Go out of your way to enjoy a meal at The Provender Store on Austin Ave in Waco. It is in a small space, next door to Sergio’s, and does not have signage, except in the windows and on a sidewalk sandwich board (lease restrictions). Although they’ve been there for 3 years, it is new to me. It is a farm to market, European style deli. The menu changes frequently, depending on what’s available. I had a ham, smoked gouda, sliced pear, spring greens, grainy dijon sandwich in a delicious baguette. Really good kettle type chips came with it. I saw some homemade pickles and asked for one of those too!
The owner is originally from Australia, and came to central Texas as a wine consultant. Although he had not planned on staying, he’s now a big fan of Waco, and it’s rich history. Fascinated by how metropolitan it used to be before the F5 tornado in 1953, he’s working on historical information with Baylor. He’s interesting to talk to and will make your lunch that much richer.