OMG, let me tell you all about the horror of this place. My partner and I went here with all the excitement of trying one of of PDX's "hip" spots to be seen with overpriced small plates. As such I did the necessary mental labor in advance of preparing myself to shell out extra cash in exchange for smaller plates of food that ought to have been decently tasty. I also expected a certain, how shall I say, air of smugness in the establishment that one encounters when they are to be grateful to have a seat in the building. All of this was expected and in no way would have detracted from a fabulous experience had I encountered it. I wish I HAD encountered it, as what I did encounter bordered on a comical experience ripped from a alternate scene of Portlandia. It all began with the front of house. We showed up some ten minutes early to our reservation time, and, having seen pairs seated outside on the patio I queried if we too might request a seat outside given the lovely weather. After being told nothing was available I mentioned we would not mind waiting. This was followed by another "no.", to which I replied "no problem." The host then proceeded to tell me that he would "break it down" for me, at which point I told him that was not necessary. Unfortunately, he did break it down for me despite my impotent protestations. Once seated we began to peruse the menu, and settled on cauliflower, pita and Tusk hummus, as well as some chicken and lamb skewers along with two cocktails. The cocktails were great, and the hummus was decent though not impressive or distinctive in any way. Think Trader Joe's original hummus warmed up with a sprinkling of their Cuban black beans and a drizzle of olive oil. This was followed by the arrival of the cauliflower a few moments later, which had decent notes of mint and lemon. So far, not bad though not remarkable. After this point, however, we waited no less than twenty five minutes for the arrival of our skewers, and were told twice by our waiter that they would "be out any moment." On the second occasion I asked him whether if we ordered some tomato saffron would it arrive within the vicinity of the time our skewers did. He said it would. This was the last time our waiter spoke to us without us having to request him, and our skewers and rice took another fifteen minutes to arrive, all without any explanation nor so much as another visit from our unfortunate waiter. The best I can surmise for the flavor of the skewers is palatable, while the rice tasted a bit like Zatarain's mixed with catsup. Were those red flecks among the rice bits of saffron ribbons or simply congealed catsup? I could not tell. We sat with empty drink glasses, plates (not a hard thing to do with such small portions), and blank stares as we waited for our absent waiter to arrive to ask the normal waiter things such as, "may I offer you dessert" or "are you ready for the bill?" Instead, he came by to collect the dishware without saying so much as a word, forcing me to hail to him with a vague signifier in order to request the check. I am beginning to think some of this places go out of their way to hire socially inept waitstaff. Is it a fad that I have not taken notice of? In any case, color me petty and in need of some low frills fare. read more

We came on Saturday and only offer brunch so we didn't have chance try other small dishes but overall pretty good read more

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Excellent, well crafted cocktails, wonderfully prepared dishes unique from the comme toujours at most other mediterranean restaurants including their vegetarian options and desert selections which are out of this world! You should take note though when ordering that the skewers are not very big, especially the lamb. But then again they are like $5-6 each. The lamb ones were pretty much 2 small bites in size so even at that price I felt they could have been just a touch more in size. There are just 3 things that keep me from giving Tusk 5 stars. One is that our reservations were for 7:15 and at 7:40 they began clearing a table for our party of four all the while a 4 top sat empty until right before they sat us. The ding from 5 stars is that the ordering of our selections to the table could have been better and better varied. All of our hoe vegetarian dishes came out at once and first followed by the Humus and then the skewers. It would have been nice to receive some pita with the veggie dishes too. Also, I think if they are going to go with whole wheat pita they should really pay attention to not making the bread too thick as especially with whole wheat it becomes too dense and heavy, which their pita bread was. The service was top flight. read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Amazing food, service and aesthetics! I'll be back... I ordered the Hummus sample platter, lamb shank, and a few seasonal salads that were all excellent. read more

Not as good as shalom y'all or MEC. The hummus was great, but the Asian pear salad, the baked cheese and the rainbow trout were just ok. read more

We had such a pleasant experience here. Not only was the food delicious, but the service was excellent. We didn't have reservations and sat at the bar. We ate before coming here (yes, glutinous) so we just ordered drinks, hummus and chicken skewers. The bartender/waitress noted nicely that the order is a little light. We told her we just ate and are trying different places, which she was totally cool with. I appreciated her being very chill and not annoying about us ordering light. (I've been to places that pressure you to order more than you can consume). But the food was so good, we added the smoked brisket and grilled zucchini and those were also good. I loved the smoked brisket, not at all what I thought. I'm not a big meat eater, these were thinly sliced meat with veggies and the flavors were delicious! So food is delicious, and back to the service- Kelly was super nice and pleasant and even wrote down some bar suggestions for our next stop. Highly recommend coming here. read more

I love Tusk. Seriously, I only have good things to say about this restaurant. Easily my favorite in Portland. I've been coming regularly for years. From my birthday, to holidays, to entertaining out of town guests, Tusk is my go to. I've never been disappointed by the food or service and the wait staff is always attentive and very knowledgeable about wine. Their cocktail program is fun and cool. I love the vibe. Their menu is always changing, and yet the hang on to the fabulous staples: the hummus (classic and rotating are both always fantastic), the marinated feta, the greens with crispy quinoa are always favorites of mine. Expect a wait if you're walking in...I always try to have reservations. Even so, sometimes I just need to go and it's always worth the wait. read more

Had to follow the hype! Never been blown away by Mediterranean food and came here looking to be surprised. By far the most impressive part of Tusk is the details. Perfect lighting design. Embossed coasters. Custom bathroom soap and candles. Immaculate plants. I could go on, whoever designed this restaurant deserves an award. But hey, the food right? Get the mezze. Their pita is mind-blowing and comes with small portions of all sorts of little bites, perfect for variety fiends. Make ample use of the supplied Aleppo chili oil. After that, we had the Kibbe Naya (lamb tartare), carrots, chickpea fries, and sweet potato skewer. These chefs are known for their vegetables, and the carrots & chickpea fries did not disappoint. Get them! Kibbe Naya was less amazing; lamb is a strong flavor and I feel like there were too many other competing spices. Can't say it stood out for me, same for the sweet potato. Drinks were the Hazy Jane and Mr. Glass. Both delicious, but the Mr. Glass wins. Hazy Jane is most photogenic though! Ginger soft serve for dessert was killer too. All in all I had an excellent night here, and everyone's attentive service was absolutely perfect. But I feel like all the heaps of hype might be a bit much. I'll come back, but it's not a must. read more

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Probably the best contemporary Mediterranean restaurant I have been to ever. The food, drinks, the presentation, the ambience, service - things were quite flawless. Had the chicken skewer that was so well done that we got 2 orders of that. The hummus is creamy yet not so overwhelming that makes it one of the best I have had. The seasoning on the hummus is also worth a special mention. The salad was crisp and complimented the rest of our food well. The portions are definitely on the smaller side, you might need atleast 2 different options to have nice full meal. Nonetheless, every item on the menu deserves a spot on your table. Kudos to the staff, chefs and everyone at Tusk ! read more

Came by here for drinks and they pour heavy handed for cocktails. Happy hour drink prices are very solid. Highly recommend the $6 weekend punch. Great atmosphere and there's also a nicely decorated patio for great vibes. I'd recommend anyone to come by here for drinks on a nice day out read more

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The vibe, atmosphere and the sweet, pink cocktail had me fall in love with this place. The night before eating here we dined at Ava Gene's... and let me tell you that that was going to be hard to beat... but hey, Tusk brought its own cache, it's own swagalicious aesthetic that will--not doubt--get us back to Portland in a hot minute. I also appreciated the diversity in age. I was the ONLY brown-skinned girl (more like buttery caramel against a fine-ass bodacious attitude), antyway... I appreciated the diversity of age, and dress style, and hairdos etc. We met a cool couple from L.A. and that was cool (and they weren't wearing Birkenstock's). Tusk is a true winner in my book. Oh, oh, oh... almost forgot: the depth of those pita breads was dope. There were thick as hell, dense enough to scoop and tasted as if they'd been made feet Jesus' feet the were so good. An anointing experience. Word! read more

Have you ever tried online dating? Well, let me compare Tusk to the analogous situation of meeting someone who wayyyyyyyyy over promises their position in life and what they have to offer. I went here for brunch on a Sunday on the fabulous recommendation from a girlfriend who is a foodie. This is what we will call the "set up." I was promised a strapping, 6'2, athletic, smart, kind, funny, EMPLOYED, Brad Pitt look-a-like. I was served up Butt Pitt, his Danny Devito look-a-like older brother who is an aspiring life coach but may also try his hand at online poker even though he's never played. Just WHAT KIND OF BRUNCH MENU IS THIS?! Where are your waffles? Where are your pancakes?! Where is your BACON?! I ended up ordering a pistachio cake which was more like a cookie and a scrambled egg. What really pumped me up was paying about $30 for the most dissatisfying meal I'd choked down in years. That's right, Butt Pitt made me go Dutch and pay for my meal too. Well Butt, well Tusk, we won't be going on a second date. NEXT! read more

It's kind of expensive. The menu is very short. The staff is very professional. The food is pretty good. But, they need to know are the prices. read more

Overall amazingly delectable experience! The place was packed as usual due to the phenomenal food offerings but thankfully we had a reservation so we got an excellent table on the patio. The service was impeccable and the food came out at a perfect pace. We started off with the Tusk Hummus and the most heavenly flat bread evvvaaaa (I still have dreams about it) get the large you will thank me later. Next came the veggies all sooo fresh and perfectly seasoned we ordered the Vegetables, Cucumbers and Beets. For entrees we ordered the Ground Lamb and Pork Skewers which were delightfully juicy and flavorful and the grand finale the Pork Schnitzel which I kid you not was as big as my head, perfectly fried and oh so tasty. I will be back every time I'm in town that's a promise! read more

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Boyfriends birthday and wanted to try something new. I tend to look for places that just look "cool" and often don't look at the menu...but Tusk had both! The ambiance was clean and simple, the white and pink theme made it feel upscale and classy. Food? What do I recommend ? The chickpea fries were to absolutely die for. As a vegetarian and also a lover of fries these were the best. Melted in your mouth and had were the greatest. Drink? The "I'm you're huckleberry" I don't know anything about describing drinks but it was different and sweet but not too sweet with interesting floral elements. Overall great place to get some sharing appetizers and a classy drink ! read more

Reviews had a lot of hipe for this place. If you don't make reservations, you will have to wait to up to 80 minutes. I know I would have rated this place a four or even a five, if I had not picked the chef to select what I should eat. It felt like I paid 150 to eat good combinations of veggies and to share 5 pieces of steak with my partner. Again everything we good but next time I'd figure out what to eat than choose the chef to pick for me! read more

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We've eaten here a few times. Five to be exact. It's mostly when friends are visiting and want to eat at the places they've read about or seen on TV. And all the press has made this a popular place since they've opened and it's quite a scene if you are able to get in. Especially on the weekend. I suppose I'd been on the fence about my opinion about the place until the last time we went. Here's why: My grandma. She spoiled us with food like this when I was a kid. It's hard to find those meals that bring you back to those days especially if the memories are of family. And that's what this kind of food usually does for me. She set a high bar though, and I've been lucky to find some incredibly special places that have made me thank her for introducing me to this cuisine when I was young. With that said, Tusk tries very hard and has some definite hits and a few misses. For starters, great drink menu! Some delicious and refreshing cocktails for just about every taste. Well made and well balanced. The mezze platter and their small plates are terrific. A good amount of food to share and just enough of each so that you're not stuffed before the entrees show up. It's a great way to sample a lot of dishes without overwhelming yourself. And a great way for people not familiar with the food to test the waters... Some of the main dishes are really tasty and the freshness of the produce is truly wonderful. There is a good deal of respect paid to the ingredients by allowing so many of them to shine on their own without overburdening them with heavy sauces or muddled flavors. But some of the dishes are so salty... it would seem an acceptable mistake if it was only "that one time", but each time we've been there has been a dish or two that comes out as if it made it through the kitchen without anyone tasting it. And it ands up overshadowing an otherwise amazing meal. This was a surprise as well: the last time we were there we were presented with a huge flat piece of breaded and fried pork that, while only pretty good, had absolutely no hint of Mediterranean flavor whatsoever. Garnished with only lemon wedges it was as if the dish wasn't finished. I could make that at home and have equally desultory results... is this a traditional dish that I'm not aware of? We checked the menu and there it was. Described accurately to what we got. Let me also make one thing clear, this was all part of the deluxe edition (what used to be the "magic carpet ride") where the meal is chef's choice. This can be and usually is a wonderful thing at most restaurants. And this could be the issue. Half the time we've come here we've ordered a la carte, and half the time we've ordered the chefs choice. And I think the a la carte times the food has been moderately better. Not just in its preparation but also in variety. Like maybe the evening is overwhelming enough for the kitchen staff without having to make my dining decisions for me. When you put it that way it makes me sound lazy... I think I have a romanticized idea of what a chef's reaction is to a "chef's choice" dinner. I imagine them throwing up their hands and saying "finally! Someone who will allow me to create the cuisine I was meant to cook, unbridled by the unflinchingly rigid confines of the a la carte menu!" But it could be the opposite. "Sh$&... Another Fu@&!$? God$&@% chef's menu" Sigh The staff is pretty accommodating and friendly. And the scale to which they are is directly influenced by how busy they are. The stress of a high volume night really shows. And there is a big push for high table turnover. When there's a line at the bar for walk ins waiting for a table, chances are you'll be pushed to eat your multiple courses in an unreasonable amount of time. We had so many plates on our table from entrees mixing with appetizers and drinks and sauces that the task of eating became difficult. You could say it slowed us down even further. All in all still a good dining experience. As a whole, I just want to like it more. I would probably consider it a great dining experience if it wasn't saddled with all of the hype and expectations, and crowds. But that's not their fault. The consistently salty entrees and rushed tables are though. Bringing this review down from four stars to three. (Disclaimer: Portland restaurants have upped the ante over the last few years. Four star reviews for me are still a great restaurant, but I save the five stars now for something that is truly exceptional and surprising, and stays exceptional and surprising.) My advice? Stick to the a la carte, and go midweek when the crowds are less. And try all the cocktails :) Oh. And although Portland still seems to consider itself a utilitarian Carhartt coverall wearing industrial city, you may want to don the fedora and skinny jeans from now on when dining out. You may get better service. read more

The food is so salty and seasoned with similiar seasonings. It was dark and the music was too loud we had to shout. Not worth it.

Amazing food! The service was great! After getting there I realized that a lot of the menu contained items I was allergic to, but the waiters and kitchen quickly jumped in to accommodate me. I felt so taken care of, especially when every time a dish came they had a special dish modified for me. Would love to come back! read more

I thought the food was good but moderately overpriced. Especially for the mezza plate. It was also weird how they made you order at the front while people wait in line behind you but then staff tell you that you can order more at your table later. Why don't just seat us and then let us look at the menu? Then when you order with the hostess you're then told there is an automatic 20% tip added. Either raise your prices and don't tip for counter service or give me my option to tip my own amount back. read more

Brunch at Tusk - Pistachio Cake. My mouth is already watering - so good! The grain bowl was hearty and well balanced. Great portion size. Hummus was amazing - and sometimes that's not easy to say - hummus usually doesn't suck but theirs was so good. Also suggest the young turk - it was a good sized and very tasty. The servers were attentive and quick. Lots of seating when we went, but I do suggest making a reservation. read more

Oh man... where to begin. We came here and to our surprise, seated pretty quickly. The remainder of the night quickly fell apart. Our drinks took almost 1/2 an hour to be served, and our food took even longer. After waiting, hungry, for ~1 hour, we inquired about our food. I'm not entirely sure they even put the order in to begin with, as many people around us were being served who had arrived much later. Suddenly, an assortment of random dishes were being served to us- probably around 50$ worth of things we had definitely not ordered. Another half an hour passes... we aren't sure if anything we actually wanted was going to arrive, without any staff to check in on how our food was, or if we needed anything else. The remainder of our original order finally started trickling out of the kitchen. We received free desserts as an apology for the delay in service, which was extremely kind of the bartender. She appeared pretty busy throughout the night. But...AFTER dessert was finished and receiving our bill, ANOTHER one of our original dinner orders came out which we had completely forgotten about (but was eventually charged for anyway). A receipt came out for our food, which we went ahead and handed our credit cards over for. I assumed many of the dishes (especially the ones we hadn't ordered) were comped and/or on the house. We watched for another 15-20 minutes as the bartender and (I assume) manager were trying to figure things out at the register. They came back with our completed credit card charges, the total increased way over what the original receipt showed. What the heck? Don't charge our cards for twice as much without telling us ahead of time. We were pretty angry at this point and just wanted to leave. The bartender asked if we wanted to talk to the manager... yes, but the manager should have come out without us having to ask, given the series of events throughout the night. The entire night felt like a complete disarray. Tusk has a good reputation but to keep it needs to work on their service moving forward. read more

Came here for valentines day pre fixe dinner and it was way better than i had expected. My favorite was the pita bread and hummus, so fluffy and light. There was so much we took some home to go. The sturgeon was our next fav, perfectly cooked and seasoned. read more

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Visiting Portland for the week end, we find this place passing by, very unique simple and changing menu but let me tell You flavors pop up all over the table, the drinks omg a knowledge mixologist for sure. Love it. read more

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Tusk lives up to the hype - especially if you love vegetables and casual/fancy dining experiences. By that I mean that every dish is top-notch, aesthetically pleasing, and delicious, but the restaurant's vibe is not super fancy. More modern. The food is Israeli and Mediterranean and heavy on vegetables and proteins (both animal and plant-based). Definitely order a mix of dishes and share with the table, because you'll want to try everything. Every plate is made with fresh ingredients and distinct spices. The homemade flatbread and hummus are incredible! Other hits were the Greens salad, grilled zucchini, chicken skewer, and baked cheese. Make sure you order plenty of food, though, because the portions are pretty small if you split. read more

The service was impeccable - politely asked us about any food allergies/restrictions/preferences so he could help us since it was our first visit. Super polite and attentive but not intrusive at all. And oh man THE FOOOOOD!! There were 4 of us so we ordered some of just about everything . The server placed food according to food restrictions - which he remembered exactly. There wasn't a single item that any of us would not order again and again. There were so many amazing little dishes of I'm not sure what but we ate every last bite of all of it. The one item that I ordered and rudely refused to share was the clams in sunchoke broth. I could eat that every single day for the rest of my life. I've grown up near the ocean and have eaten clams all my life, prepared every which way. These were in the Top 3 and the sunchoke broth... with the bread to dip in it... wins best broth ever. We were there in the winter and it was a bit chilly inside but I had layers on so no problem. It's fairly loud since it's always packed full but you'll be too busy enjoying your food to care! read more

The half & half hummus is a MUST! It was so delicious! The meatballs were also really flavorful and a huge portion. I got a Hazy Jane cocktail which was amazing and so pretty. The Rose we got was also so yummy and refreshing. read more

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Food- perfect1 wine pairing- phenom. Best meal in a while. Scout was perfect! Kylie was great too. Blissful experience! read more

Yummy. Had a fantastic brunch here. Enjoyed the pistachio butter cake which was tasty. I almost wished we got it after our main dish. We enjoyed the grapefruit mimosas along with coffee with cardamom creamer which was a first for me. My friend got the baked eggs which she throughly enjoyed. I had the smoked fish plate. It was a play on lox and cream cheese but way better in my opinion. Service was friendly and attentive. Never out of coffee and she checked up on us frequently. There surprisingly was no wait. If you're looking for something different but tasty this is a great place to check out. read more

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Come here. Get the lg 1/2 and 1/2 hummus and all the vegetable things and some meat skewers. THAT IS ALL. Oh wait...also get a cocktail or two... Tusk does an amazing job of taking local, seasonal produce and letting it shine through different applications and middle eastern flavors. It's a Portland MUST! read more

I'd heard mixed reviews, and thus was extremely impressed with my experience. The brunch was incredible! The wide selection of unique and healthy breakfast options was a pleasant surprise with Portland's brunch scene. The staff were very nice, and enjoyed chatting and were quite funny. Though the food took some time to arrive, the vibe, coffee, and happy folks made it perfect. I loved the heated outdoor area, since there was much more seating options. read more

Amazing Mediterranean food! I went here with 3 friends and we ordered a bunch of things! We decided against the tasting menu and went a la carte. This way we ended up ordering most of the menu. Most things I didn't even know what they were as long as they were vegetarian, I ate them! There were a lot of things too, like the hummus half and half was perfect. The baked cheese was interesting to me, never had something like that before. Overall, left full and happy! Also, their choice is music was prime, Tinariwen and other African music!! read more

This place is dope. We've ordered from them at least 8 times and each dish is better than the last. This place is truly a PDX gem.

Really good, flavorful, well presented food. However, portions are very light and small! Lovely ambience. Everything is nice from the restroom to the water glass. Good service. Nice outdoor enclosed patio seating. There are also bar seats. read more

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G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S (yes was reciting Fergie while typing that) Super tasty, super spendy, but a great stop to try exotic cocktails and small plates! read more

What a refreshing place for brunch. The last time I had Middle Eastern-inspired brunch was at Medina Cafe in Vancouver, and this place reminds me of that place but in a different way. Every dish was stellar. The hummus, kabocha cinnamon roll, dukka, The Cypriot and the Grain Bowl. The hummus was one of the best I've had. The kabocha cinnamon roll was so moist even on the outsides and the frosting was light and fluffy. The dukka was literally composed of just nuts, seeds and olive oil but it goes well on top of your hummus and on top of the rest of your food. I would definitely get it. This is another place with a potentially long wait so I would start lining up way before the place opens so you can get in with the first seating. read more

Tusk - Grain bowl - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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A friend went to Tusk last night for dinner and loved it. I was then reminded why I have never, and will never, return to this restaurant, despite delicious hummus (and I LOVE hummus!!!). Last year, late March 2017, 4 of us were dining here. We ordered several plates and drinks (not a cheap bill) and had JUST paid our bill but were finishing the last sips of our drinks. Nonetheless, the host (male) came over to our table and asked us to leave because APPARENTLY they only block 2 hours for patrons and we had exceeded that and the next reservation was waiting for our table. I couldn't believe it. I have dined in many restaurants world-wide and I have NEVER EVER been asked to leave so the next reservation could be sat. Tusk, shame on you! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g52024-d11444216-r565104167-Tusk-Portland_Oregon.html# read more

We had a great meal here, but it wasn't so impressive that any of the dishes really stood out. The skewers maybe, they were delicious. Oh and the chickpea fries were much more interesting and flavorful than others I've had. I found their pita to be a little unimpressive compared to shalom y'all's piping hot, slightly charred, super moist offerings. Cocktails were great, and the lighting and playlist were perfect for date night. read more

this is the place to go if your wanting top notch food, chic staff, and modern ambiance. You pay for what you get, but what you get is good. We ordered the hummus, grilled asparagus, and roasted chicken. We also got an assortment of mixed drinks that were all phenomenal. Definitely a good spot for a date night, or simply just to treat yourself. read more

The service was great. The hummus and flax crackers were also great. The lamb & pork skewer with tzatziki was really good. The chicken skewer was okay. The salads / veggie sides were trying way too hard and very meh. (If you've ever been to Ox or Departure, these seemed "like" their sides, but just seriously missed the mark for us.) TLDR: Brunch is a better idea here than dinner. The rest of what we ordered for dinner we could have done without. The pear and winter squash "salads" or whatever you want to call them were honestly just okay. They both were lacking something. The winter squash, I expected it to be roasted even if it was then chilled. Who wants to eat winter squash at a nice restaurant that's been treated any other way but roasted? It was really meh and flat tasting. The pears - I don't know - I felt like it was something I could have made at home, and that's not what I expected at this hyped up spot. Also, why the need to add Asian flavors to Mediterranean food? Let it be what it is, because Mediterranean food is RAD. The more traditionally flavored dishes are definitely a better choice here. Oh, and the vegetable plate with the whipped feta, while delicious and very IG-worthy if you have daylight -- it's a plate of crudités which, again, not what I go out to eat for personally. Roast those veggies with some za'atar or something, seriously. I also had brunch here a couple of weeks ago (the sourdough toast with beets and the yogurt dish were both excellent - also had the Cypriot dish which I'd order again), and now that I know what's good, I'd go back more likely for brunch than dinner, but not quickly. And I would order very strategically if I did. read more