The Mustafi Family at Lake Highlands Cafe. Photo by Carol Toler.
If the best fertilizer for a growing business is the footprint of its owner, as the old saying goes, then Lake Highlands Cafe should enjoy a long and fruitful life. The new family-owned restaurant near Super Target at Abrams and Skillman features founder Ramis “Ray” Mustafi in the kitchen, his mom, Amy, greeting customers at the door and his dad overseeing it all from a cozy booth in the corner.
Mustafi says he first began learning the business as a young teen in Chicago, where his extended family has operated multiple eateries. Over the years he’s washed dishes, bussed tables, taken orders and cooked food. Lake Highlands Cafe is his seventh area spot as owner, including My Cafe in Flower Mound, Our Brunch Spot in Fort Worth and Toasty Breakfast Lunch in Farmers Branch.
If the cafe’s name rings a bell, you’ve probably lived in the neighborhood awhile. Recently inaugurated District 10 councilmember Kathy Stewart owned and operated Highlands Cafe from 2004 to 2014 at Audelia and Walnut Hill. The two aren’t affiliated, but this new spot is equally bright and welcoming, with cheerful messages on ivy-covered walls and plenty of seating for friends to gather.
“We would love for the community to come out and give us a shot. We’d love to prove that they can feel comfortable coming in to dine with us,” says Mustafi. “The hardest thing about running a restaurant is being consistent. You want every experience to be perfect every time — food, service, everything. We still have issues with supply chain — not everything is always available — so being consistent is our biggest challenge. Our goal is to attract families, but also businesspeople meeting for breakfast or lunch.”
Lake Highlands Cafe serves breakfast, brunch and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. The expansive menu features egg dishes, French toast, pancakes, waffles, burgers, salads and sandwiches. Mustafi doesn’t hesitate, though, when asked to name his favorite menu option.
“I love crepes, and I order them everywhere I go. The key to making delicious crepes is trial-and-error. You can add more eggs, more butter, more flour, more vanilla — whatever you love, really. That’s how I came up with my secret recipe.”
Order the cafe’s signature berry crepes, with fresh berries, berry mascarpone filling and blackberry coulis or try the Nutella crepes with strawberries and banana or go with the crepe combo, featuring eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns. You can’t lose.
Lake Highlands Cafe is at 6751 Abrams Road #100 between Burger King and Little Caesars. You may view their full menu below or via their Facebook page here.
Inside Lake Highlands Cafe. Photo by Carol Toler.
