Remember Black Eyed Pea? Sadly, There’s Only One Left In Texas

For many Texans, if you bring up Black-eyed Pea restaurant, a flood of memories will surface. It's a Texas original, too, founded in 1975 in Dallas, Texas.

It was the type of place Grandma (or Grammy, or Memaw) would take you after church or the place the whole family could agree on for a busy weeknight meal.

There used to be many Black-eyed Peas (130!), including in my hometown. Now there is only one left in Texas.

Pictured above is the last Black-eyed Pea in Texas. Would it be too dramatic to declare it a historic site so we can preserve it forever? It's located at  4000 Bagpiper Way Suite 150 in Arlington. 

And yes, it's all the original recipes you grew up with- even the fried corn. And many other "your momma's" recipes like chicken fry, pork chops and chicken pot pie.

If you don't quite remember the food, this oh-so-80s commercial will jog your memory. Mmm, meatloaf.

I'm not alone in my nostalgia for this restaurant, the venerated Texas Monthly wrote an entire piece, The Last Black-eyed Pea In Texas, which is very worth the read.

The last Black-eyed Pea is a testament to perseverance- having survived the decline of the franchise, a bankruptcy in 2015, and the biggest restaurant killer of them all: the pandemic and its many economic aftershocks.

Looking through the reviews, you see the same sentiment pop up over and over again- this is just like when I was a teen! I can't believe this is the last one! So many happy memories!

"Generous" and "comforting" are peppered through many reviews as well. And perhaps that's what we all long for- a feeling that we will not only be taken care of- but that we will enjoy a friendly, down-home sense of abundance and hospitality.