Where To Celebrate Your Birthday In Waco
When it comes time to celebrate your birthday and you just want to do something FUN, it can get a little overwhelming to try to find the perfect spot for your next party (Ugh, why are birthdays as an adult so confusing??) To help you out, here are my favorite places to celebrate your birthday in Waco…as an adult! These aren’t places for kids' birthdays necessarily. This list is for you, boo.
About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I help millions of readers find the best things to do, restaurants to try, and places to stay in central Texas and beyond. Check out my other sites: The Austin Things.com and The San Antonio Things.com!
Where To Celebrate Your Birthday In Waco
1. Freight Icehouse and Yard Bar
If you’re going for a chill, relaxed birthday vibe where you can invite a bunch of friends to show up whenever they want, Freight is your place! It’s a fun outdoor spot in Waco that has lots of craft beer, house cocktails, and live music!
Your guests can order their own beverages, grab some food from a food truck, and hang out with friends. You can enjoy some cornhole or jumbo Jenga while you listen to the live music. There’s not a lot of pretense here - you get exactly what you see! Just an easygoing, fun spot to enjoy some good music and good drinks. That’s typically what I want on my birthday, which is why I think this is one of the best places to celebrate your birthday in Waco.
WEBSITE | 1613 James Ave Waco, TX 76706
2. Backyard Waco
Ok, one more option that’s very similar to Freight, Backyard Waco has a similar vibe: outdoor space, live music venue, burgers, and beers.
The main difference between Freight and Backyard Waco is that Freight is mostly a bar + rotating food trucks, and Backyard Waco is a full-blown restaurant! So if you want to make sure there’s a lot of food options at your birthday party, have everyone meet up at Backyard Waco.
The other difference is that Backyard Waco is in downtown Waco. So if you want an ideal location so guests from all over the city can get there quickly, Backyard Waco is it. But if you want something that’s a bit easier for parking, Freight is the better option.
The live music is lots of fun! (Note that there is a cover charge.) You and your guests can enjoy the evening breeze, dance to some live music,
WEBSITE | 511 South 8th Street, Waco, TX 76706
3. Topgolf
Waco got its first Topgolf location in 2021, and it’s an excellent place to celebrate your birthday! I consistently have fun each and every time I go to Topgolf. (Note; I have exactly zero golf skills.) It’s just a blast to get some food and drinks, get a little healthy competition going, and enjoy hanging out with friends!
Photo Credits: Jesse B, Yelp
WEBSITE | 2301 Creekview Dr Waco, TX 76711
4. Bertie’s On The Rooftop
If you want some elevated rooftop views for a more sophisticated birthday party, book a table at Bertie’s On The Rooftop. It’s the top floor of Hotel 1928, Chip and Joanna Gaines’s newest luxury boutique hotel in Waco.
They offer craft cocktails, wine, and New American cuisine.
Photo Credits: Hotel 1928
WEBSITE | 701 Washington Ave Waco, TX 76701
5. JS Barnett’s Whiskey House
Barnett’s Whiskey House is consistently ranked one of the best spots for a celebration dinner or a girls night out in Waco…so why not celebrate your birthday there? They have the largest whiskey collection in Texas, which is quite impressive.
Also, their food is absolutely delicious and just feels kind of “birthday party-ish” to me. You can start with a bunch of fun appetizers like kettle nachos with Barnett’s beer cheese and a big charcuterie board for the table, and then enjoy splurge-y entrees like their bourbon street pasta or surf and turf filet. They have several different Old Fashioned on the menu, including a smoked option and a cask strength option. And my favorite part is their bacon bar, including candied bacon, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with mascarpone, and jalapeno-bacon-wrapped shrimp. You can pair any of these with a signature pour of whiskey.
Photo Credits: J. S. Barnett's Whiskey House, Yelp
WEBSITE | 420 Franklin Ave Waco, TX 76701
6. Hotel Herringbone - 3 Options!
Hotel Herringbone is the newest boutique hotel in downtown Waco, and I’m telling you: it is lovely. Seriously such a fun addition to this city! There are 3 eateries at the hotel and each one would make a great option for a birthday celebration:
Option 1: dinner reservations at Red Herring. This is their signature fine-dining restaurant. It has craft cocktails, a raw bar, and coastal-Mediterranean cuisine. The entire space has an art deco that seriously begs to be instreamed. It’s one of the prettiest restaurants I’ve ever seen, and the food and drinks are incredible. This would be fun for a group of 4 or 6 for a splurge-y birthday dinner reservations! They sometimes even have a piano player performing on the grand piano in the middle of the dining room for some live entertainment during dinner.
Option 2: casual hang at Lucky Buck’s rooftop bar. If you want a rooftop bar with a view, Lucky Buck’s is lots of fun! It’s much more casual than the rooftop bar at Hotel 1928 down the road because it doesn’t require reservations. This is the type of spot where friends can pop by to wish you a happy birthday, grab a beer and a few bites, and sit down for a bit.
Option 3: wine and charcuterie at SongBird. If you want something kind of in between the two options listed above, Song Bird is their ground floor wine bar where you can order a glass of wine and a charcuterie board and sit on the outdoor patio (or inside if you need A/C!) and enjoy some live music! They’re only open until 6 pm, so this is a great option if you want to do a happy hour birthday party in Waco. Song Bird is a sophisticated yet casual space where everyone can celebrate YOU!
WEBSITE | 319 S 4th St, Waco, TX 76701
7. Anthem STORIES
This is my favorite event space in Waco! Anthem STORIES is a historic downtown building that’s been renovated for weddings, corporate events, and parties! They can host anywhere from 50-500 people, depending on the space you rent.
If you’re having a milestone birthday and want an all-out birthday bash, you can rent one of the event spaces here, use their in-house dining and beverage options, hire a DJ, and go ALL OUT.
Anthem STORIES is popular for holiday parties and big group events like bat mitzvahs and holiday festivities, but this event venue can be used for any special event (like your BIRTHDAY!) as well.
WEBSITE | 601 Franklin Ave Waco, TX 76701
8. Southern Roots Brewing
A birthday party at Southern Roots Brewing in Waco is lots of fun! This is a welcoming, family-owned craft brewery by some of the kindest folks you’ll meet. They have a lot of great beer on tap (plus wine and cider for those who aren’t interested in beer), and some of the best pizza in Waco.
It’s an industrial space, which means it’s a great ambiance for a birthday party in Waco! Some of my favorite birthdays to date have been at local craft breweries. They're a bit more of a unique venue, but I also think they're some of the best venues because you can find a picnic table indoors, order a few pizzas for everyone, and let guests go up to the bar and choose their own beers. It’s all very casual, fun, and easy.
WEBSITE | 219 North 8th Street, Waco, 76701
9. Schedule A Tour At Balcones Distilling
Balcones is one of the most well-known whisky distilleries in the state of Texas, and it’s located right here in downtown Waco! They offer tours and tastings on Saturdays, and they’re lots of fun. (Here’s my recap of when I went on the tour.)
They offer them on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and tours last about 60 minutes. You do have to pay per person for the tours (currently they’re about $22/person, but prices might change). So you’ll have to decide if each guest will pay for their own tour, or if you’ll book it for the entire party.
But whether you do the tour or not, you can stop by the tasting room at any point and order a flight of Balcones whisky or some whisky cocktails. They also brew beer here (usually four taps of beer at a time) that you can try as well.
I will say that the tasting room is absolutely gorgeous! I really love getting a drink here. I think it’s one of the prettiest little cocktail bars in Waco, and I wouldn’t be mad to celebrate my birthday here!
WEBSITE | 225 S. 11th St. Waco, TX 76701
10. Book a table at OneThirtyFive Prime
Want to go all out for your birthday? Book a table at OneThirtyFive Prime Steakhouse! It’s an excellent spot for a fancy birthday dinner in Waco. Prime Akaushi beef, sushi grade fish, and an excellent wine list, OneThirtyFive is upscale cuisine that’s truly prepared like a work of art.
The service team is SO good here, and the white tablecloth/candlelit environment is really fun for a special night out. I also love this restaurant for special occasions like a fancy date night in Waco, too. Whether you go here for your birthday or not, keep it in mind for the next time you want to splurge.
Photo Credits: Nicki M, Yelp
WEBSITE | 1201 Hewitt Dr Ste 110 Waco, TX 76712
11. Tapas At Segovia Wine Bar
Where can you get tapas in Waco? At Segovia Wine Bar! I think that tapas are such a fun birthday party idea because you can order a bunch and everyone gets to enjoy a bit of everything!
If you like the idea of a wine bar for your birthday, but you’re bummed that Song Bird at Hotel Herringbone closes at 6 pm, just book a table at Segovia! They’re open late, have dinner options in addition to wine, and make for an excellent birthday party destination in Waco TX.
They offer mostly Spanish and Mediterranean wine, but they do have some Texas high plains, California, and other European wine as well. Truly, I’m really impressed with the wine list here. It’s a great wine bar in Waco!
Photo Credits: Nicki M, Yelp
WEBSITE | 300 S 6th St Ste F Waco, TX 76701
12. Main Event Waco
Ok, I know everyone thinks of Main Event as a kids birthday party destination in Waco, but the last time I was here I was thinking of how much fun it would be to come here without my kids and just enjoy an adults-only bowling party! Main Event has plenty of space, so you can rent out a few lanes of state-of-the-art bowling lanes to enjoy a big group game. And the bar and grill food is consistent. (I mean, it’s not like the best restaurant-quality food you’ll ever eat, but it’s good!)
And just to spark your creativity: pretty much any bowling lanes, roller skating rink, arcade games destination in Waco would truly make for such a fun adult birthday party! I’m thinking outside the box just a bit, because when most people think of adult birthday parties they think of food and live music and that’s about it. But a playful night out of bowling, arcades, and laser tag is actually SO much fun. (Especially when you pair it with a few drinks…wink wink.)
WEBSITE | 2420 Creekview Dr Waco, TX 76711
I hope that helps you as you’re figuring where to celebrate your birthday in Waco. If you want more Waco ideas, here are the all-time best restaurants in Waco, some of my favorite date night ideas, and a bunch of gorgeous hotels that are all near Magnolia Market!
Oh, and happy birthday to you!
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