Magnolia Press – Waco, TX

Magnolia Press is an espresso cafe in Waco, Texas.

Team Barrett had The Silos and Magnolia Market on our agenda list for several years before we had the opportunity to visit in person.

The cafe is clearly an expression of Joanna Gaines’ design style – which we both grew to love and admire over the course of 5 seasons of Fixer Upper. Each year, her designs improved but we always appreciated her approach to design – tailoring each to the desired outcome every client had in mind.

Magnolia Press is designed to handle a large volume of customers as they meander the Silos. There is plenty of room to sit and relax – if you choose – situated away from the hustle and bustle of a busy cafe counter.

The Staff

The staff is well trained, offering classic customer service. Each is there to serve YOU, the customer and it’s clear they love their work.

The counters are long with beautiful display cases. Everything in the place suggests movement – from the line forming at the entry door, down the serving counter to the cashier and out into the seating area; or the exit door; or to the entry of an adjacent show room – suggesting an entrance to the rest of Magnolia Market and the next part of your journey.

The place is squeaky clean and comfortable and inviting – where you normally would not think a high volume location can be such a thing. yet it is. Pure Gaines.

Magnolia Press is like a coffee symphony. It’s clear that Joanna put a lot of thought into vision of the design – considering: flow and ambiance – resulting in a well-orchestrated coffee experience. And Chip delivered that vision. At the same time, it is part of something much bigger – the “magnolia” experience.

The Coffee

The coffee was good but it was not exceptional.

It is fresh and smooth and it’s the kind of coffee that appeals to a wide audience – which is smart in many ways because Magnolia’s audience is just that. People come from all over the country to visit Magnolia Market. Wide acceptance is important for a large brand. Most people like Duncan Donuts coffee. My wife does.

We enjoyed being there and having a cup, but we didn’t like it enough to go back for seconds or thirds.

It was not memorable coffee. In fact, yesterday I asked Mrs Barrett:

“What did you think about the coffee at Magnolia Press?”

She said, “I don’t remember it was too long ago.”

“I know,” I asked, “but, can you describe your coffee?”

“It was good but not great.”

As I write this, it has been about 11 months since our visit. Yet, if I were to ask her about the coffee we had on our honeymoon at Dripolator in 2019, or The Laughing Goat or Pastry Art in 2017, she could describe the espresso in detail.

My wife has exceptional taste and is a remarkable judge of character. She is also a Gaines and Magnolia nut, so I really didn’t expect that answer.

And I really didn’t want to hear it either. Maybe I hoped that my sensory skills were “off” that day and she could provide a better result for this post.

To me Joanna and Chip are the epitome of the American Dream and have done so much good for so many. I read both Chip Gaines books and have watched all five seasons of Fixer Upper twice.

If We lived in Waco…

If we lived in Waco, we would go to Magnolia on a regular basis because the Silos are great. It’s a great experience and the Gaines have built a brand around quality and customer service.

But we probably wouldn’t make Magnolia Press our morning coffee stop.

We were disappointed about this because we love the Gaines and Magnolia Market. In fact, we spent the whole day there and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Magnolia has quality products. We even have half a dozen Magnolia coffee cups in our kitchen.

When we got back to Florida a week later, I ordered a Christmas present from Magnolia Market for Mrs. Barrett. (I knew if I bought it while we were traveling she would discover it in the car.)

But I didn’t order a bag of beans from Magnolia Press.

Magnolia Press itself is a beautiful facility – very well designed and well executed. The service is excellent and the coffee is good.

A Home Run and a Double

Magnolia Market and the Silos is a home run. The coffee is a double.

You should visit and enjoy the Magnolia experience. Definitely check out the bakery and while you’re in Waco, eat breakfast at Magnolia Table. The food is great.