Waco Pizza Guide: Best Spots for Baylor Students (From Late-Night Delivery to Date Night)

Pizza is the lingua franca of college life — study session fuel, post-game comfort food, the default answer when nobody can agree on dinner. If you just moved to Waco, you'll quickly discover the city punches above its weight for pizza. There are local places that have been feeding Baylor students for decades right alongside newer spots with craft ingredients and riverside patios. This guide breaks down the best pizza in Waco by when, why, and how much you want to spend.

The Best Local Pizza in Waco

Skip the national chains until you've tried these. Waco has five local pizza spots that are genuinely worth the trip.

Baris — Waco's Top-Rated Pizzeria

If you ask Yelp or TripAdvisor, Baris at 904 N Valley Mills Dr wins hands down — it's consistently rated the #1 pizza restaurant in Waco, out of 39 on the list. The kitchen does New York-style pies with handcrafted dough and fresh pasta made daily. Their Margherita is the move: homemade tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, garlic, and basil on a thin, chewy crust.

Hours: Tue–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 12pm–10pm. Closed Monday.

Baris is about 5 miles from 19Eleven — a 10-minute drive — and worth it for a sit-down dinner with someone you want to impress. Budget $15–25/person for a full meal with a drink.

Shorty's Pizza Shack — The Student Classic

Shorty's has two Waco locations, and both are reliably packed with Baylor students. The draw is simple: massive slices, "Pizza Pillows" (their calzone-style specialty that's become a campus institution), and hours that extend to 11pm every day of the week.

The S 12th St location (1712 S 12th St) is about 1.5 miles from 19Eleven — close enough that it's a realistic weeknight option. The atmosphere is casual and game-day loud: dog-friendly outdoor seating, plenty of TVs, and the kind of place where nobody cares if you show up in sweats.

Hours: 11am–11pm daily. Delivery available via Grubhub.

Shorty's is your move for group dinners on a budget, post-game food, or whenever you need something filling without dressing up.

Slow Rise Slice House — NY Style on the Brazos

Slow Rise at 1620 N Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd earns its name from the slow fermentation process that gives the dough its flavor and chew. The result is some of the best New York-style pizza in Central Texas — thin, crispy at the edges, foldable down the middle.

The location is a bonus: the patio extends over the Brazos River, making this one of the most scenic places to eat in Waco. It's also on the Riverwalk, so you can pair a pizza lunch with a walk along the river afterward.

Hours: 11am–10pm daily. Baylor Perks Card accepted for student discounts.

Slow Rise is about 2 miles from 19Eleven — an easy drive or a scenic 25-minute walk down the Riverwalk. Best for a casual lunch or a low-key date night when the weather is good.

Village Pizzaria — Union Food Hall's Best Slice

Village Pizzaria at 720 Franklin Ave sits inside Union Food Hall, which puts it inside one of downtown Waco's best dining venues. You get house-made pies, a rotating gelato bar, and the food hall atmosphere — great for a date afternoon or a casual hangout with people who want different food.

Hours: Tue–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm. Online ordering via Toast and Slice; closed Monday.

The combination of pizza + gelato makes this a natural two-course spot. If you want to turn it into a bigger outing, the food hall is about 2 miles from 19Eleven, and downtown Waco's Austin Ave dining corridor is right there.

Poppa Rollo's — A Waco Original Since 1969

Poppa Rollo's at 703 N Valley Mills Dr is the oldest pizza spot in this guide — founded August 1969 by a former Baylor student and still family-owned at the same location since 1979. The pizza is thick-crust, cheesy, and unapologetically old-school. They also have a hidden speakeasy entrance that makes the experience feel like you stumbled into something.

Hours: Sun–Thu 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat 11am–11pm.

This is a great choice for parents visiting who want something different, or for when you want a Waco experience that feels lived-in rather than trendy. At 19Eleven, you're about a 10-minute drive away.

Pizza by Occasion

Not every pizza craving is the same. Here's the quick-reference guide:

Late-night delivery (post-midnight): National chains are your best option — Pizza Hut at 1111 S 8th St is literally on your street if you're at 19Eleven, and Domino's delivers to the area with their $4.99 medium deal that's hard to beat at 1am.

Group dinner on a budget: Shorty's Pizza Shack. Large slices, casual seating, 11pm hours, and under $15/person is the standard.

Date night: Slow Rise Slice House (river patio) or Baris (upscale sit-down). Slow Rise wins on atmosphere when the weather is nice; Baris wins when you want to be inside a real restaurant.

Parents visiting or a special occasion: Baris is the top choice, or Poppa Rollo's if they want something with Waco history behind it.

Casual weekend afternoon: Village Pizzaria inside Union Food Hall — get a slice, grab gelato, and walk around downtown.

Study-session delivery: Any of the national chains, plus Shorty's via Grubhub if you want local flavor without leaving your desk.

Baylor Student Pizza Deals

Waco Perks Program: Every enrolled Baylor student is automatically in. Show your Baylor ID at participating restaurants for discounts. Slow Rise Slice House accepts the Waco Perks Card. Check the full list at baylor.edu/waco/discounts — it updates regularly.

Pizza Hut: Half-off Sundays for students is one of the better weekly deals around.

Domino's: $4.99 medium pizza any day — no promo code needed. This is the budget delivery go-to.

Papa John's: Student discounts available; varies by location.

Living at 19Eleven at 1911 S 8th St puts you close to several delivery zones. The Pizza Hut on S 8th St is literally on your street, and most local spots cover the 76706 zip code.

What About the Chains?

Waco has the full lineup: Pizza Hut, Domino's, Little Caesars, MOD Pizza, and Papa John's. They're all here, and for late-night delivery or a quick budget meal, they earn their place. The difference is that the local spots — Baris, Shorty's, Slow Rise — offer something the chains genuinely can't. If you've only ordered Domino's since moving in, you're missing out on what makes eating in Waco actually interesting.

For reference, a solid Friday-night delivery order from Domino's runs $15–20 for a large pizza with a couple of toppings. A sit-down meal at Baris runs $20–30/person. Shorty's is in the middle at $10–15/person. Budget accordingly.

Where to Go Next

If pizza is your baseline, Waco's restaurant scene has a lot more to offer. The city's food truck scene runs several nights a week at Route 77 Food Park (1.5 miles from 19Eleven), and the brunch guide covers the best Saturday morning options. For nights when you want something different from pizza, the date night guide covers the full range from casual to upscale.

The best restaurants near Baylor overview is worth bookmarking — it covers every food category and is the fastest way to make a decision when someone asks "where should we eat?"

And if you're still figuring out your setup near campus, check out 19Eleven's floor plans or schedule a tour. Our residents on S 8th St are 5 minutes from most of what's on this list.