TL;Dr: small portions and expensive and no stand outs. Full version: Went there for a double date night. Ambiance is nice and service was good. We had roasted eggplant ($17), cucumber and charred date ($7) baked cheese, baked bread, falafel ($14) beef kafta skewer ($21) . Everything came out timely. To be perfectly honest I found a place to be overpriced and meh for the price. Nothing I had here was better than a food cart offering and frankly portions for the price were disappointing. The kafta was dry, cucumber and charred dates was a very small portion, and bread was two small pita breads. Because I've had a better meal for half the price at a place like Hoda's or Nicholas and feel full. We had a good time and nothing was objectionable. read more

Outstanding restaurant. Impeccably prepared food; the spice blends are exquisite. Our brunch was very enjoyable. Pleasant service and reasonable prices. Excellent wine list. Fixed 20% service fee eliminates the hassle and stress of tipping. read more

Tusk - Tusk Breakfast - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My party of 4 came here July 4th for dinner. We were seated in 15-20min and our server was very nice. According to our friends, food usually takes a bit to be served and they were correct. Be prepared for your food to take a bit longer than expected, but the food is well worth it! The clams are seasonal and very tasty! The broth was absolutely delicious, filled with flavor, perfect amount of salt, and the veggies in it had wonderful texture providing the best balance! Those were the best falafels I have get had! The outer crust was perfectly crunchy yet fell apart beautifully revealing the steamy soft innards! The hummus was delicious with the flat bread! It only comes with 2 flat bread, so be sure to order more! read more

Tusk - Classic Hummus falafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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10th anniversary and birthday- an occasion that ask for fine dining - and good food. So tusk was the go to. And we have not been disappointed besides the starters pickled veggies (can you go wrong with em? Yes I had very blend ones or fancy and over the top ones. Tuscan makes them just right!). The a German turnip Kohlrabi sliced and with Oregon hazelnuts highlighted and a little bit picked. Sooooo good. But the star had to be the falafel plate - I would even only come to Tusc for this. A perfect freshly made falafel crispy outside and green goodness inside. Not dry just perfect. No pictures taken of the main - but only since we simply indulged into the food and forgot about taking a picture. The hot cheese, a kofta meat skewer and cabbage skewer. Perfect accompanied by dips we left not hungry but very satisfied. You cannot be at tusc and not talk over the drinks created by Monika. The delicious cocktails with alcohol not only tasting exceptional but looking good as well. But the non alcoholic cocktails or offerings are as much creative as the regulars. Have a look and maybe go for the extrem and try the one you would never order. You will love it. read more

Drinks were good, food was decent. We only planned on getting drinks and apps & when we told this to the server she looked disappointed which is... something. I felt judged lol. Come to find out it's bc they smack a mandatory 20% auto grat on the bill. I've worked at countless restaurants, 6 tops + I get, but 2 tops? really? "In lieu of a voluntary tip"... we're just gonna take it from you!! :) I think this is really harmful for the restaurant industry. I was already planning on doing 22%, I understand how important tips are but let's not go forcibly taking money from guests. In this economy?? read more

The best meal I have experienced in years. Every item had such depth in flavors and texture. Deliciousness with every bite. We started with the Mezze platter which I highly recommend. It included hummus, beats & bergamot, celeriac & dates with soft cow's milk cheese, bulgar tabbouleh with apples, pickled kohlrabi, cracked olives, Aleppo chili oil, two flatbreads and we added dukkah. I cannot emphasize enough that you MUST order this and definitely add dukkah. Every item was packed with flavors perfectly complimenting each other. Next we ordered Wild rice pilaf with grilled local mushrooms, slow cooked onion, date, almonds. Mushrooms had a smoky nose and the sweetness of the onion, date, almond paste paired beautifully. Grilled chicken skewers came with an absolutely amazing muhummara sauce of roasted red pepper and walnuts. Plated with carrots and hawaij. Falafel and labneh included amba, pickles, zhoug, rose pedals, pistachio & a flatbread. I have never been a big fan of falafel but these were unbelievable! Roasted parsnips with pear, hazelnuts, pantaleo & preserved lemon. Baked cheese was the only dish that didn't "wow" us. It was very good just not unique in flavor like everything else. Way too much for a party of four but we loved every item even though they had to roll us out the door. Be sure to make a reservation as it is a small restaurant with limited seating. This is one of the best examples of why Portland has a reputation of being a foodie town. read more

Tusk - Wild rice pilaf, falafel dip, grilled chicken skewers and a diner's plate. - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

7.1.25: Keely made our first experience at Tusk wonderful! We celebrated our anniversary here and it was freaking delicious! We had the Deluxe Addition so we were able to try so many wonderful dishes. We will be coming back soon. Highly recommend. read more

This restaurant was a last minute find for us while we stayed a night in Portland and we are pleased to have found it! The waitstaff were so gracious and efficient and provided great recommendations. And the food - the food was so good - the best middle eastern food we've had. Loved the Hummus, the roasted corn and fried halloumi was to die for. everything we ate we loved (the skewers and the gigante beans). Highly recommend. Loved the vibe there. We sat on the patio which ws great, but the inside dining was so open and airy that it would have been great as well. read more

The kitchen here is very good. Every single item we had was delicious. The hummus was creamy and very good. The falafels were correct. The entrees were very good: the kafta, the Hawaij chicken, the albacore. But on a macro level, something's out of tune here. Our falafel arrived when we were already on our entrees, because the kitchen had spaced it out and forgot to make it. The kafta came without a single grain of rice, even though the chicken came on a bed of it. The nine-dollar beer wasn't even a pint, more like 12 oz at best. The Coke refill came when we were already boxing up our leftovers. At the $50 per person price point (well higher if you get the deluxe menu option), you'd think the falafel would come before the entrees, the kafta would come with some rice, and nine dollars would get you a pint. Again, I don't have a single complaint about the actual food -- it was superb. But I can't give the place five stars. Something's off-key, read more

Unfortunately, food, service and ambience are all things that didn't live up to expectations. I could go into specifics, but do yourself a favor and skip this - we got the tasting menu but the fact that I can't name a single good dish speaks volumes to its quality. Add to this the less than attentive service and the high price tag and you've got one less option in PDX to consider - find other ones. read more

On my last night visiting my daughter in Portland, we usually go out for dinner, and my kid chose Tusk, as she's wanted to try it for a while. I personally love Mediterranean food, so I was game. My kid's boyfriend was with us, and we were there fairly early on a Saturday evening. Luckily, we snagged a parking spot in the alley between Tusk and the Matador restaurant (there are a few free customer parking spots here). The host sat us promptly at a wonderful table in the corner of a solarium-like room (enclosed by glass panels, lots of plants hanging form the ceiling and wonderful heat lamps, too. It was really cozy on such a cold, damp January night). Our server was lovely and very attentive. My kid and the boyfriend ordered cocktails (I forget the two kinds they ordered but they both liked them. A lot!). And we ordered a lot of food: sliced feta, beets, pickled vegetables, two flatbread, grilled sunchokes, a beef skewer, a chicken skewer and a lamb belly skewer. My daughter and her beau really enjoyed the food, but I, with my more pedestrian palette, wasn't the biggest fan, to be honest. I found most of the food so heavily seasoned, and with such a heavy hand with smokier spices, it just wasn't for me. But clearly I was in the minority, so I don't fault the restaurant. I guess I just like more mainstream Mediterranean food. (Surprisingly, even though my party was hungry, we had a lot of left-overs to bring home). Of all our dishes, the least popular was the lamb skewer; even my dining companions said that it was way WAY too fatty for them (for me, it was inedible. Like, 95% fat). The beef skewer was like a hamburger log with some skewers in it, and it was heavily spiced, and the ckicken was also very spiced. I loved the flatbread, and the feta was nice, but all in all, it wasn't for me. But my kid and her beau really liked it and they will be returning, so again, I know I am in the minority here. With the tip and all, the bill came to nearly $150. read more

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Tusk was an amazing experience! We sat at the beautiful outdoor patio, and all the food was delicious! They have a variety of snacks, veggies, and grains, and every one was flavorful and unique. We particularly enjoyed the bright, surprisingly crisp snap peas with a black sesame sauce and the falafels, hummus, and warm pitas were phenomenal. However, you need to be careful about what you order. We felt the zucchini skewers, grilled gem lettuce, and especially the saffron rice did not hit the mark. The zucchini only comes with one skewer, and a sauce that's a bit too sweet. The saffron rice is bland and crispy, hard to eat, and only paired with raisins/nuts. The grilled gem lettuce was not bad, but it was not worth $17 and we were not impressed. I figure the meat options might be better, and that maybe we ordered the wrong dishes. The natural spirit mocktail was also disappointing, mostly ginger beer and sugary sweet. Giving a 5 star because the other classic dishes were so good and the snap peas were a delight, and the ambiance was fun. Definitely give it a try! I'd like to go back and check out the happy hour or Monday discounts. read more

Tusk - Cracked Olives, Snap Peas, Tusk Hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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My fiancée and I went for the pre fixed Valentine's Day dinner. The cocktails were insane 10/10. I had the (latitude adjustment). It was a sweet( but well balanced) /slightly bitter tiki cocktail. I wanted to try other cocktails on the menu but it was so good I had to have another. The food was delicious, well balanced and interesting. The staff were upbeat and friendly even though it was an obviously busy and probably overwhelming night for them. I'll definitely be visiting again on a more casual night to try some of the other cocktails. They had a large zero proof portion of the menu for sober friendly folks as well. Bravo to the staff read more

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So excellent! We really enjoyed the prix fix for 9 adults at $55 per person, add falafel and melted cheese. The food was bursting w flavors. Good wine list and suburb service- our waitress was attentive and patient! Highly recommend for delicious cuisine when you want to try lots of things! The salad w dill and chicken were my favorites. The falafel was so good too read more

Tusk was one of our favorite restaurants but unfortunately today's experience changed our prospective on it for good. We had a terrible service and experience I had booked a reservation for 9 of us a long time ago and was looking forward to a good experience. The server was rushing us, not explaining the food to a few of us that were there for the first time. The server was also not making eye contact and listening to our dietary restrictions. I will not go Tusk anymore and will not recommend it to any of my friends. read more

Tusk is a lovely restaurant in Portland, Oregon known for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors! This was my second time here and it was just as good as the first! I got the "Try everything on the menu mezzle style" where you get to try sampling of everything on the menu along with picking one main dish and you get to try two desserts too. It's $55 per person, and in order to get this option, everyone on the table has to participate because they serve it as family style. I came here as a party of one but you can see how much food they give for this price! I took a LOT of it home as leftovers, it was so much for me!! I really love how Tusk has so many good vegetarian and vegetable-forward dishes. The flavors were really great and interesting, and I always love coming here when in PDX! read more

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Wow this is my new favorite restaurant in Portland!!!! Every dish was more incredible than the last! Willl be back next time I am in town!

It's a bit ridiculous to have mandatory 20% tip when the service was pretty terrible and our waitress was very rude. The food was also very average and over seasoned, I do not recommend. The only thing that's nice is the restaurant and atmosphere is nice. read more

Tusk lived up to its reputation. It is beautifully decorated and so airy. We had a fabulous time and were treated so well by the servers. Our server was funny and delightful. Every drink and dish that was brought before us was phenomenal in presentation and taste. We tried to have a variety of dishes so we could try a little bit of everything. I wish I had reviewed this place right after we were there so it could be more detailed. I will updated it when we return. read more

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Lovely atmosphere, cozy vibes, soft lighting, nice staff. Glad our server recommended that we go deluxe b/c it truly was such a great deal. We got so much food for 4 people & didn't have to make any decisions. Everything was good & then some dishes were GREAT. The pickled cauliflower, kabocha squash & labneh cheesecake were fan faves. The hummus was creamy & dreamy. I had several things that I didn't exactly know what they were & I like that in a dining experience, I want to try new things. I love how plant-forward the menu is. I always think a menu is more creative & interesting when it's full of veggies prepared in new ways w/interesting combos of spices & seasonings. I would definitely come back to try more of the current menu & look forward to the changing offerings. read more

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So delicious!! Such a cute spot in laurehurst with vibey seating indoors and outdoors. The food was excellent with the appetizers being our favorite parts of the meal. The meat was a smaller portion size but good. Service was fine. Would come back!! read more

I loved this restaurant. The interior was so cute and there was lots of seating. The menu had some small plates and some main dishes. The portions are pretty big even for the small plates, the mezze alone could have been a meal. Still try a lot of menu items though! Some of the best things we got were the cucumber salad and the falafel. The cucumber salad was so fresh and the falafel was perfectly fried. My mom loved it and she hates chickpeas. Our server was very friendly and explained each dish when it came to the table. That was a nice touch since I didn't know what some of the more complex dishes were. If you are in Portland and want a delicious meal or to impress some friends take them here! read more

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Love the food and environment. Boho style design , friendly staff. The chicken skew is the most juicy chicken skew I ever had. Humans and pita are also must order. read more

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First time here. It's quaint and modern inside, and the service was polite and friendly. Gas Me Up - Cocktail Absolutely fantastic. The tahini caramel foam was a lot of fun and was a new experience for me, definitely gonna look into making this myself! Pineapple rum and coffee you say? Never would have paired those together myself but I am glad they did! Definitely getting this again. Lamb Poutine - Brunch Mediterranean cuisine is relatively new to me, beyond the cliches. So this was my first time eating poutine. I love lamb, so I figured this dish would be a great place to start. And I am glad I did! Flavor was great, it was a good portion, and I was very satisfied with it! Their fries are fantastic. I don't know what spices they put on them but they're on point. I devoured mine, and my 7yo ate most of his - which for him is a huge compliment. Baharat Spiced Roll This desert was absolutely amazing. I could make a meal out of a dozen of these alone, and not because they're small as they're a perfect portion, but because it was that good! Cardamom Doughnut It's hard to judge this one fairly as we are it along side the Baharat Spiced Roll, which is one of the best desserts I've had in a while. So it was a great doughnut and the rhubarb comes through subtly. I would have loved a more rhubarb forward flavor, but I also know why restaurants tend to pull it back - not everyone appreciates the tartness of rhubarb. read more

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Excellent service and unique menu. Our server was attentive and thoughtful and was really good at explaining the menu. I really enjoyed the chard dish and the falafels were some of the best I've ever had. Also the tomatoes with the golden raisin and fava spread were delicious. Great non-alcoholic drink options. read more

Fantastic food and lots of vegan/vegetarian options on their menu. Our server had fantastic recommendations and the portion sizes are decent for a family style meal. They do have a couple of dish with nuts, but were able to exclude them when serving it to us. I'd call to specifically call out that kids are welcome here. I couldn't find that info on recent reviews and had to call them to confirm. We tried the baked cheese, falafel, hummus, flat bread, summer salad, roasted eggplant and olive oil cake. We were stuffed but I'm so glad we got the cake! It was worth it :) Thank you for the amazing food and service. We can't wait to be back and try out the rest of the vegetarian options and ofc get some repeats! Bring a good appetite- you will be sorry otherwise :) read more

Really enjoyed tusk's ambience and food. I only wish they had a little larger of a menu and more than one vegetarian option for a main dish. Appreciate that they double check if anyone has any allergies at the table! Delicious mezze platter (kale dip was a surprise and fabulous, silky smooth hummus, great marinated olives). Also had a couple of their salads which were layered with different flavors and complex. Fresh and delicious. read more

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Incredible spread, great service, great atmosphere. We came here for my mom's birthday and will 10/10 be coming back! read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is a highly recommended stop for foodies. We split a bunch of different plates and got a good sense of the different options. The service was great, and our server specifically was so great and kind. They really kept up on the table as well, keeping it clean and drinks full. The only thing we would have changed was the music. It didn't quite fit the vibe and was a bit loud for what we expected from the ambiance. It didn't take too much away from the experience, but it was definitely a topic of conversation. Fun fact: the strawberry shortcake tastes exactly like edibles. read more

Tusk - Strawberry shortcake - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Nice atmosphere and service. Server provided great menu overview. Cocktails were liked by all at our table. Highlights were the excellent raddichio-based salad and falafel. The protein plates not very good however. The lamb was over cooked and served below room temperature cold with poor seasoning. The roast chicken very salty and way overcooked. The desert ice cream had a delicious sauce to pour over and would recommend. Very expensive restaurant IMO for a menu that that is only OK. We had a variety of other dishes (baked cheese, leeks, roasted winter greens...) that were forgettable. On the fence here about whether to come back with all the other good options in town. read more

A 20% service fee is automatically charged to your bill. Cocktails, while flavorful, have hardly any liquor content. This restaurant does everything to maximize their profits. read more

They get a lot of things right at Tusk. From the decor to the impeccable to service to the unforgettable food. We started off with the hummus and the baked cheese, both of which were really really delicious. Though I'd rank the baked cheese as one of the best things I have EVER eaten. I even went so far as to ask the server what kind of cheese they used, because we couldn't get enough. In fact, I'd likely return for two orders of the cheese and cocktails alone. As for our mains, I got the chicken skewer, my partner got the beef kafta -- which came with an incredible garlic rice side. Oh and just to balance out all the carbs, we shared the greens and herbs salad. Cocktails? Don't skip them. I especially enjoyed the mezcal drink, Ritual. read more

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No doubt, everything is beautiful -- beautiful food, dinnerware, cocktails, restaurant, people, etc. Interesting flavor profiles and takes on classic Mediterranean dishes, all very tasty and the fact that the food is all so IG-worthy prob adds to the taste. My friend and I split the falafel mezze, the greens & herbs salad, and the wild rice pilaf. The falafel was prob the best thing we ordered and it came with two interesting sauces plus a piece of pita. The greens and herbs salad was good, but pretty standard. I enjoyed the skewers of chanterelles in the wild rice pilaf, but it did taste a little bland and I found myself using the parsley sauce from the falafel to boost the dish. Docking a star as I thought it was mostly good but not worth the price tag - $22 for the falafel dish, $14 for the salad plus another $4 just to add feta. Overall I would recommend checking out at least once. read more

Tusk - Top: Greens and herbs salad with feta added Bottom: Wild rice pilaf with chanterelles - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had no prior knowledge of Tusk before visiting and I was more than pleasantly surprised. We were greeted with excited and friendly staff. They were more than helpful and honestly one of the best parts of the entire experience. We tried the deluxe tasting menu, but don't be fooled that it's a tasting menu, the portions were normal sized and we received an insane amount food and we loved majority of the things we had. read more

The starters were amazing and this is a beautiful space. However, if they sit you anywhere near the door to the patio in the winter time, the door is left open and it is VERY VERY cold next to it. Also the kitchen is INCREDIBLY loud as they shout the orders which are ready. Very hard to have a conversation sitting anywhere near the kitchen counter. While we both enjoyed our main dishes, the Chicken Skewers certainly didnt seem to be a good value for the money. 2 skewers for more than $20? We had to stop on the way home and get second dinner. read more

The food is good but waitress not very friendly. We had 4 for dinner and spent about $236 with an automatic gratuity I was unaware of. We sat in the spare room next to restaurant that was ok and they had heaters so comfortable. We didn't get dessert and sat and chatted with our friends for an addition 40 minutes. No one else in room and not busy. Restaurant was still open and our friends were visiting from Nebraska. They turned the heat off on us !! Unbelievable . Nice way to get kicked out. We won't be going back. Spoiled an otherwise nice evening. Rude. read more

Great time! Drinks were well thought out, had the chefs choice tasting menu and we loved all of the items that came out! Everyone who stopped by the table was polite and explained what they were bringing out. Chances are you'll need a reservation but it's worth it. read more

PROS:I hosted my whole entire family from all over the United States on January 14th for my 30th birthday. TUSK has the perfect private dining area. We did a vintage disco theme with everyone dressed up. For the most part everyone on the TUSK team was amazing to work with . I strongly recommend Monica and Tyler she was amazing and our server Mitch did an amazing job. Our decorations were beautiful and I appreciate the Tusk team allowing us to have a live musician. Everyone loved the food, these dishes specifically , - baked cheese - Squash - chicken skewers - pita / hummus - marinated feta - THE COCKTAILS CONS: The only negative was Brookes Decker , their director of operations, rude and was very unhelpful upholding a good experience for my family leading up to the dinner. I never got to meet Brookes but I didn't appreciate how he didn't reach out at all prior to the event, I also had to reach out multiple times just to reserve the space. I paid over 1500 and did not have any communication on what was to take place. He supposedly runs all large party coordination. I will suggest if you book for their large party system you schedule a time to understand how TUSK operates. It's confusing understanding their structure of minimums but once Monica and I communicated it all worked out. read more

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Yelp review for Tusk: The food is good, but nothing particularly special compared to other Med restaurants, and is over priced. They have limited entree options, all of which are on skewers. The cocktails are very good, but the wine list is limited and lacking in uniqueness. The inside dining area is cold and austere and loud (not as loud as Kann, but difficult to talk over). You must request an outside table when booking if that's your desire, or you will receive a dismissive rebuff if you ask for outside seating. The host was arrogant and unwelcoming and kept us waiting for a long time to check in while he took a long phone call as we stood there for several minutes. The service is inattentive with long waits for order taking, and followup after serving. They add a twenty percent service fee to the tab. June 17, 2025 read more

Everything was 10/10 from service, to food, to wine and atmosphere it was incredible. We have 3-5 items from each part of the menu and it was all absolutely exquisite. Will be back 100% read more

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