The food was beautifully presented and full of flavor. The service was special making us feel cared…read morefor. One very very picky eater in our group absolutely loved the hummus- warm fresh bread- rice. Absolutely would recommend this place.

5 starts just for having one of my favorite dishes! I was in Portland for work and my friend and I…read morestopped here for dinner. It's a small place with dim lighting and a handful of tables. We were seated quickly and greeted warmly. There is a nice selection of imported drinks and beers if that's your thing. My friend ordered the lamb shawarma and the portion was really good - lots of meat with rice. I went off the a la carte menu and got stuffed cabbage, 2 pieces of falafel, and a meat pie. My food came with a large piece of freshly baked pita. It was piping hot and the perfect implement to eat my dinner. The meat pie was probably my least favorite because I prefer mine with a tahini sauce and the bread was a little soggy. But the flavor was there and great. The falafel was dense and tasty and came with a tahini sauce to dip in. But my favorite was by far the stuffed cabbage or malfoof. Stuffed cabbage is one of my favorite Arabic dishes and I rarely make it because of how much time it takes. I enjoyed every single bite of that cabbage roll and now it's renewed my resolve to make some at home. All in all - nice staff, good food, quaint place. Definitely check it out!

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.

This place is only a few blocks from my home…read more I randomly came here on a date and didn't have a reservation, so we were told we could sit at the bar, so we grabbed the back corner. It ended up being a great spot. The ambiance is great and the bartender was pleasant. They have a seasonal menu, which assures me that we're going to get the freshest produce possible. We started with the Labneh & Confit Butternut Squash. It was fine, but not my favorite dish of the night. The labneh was more like Greek yogurt than cheese, which isn't a bad thing, but I would have liked a little more saltiness. The Harissa Spice Shrimp, on the other hand, was fantastic. Definitely the standout item we actually ordered. The Baked Eggplant was good too, although it didn't quite wow me. I think there was some mix up, as we were first served the Roasted Eggplant Dip. We flagged the server down to say it wasn't what we ordered, but they let us keep it. Boy were we happy about this! It was the best dish of the night (and a must reorder). The pita to go with the Labneh and the Dip was excellent too. Piping hot and just right.

Found this cart next to Bing Mi, so got a chicken shawarma plate for the kid while we waited to get…read morefood from bing mi. Nice gentleman took the order and food was prepared fresh on a pan and ended up being delicious! Great flavors on the chicken and garlic sauce and hummus. I had to steal few bites from the kid since the crepe from bing mi did not do anything for me. This was so much fresher and tastier! I am a lover of shawarma anywhere, but tried to be adventurous with a chinese crepe on my trip. Chicken shawarma would have been a much better meal in this group of food carts. Should have known when some construction folks sitting at the table were waiting for food from here. Hot fresh flavorful foods that fills you up, seems the local guys know what to eat for lunch. Kid had his fill and we took leftovers to hotel. He ate the leftovers later in the day and still enjoyed it, so he's a fan!

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.

Mamma Khouri's is a "hidden gem" in Portland! This restaurant serves Middle Eastern food, which I…read morehad never tried before visiting here. Some of the food was similar to Indian food, like the rice and lentil dishes. My friends and I tried the falafel sandwich, tabouleh, mujadra, and lentil soup. Everything was delicious, and I particularly enjoyed the falafel, which was not try at all, and the lentil soup, which was flavorful and perfect for a chilly day. The owner was super sweet, and he was happy to recommend dishes based on everybody's preferences / interests. Our food came out quickly because the restaurant was not very busy. My friends and I are already planning another trip here so we can try even more of their foods. I would recommend trying this restaurant with a large group of people so you can taste many different dishes!

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

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 guess I've been sleeping on Iraqi food because this place blew me away! Just a delicious meal…read morefrom start to finish. From the soup to the baklava to the Arabic coffee, this place is just flavor heaven. Bonus points for the great service complete with "boss" and "queen" honorifics, and you have a perfect meal!

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 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!

This place is so yummy! Easily some of my favorite mediterranean food in Portland. I have…read moredefinitely ordered this at least every year for tree lighting as takeout, it never disappoints. I highly recommend getting the mezza plates, lamb kabob, and the falafel wrap. Service is quick and the food is so good that you can't really go wrong with your order. It is also really good for leftovers if you over order, which is a common occurrence when I go since everything is so good.