Our Family Dinner at Magnolia Table in Waco

We dined at Magnolia Table in Waco, TX, cozy charm, delicious comfort food, and the perfect spot for families visiting the Silos.

When we first moved to Texas back in 2015, Magnolia Market at the Silos had just opened its doors that fall. I was already a Fixer Upper fan and loved watching Joanna Gaines transform spaces, but in the six years we lived in Texas, we somehow never made it to Waco. My husband was deep in his medical training with the military, and our schedules just didn’t leave much room for detours.

When we relocated to New Jersey for his NYC training, I honestly thought I’d missed my chance to see the Silos in person.

But, as military life tends to do, we found ourselves back in Texas again, and this time, I promised myself I wouldn’t let the opportunity slip away.

I had every intention of making it to the Silos for their fall celebration… but pregnancy and morning sickness had other plans.

Fast forward to this year: while planning our family road trip, I realized our route would take us right through Waco. I looked at my husband and said, “We HAVE to stop at the Silos.”

As luck would have it, they were closed by the time we drove through. But all was not lost, we made it to Magnolia Table instead, and it turned out to be such a cozy, memorable family dinner stop.

Magnolia Table First Impressions

If you haven’t done your research ahead of time (like me), you might be surprised to find out that Magnolia Table isn’t located right by the Silos.

It’s actually off the highway, which does make it super convenient if you’re just driving through and want to grab a meal. But, I’ll admit I was a little bummed it wasn’t incorporated into the Silos area itself.

Out of curiosity, I pulled up GPS and saw it’s about two miles further to get to the Silos. But since it was already 6:30 p.m. and everything had closed for the day, I decided not to drag my husband and our five very hangry kids (that’s hungry + angry in our house!) into downtown Waco. We’ll save that adventure for another trip.

The restaurant building, though, was every bit as beautiful as I imagined, thoughtful details, charming architecture, and landscaping that felt so intentional.

Thankfully, I had hopped online earlier to make a reservation, because the line was already long when we arrived. With five kids in tow, I was extra grateful we could head straight inside!

Dining at Magnolia Table with Little Ones in Tow

As a mom, I always notice right away if a restaurant is kid-friendly or not and Magnolia Table passed the test.

The staff greeted us warmly and didn’t bat an eye at our “not so little” crew, which immediately put me at ease.

Because we had a reservation, we only had to wait about 15 minutes since we were early. While we were waiting, we decided to sit outside and enjoy the weather (plus stretch our legs). We had been on the road a little over 3 hours at that point.

Inside, the atmosphere felt calm but still welcoming for families. It wasn’t the kind of place where you feel like every little noise from your kids is bothering someone.

They had a long table with plenty of space to fit us comfortably (a small win when you walk in with five kids). There were also crayons at the table for the kids to color with which was a nice touch!

I also appreciated that the walkway between the tables (at least on the side where they sat us) were extra wide. I did feel like I was squeezing down a tight space with 5 kids in tow.

The staff were friendly and brought out water cups with LIDS for the kids.

What We Ordered

I didn’t know how long it would take for the food to come out, and with five hangry kids at the table, I wasn’t about to risk any meltdowns.

We started with the Pigs in a Blanket, and I have to say, the spicy honey mustard sauce mixed with the everything seasoning was so good. This is coming from me, someone who normally hates mustard! It ended up being the perfect choice to keep everyone happy while we waited for our meals.

For the main course, we ordered a mix of dishes.

My husband and I both went with the Signature Smash Burger, which came topped with an onion ring for presentation and tasted just as delicious as it looked.

When we lived in NYC, we stopped letting the kids order from kids’ menus, too often the food was so bland (and honestly, even we didn’t want to eat the leftovers). Instead, we’d have them share an adult entrée so at least what was left over was worth saving.

At Magnolia though, I had a feeling the adult menu might be a little too adventurous for their taste buds, even the crispy chicken plate came with jalapeño gravy and at $24 I wasn’t about to test it.

So we let them order from the kids’ menu, and to my surprise (though maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised here), the food on the kids menu was genuinely good.

They tried both the fried chicken tenders ($12) and the parmesan bucatini ($10).

The pasta came out in a huge portion, definitely big enough to share, and had way more flavor than I expected from a kids’ dish. The chicken was also a hit, crispy, golden, and the breading was delicious even by my standards.

Knowing how much my kids usually eat, I went ahead and ordered four kids’ meals. And yes, my kids can put food away. But here’s the thing, we could’ve ordered two and had plenty to go around. The portions at Magnolia were so generous that even my big eaters were covered.

And I can’t forget the French Fries… my husband and I were both raving about them. They were perfectly seasoned with that just-right crisp. We kept reaching for them even after we had hit our full point.

When our server asked if we wanted dessert, I was so tempted to say yes. But with the amount of leftovers we already had, I knew we couldn’t justify it. (I’ll have to save Magnolia’s desserts for another visit!).

Was Magnolia Table Worth the Hype?

I’m going to be totally honest here, sometimes when a place is as well-known as Magnolia Table, it’s easy to assume it’s just “all hype.”

But for us, Magnolia Table really did live up to the reputation. The food was delicious, the portions were very generous, and the atmosphere was welcoming even with five kids in tow (which is a big win in my book!).

One thing I really appreciated was the menu. It wasn’t overwhelming with choices, it had just enough variety to offer something for everyone, but not so many options that you felt stuck trying to decide. As a mom ordering for a table full of kids this kind of simplicity is a relief.

Even the bathrooms were spotless and thoughtfully (and beautifully) designed which sounds like a small thing, but as a mom that detail did not go unnoticed.

Honestly, Magnolia Table is the kind of place you could just stop into to enjoy the atmosphere and a cup of coffee. The food was good but the real stand out to me was the environment itself. It was beautifully designed, warm, and full of that Magnolia charm we’ve all grown to love.

Now was it the best meal of my life? Probably not. But it was such a memorable stop on our road trip, and one I’m glad we made.

The details from the building design to the cute onion ring on top of my burger, made the experience feel special without being over the top.

For the me best part of this was that it was a great combination of good food, family-friendly environment, and the fun of finally experiencing “Magnolia” in person!

Tips for Visiting Magnolia Table with Kids

If you’re planning a stop at Magnolia Table with kids too, here are a few things that might help make your experience a little smoother:

Make a reservation online. Like I said above, I made on “just incase” and I was so glad we did. When we arrived, there was already a line of people waiting.
Check their hours. Magnolia is closed on Sundays. They are opened Mon-Sat 7a-3p for Breakfast + Lunch and 4p-9p Thurs-Sat for Dinner.
The menu is simple. It has just enough choices to keep everyone happy without being too overwhelming!
Kid-friendly options. They have a kids menu with 3 meals (for dinner) to choose from and the portions are very generous. Honestly, one chicken tender meal could’ve been split between 2 of my kids.

Things to Know Before You Go

Location: 2132 S Valley Mills Dr, Waco, TX 76706
Hours: Closed Sundays. Open Monday–Saturday
- Breakfast + Lunch: 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Dinner (Thursday–Saturday only): 4 p.m.–9 p.m.
Parking: Free lot available onsite
Reservations: Recommended (book on the Magnolia Table website)
Family-Friendly: Highchairs available, kids’ menu, stroller accessible

Eating at Magnolia Table With Kids: Our Family’s Experience

Visiting Magnolia Table was the perfect little stop on our road trip, not just for the food, but for the memory of experiencing it together as a family.

After years of seeing Magnolia from afar, finally sitting inside one of their spaces felt special.

The food was good, the atmosphere was even better, and the fact that it worked so well for our whole crew made it worth it.

We may not have made it to the Silos this time, but that just gives us a reason to plan another trip back to Waco, and next time, I’ll definitely be saving room for dessert.

On my way back to the car, I even snapped a quick selfie out front because I had been so busy soaking in the atmosphere that I almost forgot to take a picture at all!

Thanks for coming along on this little Magnolia adventure with me.

If you’ve been to Magnolia Table (or have it on your bucket list), I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. Until next time, I’ll be here chasing cozy moments, making memories with my crew, and sharing the little joys along the way.

xo, Tandra

For more on motherhood, cozy recipes, family-friendly travel, homemaking tips, and seasonal inspiration, you can find me over on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube. I’d love to have you along!