Dallas' Most Interesting Restaurants No. 6: Babe's Chicken Dinner House

Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Nearly every culinary culture has a variation of the dish. The French have...

By Scott Reitz

September 17, 2015

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Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul.

Nearly every culinary culture has a variation of the dish. The French have the paillard, and the Italians plate up Milansese. It's not that far off from a schnitzel, but with a massive bowl of pepper gravy Texans have made the technique of pounding, breading and frying a cut of meat their own with the chicken-fried steak..

And as long as CFS is being plated in Texas, the best will likely be served at Babe's. If you have friends visiting from out of town and they want to try something that speaks to local tradition, this is as good or better an option than Tex-Mex. This is also one of those dishes you'll never find made quite as well as they do here in Texas.

What's the secret? A simple kitchen. Babe's doesn't offer much else than chicken-fried steak and fried chicken. There are a handful of sides including mashed potatoes and biscuits, and desserts include pies and such, but for the most part Babe's sticks to frying things and results show it.

If you've grown tired of versions that are greasy, that lose their breading when you saw away with your knife or are otherwise flawed, pack up the car and drive out to the original Babe's in Roanoke. Your return trip may feel a little sluggish, but the pain is worth it.

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