This is a small middle-eastern family-operated restaurant with limited sitting. Reservations are required. I'm not sure if they take walk-ins, but you may need to call to find out. Being in downtown, parking is challenging...but there are some parking lots close by + street parking if you are lucky. If you happen to come for dinner after the sunset, beware of the many crows that roost around the area. You may be 'blessed' with some 'droppings' like I did. Maybe an umbrella while walking under the trees full of roosting crows may be helpful? :) This was my first time at this restaurant. I came with my family and we were greeted by a friendly Sole. He was super friendly and sat us at one of the booths at the back of the restaurant. It was comfy and the ambiance was good with some middle-eastern decor and music. For drinks, we ordered the following which I'd highly recommend for their refreshing taste. $7.95 Lemon-mint Juice $7.95 Queen's Saudi Champagne (non alcoholic) The service was a tad slow, Sole and team were busy...small team. Sole provided good feedback on the popular food and this is what we ended up ordering. $9.95 Vegetarian Sambusa (3 PCS) $18.95 Mezza Platter $19.95 Roasted Chicken Platter For dessert, they were out of a bunch of items on the menu and we opted out. Overall, great authentic food, ambiance and friendly staff . Will definitely return...probably before those beautiful crows start roosting :) read more

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Came here for a birthday dinner on Valentines Day and had some of the best cheesecake of my life & I LOVE LOVE LOVE CHEESECAKE. Our reservation was at 8:45 and the item we wanted to order was sold out so we switched over to the Queens Chicken fillet and that was good. It was two crispy chicken fillets with a long strip of pickle and their pink sauce (which reminded me of thousand island or in and out but with a slight diff). The fries that came with it were crispy and oddly enough after the crispy chicken the bun was my favorite thing about this dish -- it was soft and fluffy, perfectly crispy. We enjoyed the safrron tea but like I mentioned above the cheesecake was the star of the show. Our service was great, very polite and provided useful suggestions. Loved the atmosphere and the ambiance. The Muttabag was tasty as well. It was a good side for the meal. I'll definitely get some cheesecake from here again and maybe make earlier dinner reservations so that I can try those yummy soup dishes before they sell out,. read more

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I've ordered catering from this place multiple times, and the food is consistently outstanding. Everything is incredibly juicy, flavorful, and prepared to perfection. Every time I've served it, everyone has loved it. Whether you're dining in or ordering catering, this is absolutely the place to go. read more

Queen Mama's Kitchen - Royal Cheesecake and Pistachio Cheesecake with Karak Saffron Tea - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was so thrilled to hear about Portland's first Saudi restaurant opening shop in the heart of the city, serving fresh halal food with plenty of pizzazz. After months of salivating over the Instagram Reels, I finally got to check out Queen Mama's Kitchen and let me tell you, it did not disappoint (Alhamdulillah) First, let me start by saying how gorgeous the interior design is. The cheerful sky blue walls, gold accents, and ample lighting make you feel like you've stepped into an elegant but inviting space. This is you eating dinner at your classy aunt's house. And yes, the food hits all the comforting notes of a home cooked meal. I love that the menu is very simple. There's nothing more frustrating to me than spending hours deliberating over what to get when everything looks great, but with Queen Mama's you don't have as many choices but what you're gonna get are the most essential, classic Arab dishes to try. They do balance this with some rotating specials throughout the week, so you'll never get bored I'm sure and are rewarded for repeat visits. Bring a bunch of people so you can enjoy everything on the menu family style. Start off with the Mezze Sampler platter. Honestly, the best hummus, baba ganouch in the city. The ingredients and flavors are perfectly balanced and freshly sourced, you can tell right away. The pita is baked to a nice crisp. I loved this creamy eggplant combo on the side, with decadent meaty undertones. The Lentil Soup is fantastic, definitely worth getting on the side especially on a cold day. Lamb Shank was perhaps a bit overcooked in my opinion, should be more tender, and you have to douse it with the delicious tomato sauce on the side for the full experience. Same goes for the Roast Chicken. Koshari is definitely worth ordering if you've never had it, but for me I'll stick to the lamb and roast chicken on repeat visits. The side of rice that comes with the entrees? 100/100 points. I love the inclusion of pine nuts throughout. Sadly didn't get a chance to dive into the desserts this time, but they look incredible. So many kinds of Saudi inspired cheesecake! Luckily, there's a cute cafe attached to the restaurant so if you want to stop by for just coffee and cake, it's very easy to do so without waiting for a sit down table. read more

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Decided to try this restaurant after watching Instagram reels Good side Nice ambience Yummy desserts Not up to the mark Appetizers - only one non veg option and don't have the WOW factor Main dishes - lamb shank is not great , was expecting a flavorful fall off the bone one , this was little chewy, blunt and rice was like Plain rice that was hard too Grilled chicken and rice was good and it's rice is yummy Parking is street side parking and the surrounding is not that pleasing read more

Trending social media reels got us to queen mama last week. Recommend doing reservation for weekend. Menu is not very appealing. Only 1 non vegetarian option in appetiser and it was over by the time we went in. We took mezza platter, roast chicken, lamb shank. Roast chicken with rice was good. But same can't be said about Mandi rice. It was bit undercooked. Lamb is not fall of the bone and lacked seasoning. Loved mezza platter and probably it's one of the items to go for. We also took saffron tea, cheesecake and basbousa. Desserts are exceptional and would say a must try here. Service is just fine and Ambience is good if you are into it. Additionally just keep in mind they have a special entree every day. Friday , it is the shank read more

I ordered takeout, and it was decent overall. Some of the spices were a bit too strong/fragrant for my tastes. The price was ok, given the location too. read more

I have been wanting to try this place for some time. Tied to the food stall but having a sit down spot... middle eastern but family recipes caught my attention. I passed by it seemed closed so I strolled through the food pod to check it out. I passed by one more time and I see life. The door a jar. I asked if they were open they said we normally open at 5pm and mostly work by reservation as we have been filling up. I stared with some black tea to warm up a bit and give me some life. The specials looked pretty good but I started with the lentil soup. I could see the family preparing for the weekend. Mom by the stock pot. Andre filling the sodas in the cooer. The vibe - the kitchen in the background going over the specials. The cooktops have pot cooking recipes above the stove tops. Dressed in black with black chef hats. Happy flowing freely. Making the family recipes. The lentil soup. The server said this was their mom's recipe. Flavors are on point. Some chips to add to the soup and limes to top it off. I went for the chicken and rice dish. The chicken seasoned very well grilled just right. The rice perfectly cooked seasoned and presented. There was this condiment sort of a salsa lime, hot peppers tomato to accompany the dish. The service above and beyond. Other workers looking out from the kitchen with smiles to check out the scene. All the dishes are from mom's recipes. Dessert cheesecake which mom loved to make. The server explained all the dishes very well. I felt so comfortable I just about left without paying the server laughed because as he said he was about to open the door for me without presenting the bill. 5/5 from the start to finish. Another fine dining experience in Portland. read more

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My co-worker from Saudi Arabia introduced us to Queen Mama's Kitchen as one of the best and more authentic middle eastern dining experience and Queen Mama's delivered upon incredible taste and wonderful service! The Mezza platter started off with a healthy & delicious start to the heavier lamb shank (Mandi) that packed so much flavor when dipped in the soup provided! To continue to cleanse palate; the Karla Saffron Tea was an amazing touch that didn't taste too sugary. Highly recommend! read more

Queen Mama's Kitchen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We found this spot and walked in without a reservation. It was small and quaint. They had a reservation coming in shortly after we arrived. However, they were nice enough to give us the reserved table and let us know we had 45 minutes. This was really nice and we took them up on the offer. We decided to share a platter with hummus baba ghanoush. Everything was so fresh with great flavors and was easily able to be shared with three people. The food came out quickly. I'd love to go back and try some other dishes soon. Their bar area and cocktail menu looked good. read more

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A cute and quaint spot to enjoy Saudi Arabian food. The place has a handful of tables and it is beautifully decorated. We were greeted by a friendly staff member and taken care of. They didn't have a few items available from the menu which was a bummer because the pistachio cheesecake and baklava looks amazing! The Turkish tea had a delicious and herbal taste. My chicken shawarma rice bowl was packed with flavor. The cheesecakes we did get to try was superb. I'll have to come back and see if they have the pistachio cheesecake available. read more

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Omg the food was so good the koshari tasted like it came from egypt, everything was well seasoned and amazing. The service was really nice and the workers were kind. Loved the ambiance. So cutesie i love this place! read more

10/10 for fast, friendly, forgiving service and for being the one please open for walk ins on Valentine's evening. Mezza platter was good but I would have liked more given the price. Overall liked the vibe and loved the people. And babaganoush. read more

Visiting from Texas and we just happened to stop by after seeing cheesecakes. Place is small but their service was exceptional! Their cheesecake was amazing! We got the Dubai chocolate cheesecake and it did not disappoint. They are opening up their second location tomorrow! Please check them out! They did not sell Dubai chocolate but with their new location they will. I asked about the chocolate and they went out of their way to make it for us to try!! It was amazing!! Best Dubai chocolate I had! read more

Queen Mama's Kitchen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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GREAT AMBIENCE, OKAY FOOD, EXTREMELY SLOW SERVICE. This is a cute little restaurant that serves more of a Saudi style Mediterranean. If you're looking for a lot of flavor and spices, this may not be the place for you. While the food does have regional spicing, the flavor profile is quite weak and underwhelming. The saffron tea was my favorite part of the meal if that gives you any idea of what my experience was. The Jareesh supposedly came with chicken, but I was hard-pressed to note any in it. Like I cannot remember a single bite with chicken in it. And again, while the spicing was pretty good, overall the dish still had a weak, somewhat bland taste. As for the service, the place was not very busy at all, and yet after my 3 guests and I ate our meals the dishes sat languishing on the table for over 15 minutes. There were several employees who appeared to be doing almost nothing, which made it odd that our table was not bussed. Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again. read more

Parking - It's right downtown so you have to find a spot or a lot nearby hopefully. No parking for the place itself. Inside - BEAUTIFUL. I felt like I was in a French Patisserie. Seating - Tiny and cramped, prepare to sit just nearly in your neighbor's lap. Definitely suggest reservations. Food - The good was good, my son LOVED the beef liver which was shocking. the cheesecake from their bakery next store was very yummy. Portion was adequate for the cost. Service - So strange, they were attentive but I had to ask 4 times (from 2 people) for water. The other tables all had carafes of water on them. We were not given small plates to eat from, but I asked a few times before I got 1. read more

We went to the restaurant on 8/31/2025 for dinner. When we arrived there was one group of 4 was dining and the rest of tables were all available. We asked if we can sit a bit far from the main entrance but the host said 'no' and sat us right by the door. They only had 3 entrees on the menu available. Their answers to all of our questions were 'no'. Maybe we were not welcomed so after 5 min, we just left. The restaurant is very cutely decorated. read more

Everything was amazing! A must stop spot! Must end with the pistachio cheese cake! Service was great! read more

A great little niche restaurant located near Old Town. Luckily I made reservations and I did it the day of and I guess this place gets booked fast. I can see why... the food was great and was served not long after ordering. I know, why so fast? The menu is limited depending on the week or day so you're not overwhelmed with not knowing what to choose, but it happens because all the dishes sound delicious, so that's why it's ready to eat shortly after ordering. Quick service and accommodating. Friendly staff and the cheesecake is a must! Tasted like Bischoff sauce on top of it, which I love. Come and support this local restaurant. read more

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One of the greatest places in Portland! The food is so delicious, their cheesecake is amazing, and the restaurants is so clean! Great customer service read more

Queen Mama's Kitchen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Service was good! I especially support black owned businesses in any area. Love the ambiance and the vibe.

As someone who grew up in the Middle East, (Oman), this flavors felt like home to me. And their saffron Karak is hands down the best chai I've had in portland yet. read more

The food was excellent! The service was superb! The ambience was awesome! Highly recommended! read more

Mediocre. There were 2 of us. Didn't take long to be seated, but we had to get someone's attention to order. We had never been to a Saudi Arabian restaurant before so it would have helped to know that most people order family style. My sister ordered chicken rice platter and that's all it was chicken and rice. No vegetables at all. I ordered chicken schwarma rice bowl. Chicken pieces were tough and not shaved like schwarma should be. It was kind of strange to have cut up pickles on the dish too. Wished we had pictures to show. Just visiting Portland but if we ever come back we won't dine here again. read more

Love everything about this place. One of the very few places that serves Saudi Mediterranean food.

Made it in without a reservation and we were quickly seated! Great food, small cozy atmosphere. The shawarma is tasty like no other! Best of all was a cheesecake dessert! read more

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We ordered delivery from QMK before and it was delicious! Tonight, we ordered again but Uber Eats delivered it to the wrong address (I hope the accidental recipient enjoyed their surprise meal!) When I called QMK about this, they went *above and beyond* to prepare my order a 2nd time. It's a family restaurant and a member of their family personally delivered it to my home at *no cost* even though they were not at fault. They even added a desert. I never before received such over the top service from a restaurant. And the food is absolutely delicious! read more

Amazing food and amazingly delicious! We ordered the platter and it was so good! The pistachio cheesecake was to die for. Great everything! read more

This post is way overdue. Queen Mama's Kitchen graciously hosted my large party for my birthday dinner in the beginning of May. They were very organized, accommodating, professional, welcoming, and warm. My friends and I had a ton of fun and the food was delicious! We will definitely be coming back! I can't wait to try the other dishes! read more

Queen Mama's Kitchen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great food, great vibes. Really nice & friendly stuff. Will come back!! Amazing services~ read more

Food was great! Very authentic midle eastern dishes! The coffee, tea and deserts are super delicious read more

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Food was amazing! The eggplant appetizer was a meal in itself. Service was great and don't forget about the dessert. Tea, coffee, and cheesecake read more

In Portland for the day, looking for a place to grab dinner and let traffic die down. The food was amazing, the server super attentive! Will definitely be back when I'm in Portland! read more

I saw this place on instagram and wanted to try it. I went with a friend Friday night without reservations. That was a mistake because the seating area is actually very limited (probably 20 total seats or less) and they were totally booked. The host was friendly and worked to sit us at the bar. We waited about 15 min to sit at the 3 person bar. We had apps and drinks - mocktails (no liquor license) and everything was tasted amazing . I noticed that they had to turn a lot of people away without reservations and it seems like they did a healthy take out business. We clearly just got very lucky with the bar being open. The area is a bit sketch with homeless but the restaurant is super cute inside. The only downside that night was that it was almost 100 degrees in there, same as outside temp. It was a heatwave. I felt bad for the staff because they said the landlord hasn't fixed it in over 3 months. It's not their fault but I would only eat there on a cool day. read more

We saw this restaurant on Yelp and decided to walk from the Marriott waterfront hotel. Wow! We loved it... food, service, atmosphere. We had to change hotels for our second conference but we (3 of us) decided to take an Uber for another wonderful meal before leaving Portland. Everything we had was delicious. We were welcomed like we were old friends but treated as special guests. From the lime slush drink to our amazing desserts, from the appetizer platter to our main dish... Everything was delicious. I think all of us can hardly wait to return so we can have another amazing meal. Queen Mama's added so much to our stay in Portland. The appetizer platter and pistachio cheesecake were amazing... lamb shanks yum as was everything else!! Yum!! read more

Unfortunately I agree with Chris R's review. The social media hype is not it. The food was underwhelming. It came out lukewarm, under salted. our food came out probably less than 10 minutes between the time we ordered and it was brought to our table which to me makes me think that the food was not prepared fresh and was just ready to go . On the other hand It took quite a bit of time between when we sat down when they brought us water or took our order. They ask if you would prefer still or sparkling water, and then they charge you for the sparkling water, but don't tell you . And for the price tag not worth a return trip. If the owner is trying to highlight Saudi food, this is not the way to go, nothing was memorable about this meal. read more

Sully was an awesome and amazing gentleman. The food here is very delicious. Will bring my family back soon again.

The food here is great!! Don't skip the appetizers, they are in the same vein as most SWANA places. What sets this place apart are the salads and entrees. I've never had Saudi Arabian food before and loved the flavors they brought here. The lamb was fall off the bone good and served with a a soup/stew on the side. There's a vegetarian dish of noodles and rice and is very filling. The salad was my favorite, it was bright and fresh with pomegranate dressing and crispy and fresh veggies. They don't serve alcohol here which is fine since I don't drink, loved the mock tails they offered and had the "champagne" pomegranate drink. Can't wait to come back! read more

The food was delicious. We ordered the Meza platter as well as falafel. The falafel was fresh and delicious and the Meza platter had some really incredible unique flavors. The ambience is wonderful and Service was spot on. We definitely will go here again. read more

Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 Apps: Lentil Soup 4/5 and Mottabag 4/5 Main: Lamb Shank 5/5 Hot Drink: Queen's Karak (Milk Saffron Tea) 5/5 Dessert: Basboosa 3/5 The decor is very well put together. From the plates and tableware, to the tables and chairs, to the interior decoration, it has a cohesive theme. read more