Here’s where to find lucky black-eyed peas in the Fort Worth area, for a better 2021
We need good luck more than ever in 2021, so where are the black-eyed peas?
Local pea purveyors like Drew’s Place and Nana’s Kitchen are taking a holiday this week.
The Grapevine-based Cotton Patch Cafe chain still serves black-eyed peas every day, and Arlington also still has a location of the old Black-eyed Pea Restaurant chain.
The mass marketing of black-eyed peas dates back to a 1937 East Texas advertising campaign.
But to restaurateurs like Rosako Bailey of Rosako’s Soul Food & BBQ in Bedford, it’s a legacy handed down from Black ancestors in the American South.
“Black-eyed peas and most soul food goes back to slavery,” Bailey wrote in a text message.
His grandmother told him how black-eyed peas were livestock feed given to Black American slaves. (Often, solders had eaten the better crops.)
“Slaves were thrown the scraps,” Bailey wrote.
“They put all the love they had into making it taste good for their family, which is where the ‘soul’ part comes from. So, I cook them with love in remembrance of my ancestors.”
Right now, Rosako’s Soul Food & BBQ serves only a black-eyed pea salad.
It’s open for takeout at lunch daily except Monday, but will probably be closed New Year’s Day; 2816 Brown Trail, 817-785-3393, facebook.com/RosakoSoulFoodBBQ.
More black-eyed pea options:
▪ Madea’s Down Home Cooking, 1019 W. Enon Ave., Everman, is one of Texas’ best home cooking restaurants and always has black-eyed peas. But not this week.
Madea’s is on holiday and will reopen Friday (New Year’s Day) to serve a baked chicken special with black-eyed peas and hot-water cornbread, but expect a long line. Go when it opens at noon.
The restaurant returns to regular hours Sunday. It’s usually open Tuesday through Saturday for takeout lunch and early dinner, and for lunch Sundays; 817-551-9295, facebook.com/madeasdownhomecookin.
▪ Tributary Cafe, 2813 Race St., a New Orleans seafood restaurant, will serve black-eyed peas all week and a special New Year’s Day dinner of black-eyes, cabbage and cornbread for $25 (or fried chicken for $25).
Tributary is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday and lunch Sunday; 817-832-0823, tributarycafe.com.
▪ Cotton Patch, founded in Nacogdoches, serves a reliable rendition of East Texas black-eyed peas and an excellent skillet cornbread ($2) to go along.
Cotton Patch has curbside delivery and locations in Burleson, Lake Worth, North Richland Hills and Watauga; cottonpatch.com.
▪ The Cousin’s Bar-B-Q restaurants always serve black-eyed peas.
The flagship Cousin’s is at 6262 McCart Ave., 817-346-2511, with other locations in southwest Fort Worth or Crowley. They’ll be closed New Year’s Day, so get your peas in advance; cousinsbbq.com.
▪ Dallas-based Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House will bring back its popular black-eyed peas only on New Year’s Day (Friday).
Hoffbrau has locations in Benbrook, with a large patio for safer dining, along with Granbury and Haltom City; hoffbrausteakandgrill.com.
▪ Old Neighborhood Grill, 1633 Park Place Ave., a breakfast-lunch-and-dinner cafe, offers black-eyed peas daily.
The Grill’s version is unseasoned — leaving it to customers’ preference — and is not made with pork.
It’s open for lunch and dinner weekdays and Saturdays and has sidewalk tables, but will take holidays beginning Friday.
So go by on New Year’s Eve for peas to go; 817-923-2282, facebook.com/OldNeighborhoodGrillOfficial.
▪ Main Street Cafe, 2023 S. Cooper St., Arlington, serves black-eyed peas daily, 817-801-9099.
▪ The Vickery Cafe, 4120 W. Vickery Blvd., and cousin Texan Diner, 2488 Avondale Haslet Road, will serve complimentary black-eyed peas New Year’s Day.
▪ The Bearded Lady restaurant and tavern, 300 S. Main St., will serve black-eyed pea soup at New Year’s Day brunch.
▪ Luby’s restaurants serve black-eyed peas irregularly. Luby’s serves lunch and dinner daily at three Fort Worth locations and one in Forest Hill; lubys.com.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
