Meet The Family
Have you ever told your family what you’d do differently if you opened a restaurant? Grandma’s recipes, friendly people—well, that’s exactly why we opened Babe’s Chicken Dinner House. We wanted to create a sit-down restaurant where people truly feel at home. Babe’s Chicken is a casual place where you’ll feel comfortable whether you’re wearing blue jeans or cutoffs, where your neighbors serve you and your whole family. We invest our money in our food and in our people and not in fancy décor. Since we don’t advertise extensively, we rely on our satisfied customers to spread the word. So bring the kids and bring Aunt Hazel—but please leave that dog at home!
We put our money in our food, not in a freeway location or fancy decor. Since we don’t advertise a lot, we kind of depend on our customers to get the word out. So bring the kids and bring Aunt Hazel, but leave that dog at home!
The Babe’s Chicken Legacy
In 1981, Paul and Mary Beth Vinyard opened their first country cooking restaurant and named it Bubba’s Cooks Country, after Paul’s nickname. Located in Dallas on Hillcrest near SMU, the restaurant occupies a charming 1927 Texaco service station that has been converted into an Art Deco-styled dining establishment. While much of the food is similar to Babe’s Chicken, Bubba’s Cooks Country features walk-up counter service and a convenient drive-thru window.
On April 22, 1993, they opened their second restaurant, Babe’s Chicken Dinner House, in a historic 1908 warehouse in Roanoke, Texas. “Babe” was Mary Beth’s nickname—since she developed all the recipes, naming the restaurant after her was only fitting. While we deeply miss “Babe,” who passed away in 2008, we remain incredibly proud of the lasting legacy she created.
Over the years, we’ve expanded the Babe’s Chicken menu to better serve our locations in Garland, Sanger, Carrollton, Burleson, Granbury, Frisco, Cedar Hill, North Richland Hills and Arlington. Our broader menu now includes the popular (non-fried option) of hickory smoked chicken.
The Vinyard family’s other restaurant concept is Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes,one located on the square in Decatur, TX and the other off Rufe Snow and Loop 820 in North Richland Hills, TX. The name has a charming backstory—whenever Paul found himself in trouble with Mary Beth, he’d affectionately call her “Sweetie Pie,” making it the perfect choice for their restaurant. While our signature ribeye steaks are the star of the menu, you’ll also discover filet mignon, chicken fried ribeye (a beloved Vinyard family favorite), fried catfish, hamburgers, and much more.
We hope you’ll find our food exceptional compared to typical restaurants. The difference lies in our commitment to sourcing only the highest quality meats, vegetables, and ingredients, then preparing them with the same care you’d use in your own kitchen. To ensure maximum freshness, we prepare small batches of each recipe throughout the day, guaranteeing that every customer—from first to last—receives the same outstanding meal.