Dearborn's favorite eats now featured at fully halal food hall, food truck park

A vibrant new dining option has popped up in the heart of Dearborn, featuring a custom collection of foods close to the city's heart.

With a bright postcard-style mural facing Evergreen Road and brandishing "Greetings from Dearborn," the Canteen at Midtown, at 720 Town Center Drive, is Michigan's first fully halal food hall and food truck park.

Sandwiched between Fairlane Town Center mall and the University of Michigan - Dearborn, the new establishment was shrouded in mystery throughout most of its fast-paced construction until "The Canteen at Midtown" was stamped on the building a week before its opening, attracting excited food lovers. By opening day on Friday, the Instagram account for the food hall and food truck park had over 17,000 followers.

The Canteen was heavily influenced by Camp Dearborn, a campground in Milford where generations of Dearborn residents and others have spent their summers barbecuing, playing sports, enjoying the outdoors and just hanging out.

"At The Canteen, we're not just serving food; we're crafting experiences that celebrate community, nostalgia, and innovation," read a post on the Canteen's Instagram. "Join us as we embark on a journey where the spirit of childhood summers meets the excitement of culinary exploration. Welcome to The Canteen at Midtown — where every bite tells a story, and every memory is savored."

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The Canteen at Midtown currently has six food trucks, all of which were favorites at the Ramadan Suhoor Festival that used to take place across the street in the Fairlane Town Center mall parking lot: The Munch Box, which features a menu with a range of melt-in-your-mouth burgers and sliders; The Terry Melt, known for mouth-watering patty and steak melts; The Chicken Coupe, famous for its chicken and waffles, as well as its separate chicken and waffles; The Bistro Box, like an Italian restaurant wrapped up in a truck with fettucine alfredo and rigatoni palamino; Amo Sami's Shawarma, hailed as some of the best shawarma sandwiches in Dearborn, and Fratelli's Eateries, where pizza is cooked in a wood-fired oven just beside the truck.

Indoors, five additional Dearborn favorites are represented as smaller vendors to offer beverages, sweets and more: Qahwah House, Nami Sushi, The Custard Company, La Fork Creperie, and Z's Bubble Tea.

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In total, the Canteen at Midtown offers seating for 400 people: 200 in the food hall, which is expected to get more use when temperatures drop in the winter, and 200 on the decorated patio, adorned with fairy lights.

With no alcohol and no loud music, the Canteen at Midtown cultivates a warm, friendly atmosphere for families to socialize into the evening.

The Canteen also offers a coffee lounge called the Canteen Coffee Corner, complete with coffee tables and leather couches for students from nearby colleges to come study and others to come chill. However, the coffee corner doubles as a banquet space, which can switch furniture and be rented out for parties of up to 100 people.

On the business side of things, the Canteen also has a commissary with 12 rooms for food truck owners to rent with a kitchen and storage for cold food prep space.

The Canteen at Midtown is currently open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.