Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine
Lebanese restaurant · Montavilla ·
Homestyle Lebanese cuisine with mezze, brunch twists, and warm service
Homestyle Lebanese cuisine with mezze, brunch twists, and warm service
"Montavilla neighbors are all long familiar with Ya Hala from chef Mirna Attar, which has served Lebanese food on Stark Street for more than two decades. When looking to eat halal at Ya Hala, lamb is your safest bet — all of the lamb Ya Hala sources is halal — available as shawarma or kabob. The restaurant’s lemon chicken is also halal, which arrives juicy and tender with hummus, toum, cabbage salad, the garlicky potato dish batata harra, and grilled pita. Plus, all vegan dishes on the menu should be halal as well, which means meals can begin with Ya Hala’s lovely hummus or baba ghanoush. In the Fairuz Room, diners can get a more boutique prix fixe experience for $45 per person with a reservation." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"Montavilla neighbors are all long familiar with Ya Hala, which has served Lebanese food on Stark Street for more than two decades. When looking to eat halal at Ya Hala, lamb is your safest bet — all of the lamb Ya Hala sources is halal — available as shawarma or kabob. The restaurant’s lemon chicken is also halal, which arrives juicy and tender with hummus, toum, cabbage salad, the garlicky potato dish batata harra, and grilled pita. Plus, all vegan dishes on the menu should be halal as well, which means meals can begin with Ya Hala’s lovely hummus or baba ghanoush." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"I note that Mirna and John Attar opened Ya Hala in 1999 after Mirna immigrated to Portland in 1983, and for 24 years in the Montavilla neighborhood she has been cooking Lebanese dishes such as baba ganoush, kafta kabobs, and tabbouleh at a time when Lebanese restaurants were scarce in the city." - Janey Wong
"A stucco wall painted with faux windows adds an immersive charm to Ya Hala, one of the city’s best Lebanese restaurants. Most nights of the week, families and couples on dates fill its dining room, with tables covered in baba ghanoush, shawarma, lamb sausages, rice-stuffed grape leaves, and much more. Desserts are worth ordering here, in particular the poached pear-almond tart." - Janey Wong, Nathan Williams
"Huge murals grace the walls at this homey Montavilla standby, where visitors find homestyle Lebanese food as well as classic street fare prepared by chef Mirna Attar. A heaping plate of hummus to-go comes whipped with tahini, lemon, and garlic, topped with garlic spiced chickpeas and crunchy pine nuts. Ya Hala offers a rotating selection of seasonal hummus, too. Order online for curbside pick-up on weekends." - Michelle DeVona
