There is a hidden gem shining in the heart of Downtown Waco. AC Bar + Kitchen is not just for vacationers and conference attendees — it’s your next date night, girls’ night out or simply your next bite to eat.
Casually sophisticated, the dining experience has been recently expanded with a new menu that elevates the classic AC Marriott experience. When I dined here in 2024 for the WACOAN feature article A Waco Staycation, the menu was already impressive, with an array of tapas and a delicious, prosciutto-topped burger that is so good that it’s still on the menu. But AC Hotel Waco Downtown saw an opportunity to appeal to a bigger audience, as well as utilizing their talented culinary team.
“We want to be the community hotel,” said Jennifer Bevington, director of sales and marketing at AC Waco. “That’s why we have all the activations, because we really wanted to be the community hotel. [We have] this amazing chef and we wanted to feature him. The community wants to eat Carlos’ food. They know him, they want to eat his food, and so it was really about creating a menu that spoke from his heart to the Wacoans.”
Executive Chef Carlos Martinez went right to work crafting a menu that put Waco in the forefront.
“[We were] going over Waco itself and trying to figure out what the needs of Waco are and what the needs of our restaurant are in order to be successful in that sense,” he explained.
The result is a little of everything that will make any crowd happy. The menu, proudly ‘Crafted for Connection,’ offers a blend of classics as well as unique flavors prepared by Martinez.
“I think the thing I like the most about this menu is that it is approachable food that’s done in a very high-quality way, using great ingredients and passion behind it,” said Marissa Maguire, AC Waco’s general manager. “When you look at our menu, it’s going to be things that people are very familiar with and won’t scare them off, like a burger and some wings and a quesadilla, but they’re done with different flavors that might be something new for them to explore. They’re done in a very colorful and playful way, and I love that. I love seeing people’s eyes light up when their plated food comes out.”
Our tasting of Martinez’s menu was prepared and plated by Head Chef Michael Speasmaker.
We started with every grazer’s favorite: a charcuterie board. The Together is Better Chef’s Board comes with prosciutto, summer sausage and Calabrese salami, paired with house-pickled melon and pickles, cantaloupe, honeydew, mixed nuts, jam and grilled sourdough that pairs with any bite. This dish is perfect for a snack by the pool, which you can enjoy with a $15 day pass.
Our second appetizer is a dish that Martinez personally loves: the Crispy Pork Belly Burnt Ends.
“I grew up my younger years in Hawaii and Seattle where there’s a lot of Asian influence in food, so they tend to stick with me no matter where I go,” he said.
These tender pork pieces, fried until nice and crispy are a light palette opener to start your dinner. The bourbon sweet chili glaze adds a subtle sweetness that complements the pickled toppings of carrot, red onion and cabbage slaw. The toasted buttered breadcrumbs add that final layer of flavor to ignite your tastebuds before your entrée arrives.
The Bear Burger is about as classic as it gets, and yet, this burger is worth indulging in even when facing the litany of options on the menu. Served on a brioche bun — the best bun option if you ask me — the buttery and slightly sweet bread combines with the juicy richness of the burger to create a truly mouth-watering sensation. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and, of course, American cheese, complete the dish, as well as the not-so-secret sauce that blends pretty much every sauce together for a tasty combination that’s a little sweet, a little tangy. I compared it to In-N-Out sauce while our photographer said Chick-fil-A sauce. Whichever you find it more akin to, the sauce brings a flavor profile to this burger that takes classic to another level.
Only one thing goes better with fries than a burger: steak. The Perfect Pair Steak + Fries features a skirt steak grilled and topped with cilantro crema, cotija cheese and Aji Amarillo peppers. The Peruvian twist on the traditional dish creates an array of flavor as bright as the green cilantro and yellow-orange peppers. Just a squeeze of lime and an Amarillo pepper and “you’ve got the perfect bite,” according to Bevington, who pointed to the dish with no hesitation when asked her favorite selection from the menu. The steak is perfectly tender and allows the mix of toppings to do the talking for it.
From the land to the sea, the Good Company Fried Fish Tacos were the highlight of the tasting — something Martinez agreed with. The cod is coated in a tempura flour batter that provides a crispy crunch to the fish. The cilantro crema makes a reappearance, this zesty sauce a nice, creamy topping with the pickled carrots and cabbage. Add a little lemon on top and you’ve got some of the best fish tacos in town. The cod is mild enough for those who don’t normally indulge in seafood, so be sure to give these a taste.
Alongside the dishes, we sampled a few signature cocktails, including the Garrison Brothers Smoked Old Fashioned. Smoked right at the table, we got to witness the branding of the ice with the AC logo, reminding you that you are about to enjoy a high-quality drink.
Keeping up with the trends, we also enjoyed an espresso martini. AC’s Diplomatico Espresso Martini perfectly blends espresso and rum for a smooth sip.
And if these signature cocktails aren’t quite to your taste, an array of classic options are available. The Lime Wheel Cosmopolitan is a vibrant cocktail that can go with any night out.
And for a summer dessert, there’s nothing better than the House-Made Ice Cream Sandwich. Vanilla Blue Bell ice cream sits between two freshly made chocolate chip cookies and the edges are sprinkled with peanuts for an indulgent treat to beat late-night summer heat.
For each dish we enjoyed, there was an obvious care to detail that I have found each time I dined with Martinez. Every flavor is highlighted to present a final bite that is memorable and unique — even if it’s just a burger.
“You’re coming to have an experience in our restaurant, in our bars, in our banquets,” Martinez said.
“It should be experience. It should be radical hospitality — hold me on that one. That’s what this world needs now, is the radical hospitality, and you should love what you do.”
