The best places to watch Baylor football in Waco depend on one question: is the game at McLane Stadium, or is it on a screen? Six of the Bears’ 12 games in 2026 are on the road, starting with the Sept. 5 opener against Auburn in Atlanta — a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC. That makes knowing where to watch the Baylor game in Waco just as useful as knowing where to park at McLane Stadium. Below are the Waco sports bars, patios, rooftops, and tailgate spots worth your Saturday, plus what each one does best.
Baylor hosts six games at McLane Stadium this season: Prairie View A&M (Sept. 12), Louisiana Tech (Sept. 19, Family Weekend), Colorado (Sept. 26), TCU (Oct. 17), Iowa State (Nov. 7, Homecoming) and Texas Tech (Nov. 21). Road games at Arizona State, Kansas, UCF, BYU, and Houston are the ones to fill Waco hotspots.
1. Best Baylor Bar in Waco: George’s Restaurant
If you only get one Saturday in Waco, spend it at George’s. The Speight Avenue location traces back to 1930, when it opened as Harry B’s, and the tie to Baylor athletics has been there almost as long. Order a Big “O” — an 18-ounce goblet of beer — and the chicken fried steak or the crazy wings, which are bacon-wrapped chicken with jalapeño and pepper jack. Pat Green wrote a song about the place.
For home games, George’s runs a Party Zone across from McLane Stadium on South M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard, which is the closest thing Waco has to an official pregame headquarters. For away games, the indoor dining rooms and the Big “O” deck both have TVs, and the crowd skews Baylor-loyal rather than casual.
George’s Restaurant Bar & Catering | 1925 Speight Ave. | georgesrestaurant.com
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2. Best Downtown Waco Sports Bar Near Campus: Cricket’s Draft House & Grill
Cricket’s sits on Mary Avenue a block off Austin Avenue, walking distance from the Waco Suspension Bridge and a short drive from campus. It runs more than 100 beers on draft, has TVs angled at most of the room, and keeps pool tables and shuffleboard going for the stretch of the afternoon when the game turns ugly. It’s dark, loud, and unpretentious, and it’s been the default student answer to where to watch the Baylor game downtown for years.
Kitchen hours run late on Thursday through Saturday, which matters for 7 p.m. and later kickoffs.
Cricket’s Draft House & Grill | 211 Mary Ave. | cricketsgrill.com
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3. Biggest Screen in Waco for a Baylor Football Watch Party: The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill
The Backyard is a concert venue first, but its outdoor screen — which the venue bills as the largest high-definition TV in Waco — makes it one of the better spots in town for a big Baylor football watch party. There’s real capacity here: picnic tables, patio couches, standing room, a full bar, and a burger-and-catfish menu, so a group of 15 doesn’t need a reservation to find somewhere to sit.
The tradeoff is the weather, and in Waco that’s not a small thing. A 2:30 or 3 p.m. September kickoff outdoors in Central Texas is a commitment; the same seat in November is close to perfect. Check the concert calendar before you go, since a ticketed show can change how the space is used. Parking downtown here is street-level and thins out quickly on event nights.
The Backyard Bar Stage and Grill | 511 S. Eighth St. | backyardwaco.com
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4. Best Rooftop Bar in Waco to Watch the Game: Lucky Buck’s at Hotel Herringbone
Four stories up at Hotel Herringbone, Lucky Buck’s has 360-degree views of downtown Waco and the Magnolia silos, big screens on the roof, hand-tossed pizza and a pizza-and-a-pint deal at $16. It opens at 11 a.m. Saturdays, which lines up with an 11 a.m. or noon kickoff, and the crowd runs older and more mixed than the near-campus bars — a decent middle ground if you’re hosting visiting family.
Weather is again the honest caveat: a rooftop is exposed. October and November are when this becomes the best seat in the city.
Lucky Buck’s Rooftop Bar | 319 S. Fourth St. | hotelherringbone.com/luckybucksbar
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5. Best Family-Friendly Game Day Spot in Waco: Shorty’s Pizza Shack
Shorty’s on South 12th is the low-drama pick, and the one most likely to work if you’ve got kids or a mixed group. Indoor dining with a small bar, a large covered patio, TVs in essentially every sightline, and pizza pillows — the trademarked stuffed-dough thing that Baylor students order by the armful. Prices are the lowest of anything on this list, and the noon-to-5 p.m. window is exactly what it’s built for.
There’s a second location on La Village Avenue in west Waco if you’re staying out that way, though the 12th Street store is the one with the campus crowd.
Shorty’s Pizza Shack | 1712 S. 12th St. | shortyspizzashack.com
6. Best Neighborhood Sports Bar in Waco: Salty Dog Sports Bar and Grill
Salty Dog on North Valley Mills is small, seat-yourself, and full of regulars — the kind of place where the bartender will put the Baylor game on the main screen without being asked. The menu is long and unserious (burgers, wings, dog bowls, something called salty balls), and it’s one of the better bets among sports bars in Waco if you want to actually hear the broadcast rather than a DJ.
Salty Dog Sports Bar and Grill | 2004 N. Valley Mills Drive | saltydogwaco.com
7. Best Upscale Sports Bar Near Waco: Hilltop Tavern in Woodway
Opened in late 2025, Hilltop Tavern on Woodway Drive is the newest entry in this category and the one to pick when you want a game on and a meal you’d order without a game on. TVs throughout, a deep beer list, and a Texas-and-Cajun kitchen doing catfish, meatloaf, pepperoni empanadas, and a mac and cheese locals have started arguing about. It’s roughly 15 minutes southwest of campus.
Note that the bar seating nearest the parking lot faces away from the view — ask for a booth if you care. Close time is 10 or 10:30 p.m., so a late kickoff will outlast the kitchen.
Hilltop Tavern | 13701 Woodway Drive, Bldg. 1 | hilltoptaverntx.com
8. Best Waco Brewery for a Baylor Away Game: Waco Ale Company
Waco Ale Company on Austin Avenue brews on site, and it’s the pick for anyone who’d rather drink something made in Waco than a domestic draft. The lineup rotates through IPAs, a hefeweizen-style Pearly Gates, and a light Kölsch that’s been a tailgate staple, and the kitchen turns out burgers and tenders that hold up. Screens are up for games, and the room stays conversational — closer to a taproom watching football than a sports bar.
Closed Mondays, which is only a problem in years when Baylor draws a weeknight game. Two blocks from Cricket’s if you want to move.
Waco Ale Company | 806 Austin Ave. | wacoaleco.com
The Bottom Line
There’s no single best sports bar in Waco for Baylor football, because the right answer changes with the kickoff time and the temperature. For an early-September road game, take the indoor screens at Cricket’s or Salty Dog and don’t pretend a patio is survivable at 3 p.m. in Central Texas. For October and November, the rooftop at Lucky Buck’s and the big outdoor screen at The Backyard are the best places to watch the Bears in Waco.
One practical note for out-of-town fans: Waco’s bar scene is compact but not deep, so on rivalry weekends the good rooms fill early and stay full. Pick your spot, get there before kickoff, and you’ll be fine.
