An hour an a half into its grand opening, hungry diners were already lining up at the new MedMix restaurant at 23rd and Union.
  • Goldy | The Stranger
  • An hour and a half into its grand opening, hungry diners were already lining up at the new MedMix restaurant at 23rd and Union.

The old Philly Cheese Steak shop at 23rd and Union can be a tough location. The building stood empty for years following a fatal shooting, until the long delayed Beehive Bakery opened last year. And then quickly closed. The place seems cursed.

Here's hoping the ancient indian burial ground on which the restaurant is apparently built is kinder to MedMix, which opened today after months of "Coming Soon" signs. MedMix features a menu that lives up its name: a selection of familiar Mediterranean dishes—gyros, falafel, hummus, shawarma, baklava, etc.—mixed with... um.. other stuff. Like burgers, "cream cheese dogs", fried chicken, and (tempting fate) a Philly cheesesteak.

Gyro wrap = lunch.
  • Goldy | The Stranger
  • Gyro wrap = lunch.

I chose to stick to the Med side of the menu going for the basic gyro wrap, reasonably priced at $6 and a reasonable version of the Greek fast-food classic. The lettuce was crisp, the tzatziki creamy and minty, and the tomatoes, well, whatever passes for tomatoes this time of year. The meat came in chunks rather than being shaved off a spit (I didn't notice whether they even have a rotating spit), and was well seasoned if a little oddly textured. If they had grilled the flatbread for 30 seconds, it would've made for a substantial upgrade, but all in all, it's about what I'd expect from a six-buck gyro.

Decent prices, decent food, friendly service, weird menu, not-so-great name, cursed location. What could go wrong?