“I love this place thru & thru! If you haven't been, do yourself a favor. So chilled, with a poetic and tepid groovy vibe, this spot is hotter than lukewarm. All the puns not intended actually. It's just a well designed little place to enjoy attendant service, tiny or not so tiny dishes of luxury, and a balanced ambiance erring on the side of elegance. Come. You won't regret it.“
“I love this restaurant. We live on the same block so we come pretty often. The people who own this place are the nicest people you'll ever meet. The food is unique, gorgeous, and delicious. One of my favorites is the Al-Hawr Salad. It is dressed with pomegranate molasses olive oil and garnished with these crispy comet-shaped croutons. Honestly I'm not sure what they're called but it's like a satchel filled with a bit of sumac onions and fried. The wrapper is shatteringly crisp and we like to dunk all the crispy pieces into hummus. By the way the hummus here is like silk, just so extremely tasty. We get it every single time. Our other family favorite is the filet mignon main dish. They really know their meats here and the steak tastes fantastic with a bit of char from the grill. My go-to cocktail here is the mule. It has vodka, rose water and ginger beer. Simply refreshing. There's assorted beers and wine available too. And a cute bar inside the restaurant. The owner told us tonight he's recently opened the restaurant for lunch. Starting at 11am. There will be lunch sized portions with limited selection of the main menu. Don't sleep on this place, it's a hit every time.“
“My son and daughter in law chose this venue for the reception following their wedding. We had a group of less than 20 people in the private dining room. Fantastic experience. Everyone at the restaurant was helpful on coordinating setup prior to the event. The appetizers, cocktails, entrees and desserts all received rave reviews from the wedding guests. Service was on point and we were extremely pleased with everything. Highly recommended for a small group gathering space (the private room is the perfect size for a group of 20). We will dine here again during our next trip to Portland.“
“I’ve been eating here just about 3-7 times a month for 5 months now, and every time the food gets better. The menu is incredibly well crafted and every time the food tastes just as good if not more so than before. Not only is the food amazing, the staff has the best customer service skills I’ve ever encountered from an eatery. Simply put, this might very well be the best place to eat in Portland.Side note, the quantity of food you get with their combo meals is unbeatable, and it absolutely doesn’t lack in quality either.“
“As a 1st time guest, this restaurant is fantastic. Smooth and friendly seating after arrival. Ambience and music levels were ideal. Surrounding diners all seemed content and everyone enjoying themselves. There was a calm sense of urgency and efficiency by the staff which shows good management is present. The food was perfect, well balanced, great selection of greens, proteins and sides. Flavours were all great matches for each dish. The venue is well kept and clean, this to me shows great care is taken in the presentation and look of the space. Well done to the team. With all the positive, there is always one issue that is showing up on checks . The staff wellness charge on the check. This passive guilt charge is not a concern of diners. This is an ownership responsibility. My recommendation is to add $1 to all your top 5 dishes to cover this expense. Staff deserve all the support possible especially in hospitality as it's long hard hours. Just don't add it to the guest check. It's weird and also skews the tip calculations on the check total. Find another way . See you soon“
“Happy we finally got to eat here after it's been on our list for some time. It didn't disappoint. Our server Stephanie was very helpful in giving us recommendations on what to try and she was very personable. We landed on the brussel sprouts, falafels, and lamb belly. The brussel sprouts were perfect, falafels delicious, and lamb belly was probably the best lamb I've had, though I did think it was a little too charred for my liking. My husband enjoyed his hot toddy and my sweet fruity mocktail surprisingly went really well with dinner. They've chosen good pairings. Cute little place too!“
“Best falafel I ever tasted, best of all, sag bread was yummy option. And i am from SyriaOwner and his wife were so welcoming.The size of the sandwich is really filling ?For sure we will stop for quick authintic homey food whenever we are in Portland.Definitely I recommend Kafta house food.“
“I was wandering by from somewhere else and was jonesing for lunch. I got the vegan gyro, and it was delicious! The herbs and flavoring were perfect. The salad and potatoes were just right as accompaniments. The pita was nice and fluffy with a sumptuous amount of hummus. Would totally come back some time!“
“Oh my WOW!EVERYTHING on the menu is soo flavorful.Visited 3 days in a row, trying something different.Of course, I had them make to order, don't feel pickles or ketchup belong on true Gyros but they accommodated my special requests, to leave this off.Beef cheese burger, excellent comes with fries.Beef tacos, lil spendy for one, but again, the food is fresh and very flavorful!Baklava, outstanding, little pricey but worth it.(See pics)Ahzeez (sp) and Carmelita, exceptional hosts. Friendly and accommodating.Lived in the neighborhood for 60+ years, when it was Paul's Foodlane.This place has really upgraded.I know they'll get busier with the new park,but please don't change, stay true, not trendy.Love this place.“
Lebanese • $$
“The food is always delicious here!I'm always happy when Nicholas is part of our planned activities for the day!Generally we are always satisfied with our service, waiting times and food however our last visit April 14, 2024 they had a giant party to serve upstairs and we were all but forgotten. Luckily we had delicious food to enjoy although only 1 of 3 drinks we ordered. And has anyone else noticed their portions perhaps dwindling?We had the kabob salads and 2 of us thought them smaller than before...“
“MEC is always fabulous. It’s the kind of place you can count on having stellar food and excellent service every time. They really make outstanding vegetable dishes. This is one of the only places I don’t have room for meat when I want all of my favorites. The cauliflower dish and the charred carrots are crazy good!“
“One of the best classy Mediterranean restaurants in Portland! Creative menu, flavorful food & cocktails. You’d never go wrong with any food you order. Love the Affogato here as well.! Must try. Service is amazing & everyone is really kind here. Will definitely go back!“
“Amazing food, great service and we loved the menu. We had the octopus plate and the gyro plate. The octopus was soft and tasty. Not chewy like how most places would make it. The coffee was also very good. Prices were also very reasonable. Would highly “
“I enjoyed the grilled vegetable platter. Also, the in-house baked, fresh piping hot out the oven pita bread was amazing with the hummus. Save room for dessert because tue baklava is amazing! Everything was so fresh! I can’t forget about the staff. He was attentive and pleasant. I look forward to visiting again soon.“
“I miss this place so much, I remember going here during the end of the year of 2023, Fofo said that she would be closing :( I went to check it out on the way out of Portland and her food cart is no more. Her food was absolutely amazing. I am yet to find a place that could top her hummus and tzaziki. Absolutely unmatched and her kafta plate was amazing. And on top of that she was very nice and had a great sense of humor I miss fofo“
“My family and I had lunch here on Sunday this last weekend, the food was amazing, the staff/owners clearly put a great deal of effort and care into the preparation of the food and it shows. They were so welcoming and attentive; the food was fantastic and portions plentiful. Will definitely be coming back. Thanks!“
“We had a magical time celebrating our adult son's birthday. The service was at the next level, the food was delicious, and the space and ambiance were so comfortable. The wine list gave us some great options as well. Highly recommend this place.“
“The creamiest, most tasty and authentic hummus I've ever had!No, really- I had a sample of it a few days before and know I would be back very soon. I brought my husband with me tonight, and we ordered a few of our favorite things. °Grape leaves stuffed with rice°a big beautiful salad with °delicious beef kabob skewer °their famous creamy hummus with hot pita bread.Friendly ServicePlenty of tzatziki on the sideSeating at this food court is plentifulThe music was OK and wasn't too loud“
“Quick and easy for take out. Best was the chicken and beef shawarma, then chicken kebab, and least favorite was the kafta which is usually our favorite. I can see how we have grown to like it a particular way and this may be someone else’s tastes, as it was not bad in any way - still tender and properly made; just the flavor profile wasn’t to my liking.Garlic sauce is pretty runny and consistency off but still a decent flavor. Tahini standard, not a fan of the spicy mayo type sauce.Rice was solid, flavorful. Iraqi bread is quite good as well.Overall still a 5 still for this area, esp. if they work on the garlic sauce.Recommend and will be back.“
“The BEST Mediterranean restaurant in PDX! I’ve searched for authentic taste like this high and low, but only at Zula I was able to enjoy fresh and delicious meal. Will be coming back for more with my family . Their humus is on another level.“
“When you order food from a restaurant you're putting your trust in the owner and the staff. With that being said I try to be picky about where I will eat. The owner here is very nice, very organized and very clean. The quality of the food is excellent and the taste of the food is also excellent. I deliver food during the day so I know every restaurant in town. I highly recommend that everyone try the food from this place. Also I almost forgot to add my wife likes baklava and always orders that everywhere that we go. She told me that the baklava from here is the best that she has ever had.“
“This place is my favorite gyro place in Portland so far. I found them at the Portland Saturday market, and then followed them to their restaurant. I always get their garlic chicken, and pair it with fries. The fries were so good, freshed not frozen. Really high quality food overall. Try them, you won’t regret!“
“We each had a combo plate, which were very large, we could have easily share one and gotten some appetizers. The bread was so good- it was as if foccassia and pita /or Naan bread had a baby. The link sausages and their special Chevapi had such great flavor. You can really taste the mix of regional cultures in the food. it made me look up more about the region because I had no idea of the flavorful influences. Highly recommend!“
“So disappointed... That I didn't know about this place sooner!! Last night my husband told me he had NEVER eaten a gyro. I knew I had to correct this immediately. So, I started looking for gyros near me. Now, since he's never tried one, I didn't want him to have a bad first experience that would put him off of them forever since I enjoy them so much. I chose this establishment based on very high google reviews (5 stars) and because it's so close to where we live (5 mins). This place has gone beyond expectations! The food is amazing! Perfect blend of delicious spices and ingredients. HUGE amount of food. It was so delicious that I scarfed it down so fast I got sauce up my nose. I'm so happy that we found this little gem. We will be eating here regularly from now on. Thank you, Gyro Grill Kabob!!! ❣️“
“The brisket sandwich was delicious! The meat was tender and juicy, and the bun was warm with the perfect amount of toasting on the crispy edges. Wonderful for a lunch on the go.Parking: I walked from a local business. Parking with all the break-ins and construction would have been untenable.“
“Blown away. Taste was so complex and exciting. So many layers of flavor. Ishtar Gates been on my list for a while since it came highly rated but I always forget. Ordered for take out and food was ready under 20 minutes. I love that when I wked in, I felt like I was in another place, either a densely stacked city like NYC or an overseas country that has late night street food. Oh! Also they give you so much food! Anyways, I've told so many friends about it and now you, too.“
Mediterranean • $
“Listen, I live nearby and used to get Spitz ALL the time. The fries are AMAZING and most of the staff are AWESOME. The drinks are also super yummy. But recently I've been forgoing it for several reasons:1) portion size has decreased SIGNIFICANTLY on the bowls. Normally when I'd order a bowl to go, it would touch the top of the lid. Now, it's disappointingly half-full (or pessimisticly, half-empty). It just doesn't really feel like it's worth the pricetag, especially not with the food carts around the corner. Except the fries. The fries are DEFINITELY worth the money.2) I'm still peeved about an order I made a few months ago, which was a GF order (which I have automatically saved in my online orders to make it so, and double checked the note was there). Since I'd never had an issue before, I grabbed my bag, and I walked all the way home. When I opened it, I realized that they had put bread on it (obviously not GF). Since the bread was smashed down and touching everything AND I am gluten intolerant, I called to say that there had been an issue with the order and the woman on the other phone blatantly did not believe me??? She had me walk all the way back with my order, acted like I was a huge inconvenience when she pulled my bowl out of the bag, and made me wait like a naughty child before FINALLY remaking the order. Like the Millennial I am, *I* ended up apologizing profusely for receiving an incorrect order which could have made me really sick. She, on the other hand, kind of just thrusted my re-made food to me.Like, I had literally been going there about twice a week... There was no need to treat me like a thief or a Karen, OR make me show proof BEFORE remaking the order. It left SUCH a bad taste in my mouth.Dietary restrictions: Gluten Free“
“I travel all over Oregon and Washington, and this place rocks!!!I had the Chicken Kebab Gyro with the white garlic sauce, and it was absolutely the best gyro I have ever had!!!!The location is not in the best area, but don't let that stop you from going here! I will be going back to this location even if it's out of my way.The food here is that good, and you can tell that they really care deeply about their food quality!!My hat is off to the owner and the fellow who personally cooked my Chicken Kebab Gyro. Thank you for caring so much about what you serve to your customers! ?“
“Great meats. Had both the chicken and steak kabob and they were both amazing, would lean towards the chicken. Didn't have any of the issues in one of the other reviews... Portions were large, meat and veggies were fresh, seriously good food!“
“When I walked in the door, my mouth started watering - it smelled so good. Everything we ordered was delicious. While the proteins were great, the grains are the star here. I especially liked the freekeh salad with the Nazareth kebab and the rice and lentils with the baharat chicken. The fennel salad is an absolute must. And their pita is so soft, just a well done handmade bread. I can't wait for summer time when I can have the watermelon feta and olive oil salad!“
“Today is the 4th time I have been to CORE. Lucky for me, I ate at Sandy's Myanmar Cuisine today. It was SOOOO good! I tried the national dish, catfish soup with guava drink. Definitely stop by. Henry & the management team at CORE definitely have a great venue - and a great atmosphere! I will definitely be back!“
“In one word: amazing. The atmosphere is comfortable, the food is just so so good. It hits the spot, is light but filling and the flavors are varied and interesting. The fact that it is open late only makes it more perfect. Go here, you wont regret it.“
“I have eaten here a few times. Everything is gluten free except the naan. All the dishes are amazing, but the biryani is off the charts amazing. It is all home made and fresh. Will definitely come back and try everything else.Kid-friendliness: Food truck atmosphere. There is a stage to play on unless they have live music performing.“
“Wonderful place, highly recommend! We’ve eaten here a number of times and every dish we’ve had has been excellent, and the service is great too - got confused about an item (greek names) and didn’t get what we expected - the waiter did not hesitate to take it back and promise to deliver what we intended to order; our mistake but no problem, no hassle. White table cloths, well designed decor.“
“This is a nice neighborhood deli. Greek and American menu. The Gyro was excellent. My wife had the Chicken Sandwich special and loved it. The beer was nice and cold and the service friendly and efficient. They have an extensive drink list in the room length coolers. Beer, cider, etc. There's a small video lottery machine room and a combo locked restroom. They have an ice cream cooler full of scoop ice cream containers. There are also large cookies for sale. The place is very active with a steady stream of regulars drifting in. It's definitely a multicultural hangout where everyone is greeted like family.“
“Order: Chicken Shawarma Wrap & Fry's $19 total Pros: Sooo at first I was like they are expensive. But then I got the plate and I was like sheesh this a lot of food. The food was flavorful, hot, and filled to capacity. There was no skimping on this plate. Cons: n/a“
“This is such a fun place! the owner and staff made my daughter and I feel very welcome, including her Med alert dog. Their food was tasty and the Bellydancing show was great fun and very entertaining. The place was packed but yet they managed to serve everyone with a big smile. Thank you Aladdin's Cafe. I will definitely be back.“
“I have lived in Morocco and been traveling there since the 1970s. my lunch yesterday at Kasbah Moroccan Cafe was undoubtedly the best Moroccan food I have eaten in the US. The food was delicious and authentic. Portions were generous. While we had to eat outside due to Covid, we could see that the inside of the cafe was attractively done in Moroccan style. The owner was very friendly. My son-in-law is Moroccan and he loved the food as well. I unreservedly recommend this place and will make a point of eating there next time I visit Portland.“