Better than Mom's (sorry, Mom)
Written: Apr 28 '00 (Updated Apr 29 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hearty portions, good quality, friendly service, the cornbread (mmmmm!)
Cons: often a long wait in prime time, never room for dessert
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| janesbit1's Full Review: Black Eyed Pea |
For the past four years I have been a regular patron of the Black-eyed Pea in the Phoenix area, and have dined at four separate locations. From those experiences I would venture to say that this chain is very well organized because I found each had the same good quality food and friendly service. The one time that they brought me the wrong entrée, the manager was so accommodating that he gave me a free dessert. (Hmmm, maybe I could do that more often)
The place has a homey feel. The interior is decorated with a lot of browns and wood paneling with some Americana on the walls. This is most appropriate for the Black-eyed Pea, because that's exactly what the menu offers -- homestyle cooking. It's not fancy or gourmet -- just old fashioned American food in generous portions. If you walk away from this restaurant hungry, it's your own fault.
The Black-eyed Pea has something to suit everyone's tastes and diet (unless you are looking for a romantic evening with soft lighting, gourmet food, and fine wine). This is a family restaurant, so don't even expect a cold Budweiser here -- strictly fountain drinks, iced tea, milk, juice, and coffee. I see people of all ages every time I go. Besides being family friendly with the menu, it's also affordable for most family budgets. Dinners will run anywhere from $7 to $15 per person.
The variety on the menu makes this a good choice for the family that cannot decide exactly what kind of food they want. There are various ½ lb. burgers that are popular with the younger set; soups, salads, and sandwiches for the calorie conscious; meaty entrees for the big eaters; chicken breast varieties and fish for those in training. I personally know about the latter two types of cuisine.
When I wasn't worried about carbs and fats, I would often get Black-eyed Pea's specialty -- their chicken-fried steak, usually opting for the Texas sized because it was so delicious. It's been voted the top chicken-fried steak in the Phoenix area for as long as I've been following the local paper's annual restaurant reviews. They might as well just list this one restaurant on the ballot in this one category. I'm also fond of Mom's Meat Loaf although it doesn't taste anything like my mom's meat loaf, as my mom comes from the Midwestern bland tradition that follows its English roots where the most daring spice you ever add is salt. The meat loaf at Black-eyed Pea's is actually something to look forward to! And I haven't even mentioned some of the best baby back ribs I've ever had! Unfortunately, my personal trainer would never approve of me feasting on such meaty morsels again, so I had to transition to the low fat, low carbs items.
This presents no problem at the Black-eyed Pea. I now choose either one of the chicken breast dishes or one of the fish dishes, and I have not been disappointed in any of them. I'm quite fond of the BBQ chicken breast, but recently they modified the menu in Phoenix and turned this into Amarillo Jack Chicken Breast, which is probably a regional variation. I'm sure that they would substitute the traditional BBQ sauce for this new-fangled Texas topping, as they've always been extremely accommodating.
For example, when I discovered that they had changed their formerly grilled and spicy catfish to crispy style, they were more than willing to grill the fish for me. My trainer would have been proud.
Along with the main entrees comes a choice of two vegetables or a soup or salad. This always presents a problem because the vegetable choices are all delicious. Before I started working out at the gym, I could order the fried corn without guilt. It's a small corn on the cob that is dipped and fried in the same famous batter that they use on the country-style steaks! Mmmmm! Also especially delicious is the broccoli and rice casserole that has some cheese sauce mixed in. But for less fatty fare there are other excellent vegetable choices. *One note if you get the mashed potatoes (from real potatoes, no less) and you want less fat, ask them to leave off the country gravy.
Along with any meal, your waiter/waitress will bring a basket of homemade biscuits and mouth-watering cornbread. Now even though my trainer would not approve of these, sometimes a guy has to cheat a bit. Hope he's not reading this.
So, if you're looking for a family style restaurant at moderate prices, the Black-eyed Pea can fit the bill. Plan plenty of time because they are often busy and there will likely be a wait. Now if you plan to go to any restaurant in Phoenix on Friday or Saturday evening during prime time, plan for at least a 2-hour excursion. It'll be worth the wait.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
janesbit1
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: John Nesbit
Location: Phoenix, Az.
Reviews written: 295
Trusted by: 283 members
About Me:
Watching movies and baseball, now reviewing at oldschoolreviews.com
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