It has been awhile since I have felt so welcomed and appreciated for my business. Every staff member that walked by our table was kind and attentive. They grabbed dirty dishes, offered beverages, and sent our server once when we needed something from her. Even when I pulled out an old gift certificate. It took the manager to be able to redeem it as their system had been upgraded in the years since it was purchased. They were still as open and appreciative as when I sat down. If for no other reason than the service, I will be going back and highly recommending this spot. read more

Overall Experience and Food was amazing. Our servicer was very attentive and polite. A wonderful place to go on a date. read more

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Food was amazing! Larger portions than expected. Atmosphere was great. Great service.

Tusk is extremely overpriced for what it is. We didn't get drinks, and spent $100+, left still hungry, and nothing was "great". We ordered the mezza platter, cauliflower dish, half roasted chicken, and the mushrooms. Everything was very okay. The hummus was amazing. Everything else had some sort of weird thing on it. It wasn't just us, the table to our right you could overhear them passing the items around with a confused look on their face like hmm. Wtf is going on with this. That's how I felt the entire meal. read more

Delicious. Will be back again and again. Everything we ordered was good. You might be tempted to get the shareable dinner, but skip it. You're better off sharing plates so that you get to try a variety of proteins. The cocktails were delicious and the service was good. Well done, Tusk, well done. read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The food is a 4, but I have a lower score due to other factors. This is a fancy restaurant with a romantic air. I tried the squash salad, hummus, chicken and lamb/pork skewers. I enjoyed the fresh citrus flavor of the squash salad. The hummus was rocking and had a nice huge delicious bread that came along with it. The lamb/pork skewer was nicely seasoned and delicious. The chicken skewers were bland. Portion size is smaller here. I had a reservation and was initially seated outside under a super hot heat lamp where I can barely see the menu. I had to request to be seated inside. They store your coat for you, which is nice. The tiny skewers took 40-50 minute, which is insane. I finished the salad and hummus and waited an eternity to get some protein. The host did not acknowledge me on the way out, which I thought was not okay for his type of restaurant and price point. read more

The hummus was the best food we ordered. The carrots, chicken and acorn squash were okay, not great. Other opinions: PROS * Server was friendly. * Cocktails were good. CONS * It is required you order all food at one time. No option to have an appetizer and cocktail while studying the menu. * Wine ordered by the glass is served in a glass that looks like a high school lab beaker. * Crowded seating arrangement. * Soon after we were seated at 6:30 pm, they turned the lights down low for some reason, making it difficult to see what we were eating. * Music too loud. * Extremely limited wine selection by the glass. read more

First time back in two years. The wait AFTER ordering was painfully long so much that multiple employees kept apologizing. They comped us an appetizer which was nice. The iced green matcha was as good as remembered. I opted for their (small) burger during lunch and it bursted with flavor. For the price and aesthetics it should come with greens, at minimum simple garnish. We also got some kind of healthy bowl (see photo) that was very good, but not over-the-too good. Still a top notch brunch spot with a very friendly staff. read more

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I really, really, really wanted to give Tusk a 5-star rating. Instead, this is a 3.5-star restaurant: Better than okay; borders on good. Not quite in the ballpark of "great." The thing about Tusk is that it's beautiful. The lighting is perfect, not only for taking pictures of your food, but also for feeling content no matter the time of day. The patio is lush, and the color palette indoors is a soothing white and pastel. The setting is *very* likeable. But then, the sound. What could have been a 5-star aesthetic gets bombarded by sound, reverberating from floor, tables, ceiling. Other reviews have mentioned the sound quality in a restaurant, and I think it is worth repeating (no pun intended!): The restaurant is so deceptively loud that it is hard to hear anyone from the same table. Somehow, all the voices in the restaurant echo into an ever-present, unintelligible din, which directly conflicts with the rest of the soothing environment. I found it disconcerting, but not a deal breaker. Still excited for the meal. The menu is manageable: one sheet of paper, front and back, including drinks. There are non-alcoholic options (+) and, while not on the menu, drip coffee is available. No espresso, no decaf. Fine enough. The next thing to notice about the menu -- for those of us who notice such things -- is the price. It's EXPENSIVE. Again, as others have pointed out, the best bet is to spring for the $55.00 mezze for the table, because with one main and one drink, each person will pay $55.00 anyway. I came to the restaurant with a party of four people, total, and we chose the vegan main course, which consisted of cabbage and morels. Their menu is probably 30-40% vegan-friendly, and 70% vegetarian-friendly. I am making up those percentages, but they feel accurate enough. Food comes quickly, just behind the drinks. The hummus is fine, but the stars of this part of the meal are the small dishes of condiments. There are several textures and flavors from which to choose, and the bread is served warm. The downside? Despite having four people at our table and several shared dishes, we had two serving spoons. This is during a pandemic, so either we were all expected to quickly serve ourselves once, or we were on our own to use our "eating" silverware to dip back into communal bowls. (Or, I suppose, we could have re-used the spoons, but since several of the initial dishes are sauces, that would become messy, quickly.) The main dish came out at a point where we had all forgotten it was coming, so it was a pleasant surprise. Salads came with it, and the salads were "meh." Mostly lettuce, with some crunchy corn and $4.00 of feta on the side. The cabbage and morels were overcooked to the point where one person in my party thought it tasted exactly like sauerkraut. I had trouble cutting it with the steak knife, and it was all incredibly salty. I liked it well enough, but I wouldn't pay more than $20.00 for it on its own, if given the choice. Our total bill for four people and five drinks was $400, including a 20% gratuity which is automatically added to bill. The meal was part of a work treat/event, and I cannot imagine coming here on a personal night and spending $100/person for what is essentially a fast-casual environment (at least, based on sound and material quality). I have had equally delicious food from other Portland restaurants for half the price, but I *really* wanted to love Tusk. Instead, I love the *appearance* of Tusk, and those things are not the same. Suggestions for improvement? - COVID-19 Precautions. It would really help if the staff wore masks and/or if guests were required to show vaccination cards. There are barely any windows indoors and even the patio is mostly enclosed. - More serving spoons, please. - More bread? Maybe I'm a sucker for carbs (yes), but with a whole plate of hummus, labneh, and several other sauces, one crescent of bread can only go so far. - Sound reduction panels or other soft materials to dampen the echos. - A vegetable is usually better when it is under-cooked than overcooked. read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Tusk opens right at 5, so don't come early because you'll be cold. The interior is simple but welcoming; and their patio is covered and heated. It is fairly dim inside but you get use to it. They cater and are happy to help with allergies. I can't have dairy or gluten, and I was still able to eat a full meal. We did the tasting menu for $75 each person. Comes with numerous appetizers, salad then the main entree and dessert. [alcoholic] Drinks are not included and roughly go for about $15 each. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about their menu, they also didn't overdue it which was very welcomed. I don't care for being asked multiple times how things are. All in all, it was a friendly fun experience and I think most would enjoy it. read more

Tusk - Starters (Hummus, pickled beets, olives, pita, gf crackers, radish wraps, falafel and so much more). - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It took me awhile to come here, but I understand the hype now... Tusk is an absolute gem. it's food is different than most restaurants in Portland and not your traditional Mediterranean style place. it's healthy and very veggie focused for the most part, but they have entrees with meat, skewers, etc. as well, so you can get a bit of everything. went on a Tuesday for one of my best friends birthdays. it was a party of 8 so we made reservations. we were seated outside on their patio and it was lovely. a perfect night, too. the service was really good. i love unpretentious, real, recommendations while also being attentive and kind. service is always key, in my opinion. the cocktails are creative and so good. i tried one with tequila and strawberries, but get the bourbon drink with carrot juice and thank me later. might sound weird but it's amazing. for food we did family style and ordered a bunch of things to share, which seems to be their gist here. we got the traditional hummus, their feta small plate, the artichoke, their flatbread and their greens salad. my favorites were easily the feta small dish, the crackers they give you with it are so good. possibly sesame seed crackers? i'm not 100% sure but, i loved them. another favorite was their cheesy lamb flatbread. wow. and maybe my favorite thing of all was their greens salad. i can't remember the ingredients exactly but the light dressing was excellent, toasted quinoa, a cheese i haven't had before... it was seriously so good. i would go back just for this salad & their feta small plate alone. the hummus was really good, but i probably wouldn't get the large portion again. even for 3/4 people i thought it was a lot, so the small would be enough. also, didn't love the artichoke but i just think it's because i have something against whole artichokes, and my friend ordered this so it's not really for me to complain considering i wouldn't have ordered this for myself alone. overall, from beginning to end, the cocktails, food, service and everything else was perfect. a lovely place for a date night, girls outing, or in this case a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. 10/10 & will definitely be back. read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My wife and daughters took me to Tusk for a Father's Day dinner. Reservations were easy, and we were seated promptly when we arrived. Parking was noticeably difficult, even on a Sunday evening. We ordered a wide selection and loved everything. I tried their house digestif as we waited for our food. Overall a solid experience. read more

Mediterranean in fine Portlandia style, we finished at 8:30 and there was a line out the door for a cool Saturday. Service was a bit slow and lack of attention and a bit aloof IMHO and that cost a Chicken and Lamb Skewers 5 Lamb Shank 5 Tusk Humus 5 Kale Salad 4.5 Egg Plant 4 Flat Bread 4 Shared Desert of Donuts and Golden Softserve 4.5 Coffee had to wave the server down multiple times and waited and waited for refill read more

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The food was WONDERFUL, the atmosphere was fine but not great. Loud thumping music and extra casual looking staff for this old lady's taste, but the staff were sweet and attentive. The menu is really fun, mediterranean with a twist - occasional Latin ingredients. The food was fantastic. We shared quite a few dishes and we loved them all - baked cheese, pickles, hummus, pita, roasted eggplant, grilled broccoli, and a tuna and a beef skewer. Everything was absolutely delicious, and quite creative. The only item that did not contribute much was the grated egg on the broccoli. It seemed a bit random and unimpressive, but the broccoli was still good. Order ANYTHING with whipped feta! So amazing. read more

The food here is just great! Inventive, without being over-the-top. The Maitre'd was great, service was prompt, and although the wine selection was small, they let us taste the open wines so we could find ones that suited our palates. I'm on a low-carb diet, and when I declined the pita bread, the server offered me flax-meal crackers, which were really amazing. The menu is maybe what you would get if the middle-east collided with Mexico. We had the Baked Cheese (made with Queso Oaxaca), and the Hummus to start -- all even better than they look on the menu. For vegetable dishes we had roasted eggplant (topped with pumpkin seed tahini(!)) and the grilled broccoli, which came with sesame and shaved, cured, egg yolk. The egg yolk didn't add much in my opinion, and was the only thing that we were were served that wasn't spot on. The broccoli was still great, though. We also had an albacore skewer that was cooked to perfection, and a beef skewer that my fellow diners rated as excellent, accompanied by whipped feta, which was new to me and really good. So, why only four stars? The ambiance was not, unfortunately up to the quality of the food. The noise level was far too high, and was augmented rather than camouflaged by truly awful music. Our server was very helpful, but somewhat sloppy and less-than professional--not up to the standard of the Maitre'd. read more

Been here twice now and loved it both times. This time we went with a group of 5, and got the chefs choice menu which was an amazing deal. A bunch of appetizers, sides, main entree and dessert all for $65 a person felt like such a steal. Staff were super helpful and attentive, and the restaurant has good vibes. Only complaint we had was that it would have been nice if we could choose more than one entree since there were 5 of us and we had to agree on the entree choice. On the other hand, we went with the schnitzel and it was delicious. They also had a good wine list and tasty cocktails. Overall a hit and definitely would recommend! read more

Was brought here by a friend who deems it one of her favorite brunch places, and it is a well-deserved distinction. The dishes are inspired and the decor is to die for. Reservations are highly recommended as the weekends can get pretty busy. Our waiter went above and beyond to make sure we got the dishes we wanted before they sold out for the day. Among our choices were the challah french toast, za'atar fries, short rib & eggs, and grain bowl. There's something for all palates here. The prices are higher than other places especially considering the portion sizes are decent but not overbearing like some brunch places can be. But I think it's definitely worth a splurge every once in a while for the unique flavors and ambience you get here read more

Tusk - Short rib and eggs, challah french toast, grain bowl, bluebird - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

OMG. Just go! There's so much good food in Portland, and it's hard to say that something was the best, but the meal I had here was way up there at the top. We were a party of four, and we ordered almost everything on the menu. We did not get steak tartare or the lamb, but almost everything else. They brought it out at a nice pace and we took our time and ate it all! Each dish was perfectly prepared and seasoned and full of delicious flavor bombs. Some favorites of mine were the Tusk Caesar (smoked oyster dressing!), Falafel (loved the radish wraps and other yummy things that came with it), Labneh, baked cheese, cracked olives -- it was all good. They make their cocktails with the same care and precision as the food. When you read the menu, it seems like some of the ingredients might not go well together, but just trust them -- they know what they're doing. We all ordered different drinks and tasted each other's, and each one was perfect, and different, and delicious. I'm so glad we went to Tusk! read more

I recently came here with my husband, kiddo, and friend. It was our second time, even better than I remember! The food was all so delicious, and we had plenty of leftovers for the next day. I am sober from alcohol, and we were there on a Monday - $2 off specialty drinks. It would be awesome if N/A fancy drinks, even one, could be included in this special. Anywho, my kiddo is seven and had a complete meltdown because they were not discounted, and I did not want to spend $12 on a N/A drink for her and me...after a big display, our server brought us one on the house. Even if I hadn't given in to her, it was magical that a human recognized her sadness and went above and beyond. I mean, who wouldn't want a watermelon slushie to cheers with?! Thanks for making our last night with our visitor so smooth - it means a lot! read more

Tusk is very allergy aware and I felt very comfortable eating here with a dairy allergy. We had a lovely dinner here and the food was all excellent :) read more

It's been a few years since I've eaten here but it's just as delicious as I remember! The heated patio is nice but tables are crowded in. Service was great and staff friendly. Tusk now implements an automatic 20% service charge. read more

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This place is absolutely amazing. First time here and definitely coming back. One of the best Mediterranean foods I've ever had. The service was amazing as well everyone is very cool and respectful to all your needs to what you can eat and not eat. If ever in Portland you must go here. And the ambiance was nice and place is pretty big as well they also have a outdoor but indoor covering with heat as well. This place will not disappoint you i promise. Ty for a great first time. read more

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Wow. Food and service were excellent. Great place for a family gathering. It was so worth the reservation.

I came here on a Saturday night with the reservation for two. After looking at the menu I actually didn't really know to get so we actually asked the waiter and the place is actually really quirky apparently because the meaning of the restaurant in the name is tied to some band member actually. Food: so we ended up getting the tusk and we also got the mezze and the mushroom and barley and the short ribs and the dessert of Kanafeh. First of all, I really recommend the Kanafeh since it was a pretty weird combination of first but honestly it work together really really well. I'd say the thing that stands out next to me was the mushroom because that was a stellar dish and the way that they had the crunchy topping was just amazing. The short ribs were pretty good but honestly they were pretty standard and they're really really soft which is good. I really enjoyed the flat bread that came with our mezze since it was warm still! Service: The guy here actually was really really nice for the service and he made jokes and he actually came and checked on us pretty often. We actually ate for a solid three hours and they didn't kick us out so I think that was a pretty good thing. Ambiance: This place is pretty fancy so I wouldn't come here with like some slacks for casualwear and there's a really nice kind a dimly lit romantic kind of night vibes coming from here. I think I've come here again maybe someday when somebody decides to take me out for dinner again or I happened upon this place because it is a little bit on the expensive side but the food is actually pretty good and pretty healthy. read more

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Our first night in PDX, we decided to eat at Tusk, a Mediterranean restaurant. We dropped by without reservations soon after it opened and the place was already bustling. I'm sure owing to the fact that we didn't have reservations, we were seated in a low-lit back room ("romantic"?) but I would have much preferred the airy front room or that gorgeous patio that makes you feel like you are in Miami. We were with our 4 yo so we chose less-spiced food that she could eat too. We started with hummus and pita bread, a snap pea and radish salad, the bavette with grilled baby gem lettuce, tomato saffron rice, and two pork/lamb kebabs and a chicken liver kebab. The food was ungodly slow to come out, even the hummus. We were starving and the 4 yo was losing it. We mentioned it to the waitress, hoping it would expedite the fastest dish in the world (HUMMUS!!?!) and nothing. The hummus finally came out, and it was fine with a fluffy wheaty pita. Then came the salad, which had snap peas, radishes, lots of herbs, peanuts in a spunky dressing. The pork and lamb kebabs were good, but the chicken liver was too strong for us. There was nothing transformative about that dish - just nuggets of liver on a stick. The bavette was fine as was the slightly dry tomato rice. It's a really pretty restaurant but the food isn't all that. That service, ugh appalling. read more

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Tusk is a lovely, inviting and stylish space. Definitely worthy of a special occasion. My partner and I just recently came back from the Middle East and were going crazy missing the sights sounds and flavours. We ordered the half half hummus and flatbread. It completely surpassed our expectations. I could have taken a bath in this stuff it was so good!!! It was our anniversary so we were both especially courteous with each other, but we probably should have both ordered a plate instead of sharing. The hummus disappeared far too fast. It was far too great tasting. Next the staff treated us to a bottle of sparkling water to celebrate our Anniversary (we don't drink alcohol). Feeling especially festive we also ordered mocktails. The blue bird mocktail was sensational and unique. We had seconds of it :) For meals I ordered the famous Lamb Shank with side saffron rice and my partner ordered all the skewers. Poor poor lamb shank. It was the worst lamb shank I ever had. It was unpalatable and bland. No flavours at all. I was shocked after everything else was so mind blowing. I thought maybe the waiter would say oh sorry a new chef made it, or my goodness your right it's under seasoned. Our waiter was just in shock and awe that I sent it back. I simply ate the rice. The rice was that good. The shank was that bad... the waiter came back to refill glasses and still said nothing. I hoped I didn't get him in trouble so I apologized for sending it back, "but that I've had many many lamb shanks, and even not so good ones and this just wasn't even a not so good one. It was bad." He apologized, and then brought us the bill. On the bill there were dark chocolate covered dates. Lightly caramelized and covered in salt and nuts. This was heavenly!!! Just as heavenly as the half half hummus, the well balanced mocktail and the perfect rice. The lamb shank will always be a dark spot on the menu as far as I'm concerned. And the only reason I can't rank 5 stars. Next time we are in town we will definitely go back. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! read more

Tusk - The bar - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Phenomenal food and experience! Every dish was delectable. Unique and delicious! We loved Abby the most! She was so attentive and made us feel right at home! 5 star! read more

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We came here for our anniversary after a friend recommended it, and we were not disappointed! The menu is designed so that you order a few plates and share (I.e., family style), but if that's not your thing, feel free to order what you want and hoard it. I won't tell. While we were told that the cocktails are outstanding, we opted to go with wine and bring a bottle from our collection. They have a $25 corkage fee and let you bring up to two 750-mL bottles/table, but you can't bring a bottle that they have on their wine list. Based on all of the previous reviews, we started with the chick pea fries and the small hummus. We also took our server's recommendation and ordered the Tusk hummus. Both were excellent! Next up was the cabbage salad. It was good, but we definitely enjoyed the previous dishes more. Then came the lamb shank. The meat fell off the bone, and it was nothing short of amazing. However, we heard (from Yelp reviewers and friends) that we should save room for dessert, so we opted to take half of the lamb shank home. Lastly, the dessert. Each of us ordered a coffee (we would've preferred espresso, but they don't offer that) and we split the honey baklava. The baklava was rather tasty, and the coffee was excellent (they serve Proud Mary Coffee)! So the short version: Go, order the chick pea fries, hummus, and lamb shank, and remember your wallet. read more

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We had been wanting to try Tusk for a while, and the other evening we were in the neighborhood at dinner time, so decided to give it a go. It was just after 5, so lots of room indoors and out, on a heated (too warm), enclosed patio. It's very bright and well-lit, hard walls and furniture make it loud (as seems to be popular), and the staff was generally very friendly and chic. So far, so good. The wine list was decent, and the bar stocked with good booze. My partner ordered the house Pinot, and I, a Martinez (which confused my server, who imagined it a martini made with tequila).* The Pinot was decent, but a short pour. The Martinez, a little too sweet but still pretty good. Then there was the food. There were not a lot of choices, but they looked tasty enough. Our server suggested the "Try everything on the menu mezze style," but that didn't really fit our appetites, so we went a la carte. We ordered the Classic Hummus ($14) served with one flatbread, and the Berbere Spiced Kafta ($28), with purple sprouted broccoli, scallion, harissa, and whipped feta, and an additional flatbread. (We eschewed the Roasted Half Chicken, because in all honesty, neither of us could justify spending $52 on half a roast chicken, even if it's name was Colin.) So, the hummus was served. There was nothing special there; it was just hummus, after all, and one could argue that a tub of King's Harvest hummus was as good or better. Oddly, the hummus was topped with a generous clump of garbanzo beans, which looked nice but made for a clumsy garnish. The flatbread was flavorful, there just wasn't much of it; the flatbread usually served in Mediterranean restaurants around here is 12-14" in diameter. The Tusk flatbread, around 6-7". The Kafta was the real disappointment here. On the plus side, I thought the flavors were nicely balanced, if a little bland. My parter was less enthused, saying it was "just ok." What it was, was one dry scant 1/4" x 6" patty of chopped and formed spiced beef on a plate, topped with one *green* broccoli floret and half of a small (Anaheim?) green chili. On the side, we were given a few little pieces of pickled scallion, a ramekin containing about a tablespoon of whipped feta and a teaspoon of harissa, and another flatbread. For $28. Now, I can hoity and toity with the best of them, and am not a stranger to $100 steaks and $500 wines, but when I do that, there is value there. I'm getting a truly memorable experience. That was not the case here. Granted, $28 isn't crazy for an entree, but the entree itself was more of an appetizer. Never mind the $52 half-chicken. The best part of this was that neither of us had too much to eat. There are too many great restaurants to try in PDX, so it's unlikely we will return. read more

Tusk is a Portland institution for so many reasons, but mostly because everything about it is gorgeous. The food? Gorgeous. The dining room? Gorgeous. The staff? Gorgeous. The tableware? Gorgeous. I've had brunch and dinner here and both meals were absolutely outstanding. It is a true art balancing a phenomenal bar program that perfectly compliments a refreshing, delicious and inviting menu like the one at Tusk, but both their brunch cocktails and their cocktails served at dinner are really something special. Every single dish looks fresh and beautifully plated, but then every first bite is surprisingly tasty and usually exceeds yummy expectations because of how simple and straightforward each menu item is. A perfect microcosm of Tusk's menu is their marinated feta dish (served at all hours) -- it's balanced, fresh, delicious, crunchy and oh so very comforting at the same time. The point is, get to Tusk! Brunch musts: Pistachio gooey butter cake Dinner musts: Tusk hummus TLDR: Be sure to bring a date, your parents, or pretty much anyone who loves Mediterranean food to this restaurant for brunch or dinner and ORDER COCKTAILS. read more

One of the best restaurants in Portland and I do not say that lightly. We got the tasting menu here and had a great time. We were very full and happy leaving this place. The restaurant itself looks great as well. read more

I'll start by saying this place is SO cute it felt like a DTLA eatery rather than Portland. From the lighting to the decor it's all cute and makes for a great atmosphere. My few tips, outside of food, would be to make a reservation and plan to get there a little early to find parking (it took me 20+ minutes to find a spot for reference so I was late but luckily my friend managed to find one and held the table), it's in a busy area with a few good dining/entertainment options so it's of course harder to find parking. Our waitress was amazing, the restaurant was overall busy and dropped the ball on quite a few things but she continually did her best to try to make up for it. I ordered the "I'm your huckleberry" cocktail, and it took probably 20+ minutes to get it- but our waitress felt so bad she brought me some comped bubbly without me even saying anything about it and I always appreciate restaurants that try to accommodate you like that! As for the food we stated with the chickpea fries and the classic hummus. If you are going to order one dish at Tusk I'd highly suggest the chickpea fries! It's a fairly small portion but they are delicious, and because we went the small plate route one order was good. The hummus is a generous enough portion for 2 and I loved the flatbread it came with but we ran out of it quickly, we were asked if we wanted more and said yes not realizing it was an extra charge- not a huge deal it was only $3 but I do appreciate when you get a heads up on that sort of thing. We kept the main dishes small with just 2 skewers each (one lamb, one chicken) and a shared order of the saffron rice. This was plenty for us as we were hoping to get dessert. Both skewers were delicious, but I loved the lamb one just for the yummy yogurt sauce it came with and it paired perfectly with the rice. We didn't realize the gooey cake, the thing we really came for, was only served with brunch so that was kind of a bummer. I'm sure its listed somewhere but we didn't see this anywhere so keep this in mind if that's what you are also going for! Overall fairly good experience, definitely have to make it back just for the cake. read more

Tusk - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is amazing. I've always been a fan of Ava Genes and had high expectations for their sister restaurant. I was not disappointed! Everything tasted so fresh. I ordered the chickpea fries and they were cooked to a perfect crisp without tasting the slightest bit oily. And the sauce!!!! Out of this world. Their menu changes each day, but if you see the flower salad on there, I'd highly recommend it!! I had no idea edible flowers could be so good. In addition to the food, the ambiance is lovely and the candles in the bathrooms smell amazing. (Fun fact: They actually sell them behind the bar counter!) read more

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One of the best meals I have had in Portland! Everything from the drinks to appetizers to entrees and desserts were outstanding and packed with flavor. Extra bonus points for an incredible selection of mocktails and exemplary service. Can't wait to come again. read more

What an absolutely lovely evening. Mitchell H was a phenomenal server that made my birthday so special. The menu was quiet unique but the food was delicious. Very cute ambiance. Love Mitchell. read more

Tusk - Miso Roasted Cabbage - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Everything was great . Food, drinks, service. I must go back! Cute and gets crowded so reservations are a must.

If you're looking for something a little different for brunch this is the perfect place!! You won't find the traditional pancakes, waffles, or eggs benny, BUT you will find intricately designed and detailed savory and perfectly spiced meals! I was so pleased with my shakshuka/broiled egg, cheese, and tomato sauce meal. I got the large with the side of flatbread suggested by the server but it was actually so rich and filling that I likely would have been find with the small. The friend I went to brunch with got the hash with lamb which was also really good. I went here expecting unique flavors and a fun new brunch experience and ended up getting that plus a lovely outdoor seating experience, fun atmosphere, super cute dishes, great coffee, and a lot of rich, filling cheese, eggs, and bread. I'm leaving happy and would definitely bring friends back in the future! read more

Tusk - 11/3/18 Broiled eggs and hallomi cheese - Middle Eastern Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The service was excellent! The food was outstanding. My favorite was the beef Kafka. I will say it was a bit expensive for the portions. We spent $112.00 for food, 1 drink, and tip was included. They sat us in this weird spot right by two large tables, and we just us 2. That was a bit awkward since several tables sat empty the entire time we were there. We loved the food and It was worth it. The excpetion was the Squash dinner. It was $28.00. I can honestly say it was not worth it. I cook squash often, and mine is better. I am not a professional cook or anything. read more

I went here on a date on a Monday. It was great we did the dinner special and they gave you a ton of plates for dips and all sorts of stuff. The only complaint was it came with two pieces of bread. The ratio of dips to things you eat the dip with was not proportional. Loved the salads and the main course. No complaints on any of the food items we had. Both cocktails were great as I remember too. Service was very friendly. read more

Food portions on the main dishes were tiny. One chicken thigh for that price? Unacceptable. Servers weren't knowledgeable about the menu, which is a problem when most of the items in the dishes are unknown items. Our server needed to keep asking and coming back with answers. She was very nice, though. More than anything, the forced 20% gratuity is why we won't be returning to Tusk. Here are the reasons: 1. our server, though lovely and fun, didn't know the menu and, more than that, forgot drinks we ordered. Did we have any recourse? Nope - because whether she was the best waitress ever born or the worst ever born, she gets the same gratuity. There is no incentive for her to improve or for any server there to improve. So now diners are put in a position to talk to a manager on site and have that awkward interaction and with the server knowing? That'll never happen, of course. Or diners should write an email after the fact? Also an absurd expectation to have. 2. The servers already make bank, folks. In Oregon, they make minimum wage for every hour worked and then tips on top of that. Full-time servers at a busy restaurant make more than the median income for corporate jobs in Portland - they certainly have the wiggle room to live within a variable gratuity model. read more