Opera Cafe & Coffeehouse was created to be a small full-service restaurant for neighboring Onion Creek residents. Owners Aliya Amanzholova and Anas Jawish said regulars sometimes come in twice a day to enjoy the restaurant’s hand-crafted food, coffee drinks, desserts and, of course, the relaxing music inside the European-style cafe.
“We know our regulars by name, and they know us,” Jawish said. “We know what they like. They can walk in and we’ve already started making their coffee.”
However, with a growing number of apartments, businesses and traffic in the area the couple said they have had to increase offerings to serve the new demand.
Guests looking to dine in will notice increased seating options as well as a menu that caters to more dietary restrictions than when it opened about 5 years ago.
“Before we only had three tables,” Amanzholova said. “Now when we have larger parties we’re able to accommodate ten people. It’s good considering how small we are.”
She said mornings are typically busy with those eating breakfast, while diners also stop by for lunch in the afternoons. Between peak hours, individuals visit to hold business meetings, and others come in to work on the cafe’s Wi-Fi while enjoying a coffee drink, she said.
Breakfast options include croissants; bagels; sandwiches with eggs, cheese and bacon; and breakfast tacos. For lunch, the Opera Salad is a local favorite, while sandwiches like the smoked salmon panini and the Twisted Gyro Sandwich are also available.
Specialty items include hummus plates, beef and cilantro dumplings and desserts like mini cheesecakes.
Jawish said the business also offers catering for orders placed in advance. Because everything in the cafe is put together in small batches on-site, earlier this year the cafe shortened its hours to allow for more prep time as the catering became more popular, he said.
Opera Cafe also offers food delivery from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. to those located within 4 miles of the shop.
