Mediterranean Exploration Company

Given there were 7 of us, we decided to explore the extensive tasting menu at $75/ person. Wow, what an amazing dinner! The numerous top-notch staff delivered each course like a conductor leading a symphony. The food was simply amazing, with each course offering different flavors, textures and spices. We may have also ordered the entire desert menu, which did not disappoint. All in all, we very much enjoyed our visit and would highly recommend as one of the essential spots in the beloved Pearl District.

When a restaurant gets as much praise as Mediterranean Exploration Co. You are expecting something extraordinary, but instead the food didn't seem to wow me to match the hype expectations I was preparing myself for. Did I enjoy the food? Absolutely, and I'd go there again. I'd just go with different expectations. I will say that I was disappointed that they only served a single pita with a hummus plate. I expected 3 pita, especially if it's going to be shared between 3 people.

We stopped in late Monday night. The place and the food was exceptional! From the eggplant dip, potatoes, beef & lamb kebab, shrimp dish (one of our best dishes of our entire Portland trip!), collard greens, fresh and pita. We got a bottle of red wine from Hungary (Austria?) which was unique and a perfect pairing. It was a great vibe and loved sharing plates! We couldn’t help getting the pistachio cake and cardamom tres leches for dessert - both were spectacular! Our server was a little grumpy and inattentive, but his busser was super sweet so she covered for him. 11 out of 10 and absolutely would recommend and come back!!

My husband and I visited Portland from Omaha for the first time as a 30th birthday celebration trip. MEC came highly recommended to us so we decided to splurge for a nice dinner. Our server was great and recommended 3-5 shareable dishes for a party of two. The dishes came out as they were ready and they were all wonderful. They even gave us ice cream with a candle for my birthday. Highly highly recommend!!

One of our favorite restaurants in the downtown Portland area. Service can be hit and miss but the food is always consistent and the pita and hummus is best in the city by a long shot 🤘🏼 Also have pretty decent cocktails! Try and get reservations if you can since it can fill up and be hard to walk in especially on weekends.

We visited Portland from British Columbia and found this place on google, highly rated. They squeezed us in at the bar, and it was still very nice. The food was super unique and absolutely delicious. Service was excellent, and we we're well taken care of. They recommend family style which worked really well. We ordered a whole bunch of dishes and four of us dug in. I highly recommend this place if you love food and unique experiences.

First timers here and thoroughly enjoyed our meal and experience! The heavy meadow cocktail was delish, lamb hummus and pita were top notch and potatoes, lamb chops, and hanger steak were tasty. Will definitely be bringing friends or family when they come to visit.

We were able to sneak in without a reservation on a Saturday night, and I'm really grateful we did. Everything was amazing. We had blistered shishitos in a feta pistachio puree, feta and strawberies, and a spicy lamb hummus. They were so delish that the kids wiped the dishes clean before I could get in there! The octopus was so tender and tasty, and the labneh with fried artichokes was the right amount of cooling. Very busy restaurant because of how great the food is, and I am so thankful they snuck us in

My daughter recommended this restaurant. It's in the heart of Portland's business district. We were lucky to be seated as .y wife and I were walk-ins with no reservation. The vibe was casual dining. The staff was very attentive to our needs and answered all our questions. I ordered the Lamb Beef Kabobs. It came on a skewer and was a mix of lamb and beef rolled up into a sausage with a dipping sauce. My wife ordered the grilled salmon. I also ordered their garlic potatoes and a bottle of Israeli beer. The Kabob was excellent and the dipping sauce paired with the meat to enhance the taste. The grilled salmon was tender and not dry. The potatoes were cooked to perfection and not hard. I would definitely return to eat here again.

Had an amazing meal here while visiting! We ordered the crispy lamb hummus, hamachi crudo, radicchio salad, spinach and cheese boureka, spiced mushrooms and Moroccan chicken. Everything was delicious but absolute faves were the hummus and mushrooms. Least favorite was probably the chicken- it was really well made but we were more blown away by the other flavors. Service was attentive. Had the mint tea which was great with the meal. Trendy ambiance. Would return if in Portland again!

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

Decent food, great ambiance and amazing service. Loved their cauliflower, shrimp was pretty well done

Would recommend ordering the crispy lamb hummus (their pita is THE BEST!), grilled octopus, and the coffee roasted sweet potato. I'd probably skip the fennel salad and the Morroccan brick chicken if I were to go again.

Perfect for appetites of all sizes. The dishes are great for splitting between two people. I was a little skeptical of the non-alcoholic drinks but the price was justified. So dang good. Good outdoor seating and fast service. No matter what you get on the menu, it'll probably be some of the best Mediterranean food you've had

I really enjoyed the foods here. I wasn't able to get a picture of everything but believe me when I say it was good. I recommend getting the at least one of the hummus dishes as it was so smooth and flavorful. The lamb was also tender done well. I think it might have been my favorite thing on the menu. Also the roasted carrots were a table favorite. Honestly everything was done so well so no matter what you get I'm sure it'll taste good. I will also say the drinks were also quite good. For service, the hostess was so nice and accommodating. She had good recommendations for us and was knowledgeable in the menu. The atmosphere was warm, classy, and good for conversation. Also side note, but the food is meant to be served family style, so be prepared to share!

Absolutely delicious Mediterranean food! Based on my experience, the vegetarian dishes are the forte here. We ordered: 1. Fennel Salad - crisp and refreshing, and the fennel gives that different anise-flavor. I also enjoyed the oranges and candied almonds for extra flavor and texture. 2. Roasted Eggplant Dip - if you're a babaganoush fan, this is for you! 3. Fasolakia Hummus - this is a *MUST*. Even the pickiest eater in our party wanted to lick the plate clean! 4. Spiced Maitake Mushrooms - another *MUST ORDER*! The mushrooms were prepared perfectly with a slight crispy char and the black garlic sauce was out of this world!! I wish I could have bought a jar of it! 5. Grilled Octopus - this was good, but I expected more from the dish than just two pieces of octopus, one of which was a bit overcooked and rubbery. 6. Adana Lamb Kebab - Pretty good and definitely not game-y I also enjoyed the Arak and a Hard Place cocktail and the Turkish coffee for dessert was very authentic and delicious. The rhubarb dessert we ordered was good too! Sit outside on a warm evening and enjoy!

I was not expecting the food to be this good - this place nails Mediterranean nibbles! Service was warm, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Interior and exterior are clean and modern. But it's all about the food. We kept ordering because it was so good... Drinks - my Turkish delight was terrific. But the white Negroni? Perfect for a hot summery day. Food - you wouldn't think olives would be much to write about. But these were so plump and juicy, well marinated, and since the were warm, so flavorful. The hummus was creamy with just the right amount of tahini and crispy lamb bits. The pita was warm and pillowy (we ordered another one to sop up all of the sauces). The falafel was crisp with a tender crumb, not dry like so many are. And the zhug was full of bright flavor. We had to order another one. Octopus was perfectly cooked and the oil needed to be stopped up with pita; it would have been a shame to waste it. The chicken meatballs were also crisp with a tender interior. The eggplant relish with slivered almonds was served cold/room temp, but did not deteriorate from the meatballs whatsoever. . I'll be back... you should go too!

Based off of a recommendation from a coworker, we visited the Mediterranean Exploration Company after our flight into Portland. We sat on the patio, which was much quieter than inside. The menu was split into five different sections; we chose items from three. Labneh with Fried Artichokes and Pita: the pita was fresh and soft while the labneh was creamy and acidic - both pairing nicely with the hearty flavor of the artichokes Grilled Octopus: tender and well seasoned Blistered Shishito Peppers: such a unique combination with the char from the peppers, the nuttiness with the pistachios, the spice from the chili crisp, and the acidity from the feta puree We washed it down with locally made beverages and left satisfied.

We had been looking forward to trying Mediterranean Exploration Co. for a while now after hearing great things from friends, and we're throughly impressed with our experience! My boyfriend and I were able to get a same-day reservation for our anniversary and were surprised with complimentary champagne when we were seated, which was a lovely touch! All of the staff were so attentive and kind from start to finish. And the food! We enjoyed everything we ordered: Lamb chops, calamari, radicchio salad, and hummus with a hot, fluffy pita were all so flavorful and delicious. And the bacon wrapped dates were the star of the show for me! Just divine. For dessert we also indulged in the Tres Leches and Turkish coffee, which was the perfect end to our dining experience on a rainy Portland evening. I'd highly recommend MEC and can't wait to visit again soon!

Came here with a reservation and it was pretty packed! We sat at the bar and if we wanted a table, it would've been another hour-ish wait, so make reservations if you plan on going! We loved the other restaurants of Sesame Collective, so decided to try this place out as well! As the style of this place is similar to others, it's recommended to order a bunch of different dishes and share! We started with the roasted eggplant dip and the hamachi Crudo. The dip was decent, but left a lot to be desired. It was refreshing, but I wish there was more of a taste to it. The pita was cooked well and was very airy and had a good crisp to the outside. The hamachi crudo was by far my favorite dish of the meal, light, fresh, and packed with tons of flavor. We genuinely debated ordering this dish again at the end of the meal because it was that good. The spice maitake mushrooms came out next and it had good texture and the paste was a good contrast to the lightly sweet mushrooms. Finally the beef and lamb kebab came out and it was as expected. A very good dish that had a good balance of the meaty taste but topped with nuts and a creamy paste underneath, it didn't disappoint but didn't knock me out of my seat. Overall, I would come back as the ambiance had a nice playful nature to it and wasn't too upscale but was elegant. Looked like a cool place for drinks and some food after a long day.

This family-style restaurant was a true gem! With a party of four, we ordered eight dishes and couldn't pick a favorite - everything was incredible. We each chose two dishes, and to our surprise, the hummus became a highlight. While I usually wouldn't order hummus at a restaurant with such an adventurous menu, this one turned out to be a delightful surprise! It featured a base of traditional hummus alongside whole chickpeas and something else that I couldn't pin point out but whatever it was it was all delicious. Our table consieted of mostly pescatraians., so that is what we focused on the vegetarian and seafood options, and everything I tasted was bursting with flavor. In fact, all four of us - including two fellow pescatarians - sampled most of the vegetarian and pescatarian dishes on the menu, and there wasn't a single miss. We arrived at 6:15 pm on a Monday, and the place was already buzzing. Within 45 minutes, the entire restaurant was packed! Reservations are highly recommended, no matter the day or time. This place is clearly popular for good reasons.

Wow wow wow. We ordered five plates for two people. Fennel salad, so earthy. Octopus for my friend who is not vegetarian, where as I am. Artichokes, with a nice tahini and citrus flavor. Mushrooms with nice lentils underneath. All great! 100% recommend.

This is the best Mediterranean food I ever had. Everything is so delicious and flavorful. Lamb chop is the best I ever tasted. These comments are coming from a well traveled person who loves lamb. I hope I get the message across. Service is nice and the ambiance is great too. I would visit again next time I am in Portland.

"Exploring" is going somewhere unfamiliar. It doesn't usually include the urge to lick the plates, but maybe it should, especially if you are going to eat here. The flavors were a surprisingly rich combination of the unexpected, but in a delightful way. They had a lot of vegetarian options , and we decided to nibble our way across the menu, family style. My suggestions? Try the salt roasted beets -perfectly roasted and lounging on a pool of tahina with herbs, Fennel salad- with a slightly citrusy vinagarette and sweet almonds for crunch, Labneh -topped with crispy artichokes and a sauce that perfectly balanced spicy with flavorful fruit over the base of tangy yogurt. Other top picks: spiced mushrooms on garlic spiced lentils, or the spinach & cheese Boureka. Any negatives?: our whole meal came with one single small piece of pita bread for three people to share, and a single small extra piece of bread is $3 each. For our $150 bucks, they could have provided extra bread. Would I go back? Oh yes!

One of my absolute favorite dinners on this trip! Skipped the drinks and just opted for water. For food we shared the following items: Beef-Bacon Wrapped Date: This was the most underwhelming item of the night, the combination of flavors and textures were too one-dimensional. I think an added element would have really elevated this dish but somethings is missing... Crispy Lamb Hummus: WOW this was so good, the flavors, the textures, wow I just wish they gave two pitas or some cucumbers with this cause one pita is not enough. Fried Brussel Sprouts: So addicting to eat, the spices and sauce used paired so well together Moroccan Brick Chicken: Moist flavorful chicken with a delicious arugula salad, so simple but so necessary for the table Grilled Octopus: Cooked to perfection and seasoned nicely, if I see octopus on the menu I order it Warm Pistachio Cake: a simple cake but could do with less white chocolate Service was okay, we barely saw our server after we ordered but other staff was friendly. We sat at the counter so we could see them preparing the food which was a cool experience. The ambiance is dark and cozy, would be great for a date night.

From the friendly smiles on entry to the heart warming goodbye, every moment I spent within this restaurant was nothing less than perfection. My reservation was placed for outside seating but once I noticed the kitchen-side bar style seating I knew I needed to get the full experience. The wait staff were very attentive while also providing an excellent wine recommendation which was wonderful. But the kitchen is what truly impressed me. A very clean and organized French brigade was on full display. I witnessed strong communication between front of house and very clear warnings to the team when it came to special events and/or food allergies. I was close enough to the action to be able to hear Sous chef Taylor's expo call outs to her team while working on the line and I once again must take a moment to appreciate this establishment. Very clear call outs to the team with all day stated if necessary, timers set for coursing, The whole 9 yards. Everything about my experience was nothing less than perfection and I cannot wait to visit again soon. Thank you. -Dru

Food is so flavorful. I was a bit hesitant to come because of the reviews, but glad I did. We started with the beef bacon wrapped dates which were perfectly balanced between sweet, salty, and fatty. It had a great crunch with the bacon and a juicy sweetness with the date, ending with the ultimate crunch of the almond inside. The crispy lamb hummus- a bit overpriced- but a must order. The oil of the lamb provides a delicious touch to the creaminess of the hummus. Oh my goodness, and the mint wi the a powerful freshness to the mix. However, I would chop up the parsley a bit more! The Moroccan brunch chicken has the skin crispy with a tangy salad on the side. The hamachi crudo- maybe the best fish I've had in Portland??? Unexpected but my boyfriend loved it and he does not like fish! I very well enjoyed celebrating my anniversary here. Service is great, food is amazing, and a great area to hang around before/ after.

Food was amazing - every dish we had was delicious, including the deserts! We came back twice over 3 days because it just so yummy! Will definitely come back again. - hamachi crudo was superb - cheese and spinach boureka was delicious - chermoula shrimp, sweet potato and amba cauliflower gave a tandoori vibe which we loved - chocolate coconut ice cream was also delicious The service was exceptional from the manager to the wait staff. Music and decor and lighting were also perfect for a nice dinner out. Great ambiance. Highly recommend!!

SO we decided to eat at MEC because I'd been told how phenomenal it is. I also knew that they had great vegan options. We got there close to 8pm on a Saturday night and got a seat at the bar within 5 minutes. The bartender was 5/5 for service and knowledge of what was vegan or HOW to make something vegan. Drinks were great. It's a super cool interior which is more cafeteria style seating and it reminds me of Europe. Very cool. Food was MEH at MEC. The portion you receive for the price is almost shocking. A Tofuyan brand pita is what seemed to come with the tiny bit of hummus we got. And it was just okay. Nothing phenomenal. The falafel was good but again price y'all. The majadara, which is VERY simple, and one of my FAVORITE Mediterranean dishes was a 1/5. It was SO greasy. And the crispy onions were just okay. Not PHENOMENAL. They're supposed to be caramelized. And the flavor reflective of the caramelized onions. It does NOT work. The Bright star for me was the Spiced Maitake Mushrooms. The FLAVOR was incredible. So absolutely delicious. The Maitake was perfectly grilled and pressed and everything about that dish shone. It was more appetizer sized but very very good. My description to my husband was that MEC is where you go to splurge on Mediterranean food and know you won't get fat from all the bread and carbs. Because simply put you can't afford to!

Everything I've ever eaten here is delicious, literally everything. The lamb hummus is great, and all of the salads are amazing! Vibe inside is cute, lots of seating! Staff is always nice, the host with the gray hair deserves a raise, what a sweetheart! Love MEC, will come back always!

The lamb chops were fantastic. We ordered another servicing it was soo good. The restaurant is busy and it is tapas style. The service is okay - not amazing but not bad either. The shrimp was perfectly cooked. We went at night so it was dark inside the restaurant. Seems like it would be a good date place. I would go back for the lamb chops.

Our group of four recently tried the Mediterranean Exploration Company for an early dinner It was a great experience. In addition to the elegant indoor space, there is a large outdoor patio extending into the street which is where we ate. Lots of shade from the actual building but entertaining to watch all the pedestrians go by. Our server was friendly and prompt. The food is actually a bunch of small plates. For our group of four, our waitress suggested we get 6-8 plates. Ours came out two dishes at a time. We got eight and all left feeling full. We started with the fried calamari. These were lightly breaded and served over a spicy tomato sauce. This was a big hit for all of us. I enjoyed the Labneh with Fried Artichokes. I'd never had fried artichokes, the texture was a bit dry and needed the yogurt-like labneh. This dish was the most disliked in our group. Next came the crispy lamb hummus. Creamy, smooth, luscious hummus with a smattering of crispy lamb on top. This was a huge hit with everyone. It only comes with a single pita, so be sure to order more. The Watermelon Salad which was chunks of seasoned watermelon with some tahini dressing. It had urfa pepper, similar to black pepper, which I had never had before. Our third round was the Blistered Shishito Peppers and the Baked Feta and Blackberries. Our table was split on the Shishito dish. I love shishitos and really enjoyed the thick pistachio puree it was served with. On the other hand, the baked feta was my least favorite dish. It was super sweet and should probably be considered a dessert. Our final two dishes with the Moroccan Brick Chicken and the Hangar Steak. The chicken was moist and flavorful served with an amazing arugula and pecorino salad that I highly recommend. The hangar steak was also delicious and was served with potatoes and fried capers. It was a really fun experience, and I had the opportunity to try a lot of spices and flavors I'm not that familiar with. It was somewhat pricey, but the food was great, and I'd happily return.

After an outstanding meal at Lil' Shalom we had to try out the flagship Mediterranean Exploration Company. We were a little surprised by the location in what feels like an old loading dock / warehouse. Inside was a low ceilings, dimly lit but cozy space. We got great service throughout the night. We were seated at a table that was very close to our neighbors, who unfortunately were having quite the boisterous meal. As with the last time, the food was absolutely delicious. Creative, flavorful, vegetarian friendly, hearty portions and arrived fast. The carrots, falafel - everything was so so good. We are excited to try every property this restaurant group has to offer.

Mediterranean Exploration Company was our best meal in Portland and it's all thanks to the talented Chef Taylor! This restaurant bolsters creative and delicious Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes that are jam packed with incredible flavors. We loved everything we ordered! Their team is so welcoming and the service is great. This beautiful restaurant is located in the Pearl District.

Seriously, how this place has this kind of rating tells me they must be encouraging their friends and family to review it because it is absolutely the worst dining experience you will ever have. Let me start with the new restaurant copout strategy: "We serve family-style food, so it comes out as it's ready." This is indicative of a lazy kitchen that has no idea how to prepare food and serve it simultaneously to the same group of people--so the strategy becomes "Let's call it something different and trick our diners into thinking it's cool because we suck." Of course, we ordered, and everything came out of sequence. No one was comfortable eating their food before the others, so their food was cold by the time it trickled out of the kitchen. Then the server spilled hot oil from the French fries on my leg, didn't apologize, and actually tried to deny it happened until I showed him the large oil stain on my leg. And yes, my leg got burned. They did not offer to buy us a drink, clean my pants, or even offer us dessert. The next problem was that there were four of us, and we wanted an order of baklava. It comes with three pieces, so I asked our server for four and said I'd be happy to pay for the fourth piece, even after they burned my leg and ruined my pants. This request apparently blew their minds. How could they possibly pull an extra piece of baklava off the tray? Way too daunting for this circus--which is hysterical because they could've given me four pieces, charged me for two orders, and I would've been fine. They are absolutely clueless at this place. The food is mediocre at best, and there are way too many good restaurants in Portland to waste your time at this horrible concept restaurant called "laziness." Avoid this place at all costs!

We went to this place on a Friday evening and it was crowded. They had seating all over the place, which was a little suffocating because it felt like we were sharing the table with so many people because we were literally sitting next to each other. People were shouting to talk to each other which became chaotic. Food was very average, we ordered greek potatoes, chicken meatballs, spinach and cheese boureka, and mejadara. Chicken meatballs were pretty good and the mejadara too. The greek potatoes were dipped in olive oil like literally dipped in the plate full of olive oil, we couldn't eat them much. Remaining items were pretty good and the drinks too. Service was good too. For the price point, not worth visiting this place again. My recommendation would be to explore it. Not a second time visit place.

We sat on the patio and it was a lovely summer evening. The waiter talked through the menu and offered vegan options. The hummus and mushrooms were delicious. The pita was warm and amazing. It was our anniversary and gave us dessert. The chocolate ice cream was INCREDIBLE.

If a restaurant can get me to eat lamb and actually ENJOY it?! Then you really got somethin good. Came here for the first time on a Friday night and it was worth all the hype. The dishes are small plates - which I love - so keep in mind that you'll need to order quite a few depending on how hungry you are. I came for dinner with a friend and we started with the Hummus abu Hassan and their fresh baked pita... omg... I'm not even a hummus fan yall, but this one was amazing. Then we ordered the Pan Roasted Salmon and the Hawaij Spiced Carrots - both were perfect. And last but not least, the Lamb Chops. INSANE. I don't like lamb and will never go out of my way to order it or even try a bite when my husband orders it anywhere. But their lamb chops here, I will come back for. I usually will take pictures of my food to post on here, but I was truly enjoying my meal so much that I didn't take a single photo. Maybe next time! LOL

Highlights 1) Amazing Food 2) Cool Vibe 3) Shareable Plates Made a reservation here recently for a small group of co-workers. It happened to be Valentine's Day so we definitely needed the reservation. We arrived about 30 minutes early but the restaurant was able to seat us right away at a high top. The vibe here is super cool and open. It's fairly loud but that made it feel exciting! The menu is fairly large and features a ton of Mediterranean small plates of various sizes. Everything we had was amazing and bursting with flavor! Highly recommend the harissa carrots, salmon and Greek potatoes. Will absolutely seek this out on my next visit!

Okay let me just say, everything I had to eat here way delicioussss!! I really would recommend the lamb and usually I don't prefer lamb. They know what they're doing here when it comes to food, but also ambiance! This is such a cute place, we went at night and there was low lighting, modern decor, so makes a great spot to go with friends or family, but a great date spot as well! The service was great as well, knowledgeable on the whole menu, and attentive! One downside, is be ready to spend a bit of money. I would come back much more often if prices were a little lower, but for the quality of the food I'd still say it's worth it

I'll start with the positives: the falafel, pita and drinks were all great. The falafel had a nice unique spice, the pita was very fresh and the drinks were unique and really good, especially the Moroccan Iced Mint Tea. The bad: the main entree, the service and the prices. The Shawarma Spiced Cauliflower was underwhelming - it literally was 2 pieces of burnt cauliflower with sauce, definitely not worth 22 dollars. The Hummus was too sour and the Gem Salad was sweet and sour as well. We were seated at the bar and our bartender didn't check in with us besides taking our order and was even condescending when I asked about the vegetarian options on the menu. I would've understood as it was busy, but she was checking in regularly with the other customers around us, even giving out free appetizers, desserts and champagne to different people but only came around to give us the bill at the end. I don't think it's worth the experience, at least for vegetarians.

Loved the food, flavors and ambience! Definitely a must visit if you're in Portland. Service was prompt and the serverexplained the dishes well.

Absolutely phenomenal restaurant! Went with two other people and we shared everything. One of our party was vegetarian so we got all veggie friendly options, which were phenomenal - would still give 5 stars though I can't comment on the meat/seafood dishes (the lamb and scallops sounded awesome). Highlights included the pita (worth getting the hummus just for that), the beet salad, the mushroom dish, and the roasted Feta and strawberry. Chef's kiss! Our server was also incredibly knowledgeable about the food and drinks and helped guide our decisions. For those wondering, we got 6 things for 3 people and were quite full after.

This place lived up to its hype. The industrial ambiance was not what i was expecting and the food was not very traditional but the flavors and textures compliment each other very well. The raddicio salad had an excellent crunch to each bite. The lamb hummus was exceptional. The greek potatoes were very flavorful and the hangar steak was a smaller portion but also very well done. Matthew was an excellent server very direct and helpful with his recommendations. Overall it was a wonderful experience.

I love this place!! A trip to PDX is not complete without a dinner at MEC. The radicchio salad is "radicculously" delicious. Pretty much everything on the menu is an A+. I highly recommend!!

I was excited to try this place as my friend raved about one of their other sister restaurants "Shalom Y'all". I snagged a last minute reservation on Resy on a Sunday night but we were placed in the most claustrophobic section of the restaurant. Not sure if all the tables were like this but the restaurant didn't seem to be full. The tables next to us were only a few inches away (almost touching) that the server couldn't get in between the tables. We ordered the Crispy Lamb Hummus, Falafel, Chicken Meatballs, Lambchops and Coffee Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Crispy Lamb Hummus: Came with pieces of lamb on top of their hummus and one piece of pita. The pita was soft and fluffy but I didn't feel like the hummus was anything amazing. Falafel was standard. Came with two different sauces. Chicken Meatballs: It came with a cured lemon aioli sauce and pickled carrots but the meatballs seemed a bit dry. The pickled carrots were enjoyable. Roasted Lamb: The default is medium rare which is what we ordered but it seemed more rare when we received our order. Unfortunately, we were not able to enjoy this as it was too rare for our liking and we didn't want to send it back to the kitchen. Coffee Roasted Sweet Potatoes: This dish had good flavor and the potatoes were cooked very well. Maybe we ordered the wrong things on the menu but I felt like my experience fell short and would probably not return. Note they add a 3% healthcare tax to the bill Parking: Located in pearl district so there is mostly metered parking.

Ambience ~ crowd & loud. A get-together hangout spot over drinks. Service ~ what is now typical in a high volume environment. Add higher than average tipping. Food ~ what brought us in was a glance at the menu. Prices seemed reasonable. Upon serving, the portions are disappointingly teeny weeny. So in actuality it is very pricey for what you get. The server encourages you to share plates if you do not mind having a tasting course-like evening. More for the walking Pearl patrons ~ a central location to meet up after work with parking that is impossible to find at peak times.

First time trying Mediterranean food and it was great! Everything tasted good. Would definitely come back.

Oh my god! You have to go here. The food is wow. Salad, hummus, lamb, cauliflower all of it is just amazing. Their drinks menu is so well curated and innovative. I love the ambience and vibe of the place. Would suggest to get a reservation before you go in.

I absolutely adore this place. It came recommended from a friend of mine, and we went together with another friend around 8:30p. We had no problem getting a seat quickly even though the restaurant was still basically full. Luckily my friends were down to share plates so we ordered 3 dishes and loved all of them (no drinks for us tonight although the craft cocktail menu was almost too hard to resist!) We started with the crispy lamb hummus which was incredible, it had many other toppings as well and come out hot and fresh. We ordered additional pitas (one for each person) which came in handy to eat with the other items as well. We also got the youvetsi which was a fusion of orzo and meat cheese and sauce, and also delicious, even better when paired with the pita. Finally we opted for the pan roasted salmon - delicious. Cooked perfectly, almost reminiscent of a sous vide but without the mushiness, and the chickpeas served with it were so fresh and yummy. We loved every dish, can't wait to get back and try more! The ambience is very classy and bustling and service is so sweet and friendly. Thank you!

Am I the only one that thinks the food was incredibly bland for Mediterranean cuisine? We ordered the radicchio salad which had little to no seasoning (maybe they could add some salt, vinegar, anchovies.. anything aside the mild yogurt would be nice), the homemade lebnah was also incredibly bland, the lamb chops were alright and on the flip side all i could really taste was the pool of oregano and lemon that it came in which overpowered the lamb. The only thing I'd recommend that we ate was the boureka which was one small puff pastry about the size of a samosa for $12 (I thought maybe it would come with 2, but it's just 1). Otherwise staff and ambiance were nice but it's about the blandest Mediterranean experience I've had at a Portland restaurant.

Wonderful food, with a very good explanation as to how the menu works. Very good wine service and a friendly staff. If they would turn down the subwoofer it would've been perfect!

Really wanted to love this place given the number of good reviews, and while the food was good, it wasn't something that I personally felt deserved the hype surrounding it. Came here in a group of 6, and we ordered a bunch of different items to share. I will say that the lamb chops are really good, but at $12 per, it's a little steep for the amount of meat you get. We got the radicchio salad, cauliflower, two types of hummus, a pasta/beef dish, and carrots. Everything tasted good, but I didn't think the prices justified the amount of food. The people who work here are so nice, and I think that may be a reason why I would come back. Overall, I think if you are going to come, definitely come with a group so you can try out multiple things on the menu

OMG!! This place should receive 3 Michelin stars - the food is out of this world amazing and the service was pleasant, fast, and helpful. Our server even comped our desserts out of pure generosity. The dining room area was fine enough and they had outdoor seating, clean spacious bathrooms, but the room can get crowded and loud. We went on Friday for dinner on a 2 day visit to PortlNd from the east coast and came back Sunday for an early dinner before our flight back home. We did so much during our wknd trip in Portland - Multnomah Falls and wildwood trail hikes, Chinese garden, Japanese garden and while we loved them all, MEC will definitely rank on top as one of the main attractions in this city.

I reserve five stars for but a few establishments and this place qualifies! Excellent flavors and spicing took things to a higher level. In Chicago we have lots of great Mediterranean cuisine and MEC would fare very well there. Wrapped dates, lamb humus, falafel and meatballs.... Some a bit hot for a couple but fine for me! The lamb kabobs and lamb chops were very good although the kabobs were more like a kefta kabob than chunks of lamb. We needed more warm pitas and were surprised they didn't come with the falafel and the humus..... we also enjoyed the rice dish as another side. It was a bit much to finish but the flavors were excellent. My only complaint was my gin and tonic with lime came with 'tonic flavored with rosemary and hibiscus' which is definitely NOT the same thing but our server promptly offered to replace it. His service was also top tier. Definitely worthy of its high ratings, I'm glad we came here!

Came here for a HH with four others. We sat outside in a cool quiet space. Service was spot on.

Portion sizes small. Only one skewer for one of our entrees. Lamb chops delicious but small. Option to do 2 or 4 chops. Ordered shrimp appetizer. Had a lovely green sauce. Great flavor but salty. Ordered hummus, Really cool, friendly stuff. More intimate, modern atmosphere.