Revival Eastside Eatery — Restaurant in Waco

The Holy Grail Is Real—and It’s Got Fries on the Side Revival Eastside Eatery | Waco, TX | 5 Stars

They call it the Holy Grail, and after one bite, I understood why. This burger didn’t come to play—it came to preach. Juicy, flavorful, anchored by peppery arugula and creamy cheese, hugged between what I’m certain is a toasted brioche bun. Not too thick. Not too soft. Just enough to remind you: balance is holy.

But the Holy Grail doesn’t walk alone. It comes with Holy Grail Fries, crisped at the edges, golden through the middle, salted just right. If I have one suggestion for Revival, it’s this: leave the ketchup packets to the drive-thrus. These fries deserve a ramekin. Dignify the dip.

Now the dessert—this one surprised me. A mint chocolate chip mousse so light and airy, it nearly floated off the spoon. Drizzled with chocolate, sprinkled with Oreo crumbles, and topped with a mint Oreo, it was exactly the kind of portion and flavor a good meal deserves to end on. Sweet, cool, elegant, and restrained.

My drink of choice: a chilled Maine Root soda, full-bodied and smooth. It paired with everything like it had rehearsed for the role.

But this isn’t just about the food. Revival tells a story. Danielle and Travis Young didn’t grow up in restaurants. Danielle is a Baylor-educated clinical psychologist. Travis was in education. One night in 2017, they couldn’t find a local spot that was both fresh and soulful. So they asked a bold question: How hard could it be to open a restaurant?

Hard. But they did it anyway.

They found a long-abandoned church building on Elm Avenue and turned it into Revival. Not just in name, but in spirit. The menu leans into biblical wordplay—the Holy Grail burger, the Weight of Glory sandwich, the Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Garden of Eating salad. It’s cheeky, sure. But it’s also reverent.

The inside is rustic-modern: exposed brick, real wood, soft light. It feels honest, grounded, and warm. Ordering is done at the table, with QR codes and friendly, present staff who seem genuinely glad to be there. It’s not performative. It’s personal.

The outside patio is an open invitation—picnic tables under wide skies, next to a vibrant mural that welcomes you to East Waco like a hometown chorus. Revival didn’t just move in. It rooted. It respected the neighborhood, listened to the stories, and answered with presence.

And that’s why this isn’t just another burger joint. It’s a declaration.

Revival doesn’t beg for attention. It earns it—bite by bite, story by story. From the Golden Calf burger to the mousse that tastes like a whispered hallelujah, this is a restaurant that remembers why people gather around food in the first place.

Five stars. No notes. Come hungry—and come ready to call it by name:...

Me and my parents went to this place during a road trip to grab lunch, we saw the high review and wanted to see if it really lived up to it.

Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Our waitress told us that the food was farm-fresh and carefully crafted to accommodate anyone who had any allergies and things like that, the menu tells you that as well. It offered mostly burgers, sandwiches, and salads, with some sides, drinks, and a few desserts. There weren't too many options, but how good everything sounded made up for it, Me and my dad got the Pestoment sandwich (the photo with regular fries) and my mom got the Golden calf burger (the photo with the sweet potato fries) with some sweet tea that had a perfect balance of flavor and sweetness. They really tasted fresh as the waitresses and the menu said. It has a unique homemade and authentic taste that really makes the flavour of everything stand out, and everything was seasoned well too. The only problem I had was the regular fries being a little too salty and not having enough of that garlic aoli taste it has. But it's not enough of a problem to bring it down a star, in general, the food was amazing.

Service ⭐⭐⭐⭐

All of the staff we saw were incredibly friendly and welcoming for newcomers, like us. They made sure to thoroughly introduce the menu to us and happily recommended some meals. This restaurant's service style is what they call "community service" where multiple different waiters will check up on you as if they were one. Things like that can be efficient but can get unorganized. Although it seemed like they had it under control. And with this, the waitresses check on you very often, sometimes a little bit too often when you're just trying to eat your food. Other than that, this service was incredible and were pretty quick to deliver food, drinks, and checks too.

Atmosphere ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I liked the rustic theme the restaurant had, along with the mural on the side of the restaurant as well. It was somewhat crowded in the restaurant but was very open so it didn't feel too cramped. Some of the tables were a little dirty along with the one we sat in though. Everything else was pretty clean and hygienic.

Even though this place has a few slight problems, it doesn't change how great this place is. It really did live up to the rating, and I hope to try more of their food the next time we drive...

Well, here is another restaurant we have driven by many times and never stopped treating. It was a few and far between ability to have lunch together on a workday. We were actually headed to Hotel 1928 to have lunch. As we turned on to Elm Street off of Business 77 (Jasper's BBQ). We both said at the same time, "Let's eat at Revival." After several years of being open, my expectations were high. So we have seen the outside for years, and it's awesome. As we stepped into the restaurant, you can't help but notice how open and clean it is. As my wife said, "it's so cute." I will say I didn't like the chair. It had an awkward fit with the "hips." Since this was our 1st time. Our waiter was patience with us, and he explained the top 4 picks. They gave us ample time for us to pick or order. My wife had the Golden Calf burger with sweet potato fries and I had to build your burger. As seen in the photo, the burger came out stacked high. My wife cut her burger in half. I chose the old man way, I grabbed my burger by 2 hand and forced it into my mouth. It tasted so fresh, better homemade. Everything tasted as they just picked the vegetables, ground the meat, and made your bread. When they say "we source our ingredients locally," it taste that way. See ya soon...