“There’s no such thing as bad luck in a building,” Fati Mixha says, smiling good-naturedly with a twinkle in his eye and a bit of mischief that only a seasoned restaurateur with a history of success stories could say with any confidence. We’re chatting on the covered outdoor patio of Fairview Farmers, nestled to the side of the building, away from the main road and tucked comfortably into shady trees.
When the Mixha family purchased the building located at the corner of Stacy and Greenville roads in Fairview, it had previously housed a series of failed dive bars.
But the Mixha family saw more.
And it’s a good thing they had vision because if the temptation to give up didn’t hit them when they first saw the building, it sure would’ve once renovations started. They discovered mold in the walls, rusting appliances, and deteriorating walk-in freezers. Nothing was salvageable, so they gutted the restaurant down to the frame.
Yet they pressed on — undaunted.
Today the building is an earthy, modern, and welcoming spot that serves an incredible brunch and lunch menu.
This story begins, however, thousands of miles away and several years ago in Albania. It was in the small county of Albania that two teens, Agim and Linda, lived in neighboring villages. Both lived and worked on small, family-owned farms. They moved to the small town of Roscoe, Illinois, to join their family that owned a restaurant there. They worked hard, bussing tables and cooking on the line, learning the business for over a decade before taking over ownership in 2005.
When they visited family in the DFW area, they fell in love with Fairview’s similar small-town feel and relocated to the area. They are proud to be the only Fairview restaurant owned by city residents, but Fairview Farmers is first and foremost a family-owned and family-operated business. Their son, Fati, and daughter, Besa, help while attending college.
They call themselves the Fairview Farmers Family. Their name honors the family’s background growing up on a farm, as well as their goal to provide the highest quality food and drinks. The menu includes a greatest-hits list of brunch classics with ingredients sourced primarily from either organic or local farms, with a wide assortment of gluten-free options.
Upon entering Fairview Farms, the first thing you notice is the ambiance: upscale yet simple, filled to the brim with patrons, while still feeling inviting. The tables are full — some with families enjoying quality time together, others with girlfriends catching up on each other’s lives, and others with co-workers meeting for lunch and trying to decide between the Baja Breakfast Tacos and the Ribeye Steak and Eggs.
We were served a ridiculously good assortment of the house specials. When the first dish arrived, we were wowed by the presentation of Croissant Beignets topped with powdered sugar and served with Nutella and lingonberry butter, whose distinctive sweetness perfectly complements the dish.
Next came the exceptional Banana Split Brioche French Toast with sweet mascarpone layered between fluffy slices of bread and topped with caramelized bananas, warm salted caramel drizzle and walnuts, with a mascarpone-filled ice cream cone holding it all together, just for fun. It was a masterpiece.
We loved absolutely everything about the last dish, one of the best meals I’ve had in ages: the Farmer’s Spinach Quiche with fresh fruit and a homemade poppyseed muffin that steamed when we opened it.
The portions are generous and the presentation is a work of art. Every dish is plated with delectable edibles: orchids, flowered strawberries, sunflowers grown in a nearby field. No detail is overlooked.
It’s clear that the restaurant business runs in the Mixha family blood because they’ve thought of every detail. Not only are the dishes extraordinary, there are cozy little spots to commemorate your visit with a posed picture. And as we left, so full it almost hurt, we stopped at the selfie spot. I couldn’t help myself because truly, y’all had me at brunch.
