Mido’s food truck brings Mediterranean back to St. Joseph

By Cameron Montemayor

Local residents can once again enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in St. Joseph thanks to the addition of a new food truck.

Mido’s Halal Mediterranean Grill has firmly planted its flag among eateries after making the official move to St. Joseph from Leavenworth, Kansas.

“I’m so happy that we made that move,” owner and head chef Mohamed Hegazy said. “I started talking to people about setting up our food truck in their parking lot and they welcome you with open arms, very business friendly.”

The new food truck fills a much-needed void for Mediterranean food enthusiasts in St. Joseph after popular restaurant Gyro Paradise closed its doors in late 2023.

Local Mediterranean food fan Ember Simerly has already tried Mido’s twice since it opened for business this past week.

“It’s really, really good,” she said with a smile. “It’s so great because the closest ones have been in KC. Now it’s here in St. Joe.”

A standard plate at Mido’s will run anywhere from $8 to $14, entrees average $10. Fixtures on the menu include rice bowls, wraps and salads that come with either chicken, lamb gyro or falafel.

If the food truck proves to be a hit in St. Joseph, Hegazy intends to expand and open a storefront with an expanded menu.

The food truck also offers a dessert item called Baklava, a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.

“My favorite that comes with our house sauce is chicken over rice,” Hegazy said. “On our rice we put like 12 different seasonings on it. It’s basmati rice.”

Made-to-order entrees with fresh ingredients are the foundation for Hegazy, a native of Egypt who first opened the food truck in 2016.

“That’s our motto since we started, ‘Because Ingredients Matter,’ this is why we have a smaller menu,” Hegazy said. “I just came for the American dream and my dream to start a food business.”

The restaurant is typically open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, but hours and locations can vary slightly. Mido’s has been stationed at the parking lots of Sherwin Williams Paint, Eckard’s Home Improvement and Sam’s Club.

Hegazy recommends calling ahead or following the food truck on Facebook to find out exactly where the truck will be located each day and if hours have been adjusted.

Mido’s does offer catering services and online ordering.

A full menu, contact information and online ordering portal can be found at www.midoshalalmediterraneangrill.com.