Waco Ale is a pretty decent spot to get a beer in the Downtown Waco area. The beer is pretty good, and the food is good as well. Honestly, the only thing I was disappointed by (and the only reason I gave it 3 stars) is the use of ai slop on the menu. Ya'll -- in this day and age, ai slop pictures are only going to hurt you. Go back to whatever menu you had before you made this one, because it sucks. read more

See all

Solid beer limited food menu and no AC - staff indifferent - website suggested more food options

Excellent bar service and the beer is a great craft quality product. Everything we tried was exceptional. I would say that this is the best craft brew in Waco. read more

We sought out a place to grab lunch on our way through town and landed on Waco Ale Company. The bartender was serving all patrons and was an engaging part of the experience. We started with two of their beers (mine was a lighter variety and my husband's was an amber). For lunch we both ordered the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich that came with fries. We both liked the sandwiches. The breading wasn't too much and the amount of sauce was enough to give it good flavor and not overwhelming. We're a bit intrigued by the planned expansion for this place in 2025. It sounds like it will have indoor and outdoor seating and games for entertainment. We look forward to checking it out when we come through Waco again. read more

See all

Brewery crawl stop number two! Big Bro mentioned this is one of the original breweries around the general, and that he and SIL like coming through here. There was even a time when there was no day or hour they were not busy. That was before other breweries started poppin' up (literally) around the corner from this place. But what's a little competition, right?! We came through on a mid-week, mid-day. We really were here just for drinks since we had already grubbed at the sorta nearby Union Hall. A few people in my party ordered flights. I went for the Playboy (because I'm a wheat beer gal) to split with another (I was designated DD). There really is nothing like beer on tap. I took a big sip and was surprised I wasn't impressed - but that was only at first. Like most hef's on tap from local breweries, it takes a few seconds before that taste comes through. As it did here. Good level of sweet and aromatics, I really liked it. Oh, boy. It's a good thing I was DD because I might have had a little more of this than I should have! I had hoped they had a 6pk in their fridge to take home, but they didn't. Service was great. Friendly staff and made sure we were all comfy and having a good time. My party all enjoyed their liquid treats. Would come by again at first opp. I'll make sure it's someone else's turn to be DD when I do! read more

See all

We were looking for a quick bite to eat after some Baylor sports. Proximity to campus was great. Service was poor. Only bartender was taking orders on a Friday evening. The came out pretty quickly, but was just ok. We had wings and tenders. Wings were overcooked. Didn't plan to drop $100 on that level of bar food. Feel we could have done better in Waco. read more

I think this is the 3 oldest brewery in Waco. Located downtown in downtown Waco close to the hippodrome, craft beer is always on a good flavor rotation. Food is pretty dang good too. Also don't think have a mug club at the time of this posting. Worth the stop. read more

Nice little microbrewery with plans to expand. They had a good selection of beers on tap with a decent variety of bar food...we had the "Bear Balls". Clever name and tasty snack. read more

Waco Ale Company - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Great spot . We didn't have food, we were there for beer. The Pilsner and the Kolsch hit it outta the park. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. read more

Yes, you should do a brewery/beer crawl in Waco and pop in here for one of the local brews. This would be the only stop (I think) with Waco in the name so don't miss it! Located downtown in a 4-5 block area of eateries, breweries, antiqueries and some great shopping, there's easy parking and a fun vibe. $2 off during happy hour (4-6) gives you an incentive to try something new. A/C seemed to be not working well on the very hot afternoon we visited but big fans made it tolerable. Still hot? Drink another cold beer! Blonde was my fav. Some good IPA too. read more

Waco Ale Company - the outside of the building - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

While visiting town for the weekend, my wife and I did what we always do - visit the local breweries. Since there are only 4 in town (that I know of), we had high hopes that this place would be decent with their Yelp rating. Sadly, this was a huge let down. The place just seemed dirty. The bartender was really nice, so that's why this moves to two stars. The beer - we got a full pour of one beer and two half pours. I honestly don't even recall what kind of beers they were, but we basically took two sips of each and left. They just seemed flat and had funky flavor. Part of me thinks they don't clean their lines regularly. I have easily visited almost 200 breweries and this was in the bottom 10 for me. read more

First brewery we stopped by in downtown Waco. My bf and I had a great time here. Service was phenomenal. Great beer. We decided to end our day back here because we enjoyed it so much. We tried their beer batter mushrooms and we absolutely loved them. The batter had so much flavor along with the seasoning on them. The mushrooms were soft super juicy and perfect. The ranch sauce paired really well with the mushrooms. We had to try to make them ourselves back home!!! read more

Waco Ale Company - a tray of fried chicken and a glass of beer - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

I love a brewery with bar seating, good beer/food and friendly people! Waco Ale Co has it all! Conveniently located in downtown Waco with parking right out front. Zack, the bar manager and Kevin, head brewer are passionate about the brewery. They were helpful with beer and food suggestions. The rib eye taco I had was delicious. Nice variety of beer types and they try to always keep a porter of tab year round! read more

Waco Ale Company - Rib Eye taco Bobby style - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Really like this spot in the heart of downtown Waco. Close enough where you could walk from the Silo district but far enough away you escape from the crowd. Beers I had were all good but the wings were outstanding. Loved their bbq sauce and the fries were good too. Very friendly bartender was helpful and knowledgeable. read more

Waco Ale Company - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Came here to make up for a poor experience elsewhere. It did the job! It was a Sunday so it was quiet, only 2 workers, the the bartender knew that we wanted a flight before my husband even did! They only have cans of soda and water. Of course there were some beers that we ordered but did not like. However we found a couple that we throughly enjoyed. We even took a couple cans home! The food was amazing! The pretzel was a little inconsistent, crunchy in some areas and super soft in others, but it hit the spot either way. Their garlic fries were definitely garlicky, don't order if you don't like a lot of garlic. The food did not come out together, but we were ok with that. The mushroom burger, grilled cheese, and fish and chips were all delicious! The grilled cheese was even loved by our picky son! The fish was crispy on the outside and so flaky and tender on the inside. The burger may have been frozen, but the mushrooms and Gouda totally made up for that! Good beers, great food, friendly and attentive staff! If we find ourselves in Waco again, we will definitely be stopping by. read more

The head bartender was rude. And the food took forever to get out and they weren't even busy- over an hour and half The burger was good but not worth the wait. read more

Still an impressive lineup of beers to sample. The in house food menu has changed from burgers/quesadillas, to Cajun style po boys and plates. Nice variety of sauces and rubs for their wings and tenders. As always, friendly staff and prompt service! read more

See all

Great place to get your local brewery fix! This place has a good ambiance, it was quiet but happening, and had a Cajun inspired food menu with poboys, wings, and appetizers. I love Stout beers and the Dark Side Mash did not disappoint. I wanted to try some of the other more popular beers as well so we ordered a flight with Hazy Burst Orange (HBO), Waco Kid, Built for Speed, and Ba Bruin. We also ordered a pretzel and corn fritter appetizers. Dark Side Mash was delicious. Like most stouts I noticed a hint of chocolate which was nice. It was so smooth and flavorful. This was my favorite drink of the bunch. The Hazy Burst Orange tasted like most wheat beers taste but it too was also super smooth. The orange really came out in this brew. Build for Speed tasted good but was a bit too hoppy for me. Ba Bruin was a bit darker than the other three on the flight but I still enjoyed it. The corn fritters are the reason this review is getting 4 stars instead of 5. They had no flavor. Even with the side sauce it still had no flavor. You'd get bits of corn flavor from time to time but that's it. I would suggest either using a sweeter corn, adding cheese to the dough, maybe some bits of bacon, or season the batter to make them better. If you don't want to do any of these things then make the sauce more flavorful so it'll counteract the lack of flavor from the fritters. They were cooked well and had good texture just no flavor. The pretzel was awesome! I really enjoyed the beer mustard a lot! The mustard to pretzel ratio was spot on! I'm a huge fan of salty foods when I drink and this was just what I needed. We will definitely come back and try the other foods on the menu. We recommend this place to anyone looking for a good drink and grub. read more

Waco Ale Company - Beer - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Great place!! In town for a concert... stopped in for a burger and a beer. Really good burger! Big beer selection. Fun atmosphere. Great service! read more

Great hidden spot!! Bartender, Zach, was friendly & knowledgeable. He picked our flight & nailed 3 out of 4! Very chill, laid back vibe. Will definitely be back! read more

Waco Ale Company - Beer battered mushrooms & flight of light beers - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

My second time here and a little disappointed. The first time I came with family members, one of which is as huge beer connoisseur from Tampa, and he enjoyed it. I value his opinion, and thought that if he liked it, I'd like it. And I did -- the first time. So this time as we rolled through town I wanted to bring my boyfriend in. The setting is Sunday, during football season, around 1:30pm. We ordered our drinks and asked about the poutine that was written on the chalkboard in front of us. Female bartender quickly stated they were out of cheese -- "no cheese curds." Okay; so we ordered some wings. Listened to the same bartender go to the kitchen and yell out, "how many wings do we have left?!" Right before our wings came out, bartender comes up to us and says, "we do have poutine -- I feel like a dickhead." Me in my head: "well, you should feel like a dickhead." Why are you capable of asking if there are enough wings but not to ask if there is poutine? Whatever; we told her it was fine and waited for our wings. The wings were great -- we got a regular order half mild buffalo and half lemon pepper dry rub. The wings were really good, I want to reiterate that for readers/yelpers. The rest of the time was just okay. From being a fly on the wall, we could tell the bar was super busy the night before with a crowd from the Baylor game. Good for them, that's good business. But also from being a fly on the wall, we overheard how hungover the bartenders were and watched both of them take adderall in front of us and everyone sitting at the bar. Cool if it's prescribed to both of them -- I am not hating on anyone that is prescribed adderall. People that take adderall don't usually need to announce it. Also cool if you take it recreationally -- not here to judge. But at least take up your extracurricular activities and/or prescribed medications out of the customers view. Tacky. read more

Great food and great employees making sure each guest has a wonderful experience. Enjoy

Both beers my wife and I had were good (bock and imperial stout) the atmosphere is very welcoming the staff is friendly. The was good and very reasonably priced. love the outdoor area read more

Waco Ale Company - Patio up front. Roomy and good for people watching - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

This place was great! The Server Zach was vary nice bartender was vary pleasant.. beer was good lots of options.. didn't get food but it did look vary good specially the pretzel.. Good spot to watch a game read more

Waco Ale Company - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Good beer, good food, good atmosphere. Small inside and small outside. Sample all the beers! The stout and orange beer were tasty. Their food selections are pretty decent. It was hard to make a decision bc everything sounded good. We got margarita pizza and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. The pizza was pretty tiny and VERY salty, but tasted good. The pizza had large salt crystals sprinkled on it! Thought that was a little odd, maybe this was by accident..? The Philly was big and came with fries. The bread was nicely toasted, the meat was flavorful, it had big juicy mushrooms, bell peppers, and lots of cheese, YUM. I would totally get the Philly again (good amount of food for the price) and it paired nice with beer of course! read more

See all

A true diamond in the rough! The beer is delicious, the chicken tenders are huge! I had a great experience. Bartender was awesome. Highly recommend! read more

This place is awesome. Traveling through town I decided to pop in for a pint (or three) and got some grub. The service was top notch. Zach (I believe) was welcoming, engaging, and knew his beers/food well. Top notch food, service and beer. I had the fish and chips and they were spot on. Great tarter sauce, coleslaw with a nice kick, killer fries, and perfectly fried fish. The next time I'm in town I'll be coming back in read more

Good food. Great beer. Fun place to drink and hang out with friends. Usually has great bartenders and music playing

Great selection of beers with some steady and some new. My go to is the 7th Day IPA. Staff is friendly and accommodating. I'm comfortable taking my kids there sitting away from the bar and enjoying the food. Wings are our fav. read more

Arrived and was quickly welcomed by the kitchen manager who asked me what type of beer I like and offered tasters and got me set up. I have a flight of Headless Horsemen (yum!!), the Grolsch (not as full as I'd like it to be), ....ok at this point the manager came over to chat and I didn't finish my review and forgot the other two I had. But all in all the beers were cold and delish, staff friendly, place was pretty full for a Tuesday night and I would definitely return. read more

Best beer in all of Waco, if not all of Texas. Hop-Burst Orange is my favorite, but there is something for everyone. The Triple they have will knock you on your ass, but is totally worth it! The Oktoberfest beer they have this year is also great. Don't forget to get some cans to take home when you leave! read more

Very nice atmosphere decent food, good COLD beer, nice job!! A good variety of beer selections. Great service

This is one of the few breweries in the Waco area so I can't really knock them too much. It has a nice, small patio with a handful of seats. It's also pretty walkable to a couple of the other breweries if you're looking to do a little brewery crawl. Didn't try the food but the Kolsch and IPAs were pretty tasty. read more

I visited March 5, 2024 and ordered to go, sweet chili wings, bone-in($10), fries($2) and Sprite($). I paid before receiving food. My Sprite was a 12oz can. Asked for a receipt, which was not itemized and my amount was $26. I didn't question amount because I hadn't received food. I was handed food; went to car and opened and to my surprise, there were 7 tiny drumsticks cut from small whole wings. Wrote Brett Stewart(owner) on website and as of today, March 22, 2024, have not been given a call or sent an email. Not good business practice. Wings had small amount of glaze and were dry due to overcooking. Fries were good. Can Sprite is a can Sprite. Will definitely not visit again. read more

Stopped in for a snack and a drink, I ordered a glass of moscato and my partner ordered the Grip n Sip and we shared the big pretzel. The moscato was crisp and fresh and my partners beer was delicious as well they said. The big pretzel was sooooo good. The best fresh pretzel I've had in a very long time. I wasn't a fan of the cheese but that's my personal preference. It wasn't poorly made. As my partner thoroughly enjoyed it as well as the mustard. We will definitely be back when we're in the area again. read more

Waco Ale Company - Pretzel - Beer Bar Near Me - Waco, Texas

Oh Waco Ale Company! I feel like we had an awkward first date. Ya know the kind where you're like "you're really nice ...but" I wanted to like you. You clearly cared about your appearance. You showed up and smelled good. But when you went to kiss me goodnight? Ya fell flat. I mean F L A T! The 7th day IPA lacked depth and literally tasted flat. The Pearly Gates pale...flat. The New Waco Haze #2... flat. The 9%, 80 ibu Dank Knight...flat!! The good news is flights are $6 on Friday nights, the service is attentive, there's a large community table that fits a nice size group and there's a cool mural on the wall . Sorry Waco Ale, maybe we can just be friends. read more

See all

The beer is actually quite excellent. My mind was blown. Waco Ale Co is an underdog but shouldn't be. For the record, I tried a flight of 4 - Dark Side of the Mash, Engländer, Hazy IPA, and 254 IPA. read more

Good beer, good food, and good service. Nice brewery in downtown Waco. Quiet location.

Great selection of beers for sure. Burgers were great too. Enjoyed it and would go back again.

I think most of us, if we are honest... Only report on places that we really like or really hate, at least, that's what I do. Mine is the former. what a great place, great vibe, welcoming with some excellent beer and food. I had the chicken wings which were excellent and some street tacos... Some of the best I've had. What a great little find, and in a college town where niche and cool are difficult to find. I will most certainly be back! Thanks for making me feel so welcome, a great policy for repeat business in this digitally vicious age. read more