Arwa Yemeni Coffee — Restaurant in Frisco

When I heard that a Yemeni coffeeshop was about to open in Frisco I was overjoyed! I've been getting my Yemeni coffee fix in deep Plano and in Richardson up until this point. It is so much more convenient to have one close to my home! Arwa is tucked away in the courtyard of the strip mall on Preston and Warren next to Genghis Grill. It is a bit hard to find if you aren't familiar with the area since the front of the shop faces into the courtyard instead of the street. Having been to the area multiple times for Korean food, I knew exactly where they were, but have had to explain where to find it to friends looking for the shop. The interior is absolutely gorgeous and has ample seating for groups of all sizes. The dining area is welcoming and clean.

When my husband and I entered we were warmly greeted by three ladies behind the counter. They explained the menu to us and offered us samples of the Adeni Chai and Red Tea, both were very delicious. However, we were in the mood for coffee so my husband ordered the Sand Dune Latte and I ordered the Yemeni Latte. Both of us thought the lattes were petty good, but next time we would order them less sweet.

We also ordered a honeycomb bread and a slice of the pistachio cake (not pictured) the pistachio cake was very good, so good in fact that we gobbled it down before getting a chance to take a picture of it! The honeycomb bread was ok, it was a bit chewy on top and the texture wasn't as fresh as I had expected after having such a good experience with the pistachio cake. Overall we had an amazing visit; we cannot wait to return to try out some of their...

Like stepping suddenly across the globe, this coffee and sweets shop reminds me of the swept clean modern bright light emporiums of the Middle East where beautiful, cloth-draped humans float through for coffee and pistachio-covered date sweatmeats to enjoy while catching up either with family or friends (or on their computer, these days). A Muslim-centric clientele brings the mesh of culture and language together with specialty coffee drinks and a sense of place that is not your typical latte location. We enjoy the different sugary treats and the never bitter coffees. The airy, open design is refreshing. So why not 5 stars? The atmosphere is so distinctly focused toward its preferred customer base that there is not really a sharing or introduction to any heritage or tradition while you stand there trying to peruse the menu offerings. Being that this is still Texas, a warm greeting or a "here, let us explain this menu item," or something akin to a welcome for first-time visitors or English-only speakers would be something to add. That said, yes it is worth a visit, the beverages are very nice, the treats are good in a quiet way, and the sense of place is truly transporting. Notes: During busy times, parking can be a little challenging, but it's available a little farther from the door. The shop is tucked away in sort of a nook of a block strip mall. There is outdoor seating in a kind...

I’m a big fan of Yemeni cafes and love to see more of them around. Arwa is definitely the most visually striking of the bunch. It’s not just aesthetically pleasing, it’s also well adjusted for doing work or hanging out, both inside and outside.

Even with a bias towards the flavor profiles here, my main criticism is that everything is overwhelmingly sweet. Without adjustments, I couldn’t drink the coffee because it tasted like straight syrup. Asking for less sweet made the drinks palatable but I found myself wishing that it could still be 1/2 or 1/3 as sweet.

Same goes for the pastries/cakes. Of course these are supposed to be sweet, but I really wish they would let the ingredients speak for themselves instead of dousing everything in sugar and covering up the natural flavors.

Lastly, if I were to evaluate the coffee and preparation as a purist, I think there’s still room for improvement. I felt that the espresso had more flavor that could have been better extracted. The milk texture was a bit too foamy, that that was reflected in the latte art, which also happened to look a bit suggestive…

All in all, I probably wouldn’t come here to order a regular latte. If they can better balance the sweetness in the flavored drinks, I’d come here...