DINING FEATURE
BY CECILIA LENZEN
Fried okra ($1.99) is one of the side items at Big Mama’s Chicken and Wa es.
Ashley Price (left) and April Porter co-own Big Mama’s Chicken and Wa es.
Chicken tender baskets ($3.99-$8.79) come with either two or four tenders. (Photos by Cecilia Lenzen/Community Impact)
Big Mama’s Chicken and Wa es Lake Highlands restaurant o ers more than just fried chicken T o the average person, the
SOUTHERN COMFORT FOOD In addition to being a hub for the community, Big Mama's Chicken and Wa es is known for:
Fried chicken and wings
Wa es
children. While Porter and Price themselves have worked at other companies, they knew they wanted to keep the family business alive. “You look at the blood, sweat and tears that have went in, ... and you know that nobody’s going to care for it like somebody who under- stands the sacri ce,” Porter said. Now, the restaurant has recruited workers that may not be blood related, but Porter said she still con- siders them family. Many employees have worked at the restaurant for as long as a decade, helping them through di cult life experiences. She added many people labeled “outcasts”—going in and out of jail and struggling without a support system—have found a community
working at Big Mama’s. “We’ve always been there for this community,” Porter said. At Big Mama’s, customers are treated like more than an order number, Porter said. The restaurant attracts generations of customers who come back to the restaurant throughout major life changes. Porter and Price plan to continue Big Mama’s legacy and to keep improving it. While not trying to expand too early in their ownership, they’re thinking about starting a mobile food truck in the future. “We’re not just the chicken shack on the corner,” Porter said. “We really care about the community. We’ve seen people grow up. I just want to keep that closeness.”
Fried side dishes
little restaurant at the corner of Forest Lane and Audelia Road may not seem like much. But the store has become rooted in the community as a symbol of not only good fried chicken, but also opportunity and family. Since 2005, Big Mama’s Chicken and Wa es has been family owned and operated. Owners April Porter and her niece Ashley Price took over the business in 2022 from Porter’s stepfather Bill Hampton and grandmother Beatrice “Big Mama” Stewart. In that time, the walk-up- and drive-thru-only restaurant has employed many family members, including Porter’s and Price’s teenage
Seafood
Big Mama’s Chicken andWa es 9810 Forest Lane, Dallas 214-340-3035 www.bigmamasdfw.com Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-midnight, Sun. 10:30 a.m.-midnight
FOREST LN.
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LAKE HIGHLANDS LAKEWOOD EDITION • MAY 2023
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