Best Mediterranean Food in Waco: A Baylor Student's Guide to Gyros, Falafel & More

If you're in the mood for something beyond tacos and pizza, Waco's Mediterranean scene covers you. Three solid spots within a mile and a half of 19Eleven give you everything from fast-casual grain bowls to proper sit-down gyros — and one of them is close enough to walk. Here's what's worth knowing about mediterranean food in Waco before your next meal.

Why Waco's Mediterranean Food Scene Is Better Than You Think

Mediterranean cuisine — Greek, Middle Eastern, Lebanese — tends to be one of the most overlooked categories in any mid-sized Texas city. Waco is no exception. Most students stumble into it by accident, usually because someone drags them to a place they've driven past a hundred times.

The reality: Waco has three legitimate Mediterranean restaurants within two miles of Baylor's south campus, each with its own identity. CAVA is the fast-casual chain that's better than most, Alpha Omega is the downtown institution with rotating-spit gyros and house-baked pita, and D's Mediterranean is the family-run local that's been quietly building a loyal following. Between them, you've got every angle of mediterranean food in Waco covered.

The Best Mediterranean Restaurants in Waco

CAVA — The Walkable Option (0.5 Miles from 19Eleven)

At 812 S Sixth Street — about a half-mile from 19Eleven — CAVA is the most accessible Mediterranean restaurant in Waco by a significant margin. Open daily from 10:30am to 10pm, the build-your-own bowl format means you can eat for around $12 while controlling exactly what goes in.

The format: choose a base (pita, salad, grains, or rice), add proteins (falafel, grilled chicken, braised lamb, steak, or salmon), layer in two sauces from the spread bar (hummus, tzatziki, harissa, roasted red pepper hummus), then pile on the toppings — pickled onion, cucumber, cabbage slaw, tomato, olives. Portions are generous and the falafel is genuinely good: crispy outside, tender inside, nothing like the dried-out versions you get elsewhere.

If you're vegan or vegetarian, CAVA is probably the most student-friendly option in Waco. The falafel bowl with hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and fresh vegetables is about as complete a plant-based meal as you'll find in the area. Online ordering and DoorDash make it a regular option even when you don't feel like going out.

Best for: Quick lunches, post-gym meals, budget eating, students tracking macros. If you live at 19Eleven, this is a 10-minute walk — as close as the nearest campus dining hall.

Alpha Omega Grill & Bakery — The Gyro Destination

For proper Greek-style Mediterranean food in Waco, Alpha Omega at 929 Franklin Ave is the destination. They've built a 4.5-star rating with more than 1,600 Google reviews, and the menu delivers authenticity that most chain options don't come close to.

The chicken gyro ($7.55) and lamb gyro ($12.95) are both made from meat carved off rotating spits — the texture is completely different from pre-sliced versions and worth the slightly longer trip downtown. The pita is baked fresh daily in-house, which you notice the moment you pick it up. The menu also includes pork gyros, a vegan chickpea gyro, house-made hummus with warm pita, Greek salads, and house-made baklava.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:30am to 9pm — closed Sundays. The downtown location at 929 Franklin Ave is about 1.5 miles from 19Eleven. There's also a Hewitt location (1509 Hewitt Dr) if you're ever in that direction.

Best for: The best sit-down gyro experience in Waco, parents visiting, anyone who wants the authentic version of what the chain options approximate. Budget around $10–15 per person.

D's Mediterranean Grill — The Local Institution

D's Mediterranean at 1503 Colcord Ave is harder to find on your own, but once you've been, you'll understand why it's accumulated a 4.6-star rating from 634 reviews. It's a family-run spot with menu consistency you see in restaurants that have no reason to change anything.

The gyros, falafel, and kabobs are all strong, but regulars consistently mention the signature garlic sauce as what separates D's from everywhere else. It's not a featured menu item — it just comes with your order — and it's the detail that converts first-timers into regulars. The falafel gyro is the best vegan Mediterranean option at D's, stuffed with fried chickpea balls, fresh vegetables, and that garlic sauce.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11am to 8pm, closed Sundays. Located at 1503 Colcord Ave, roughly 1.5 miles from 19Eleven. Call ahead at (254) 754-6709.

Best for: Best falafel in Waco, anyone who prefers a local over a chain, the garlic sauce experience. Budget around $10–14 per person.

Mediterranean Food in Waco by Occasion

You have 20 minutes for lunch: CAVA on S Sixth St. Walk over from 19Eleven, build your bowl, back in 20 minutes flat.

It's dinner and you want to sit down: Alpha Omega downtown. Monday through Saturday until 9pm. Get the lamb gyro, a Greek salad, and don't skip the baklava.

Someone in your group is vegan: Any of the three. CAVA's falafel bowl, D's falafel gyro, and Alpha Omega's chickpea gyro are all genuinely vegan-friendly — not just "order without the meat" workarounds.

Parents are in town: Alpha Omega. It photographs well and prices in a range where parents don't flinch.

You want delivery: Check DoorDash or Uber Eats for current CAVA availability from 1911 S 8th St. Coverage varies by address but CAVA is typically within range.

Budget is tight: CAVA runs $10–13 per bowl, Alpha Omega gyros start at $7.55, and D's falls in the $10–14 range. All three are workable on a college budget.

A Quick Mediterranean Food Primer

If you're new to Mediterranean cuisine, here's what you're looking at on the menu:

Gyros: Meat (chicken, lamb, or pork) cooked on a vertical rotating spit, then carved and served in a warm pita with tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber sauce), tomato, and onion. The rotating spit is what distinguishes a real gyro from a sad approximation — Alpha Omega does it right.

Falafel: Balls of ground chickpeas (and sometimes fava beans), seasoned and deep-fried until crispy outside and tender inside. The best vegan protein option in Mediterranean cuisine. D's and CAVA both execute this well.

Hummus: Blended chickpeas with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Used as a dip, a spread, or a sauce base. Alpha Omega makes theirs fresh daily.

Kabobs: Seasoned and skewered meat — usually chicken or lamb — grilled over high heat. D's has solid kabobs.

Tzatziki: The cool yogurt-cucumber sauce that comes with gyros. CAVA's version is one of the better fast-casual renditions you'll find.

Living Near Waco's Mediterranean Food Scene

One of the quieter arguments for living at 19Eleven on S 8th Street — beyond the indoor pool, bark park, and sports court — is that CAVA is close enough to walk. Most students in Baylor dorms or north-campus apartments don't have a fast-casual Mediterranean spot within walking distance. At 19Eleven, it's a realistic Tuesday night option.

The broader neighborhood puts you within easy reach of all three spots in this guide, plus the full range of Waco's food scene. The best restaurants near Baylor guide and the complete Waco restaurant guide cover the full picture if you're still mapping out your options.

If you're also interested in plant-based eating more broadly, the vegan restaurants guide covers Olive Branch, Harvest on 25th, and several other spots beyond Mediterranean. For another underrated cuisine category near campus, the Indian food guide is worth a read.

Ready to Explore Waco's Food Scene?

Waco's mediterranean food scene punches above its weight, and all three restaurants covered here are within easy reach of 19Eleven. If you're looking for an apartment on Baylor's south side that puts you within walking distance of CAVA and a short drive from everything else, schedule a tour and see the neighborhood for yourself. If you're ready to move forward, start your application here.