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!
Before There Was Babe’s, There Was Momma Jo
The remarkable story of Momma Jo can be summed up in a few sentences. Born in the Texas Panhandle in the 1920s, Jo was the daughter of a farmer and granddaughter of a Christian preacher who ministered to ranch cowboys. Her lifelong habits of hard work, concern for others, and unwavering faith in Jesus defined her character.
During an era when few women pursued higher education, she completed three years of a four-year Food and Nutrition degree before marrying her sailor and raising five spirited children. Momma Jo passed away at age 92, leaving behind a loving family of 44 members—children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—who all considered her a true blessing from God.
Jo possessed personal characteristics that made her truly exceptional. Above all, Momma Jo found joy in everyday life and its simple duties. Practical and realistic by nature, when challenges arose, she creatively sought alternative solutions to meet any need. She cultivated vegetables and fruits in her garden both for the pleasure of gardening and to provide her family with the finest produce. Jo’s heart was devoted to helping others in whatever way she could.
Compassionate and courageous, she made the bold decision at age 43 to return to school and fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. Countless patients benefited from her dedicated care. Momma Jo never waited for perfect circumstances to align. Instead, she embraced what she knew and what she had, worked tirelessly, and lived each day with genuine joy.
Although Jo was an ordinary, busy housewife and mother, her cooking was anything but ordinary. The inheritance she left her children wasn’t measured in money or property, but in exceptional recipes that were both delicious and nutritious. She even had the remarkable ability to make her children love eating vegetables. Jo’s secret was dedication—she simply worked hard at her craft. Using time-honored methods, Momma Jo transformed fresh, wholesome ingredients by combining them in innovative ways to create dishes with extraordinary flavor and texture.
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.
Babe’s Chicken Dinner House has grown steadily over the years and today serves guests in 10 locations across the DFW Metroplex and surrounding area. Garland opened it’s doors in May of 1994, Sanger in September of 2003, Carrollton in October 2004, Burleson in March 2005, Granbury in June 2007, Frisco in July 2008, Cedar Hill in June 2009, Arlington in November 2010 and North Richland Hills in November 2018. Over the years, we also expanded the Babe’s menu to better serve our guetss. 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.
