Egyptian street food comes to Garland
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A taste of Cairo in Garland. Photo: Gregory Castillo/Axios
Roll out the red carpet: Egypt's national dish is being served at a Garland gas station.
The intrigue: Traditionally vegan, koshary is a layered bowl of rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas, topped with a rich tomato sauce and crispy fried onions. The dish has working-class roots and Italian influence.
Zoom in: Friends Maher Abuawad and Islam Abouelenin left jobs in finance and tech to bring koshary to North Texas.
- They met in New York before moving to Texas for family. Abouelenin is Egyptian and grew up eating koshary. Abuawad married into an Egyptian family, and the tomato sauce — a key ingredient — comes from a family recipe.
What to order: The classic koshary bowl or the chicken koshary sliders, Islam's homage to the OG Burger King Chicken Parm from the 1990s.
Where: Koshary Time, 2434 Belt Line Road in Garland
Cost: $12 for a classic bowl, $12 for the sliders with fries
Six-word review: Red carpet leads to Cairo flavors.
Worthy of your time: Our social host Greg walks the red carpet for Egyptian street food in Garland.
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