The restaurant is owned by Bashar Al Mudhafar, who arrived in Texas by way of the U.S. Army. When troops invaded his native Baghdad, he sold burgers and pizza to them and eventually befriended them. The relationships blossomed, and before the troops left, they gave Al Mudhafar papers that allowed him to gain refugee status. He moved to America in 2010.
Arabic coffee and baklava along with Wi-Fi make for a nice way to spend some time at Fattoush Cafe.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
In 2017, Al Mudhafar opened Fattoush and has amassed a steady caravan of customers. Getting a table on a weekend night can be a challenge. Calling in for takeout for one of the Iraqi-style shish twaook platters on Friday evening? Good luck. (Just be patient, really)
Recently Al Mudhafar took over the space next to his restaurants and has turned it into a cozy little cafe, which can be accessed from a separate door out front or through a doorway from inside the restaurant. It's perfect for grabbing a sweet or Turkish coffee after dinner.
Fattoush Cafe joins a wave of Arabic coffee houses that have recently opened in North Texas. As Starbucks pulls away from cafe culture and providing a space for people to relax and rejuvenate, cardamon-scented coffee, teas and baklava are gliding in.
There's Turkish coffee here by the cup or pot, along with Arabic coffee accented with cardamon, cloves, cinnamon and sweetened milk. There's also espresso, Americano, cappuccino and latte. A pastry case holds cheesecake, slices of thick chocolate cake, rice pudding, tiramisu and baklava. There are also smoothies, milkshakes and teas on the menu. And the Wi-Fi password is on the chalkboard, so get cozy (which isn't hard) and stay a while.
In addition to two leather couches that split the room, there are large banquettes for groups and round tables. Plenty of options depending on the group size and mood.
Al Mudhafar visited many of these new spaces around North Texas, including Arwa in Richardson. He attributes the community around his restaurant, namely Pantego, for getting his restaurant through the pandemic. With this space, he told us, he wants to provide a nice place for people to simply gather and relax.
"This area is special," he says. "Pantego is a really small town and a lot of people gave us a lot of support during COVID. So, I love them."
He's also expanding with a patio in the back of the restaurant — a quiet space tucked away from the bustle and noise with comfortable outdoor seating, TVs and a large flowing fountain in the center. He says customers have long asked him to open a hookah lounge and this space is perfect for it. Soon we'll have even more reasons to visit.
Fattoush Cafe, 2304 W. Park Row Drive, Pantego. Monday, Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 8 p.m. Closed Tuesday
