H.D. Pappas left Greece in 1897 and traveled to America to pursue his dreams. He brought with him a passion for quality and service that became the benchmark of his success as he opened restaurants throughout Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas. It was this same dedication to quality & service that H.D. passed down to his sons and grandsons. His sons, Pete and Jim, chose a different path than their father and entered the restaurant equipment and supply business. They opened Pappas Refrigeration in 1945. Jim never dreamed that his sons would come full-circle by opening their first restaurant in 1976.


Today, the privately-owned Pappas family of restaurants is based in Houston, Texas and is operated by Jim's sons, Harris and Chris. With locations in Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Beaumont, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver and Phoenix, Pappas is a respected leader in the competitive restaurant industry. The Pappas philosophy hasn’t changed much over the years.

Throughout Texas and as we expand to other markets, our restaurants are known for outstanding food, service and atmosphere where people go to be treated like guests, to be entertained, and to enjoy great food with the Pappas trademark of quality. Our restaurant family now includes over 60 locations that have been voted Best Seafood, Best Cajun, Favorite Mexican, and Best Steakhouse in local and regional publications year after year by our guests and industry peers.

Pappas, a long-time leader in the Texas restaurant market, is continuing growth with new locations opening across the country each year.