Absolutely delicious Mediterranean food! Based on my experience, the vegetarian dishes are the forte here. We ordered: 1. Fennel Salad - crisp and refreshing, and the fennel gives that different anise-flavor. I also enjoyed the oranges and candied almonds for extra flavor and texture. 2. Roasted Eggplant Dip - if you're a babaganoush fan, this is for you! 3. Fasolakia Hummus - this is a *MUST*. Even the pickiest eater in our party wanted to lick the plate clean! 4. Spiced Maitake Mushrooms - another *MUST ORDER*! The mushrooms were prepared perfectly with a slight crispy char and the black garlic sauce was out of this world!! I wish I could have bought a jar of it! 5. Grilled Octopus - this was good, but I expected more from the dish than just two pieces of octopus, one of which was a bit overcooked and rubbery. 6. Adana Lamb Kebab - Pretty good and definitely not game-y I also enjoyed the Arak and a Hard Place cocktail and the Turkish coffee for dessert was very authentic and delicious. The rhubarb dessert we ordered was good too! Sit outside on a warm evening and enjoy! read more

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I was not expecting the food to be this good - this place nails Mediterranean nibbles! Service was warm, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Interior and exterior are clean and modern. But it's all about the food. We kept ordering because it was so good... Drinks - my Turkish delight was terrific. But the white Negroni? Perfect for a hot summery day. Food - you wouldn't think olives would be much to write about. But these were so plump and juicy, well marinated, and since the were warm, so flavorful. The hummus was creamy with just the right amount of tahini and crispy lamb bits. The pita was warm and pillowy (we ordered another one to sop up all of the sauces). The falafel was crisp with a tender crumb, not dry like so many are. And the zhug was full of bright flavor. We had to order another one. Octopus was perfectly cooked and the oil needed to be stopped up with pita; it would have been a shame to waste it. The chicken meatballs were also crisp with a tender interior. The eggplant relish with slivered almonds was served cold/room temp, but did not deteriorate from the meatballs whatsoever. . I'll be back... you should go too! read more

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Based off of a recommendation from a coworker, we visited the Mediterranean Exploration Company after our flight into Portland. We sat on the patio, which was much quieter than inside. The menu was split into five different sections; we chose items from three. Labneh with Fried Artichokes and Pita: the pita was fresh and soft while the labneh was creamy and acidic - both pairing nicely with the hearty flavor of the artichokes Grilled Octopus: tender and well seasoned Blistered Shishito Peppers: such a unique combination with the char from the peppers, the nuttiness with the pistachios, the spice from the chili crisp, and the acidity from the feta puree We washed it down with locally made beverages and left satisfied. read more

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Updating my review. The food continues to be excellent. I had the chef's tasting menu last time. The beet salad was excellent as was the octopus. The bacon wrapped dates and fennel salad are always excellent as well. It can get a bit crowded inside as the tables are very close to each other. read more

The food absolutely blew me away! The grilled octopus is a MUST order and the lamb hummus was delicious as well. Also ordered the watermelon salad; wish it came with a bit more watermelon and less beans but it was super tasty. The homemade pita was so soft and tasty, we ordered an extra. The service was phenomenal and the interior is beautiful. Real candles, quality napkins, the small details make the dining experience extremely pleasant. It's a great date spot. read more

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Great food but surely expensive for the quantity. Excellent service, staff were super friendly and supportive to accommodate a party of 10 , especially when we went with our kids. Ambience is lively, loud and cozy. Have always loved this spot and will continue to eat there. read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Roasted Cauliflower - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came here with a reservation and it was pretty packed! We sat at the bar and if we wanted a table, it would've been another hour-ish wait, so make reservations if you plan on going! We loved the other restaurants of Sesame Collective, so decided to try this place out as well! As the style of this place is similar to others, it's recommended to order a bunch of different dishes and share! We started with the roasted eggplant dip and the hamachi Crudo. The dip was decent, but left a lot to be desired. It was refreshing, but I wish there was more of a taste to it. The pita was cooked well and was very airy and had a good crisp to the outside. The hamachi crudo was by far my favorite dish of the meal, light, fresh, and packed with tons of flavor. We genuinely debated ordering this dish again at the end of the meal because it was that good. The spice maitake mushrooms came out next and it had good texture and the paste was a good contrast to the lightly sweet mushrooms. Finally the beef and lamb kebab came out and it was as expected. A very good dish that had a good balance of the meaty taste but topped with nuts and a creamy paste underneath, it didn't disappoint but didn't knock me out of my seat. Overall, I would come back as the ambiance had a nice playful nature to it and wasn't too upscale but was elegant. Looked like a cool place for drinks and some food after a long day. read more

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This family-style restaurant was a true gem! With a party of four, we ordered eight dishes and couldn't pick a favorite - everything was incredible. We each chose two dishes, and to our surprise, the hummus became a highlight. While I usually wouldn't order hummus at a restaurant with such an adventurous menu, this one turned out to be a delightful surprise! It featured a base of traditional hummus alongside whole chickpeas and something else that I couldn't pin point out but whatever it was it was all delicious. Our table consieted of mostly pescatraians., so that is what we focused on the vegetarian and seafood options, and everything I tasted was bursting with flavor. In fact, all four of us - including two fellow pescatarians - sampled most of the vegetarian and pescatarian dishes on the menu, and there wasn't a single miss. We arrived at 6:15 pm on a Monday, and the place was already buzzing. Within 45 minutes, the entire restaurant was packed! Reservations are highly recommended, no matter the day or time. This place is clearly popular for good reasons. read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Seared King Salmon - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Tasting menu was terrific , lots of plates, great food and service. Only negative was the noise, quite loud

SO we decided to eat at MEC because I'd been told how phenomenal it is. I also knew that they had great vegan options. We got there close to 8pm on a Saturday night and got a seat at the bar within 5 minutes. The bartender was 5/5 for service and knowledge of what was vegan or HOW to make something vegan. Drinks were great. It's a super cool interior which is more cafeteria style seating and it reminds me of Europe. Very cool. Food was MEH at MEC. The portion you receive for the price is almost shocking. A Tofuyan brand pita is what seemed to come with the tiny bit of hummus we got. And it was just okay. Nothing phenomenal. The falafel was good but again price y'all. The majadara, which is VERY simple, and one of my FAVORITE Mediterranean dishes was a 1/5. It was SO greasy. And the crispy onions were just okay. Not PHENOMENAL. They're supposed to be caramelized. And the flavor reflective of the caramelized onions. It does NOT work. The Bright star for me was the Spiced Maitake Mushrooms. The FLAVOR was incredible. So absolutely delicious. The Maitake was perfectly grilled and pressed and everything about that dish shone. It was more appetizer sized but very very good. My description to my husband was that MEC is where you go to splurge on Mediterranean food and know you won't get fat from all the bread and carbs. Because simply put you can't afford to! read more

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Mediterranean Exploration Company offers a fantastic dining experience with a variety of flavors to share. We tried the Radicchio Salad, which was refreshing and well-balanced, and the Hummus Abu Hassan, creamy and rich with just the right amount of seasoning. The falafel was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, a classic done right. The Seared King Salmon was perfectly cooked, and the Chermoula Rubbed Shrimp had a lovely spice to it that elevated the dish. But the real standout was the Coffee Roasted Sweet Potatoes--absolutely delicious, with a deep, smoky flavor that had us craving more. We were so full by the end that we couldn't manage dessert, but we definitely left satisfied. Great food, great flavors, and a wonderful atmosphere! read more

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Great experience for my birthday! We enjoyed the curated dishes from the chef's tasting menu which came with about 7-8 dishes. The cocktails were delicious. Our server and staff made it a great dining visit. read more

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We made reservations to celebrate a birthday with their tasting menu going on for their 10th year anniversary and jt was a good experience. The chef curated dishes that worked well together and they even had octopus which was my favorite! Service was very prompt and attentive. Our server, Cleo, was fantastic! The only negative was that they came out with almonds for dessert instead of an actual dessert/cake. BUT, Cleo being the fantastic server he is, came by with a birthday cookie and an espresso martini at the end. Fantastic! read more

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Everything I've ever eaten here is delicious, literally everything. The lamb hummus is great, and all of the salads are amazing! Vibe inside is cute, lots of seating! Staff is always nice, the host with the gray hair deserves a raise, what a sweetheart! Love MEC, will come back always! read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Rose Water Panna Cotta, Pistachio & Hazelnut Baklava, Cardamom Ice Cream - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Phenomenal food and service was great. On the pricey side, but worth it for a special occasion for sure. Definitely recommend reservations; it is hopping! read more

I really enjoyed the foods here. I wasn't able to get a picture of everything but believe me when I say it was good. I recommend getting the at least one of the hummus dishes as it was so smooth and flavorful. The lamb was also tender done well. I think it might have been my favorite thing on the menu. Also the roasted carrots were a table favorite. Honestly everything was done so well so no matter what you get I'm sure it'll taste good. I will also say the drinks were also quite good. For service, the hostess was so nice and accommodating. She had good recommendations for us and was knowledgeable in the menu. The atmosphere was warm, classy, and good for conversation. Also side note, but the food is meant to be served family style, so be prepared to share! read more

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Decent food, great ambiance and amazing service. Loved their cauliflower, shrimp was pretty well done read more

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Would recommend ordering the crispy lamb hummus (their pita is THE BEST!), grilled octopus, and the coffee roasted sweet potato. I'd probably skip the fennel salad and the Morroccan brick chicken if I were to go again. read more

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hmMmM i cannot and will not shut up about the octopus... i absolutely lov that chewy texture and the seasoning and oils made it 10/10 for me! the lamb chops were probably my second favorite; again great seasoning... the pita bread and hummus is very memorable to me very pungent taste but texture is all there ~ the onions yommy ~ the greek potatoes were delicious as well but it does get a bit filling after a while since all these dishes are on the oilier side HAHAHA so i dabbed each bite on a napkin before continuing to eat. the chicken and salad were good too but i was saur full already i was going to explode. but lovely atmosphere and friendly service; we got seated immediately which was nice :-) they also do birthday specials yippee read more

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Had an amazing meal here while visiting! We ordered the crispy lamb hummus, hamachi crudo, radicchio salad, spinach and cheese boureka, spiced mushrooms and Moroccan chicken. Everything was delicious but absolute faves were the hummus and mushrooms. Least favorite was probably the chicken- it was really well made but we were more blown away by the other flavors. Service was attentive. Had the mint tea which was great with the meal. Trendy ambiance. Would return if in Portland again! read more

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I'll start with the positives: the falafel, pita and drinks were all great. The falafel had a nice unique spice, the pita was very fresh and the drinks were unique and really good, especially the Moroccan Iced Mint Tea. The bad: the main entree, the service and the prices. The Shawarma Spiced Cauliflower was underwhelming - it literally was 2 pieces of burnt cauliflower with sauce, definitely not worth 22 dollars. The Hummus was too sour and the Gem Salad was sweet and sour as well. We were seated at the bar and our bartender didn't check in with us besides taking our order and was even condescending when I asked about the vegetarian options on the menu. I would've understood as it was busy, but she was checking in regularly with the other customers around us, even giving out free appetizers, desserts and champagne to different people but only came around to give us the bill at the end. I don't think it's worth the experience, at least for vegetarians. read more

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Came back to MEC for a special date night. This was my second visit, and I must say, this place is growing on me. Here are my musts: Start with the crispy lamb humus (order an extra pita), the grilled octopus and lamb chops for your main proteins, and end with beef bacon wrapped dates as a way to end the night with savory and sweet. This place is a city favorite, and I understand why. Enjoy! read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Me and 6 others had dinner last night here. We were really looking forward to dining here, but unfortunately our experience was disappointing. Our visit ended up lasting about 3 hours due to how slow everything was. It took over an hour just to receive our small plates, and when they finally arrived, the food was just okay. Definitely not traditional Mediterranean food. During the meal, we were rarely checked on, which made the wait feel even longer. To make things worse, when we were leaving, one of the servers asked us why we didn't tip more--even though we had already left what we felt was a generous tip given the poor service. This came across as unprofessional and left a bad final impression on top of an already frustrating and extremely slow night. We hope management takes this feedback seriously, because the atmosphere has potential, but the service and professionalism need major improvement. read more

This place was soo good the other night for dinner! Definitely need to make a reservation as it is popular!! Everything is meant to be shared a party of 6 we got about 7 dishes some seafood others all vegetarian. Service was great! Courses came out one at a time so you can enjoy and savor it before the next one read more

Wow wow wow. We ordered five plates for two people. Fennel salad, so earthy. Octopus for my friend who is not vegetarian, where as I am. Artichokes, with a nice tahini and citrus flavor. Mushrooms with nice lentils underneath. All great! 100% recommend. read more

This is the best Mediterranean food I ever had. Everything is so delicious and flavorful. Lamb chop is the best I ever tasted. These comments are coming from a well traveled person who loves lamb. I hope I get the message across. Service is nice and the ambiance is great too. I would visit again next time I am in Portland. read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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"Exploring" is going somewhere unfamiliar. It doesn't usually include the urge to lick the plates, but maybe it should, especially if you are going to eat here. The flavors were a surprisingly rich combination of the unexpected, but in a delightful way. They had a lot of vegetarian options , and we decided to nibble our way across the menu, family style. My suggestions? Try the salt roasted beets -perfectly roasted and lounging on a pool of tahina with herbs, Fennel salad- with a slightly citrusy vinagarette and sweet almonds for crunch, Labneh -topped with crispy artichokes and a sauce that perfectly balanced spicy with flavorful fruit over the base of tangy yogurt. Other top picks: spiced mushrooms on garlic spiced lentils, or the spinach & cheese Boureka. Any negatives?: our whole meal came with one single small piece of pita bread for three people to share, and a single small extra piece of bread is $3 each. For our $150 bucks, they could have provided extra bread. Would I go back? Oh yes! read more

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The place is roomy and very nice. I had the shrimp , chicken and lamb everything was tasty but very rich. The service was really good and they pay attention what you need read more

This restaurant was quite an interesting experience as it is not somewhere I would typically go. We visited on a business dinner and had a great time. The restaurant is dimly lit to give it that classy feel. We got the taster and everything was really good. The hummus with pita was probably my favorite. The lamb was also great quality but I didn't think the flavor was very unique. The service was very quick and they made sure to check in on our experience to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. I do wish they had some more red wine choices, that was probably my biggest letdown on my first time through. read more

Yummy food in low light ambiance. Portions are on the petite side, so you might want to consider ordering additional dishes. Service was good but not stellar. The pita bread is absolutely delicious! read more

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Came here as a party of five and did the chefs tasting menu. Everything was delicious and the portions were generous. We were so full by the second to last course that we boxed up the remaining dishes. And every dish was excellent. Highly recommend read more

The lamb chops were fantastic. We ordered another servicing it was soo good. The restaurant is busy and it is tapas style. The service is okay - not amazing but not bad either. The shrimp was perfectly cooked. We went at night so it was dark inside the restaurant. Seems like it would be a good date place. I would go back for the lamb chops. read more

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Food is superb, wait staff couldn't be more gracious, dessert is the best, and my Turkish coffee was perfect.....

After an outstanding meal at Lil' Shalom we had to try out the flagship Mediterranean Exploration Company. We were a little surprised by the location in what feels like an old loading dock / warehouse. Inside was a low ceilings, dimly lit but cozy space. We got great service throughout the night. We were seated at a table that was very close to our neighbors, who unfortunately were having quite the boisterous meal. As with the last time, the food was absolutely delicious. Creative, flavorful, vegetarian friendly, hearty portions and arrived fast. The carrots, falafel - everything was so so good. We are excited to try every property this restaurant group has to offer. read more

great food and service. removing one star for how loud it is in the restaurant. sometimes too loud to hold a conversation

We went to this place on a Friday evening and it was crowded. They had seating all over the place, which was a little suffocating because it felt like we were sharing the table with so many people because we were literally sitting next to each other. People were shouting to talk to each other which became chaotic. Food was very average, we ordered greek potatoes, chicken meatballs, spinach and cheese boureka, and mejadara. Chicken meatballs were pretty good and the mejadara too. The greek potatoes were dipped in olive oil like literally dipped in the plate full of olive oil, we couldn't eat them much. Remaining items were pretty good and the drinks too. Service was good too. For the price point, not worth visiting this place again. My recommendation would be to explore it. Not a second time visit place. read more

Mediterranean Exploration - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I love everything about MEC EXCEPT..the portion sizes. Service, very pleasant. Food , very tasty. Atmosphere, a little noisy but doable. The portions are pretty criminal. A $48 Branzino that was not enough to feed one person, with maybe 2 tablespoons on couscous. A $36 Moroccan chicken that was about the size of a half of a Cornish game hen. I had to make a sandwich when I got home after spending $300. Cannot recommend . read more

Loudest restaurant in Portland I've ever been in. Will never ever go back. Food was good. Service was mediocre. Ambiance was San Franciscan.

Ordered and shared 7 things from the menu and all of them were excellent. As basic as it sounds, the hummus and warm fresh flatbread was my favorite. Bacon wrapped date was great and the braised beef and orzo entree we got was also a standout. Inside was nice, industrial and lively. Service was the only downside to this place, we saw our server only twice: to take our order and then to drop off the check, the rest was done by the food runners. Not enough to deter us because the food was so good, could've been an off day or server specific. read more

If a restaurant can get me to eat lamb and actually ENJOY it?! Then you really got somethin good. Came here for the first time on a Friday night and it was worth all the hype. The dishes are small plates - which I love - so keep in mind that you'll need to order quite a few depending on how hungry you are. I came for dinner with a friend and we started with the Hummus abu Hassan and their fresh baked pita... omg... I'm not even a hummus fan yall, but this one was amazing. Then we ordered the Pan Roasted Salmon and the Hawaij Spiced Carrots - both were perfect. And last but not least, the Lamb Chops. INSANE. I don't like lamb and will never go out of my way to order it or even try a bite when my husband orders it anywhere. But their lamb chops here, I will come back for. I usually will take pictures of my food to post on here, but I was truly enjoying my meal so much that I didn't take a single photo. Maybe next time! LOL read more