JJ’s Cafe opens third location at Cinco Cocinas in Preston Hollow

For 15 years, JJ’s Cafe has been a neighborhood staple in Lake Highlands — built on regulars, familiar faces, and the support of the community surrounding it. Now, the cafe is taking its brunch to Preston Hollow.

JJ’s recently opened its third location on July 1 at Cinco Cocinas Food Nation on Maple Avenue, a food hall bringing together several restaurant concepts under one roof. The new location serves breakfast, brunch and dinner from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

JJ’s Cafe owner and chef, Jose Ramirez says, the expansion is both a new opportunity and a chance to continue building on the work that began in Lake Highlands.

“I’m very happy with all the support from Lake Highlands,” Ramirez says. “Through the years, you’ve always supported me, and I’m very thankful.”

The new location occupies two full kitchens within the food hall. In addition to JJ’s Cafe’s signature items like huevos divorciados ($11), migas ($10), tres leches pancakes ($9), smoked brisket omelette ($13) and much more, the new location features a coffee bar serving matchas, lattes, specialty drinks and other beverages. The space also includes a large patio, bar and event hall, with seating for roughly 200 people across the food hall.

The opportunity to expand came after Mico Rodriguez and Ray Quintanilla, owners of the building, invited Ramirez to join them at Cinco Cocinas. Ramirez says he could not pass up on the opportunity since Rodriguez was one of his inspirations when he first opened JJ’s Cafe.

“He was one of the persons I looked up to,” Rodriguez says. “He’s iconic. Everyone knows about him.”

Quintanilla says bringing JJ’s Cafe into Cinco Cocinas is part of a larger vision for the space.

“We are expanding our community, bringing together food operations from across the city to connect and share the experience of our city’s best comfort foods,” he says.

JJ’s Cafe joins a growing lineup of food concepts at Cinco Cocinas, including Picazo, Otra Vez, Wing City and an upcoming pizza concept.

“With this addition, JJ’s attention to detail and diverse menu will offer a wide variety of options for everyone,” Quintanilla says.

The food hall, previously known as Maple Food Hall, was launched in 2022 by Quintanilla and was rebranded and renovated in March 2025 when Rodriguez and Quintanilla became partners in the space.

The new JJ’s Cafe location also helped create approximately 20 new jobs. A few of JJ’s Cafe’s current employees and leads helped with the opening, while the restaurant hired additional staff.

Ramirez says, finding the right people has been one of the biggest challenges of the expansion. He says he is looking for employees who understand his vision for customer service and the restaurant’s culture.

This vision began years before JJ’s Cafe opened. Ramirez, who grew up in Simi Valley, California, began his first culinary experience when he worked as a chef at a restaurant. He started in the kitchen and eventually worked his way into food expediting and other restaurant roles.

He later moved to Dallas, eventually finding a home in Lake Highlands. Now, as JJ’s Cafe enters its next chapter, Ramirez says the restaurant’s growth is a reflection of the community that helped it get there.

“This is what I envisioned,” he says. “I feel great because of all my hard work here in Lake Highlands and all their support, and now I’m able to create more jobs and keep growing.”

JJ’s Cafe, 4711 Maple Ave., 214.812.9311