After being closed for eight months, Mom’s Cafe in Allen has reopened with an extensive menu featuring more than 110 American and Mexican dishes.
Imelda Garcia/Staff writer
After being closed for eight months, Mom’s Cafe in Allen has reopened with an extensive menu featuring more than 110 American and Mexican dishes.
The restaurant, which had been a beloved Allen staple for more than a decade, closed in November 2025. It was purchased by Gilbert Romero III and Rosana Khalifa, who reopened it on July 3.
Romero, an Oak Cliff native, also owns Mom’s Cafe in Carrollton. He bought that restaurant a little more than three years ago, although it has been serving the community for more than 30 years. Despite sharing the same name, the two restaurants are mostly independent of each other — the name is simply a coincidence.
Article continues below this ad
When Romero learned the Allen Mom’s Cafe was available, he decided it was the right opportunity to open a second restaurant. The shared name seemed almost like fate.
“We saw this location was available and thought it was a great opportunity,” Romero told The News. “We want to be here for a long time and become part of the Allen community.”
Mom’s Cafe, which had been a beloved Allen staple for more than a decade, closed in November 2025. It was purchased by Gilbert Romero III and Rosana Khalifa, who reopened it on July 3.
Imelda Garcia/Staff writer
Khalifa, who is originally from Monterrey, Mexico, led the redesign and decoration of the restaurant while also contributing her recipe for traditional Mexican café de olla. Romero focused on developing the menu and overseeing the restaurant’s operations.
“We brought over the Carrollton menu because it has already proven successful, but we also kept a few dishes that people expected to find here,” Romero said. “We just made a few adjustments to make them our own.”
Article continues below this ad
The restaurant’s philosophy centers on using fresh ingredients and preparing everything from scratch. Its burgers, for example, are hand-formed in-house, cooked to order, and follow the motto: “Fresh, never frozen.”
The menu features classic American breakfast favorites such as pancakes, eggs Benedict and omelets, alongside Mexican dishes including chilaquiles, migas, huevos rancheros and machaca.
The fried catfish is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. Mom’s Cafe also serves pancakes and other American and Mexican breakfast dishes.
Imelda Garcia/Staff writer
Among the restaurant’s signature dishes are the Crab Cake Benedict and the Fish Benedict, both seafood twists on the traditional breakfast favorite. Another standout is the fried catfish, which is offered every Friday for $9.99 instead of its regular price of $15.49.
Looking ahead, the owners also plan to introduce traditional Mexican weekend specials such as pozole, menudo and tamales.
Article continues below this ad
Mom’s recipes
Romero’s path into the restaurant business was anything but conventional. Before becoming a restaurateur, he spent 15 years working in the mortgage industry. After losing his job, he decided it was finally time to pursue a dream he had held since he was a teenager.
“I always wanted to own a restaurant,” Romero said. “When I got laid off, I thought, ‘If God is calling me to do this, this is the time.’ It’s been a huge learning curve, but my financial background has helped me tremendously with running the business.”
Gilbert Romero III is the co-owner of Mom’s Cafe in Allen. He and his business partner, Rosana Khalifa, reopened the restaurant on July 3, 2026.
Imelda Garcia/Staff writer
His passion for cooking began in childhood. At age 12, his mother taught him how to cook dinner, while his father introduced him to grilling, something he still enjoys today.
Article continues below this ad
“It’s funny that it’s called Mom’s Cafe because, in the end, many of the recipes are my mom’s, and she still helps me here,” he said with a laugh. “It was never planned that way, but it turned out to be very fitting.”
Romero also takes pride in his heritage. He is the grandson of migrant farmworkers and the third generation of a Mexican American family in the United States. For him, owning restaurants represents the culmination of generations of hard work.
Mom’s Cafe is located at 602 E. Main St. in Allen and it’s open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.