How is J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant restaurant rated?

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant

3.6 (14)

$30 and under

American

420 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701

About this restaurant

Great for brunch
Charming
Good for groups

Sip your way around the world and indulge in the largest Whiskey collection in Texas, with over 1,200 Whiskey varieties, handcrafted cocktails by some of the best-voted bartenders in Waco, Local and Texas craft beer, and award-winning seasonally curated menus from Brunch to Dinner. Barnett’s Whiskey House is a must-visit local restaurant and whiskey bar in the heart of downtown, Waco.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American
Hours of Operation
Mon, Tue 16:00–22:00 Wed, Thu 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 10:00–22:00 Sun 10:00–20:00
Phone number
(254) 714-1356
Website
http://www.barnettspublichouse.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive Chef
Miguel Lira
Private party facilities
Private events and catering are available! Please email us at info@barnettspublichouse.com

Location
420 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701
Area
Waco
Parking details
None
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine

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Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Breakfast PlateUS$14.00
2 eggs, bacon, sausage, potato casserole, salad, biscuit
Avocado ToastUS$13.00
2 eggs, french bread, avocado, cherry tomato, salad, whiskey glaze
Shrimp & GritsUS$16.00
blackened shrimp, green chili cheese grits, tomato, cajun gravy, biscuit
Big Boy BowlUS$23.00
3 eggs, bacon, sausage, sautéed peppers & onions, cheddar cheese, potato casserole, crema, biscuit
Biscuits & GravyUS$12.00
3 biscuits & sausage gravy

Burgers

Barnett's BurgerUS$11.00
angus beef, garlic aioli, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion
Double Cheese BurgerUS$14.00
double angus beef patty, cheddar cheese, garlic aioli, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion
Southern BurgerUS$14.00
angus beef, pimento cheese, candied bacon, jalapeno, lettuce, spicy mayo
Bacon Melt BurgerUS$16.00
angus beef, extra stacked bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, mayo
Beer Cheese BurgerUS$16.00
double angus beef patty, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, whole grain mustard, pickles, barnett's beer cheese

Bacon Bar

Bacon BasketUS$8.00
5 pieces of thick cut bacon and spicy remoulade | candied +2
Bacon Date CandyUS$10.00
bacon-wrapped mascarpone stuffed medjool dates, sriracha, orange marmalade
Bacon BarrelsUS$12.00
bacon, sweet pickle, pimento cheese, jalapeno, whiskey glaze
Bacon SandosUS$12.00
bacon wrapped cheddar cornbread, jalapeno jelly
Bacon ShrimpUS$18.00
1/2 lb bacon wrapped shrimp, jalapeno, jack cheese

Benedicts

TraditionalUS$14.00
english muffin, fire smoked ham
Barnett'sUS$15.00
toasted biscuit, brie, bacon
SouthernUS$16.00
toasted biscuit, pimento cheese, candied bacon
Crab CakeUS$19.00
english muffin, maryland crab

Sweets

Barnett's Bourbon Bread PuddingUS$12.00
bourbon caramel, toffee, pecans, chocolate chunks, whipped cream
Belgian WaffleUS$8.00
served with butter, whipped cream, maple syrup
French ToastUS$12.00
bruleed sourdough, custard toast, luxardo cherries, whipped cream
Tableside S'moresUS$12.00
live fire to roast your own, marshmallows, graham crackers, hershey milk chocolate
Whiskey CreamUS$10.00
buffalo trace bourbon cream, boone county bourbon cream, or bailey's irish cream served on a kings cube with a luxardo cherry

What 14 people are saying

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

3.6

3.6 based on recent ratings

3.6Food
3.9Service
3.9Ambience
3.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant offers a "great selection of whiskey" and a welcoming atmosphere for casual dining. Highlights include "delicious burgers" and "fabulous service," with standout dishes like the "shrimp and grits" and "pimento cheese burger." Friendly staff and unique menu items make it a "must go to in Waco."

14 Reviews

J
Jennifer VIP
Orlando / Central Florida East3 reviews
2.0
Dined on 20 June 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
We so wanted this to be good but it wasn’t. The noise level is so loud you can’t even hear the person sitting next to you. The food was less than good. The bun on the burger was twice the size of the meat patty and the meat had no flavor. The chips were just bagged potato chips. Not great for a $15 burger. My son got the Bourbon Street Pasta and it was very bland and had no spice. The service was not good either. We had to wait on drinks and our food was cold when we got it so I’m sure it was sitting for a while before we got it. Overall probably wouldn’t go back.
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D
Dawn
St. Louis1 review
5.0
Dined on 17 May 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Haley was an awesome server. The entire staff was responsive to our needs. We had a large party of 12, and we appreciated how thoughtful and helpful they were.
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C
Caroline
Central Texas1 review
1.0
Dined on 11 May 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Cancelled our reservation on a holiday with no real notice or apology!
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J
Joanne
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 20 April 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Great food and fabulous service. The shrimp and grits were tasty and the bbq was over the top. Thanks
J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & RestaurantResponded on 6 May 2025
We are so happy to hear you you enjoyed your experience with us!
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A
Aaron
Unspecified1 review
5.0
Dined on 30 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and atmosphere! I wish I’d have got there earlier before the food started run out and was really excited about the bread pudding but missed out! The burger with pimento cheese was so awesome I’ll have to go back just for that! Definitely will be a place I’ll return to the next time I’m in Waco
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Austin2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 19 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My husband and I had a terrific experience at the great restaurant and bar. What a selection of whiskey (largest in Texas!) Food was great…had a bacon basket and a burger, and my husband had the pasta. Can’t wait to go back and try some more things on the menu. 10 out of 10!
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A
Anamaria VIP
El Paso3 reviews
3.0
Dined on 16 March 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
We went to brunch. I was really excited about this place, but it was not as I thought it would be. The scrambled eggs were not mixed fully ( you could see the white and yellow separations of color) and were every dry. The potatoes weren’t warm and it was obvious it was frozen the defrosted, not grilled or browned. It seemed as if the food was all put on a plate with no effort. I will say that if I would go back I would go for the bacon wrapped shrimp and that’s it.
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A
Andrew
Greater Boston2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Went for a casual early dinner. The food was a lot amazing. We had the dates wrapped in bacon to start with cocktails. Had an old fashioned made with aged maple syrup. Cool take on a Caesar salad and a filet for the main course. All were a little unique and perfectly cooked. Split a bottle of wine with salad and entree. Stafff was friendly and funny with great recommendation for whiskey to have after dinner. Which was old forester 1924. Great experience. Will be back.
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r
rebeka
Austin1 review
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Barnetts is a must go to in waco. Burgers are delicious full of flavor, service was amazing, and a whiskey selection you will not be disappointed !
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A
Andrea VIP
Dallas - Fort Worth27 reviews
3.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The staff was very friendly and the service was great, but the rest of this visit was very disappointing. If you’re looking for a chill bar with an English pub theme to have a decent burger and a beer, this is it. However, the place markets themselves as an extensive whiskey bar and restaurant with professional photography online to be more upscale than it is and the majority of the food and cocktails we had was of very low quality. Most of the items appeared to come out of a box or can, such as the Bourbon Street Pasta (pictured) or the side of beer cheese that came with the beer cheeseburger. The house old fashioned was very watery with a cheap whiskey and the whiskey sour was also made with cheap whiskey and what we believe was a mix that tasted like concentrate and not fresh lemon. The deviled eggs tasted decent, but they were served on a plate smeared in mayo. There was also 20% service charge applied that was thankfully disclosed on the front of the menu, but the prices were unreasonable for the quality of what we received. The chop salad had similar ingredients but was not prepared to look anything like the photos in the menu and online. The burger was the only thing we could confidently recommend, but I’d skip the beer cheese. This is a cool hangout, but it needs to market itself for what it is and not the upscale dining option you’d assume based on their online photos.
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FAQs

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant is rated 3.6 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

Home
United States
Central Texas
Waco
Waco

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

Google Map for J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant

420 Franklin Ave, Waco, TX 76701

Dining areas

Additional information

Area
Waco
Hours of Operation
Mon, Tue 16:00–22:00 Wed, Thu 11:00–22:00 Fri, Sat 10:00–22:00 Sun 10:00–20:00
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Miguel Lira
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine

Website
http://www.barnettspublichouse.com/
Phone number
(254) 714-1356
Private party facilities
Private events and catering are available! Please email us at info@barnettspublichouse.com

J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant

About this restaurant

Not bookable

There’s more to explore

Dining areas

Additional information

Breakfast

Breakfast PlateUS$14.00

Avocado ToastUS$13.00

Shrimp & GritsUS$16.00

Big Boy BowlUS$23.00

Biscuits & GravyUS$12.00

Burgers

Barnett's BurgerUS$11.00

Double Cheese BurgerUS$14.00

Southern BurgerUS$14.00

Bacon Melt BurgerUS$16.00

Beer Cheese BurgerUS$16.00

Bacon Bar

Bacon BasketUS$8.00

Bacon Date CandyUS$10.00

Bacon BarrelsUS$12.00

Bacon SandosUS$12.00

Bacon ShrimpUS$18.00

Benedicts

TraditionalUS$14.00

Barnett'sUS$15.00

SouthernUS$16.00

Crab CakeUS$19.00

Sweets

Barnett's Bourbon Bread PuddingUS$12.00

Belgian WaffleUS$8.00

French ToastUS$12.00

Tableside S'moresUS$12.00

Whiskey CreamUS$10.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is J.S. Barnett's Whiskey House & Restaurant restaurant rated?

Not bookable

Dining areas

Additional information