Jen's Place: a comfort food haven on Alpha Road
Tucked into an off-white industrial business park just north of Interstate-635, Jen’s Place Bakery and Cafe provides a tasty oasis on Alpha Road. Jen’s Place is easy to spot with its dramatic black awning and colorful marquee. The to-go, catering and main entrances are on the north side of the building.
Ordering up a quick bite includes an encounter with a friendly staff and a multitude of ordering options, from Asian cabbage salad to a Frito pie bar or banana pudding with pecan praline sauce. Each of the 10 sandwiches on the menu comes with a choice of bread and sides like pretzels, chips or an apple, sliced or whole — oh, and a pickle spear.
Some of Jen’s most popular items include blueberry muffins, chicken with wild rice soup, a densely moist carrot cake, Jen’s chili (made to order with the choice of onions, cheese and jalapeños) and some famously tasty and large chocolate chip cookies.
“The chocolate chip cookies are awesome…chewy and crisp in the right places. And I love the ham and cheese croissant,” said Meredith Beene, a Jen’s Place patron who discovered the restaurant when it catered her company’s business conference. "If I get a meeting invite with Jen's catering, I know to show up."
According to Gary Maroulis, Jen’s Place manager and co-owner, the cafe’s catering service extents across the 75*** zip code. The catering business focuses mainly on corporate clients, since Jen’s Place keeps breakfast-lunch hours, weekdays 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The eatery’s charming story started in 1995, when Jen Maroulis and her mother, Pam Christon, began the café using their own homemade recipes. They built upon their successes and continue to do great business, even in tough times.
“All the recipes we use are family recipes. I’d say 50 percent of the recipes are Pam’s, 25 percent are Jen’s and 25 percent come from me,” said Gary Maroulis, the husband of Jen Maroulis.
The café’s web site, has extensive information on its menu and catering services, including an impressive collection of frequently asked questions and customer testimonials.
- by Jenn Emerson, Dallas Reporter for HelloMetro
(Click to leave a message)
