Coffee Beanery Richland Mall — Restaurant in Waco

“A Coffee Shop Without a Soul Still Sells Coffee”

Let’s get one thing straight: coffee shops are not judged by the beans alone. Anybody can make coffee. What gives a coffee shop life—what gives it soul—is the moment a barista looks up and says, “Have you tried the Ethiopian roast? It’s got a smooth finish with a citrus note.” Or maybe just a “How’s your day going?”

That didn’t happen here.

Coffee Beanery in Waco, Texas, located right inside Richland Mall, is clean, well-lit, and perfectly functional. The branding is tight, the merchandise is arranged neatly, and the bakery case is stocked. But you can’t brand your way into authenticity. And on this visit, authenticity was missing.

When I walked in, there were no other customers—just the staff, who offered no greeting, no eye contact, no suggestion, no warmth. Not even a question about how I take my coffee. I ordered the medium roast drip—which was okay. Drinkable. Hot. But let’s be honest: in a town like Waco, where great coffee is in no short supply, okay coffee with no engagement is forgettable.

Compare that to Starbucks. I can buy a tall dark roast from Starbucks at 8:00 AM, and even at 5:00 PM—cold, sitting in the cupholder—it still carries that robust depth of flavor. Coffee Beanery’s brew didn’t hold up like that. It didn’t have body. It wasn’t bad… it just wasn’t memorable.

What was memorable? The marble pound cake with nuts—moist, slightly crunchy edges, warm cinnamon swirls. It was the best part of the experience. Rich, satisfying, and honestly one of the better coffee shop pastries I’ve had recently. But pastries alone won’t pull me across town.

And that’s the second issue: location. Coffee Beanery isn’t a standalone destination. It’s a kiosk-style setup inside a shopping mall. That means parking, walking through the entrance, and navigating mall traffic—all before getting a cup of coffee. That’s fine if you work in the mall. But for the rest of us, that’s a lot of steps with little incentive. There’s no drive-thru, no standout interaction, no house-roasted specialty. Just okay coffee in a convenient spot—for some.

The layout is visually appealing. Their menu is wide—lattes, frappalattes, teas, and sandwiches. If you’re already here, it’s not a bad stop. But a good coffee shop doesn’t wait for you to come to them—it gives you a reason to go. And the truth is, I passed several coffee shops on the way to this one. I won’t say I regret it—but I won’t rush back either.

In the end, Coffee Beanery gave me hot coffee, a good pastry, and no memory. And that’s the problem.

Coffee should leave...

Order was wrong. I ordered a large iced green tea with three stevia packets (which they said they had) Got a large matcha latte.. I knew the price was off when I ordered and asked about it but that was no biggie.

I was trying to be kind as I know working in the food industry sucks. I was getting side eyes and was being talked about by the workers after I told them about the order being wrong. I understand if I was being a Karen but I was not lol

I would’ve happily taken the wrong order if sugar was not in the matcha mix (can’t have a lot of sugar)

Was told to mix my own sweetener in the right order. No problem. Couldn’t find the stevia so I asked if I could use theirs behind the counter they said that they had. Come to find out they didn’t have it and were using sweet n low. I wouldn’t have even ordered the green tea if I knew they didn’t have Stevia lol

I was having a great day until I came in there. I wasn’t even really mad about the order. Just how I was treated by some of the workers. Not...

Got a cappuccino and a turkey Munster melt, my husband got a caramel crunch swirl frappe. All of it was delicious! The melt was just amazing. It has a sweet sauce that goes perfectly with the Munster and turkey. They made it FULL of ingredients. I used to work at a coffee shop and know how to make a good coffee. The cappuccino was made to perfection. My husband loved the frappe (I had a taste and it was SO indulgent; I can see why he loved it). Service was very friendly. The associate was happy to give advice and chat with us while we pondered our selection. Very polite and friendly. I would definitely return here for a...