Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes, a comfort food restaurant known for its steaks and pies, closes in North Richland Hills on May 15, 2026.
The five-year-old restaurant is co-owned by Joel Vinyard and his family. They also own and operate fried chicken shops Bubba’s Cooks Country in University Park, which is over 40 years old, and Babe’s Chicken Dinner House in 10 Dallas-Fort Worth cities.
Sweetie Pie’s was named for the matriarch of the family, Mary Beth Boswell Vinyard, who passed away in 2008. “When I was in real trouble, I called her Sweetie Pie,” her husband, Paul Vinyard, said in her obituary. The restaurant’s best-selling dishes included filet mignon, chicken fried ribeye, fried catfish and pies.
Customers don’t make reservations, and there’s no dress code. The restaurant was created to “serve the best steak dinner available at a fair price,” the website said.
That effort was nearly impossible, Joel Vinyard told The Dallas Morning News.
“The truth of it is,” he said, “we tried to price reasonably on a product that is price-sensitive, and we did not get close to profitability.”
It was nearly impossible to beat his biggest competitor, Texas Roadhouse, which has restaurants in every U.S. state except Hawaii.
Rising beef prices have been a specific challenge to many Texas restaurateurs, including the family behind Sweetie Pie’s.
“And it’s only getting harder,” Vinyard said.
The family plans to open a new restaurant in place of Sweetie Pie’s in North Richland Hills. The space will be renovated and Vinyard hopes a new concept will be ready in late 2026 or early 2027. He wouldn’t say more yet about the cuisine.
Those with Sweetie Pie’s gift cards who aren’t able to use them at the restaurant by midday May 15, 2026 can use them at Babe’s or Bubba’s instead.
Sweetie Pie’s Ribeyes is at 6720 N.E. Loop 820, North Richland Hills. It’s expected to sell out of food after lunch on May 15, 2026, then close.