yummy beans and small details in Richardson, Texas (USA)

A review of Arwa Coffee

Last updated Jan 6, 2024 at 4:54 p.m. CST

Published January 3, 2024 at 3:09 p.m. CST

by Alice Robinson

Richardson, Texas— Walking into Arwa Coffee (888 S. Greenville Avenue Suite 223 ) is like entering an inviting co-working space or art-filled lounge at your workplace that just happens to have friendly baristas serving to-die-for Adeni tea (that is, tea that comes from aden, a port city in Yemen).

But, this isn’t a co-working dream. It’s a coffee dream.

Arwa sells coffee—that is a true statement.

But there is more than java served up at this unassuming shop at the corner of Centennial Blvd and S. Greenville Avenue.

Abbas Hussain, 25, said Arwa is special to him partly because it serves traditional Yemeni drinks that “you can’t really find in many other coffee shops.” He found out about the coffee zone “either through friends, or Instagram, or looking around.”

Co-owner Susan Shihab, 34, wants Arwa to serve as a hub that helps guests learn about Yemeni culture. Arwa serves traditional Yemeni drinks and uses a bean that comes from Yemen to create its specialties. But Arwa also makes more common drinks such as lattes and standard iced drinks. A tall bookshelf contains paperbacks that enrich and educate. Other elements like decorative cups are a nod to Yemeni culture and art. (In case you are geography-deprived, Yemen is a country in the Arabian peninsula.)

Adeni tea on a table…

inside Arwa Coffee on December 22, 2023. Co-owner Yazan Soofi, 36, said their coffee shop gets its name from a little-known Yemeni queen, Queen Arwa. Soofi said during her reign, Yemen was prosperous.
*All photo credits for this story: Alice Robinson*

Along with Shihab and her husband Yazan Soofi, 36, the other owners are Yazan’s sister Nora, and Nora’s husband Faris. Arwa opened in December 2022.

I was instantly a new admirer of Arwa Coffee. I have high standards for my coffee shops, though I visit all types, from the most plain to the uppity and elegant. I spent time in California and upon returning to Texas to live, I started noticing huge differences in coffee shop scenes—both in ambiance but also in range of offerings. In short, California has more of both: enticing ambiance and varied drinks.

But I am glad Arwa soothed my worries about the Texas coffee shop vibe.

I could not help being crazy about Arwa’s inviting space, but also about my first Arwa drink, a cold, fizzy Lime Refresher drink. It was tempting and I could taste the lime. I silently wished for a larger cup so my treat would last longer on my afternoon Tour de Dallas Traffic.

By now I have been to Arwa three times to quench my thirst.

One key element is that Arwa’s ownership team works to display Yemeni generosity in their business choices. “Yemen is known for its generosity,” said co-owner Yazan Soofi while sitting outside on Arwa’s large patio under a spotty blanket of clouds. Arwa freely gives samples of its drinks if you are hedging on your selection. And, Soofi said he hates when customers have to wait for more than a few minutes.

All of the baristas I encountered at Arwa were helpful and even sweet.

Arwa’s drip coffee is robust and probably not for people who feel they must stick with a predictable corporate blend (no shade to Starbucks groupies). But Arwa’s staple coffee has a unique and appealing taste.

*wall of goodies*

Arwa Coffee sells items such as tote bags, candles, and Yemeni coloring books, as well as imported Yemeni honey. Photo taken December 22, 2023.

My main experience with Yemeni coffee before this was not so great. This occurred “way back” around 2020.

While living in Oakland, California, I stopped by a grungy convenience store which seemed placed, appropriately, on an unkempt street. The small shop had a dozen self-serve bins for coffee bean-lovers in the back. Coming home with a plastic Ziploc-like bag of new, ground coffee, I couldn’t wait to try my “Yemeni coffee,” as the portly man at the register had explained. My new coffee treasure was extremely strong, and it felt so blazingly powerful that I couldn’t drink it anymore after my first attempt. For about nine months the Yemeni coffee sat in the very back of my cupboard until we moved and I had to get rid of it.

Before I get into specifics of Arwa’s food and drinks, here are a few more observations. While walking around, I heard visitors chatting comfortably with one another. Others worked quietly on their laptops, jumping online or attending a meeting. The inside of Arwa was clean and neat, and Arwa’s bathroom was in good shape.

Here a just a few morsels about what shapes Arwa Coffee: my to-go cup had a detailed design—“Arwa” was written in gold letters, in both Arabic and English. There was also a nature scene on the cup that is reminiscent of Yemen.

Next, I’ll get into drinks and food that my taste buds stumbled into at Arwa.

Their Adeni Tea: This tea is served with milk. As soon as I gulped my first sip, I felt Arwa’s Adeni tea traveling down my throat as if it was a warm, happy Yemeni ray of sunshine (without the dangerous ultraviolet components of course). This is more of an ‘experience’ than simply a ‘sip of a drink.’ That statement sounds like an exaggeration but it is not!

Co-owner Susan Shihab said Arwa’s staff brews the tea in a large pot. “We make that in the traditional way of making it.” This method helps to flavor their tea accurately. The process also stays true to Yemeni history, making it “culturally significant,” she said.

The spiciness of this Chai-based tea is well-balanced. I enjoy many different teas with milk, so the Adeni Tea was a natural fit for this tea enthusiast. I also tried the Red Tea, but Adeni was a bigger hit with me.

Harrisa or Halwa : This small reddish pastry with green flakes on top was so scrumptious I blurted a noise of excitement while sitting outside on Arwa’s patio—my noise could be classified as a moderate squeal, but I’m not known for my squealing. Soofi, the co-owner, told me that the dessert contains “pistachios and nuts.”

Halwa comes in small, individually-wrapped portions. You may need two or three of these rich cakes to fully experience the Halwa goodness.

Apricot Cookie: This cookie would pair well with a hot drink. It is small, about the size of a generic Oreo, and has a pleasing taste. My only critique is that it could be bigger.

Tea biscuits: Light and a little flaky, these oblong cookies are a great match with tea, or another hot drink. I gave one to my 92-yr-old father who is picky about his cookies, and he said that Arwa’s tea biscuits are “good!” Arwa sells them for a dollar each and you may choose how many to purchase.

Arwa Coffee is currently open Sunday -Thursday from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.

On Fridays and Saturdays, their hours are 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. Their phone number is 214-782-9749.

Arwa has garnered 580 reviews on Google as of January 3, 2024. They have been open for about a year.