Shaghf Cafe Brings Gulf-Inspired Coffee, Pistachio Lattes and Karak Chai to Cypress
Cypress residents looking for something beyond the familiar coffee-shop routine now have a new option along the Highway 290 corridor, and this one arrives with roots stretching back to the United Arab Emirates.
Shaghf Cafe is now open at 29040 US-290, Suite A05, Cypress, TX 77433 near Houston Premium Outlets, bringing its blend of specialty coffee, Gulf café traditions, elaborate cold drinks and desserts to northwest Harris County. The Cypress location opened July 25, joining existing Houston-area Shaghf Cafe locations in Katy and Sugar Land.
For the growing Cypress dining scene, the opening adds something a little different: a coffeehouse where an espresso or Americano can share a menu with Karak chai, pistachio drinks, matcha creations, kunafa-inspired desserts and croffles.
And that mix is very much the point.
From the UAE to Cypress: The Story Behind Shaghf Cafe
Shaghf — an Arabic word associated with passion — traces its beginnings to the United Arab Emirates in 2018. The company describes itself as part of HKAL Group of Companies and has since expanded internationally, with its global website reporting dozens of locations in multiple countries.
Its North American expansion has brought the brand into communities across the United States and Canada, including Texas locations in Sugar Land, Katy and now Cypress.
That growth introduces a style of café culture that may be familiar to residents with Middle Eastern roots but new to others encountering it for the first time. The concept combines the everyday social role of a neighborhood coffee shop with flavors frequently associated with Gulf and broader Middle Eastern food traditions.
For Cypress residents, that means the new café can be as much about trying something unfamiliar as grabbing a morning coffee.
What Is on the Menu at Shaghf Cafe in Cypress?
Coffee remains at the center of Shaghf Cafe, but the menu stretches well beyond standard espresso drinks.
Traditional café choices include lattes, Americanos, espresso and specialty pour-over coffee, while Shaghf's more distinctive offerings lean heavily into pistachio, caramel, matcha, chocolate and dessert-inspired flavors.
One of the brand's recurring signatures is pistachio. Its lineup includes pistachio lattes and blended Pistachio Frappes, the latter appearing among the best sellers highlighted by Shaghf's global brand.
Karak chai offers another connection to the café's Gulf roots. Typically made with black tea, milk, spices and sweetness, the warming drink sits alongside espresso-based beverages for customers who may not be looking for coffee at all.
Cold-drink choices broaden the menu considerably, with options such as iced lattes, flavored espresso drinks, matcha beverages and fruit-forward refreshers. Among the more unconventional selections are drinks featuring strawberry matcha, tiramisu-inspired flavors, hibiscus, passion fruit and watermelon.
There are also blended drinks such as the Shaghf Frappe, Pistachio Frappe and Lotus Frappe, giving the menu a noticeably dessert-like side.
For coffee drinkers who prefer the bean rather than the toppings to take center stage, specialty preparations such as V60 pour-over coffee offer a more traditional craft-coffee option.
Desserts Are a Big Part of the Shaghf Cafe Experience
Visitors stopping by Shaghf Cafe for coffee may quickly realize that the pastry and dessert case is almost as important as the drink menu.
The brand offers familiar treats alongside sweets influenced by Middle Eastern and international flavors. Depending on location and availability, the lineup can include tiramisu, carrot cake, molten lava cake, brownies, croffles, San Sebastian-style cheesecake and Shaghf African Pudding. Shaghf's global menu also highlights items such as kunafa chocolate and pistachio-forward sweets.
A Chocolate Kunafa combines the crisp texture associated with kunafa with chocolate, while the Nutella Croffle takes the increasingly popular croissant-waffle hybrid in a decidedly indulgent direction.
The combination makes Shaghf something of a crossover between a specialty coffeehouse and a dessert café — potentially giving Cypress families and friends another option for an evening gathering as well as a morning caffeine stop.
A Halal-Centered Café With a Bilingual Identity
Another defining part of the Shaghf Cafe concept is its emphasis on halal offerings.
The North American brand describes its cafés as halal-certified, an important distinction for Muslim customers who specifically seek halal restaurants, coffee shops and dessert destinations near Cypress.
Its visual identity also retains connections to where the brand began, including the use of both Arabic and English at its cafés. That bilingual approach gives Shaghf a recognizable identity as it expands into communities far from the Gulf region where it originated.
The company also places considerable emphasis on cafés as social spaces rather than purely transactional stops. Its global website describes Shaghf locations as places where customers can relax and socialize over coffee and sweets.
That community-minded model fits naturally in Cypress, where restaurants and coffee shops increasingly serve as informal meeting places for students, parents, remote workers, friends and neighborhood groups.
Shaghf Cafe Adds Another International Flavor to Cypress
The arrival of Shaghf Cafe is also one more example of the increasingly varied restaurant and café choices available to Cypress-area residents.
Rather than simply duplicating another conventional coffee concept, Shaghf brings a menu and cultural identity developed thousands of miles away and places it alongside the many local and national businesses growing along the Highway 290 corridor.
Someone unfamiliar with Gulf café traditions might walk in for an iced latte and leave having tried Karak chai or a pistachio dessert. Someone already familiar with those flavors may find something equally valuable: a taste and atmosphere that feel a little closer to home.
That ability to serve both audiences could become one of the new Cypress café's greatest strengths.
Shaghf Cafe is located at 29040 US-290, Suite A05, Cypress, TX 77433. Menu items, prices and availability may vary by location.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Cypress restaurant openings, new businesses and community updates close to home.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
