My husband and I were blown away with the food, the ambiance and the service! The restaurant is gorgeous with a new Orleans vibe. We had reservations for the patio and it didn't disappoint. Lots of greenery, lantern lights and romantic ambiance. We had the hotcakes for starters and oh my how delicious they were. Who knew I'd love trout caviar?! The Texas redfish was meaty and perfect and we shared the crab fried rice. The service is spot on. Our server, Leslie, had wonderful recommendations and was always ready to answer any questions. She shared a tip that they are owned by the Terry Black family and so you can use the parking lot reserved for Terry Black's BBQ otherwise it is street parking. Also, if you want to sit at the bar which is only five or six seats, then make a reservation for the bar. There seemed to be lots of little niches to sit inside as well - at a bar overlooking the kitchen looked especially fun. So glad this restaurant is in Waco!!!! They have a repeat customer here. read more

It was all good. Loves the ambiance and service was excellent. The food was all good but my favorite was the lox. read more

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Amazing! So happy to have this place in Waco! Oysters are amazing, we tried so much food and it was all incredible. Service is perfection. The overall atmosphere was so great. read more

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We love the service here! we came back for another saturday night date night and Stevie took such great care of us! She was attentive and friendly all night! we're definitely coming back! read more

The food and drinks were a 10/10. Our server was very helpful explaining the menu and having some awesome recommendations! The ambiance is the best Waco has to offer. Patio seating if available is definitely the move! read more

Great addition to the vibrant Waco food scene. Ongoing debate as to which of the three soups are best. Wonderful salads and we've enjoyed the oysters as well as scallops, crab cakes and mussels. Live the outdoor patio seating with fireplace. Although the tables and chairs are packed in it doesn't feel crowded. read more

Disappointing dining experience. Waited 15 minutes for cocktails, scallops were like eating rubber, waiter was okay. Do not recommend.

OMG wow!! We were driving north to Wisconsin from Austin and decided to stop in Waco for lunch. I found this place on Yelp. The photos and reviews looked great and it was only 3 minutes off the highway, so it seemed like a perfect stop before we enter the world of fried cheeses! We started with a half dozen oysters. We love east coast oysters and they had like 6 different choices just from the east coast! The 3 types we ordered were delicious!! Then we shared the salmon lox and the buratta, which had pears substituted in for the peaches at the time. Both were amazing! We got a lot more salmon than we were anticipating and will definitely order this again the next time we visit. The buratta also was amazing. I love the herbs they had on the side which really amplified and complimented the flavors. We shared the red snapper with brown butter sauce to finish off our meal. This was equally as amazing as the rest of our meal. There were similar herbs on the side as we had with the buratta. I never would have paired fish with mint, but it went surprisingly well. Definitely lived it with basil and tarragon bites too. The fresh herbs on the side really change up the flavor throughout your meal. 5 star meal. 5 star service. 5 star atmosphere... we felt a little underdressed in our hoody and tshirt, since we were just driving through, but no one seemed to mind. Because of this restaurant, I think this is going to be on our work-week destination list for next winter (we like to road trip and stay in different destinations on our way to and from vacation destinations). read more

Food was really good. I was surprised at the quality of fresh oysters at such an inland restaurant. Nice ambiance.

Hands down the best restaurant in Waco Texas. From the ambience to the food all the way to the servers. Me and my wife got the chilean Seabass, mussels, tuna tar tar, cheesy polenta (which is to literally die for) and fries. We were so impressed with the complexity of the flavors in each dish and are definitely going to make this a staple in our lives. If you're looking somewhere to eat, look here read more

Too crowded, too noisy, flies. Food was good but will not go back unless it is cooler and we can sit outside.

Just had a truely unique (for waco) dinner at OPAL'S. Fresh oysters, several kinds, their version of Oysters Rockefeller, mussels, scallops, lobster Mac and cheese and a crab cake! All top notch! Not cheap- but what is these days! Date night, special occasion? You will not be disappointed! read more

Superlative restaurant; food, service, and atmosphere. Our server told us the restaurant only opened two weeks prior to our visit, which surprised us as everything seemed like a lovely, lively, well-oiled machine. If you go, order the Frenchie oysters, and the Basque cheesecake. read more

Everything here is amazing. Fantastic oysters, great seafood, good servers, cool spot. Cannot recommend highly enough. It's one of the best restaurants in Waco. (And would do well in any major city as well.) read more

My husband and I went to Opal's a week ago to celebrate our anniversary and were very underwhelmed. The tables were crammed in the restaurant so close together. We were sitting so close to the people next to us that it was awkward to carry on a conversation. The food was okay but very overpriced with very small portions. I had the clam linguine and he had a lobster roll. read more

The food and service was great! We really loved the quaint, cozy indoor and outdoor space. I would recommend this place all-day long!

Meh... We made a reservation for 6:30 on Sunday and sat around 6:45. We planned to make a nice long evening for date night including appetizers, drinks, entrees and deserts. We ordered appetizers and drinks and then told the waitress we'd order entree's later to space out the meal. She came back a minute later and told us the kitchen was closing at 7:00 and need to get our meal in right away. This is not an environment nor price point to push you out the door. The fish was great, the drinks ok. The lobster bisque tasted more cheesy than lobster. The atmosphere looked great but getting pushed out the door ruined the atmosphere. Instead of ordering a second round of drinks and desert, we headed over to One Day Bar. read more

Opal's straight SLAYS!!! Service is on point. The food is fantastic. It's cool to peak at the kitchen team putting it together. In the dining room, at the bar, on the patio, or at a table for two street side, everyone was having fun. If the weather is good, request the patio. The outdoor fireplace is legit. Great to see this experience in Waco. The crudo plate was the best we have ever had, not just in Waco, but anywhere. Hit the fresh oysters no doubt, but don't sleep on the seared scallops, salmon, or the NY strip. It was an awesome road trip date night. Killer wine list and about 30% less than we pay in Austin and Houston. Excited to get back next time we are in town. read more

I loved the ambiance in this quaint new restaurant in Waco! The food was a little too salty, but overall I thought it was pretty good. They are still working on timing...it took 2 hours to get through our meal (party of 5). I do recommend you try it though! read more

Opal’s Oysters - Salmon and broccolini - Seafood Near Me - Waco, Texas

Wow!! This place was awesome! Service was great, everything we ate was amazing and I was looking around and everything I didn't order looked amazing! Bread and butter was out of this world! All seafood was great and the burger may have been the best burger I ever had, very messy, but so worth it! Lemon tart was also super good. Our outside table under umbrellas was the perfect vibe! Can't wait to come back and try more read more

Oysters on the half shell way over priced,( cocktail sauce not good. Wedge salad had a very different dressing on it. Needed more dressing. No bacon bits on it. The Oder for scallops had 3 scallops on it. Garlic butter ended more garlic.. Red fish had a very mild flavor. Good. Again more garlic and salt need. Instead of basil on the side of the plate it should have been spinach. Over priced for servings . Won't be back. read more

Outstanding service, food, drinks. 10/10 all around - will be back regularly. Having this good of oysters in Waco is amazing!! read more

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We did not wait as we were seated at our reservation time on the patio. Seating was comfy with a padded bench chair and each table area felt secluded because of the beautiful decor. Great for romantic evenings for couples. The service was amazing and the cocktails were beautiful as well as delicious. Our table had the oyster platter that sampled different types and they were a big hit. The entrees were great both seafood and landfair especially the filet mignon. The AGM Jay checked in on us and our server was very attentive. Our party of 4 had a great experience and we highly recommend Opals for a night out. read more

Food was delicious, we had lobster roll, and a cheeseburger, followed by chocolate cake. Sat at the bar stools on the kitchen side and could watch prep. Staff was detailed, professional and yet interactive and fun. Enjoyed our visit and will return. read more

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DANNY was our server and his knowledge about the food and attention to detail was exceptional! I came here with my girlfriend and family and we ordered the mussels, seabass, crab cake, and lobster roll as meals. Our sides were the homeade fries, brocolli, and caulflower. We also had a dozen oysters. All of the food was really delicious, compliments to the chefs! Chris, the manager came by as well to check on us and make sure everything came out perfect! Kennith, Sitina, Justin and a few others checked on us as well as they were passing by among a few others of Danny's coworkers. Staff was very friendly and helpfull. I've ate at pretty much all the restaurants around Waco and I have to say without a doubt this is the best high end restaurant in Waco, Tx. Danny's service was top notch and I would highly recommend anyone to go try out Opal's in Waco,Tx!!! The ambiance at Opal's was very serene and tranquil. Thank you Danny, Chris, Sitina, Justin, Kennith and the rest of the Opal's team for making our time a memorable one! read more

The three stars that I'm giving, I'm giving because the food was amazing and the atmosphere was likely the cutest vibe in Waco. However, the horrible service ruined it all for us. Our server was terrible. It was as if we didn't exist. She completely ignored us. 30 minutes would go by without us even seeing her. She never one single time checked on our table- only when she took our order and when the food was delivered and we were there for just shy of two hours. Initially, we were trying to show a lot of grace because it was Valentine's Day and we assumed that they were very busy and possibly shorthanded. However, when the entire room of people who had arrived after us had come and gone and we were still sitting there in an empty room without our meals and no clue where our server was, we knew there was a problem. The sweet gal bussing the tables noticed that we had been completely neglected and was FAR more attentive. She was the only reason we finally got our food. Truthfully, we really wanted her to get the tip because she did the work and our server did nothing. However, we only had $13 in cash to give her-- I guess it was better than nothing. In summary- the food was wonderful and didn't disappoint. However, the steep prices were definitely not worth it since it took us nearly two hours to get our food and we had to quickly scarf it down to get to where we had to be next. If you're dropping $40 on three small scallops- you want to be able to sit and enjoy it. Total waste of money. read more

Visited first time last week. Even though we sat at the oyster bar during lunchtime, we had no oysters. But...the lobster bisque, blue crab cake and the Chilean sea bass was fantastic! So good, we already have dinner reservations in 2 weeks. Yummmmm! read more

Service was awful. four adults we ordered appetizers drinks and four entrées. While two of us were served our food after a weight of 42 minutes the other two of us did not get our food for another 20 minutes. We had to eat in shifts it was ridiculous. Our server vanished. I'm not too sure where she went. We had to get up and ask for things while we sat in the hot sun outside ice melted in the drinks, and they were not refreshed with ice. The beer went missing and was never given and the server never checked on us at all. The hamburger with bacon was almost in edible. The bacon was raw and almost had the appearance of ham french fries or rationed out as if they're gold. A fish entrée was 2 in.² when did they start making fish square? I'm not too sure about that and why is fish being rationed out as well? Portions are just tiny not small tiny but here's the really bad part for people two of us had drinks the other two of us had water and a Diet Coke so four drinks in total were from the bar two of us ate appetizers not main entrées so you think this would be a pretty inexpensive meal right? No the bill was over $200. We've been to this place twice and honestly, we've never really been happy with the service or the food after playing whack a mole looking for our waitress I decided to tip 2%. We will simply not be going back ever and I do mean ever the experience was so awful. I'm not even gonna proofread what I've offered here. If it doesn't make sense it doesn't make sense, but do yourself a favor don't go. You'll spend too much money. The portions will be way too small and you'll have to look for your waiter or waitresses. And 3/4 of the restaurant was empty on the day we ate. read more

We LOVE this place! The ambiance, food, and drinks are amazing. This restaurant is really raising the bar for Waco eateries!

A must when in Waco. Wonderful food and service! Would definitely come again when in town!

We celebrated our one year anniversary of dating here tonight and we had an amazing experience on the enclosed patio! Turk was our server and he was great. The redfish was crispy and buttery and the drinks were incredible. We are stuffed and will be back for sure!! read more

I've been to opals oysters a few times now and we absolutely love the food and the atmosphere. The clams linguine is to die for and the lobster roll is so fresh, paired with their fries which are so good! The only reason I have to give 4 stars is the seating inside, I reserved for 2 for my anniversary and we were so close to our neighbors I could have picked off their plate without reaching. I know they're in high demand so they want to get as many people in as possible but I'd rather wait for a bigger table than be bumping elbows (literally) with the people next to me. Definitely amazing food hands down, just hope they fix that little quirk. read more

Just opened for a week but you would never know. The food was wonderful. The mini wedge salad was so tasty and the fettuccine with clams was great. Topped off with burnt cheesecake. Yummy. Elizabeth was a n attentive server read more

Great food, great service. We had Thomas as our server and he was fantastic. I would highly recommend this place

I recently went to Opal's for a lunch date with my wife. We had a reservation, though we probably didn't have to have one. We went on a Monday at 11:30 AM. They were not busy at all. Even though of reservation was for the dining room, we were given the option to sit in whatever area we liked. We decided to stick to the dining room. We were sat immediately. The waitress came and took our drink order. The old fashioned was very good. It was a traditional old fashioned and was not given a restaurant's screwed up variation like so many places do now. The bread was brought out first with a honey sea salt butter. We were both favorably impressed. I got a Manhattan with my meal which was also very good. The scallops came out and they were cooked perfectly; nice sear without being overcooked. Tasted delicious! My wife got the New York strip cooked medium. We split the home fries. The steak was cooked as it was ordered and was good. Not the best steak I'd had, but was better than average. The fries were very good as well. For dessert, I got the strawberry cake. Very moist, rich, warm, and tasty. Our waitress was attentive but not annoyingly so. I would 10/10 recommend to anyone not on a budget. read more

Had the most amazing time at Opal's! Not only is the place stunning, but the drinks and the food were all so good. The cosmos and the espresso martinis were a 10/10, but our service was even better! John C. was the absolute best for our first time at Opal's and went above and beyond to make sure we had the most enjoyable experience. Such friendly, kind, and efficient service. If we lived in Waco, we'd be here every week! read more

Food and staff have been excellent on multiple visits. Ambience is great. Reserving seats at the main bar (which is small) has gotten us highly personalized service and recommendations with almost constant attention to any needs. read more

My wife and I got a last minute reservation on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. It was our first visit, although we had heard very good things from friends. Let me state my bias upfront: Waco needs a restaurant like this and I want it to be successful. It's one of a growing number of restaurants that feel like anywhere but Waco, which is a wonderful thing. There are things to like right away. The staff is friendly and welcoming and the space is inviting. We had dinner on the patio, which is just beautiful. There was a bit of confusion about who our server would be, and a delay ensued. Once they figured it out, they were very apologetic and gave us a free appetizer. We chose the burrata caramelized pear plate, which was amazing. The wine list is extensive and reasonably priced. I have to say that the entrees we ordered were so-so. I ordered scallops which were good, but lacking the crusty sear that separates the good from the great. My wife had the salmon, which was way over-salted. She ordered the sauce on the side, and I think they went heavy with the salt to compensate. There were a few other minor issues. If you are at a two-top round table on the patio, you will have two challenges. First, it's not big enough to accommodate plates, cutlery, and oversized menus. Second, without adding a lamp, it is very dark. The candle doesn't get it done. I've been nitpicking only to be helpful. At the end of the day, this is a fun, beautiful place and I have high hopes for it. We will definitely go back with the earnest hope that it will move from four stars to five very soon. read more

I had a reservation for almost a week for me and my boyfriend to try this place. We were so excited. We love trying new restaurants and had heard good things. One hour before our reservation we were contacted by the restaurant telling us that there was a glitch in the system and they didn't have space for us in the dining room. Instead we would need to be seated in the oyster bar. We were offered a free appetizer and desert, but did not order off the menus because the options were poor. We got sat and someone had been sitting there as their waters were there half drank. It was loud and it took away from the atmosphere that we were looking to experience. Really bummed and we likely won't be back. read more

The food was amazing! Fresh seafood!! The service though was outstanding!! Spoke to us about the bottle of Prosecco we ordered, free birthday dessert, AND a personalized birthday card!! This place is also so so cute! read more