A Mecca for Mediterranean Cookery

McAllen Halal Market Marks Anniversary

The Lebanese and Mediterranean Market on 12th Street in McAllen was a gamble for its Lebanese owner he admits.

“But, then, I’m a gambler,” Mike Obaid said with a knowing wink, and continued: “I noticed that there was no place in South Texas or Northern Mexico where a person could go to get the kind of Arabic, Greek and Turkish ingredients you need to prepare the classic, traditional, Middle Eastern foods. “I decided to provide such a grocery store in McAllen, and this month, I am celebrating my first year in business.”

His gamble really paid off. It came about this way: Mike and his wife, Inaam, often made trips to San Antonio and Houston just to stock up on the imported ingredients needed to prepare the Arabic cuisine they enjoyed in their native country. They are both Lebanese nationals originally living in the Arabic section of Jerusalem before they came to the United States.

On their shopping trips to Houston, they met many Middle Eastern families from Texas and the interior of Mexico doing the same thing. That is where he got the idea. He interviewed many of those making this long pilgrimage to see if they would support an authentic Lebanese grocery store in the Rio Grande Valley. “And, how!” was the response. That was enough for Mike. So, thus was born the idea for a Lebanese and Mediterranean Market in downtown McAllen.

It was like this: Mike came to the Valley in 2002 from New York City. He bought the 6,500 square foot building at 413 South 12th Street in McAllen. This commercial building housed the U.S. Postal Service Office until they built their own Post Office in 2012. So, now, Mike had a half-empty building for rent. What to do? He jumped at the opportunity to open his long-dreamed-of Middle Eastern food market.

And they came: “My store is ‘really jumping’ and has become a gathering-point for Middle Eastern people, and many others, who love to share their culture, music, language, food and traditions of the old country, and simply enjoy each other,” he added.
Mike has extensive direct contact with importers of Middle Eastern delicacies and foods. “I get just the best direct imports,” he said.

 

“I stock what I know they want and what my customers ask for,” he added. “There are large populations of Arabic-speaking people living in Mexico, the United States and Canada. They migrated from Turkey, Greece, Arabia, Rumania, the Ukraine, and many other areas. These are my primary customers.“

O.K.–What do you stock that’s not available at the corner store? “Well, I can mention: Hebrew Halvah from Jerusalem, cracked wheat and roasted nuts from Egypt, Turkish delights, Greek Baklava, Rice from India, Grapeseed oil from Spain, Genuine rare Indian spices, Select ‘first-cold press’ olive oil and all kinds of cured and specialty olives, and pastries. That should serve as a good start.”

Oh, yeah. In case our readers are wondering what happened with the other half of his building. It has been occupied since he bought it with his own adult day-care center. It is called Castillo Adult Day Care Center. They are currently serving 90 clients.

Mike and his wife love to meet and talk with new customers interested in the culture and the cuisine of the Middle East. They speak English and Arabic. Their store manager is from McAllen and has been with them since “Day-one.” She is Denora Guzman and is fully bilingual in Spanish and English.

For more information, you are invited to call Mike Obaid at 956 648 2410 (cell) or Denora Guzman at 956 627 2478. (store).