Vitek’s famous Gut Pak, made with Fritos, cheese, chopped beef, beans and sausage, large $7.50, small $4.75; homemade sausage, $7.50 per pound;
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

Mouth-watering barbecue is a Texas tradition, and Waco is no exception. But only one local restaurant features the famous Gut Pak — Vitek’s BBQ, which has roots in the community dating back to 1915.

A step above the humble Frito chili pie, the Gut Pak includes Fritos, chopped beef, cheese, beans and sausage. You also can get pickles, onions and jalapenos, and bread is offered on the side.

The Gut Pak traces its origin to the early 1980s, when Billy Joe Vitek and a Baylor student working at the restaurant came up with the dish. In the past 30 years, Baylor students, local residents and visitors have consumed countless Gut Paks. Today, they’re available for $4.75 for a small order and $7.50 for a large.

The Vitek family began to serve Waco through a small grocery and meat market 96 years ago. William Frank Vitek started the business, which was continued by his son, Willie, then by Willie’s son, Billy Joe.

For decades, Billy Joe and his wife Susan ran the restaurant, before their daughter, Julie Keith, took over in December 2006. She is the fourth generation of the family to continue the Vitek’s tradition.

Anyone who hasn’t visited Vitek’s in the past five years would be astounded by the changes. Instead of limited seating at a few picnic tables, Vitek’s now can seat 400 customers, both indoors and at their beer garden outside.

Julie said she’s been a part of the restaurant “since the day I was born.” Although she had other career plans and worked as a dental hygienist, she was drawn to continue the legacy of the barbecue joint.

Susan and Billy Joe Vitek, with their daughter Julie Keith. The Viteks still work a few days a week, but Julie has been in charge since 2006.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

“Our parents raised us not to work the long hours of the restaurant business,” she said. “I had another career and I’m a mom, so there was plenty to keep me busy. But I felt when dad retired in December of ’06, I had to keep things going. We have so many great customers. This is such a great business, and I wanted to carry it on.”

Julie and her husband, Jason Keith, have three children, Bailey, 9, Blake, 6, and Blair, 3. The Keiths met through friends in 1990 when Julie was a student at the University of Alabama and Jason was an offensive lineman and deep snapper for the Oklahoma Sooners. They were married in 1994.

Julie was pregnant with Blair when she returned to the restaurant business. Jason was busy as a medical distributor. But the lure to Vitek’s was too powerful for Julie to avoid.

Although officially retired from the business, Billy Joe and Susan are still frequently at Vitek’s. Billy Joe makes the restaurant’s homemade sausage, and Susan often works at the cash register. Bailey also sometimes works the cash register — the fifth generation of the family to serve Waco.

Though they’re happy to help where needed, Susan said she and her husband have gladly handed the leadership of the restaurant to their daughter.

“She’s doing a wonderful job,” Susan said. Susan’s own connection with Vitek’s began in 1965, when she started attending Baylor University. She met Billy Joe on a blind date, and the two made a connection.

“I used to walk down here (to Vitek’s) from my Collins dorm,” she said. This was a meat market and grocery store at the time, and I’d help stock groceries.”

Newly painted exterior opens into the renovated take-out and market area.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

Newly added covered, open-air beer garden also houses the silver Vitek’s Gut Pak Shak trailer seen around town at special events.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

Susan’s family lived in Maine, but Vitek’s became a home away from home to her.

“There was a house behind the store where Bill and his family lived,” she said. “He’d let me come over to study and get out of the dorm.”

Susan and Billy Joe were married in 1967, and she graduated from Baylor in 1970.

Billy Joe left the business for a while, taking a job with U.S. Steel in Baytown, Texas, where Julie was born.

“He decided he didn’t want a desk job with all the overtime,” Susan said. “His dad wanted him to take over the business, so we came back to Waco in the summer of 1972.”

Billy Joe and Susan ran the business for another 34 years. Their son Eric also worked at the business, but now works for an aircraft manufacturing company in Oklahoma.

Although many things about Vitek’s are the same as in past decades, there are new additions that will amaze longtime customers.

“We’ve had customers ask us for tables for years,” Julie said. Not only did she listen, she expanded the business considerably.

“(Vitek’s expansion) is very new for Waco,” Billy Joe said. “Julie said she wanted to take it to a new level, so I said let’s go after it.”

Jason said Vitek’s features 18 televisions, including five in the beer garden. On the third Thursday evening of each month, the restaurant hosts Texas musicians. That idea was suggested by Julie’s friend, Nancy Green.

Julie said Fort Worth songwriter Jeff Posey books the talent that plays at Vitek’s, and she’s glad to provide the venue.

“That’s good for a date night, and it’s a place where people can enjoy good music away from the bars,” she said.

Susan said people have asked her why the business doesn’t have other locations.

Pulled pork nachos, large $7.50, small $4.75.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

Quick and easy to-go orders are available as always at Vitek’s.
Photo by Duane A. Laverty

“Oh no — there’s only one Vitek’s,” she said. “This is wonderful, but it keeps Julie very busy. But that’s a good thing. We love our customers.”

Vitek’s also offers catering, and Susan said that’s a part of the business she focuses on — as well as helping care for her grandchildren.

“That’s the most wonderful thing in the world,” she said. “I was so busy when my kids were little. It’s nice to be able to be so involved with my grandkids.”

Traditional barbecue takes center stage at Vitek’s. But Julie said the restaurant also offers newer items such as pulled pork nachos and brisket tacos.

Julie said Vitek’s was the first restaurant in Waco to offer Dublin Dr Pepper in its soda fountain. The beverage, bottled in Dublin, Texas, is made with cane sugar rather than corn syrup.

Customers also can choose desserts ranging from pecan cobbler to banana pudding, brownies and cheesecake.

But one thing that’s a definite change from the past is the atmosphere.

Spacious seating areas entice customers to sit down and stay a while, although you can still order and leave if that’s all your schedule allows.

“Even though a lot of this is new, our goal is to make things appear like they were a long time ago,” Jason said. “We still have the old entrance and you can still get food to go. But the line should be shorter, and there are two areas where you can order.”

He said Vitek’s also hosts private parties and is considering expanding its hours in the fall.

While some businesses look to add locations, he said at Vitek’s the family wants to maximize the current location.

Photo by Duane A. Laverty

Photo by Duane A. Laverty

“We definitely want to do things right and offer the best customer experience right here,” Jason said.

Julie said the restaurant’s expansion has allowed Vitek’s to become a destination, rather than just a place to grab food and go.

“Since we’ve added tables, it’s become a place where people can sit and have lunch with a friend. It’s working out very well. We appreciate our customers, and want this to be a place they enjoy coming to.”

Vitek’s BBQ

1600 Speight Ave. • 752-7591

www.gutpak.com or www.viteksbbq.com.

Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Open later for Third Thursday music nights (which start at 7 p.m.) and other special events.

Prices range from $2.75 for sausage sandwiches to $10.95 for half a rack of ribs. Family style barbecue is served during music nights for $15 per person. Meat is also available by the pound.