Very solid and standard Middle Eastern food. Not exceptional but very good and much better than I…read morecan get in the last few places I've lived. Pickled eggplant with walnut appetizer was tasty with a nice blend of flavors, and foul madames was particularly good. The spinach fatayer was on the doughy side without the spinach soaking the dough the way I like, but was fresh out of the oven, which was nice. Zaatar flatbread was basically standard but the herb flavor came through well.

I ordered a lamb shawarma, was charged for a lamb shawarma and instead I got a beef shawarma…read more Called the restaurant because I know the difference between lamb and beef which is a big difference. The young lady on the phone tried convincing me that beef is lamb. Truly not ok! They are scamming people and are getting away with it! All I eat is lamb I have been raised on lamb! It really feels like because they are in a predominantly African America community they think we do not know the difference. Super upsetting! Don't go there what they are serving people is not lamb

The food was amazing! The chicken swarma plate was full of wonderful flavors. The babaganoush and…read morehouse made pita bread was divine. The men that run the place were funny and silly even in a time where all the tables were full and they were trying to keep up. We felt like we were at home. Check this place out. You won't regret it.

Just came in from a run this afternoon to pick something up to eat. I got my usual, and today…read moresomething was off. I sat down to eat, but as soon as I was done, my stomach was BUBBLING. It was crazy! It was making sounds like from the beginning of that one song Rap City. I rushed home and as soon as I got home I sat in the restroom for over an hour. You have been warned.

We celebrated a birthday at Mediterranean Exploration Company with their set menu, and it was one…read moreof the best dining experiences we've had in Portland. We were able to try a wide variety of dishes, and every single one was exceptional. I have dietary restrictions (no onions or garlic), and the kitchen and staff were incredibly accommodating. They prepared separate versions of several dishes for me without hesitation, and I never felt like I was getting a lesser experience. It's rare to find a restaurant that can accommodate food sensitivities so thoughtfully while still delivering incredible flavor. The food was absolutely delicious from start to finish, and the service was impeccable. The staff was warm, attentive, and made our birthday celebration feel special without ever being overbearing. Everyone in our group left talking about how amazing the food was. We couldn't have asked for a better meal or a better overall experience. Mediterranean Exploration Company has definitely earned a spot on our list of favorite Portland restaurants, and we can't wait to come back.

4.4/5. 1st place - baked feta (delicious only complaint is…read morethat the feta stuck to the bottom of the pan) 2nd- lamb chops 3rd place - radicchio salad (crunchy bits were delicious) 4th - hamachi crudo (the sauce with this was amazing to dip the pita in) 5th - cauliflower (the fact that they brought this last should be illegal) Overall, really enjoyed but wish everything was brought out together so it could be eaten together.

Split the three meats platter with my husband and it was more than enough food for an extremely…read morereasonable price. Everything tasted delicious but for me, it was a bit salty.

Zero Stars Waste of $16!!!…read more 1. Falafel Arabi: It WAS SWEET and really nasty. (And I cook with many spices bec I make middle eastern food at home., different versions from Greek, to Armenian, to Lebanese, and Egyptian) And do not expect a thick pita. This was either a large thin tortilla or akin to it. I wouldn't call it flatbread. I'd expected an open style dish full of fresh lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes maybe even feta, fresh crunchy yummy. There were 2 tiny cubes of tomato and a little wilted cooked lettuce w/ a swipe of hummus. (I'd asked for tzatziki instead of hummus.) I couldn't eat this dish because it was sweet and not the crunch I wanted. 2. Tzatziki: Whoah! What happened here? Did their refrigerator go out? It looked like turned milk. At first I thought they made it w/quinoa because it was so LUMPY. It was NOT CREAMY. And It was so full of oil it spilled into the bag. Oil in tzatziki? The menu says, "Minty Tzatziki (V, GF) Creamy, organic greek yogurt dip infused with fresh mint, crisp chopped cucumber, minced garlic, and zesty lemon. Herby, cooling, both light and satisfying. The perfect accompaniment to a warm, spicy meal." Nope. Entire meal went into the compost bin. The man was nice though.

A cozy small restaurant in N Portland serving middle eastern food…read more Tried their combo plate as well as the lamb skewers plate. Lamb was flavorful the skewers had 3 pieces of lamb per skewer. Price/portion size was decent for lamb. Kabobs were all flavorful. Rice was also seasoned with something. Plates run in the $2x range Overall it is a nice meal

One of my two go-tos in Portland for Middle Eastern cuisine. The food is always good (their fresh…read morebaked pita bread is the best, the baba ganoush is delicious, I could go on). The service here is always lovely and we always feel welcome when we come here. And the in-house ambience is pleasant for when we want to eat in (more often we get food to-go). The only thing keeping me from giving them five stars: my partner can't eat raw onion. We usually get one of the combination mezza platters and always ask to substitute extra baba ganoush for the tabbouleh, since the tabbouleh has raw onions. Half the time they forget to change this and we don't realize until we get back home with our to-go order. Other than that, they're wonderful!

What a sweet quaint little restaurant. My daughter and I went there yesterday for Mother's Day. It…read morewas a beautiful day and while they have outdoor seating we elected to eat inside. Reviewing the menu, there were lots of yummy things to choose from but ultimately we both could not resist the Lamb shank. I'm sad I didn't take a picture of it. It was so tender and delicious. It came with perfect Basmati rice and a side of eggplant stew that was exquisite! I've never had eggplant stew and it was luscious. I dream to about it all night long. It was quiet, comfortable, music was great; songs we all know but with native instruments and flare. We had house red wine - not a big selection of alcohol, which is fine the food is and should be the star. Our sever (Sorry my old lady brain forgot his name) but the good looking bald guy(LOL) was nice and personable. It was such a great low key dining experience that just made the day even better. I highly recommend this cute place and we will be back- there are a lot more wonderful food to try!

I need 1 more Halah type restaurant, the one I picked last week, did looked awful from the First…read moreImpression, and it adds up, as we got closer to the front door. My first impression as we entered here was: the AC was on, and I'm not ready for AC (yet), and the inside was too elegant, and empty. We waited awhile, when a staff appeared. We picked a seat outside, where the weather was pleasant and shady. I needed badly, to use the restroom, so I went back inside, only to be told it's outside. The mural on the walls, obscured the door to the restroom. But, there was no TP, no paper towel, and the trash was full. I had to use a toilet seat cover paper, for my TP, and went back to my seat, not happy with what I just did! I told my husband, who then told the staff, because HE need to use the restroom, too. (We've been gone all morning, this is now lunch hour). The staff gave water, menu and we ordered: The Lamb Shank. I love the eggplant stew! There's also a small salad with the Basmati rice. Also Chicken Kabob Mezza Platter with Pita bread. It was not until we're done eating, and ready to get up, did I notice there was cubed cucumber in the thaziki. But, it's got a very strong vinegar flavor, but I did like the hummus and the ghanoush. (When we eat at these places, we always pick the lamb shanks, btw). I had the other half, for my dinner tonight. The server was friendly, helpful and responsive. The atmosphere, was pleasant, and the photo taken of me, hubby thought I could pass as an Iraqi woman! LOL Thanks for the bag. We picked some crabapples, from down the street, there were 4-5 large trees ready for the pickin' from the sidewalk.

Generous portions, good quality meat, and very flavorful (I told him to make it spicy) I would…read moredefinitely come back!

This is one truck in the parking lot of Flip side bar. The guy taking the orders was really nice…read more The gyro salad was very solid. Great tasting gyro. you can order your food and then go eat inside the bar or on tables outside. There's a wide selection of trucks out in the parking lot.

Delicious authentic Lebanese food. Amazing food, ambiance & service. I was here on a Friday night…read moreand they even had a belly dancer. Their lamb and rice dish was unbelievable. Can't wait to return and try more things on their menu. The owners really take pride in their restaurant which has been a staple here in Portland for over 20 years.

Al-Amir Restaurant has been in Portland forever and is the classic spot…read more We had a big group gathering and the restaurant were quite easy to work with, great service, ambience and a big back area with multiple table. They also had a special dinner buffet with selective vegetarian & non-vegetarian options for a fixed price. We also had the option to order off the main menu. There is also a bar area up front with smaller tables. The staff were very friends and kudos to them to handling a bigger group without any issues. We were also surprised by the belly dancing artist, which definitely made for a memorable night. To sum it up - Delicious Lebanese food, fun music, lively conversations, and an unforgettable belly dancing performance that brought such fun energy to the night!

I love this restaurant. The food is terrific. We got pita bread with dips. The pita comes out hot…read morefrom the oven and is as large as a large pizza. The dips are wonderful. I love lamb and the lamb kabobs were perfect. The restaurant is large enough for a crowd. The service was with a smile. The baklava was fabulous.

I really don't recommend spending your money here. I'll say as a disclaimer my review is based on…read morean Uber eats order. I think sometimes restaurants have a different level of quality or care for to go orders and I want to call that out. However, the food is quite expensive, and VERY disappointing. Things I ordered Pita bread - was extremely dry, leathery, un-chewable. Must have been stale. Dip mezza - hummus not smooth, no flavor, Lebneh was ok, baba ghanoush almost tasted of artificial smoke flavoring. Shatta - absolutely not shatta. It was oil with chopped herbs that has definitely gone bad. Again absolutely no flavor. Paid $5 for a tiny to go condiment cup of it! What a rip off. Falafel - meh. Lamp gyro - fiance thought it was ok, but also, very bland. There are so many good middle Eastern restaurants I will definitely never order from this restaurant again. It's really sad when you can tell that an establishment simply does not care about the quality or the culinary technique that goes into their food. Especially when they charge so much!

Baba ghanouj, hummus, and foul moudamas are all standouts here. The baba ghanouj is soft and smoky…read more-- and, in a Portlandia-style touch, a blackboard lists which farm its eggplant is from! The foul moudamas (a fava-bean dish, spelled differently at other restaurants that offer it) is soupy and terrific. Ask for the house green hot sauce if you want to spice things up! The staff is large and friendly and all seem to be having a good time. The owner stopped us to say hello as we left. Homey place, great for vegetarians (although there are plenty of meat dishes). The desserts look good but we didn't try them.

This is a catering review. Food is good, setting up catering orders with them is slow and…read moredishonest, will set out advertising on your tables. We chose Hoda's for one of our wedding events as they are a full service caterer who can appeal to many people. They are also able to outsource many Indian/Pakistani items. Our tasting went well and we decided to book with them. Pros: -Food is Good -Full Service Cons: -Pricing Fluctuates completely on guest count. We were quoted $19k for a 250 person event and then our guest count went down and somehow they still ended up at $19k. Eventually they came down after discussions but clearly they had marked that weekend for $19k and that's what they were going to get until we spoke with them. -Slow -We did not receive a final quote until a week and a half before the date. We felt backed into a corner especially with their "updated" pricing. - They placed little advertising signage all over the tables! Tables with $50 to $100 center pieces. It was tackless and rude to not even ask for permission. It is in all our photos and insanely distasteful. If you plan to book with them, be prepared for long spans of time between emails after you have booked them, costs going up (quote under what you actually might have guest), and ensure that they are aware before that no signage of any kind is allowed. They did not disclose this beforehand that they would do this and we were caught totally by surprise. Buyer beware. I'm disappointed and saddened by our experience and hope other bridal parties can avoid this same experience.