The Hungry Man at Rene’s: A Morning Worth Waking For
There’s a quiet kind of honesty to breakfast at Rene’s Restaurant in Waco. It’s not trying to impress you — it’s trying to feed you. The booths are royal-blue and wooden, the tile floors shine like they’ve been mopped just after sunrise, and the walls hum with the gentle rhythm of a place that knows its regulars by heart. The coffee comes quick, black, and hot — not artisanal, not single-origin, just dependable and steady, like an old friend who doesn’t talk much but always shows up.
The Hungry Man plate arrives with a certain gravity — the kind that makes conversation stop for a second. Two eggs over medium, a golden-seared pork chop glistening with its own juices, a modest pile of potatoes cut thick enough to hold their softness, and a spread of creamy beans holding down the side of the plate. There’s a rhythm to it — protein, starch, salt, and heart. Everything feels intentional in its simplicity.
The pork chop steals the first glance. It’s got that perfect edge — crisp and browned where the pan kissed it hardest, yet still tender when the knife glides through. The flavor walks that fine Texas line between smoky and pure — no heavy marinade, no gimmick, just salt, pepper, and time. You can taste the care of a short-order cook who’s cooked a thousand breakfasts and still respects each one. It’s juicy enough to need a tortilla, and that’s where the next miracle happens.
Those homemade flour tortillas are soft-folded, still warm, with that faint aroma of toasted flour and a whisper of butter. They don’t compete with the food — they complete it. Tear one in half, scoop a little of the beans and egg, add a sliver of pork, and you’ve basically written your own love letter to the morning. The tortilla wraps the whole meal in a kind of grace — it’s the unspoken backbone of Tex-Mex breakfast.
The beans deserve their own paragraph. They’re creamy, not watery — that slow-cooked texture that tells you someone started them long before you woke up. The flavor is gentle, earthy, maybe even nostalgic. They blend effortlessly with the yolk from those over-medium eggs — that moment when the yolk breaks and runs into the beans feels like the sunrise of the plate itself.
Then there are the potatoes — perfectly golden, each one a miniature landscape of crisp edges and soft interiors. The cut is key here: thick enough to give you a bite, but not so large they lose the fry. They taste like patience. A little salt, maybe a touch of pepper, but mostly just balance — that sweet spot between breakfast and comfort food.
By the time you sip the last of your refilled coffee — now a little cooler, still serviceable — the place feels like home. The staff moves with the rhythm of people who care. Smiles aren’t forced. Cups are topped off before they’re empty. The tables gleam. The flow is calm. There’s a quiet pride in the service — the kind that reminds you this isn’t a franchise; it’s a family.
Rene’s doesn’t need to reinvent breakfast. It just needs to keep doing what it’s doing — pouring hot coffee, frying eggs right, crisping pork to that perfect shimmer, and reminding every traveler who passes through that a good morning isn’t something you buy; it’s something you’re served by people who love what they do.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joe Ashton
Great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
brt 123
Excellent mexican food and wonderful burritos!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Martin Wright
Great Breakfast Stop. The Food is Really Good, priced well. Clean, Friendly & Fast. 5 Star All The Way
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nicole Robles
I placed an order for 6 different burritos and they put each of them in separate bags with titles, made it very easy to give to my coworkers!! The people there are also very kind. I had called like 3 different times to add to the order and to make sure everything was placed correctly and they answered each time with kindness. No negative attitude!! overall GREAT burritos and GREAT service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nora Hilburn
Very good carne guisada.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aaron Beyk
Great breakfast tacos
Food: 4
Elaine White
We love the pastries at Rene's! They are authentically Mexican, so we get a taste of a culture that is different from ours. The waitstaff is always helpful and friendly, and the largely Hispanic clientele is delightful.
Excellent service and delicious food. Friendly atmosphere and staff
vic (ThatOneVic)
The best part was my ham and cheese omelette not having any ham and cheese, just bell peppers. Burrito wasn’t even wrapped, just rolled up in a tortilla and fell out both ends….
Food: 1
Service: 1
Shane Tillery
Ordered 10 crunchy tacos in drive thru. Received 10 cold soft tacos. Not impressed....
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Jennifer Luna
Absolutely amazing food authentic 😋 and delicious. Great people great atmosphere excellent service. Great location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carne Guisada Plate
Cris Castro
The taco plate was not that great. The taco shells were super hard, so I didn't enjoy that. The rice was dry and crunchy in some parts of the serving. There was no Mexican music to fill the room. The gorditas were good. I just didn't enjoy the Carne asada inside, but I did enjoy the Krispy tripas in my second gordita. The chips and salsa were not great.
The Hungry Man at Rene’s: A Morning Worth Waking For
There’s a quiet kind of honesty to breakfast at Rene’s Restaurant in Waco. It’s not trying to impress you — it’s trying to feed you. The booths are royal-blue and wooden, the tile floors shine like they’ve been mopped just after sunrise, and the walls hum with the gentle rhythm of a place that knows its regulars by heart. The coffee comes quick, black, and hot — not artisanal, not single-origin, just dependable and steady, like an old friend who doesn’t talk much but always shows up.
The Hungry Man plate arrives with a certain gravity — the kind that makes conversation stop for a second. Two eggs over medium, a golden-seared pork chop glistening with its own juices, a modest pile of potatoes cut thick enough to hold their softness, and a spread of creamy beans holding down the side of the plate. There’s a rhythm to it — protein, starch, salt, and heart. Everything feels intentional in its simplicity.
The pork chop steals the first glance. It’s got that perfect edge — crisp and browned where the pan kissed it hardest, yet still tender when the knife glides through. The flavor walks that fine Texas line between smoky and pure — no heavy marinade, no gimmick, just salt, pepper, and time. You can taste the care of a short-order cook who’s cooked a thousand breakfasts and still respects each one. It’s juicy enough to need a tortilla, and that’s where the next miracle happens.
Those homemade flour tortillas are soft-folded, still warm, with that faint aroma of toasted flour and a whisper of butter. They don’t compete with the food — they complete it. Tear one in half, scoop a little of the beans and egg, add a sliver of pork, and you’ve basically written your own love letter to the morning. The tortilla wraps the whole meal in a kind of grace — it’s the unspoken backbone of Tex-Mex breakfast.
The beans deserve their own paragraph. They’re creamy, not watery — that slow-cooked texture that tells you someone started them long before you woke up. The flavor is gentle, earthy, maybe even nostalgic. They blend effortlessly with the yolk from those over-medium eggs — that moment when the yolk breaks and runs into the beans feels like the sunrise of the plate itself.
Then there are the potatoes — perfectly golden, each one a miniature landscape of crisp edges and soft interiors. The cut is key here: thick enough to give you a bite, but not so large they lose the fry. They taste like patience. A little salt, maybe a touch of pepper, but mostly just balance — that sweet spot between breakfast and comfort food.
By the time you sip the last of your refilled coffee — now a little cooler, still serviceable — the place feels like home. The staff moves with the rhythm of people who care. Smiles aren’t forced. Cups are topped off before they’re empty. The tables gleam. The flow is calm. There’s a quiet pride in the service — the kind that reminds you this isn’t a franchise; it’s a family.
Rene’s doesn’t need to reinvent breakfast. It just needs to keep doing what it’s doing — pouring hot coffee, frying eggs right, crisping pork to that perfect shimmer, and reminding every traveler who passes through that a good morning isn’t something you buy; it’s something you’re served by people who love what they do.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent mexican food and wonderful burritos!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great Breakfast Stop. The Food is Really Good, priced well. Clean, Friendly & Fast. 5 Star All The Way
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I placed an order for 6 different burritos and they put each of them in separate bags with titles, made it very easy to give to my coworkers!! The people there are also very kind. I had called like 3 different times to add to the order and to make sure everything was placed correctly and they answered each time with kindness. No negative attitude!! overall GREAT burritos and GREAT service!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good carne guisada.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great breakfast tacos
Food: 4
We love the pastries at Rene's! They are authentically Mexican, so we get a taste of a culture that is different from ours. The waitstaff is always helpful and friendly, and the largely Hispanic clientele is delightful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best restaurant to go sit down in.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salsa, Chips, Carne Guisada Plate, Grilled Cheese
This place is amazing! Wonderful food, lovely people and staff. Overall great diner!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent service and delicious food. Friendly atmosphere and staff
The best part was my ham and cheese omelette not having any ham and cheese, just bell peppers. Burrito wasn’t even wrapped, just rolled up in a tortilla and fell out both ends….
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ordered 10 crunchy tacos in drive thru. Received 10 cold soft tacos. Not impressed....
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Absolutely amazing food authentic 😋 and delicious. Great people great atmosphere excellent service. Great location.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Carne Guisada Plate
The taco plate was not that great. The taco shells were super hard, so I didn't enjoy that. The rice was dry and crunchy in some parts of the serving. There was no Mexican music to fill the room. The gorditas were good. I just didn't enjoy the Carne asada inside, but I did enjoy the Krispy tripas in my second gordita. The chips and salsa were not great.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
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