Chef Joe Myers
With more than 25 years of culinary experience, Executive Chef Joseph (Joe) Myers has become a well-known name in Waco’s hospitality and restaurant community. His career began the day after his 16th birthday at Mr. Gatti’s - an early start that sparked a lifelong passion for food, service, and creating memorable dining experiences. From those first shifts, Chef Joe has spent nearly three decades shaping Waco’s culinary landscape through restaurant openings, culinary education, large-scale food operations, and signature chef-driven events.
Chef Joe has helped open numerous restaurants, including Cheddar’s, Se Cocina, Logan’s Roadhouse, Walk-On’s, and Saltgrass Steakhouse, in addition to operating three food trucks simultaneously. His popular truck behind Muddle became known for inventive Southern-inspired dishes such as bacon-wrapped Crown Royal cinnamon rolls, lobster fritters, and 15-cheese bacon mac-and-cheese bites.
His career reflects a rare blend of hands-on creativity and high-level operational expertise. He previously served as Purchasing Manager for Providence Hospital - managing nearly $180,000 in weekly procurement - while simultaneously completing his culinary degree at TSTC. He later returned to TSTC as a Culinary Instructor, mentoring the next generation of chefs. During his time there, he had the opportunity to cook for distinguished guests including George W. Bush, Congressman Chet Edwards, Bill Richards, and Doc Anderson.
Chef Joe's experience extends across many of Waco’s most recognized culinary institutions, including leadership roles at 135 Prime, multiple hotel properties (Hotel Indigo, Element, and Cambria), and large-scale catered events for Providence Healthcare, March of Dimes, the Baylor Club, and the Waco Convention Center. He has participated in numerous Celebrity Chef events and served as Director of the local Texas Chef's Association chapter through the American Culinary Federation. He is also a certified Chef de Cuisine through the ACF, helping host and organize the state convention at the Waco Convention Center and Hilton.
Rooted in Southern flavors and elevated comfort food, Chef Joe's cooking philosophy is simple: make people happy, full, and eager for the next bite. For him, food is both a necessity and an experience - one made meaningful by the joy and connection it creates.
Outside the kitchen, Chef Joe is devoted to his two children, with whom he spends nearly all his free time. Together they enjoy camping, fishing, hiking at Cameron Park, and making everyday errands feel like family adventures.
A lifelong mentor, Chef Joe encourages aspiring chefs to stay positive, embrace criticism, gain real-world experience, and recognize that the fast pace and long hours of the kitchen are also what make it rewarding. “Experience is just as important as education,” he often tells his students. “This industry takes hard work, heart, and soul. But if you love it - you’ll never regret it.”