Must-Visit Coffee Shops in Waco
Six spots worth your morning, from a downtown roaster that now pours beer at night to a bookstore café with a coffee counter tucked in the stacks.
Updated September 2026 · 6 spots covered · Addresses & hours verified
Waco's coffee scene has grown up. A few of these have added locations or changed what they serve since the last time I wrote about them, so I checked every address and hours listing below before republishing this guide.
Hours shift, and a couple of these spots run seasonal changes. Call ahead or check a place's site before you drive out.
-Sam Harper
Pinewood
2223 Austin Ave · Coffee Bar: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat–Sun 8am–7pm · Public House: daily 12pm–10pm
Pinewood has grown into a part coffee roaster, part coffee bar, part public house since we last wrote about it. Come for a roast in the morning, come back for a beer off their rotating tap list in the evening, same building either way.
Visit their site →Common Grounds
1123 S 8th St · 7608 Woodway Dr · 3401 Franklin Ave · 1311 S 5th St
A Waco original with four locations now spread across town, including a drive-thru in Woodway that opens at 6am. The 8th Street original still has the patio and live-music history that made it a Baylor institution.
See all locations →For Keeps Coffee & Bakery
3619 Bosque Blvd · Daily 7am–5pm
Open every day of the week with free parking right out front, a rarity in this town. Pair a coffee with something out of the bakery case and you've got a full breakfast for less than most drive-thrus charge for a latte alone.
Visit their site →Fabled Bookshop & Café
215 S 4th St, downtown
An independent bookstore with a real coffee counter built in, not an afterthought. Good for the slow-morning crowd who wants an excuse to sit with a book for an hour, less good if you're in a hurry.
Visit their site →Be Kind Coffee Co.
1534 Washington Ave & 720 Franklin Ave (Union Hall)
Started as one Washington Avenue counter and has since added a second spot inside Union Hall. Both locations put a portion of proceeds toward local causes, worth knowing if you want your coffee money to do a little more.
Find a location →Dichotomy Coffee & Spirits
508 Austin Ave, downtown
Exactly what the name says: a serious pour-over program in the morning, a full bar by evening, in the same downtown space. One of only two shops on this list that serves alcohol alongside the coffee, so it's a good pick for a group that can't agree on what kind of drink they want.
Visit their site →
Best for a slow morning: Fabled Bookshop & Café
Best for coffee and a drink later: Pinewood or Dichotomy
Most locations to choose from: Common Grounds
Best daily reliable option: For Keeps Coffee & Bakery
Best for supporting a local cause: Be Kind Coffee Co.
Know a Waco coffee shop I missed? Reply to this email and tell me. I update this guide as things change.