As the current owner of three local restaurants, Jim Verfurth puts his Culinary Institute of America culinary arts degree to good use. He said he has spent his entire life in the food and beverage industry—from the kitchen, to front of the house, to operations management.

In addition to owning Shoal Creek Tavern in The Shops at Highland Village, Veruth also owns Lambeau’s American Kitchen and Tavern, also in The Shops at Highland Village, and Verf’s Grill & Tavern in Flower Mound.

The inspiration

Prior to culinary school, Verfurth said his mother taught him to cook when he was a child.

“She was always making, shaking and baking something,” he said. “I love to eat. So we were a good team.”


He said he keeps his parents in mind when making decisions.

“My parents used to eat at my restaurant when they were alive,” Verfurth said. “They put me through culinary school, and I have a mentality about my parents walking through the door—how would I want them to be served?”

What’s on the menu?

Verfurth opened Shoal Creek Tavern in 2017. He said he created the original recipes for menu items and over time, he has given creative freedom to the restaurant chef to create daily specials, some of which are added to the menu.


“On the team, we have a lot of cooks that are really creative,” Verfurth said. “We track everything that has sold really well. So when we're creating new menus, we can look back six months at a time ... and repeat the ones that were really popular. Computers don't lie.”

The menu features classic Items like pot roast, prime rib eye and chicken fried steak. Other options include Chilean sea bass, ahi tuna nachos, steak boards and charcuterie boards.

Looking for a libation?

The drink menu features a variety of wine, whiskey, scotch, rum, beer and cocktails.


“We're ... literally making our own infusions,” Verfurth said. “We're making our own simple sugars with the purest ingredients. We're making our own bitters. We have a stove just for the bartenders to use.”

The vibe

Prior to opening his first restaurant, Verfurth was the executive chef for country clubs which had locations around the world. He said he drew from his experiences working abroad when creating the ambiance at Shoal Creek Tavern.

He mentions the decorative repurposed stained glass windows, hardwood floors and maple walls as examples of the European pub themed motif.


Beyond the tangible, Verfurth also draws inspiration from words of wisdom an employer gave him when he was young to create the intangible vibe.

“It's called a warm welcome, a memorable moment and a fond farewell,” Verfurth said. “Our job is to try to deliver that experience to every single guest that walks through the door.”