🍗Texas' Best Chicken Lives Here

Good morning, Waco. What a night. Fireworks crushed and hopefully everyone's sleeping in a little today, because it's officially the second half of 2026. No more holidays until Labor Day in September.

In today’s Sunday Sip:
🍗 Helberg's chicken earns statewide recognition
🥃 The first Good Life in Waco
🏠 Home of the Week: 1231 Bagby Ave
📆 Three things to circle this week

Let’s get to it!

— Sam Harper

Most dealership service departments put their advisors behind a wall and their director behind a door.

Mario Bonaccorso is doing the opposite. As the Service and Parts Director at Chevy of West, he works the floor alongside his techs and advisors every day. Born in Sicily, in the auto industry since 1986, and the son of a restaurant founder — hospitality is in his DNA.

Chevy of West now offers a complimentary multi-point inspection with every service visit, catching safety issues and recalls before they become problems.

👉 Come see what a service department should feel like. chevyofwest.com ^*

Award alert: Helberg Barbecue's chicken just got named among the best in Texas

Owners: Phillip and Yvette Helberg started smoking meat as a backyard hobby in 2018. A fire took their Woodway building in 2023. They rebuilt and reopened last year.

The honor: Texas Monthly's 2026 rankings named Helberg's chicken tied for Best Smoked-and-Fried Chicken in the state, alongside Mimsy's Craft Barbecue out in Crockett.

How it's made: Smoked low and slow, then fried, so the skin goes crispy without losing the smoke underneath.

Order this: Half for $12.99, whole for $24.99.

Where: 7809 N State Hwy 6, Woodway. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays.
^{This section isn’t sponsored. If it was, I would tell you.(Helberg’s, if you want to talk endless chicken and brisket, my inbox is always open.)}

Team USA knocked off Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the Round of 16, and that win pulled in near 32 million viewers late in the game. Belgium is up next and it's win or go home. Barnett's is the place downtown for this one, big screens and a patio that fills up fast. They’ll be raffling off a giant Messi bobblehead as well. More information.

Baylor Men's and Women's Basketball show up this week for the free family series outside Foster Pavilion. Meet the players, snap some photos, and let the kids loose on the inflatables while food trucks handle dinner. More information here.

Tina Fey's high school satire hits the stage as part of Summer School Season. Killer songs, really good hair, and a story about what it costs to fit in. Premieres on Friday night at 7 PM. Grab tickets here.

Good Life in Waco is a new series about how real Wacoans build a life here. What you earn, how you're saving for retirement, what you've learned about money, relationships, and health living in this city. The stuff that isn't always said out loud, but can help someone else. 👉 Participate

Age: "Early 40s."

Job: "Real estate development, property management, home renovation business."

Why Waco: "Originally it was supposed to be a 1-2 year stopping point. It's been 10 years now. Commutes are easy, real estate is reachable, and it's easy to be your own person here."

Income: "My partner and I are both six figure earners. It goes further in Waco than other places we've lived. Switching careers 6 years ago dramatically shifted our earnings."

Side hustle: "An umbrella of side hustles that somehow relate to each other. Together they earn $150-200K a year, about 20-30 hours a week."

Money philosophy: "We assess an opportunity, and if we like it, we move on it quietly. Not flashy."

Learned money from: "Listening to wealthy people and asking questions."

Wealthy in Waco: "If you have $300K+ in your account, Waco is your oyster. Lots of opportunity."

Self-care: "Workout 5 days a week. Genuine interactions with the people in my orbit. Love on my kids and partner."

👉 Got lessons worth sharing? Share your story.

A small but vocal crew of amateur sleuths are intent on exposing what they describe as “the art world’s biggest cover-up”: the murder of Vincent van Gogh. Read the article for free today.

Read the article for free

Welcome to Home of the Week, the only newsletter section that guesses list prices better than it guesses World Cup brackets. I'll give you a few facts and you try to guess the price.

This week's pick sits right in the Baylor Bubble, a fully updated two-story built in 2005 with real rental potential. Amenities include:

👉 Take your best guess at the list price, then peek at the answer here.

Still looking for something for the kids that isn't a screen? The Waco Buzz Summer Camp Guide has been updated to show available camps in July, put together with Basin Climbing and Fitness. Basin has camp sessions open through July, and code WACOBUZZ saves $25 at checkout.

👉 Check the guide here

Thanks for reading The Waco Buzz today. If you found something helpful, share it with your neighbor who is really into the World Cup right now.

Three ways to be part of The Waco Buzz:

1. 14,700+ neighbors are reading this right now. If you're a local business owner, one of them is your next customer. Here's how to reach them.

2.Have an event worth showing up to? We'll put it in front of the people most likely to actually be there. Get it featured.

3. Dinner Club: Meet five other locals (recent movers and lifelong Wacoans) over dinner on July 28. You’ll make new friends regardless of stage of life and help make Waco a smaller town.