Best of Waco

A recent issue of the Wacoan magazine featured the yearly "Best of Waco" column. Apparently, the folks over at the Wacoan relied strictly on the votes of the local chapter of the "World Homogenization Society". Why do I think this? Well, here's a few of the "Best of Waco" picks for this year:

Best Appetizers: Cheddars Restaurant
Best Hamburger: Fuddruckers
Best Desserts: Olive Garden

Are you kidding?! Does it seem right that a person enjoying a tiramisu at the Olive Garden in Nashville can legitimately say "You know, this is the best dessert in Waco"? It almost goes without saying that in order to enjoy the best of Waco, one should be required to come to Waco.

All is not lost: this issue of the Wacoan also included the "Critics Picks", and you will be happy to know that Fuddruckers didn't make the list. After reading this list, we felt compelled to support local Waco and do battle with the "World Homogenization Society" by patronizing each establishment on the critic's list.

Here's the plan: each month we will visit one or two of the restaurants on the list and order the dish recommended by the critics. Then, we will come back here and give you our take.

When's this thing getting kicked off? Three hours ago.

Breakfast Burritos at Adrianna and Janette's-
We loaded up ourselves and our friends, Joe and Anna, and headed to the part of town the realtors don't want you see. After passing the place twice (its on a one way street and is not well marked), we turned the minivan into the tiny parking lot of what is likely an old convenience store. Using the security bars to open the door, we entered an extravagantly colored eating area, where we sat at a 4 top covered in green plastic. Each of us promptly ordered the large breakfast burrito in various combinations of egg, potato, bacon, chorizo, cheese, and pico de gallo. "These things are huge" was the universal response when the breakfast was brought. The eggs: perfectly scrambled, not soggy, not bone dry; the bacon: crispy, thick, expertly sized for biting; the chorizo: well-mixed, just enough south-of-the-border flavor, not too greasy; the potato: moist, firm but not tough, soft but not squishy; the pico de gallo: fresh, cilantro-tasty. The critics are right, these burritos are worth coming to Waco. For $2.25/burrito, we left satisfied.
The atmosphere was great! "The People's Court" was on a muted TV on a table in the corner; a diverse group of patrons sat at tables and stood in line; clickity-clank of kitchen utensils tapped from the back. A constant flow of customers gave us hope that Adrianna and Janette's will be around for some time. Next time you're in Waco, we'll take you.

Check back in May for the next installment.

Jeremy