The Best Mediterranean in Portland

Abu Omar Gyros & Shawarma

★★★★☆ 3.9 (27)

Yaba Yabaa

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (83) • $

"Forgive me, but I must Yaba Yabaa ... Dooooo myself a favor by getting some tasty and surprisingly filling Lebanese-style Mediterranean favorites from the Yaba Yabaa food cart at Happy Valley Station. * Lamb Master Sandwich ($10) with extra MeatThis should be called the "Monster Sandwich" and come with a warning label because it is a gyro beast. (4 stars) * Hummus ($6) and Pita BreadSmooth and creamy with a trio of olives and not nearly enough pita slices packaged to go. More pita and less olives for me next time. (4 stars)As with most of the cart vendors at the HV Station, service at the counter is friendly and fast. Once you get your gyro, shawarma, falafel, kafta, or kebab, you can choose to sit indoors, outside, or head home like your sliding down the back of a dinosaur at 5:00 yelling Yaba Yabaa Doooooo!"

Gyro Master

★★★★★ 4.5 (10)

"Work it, make it, Daft Punk, makes usHotter, faster, Gyro MasterMore than ever, Hummus PlatterEver after, meal is overWork it harder, Gyro betterDo it faster, make us ShawarmaMore than ever, Gyro MasterBaba Ganoush is leftoverWork it harderWrap it Falafel Grocery Outlet On the cornerWork it harder, make it betterBalls of Kibbeh, makes us strongerMore than ever, Lamb hangoverThis review, is now over"

Moonlight Grill PDX

★★★★★ 4.6 (72) • $$

Caspian Kabob

★★★★★ 4.8 (310) • $$

"A good place in the neighborhood to get either some kabobs and gyros. I enjoyed my gyro as it was both flavorful and pretty filling. It was something that went well during the hot weather. We also ordered the Kubideh kabob platter over salad, and that was good. The service here is pretty friendly."

Aladdin's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (395) • $$

Mama Noor’s Mediterranean And Indian Cuisine

★★★★★ 4.7 (12)

"Uber Eats recommended this place. When I read the menu I thought, "This will be interesting". There are areas where they cook both Middle Eastern and Indian food traditionally. My middle Eastern family is not from such an area. So while I was familiar with the names of items, the way they were prepared was new to me.I ordered a few dishes, Naan and a mango lassi. I was surprised as the total price was lower than other, similar restaurants. I was so happy when I opened the bags. The food was incredibly fragrant. We had lamb plate, falafel & Dolma plate, and chicken tikka masala. Everything...I mean literally everything was delicious. It tastes like it came out of someone's actual kitchen. The flavors were simultaneously familiar and unique. The Tikka Masala was different from what I had in the past and it was wonderful."

Gyro Grill

★★★★★ 4.9 (51) • $

Blu Olive Mediterranean Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.2 (415) • $$

"Heard good things about this place from local Iranian community so was very excited to try and indeed they're really good!Popping on a Friday dinner, staffs were all busy serving and prepping delicious food. We split the Kabob Barg and Koobideh. They're both very well-cooked, seasoned, and tender but the winner goes to the Koobideh for me. Super, super juicy. You can actually see the owner/chef cooking everything fresh from behind the counter. The dishes were served with saffron rice and salad. The salad was a sleeper hit! Super flavorful and herby. I would gladly just do salad for my plate next time.They got other interesting appetizers and main on offer as well but the grilled plates were definitely their specialty. Desserts from other tables also looked enticing; will check that out next time.Lots of tables in a modern space. A great spot in general!"

Rosemary

★★★★☆ 4.3 (19) • $

Gyro And Shawarma Grill

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"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"

Habibi Sandwich

★★★★☆ 4.1 (9) • $

"Couldn't take pictures, because it was dark, but I had a fantastic chicken shawarma here. The chef was friendly and took so much care in preparing it. He even topped it with a kiss of hummus. It was flavorful and perfect with every bite. Probably my favorite shawarma on this block!"

Philly cheese empire

★★★★☆ 4.1 (16)

"Great food cart in Cartlandia. The hog dogs and the fish and chips are delicious. They stay open late (2am) and the owner is very attentive and friendly."

Rehana

★★★★★ 4.8 (69) • $$

Mediterranean Exploration Company

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"hmMmM i cannot and will not shut up about the octopus... i absolutely lov that chewy texture and the seasoning and oils made it 10/10 for me! the lamb chops were probably my second favorite; again great seasoning... the pita bread and hummus is very memorable to me very pungent taste but texture is all there ~ the onions yommy ~ the greek potatoes were delicious as well but it does get a bit filling after a while since all these dishes are on the oilier side HAHAHA so i dabbed each bite on a napkin before continuing to eat. the chicken and salad were good too but i was saur full already i was going to explode. but lovely atmosphere and friendly service; we got seated immediately which was nice :-) they also do birthday specials yippee"

Tahrir Square

★★★★☆ 3.8 (153) • $

"Food stand located in Cartopia.Chicken Gyro ($12) - Good portions, strange gyro. It was sort of like marinated bits of chicken. It was tasty though, especially with the garlic sauce!"

Hush Hush Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (580) • $$

"My favorite place for Hummus and Pita in the Portland metro area.I recommend ordering additional Pitas since the Hummus is quite tasty.Service is fast, friendly and efficient!"

Lil' Shalom

★★★★★ 4.5 (618) • $$

"My kid and her beau love this place, and its big sister Shalom Y'All (on Taylor Street. See: https://www.yelp.ca/map/shalom-yall-restaurant-portland-2). I think these two restaurants have the same owner/s. On my most recent visit, we came here, to L'il Shalom for dinner and it was great. Unlike Shalom Y'All, this L'il Shalom is indeed little. It doesn't seat a lot of people, and the seating that is there is primarily barstools along a counter on the wall, and a few seats in front of the main counter where they take your order and ring you up. Because I was there on a cold and rainy April night, it was cold in this restaurant as the place is so small, so whenever the door opened, the wind and cold came in, and essentially all the seating is in close proximity to the door. I wouldn't score this place highly for ambiance. But the food is great and that's what ultimately counts, right? The pita was incredible, as was the hummus. Probably the best pita and hummus I've ever had. I loved the chicken shawarma and my kid and her partner loved their platters, too (I forget what they ordered). Prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get and the high quality. It all was great!"

Yaba Yabaa

★★★★☆ 3.9 (23)

"On a cold, wet afternoon, Yaba Yabaa came through with terrific comfort food, and this pod had plenty of covered seating that allowed me to enjoy my lunch on site.I'm a big fan of Kafta, so my sandwich choice was tipped in this direction, though I'm anxious to return in order to try out the Lamb Gyro and Chicken Shawarma sandwich options. Or, maybe a plate, or perhaps a salad. And probably some Baklava. Lots of options here, and I haven't even mentioned the Falafel that other people have raved about.The highlight for me was that this particular sandwich came with both a garlic hummus spread and tahini. The result turned out to be along the lines of the tastiest aioli I've ever tried. Regardless of what I order on my next visit, my plan is to request this combo again."

TarBoush Lebanese Bistro & Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (375) • $$

"Came on a Sunday evening. It wasn't busy so we sat down right away. Service was great! We had the chicken breast plate, chicken shawarma plate, and kafta kabob plate. Our favorites were the chicken breast and kafta though everything was delicious! The hummus is also a must order for appetizer because it was AMAZING I could have had just a giant bowl of that for my whole meal. The pita it comes with is also FRESH and hot. The rice they serve the meat with is a little on the sweet side with bites of cinnamon and nutmeg in it but goes well with the salt of the meats. Easy neighborhood parking and super cute street.I'd be back! I don't know why they aren't more busy because its a great place!"

Zeus Kusina

★★★★★ 4.8 (20)

"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!"

Gyro Grill

★★★★★ 4.5 (106) • $

"First time here. And I'll definitely be back. Little spot inside of a market. I had the lamb gyro and it was filling and full of flavor. I like the big chunks of meat in it rather than thin slices of meat. Sauces that came with it were tasty as well. The baklava was just average. Other that that food was made fresh to order. Give it a try"

Shawarma House

★★★★★ 4.6 (81) • $$

"Atmosphere: Food truck, but the Cart Side Pod has a great atmosphere with TV's, outdoor patios, a bar an upstairs and downstairs and heat lampsFood: The Lamb Saj was delicious and a slightly unique twist with fries, pickles, garlic sauce and hot saucePrice: $12 for a footlong Lamb Saj. Reasonable compared to elsewhere in townService: Good service. They take Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc. Food took a little while to prepare but not anything unreasonable.Parking: There is street parking nearby"

Tusk

★★★★☆ 4.1 (603) • $$

"A hidden gem! I passed by this place so many times on Hawthorne and never went in, until one day my partner and I were craving Mediterranean food. Try to book a reservation if you can because we went on a weekday and they were still very busy. The only option for seating was outside. We were skeptical at first, however, their outside dining is nicely made, warm, and doesn't feel like you're dining OUTSIDE. Service here throughout our dinner was a bit slow, but they were very kind.We ordered the mezzo platter, braised lamb neck, and steamed clams. The mezzo platter was so so amazing. I loved being able to try the different dishes that came with the pita bread (which was warm and delicious). I highly recommend this dish for an appetizer. The braised lamb neck and clams were both phenomenal, great portions, and I would love to get it again. Prior to ordering, we were tempted by their set course (which was a really good price of $55/$65 pp!), but we weren't hungry enough to try it. I would love to come back again to check it out!"

Nicholas Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (514) • $$

"Used to be a go-to every week.Used to be portions that would stuff your belly.Used to be cheaper than a food truck.Now outrageously expensive. $100 lunch for two?Now petite portions that made you say what?Parking has always been horrible at the original Grand location and worse now on Broadway.This was never a friendly smiley place but you looked past it for the value. Last time our food was thrown together in an unappetizing presentation and it took 40 minutes too long.Dining area needs a deep clean."

Bella's Cravings

★★★★★ 4.9 (88) • $$

"There were at least six people in line when we got here for dinner on Saturday night. This was our first time and we didn't know what to expect. All the pictures on Yelp showed so many appetizing dishes. Everything was really delicious. The meats were marinated, not fatty, excellent! I really appreciate it that the rice was seasoned. Sides of Tzatziki and hummus along with the salad added attention to detail. We couldn't finish everything. But we will still be enjoying it all again tomorrow. Besides the fantastic food offerings... the owner is kind, efficient and cheerful! Thank you! SHUKRAN"

Toktok Food Cart

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (33)

"Kind service on multiple times I got food from this cart. They're quick and professional. The food is fresh and hot. Love the rice and chicken shawarma. Their potatoes are yummy too"

Egyptian Bros

★★★★★ 4.6 (182) • $

"Hidden gym in Portland. The pod is a bit hard to find and easy to miss unless you live in the area. There's no parking so prepare yourself for a bit of walking. Lamb gyro over rice: 5/5, one of the best lamb I've ever had. It isn't stinky or moist, the flavor is in every bite and delicious. I only wished there were more lamb in our rice plate.Service was really fast, we got our food within 3 minutes and it's located in one of the photo friendly pods, lots and lots of seating as well."

Classic Shawarma

★★★★★ 5 (4)

"Food was great! Not overly saucy like other places. Owned and operated by an actual middle eastern makes for better middle eastern food! Owner is very nice. Easy to access location with plenty of parking. Shaded area to wait. Highly recommend! Best shawarma I've had in Portland!"

The Shawarma Truck

★★★★★ 4.9 (10)

Yalla

★★★★☆ 4.4 (194) • $$

"Delicious food! The Cedar Plank Salmon was our favorite - it was cooked perfectly. Our second favorite was Labneh with Roasted Grapes. Don't skip out on dessert - the burnt basque cheesecake was delicious. There's outdoor seating that is outfitted with heated lamps (for cold days). When we ate out for dinner there were a few gnats flying around."

Shawarma Station

★★★★☆ 4.4 (23)

"This truck was right next to the La Jarochita truck where I got a tofu burrito. And since I knew I needed something to supplement my burrito, I ended up buying a side of fries from here. Was surprised to see that they had some dry seasoning on the fries. Fries were perfectly cooked and delicious."

Dolly Olive

★★★★☆ 4.4 (178)

Tangier Moroccan & Mediterranean Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (474) • $$

Carina Lounge

★★★★★ 4.6 (242) • $$

"A fun spot with super cool happy hour deal. The moment they opened, people flooded in. During happy hour (4.30-5.30PM), you get $2 off house cocktails and $3 off small plates!I got the Piri Piri Prawns at happy hour price. It came with five large and fresh prawns. The sauce was zesty and refreshing. Love the garlics in there as well.I also got the Pasta Malfatti which was a uniquely spicy pasta. The sauce was rich with spices and chicken sausage. I've never had pasta like this before. The pasta itself was lasagna-shaped, fresh, and well-cooked (maybe a tad overdone) but it came out super hot which I love. Definitely a rich dish and the portion was great. Would be great to share with people so you can try multiple.The service was fast and friendly. I love the ambience inside a lot as well, very relaxing. This would be a fun spot for a special occasion or to meet up with a group if people. I would love to be back for their Penne Burrata, Goat Cheese Ravioli, and drinks!"