warner Upholstered Bench
Rustic Country French Dresser
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Louis Upholstered Bench
Pardon My French Doormat
Stripe Turkish Towel Throw
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Sweater Weave Basket
French Carved Wood Chandelier
Terracotta Pots & Basket
French Country Wood Chandelier
French Linen Dining Chair
Gustavian Cabinet
French Farmhouse Dining Table
Bar Stool
Beachy White Slipcovered Sofa
Rattan Armchair
Diptyque Oyedo Candle
Cross Back Dining Chair
French Country Candle Holder
French Industrial Metal Chairs (4)
Designer Favorite Wall Mirror
Holborn Lantern Pendant
French Country 6-Light Chandelier
Tray Side Table
French Country Upholstered Arm Chair
Wicker Trunk Set
French Ticking Stripe Pillow
Jute Area Rug
Mohair Throw
Rustic Industrial Farmhouse Shelves
Belgian Linen Sofa
White Duvet & Bedding
Rustic Wood Candlestick Set
French Market Basket
Linen Modern Wing Chair
French Country Farmhouse Baskets
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White Charleston Sofa
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