Union Grove - Woodway — Restaurant in Waco

(3.5 stars)

Coming from a city where “food hall” is synonymous with “overpriced,” I found UnionGrove to be a breath of fresh air. That isn’t to say that the offerings here were dirt cheap but rather that I didn’t feel like the food hall setting was a license to jack up prices.

Union Grove boasts a respectable variety of vendors for its size, and the offerings range from Cajun to Asian to pizza and wings and more. I opted for the ironically named Health Camp, the Woodway outpost of a longstanding Waco burger-and-shake joint. While the shake selections looked tempting, I limited myself to a Health Burger (cheeseburger), tots, and a drink.

At the risk of courting pitchforks, the burger was a bit underwhelming. It was a fast food style single patty, very thin, and though tasty enough when dressed (lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup), not really worth $7. I realize that for locals, nostalgia is a powerful lure (Greensboro’s Beef-Burger had similar adherents), but if you didn’t grow up with Health Camp’s burgers, I’d have to believe that you could do better. To their credit, the tots were perfectly crisp and priced right.

One final note: Union Grove has plenty of seating, but it can also get rather loud. There’s an adjoining arcade, so expect kids running around. If the acoustics don’t bother you, however, then the warehouse...

I'm not sure if it was because it was a Sunday at lunch time, but about half of the vendors were closed. We ended up going to Health Camp. We have eaten multiple times at the main location in Waco and love it. We ended up paying over $50 for 3 burgers, 1 large fry, and 3 drinks. The most aggravating part was that we wanted 3 waters and they informed us that they could not provide water cups because they were owned by the facility. Each drink cost over $3. The burgers were good, of course, but I will not return... I can get a burger that tastes just as good at Burger King (as crazy as that sounds). On the other hand, I do know multiple people who love Armstrong's which is a vendor inside (previously PeeWee's in Hewitt) and would have eaten there if they were not closed. I would like to try Pop's Lemonade and...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Union Grove is a neighborhood gem with something for everyone! We love visiting Union Grove—it’s easily one of our favorite local hangouts. With a wide variety of restaurants, shops, and events, there’s always something new to explore and enjoy. Whether we’re grabbing dinner, browsing local boutiques, or attending seasonal activities, there’s never a dull moment here. The location is perfect for our family—just minutes from our neighborhood, which makes spontaneous outings and weeknight dinners so convenient. It’s also incredibly family friendly! The atmosphere feels welcoming no matter the time of day, and there’s plenty to keep both kids and adults happy. Union Grove continues to surprise us with fresh offerings and a strong sense of community. We’re grateful to have a place like this so...