Babe's Chicken Dinner House — Restaurant in Arlington

Our family,13 in total, decided to go to Babe's for a celebratory dinner(HS Graduation). We went during an off peak hour due to us having a large group, and we were hoping to be able to visit with each other before it became crowded. Now, this restaurant is known for being able to host large groups and for serving family style, that's why we went. Our family ordered our choices of proteins and then began to visit with one another while we waited. The food began arriving, but they only served half of us. The other half of the table didn't receive their food until the first half was finishing up. (We told them to go ahead and eat before their food got cold) The proteins were great and very flavorful, but some of the sides were not. The gravy was thin, and the refill that was brought out was like water. We had to keep reminding the wait staff that our table needed drinks and the half that wasn't served until the end finally gave up on getting refills. We are aware that they did start getting busy by the time we were leaving, but that is no excuse for the service we received. Also, this location is unusually dark. Our group that sat at the far end of the table had a light that was not even turned on until the end of our service. We are frequent customers at another location and have gone on even busier times when we have had to wait in line to be seated. We have had large family dinners at the other location and have had excellent service. The only reason we went to this location was because it was a central location for all of us to meet up before having to travel back home. We are all aware of staffing shortage, but this was not the reason for the poor service at this location. They had wait staff standing around visiting with each other towards the back of the restaurant. I personally know how hard it is to be a waitress and also how hard it is to manage a kitchen during busy times. That is why we always try to go during times that are less crowded when we have a large group. We will not be returning to...

OVERALL: The meat is good and there are some gluten free options, but Babe's has some odd To-Go policies, the sides are not worth it, odd hours like how they close at 2 PM but reopen again at 5 PM on weekdays, and they have no delivery.

DINE-IN: Ate there alone the first time but I felt rushed as a single guest so I only get takeout now; perhaps they are more used to larger parties.

TAKEOUT: Their takeout is pretty good as long as you order in advance. Unfortunately, you can't order online, only in person or on the phone.

GLUTEN FREE: I'm glad they have gluten free options like the fried catfish and the smoked chicken,as well as all the sides, except the biscuits and gravy. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about any of the sauces being gluten free and, I know for a fact that, all their desserts are not gluten free either.

PRICES & QUALITY: I usually end up spending $20 and some change here. I usually get the fried catfish takeout without any of the sides because I don't think the sides are worth the price.

TO-GO: Be sure to try and finish as much of the sides as you can because taking anything to go other than the meat you have ordered is not allowed, it's kind of ridiculous. If you don't finish your meat they will let you put it in a flimsy plastic bag, not even a real To-Go Box. Basically getting anything To-Go is not worth it and, for convenience purposes, get takeout instead if, you want to take any food home.

ODD HOURS: For some reason, Babe's chicken has weekday hours are 11 AM - 2 PM, close, and then reopen from 5 PM - 9 PM, but on weekend days it's 11 AM - 9 PM with not closing in the middle of the day like on a weekday. It's very odd and inconvenient.

Oct. 26, 2022 Update: I still really dislike their business hours on the weekdays because I was fully willing to stop by at 4pm before I ran errands, but they don't open until 5pm. It's just really awkward and inconvenient how they close from 2pm to 5pm...

The Wife and I were in Dallas recently for a concert and I wanted a place to eat that was close to the venue. You can't get much closer than Babe's. The show was at the Arlington Music Hall, and Babe's is, well, right next door. Tossed the keys to the theater valet and didn't look back. Great courtyard seating when weather permits (it didn't this trip), and the interior is just kitchsy as hell, in a delightful way. Menu is, well, short. Our server explained we didn't really need to look at one because we had 2 choices.... chicken and catfish. Chicken was cooked in a few basic ways, fried, grilled, etc. and the catfish is of course, fried. The sides are what they are. So meal selection is as easy as it gets.... and yet, I couldn't decide, so I got fried chicken with a single order of catfish on the side. Start with an elegantly simple salad with a wonderful vinaigrette and iceberg lettuce. It's astounding sometimes how simple can be so much. Next came some remarkable biscuits and honey. Outstanding. Then the main stuff started hitting.... the chicken (4 pieces per order, basically half a chicken), great mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and fried sweet corn. For a southern boy, it was a little heaven on a table. The chicken is some of the best I've had. Cooked to perfection, with a well seasoned, crispy crust that hung on the meat for each bite, guaranteeing you meat and crust every time. The mashed potatoes were properly done, and the gravy the perfect consistency with a decent flavor... not at all bland and pasty like some places I've eaten. The green beans and corn would do any southern granny proud. Service was awesome, and in spite of sitting at a family style trestle table, we had plenty of privacy and enjoyed our meal immensely. Overall, it's not the cheapest chicken you're going to eat, but for the price we paid, I was more than happy with the taste/experience/value. If I lived nearby, Babe's would see...