Czech wines in Texas? Yeah, this is real.
Heart of Waco · Waco · Czech Restaurant · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 7, 2026
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a Czech brewery next to the Magnolia Silos and the last thing you expect is a wine list anchored by Moravian whites and Bohemian Pinot Noir — but here we are. It's a short list, but it's doing something almost no restaurant in Texas is bothering to do. That alone earns some real attention.
The list clocks in at somewhere between 20 and 40 bottles, which is modest, but every region represented has a reason to be there. Moravia, Bohemia, Central Europe — this isn't a token 'international' section padded with Malbec and Pinot Grigio. The Moravian Welschriesling and Czech Müller-Thurgau give the white wine side a crisp, food-forward identity that actually makes sense in a steakhouse context. The Bohemian Pinot Noir is the wildcard anchor — lighter, earthier, and nothing like the fruit-forward stuff most Waco diners are used to. There are gaps — no depth in sparkling, likely nothing from France or Italy — but the intentionality here is hard to argue with.
Six to ten options by the glass is a respectable showing for a restaurant at this price point and in this market. We'd expect the Czech whites to dominate the pour list, which is exactly where you want them — these wines are meant to be ordered by the glass with food, not cellared. Rotation seems limited, so don't expect seasonal surprises.
Moravian Welschriesling — $12
Czech Welschriesling is lean, bright, and built for food — and it's rarely seen on American lists at any price. Getting a pour of it in a steakhouse in Waco for around this range is a genuine find.
Czech Müller-Thurgau
Most people skip right past it because the name means nothing to them. That's a mistake. Müller-Thurgau from Moravia is aromatic, low-alcohol, and genuinely interesting — a perfect counterpoint to the heavier, meat-forward menu.
Bohemian Pinot Noir
Not because it's bad — it's probably fine — but if you're expecting a fruit-forward, full-bodied red to go with a steak dinner, Bohemian Pinot will leave you cold. It's a cerebral wine in a room that mostly wants a crowd-pleaser. Know what you're ordering.
Moravian Welschriesling + Pretzels
Salty, doughy, rich — the pretzel needs something with acidity and a little snap to cut through it. Welschriesling does exactly that. It's the kind of pairing that sounds accidental and tastes deliberate.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Pivovar is doing something genuinely rare: building a wine program around Central European producers in a Texas steakhouse, and mostly pulling it off. If you're tired of the same Napa Cab and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc cycle, this list is worth your curiosity.
Central Waco / Richland Mall area · Waco · American gastropub / brewery fare
BJ's wine list exists because it has to, not because anyone loves it — this is a beer destination first and everything else is an afterthought. If you're here on a Wednesday during happy hour, grab the $5 Dark Horse and call it honest; otherwise, just drink the beer.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
Central Waco / Loop 340 · Waco · Casual Chain Italian-American
Olive Garden Waco's wine list is a corporate afterthought dressed up with Italian flags — gouge-level markups on supermarket bottles, no staff expertise, and zero ambition. Order the cocktails, drink the endless coffee, or BYOB if they'll let you. The breadsticks don't need wine anyway.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Southwest Waco / I-35 corridor · Waco · Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse is a great place for a hand-cut steak, cold beer, and line-dancing servers — but the wine list is essentially a placeholder. Come for the food, order a Lone Star, and leave the wine ambitions at home.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / Valley Mills Drive · Waco · Steakhouse
Outback Waco's wine program is what happens when a corporate chain treats wine as a line item instead of an experience — overpriced grocery store bottles with zero staff expertise and zero reason to explore the list. Order the beer, order the cocktail, or BYOB if they'll let you.
Grocery Store
Gouge
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Waco / near Richland Mall · Waco · Steakhouse
Saltgrass is here for the steak, and the steak is genuinely good — but the wine program is an afterthought wearing a price tag. Order the ribeye, split a bottle of Decoy if you must, and don't expect anyone on staff to help you think beyond that.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Woodway / Marketplace area · Waco · Steakhouse
135 Prime is doing more with a wine list than Waco has any right to expect from its steakhouse scene, and the weekly specials show genuine curiosity. Just keep your guard up when the dessert wine list arrives — that's where the house cashes in.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Seasonal Rotation
Acceptable
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