See and be scene

Dining in Waco is like the soft drink industry. You can eat with relative certainty with the big guy chain restaurants or you can look for something distinctively different and out of the ordinary. The food scene here in Waco is fairly static. The opening of a new chain restaurant or nationally famous donut shop might cause a few ripples in the media stream but most small/family/chef owned operations struggle for attention and then disappear. A few build a clientele and set themselves apart from the others by providing consistent quality or at least a reliable value. Mexican food, Barbeque, and burgers dominate the landscape in Waco. Steaks, Chinese, and Italian can also be found in limited quantity and quality.

This past month I ate at an old favorite the Park’s Family Buffet at Hwy 84 East in beautiful Pellmead. Park’s is a great place to pig out on some good homestyle cooking. It is one of the true "real bargins left in Waco. Two look-a-like brothers (on in back and one at the register) are responsible for keeping the steam tables full and overflowing. This food is not for anyone with a heart condition or worried about what they might look like next week. Heep eating those Healthy Choice frozen lunches if things like calories and fat grams bother you. Crispy fried pork chops, catfish, meat loaf, and baked ribs in sauce make frequent appearances on the rotating daily buffet. I enjoy the bread pudding dessert that is surprisingly tasty.