Black-eyed Pea (restaurant) facts for kids
| Restaurant | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Houston, Texas, and Denver, Colorado |
| Products | American Food & Spirits |
Black-eyed Pea is a restaurant chain in America, mostly known for its locations in Colorado. It serves classic American comfort food.
The restaurants are run by two different companies. The one Black-eyed Pea restaurant in Texas is managed by a company based in Houston. The restaurants in Colorado are managed by a different company located near Denver.
Contents
History of Black-eyed Pea Restaurants
How Black-eyed Pea Started
The Black-eyed Pea restaurant chain began in 1975. It was started by two people from Dallas, Gene Street and Phil Cobb. The restaurants grew quickly and spread across the southern parts of America. At one point, there were 130 locations.
Later, a company called Unigate plc bought the chain. In 1997, another company, DenAmerica, purchased Black-eyed Pea from Unigate plc.
Changes and Closures Over Time
In 2001, DenAmerica, which was then called Phoenix Restaurant Group, faced financial difficulties. This led to many Black-eyed Pea restaurants closing down. About 48 locations closed, leaving only 44 open. The restaurants in Colorado were not affected as much because their owners were doing better financially.
In 2002, the Black-eyed Pea chain got new management. They decided to update the restaurants to feel more like a "country casual" place. They added new items to the menu, like more appetizers and seafood. They also offered more grilled dishes.
In 2008, some former employees, Stephen Shaw, Alan Laughlin, and Jim Shaw, bought all the rights to the Black-eyed Pea locations in Colorado. They started making changes to the menu and doing more advertising.
Recent Years and Locations
The very first Black-eyed Pea restaurant, which opened in Dallas, closed its doors in 2016 after 40 years.
In September 2016, most of the Black-eyed Pea restaurants in Texas closed suddenly. This happened after the company had faced more financial problems in 2015.
By 2019, a Black-eyed Pea restaurant in Hendersonville, Tennessee, also closed after 18 years.
As of August 2025, Black-eyed Pea has 10 locations in total. Only one of these is in Texas, located in Arlington. The other nine restaurants are in Colorado, mostly around the Denver area.
What's on the Menu?
Black-eyed Pea restaurants are known for serving home-style Southern American food. Their menu includes many comforting dishes.
You can find items like fried catfish and chicken fried steak. They even have a "Texas Sized" chicken fried steak that is very big! Other popular dishes include pot roast, mashed potatoes, and fried okra. They also serve broccoli and rice casserole, corn bread, and rolls.
When you order a main dish, you usually get to choose two side vegetables. The restaurant's special dish, and the one it's named after, is "black-eyed peas."
Dixie House Restaurant
The Dixie House was another restaurant that used to be in Dallas, Texas. It was known for serving Southern, home-cooked style foods. One of its most famous dishes was its chicken-fried steak.
Black-eyed Pea later bought the Dixie House. Because of this, the two restaurants shared many items on their menus. However, Dixie House kept its own unique feel as a neighborhood restaurant. It was even mentioned as a "Best Neighborhood Restaurant" in D Magazine in 2008. The Dixie House is now closed.
