Chuy's

Another gem of a place I found in my travels in Texas is a Tex-Mex restaurant called Chuy's. This is definitely one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, although not exactly the "authentic" Mexican style.
They start you out with chips and salsa, and upon request, their Creamy Jalapeno sauce, which is awesome! It's almost like a ranch dip, but with a kick of jalapeno. I love this dip! If they were to bottle it, I would buy it. If you sit in the seat-yourself area of the restaurant by the bar, there is a chips and salsa "bar" where you can just go up as often as you like and get your own chips and choice of salsas and dips. The ones I have seen are in what looks like the trunk of a '57 Chevy.
Their entrees are all very good from what I have had. Below you will see one of my favorites, their Baja Tacos. You can get them with fried or grilled fish or shrimp, or a combination of two. I got the combination, and although both were good, their fish was a little better than their shrimp. All the sides are very tasty as well: the rice, re-fried beans, and even their fresh tortillas. I haven't had a bad meal here.
A couple of other things I like about this place is that it has a really friendly and light atmosphere, with palm trees and a Caribbean feel to it. Also I am always pleasantly surprised by the bill. Their prices are very good, most entrees under $10. The place is always very busy because it is so popular, but they have plenty of staff when I go, so as long as you can get seated, you get good service.
I highly recommend Chuy's if you're ever near one. It looks like most of their restaurants are in Texas, but some in Alabama, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
Web site: http://www.chuys.com/ 

 

Rudy's BBQ

I discovered Rudy's BBQ over a year ago when I started having to travel to Waco, Texas a lot for work. Rudy's started around San Antonio in 1989 and the chain is a gas station, store, restaurant combo. This barbecue has fast become one of my favorites.
This is Texas-style barbecue, not Kansas City-style or Carolina-style, so it's on the spicy side, not sweet. They sell their meats by weight or in sandwiches. They have ribs, brisket (both moist and lean), pulled pork, pork loin, turkey, chop, pit ham (only at some places),  and sausage. I have had every kind of meat, all of which are excellent. My favorites are their pulled pork, their turkey which is really moist, and their brisket (lean). Their sides are excellent as well, my favorites being their new potatoes (extra butter) and Rudy's beans. Their sauce is famous, and awesome. They have regular and "sissy" sauce, but I don't think their regular is very hot at all, and I love it. The ordering system is like a cafeteria, where you order your food at the register and they get it all for you, put it in a tray along with slices of bread, white or wheat, and then you take your tray to the drink station. They also have a condiment station where you can get pickles, onions, pepperoncinis, or jalapenos.
Did I mention this place has a breakfast menu? Oh man the brisket breakfast burritos with Rudy's sauce is outstanding! I posted a breakfast menu below. The other pictures are a pulled pork sandwich with a half sausage and new potatoes, 1/2 pound of turkey with a pint of Rudy's beans, and 1/2 pound of pulled pork with a half jalapeno sausage and new potatoes. 
As I said before, I discovered Rudy's in Waco, Texas, but they are all over in Texas. I have since been to others, including one near Fort Worth in Arlington (which is the only one I have found "pit ham" at), and... a new one in Colorado Springs! I love that there is one so close to home now! If I had make one negative comment about Rudy's, it's that they don't offer a "sampler" platter so you can try all their meats at once, which are all amazing! I make it a point to go to Rudy's whenever I am near one. Five solid stars for this place!
Web site: http://www.rudys.com/

  

 

Buffalo Wild Wings (B-Dubs)

Buffalo Wild Wings, or "B-dubs" is my all time favorite FRANCHISE place for wings, hands down. They have about fourteen regular sauce selections and four different dry rubs or seasonings. I'm not a huge fan of the dry rubs but they are pretty good. I usually go for the sauces, my favorite being the Parmesan Garlic, followed closely by Jammin' Jalapeno. After that I love the Mango Habanero (that's about as hot as I can take!) and the Caribbean Jerk. I always go Traditional wings. For some reason they taste so much better than the Boneless. Their potato wedges are awesome too, and I prefer ranch on the side (not a big fan of Bleu Cheese). I tried their ribs once and was not impressed at all. Most BWW have lunch specials where you can get ten Traditional wings plus fries or wedges for about $8. The location nearest where I work (on Chester Street by Park Meadows in Centennial, CO), however, does an "Unlimited Wings" M-F 11 AM to 2 PM, $9.99 for Traditional, $10.99 for Boneless. You get unlimited fries or wedges too. That usually makes for about a two-hour lunch, though, because I usually do either 18 or 24 wings (you order 6 at a time after the initial 12) plus wedges. Some places don't offer this special, and even this location stops it from time to time. When they have it, though, I put a serious dent in their profit margin for that day! The atmosphere is great too, if you like sports. They usually have numerous TVs with multiple games on. If you join their "Buffalo Circle" on their web site, each year on your anniversary of joining they send you a certificate for six free wings! I love this place!
Web site: www.buffalowildwings.com

 

Buzzard Billy's

One of my favorite places to eat when I go to Waco, Texas for work is Buzzard Billy's. It is a Cajun restaurant right off I-35 with a few crawfish choices I love. I usually start with their Cajun Popcorn, which is fried battered crawfish tails. I ask for a side of New Orleans style Remoulade sauce in addition to the regular cocktail sauce. It is awesome! My favorite entree is their Crawfish Fettuccine Alfredeaux. My second favorite when I am just craving Andouille sausage, chicken, and ham is their Mardi Gras Pasta. These dishes are to die for, and the prices here are very reasonable (everything is under $15). It looks like they have three other locations also, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Nebraska, none of which I have been to. This one in Waco is a must though!
Web site: http://www.buzzardbillys.com/

Health Camp

I have spent a lot of time in Waco, Texas for work. There aren't many good milkshake places around that I have found. There is, however, a mom-and-pop place called Health Camp (funny irony in the name) that serves good burgers, fries, and shakes. It is a legendary restaurant, has been around since the late 1940's (the condition of the building reflects that too). The shakes aren't made from real ice cream. They are the frozen-concentrate type shake, but Health Camp has many different squirt-in flavorings that make a great, unique taste. They are pretty thick too. My favorite is Cherry Chocolate Chip. The prices are reasonable, a large (32 oz) being $4.70. The burgers are really good too... similar to a Five Guys (greasy-type) burger. It's right off I-35 and Valley Mills, so if you're passing through Waco it's an easy and tasty stop.
Location: 2601 Circle Road Waco, TX 76706-3805 (254) 752-2081