The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Last summer, Sahel was buzzing with new eateries, great beachside bars, and distinctive food trucks. Mario’s Truck was one of those memorable food trucks that set up shop on Marassi’s beachside. Getting inspiration from living in Italy, the owners decided to mix Mediterranean flavours with easy-to-eat rolls and cones and introduce them to Egyptians. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the opportunity to try Mario’s Truck this summer, so when we saw that they recently opened in Sheikh Zayed’s Walk of Cairo, we didn’t think twice.

Mario’s Truck is nestled opposite Skip and Scoop ice cream shop next to the giant gorilla light statue. Their menu is mainly made of deliciously-looking burgers, seafood rolls, cones, and beverages – needless to say, we wanted to try the whole menu. We browsed through and ordered one Double Maple Bacon Burger (145 LE) – smash burger patty, beef bacon, red cheese, red onion, pickles, Batavia lettuce, and maple mayo sauce. We also mixed and matched one roll (125 LE)  because each order gets two rolls; we got one Di Calamari Roll – fried calamari, ranch, and lettuce, and one Cali Crab Roll – crab and shrimp mix, apple, and caviar. The burger was out of this world; the meat was tender and adequately seasoned, and the maple mayo balanced the fattiness of the bacon perfectly. As for the rolls, the calamari roll was also tender and fried to perfection; however, the crab roll needed more vinaigrette or sauce to shine. The side of fried potatoes were just the right amount which created a textbook meal resulting in a satisfying late-night food run.

We ended our meal with peach ice tea with mint (30LE), which was very refreshing. And then, while paying, the staff treated us to a cup of soft serve vanilla ice cream to share. We didn’t find the ice cream on the menu, but it was delicious and velvety. Our visit was pleasurable and gratifying; enjoying good food in the open air is something we should all enjoy every once in a while, and Mario’s Truck is a great place to start.