Inside North Texas' Latest Middle Eastern Coffee Shop: Heritage

If you’ve been keeping up with the North Texas coffee scene, you’d know that Middle Eastern coffee shops have been all the rage. Last week, our cover story featured Arwa Yemeni Coffee and Aladdin Cafe, which both reside in the same Arabian Village shopping center in Richardson. Just across the street from them, Shibam Coffee serves up the same authentic Yemeni roasts. Haraz Coffee House and Peace Middle Eastern Cafe are among our other favorites.

Downtown Frisco was ready to get in on the action. Heritage Cafe held its grand opening on May 31. It’s owned by Almadhi Saleh, a Yemeni businessman born in Memphis, and his wife, Hibah Abudaabes, who was born and raised in McKinney to a Palestinian family.

Heritage’s menu reflects the couple’s mix of backgrounds, with Yemeni traditions like Adeni tea and milk cakes, a Palestinian-inspired watermelon mint lemonade, and American coffeehouse standards like cappuccinos, mochas and cold brews.

“We have a small specialty of Middle Eastern coffee, and then we fall back onto the classics,” says Saleh. “Those are things that I’ve always loved.”
“I wanted to bring in both of our backgrounds,” Abudaabes adds. “We were both born and raised here, but not to say that we’re not cultural.”

For our visit, we opted for the Yemeni flavors that we’ve grown accustomed to, ordering a hot Adeni tea and a pistachio milk cake.

The tea, especially compared to its contemporaries at Arwa and Haraz, is noticeably heavier on the spice and less sweet. Abudaabes attributes this to their usage of ginger and cinnamon in the recipe, and the lack of nutmeg, which is unconventional. Our cup was poured straight from a fresh pot and delivered with that hearty taste we expected. For a working crowd, the drink offers a caffeinated alternative that isn’t quite as sweet as others.

The pistachio milk cake made up for the sugar. It arrived in a small box with a thin layer of frosting on top. It was cold, creamy, and smooth, the perfect chaser to a sip of Adeni.

As for the rest of the menu, Heritage sources everything locally. Their coffee beans come from Richardson-based roastery, Eiland Coffee, and their pastries are baked fresh from Ollio Patisserie in the Colony.

Though there’s not a full kitchen, Abudaabes says she hopes to begin producing all of their own syrups and to add more food options soon, including bagels.

But for now, Heritage is an excellent option for those seeking a beverage alternative.

Heritage, 7227 Main St. Suite 600 (Frisco) Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.