Best Bakeries in Waco: A Baylor Student's Guide to Fresh Bread, Pastries & Sweet Spots
Waco's bakery scene is one of those things most Baylor students discover too late — usually around junior year, when a roommate insists on Neighborhood Bakery for their birthday and you realize you've been missing an entire category of good food since freshman orientation. Beyond the donut shops and drive-throughs, there are artisan sourdough spots, French-inspired pastry bars, authentic Mexican panaderías, and custom cake studios that deserve more than word-of-mouth. This guide covers Waco's best bakeries organized by what you actually need — whether that's a weekday bread run, a Saturday morning treat, or a custom graduation cake.
The Best Waco Bakeries Worth Knowing
Whether you're searching for a fresh croissant before an 8am class or planning a birthday surprise for a roommate, here's where to go.
Neighborhood Bakery — Best for Artisan Bread and European Pastries
1020 Franklin Ave, Waco TX 76701 · @neighborhoodbakerywaco
Neighborhood Bakery is the kind of place you'd expect to find on Austin's East Side or in a Brooklyn neighborhood with good taste. Their sourdough loaves, croissants, and open-face sandwiches are made with real technique — slow ferments, quality flour, the works. This is the highest-ceiling bakery in Waco.
From 19Eleven at 1911 S 8th Street, it's 1.5 miles away — a 5-minute drive or a short bike ride. The catch: limited hours (often closed Monday and Tuesday), and popular items sell out by noon on weekends. If you're going on a Saturday, get there by 10am.
What to order: the sourdough boule if you're feeding roommates for the week; croissants if you want something to eat on the spot; the open-face sandwiches for a proper lunch. Expect $4–$10 per item — not cheap, but the right choice for occasions when quality matters.
Best for: Serious bread lovers, weekend breakfast, taking something impressive to a group gathering
Fox & Co. Bakery — Best for Custom Cakes and French Pastries
1321 Austin Ave, Waco TX 76701 · @foxandcobakery
Fox & Co. solves the recurring Baylor student problem: where do you get a birthday cake in Waco that actually looks like the photos? Their macarons are the best in the city, and their custom cakes consistently deliver on what they show on Instagram — which matters more than it sounds.
Custom orders require 3–5 days' minimum notice, sometimes more during busy seasons (graduation, Valentine's Day). If you want a specific design for a specific date, contact them at least a week out. Walk-in items — macarons, decorated cookies, cupcakes — are usually available in the display case.
What to order: start with the macarons (nothing else in Waco comes close); decorated sugar cookies if you want something to share; custom cake if you're planning ahead for a milestone.
Best for: Birthday cakes, graduation cakes, sorority/fraternity events, date night desserts, anything that needs to look as good as it tastes
Budget: $3–$6 per item; custom cakes from $40–$150+ depending on size and complexity
Jimenez Bakery — Best for Mexican Sweet Bread at Student Prices
Multiple Waco locations · jimenezbakery.shop
Jimenez Bakery is where authentic Mexican baking culture is alive in Waco. Conchas, pan dulce, churros, empanadas, traditional breads — at prices ranging from $0.75 to $2.50 per item. For students on a tight budget who want something genuinely good, this is the best value bakery in the city by a wide margin.
Multiple locations citywide make this the most accessible bakery on the list. The bakery opens early daily, which makes it a viable stop before morning classes if you're routing past one of their locations.
What to order: conchas are the classic starting point — soft sweet rolls with a sugar crust in pink, white, or vanilla flavors. Pan dulce for variety. Churros if they're fresh.
Best for: Budget-conscious students, traditional Mexican pastries, early morning options, anyone who wants real variety at low cost
Simply Delicious Bakery — Best for Custom Dessert Events
@simply_delicious_bakery on Instagram
Simply Delicious is a custom-order bakery, not a walk-up shop. What they do is decorated layer cakes, cupcake towers, and event desserts for occasions that call for real presentation. Planning a graduation party, a sorority formal dessert table, or a birthday surprise for a roommate who actually notices quality? This is the place to call first.
Browse their Instagram to see recent work and get contact details. Pre-orders are required, with pickup at an arranged time. Their specialty is intricate custom-designed cakes — if you've seen elaborate fondant cakes online and wondered where to get one in Waco, this is it.
Best for: Graduation celebrations, major milestone birthdays, planned events where dessert presentation is part of the experience
Budget: Custom cakes from $40–$60, specialty orders vary
Around the World Bakery — Best for International Pastries
Check Yelp for current location and hours
Around the World Bakery rotates its focus around international pastry traditions — baklava, Eastern European breads, and flavors from baking cultures outside the American mainstream. If you're an international student or grew up eating pastries from a specific tradition that you haven't found anywhere in Waco, this is worth checking out. Verify current hours and location on Yelp before making the trip.
Best for: International students looking for familiar flavors, students who want something genuinely different
The Practical Option: HEB Bakery
For everyday fresh bread without the artisan price tag, the HEB at 900 Wooded Acres Dr bakes daily. Sourdough boules, baguettes, croissants, and specialty cakes at grocery store prices ($2–$5 per item). When Neighborhood Bakery is closed or you need bread for the week without spending $10 a loaf, HEB Bakery is the reliable fallback.
It's about 3 miles from 19Eleven — a 7-minute drive. Not a destination, but a practical option that beats packaged supermarket bread significantly, and it's open when everything else is closed.
Planning Your Waco Bakery Visits: What to Know
Check Instagram before you go. Neighborhood Bakery and Fox & Co. both post their hours and availability on Instagram. Hours change seasonally and nothing is worse than making a 15-minute drive for a closed sign.
Custom orders need real lead time. Fox & Co. and Simply Delicious both require advance notice — at least 3–5 days minimum, potentially 1–2 weeks during graduation season and holidays. If you're planning a birthday cake or event dessert, don't wait until the week of.
Weekend mornings go fast. Neighborhood Bakery's best items — sourdoughs and croissants — routinely sell out before noon on Saturdays. Arrive before 10am for the full selection.
Budget accordingly. Waco's artisan bakeries are still cheaper than comparable spots in Austin or Dallas, but they're not HEB prices. Set expectations: Jimenez for daily treats, Neighborhood Bakery and Fox & Co. for the occasions that call for something better.
Waco Bakeries Quick Reference
| Bakery | Best For | Price Range | Distance from 19Eleven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood Bakery | Artisan sourdough, croissants | $4–$10/item | 1.5 mi (~5 min) |
| Fox & Co. | Custom cakes, macarons | $3–$6; cakes $40+ | ~1.2 mi |
| Jimenez Bakery | Conchas, pan dulce, churros | $0.75–$2.50/item | Multiple locations |
| Simply Delicious | Custom decorated cakes | $40–$150+ | By order |
| Around the World | International pastries | Varies | Check Yelp |
| HEB Bakery | Everyday fresh bread | $2–$5/item | 3 mi (~7 min) |
Pair Your Bakery Run with Coffee
Most of Waco's best bakeries don't have full coffee setups — they're pastry-focused. For the complete morning, pair a Neighborhood Bakery pastry with coffee from Common Grounds at 1123 S 8th Street (a 5-minute walk from 19Eleven), or check the coffee shops near Baylor guide for a full rundown. For sit-down brunch spots in Waco that cover both food and drinks in one stop, that guide has the full picture.
A quick note on donuts: Waco's donut scene is covered separately in the Waco donuts guide — including Nightlight Donuts at Common Grounds on S 8th Street, the closest pastry spot to 19Eleven. If a glazed donut or specialty donut is what you're after, start there.
Explore Waco's Food Scene from 19Eleven
At 19Eleven Apartments on 1911 S 8th Street, you're close to the good parts of Waco without having to fight through traffic every time. Neighborhood Bakery is a 5-minute drive, Jimenez has multiple locations citywide, and Fox & Co. is under 10 minutes from the property. Living somewhere walkable and centrally located makes it genuinely easier to make use of a city's best spots — rather than defaulting to whatever's closest.
If you're evaluating apartments for next year, schedule a tour to see the space and the neighborhood, or browse floor plans to see what layout makes sense for your situation.
