Habibi Restaurant Menu

  • Appetizers
  • Fouad's Famous Soups
  • Salads
  • My Loving Mother's Specialty Dishes
  • Rita's Mezza Platters
  • Sandwiches
  • My Sister May's Delicious Kababs
  • Lunch Habibi Calzone and Pizza
  • My Sister in Law's Traditional Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for Habibi Restaurant

  • Appetizers
  • Fouad's Famous Soups
  • Salads
  • My Loving Mother's Specialty Dishes
  • Rita's Mezza Platters
  • Sandwiches
  • My Sister May's Delicious Kababs
  • Lunch Habibi Calzone and Pizza
  • My Sister in Law's Traditional Desserts

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  • Yali F.

    Loved the place, the staff was really personable and the owner was really friendly. The food tastes just like my mom's. We will definitely come back soon!!

    (5)
  • Nino O.

    Habibi was the first Lebanese restaurant that I have ever eaten at and I can say that it was a great experience. The atmosphere seemed "authentic" to me. Great interior design and decor. The staff was very welcoming, friendly, and most of all helpful. They also have happy hour all day! We tried the Meat Mezza and Phoenician Pizza. Everything was absolutely delicious. A wide variety of flavor to enjoy. The hummus was especially tasty. Overall, for a first time experience, it was a pleasure. This place makes me want to try more Lebanese food. Check this place out for dinner! Much better ambiance than the day time.

    (5)
  • Erik R.

    We had a wonderful dining experience and it was conveniently located near our hotel. Great service and food. There were a number of both vegan and vegetarian options. We sampled a few to our delight.

    (5)
  • Gonzalo V.

    My first experience at Habibi was the best! it was on my birthday week so my brother and close friend took me there for the first time. The food is beyond amazing!!!! the place is well cleaned, interior is nice, dark but the neon lights and lighting overall makes the place very pleasurable. The owner is also very nice, I'd say hes amazing! great sense of humor! always seems to be walking around to make sure his customers are happy and enjoying their food and time! all the people I've mentioned Habibi about have received a very great comment from my part! I will definitely be going back! matter of fact I'm craving the food right now! lol

    (5)
  • Chris B.

    Not the best of the Lebanese spots. Karam near by and much better. Nothing wrong with habibi but just not spectacular.

    (3)
  • S. G.

    Vegan options are clearly marked!! Authentic, delicious Lebanese food and wine. You can't go wrong, I didn't find any dish to be lacking. (Today was my third time there this year.)

    (5)
  • Brian S.

    I eat here often enough and the food is always fantastic. My favorite dishes to order for two and share are the veggie Mezza platter + veggie Kabobs. The kabobs are served on a bed of rice with a garlic paste that you will die for. This is a great place to dine!

    (5)
  • Laura M.

    Wow. The food was amazing. The best tabouleh my husband has ever had. The fresh, hot pita bread was so good, and the hummus was perhaps my favorite ever.

    (5)
  • Mark B.

    My favorite restaurant in all of downtown!!!

    (5)
  • Sweet P.

    WORST SERVICE ! We went for dinner on a saturday night around 9 PM (they close at 10 PM). We were the only customer at that time - It was surprising to see the place so empty on a saturday night. All the food that we had was really good - no complaints about that. But the service was probably my No:1 worst service I had in my 33 years of life. 1) We got the menu card and ordered some appetizers - and the server immediately wanted to get back the menu card - it was so strange for us, as we have not ordered any entree yet. So, i had to tell him that I want the menu to order the entree and we have ordered only the appetizer. Who the hell wud get the menu back when the customer havent ordered entree yet for dinner? We thought it was a genuine mistake and we let it go. 2) Food started coming and they all tasted delicious. And we asked for extra pita bread and while serving, the pita bread fell from the plate onto the table. The server without even apologizing took the pita from the table, put it back in the plate and left the table. One of my friends who got disgusted to eat the pita bread that fell on the table and asked to replace it. First of all, he should be courteous to exchange it himself - but even after we asked for it, he was reluctant to change the bread. Not everyone would be comfortable to eat food thats dropped from the plate! I am OK with eating it(given the 7 seconds rule) but I was not OK that he did not apologize for his mistake of dropping the food from the plate. 3) Around 9.30 he came back to ask if everything is OK - we said everything is good. Within 5 minutes, we decided to order some more food and called for help. Another girl came and said that the kitchen is closed and we cannot order more. We were shocked to know that the kitchen is already closed and they did not confirm with us if we want anything more. Friend: "We did not know that the kitchen is getting closed" Girl: "We did not know that you will be ordering more - usually people order desserts only after entree food" We were all shocked by her reply - it was so insulting that she meant that we are eating more food!! Is this the way you talk to ur customers when you work in a restaurant? First of all, we were not informed abt the kitchen getting closed (though we are the ONLY people there) and on topd of that, the girl commenting about our extra order!! Highly ridiculous !! 4) Last but not the least - after all the trauma, my friend was signing the card and looking through the details again and the guy literally snatched the bill from him - i have never ever seen anyone behaving this way in a restaraunt. We were the only customers and they had more time before the closing time but still the service was horribly poor for us - top of all, they even switched off the light for a brief second - though they say they mistakenly did that, am not sure if they wanted us to leave and gave us signal to do so!! We are not trouble makers of any sort - we are very decent, normal people who did nOT aggrevate the workers in anyway - even after so many displeasure we dint show them off in their face(i told you - we are not trouble makers) - but I decided to leave this Yelp review, just in case if someone needs to be prepared before going on and set the expectations correctly. I wish we had good service to enjoy the good food - all these incidents spoiled our mood and we hardly enjoyed the tasty food.

    (2)
  • Kassy E.

    If you enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine, you must try Habibi. Not only is the price right (even for dinner!) but the food is delicious. I always enjoy an outdoor seating option and the service was terrific. I tried the vegetarian mezza platter, but asked them to substitute the tatziki for extra hummus. When it arrived it had both extra hummus and the tatziki. It didn't bother me at all because there were other people at my table who could try it, but the waitress sincerely made sure it wasn't a problem before leaving. Everything was incredible and the spinach pie was out of this world. I can't wait to go back just to eat that again. It is so refreshing to have a menu where everything is clearly labeled vegan or vegetarian even at a place where they are not specifically catering to the veggies. This is one place I will be bringing out of town guests who want a fun and uniquely Portland restaurant. Plus, it just sounds like you know what you are talking about when you suggest going to a place called Habibi for Labanese food.

    (5)
  • Izzat A.

    Came here for lunch. Got chicken shawarma plate and it was average. Chicken was fatty and just wasn't seasoned at all. Not sure why this place is getting such good reviews. Won't come back here again.

    (2)
  • Elijah H.

    Absolutely love this place! Habibi serves up some delicious food and if you haven't tried Lebanese cuisine, you really should! The lamb shawarma was awesome! Full-flavored and tender with creamy hummus and rice on the side. The meat mezza was also very good because it had samplings of all the various meat dishes on the menu put together. Overall, great meal! I love Mediterranean food and Habibi serves up some delicious cultural dishes!

    (5)
  • Jorge B.

    Great middle Eastern/Lebanese/Syrian food. Very nice atmosphere. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Definitely recommend this restaurant. Amazing food quality for the price

    (5)
  • Fritz J.

    I've been going to this place for years, and the owner was alway friendly and the food and service very good. Especially the soups. But it's been a couple of years and I took a couple of guests from out of town. We were seated and then told, 'you'd better order the kitchen is closing, but it was 45 minutes from closing time. Then, after we all labored over what to order, we had to change our orders because they were out of the soups (the reason we came), out of all rice (my japanese guest was very disappointed), and out of sparkling soda. The food came out cold, greasy and unappetizing. The waiter seemed impatient with us. If you want to close early, ****ing close early. Don't put a patron through that ****. I'll never return after that experience. That kind of service and quality is inexcusable in this town. I was very embarrassed, and after we paid, we actually had to go somewhere else to eat! F

    (1)
  • Valerie W.

    Habibi is a great restaurant overall. The staff is super friendly - even had the chance to briefly chat with the owner. The food is good, service is prompt, and is in a good location. ORDER: Meat Mezza & Artichoke casserole Lebanese white wine The food came out super quick. Like surprisingly quick. The fresh warm pita was delicious especially paired along with the hummus that came with the mezza platter. Falafel was great. Meat was a bit overcooked/dry for my taste but the flavor was there. Artichoke casserole came with rice and was in a delicious tomato sauce. By the end of the meal even after sharing there was still food left over and was definitely full. White wine blend was good. It paired well with the food overall. I would certainly come back if I was in the area. NOTES: Located right off MAX line Prices are rather inexpensive for what you get Decent setting, nice bar area Full bar service - all-day Happy Hour!

    (4)
  • Jordan G.

    GREAT FOOD!!! Nice ambiance, and amazing service. The prices cannot be beat, much rather come here than a food truck any day, plus the owner is Russell Peters doppelgänger and just as funny!!!

    (5)
  • Alice J.

    We walked in at 6pm on a Thursday, and even though there was only 2 tables with people and at least 2 waitresses and a bartender working, we waited 5 minutes to be "greeted." She pointed at a table and walked away. 5 min later came back with menus. 5 more min for waters. While we were ordering she interrupted multiple times and wasn't really paying attention. My husband's order was wrong and my tabbouleh side dish was completely forgotten. She never checked on us between ordering & serving, or between serving and bringing us the check (15 min after we'd finished eating and had just been sitting there with empty waters and our plates pushed aside). The food was well below average of any Middle Eastern restaurant I've ever eaten at, in fact probably the worst. The lamb shawarma was spiced decently but over cooked and came out barely warm, and my beef fatayer was undercooked, underseasoned, and the bread was a soggy mess that leaked grease all over my hand. We should have gone to the Persian place next door.

    (1)
  • Deb S.

    In Portland for a weekend visit my family and I decided to go to Habibi for dinner. Very close to Pioneer Square was a big PLUS. Lebanese, Israeli, Greek .....a little bit of everything. I had felafel, hummus, tahini and salad and everything was genuine and delicious. I especially loved the tahini,it was real lemony and ice cold. My son in law had grilled lamb, and that seemed to disappear pretty quickly from his plate. My daughter had what I had but some spanakopita, and she loved everything too. My one year old granddaughter had some nibbles & she didn't complain at all! All in all, great prices, great food and a very nice waitstaff who seem genuinely happy you're there.

    (4)
  • Micah B.

    My partner is Lebanese so I get homemade lebanese food all the time and Habibi was excellent. We were spending the last few hours of a vacation in Portland and were looking for a place for lunch that could handle our 6 kids. We were seated immediately and everyone had a great lunch. We tried a lot of dishes and they were all great. Mezze with hummus and baba ganoush, kebabs, zattar, stuffed grape leaves... Maybe we were just really hungry but I couldn't get enough.

    (5)
  • Lynne S.

    When I first read on the website that Habibi's happy hour was all day, every day, I thought there had to be some kind of catch. Like, no way is that possible. Right? Wrong. It is wonderfully possible, and if you aren't running over here already to take advantage, let me tell you more... The happy hour allows you to try as much of Habibi's nummy offerings as your little heart desires at an unbeatable price. We got: Falafel: $1! One hulking ball of falafel coated in an awesome tahini sauce. Totally vegan, totally awesome. It was a little dry, but the tahini sauce helps with that. And, I mean, $1? Argue with that. I dare you. Hummus: $3. A good sized serving of hummus that comes with big fluffy warm pita breads. You can get extra bread if you want. Chicken shawarma: $3. Just the meat, but it is juicy and wonderfully spiced. Combine it with your hummus and you can make your own sumptuous little pitas! Potato, spinach and lentil soup: $3. A nice soup, but the other dishes were definitely more exciting. Given that it was the same price as the chicken, I probably would rather have had more chicken instead. Pizzas: $1.50. My dining buddy got one and said it was pretty solid--you get your own personal-sized little pie with all the fixins. The non-alcoholic drinks are awesome--I got the Jallab, which includes rose water and orange. Seriously bomb! (And it comes with free refills!) A sit-down restaurant for $10 per person (including tip)? Always a winner.

    (4)
  • Zach T.

    Yelp never lets me down. My first time in Portland and I decided to skip the food carts and give Habibi a try! One of the great features is the happy hour menu that lasts all day. Had I done it differently, I would have ordered several small items off the happy hour menu and tried more. I ordered the small Hummus plate from the happy hour menu and it was wonderful! The pita bread that was brought out was fantastic! It seemed to have a sweet taste to it, which was nice. I had the Meat Combo plate as the entree. It included lamb, chicken, and a ground beef skewer served over a plate of rice and a sauce (delicious but I have no clue what it was). Food came out piping hot and was seasoned fantastically. I'm not an expert on Lebanese food, but Lebanese restaurants in my future certainly have something to live up to. We were never without pita, we were never without drinks, and the food was excellent! Five starts to Habibi Restaurant!

    (5)
  • Dennis F.

    My wife stumbled on Habibi for lunch while in downtown Portland and promptly brought me there the next day. I'm glad she did. The owner himself took time to talk to us and ended up making a new sandwich, a grilled feta cheese, for us to take home to our son, after we described it to him, FREE OF CHARGE. We had the cabbage rolls and a salad, both to die for and my tea was excellent, with a crushed mint leaf in it. - Prices, very reasonable (lunch ~ 7-12$ ea) - Food - Syrian/Lebanese mediterranean. The menu is helpfully splits out dishes by vegan/vegetarian/carnivore with good choices in all categories. They even have their own take on pizzas and calzones as well as the usual hummus, feta, olives, shawarma, etc. I'm looking forward to going back.

    (5)
  • Natalie M.

    First time at the restaurant today, WE LOVED IT! Pita bread is huge!! Hummus is absolute perfection, environment is relaxing and friendly. Keep it up Habibi!!

    (5)
  • Holly D.

    This is my daughter's favorite place so much so that they recognize her so when our Chicago guest wanted Middle Eastern we headed to Habbibi. Excellent food, substantial portions with lunch for the next day. Yellow curry, falafel, hummus plate, fresh hot bread and wine served with a smile in a quiet setting...it's one of my favorites now too.

    (5)
  • John B.

    I drove out a my way to try this place because of the four stars. I was very disappointed. The hommos was bland. The bread was almost raw. The shawarma was greasy and tough and didn't contain the right spice blend. We ordered a couple other dishes and they were disappointing as well. The next time I am in Portland, I plan to try Karam based on the reviews. I hope I will have better luck. Stay tuned.

    (2)
  • Pat K.

    The gluten free mezzanine plate is wonderful. Be aware, though, that the wait staff may not be totally aware of the limitations of a celiac. The main dishes were fine. When she served the pita, I asked if it was GF. She responded with a yes. I used about 1/2 of it when the manager came by to ask how everything was. I told him how good the mezza was and how amazed I was at the quality of the gluten free pita. He was upset! It was not gluten free! He called over the staff person and asked if she told me the pita was GF. SHe said NO. I was speechless. He took the approach that the customer is right and gave me my meal at no charge. I told him I would return to eat the mezza because it was so good. I'll insist on sliced cucumbers instead of bread. :-( I just don't look forward to how sick I am going to soon be.

    (4)
  • Rena W.

    Had the Habibi mezza plate and I recommend it if you're eating here! Disclaimer: I was SO hungry when I got here so I'm guessing my pickiness levels were way low. From what I remember, I liked the Habibi Mezza plate, but I felt like I didn't get very much food in general and the pita bread was a bit lackluster. I was hoping to have enough leftovers to supplement my next college student meal, but there just wasn't enough after I dug in. This place is a bit pricey for what you get in my eyes (~$15) since I've had REALLY good Mediterranean food before at the same price point with a lot bigger portions and with a lot more attentive service. The servers here were nice, but kind of leisurely in their duties. Not bad, not amazing, A-OK.

    (3)
  • Kat S.

    Chicken shwarma ... nuff said. Seriously, the rice melts in your mouth, followed by the chicken, and amazingly accompanied by a hint of garlic sauce that completes the mouthwatering experience. I know, I sound like a commercial, but it's true. I've tried a couple other things in on the menu, and food wise, the meat is always cooked just right, the rice is delicious, and hummus is amazing. Two reasons I'm giving this 4 stars and not 5: service is sometimes questionable, although everyone is always very nice, and drinks are not their specialty. The wine is just not good. I've tried several reds and frankly, Trader Joe's has better $3 bottles.

    (4)
  • LadyYelper P.

    I would say this place was not very good. I feel let down since I don't get to eat out often. First impression, the place is a little stinky and a tad grungy. The waitress barely spoke English and couldn't answer my questions. I ordered the lamb salad which was $12 and looked more like a side salad. It probably cost them 5 cents in ingredients. It took about 10 mins to get water and there was only 2 other ppl eating there. Waited said the lamb was ground but it was just 2 small skewers of fatty lamb chunks. Ended up just trying to get full off the tasteless pita. I would go elsewhere next time.

    (1)
  • Katie R.

    Four tables occupied when we arrived around 6:00 pm on a Thursday night. They were cleaning the chandelier and the entire dining room reeked of Windex. We sat outside accordingly. Menus were delivered to the table immediately. And those menus, well, they're adorable. With sections like "My Father's Soups" and "My Sister-in-Law's Desserts" you get a welcoming family vibe. Legit. Open the front cover; there's a parental tribute that rivals any sappy Grammy acceptance speech. So you figure the service would be off the hook. It wasn't. It easily took 10 minutes before the waitress returned to take our order. We ordered 7 items and two drinks. She didn't write anything down. Lacking my usual manners, I joked that ours was a lot to remember. She indicated she was a pro and had it all up top. The drinks arrived and weren't overly impressive. The Habibi Martini has a crazy blue food coloring added to it making it look like a fruity cocktail. It isn't. In fact, it's surprisingly bland, certainly not a refined martini. The food came out as ready, definitely not a fan of that nonsense. It makes it so hard to mix bites and flavors. As the chicken kabab was placed on the table, the waitress asks, "What did I forget?" Shaking my head there. You said you had it all, you! I mentioned the missing rice and veggie kabab. Which came out about 10 minutes later. Bah! Those are two things you want to eat with the other food, not at the end all by themselves. To top it off, the flavors weren't particularly fabulous. Most of the dishes were oiled with a heavy hand and the pita was overly dry. The saving grace was the prices. The all day happy hour menu pricing made it less of a blow to not really enjoy the visit or the food.

    (2)
  • Rynn H.

    The rice is pretty good, I like the taste and the lamb was okay too. However it's not the best Lebanese restaurant in Portland area.

    (3)
  • Jen V.

    Habibi is a solid place to go to for freshly prepared, healthy food. I'd probably only go for the HH. Our meal, with 2 glasses of wine, was $30 each, with a hefty tip. (We asked for extra olives & tomatoes & weren't charged- and these were nice portions.) You can sit on the street and watch passerbys, but be prepared for the noisy IMAX going by every few minutes. Inside is comfortable and airy. (By the way, larger bathroom is by the bar. The other one is TINY.)

    (5)
  • Leo S.

    My wife and I have found our place! For the last 3 years we looked for a good middle eastern restaurant, this is the best one! The food is very authentic, exactly like a real Lebanese grandmother will make you! With lots of love. They did not customize the flavors to the American culture, instead you get a free tour to the most beautiful place of the middle east, the authentic kitchen. We had the veggitarian mezza, it had it all and we loved especially the 'baba ganush' eggplant in the oven (you need to be an artist to know how to make it right, and they did!). Our waiter Ashraf was only on his 3rd day on the job, but he was awesome, friendly attentive and gave our doggy some water while we ate our yummy meal. Another thing we loved was the price. Very reasonable. Plus free refill on tea and pita bread. :-)

    (5)
  • Patricia L.

    My friend and I just decided to go this place last minute, since it was nearest vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurant that was open late. The interior design had a cool & modern look. I liked the blue accent lights in the bar area. The place was clean as well. We ordered the following dishes: Zattar Pizza - This was made w/ thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, sumac & olive oil. My friend didn't like this at all. She thought it had an odd taste. And ordered something else instead (sorry I forgot which one). Pesto Pizza - Who doesn't like this? It had artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella & feta cheese. It's also presented differently than your usual pesto pizza. The flavor was mild, but nevertheless it was good. I guess I got lucky with my order. Rose Water - Nice & refreshing drink! This wasn't sweetened which was fine with me. Customer service was a little bit slow. Overall, it was just an average experience.

    (3)
  • Josh L.

    Good Lebanese food. I was in Portland for a meeting for work and had a craving for Middle Eastern food. I asked my concierge said to check out this place because they have amazing humus. Well that wasn't all that was great. When we sat down we asked the server what are the best dishes on the menu. He took the menus away and said I will bring it right out. So we were going blind, but that is fun from time to time. This time it worked out. He brought out two plates full of food and it was delicious. One was a lamb dish with rice and a sauce and the other was several different meats (beef kabob, and chicken shawarma), humus, tabouli, and other sides. it was great. Hopefully the photos I post will help explain what it was. Overall it was good and a nice little whole in the wall place for some good Syrian & Lebanese food.

    (4)
  • Matthew B.

    Happy hour all day? Could not resist this gem of a lebanese restaurant! Habibi caters to their customers very well. Food is delicious and from the heart. Perfect for Vegans, Vegetarians, and meat lovers alike!!! Must stop by while in portland!

    (5)
  • Cynthia C.

    During our self-guided walking tour, we stopped by for a quick light lunch: -HH is ALL day, it's the last page of the menu, we got a $2.50 salad -BEST vegan mezze platter, not over seasoned or oily, wonderful pita -water comes with a slice of cucumber and tastes like it's been infusing for awhile -great quick service, very popular on the drag $13 for two before tip. Amazing. Highly recommend.

    (5)
  • Missy R.

    The food and service are outstanding! I love how there are vegan, vegetarian, and meat options. I will definitely be coming back!

    (5)
  • Sonny B.

    Don't understand how this has 4 stars on 400+ reviews - damages my faith in Yelp. While the service was friendly and efficient, the most important thing - the food quality - was poor. The Kafta kabob was dry and over cooked. The hummus was watery and bland. The rice was slight under cooked and give bread was not freshly made (odd for a Friday night). The positives? I guess the falafel wasn't bad and the tabouli was passable. Won't go back. The are too many good Persian/Lebanese/Middle Eastern places in Portland to have to settle for mediocre food (Al Amir, Riyadhs, etc)

    (2)
  • Megan B.

    I was so excited to see that this place only moved and still exists in downtown Portland! This is real-deal middle eastern place at a great price! Even though there are two city blocks of food carts nearby with a dozen middle eastern carts, I still prefer to go to Habibi for lunch and order off of their happy hour menu. You can mix and match what you want that way and get to taste more. This usually ends up being the cheapest lunch I can get downtown! The staff is very friendly and attentive. They demonstrate true Lebanese hospitality and really want you to feel at home. My favorite dish on the happy hour menu is the lentil soup with lamb. It's really worth a try, and with such great prices, how could you not!?

    (5)
  • Josiah L.

    My girlfriend got food poisoning from this place last night... The service was not very good. Even though I'm usually not snobby about this, it took us a real long time to get our waters. Then there was an order mix-up and the waitress was just giving a lil sass back to us. On to the food, my chicken kabob had some of the most boring presentation ever. Just two small skewers on a bed of somewhat cold rice. The chicken was pretty dry too. Something just felt kind of off about this place and I would really not recommend it. If you are looking for some epic mediterranean food in the area, head on over to Tangier.

    (1)
  • Kanika H.

    I was roaming around Downtown PDX looking for a place to have lunch. I've never had Lebanese food before, so figured why not start with Habibi? Atmosphere: Beautiful. Love the overhead lighting and slick, modern decor. Service: Profoundly friendly and all smiles. Food: I ordered the Nakanik sandwich, which is made out of beef sausage, lettuce/tomato/onion, tzatziki sauce and wrapped in a pita. It's similar to a gyro, yes, but the sausage adds that difference in taste- the cumin flavor is very strong. My only complaint is that it could've been meatier- there were only two small links in the sandwich. I also had the rosewater, a carbonated drink with rose syrup in it...it's really interesting and refreshing. Hope to have a platter when I return to PDX!

    (3)
  • Isaac S.

    I've been to this place at least a dozen times and have never been disappointed. Fast service, fresh ingredients, amazing flavor. Try a mezza (sampler plate) for all of it, or share it with a friend for a hearty snack. Habibi Lemonade is also a house specialty, a must have. They've expanded over the years and the place just keeps getting better.

    (5)
  • Casey H.

    I love the ambiance, the warm and friendly personal service, and incredible herbs and spices woven into each dish. I look forward to each and every visit. I often order chicken shwarma and mezza, but don't overlook some of the family recipes. You won't be disappointed!

    (5)
  • Angela W.

    Nice atmosphere. Nice people. Calzones for the trepidatious children. The lamb was WAY too dry on both my husband's and my entrees. But the grape leaf wraps-- OH YES! Where it's at! I only had a little sample of falafel and it too was pretty dry.

    (3)
  • Elissa R.

    Four of my gal friends and I were seated immediately on a busy Friday evening. We were so excited to eat here. We're visiting from out-of-town and wanted to try some of Portland's best cuisine. The area near Skidmore was recommended to us by a local and we found Habibi, small and busy, "Must be good" we thought. A large party of people had brought in VooDoo doughnuts and we had been wanting to try them, but the line was outrageously long to wait in the cold, pouring rain. The waiter "stole" one for us to share! It was delicious. After this we waited, drinkless, for him to return so we could order drinks and food for 15 minutes. When he finally returned he asked if we were ready to order and we quickly agreed before he left once more before returning to take our order. At this point it was another 15 minutes before he brought out the alcoholic beverages, while the rest waited yet another few minutes for water. It was then yet another 15 minutes without food that complimentary hummus and pita was brought out to apologize for the long wait. When the food FINALLY arrived, it was outstanding. Vegetarian mezza, lamb skewer, lentil soup, lamb and lentil soup, lamb and artichoke heart casserole, lamb wrap and a beef plate were all phenomenal. We left with happy and full stomachs much later than we cared for. I would like to return in hopes of MUCH better service. If the service matched the food standards, I would have given 5 stars.

    (2)
  • Lance B.

    i remember this place when i first visited Portland in 2007/8 ish this place was really good after living in the middle east and coming back to the U.S. the food was amazing. now it seems to lost its luster its still good food but just not a stand out for me anymore.

    (2)
  • Michael C.

    I came here for dinner. Not bad overall -- I might give it another try. Service was surprisingly fast, staff was nice, and prices were reasonable. Nice variety on the menu. 3 stars simply because I wasn't super impressed by the taste of the food. It wasn't bad at all, but nothing was especially delicious or memorable. Also, the special-sounding "Habibi lemonade with mint" is apparently just... regular lemonade.

    (3)
  • Jessica K.

    Habibi is an oldie but a goodie for me, my first taste of Lebanese in Portland. Their tender lamb shawarma was love at first bite. I am also a fan of their slightly smoky Baba Ghannouj and the vegetarian grape leaves. There's plenty of vegan and gluten free options too. Bonus points for offering an all day happy hour with a pretty large selection. The service can be a bit leisurely, but the charismatic owner makes up it. Be sure to show up in a skeletal state as you will leave feeling like the Pillsbury Dough Boy when they get done with you!

    (4)
  • Kathy C.

    Ladies night dinner. Of course humus it was delicious with puffy bread a little crisp meat mezzanine nice variety the chicken was my favorite vege grape leaves and calzone. All flavorful and delicious. Eman was the loveliest lady we adored her. Thank you

    (5)
  • Linda C.

    Good food and friendly service. We had the Vegan Mezza (good) and a Vegan Spinach Pie (excellent - not greasy, great crust and flavorful filling). My only complaint was the restroom; a single toilet in a tight space which could have used a good scrub.

    (4)
  • Mad Max R.

    Habibi was my first go-round with Lebanese cuisine and I still get the craving on a regular basis. The food is consistently good. While a few other Lebanese places might have one or two things that stand out as best ever, Habibi's pretty much does a very good job of everything. Personally, I love the happy hour all day menu since I can split a meat mezza with a date and then take pot shots on that HH list for whatever else we're feeling. Those little Lebanese pizzas are pretty awesome. Shatta is the spicy hot red pepper and onion one, which shares the slot with the feta/artichoke one. The staff is very attentive and friendly. The owner/manager is an extremely gracious guy who STILL remembers me from when I first went there with my ex g/f. Of course, she WAS a really hot and voluptuous latina with an Egyptian look about her, so it might not have been me he remembers after all!

    (4)
  • Jennifer P.

    Some coworkers and I were in Portland for a conference and picked Habibi for our first evening's dinner. As a vegetarian I was really pleased with the number of choices available on both the happy hour and regular menu. We ordered from the happy hour menu and I had the lentil soup, hummus, veggie skewer, falafel, and rice. All of my food was good, however I felt the olive oil in the hummus was very bland. When I make hummus at home I use more pricey, flavorful olive oil. I felt the olive oil in the hummus here was on the bland side. The prices are very reasonable for the food. I ordered a hard pink lemonade which was very weak alcohol-wise but had good flavor. Overall I found this to be a very average experience which was fine since it was reasonably priced.

    (3)
  • Sam H.

    The food is amazing! The man who runs it is so friendly! The staff is friendly! It's cheap!! If you are downtown and hungry, eat here!

    (5)
  • Landon S.

    This place is one of the best restaurants ever. The staff is amazing and the food is really the great. The owner is nice and the customer service is fantastic this deserves infinity stars. You will regret not going to this place for the rest of your life. Do it.

    (5)
  • Brooke P.

    Just thinking about this place makes my mouth water. Everything I've ever ordered here has met or exceeded expectations. I've never waited to be seated here, and the food comes out fast and piping hot. Best hummus in town. I also like that they offer a happy hour menu with smaller versions of menu items all day. I like little bites of lots of different options, and this gives me the freedom to play Lebanese Smorgasbord. The staff could not be kinder, which is super important to me. Not just efficient and attentive, but consistently genuinely WARM. They earn all the trophies from me for being one of the few places in Portland who light up when we come in with our 1 year old, and not give us the thin-lipped "oh great, you're inconveniencing us" smile. They all bring her free dishes of hummus and take turns dropping by to play with her and chat us up between courses. Do you want me to spend my dollars in your restaurant? Act like every single person at Habibi. (Great falafel doesn't hurt your chances, either).

    (5)
  • Toni D.

    I was in Portland just for the day and wanted to find a good restaurant for dinner. I found this restaurant after searching on Yelp for top rated Lebanese food. I ordered the meat combo and really enjoyed it. Hummus is really really good! I also like the idea that they have happy hour food specials all day priced around $2.99. The service was excellent. The only downside is them checking in on us what seemed to be every 5 minutes. Sometimes I just like to sit, relax and eat without constant interruption's. I look forward to returning soon.

    (5)
  • Briana S.

    The food here is a solid four stars, but the service was seriously lacking. I came here for a weekend lunch with a group of six and Habibi seemed to be a good choice to meet a variety of dietary requests (vegetarian, gluten free, paleo, etc.) Everyone was able to find something that suited their preferences and the food was solid all around. Portions are a good size. I really wanted to give this place four stars, but our waitress really made me feel like we were bothering her. We simply didn't feel welcomed and she didn't seem very interested in doing her job. I would definitely get takeout from here, but would not dine in again.

    (3)
  • Ken B.

    A great experience here; the staff warmly received our party and were very attentive. We went on a Thursday night, around 9pm, so the place was pretty empty, which was a bonus for me. The food was delicious and I was stuffed after the meal, good portions! Definitely recommended.

    (4)
  • Jamie N.

    Authentic Arabic food! The kafta kabob was delish and every bite just took me back to my days living in the Middle East! It was great food and great service.

    (5)
  • Annette S.

    Since moving here from LA I've been looking for a good Lebanese restaurant. This place has amazing food and it's not over priced. What more can you ask for? Now if only there was an authentic ramen shop in town (little tokyo in Hollywood has beat you in that department Portland). DON'T VEGAN FEATHER AND ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY TAR ME FOR SAYING THAT!

    (4)
  • Cori W.

    Habibi offers great customer service, a delicious tamarind juice concoction and vegetarian mezza platter. The tzatziki was one of my favorites, the dolmas not too acidic and the hummus was smooth. The only item I didn't like was the falafel, they were dry and not green (I like my falafel moist and full of parsley). I've only been once but I'd be happy to come by again and try some other dishes outside the mezza.

    (3)
  • Y Y.

    Simply put , this place has Delicious and healthy food.... With low cost. Don't miss out eating here.

    (5)
  • G B.

    Wow! Friendly & attentive service. And the food - outstanding! The Baba Ghannouj with fresh pita bread was delicious. Loved the combo of lamb, chicken & kafta. The tatziki and falafel were also great. Every bite was yummy!

    (4)
  • Daniel C.

    I was invited here for lunch by a friend who'd recieved a Groupon voucher, so I wasn't about to say "no", but maybe I should have. When we walked in we were given a seat right in one of the bay windows looking out onto the sidewalk. We were seated in a great location to look outside and people-watch during our meal, but there were other factors. The area wasn't very clean, the floor where I was sitting was sticky, and perhaps that what was attracting all the flys into our area. Not just common house flys, but I noticed I was surrounded by those tiny little red fruit flys as well. Not a very pleasant experience during a meal! The service was also slow and I almost had the feeling our waitress was busy doing something else in the back, because I didn't see her very much considering we were the only people eating here at this time. I got the feeling this place was more of a dinner/night spot. Their saving grace was the food, which was pretty decent Indian fare. We had something similar to a "sampler" plate where we were able to try many different Indian foods, since I was somewhat of a newbie. The food and ingredients seemed fresh, and the presentation was great. I am reluctant to come back here, but if I did it would be during the later hours of the day since their lunch service has me running scared. I may give them a second chance next time I'm in the area.

    (2)
  • MT L.

    My first night at Oregon; we went to the Habibi Restaurant. I have a lamb shawarma pasta and my friend has lamb shawarma plate with rice. The foods are good but it doesn't look appealing on the plate. The owner need to decorate the dishes so it would be more appealing. The habibi martini is horrible.

    (4)
  • Moon D.

    The sauce was tasty in artichoke casserole, however the lamb was pretty tough to chew. Had to ask server for pita bread & it was ok kinda plain

    (3)
  • Wendy S.

    This is a wonderful Lebanese restaurant. Great food. Great service. Love it every time I go.

    (4)
  • Elena K.

    Habibi plays a significant role in my love story. It is where my husband and I had our first date, where he proposed, where we had our engagement dinner and consequently who catered our wedding. Through this exciting journey Mazen and his team have been extremely accommodating and met our needs to the t. David and I love to visit occasionally and the food is always as delicious as the first time.

    (5)
  • Jocelyn A.

    Tasty food at a good price, slightly confusing menu. They have "happy hour all day" which appears to mean, you can get side portions of food all day at a cheap price (instead of ordering a full appetizer) but this was a little confusing. They also have an italian-inspired section of the menu including pasta and calzones. Some of these had a Lebanese twist, others did not. We had a few people waiting on us--which was helpful but also confusing. If you order a mixed drink--be prepared that it may be a LOT of alcohol. The pita bread was fantastic.

    (3)
  • Randy A.

    Some of the best Mediterranean food I've had in recent memory! The lamb salad was absolutely fantastic!

    (5)
  • Anne A.

    Beware: Their sign "happy hour all day" has nothing to do with drinks, as far as I could tell. It looked like they had appetizers for their "happy hour all day" - I was totally confused. Went in for a late lunch. I had to ask for drink menu - then did not get one. Weird- because they have a full bar! So I asked what wines they had, the server knew nothing about wine, at all. This is really common unfortunately and Lebanese food is not generally associated with wines, so, no big deal. The waiter was really nice and offered that I try the ones they had open- very well handled since he did not know wines. Food was great: Perhaps the best pita bread I have ever had. The stuffed grape leaves were excellent. Salads: The spinach salad was NOT spinach - that was weird. But it was still tasty. The house salad that came with my meal was plain/unexciting. The calzones are freakishly larger - freakish, so be warned. Desert was really small. The waiter was really sweet with the super shy 14 year old girl we had with us. I appreciate that. Really nice staff, that meant a lot as we had had a long day. 3 people ate, one dessert and two glasses of wine = $70.

    (4)
  • Niki S.

    So many activities my mouth wants to write about! (Pertaining to their food) Went here after watching the Starlight parade... and got to sit outside while enjoying their ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR MENU! Yes, that is a one-upper to Red-Star's happy hour times in my opinion. For happy hour pricing, their portions were reasonable. I don't think one could get full from just one HH item, but probably 2-3. Average cost however is 3-4 dollars. Since my fiance and I like to go all out big, we ordered nearly one of everything on the menu, skipping several regular samplers such as stuffed grape leaves, falafel, etc. First round was our spinach lentil soup- very hearty, good sampling, and great flavors. I think it was 1.99. My salad came out, and the dressing was very fresh, greens in crisp condition, and plate size good. Brian ordered the hummus with fresh Pita, and I really liked the hummus. Before the other rounds of noms came out, the owner/manager came out, and brought our drinks- I had a vodka with fresh peach, Brian had a strawberry lemonaide with booze... the latter, could get anyone in trouble. Tastes like pure candy, very good. My drink did dabble with tasting slight burn of cheap booze, but the fresh peach offset that very well. We then had our little seared lamb plate, (The dish name escapes me) along with the chicken. Very moist, very flavorful. We had a lentil and rice dish brought out, I don't think I would order that one- I felt like that was missing something to find it intriguing. Our lamb skewer, and then our seared tuna skewer came out- and those were a great finisher to our sampling adventure. For 3 drinks, all that yummy food, and very warm, welcoming service even during a stressful time with traffic from the parade: 50 dollars. Well worth it.

    (5)
  • Dmitriy K.

    Highly recommended this place!!! Lovely food, friendly atmosphere. Chicken Schwarma is absolutely the BEST!!! Simply a great place!!!

    (5)
  • Chris R.

    Middle Eastern food that includes vegetarian and gluten free choices, so there is something for our varied family palates.

    (3)
  • Basia M.

    In an expensive city Habibi offers a substantial meal at a reasonable price in a pleasant atmosphere from their part of the world. The staff is composed of the friendliest young people, who were very gracious to this "honored citizen", who could not remember leaving a tip the night before when I dined there alone. They all assured me repeatedly that I need not worry about what may have been my oversight and would not have accepted the tip that I thought I should leave anyway. I am glad that my son came with me when I stopped in to take care of this matter. He ordered a beer and, being in food service himself, he left a substantial tip. Yeah, Tom! The seasoned rice was plentiful, the huge, thin, warm pita was perfect with the GARLIC sauce, that is the answer to a garlic-lover's prayer! Glad I found my way there.

    (4)
  • Daniel K.

    I had lived in Los Angeles... I know... I know... Go back... Stop moving here... Etc... But! The reason I brought that up was because we had amazing food. Persian, Lebanese, etc... Everything! I didn't know we had it so good. So for me to say I loved it means a lot. I loved it. The only thing I didn't like, but that was a preference, was that the taboulai was a bit soggy. I prefer it dryer. I didn't get to try the stuffed grape leaves and they got really confused with our happy hour orders in our table of 8. But I forgive them. That's more of a random staff glitch. The fresh flat bread and kafta was amazing.

    (5)
  • Shannyn A.

    Amazing food, great prices and fabulous service. Within walking distance of The Nines if you stay there.. Fabulous! You are right next to the train, and the location is near Pioneer Square which is super easy to get to. Staff were super friendly and there was a lot of deliciousness to go around. Would come back to this place many many times!

    (5)
  • Tilla L.

    First time trying it and I'm in love with the hummus they have! The kebab dishes and the pita bread are so yummy! Also they have a really great all day happy hour menu--which is awesome!

    (4)
  • Robyn A.

    Everything on the menu is clearly marked vegan, veggie, or not. Everything I tried was great. Casual service, very nice. Meza's are very nicely priced too. Went there again today, and the service was much better, our little gal was so attentive and sweet. I found the happy hour menu on the back page and was able to order a few things there to add to the veggie meza to get plenty of food for two of us.

    (5)
  • Rebecca R.

    My daughter and I popped into Habibi after a busy morning of shopping in downtown Portland. The smells wafting through the front door were enticing as we walked in, and the positive first impression was bolstered by the warm smiles of the servers. We settled in and found the happy hour menu at the back of the menu and feeling flush with vacation fever, we both ordered a drink (me, Armenian beer and her, a rum cocktail). The happy hour menu was generous - a full plate of hummus ($4) with lovely fresh pita, falafel ($1), lentil and lamb soup for me and pesto spaghetti for my daughter. I could eat this food every day for the rest of my life and be happy. It was that good.

    (5)
  • Chiemi N.

    I went to Habibi for dinner with friends. Everything I tried was tasty. I had the chicken shawarma with hummus. Really flavorful and delicious! They brought out huge pita breads that was really yummy with tatziki, hummus and tabouli salad! The only thing I would have done differently, is to perhaps to order off the happy hour menu. It seems like you can order several things, and it would be cheaper than the regular menu. I would have given five stars, except that it was rather warm in the restaurant, lucky for us it wasn't a sweltering day!

    (4)
  • Heather B.

    Everything here is really good. I usually just go and get a bunch of different appetizers, sometimes I get the vegetarian platter, it is all really good. The wait staff are also very friendly and quick. I keep going back!

    (4)
  • Victoria C.

    Everything was very fresh and flavorful. Nice atmosphere and attentive staff. Highly recommend the hummus and fresh pita, falafel sandwich, tahini and tzatziki sauces!!

    (5)
  • Suzy V.

    Just getting my check from Habibi! OMG SO GOOD!! Seriously, love the decor, people, and food. I had the chicken Schwarma, pesto pizza, and hummus, and then the fresh mango juice. I just ate by myself this time, but I will bring a group by for another time. The happy hour food is all day and the prices are ridiculous. It is $1.50 for a pizza! Crazy good deal! Adored Carli the bartender- darling personality and super efficient service. The owner came by and checked on me as well and he is a rock star! Love Habibi and will be back often!!

    (5)
  • Kristine Y.

    Service seems lacking, but drinks and food seem to arrive rather quickly. The appetizer feta cheese plate was amiss with our server, yet came out promptly when reminded to another server. As much as I value the combined effort of staff to work on all tables - it is a little strange for me. It just doesn't give one that overall impressive experience nor that you were really desired and wanted as a patron. In essence, we felt we really weren't "served" and my tip slightly reflected such. Their chicken shawarma sandwich at $6.75 is of good size with good chicken. No attempt to up-sell on the "combo" option, sorta nice (in a matter of thinking). I enjoyed their rose water and the nice evening breeze in the outdoor seating. Food is good and I'm sure we will come back when in the mood. Just with set expectations. They were pretty attentive, just as I mentioned, not an overwhelming sense of servitude. Also I'm at 3 stars as their pita bread was the worst I've had while out dining.... Only 1 side cooked and arrived cold. Which was strange since the table next to us was given a nice puffy, hot and well browned one. I guess some do, some don't?

    (3)
  • Kiril S.

    Great vegetarian/vegan/carnivorous options. My favorite is the mezza platter. Habibi is a locally owned business and Mazen, the owner, is always there with a cheerful greeting.

    (5)
  • Madeleine H.

    The food was absolutely delicious! Very flavorful and original. Not like anything I've ever had elsewhere, and I loved it :) We ordered Gluten free Mezza, Veggie Kabobs and Fathoush, gotta love the all day happy hour! Laid back and comfortable atmosphere. Friendly service. All around a great experience in downtown Portland!

    (5)
  • Terri C.

    This was a great Lebanese meal.. i was kind of ignored at first.. I think the owner noticed and he took my order himself. the servings were quite large, I had baba ganoush and a sour cream based dipped. I did have the strawberry yogurt drink and I was hoping for a Ayran type drink but it was like desert..The pita was amazing and fresh and warm. Would definitely go here again.

    (4)
  • Rita B.

    Been here a number of times. Wonderful fresh and authentic cuisine, great price and portion sizes, good service. Go!

    (4)
  • Food H.

    I visited this place after a long time. Good food at a very reasonable price. We tried lentil soup with meat, and it was delicious. I was very pleasantly surprised. I had a meat combo platter. It was very good. I was very happy with the generous amount of meat of four different kind. The salad that was served with the combo (added extra) did not look very fresh. Other than that, rest was good.

    (4)
  • Susanne S.

    Delicious! I was visiting from out of town and ate here. The staff was friendly and courtesy! I would definitely come back!

    (5)
  • Alex C.

    Over all horrible experience! the service was awful, the food quality was poor and the food is too overpriced for what it is! I have gotten better service and much better tasting food at a food cart not to mention the piece of Hair i found in my food..YUCK!!!! I would NOT recommend visiting!

    (1)
  • Susie Y.

    A friend and I went for dinner on our trip to Portland because we were craving some Mediterranean food. ....We shouldn't have trusted the Yelp reviews. First of all, it took like 10 minutes to even give us service although the restaurant was pretty much completely empty and the food took FOREVER to come out. Terrible service and one of the waitresses gave me attitude and overcharged me, when I clearly said I wanted to order from the Happy Hour menu. The food isn't good, the hummus was very bland. Tasted like water mixed with beans. This restaurant is overpriced and it's unfortunate that we spent one of our precious meals on this place. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place.

    (1)
  • H. M.

    This is my first time here. I had Veggie Kabab for lunch. I really like the rice, it was very flavorful but the vegetables were too sour. I think they marinated too long. They were grilled but didn't have the grilled flavor. I give 3 stars for this but I'm willing to come back and try something else.

    (3)
  • Karen B.

    I only had a feta cheese sandwich but it was really really good. For something so simple, both the cheese and the bread were exceptional. Very nice service also.

    (5)
  • Douglas J.

    Three of us enjoyed everything we ordered. From the martini, to the humus, the Tatziki, the veggie mezza to the chicken kabab, we were not disappointed. Casual setting, attentive staff and reasonably priced. My mouth is watering while writing this review.

    (5)
  • Lindsey K.

    Before a Broadway show, my family and I were roaming the streets of Portland for a bite to eat. I had heard about this place before so I thought I'd give it a try. As I walked in, I was surprised by the ambiance of the place- it looked like a wanna be upscale and modern club. We were seated promptly, but it took a long time for the server to take our drink orders. (There were about 2 other tables so it shouldn't have taken as long as it did.) The food was alright, honestly I've had better. The complimentary pita bread was a nice touch, but it was a but dry. Everything was overpriced. Portions are mediocre. Honestly I don't think I'll be back. After our meal, I secretly wished that I had gone to the gyro food cart a couple blocks away for a fraction of the cost. Nicholas Restaurant still reigns supreme in my book.

    (3)
  • Linda W.

    Tasty turkish coffee, good hummus and huge falafel sandwich!

    (4)
  • Eliana K.

    Great lunch food very tasty, a lot of food for the order and very authentic.

    (4)
  • Katie B.

    I can't believe that I walked 10 blocks for this food. One star because it was cheap. Gross meat, salad that had slimy lettuce that was clearly made well before it was served. Hummus was flavorless. Just bad food. The fact this place as 422 reviews and an average of 4 stars makes me seriously consider trusting yelp. The servers were very nice - and my bill was $20, besides that, please do yourself a favor and skip this place!

    (1)
  • Matt D.

    This is just one of 400+ reviews for Habibi, but it's not a place in Portland to be overlooked! In a city with a lot of good Lebanese options, Habibi has become my top spot to go. I've been for both lunch and dinner and have left every time full and happy. Recently brought some friends here that weren't too familiar with middle eastern cuisine and they were blown away by the flavorful food. Some of my highlights are the falafel, lamb shawarma, baba ghannouj and tabouli salad. The all day happy hour menu has some great smaller portion options of things to order. Overall, the fair prices, friendly service and hot from the oven pita bread are the best reasons to go check out Habibi.

    (4)
  • Nanick N.

    This was from late 2013-- dinner service. I've had ok service at lunch since then. For dinner-- had bad service. 10 min wait between entrees. Staff not paying attention. Yet friendly. Food all okay.

    (3)
  • Michelline H.

    The hummus was excellent and we really enjoyed the service as well. I highly recommend this restaurant.

    (4)
  • Rachel L.

    Love this place! Simple, delicious, affordable food in a great atmosphere! Will definitely be back soon!

    (5)
  • Jon L.

    Right after dropping off my stuff at the hotel on my arrival in Portland, my first stop was to head over to Habibi. I bought a Groupon and wanted to try some Lebanese food. I have had some random Middle Eastern cuisine before, but am rather unfamiliar still. Habibi is right by the SW 10th and Morrison MAX line stop. You cross the street and you are just about there. It is in a super convenient location in downtown. I actually passed by this place on a previous trip, so I was happy that I got to try this place out this time. Came here around 4 pm so I do not if the menu really changes from lunch to dinner. They offer items like meat sandwiches, kebabs and soups. But then they offer interesting items like calzones, pizzas and pasta. This seems a bit odd, but at least there is the option. For me though, I think this place revolves around season meat dishes. I decided to get the meat combo ($13.95) which is a platter of lamb, chicken and kafta (a ground beef mixture) served alongside a special rice. I had the iced tea with fresh mint ($2.25) to accompany my meal. Received my order in a decent amount of time. The meat did not disappoint. It was delicious, particularly the kafta which was served kabab style. However, I was less pleased with the seasoned rice. My stomach did not react well to this unfortunately. A bit to heavy I think. The rice is a seasoned rice which I find similar to the texture of sticky rice. There was also a sauce accompanying the dish. I think it was tzatziki, but the menu item said tahini. It tasted like yogurt, so I thought it was the former. This was fine. It meshed somewhat well with the dish in whole. As for the tea, it was okay. Not as flavorful as I would have liked, but it did its job. Other than the rice, I thought Habibi was decent. The dish I had was a bit too heavy, so be aware if you order that. Fortunately, there is a decent selection of lighter dishes on the menu here.

    (3)
  • Michelle P.

    The food is spectacular and definitely on the healthy side, which is quite a strong preference of mine. The staff (and I mean every staff member we came in contact with) was very nice and friendly. The service was quick and efficient. The restaurant was clean. The portions were quite large for a cheap price. A dinner for two, including appetizers, was less than $30. They give you plentiful and free pita. The water even came with a cute cucumber slice in it! I would definitely come here again.

    (5)
  • Jennifer B.

    I love this place so much! Great prices and super delicious. I recommend the lamb shwarma sandwich combo (comes with yummy salad, pita bread, and homemade hummus that's ridiculously garlicky and soooo good!)

    (5)
  • Derek M.

    Just as good as his brother's restaurant with no wait and more room! A friend suggested us try Habibi after I mentioned we were heading to Nicholas', a couple of weeks ago, so we decided to try it. Excellent food, and great service. Mazon, the owner, offered to make my 2.5 y/o son a cheese pizza on flat bread on the house. He would have eaten what we were eating, but hey why not? We will def be back! -d

    (5)
  • Mike P.

    Hummus: Made fresh every hour. Possibly the best in Portland. I could eat it with a spoon as chickpea pudding. Falafel sandwich: Great deal at $5.00. Light, fresh taste that's not overpowered by onion and cucumber. Delicious! Beers on tap: Widmer Drop Top & W '10 Pitch Black IPA Parking: Validated for Smart Park garage at 10th & Yamhill - yes, FREE Parking. It's also located on the MAX line, literally. Very friendly service and relaxing atmosphere. Friday evening dinner of Hummus, two Falafel sandwiches and a pint of beer for $16.50.

    (5)
  • Brent W.

    Had lamb kebab and meat mezza. Both were good. Bread was ok. Server was very attentive. Employees were very friendly and checked on us frequently. It bordered on comedy. If i was in the area, i would eat there again. I'm going to rank it a 3.5 star. They have a housemade hot sauce that is also good. The lamb was better than what I've had at many other lebanese restaurants in Beaverton. It wasn't dry and it tasted good.

    (4)
  • hannah k.

    I went for lunch during on a weekday and was quickly seated at a table near the door. I decided to go with the Meat Mezza Platter which came with: Kafta (ground beef, parsley, onions & traditional spices), chicken shawarma, falafel, humus, baba ghannouj, tabouli & grape leaves and served with fresh homemade pita bread. It was a pretty hearty plate of food and I enjoyed everything on my plate. The waitstaff was very nice and personable. I'll definitely go back

    (4)
  • Alyssa A.

    This is Lebanese food at it's absolute best. The mezza platter is phenomenal and the portions are very generous. Two can generally share one dish and be full. They make some of the best humus in town. The owner is very friendly and accommodating and will stop to answer any and all questions you may have.

    (5)
  • Melinda M.

    This family ran business is awesome. Best hummus ever and the salad simple but Devine. This is a must if in Portland.

    (5)
  • Kate D.

    The lamb was way.overcooked, but the rice was good. the server was very inexperienced. As I was trying to enjoy my dinner, they decided to mop the floor with this horrible smelling detergent. I had to leave the restaurant.

    (2)
  • Jodi H.

    Always consistently great food - although I've been going there for years this is the first time I've had a chance to review. My favorite Middle Eastern place in Portland!

    (5)
  • Charly S.

    Very good food. Fresh, delicious tabouleh! Prices are reasonable as are the portions. Fresh pitas! Friendly, helpful staff. We will definitely stop here again, recommended!

    (4)
  • Diane D.

    Great find thanks to Yelp! Excellent food and very gracious service. I love the idea of happy hour all the time with side order sizes being perfect to try a number of items. We will be returning soon!

    (5)
  • Bossy G.

    I wish I could give a higher rating just for the pleasant and attentive service alone. The drink I ordered had flat tonic and was watery. The falafel was cold. The salad was dead although the dressing quite good. The Vegan lentil soup was flavorless and was more like a potato soup. The Lamb and other meet dish were enjoyable. Sat outside as it was too warm inside. I think this could be a nice place but they need to seriously upgrade the food. The babaganoush was the best dish

    (2)
  • Lauren A.

    This location pales in comparison to the one on Pine, which is awesome. In both places, I got the falafel sandwich. This time, I got it with feta cheese. It was an extra $1.50 for the cheese, and there was hardly any on it. Maybe a teaspoon for the entire falafel - so little I could hardly taste it. :( The black tea with mint was good. I wasn't going to get a drink, but it was so cold in the restaurant that I had to have something warm to hold on to so my hands wouldn't be so frozen! Nor did they didn't give us any pita with the lovely dipping sauce we got on Pine. I am disappointed.

    (2)
  • Christopher W.

    Great Lebanese cuisine, delicious food!!! Had a Lamb Shawarma with humus and pita bread, absolutely yummy!!! Hahaah loved their strawberry lemonade!!!

    (5)
  • Richard H.

    Cabbage rolls to die for. Homemade lemonade that does not shy away from flavor in a rush to sweetness. Pita like mama used to make. Lamb served on waves of hummus. Cool happy staff. Baba Ganoush was excellent (by report: no eggplant for me). Spinach pie with pine nuts (like spanakopita) was above average. They are expanding into the space next door for a full bar (and perhaps a disco). Read the other reviews for details. This place is on a par with anything San Francisco or Palo Alto can offer.

    (5)
  • Laura N.

    It is amazing to me that in each of the reviews, the one man show owner/manager/server/chef is mentioned. How can one man be so wonderful? But he is just that: WONDERFUL. His joy makes the meal that much better. (It's also a nice conversation piece...what exactly is he putting in all of those 'ornate' hookah pipes?) After months of passing on the max and thinking "ohh... someday I should... someday I should.. someday I should..." I finally stopped by for a late lunch, and even after months of anticipation I was not disappointed. The pita was thick and warm and the hummus was so good that I think I may have taken a couple of coats of enamel off the simple blue plate. I was full by this point, and luckily had only ordered a small chicken salad which I regrettably devoured instantly. I'm trying to think of one thing I didn't like...but what ever it could be would be immediately overridden by the Lebanese Wizard of Oz himself.

    (4)
  • Jan G.

    The best shawarma I've had state-side. Still not as good as what I had in Israel/Palestine, but definitely the best I've found yet. I only wanted for a side of fries.

    (4)
  • Towfie F.

    Great food and service. The chicken was awesome

    (5)
  • Diana C.

    Good food, nice atmosphere (cozy), good portion sizes, and the service was pretty good. We ordered the mezza platter (meat) which was very good. And the Lamb plate which was also very yummy. If I'm in Portland again, I would most likely return for another trip.

    (4)
  • Laura W.

    Love this place! Have been to both of their locations and have never had an even so-so experience. Their hummus is fantastic, as is the chicken shawarma. Friendly, efficient service and reasonable prices keep me coming back and make it my top choice for Lebanese food in Portland.

    (4)
  • C B.

    Great food, good prices, excellent host in the person of Mazen!

    (4)
  • Raja S.

    Have been there with couple of friends on a Sunday afternoon. We had chicken shawarma, chicken kabob. The general tasty kabob dish was just okay... i wished the chicken was a little bit more succulent (it just was dry as it was a day-old item). Shawarma was much better than the kabob item. The falafel was good. The salad, which came with the entree, wasn't great. I would prefer other middle eastern choices that are out there.

    (3)
  • Katherine C.

    After going to Nicolas last weekend the bar was set pretty high and although Habibi was tasty, I felt like it didn't quite hit the mark. We had pretty much the same things that we had last week...falafel mezza, chicken kabob and beef kabob. Everything was good but it lacked the extra kick that Nicolas' dishes had. Maybe we ordered the wrong things, but I just wasn't as wowed. The rice wasn't as tasty, the chicken wasn't as tender, there was none of the delicious garlic butter that you get at Nicolas and the falafels weren't quite as flavorful. I might be back because this is a great location, however if it was a choice between here and Nicolas, I would have to choose the latter.

    (3)
  • Gary H.

    I came here at the advice of some Portland Redittors. Service was a little slow at first. When the staff did come, they were very sociable and spent some time explaining some stuff on the menu to us. We started with some hummus, which was delicious. Not the BEST hummus I've ever had--but definitely top three. For the main course, we split a portion of mezzo (it seems to be the most popular thing people are ordering). I'm glad we split it too, because the portions were huge. The dish itself tasted great. You're essentially using the flat bread they give you to scoop up hummus and add meat. Overall, I think this place was great. My only complaint was the slow service.

    (4)
  • Yoshi G.

    I had high hopes for this place after being a fan of Nicholas Restaurant in SE Portland. Habibi ranges from mediocre to disappointing depending on who is working. Stupidly, I have given them almost 10 chances since they opened, hoping they would eventually reach the quality of Nicholas Restaurant. Finally I gave up. The food here is just not that good, and it won't ever be more than average. And (not that it matters) the inside decor is very strange.. tacky would be an appropriate word I guess.

    (1)
  • Darcy K.

    From the minute we walked in we were made to feel at home. We ordered the lentil soup and had the owner add feta to it(we happened to see an employee eating it this way). We were treated like royalty and the meat mezza was enough for 2. Mazen and his staff impressed us with their customer service. It makes us want to return again and again. It's too bad we live 100 mes away.

    (4)
  • Rhea B.

    Best service! The owner came out and greeted us personally! Not to mention the incredible authentic cuisine, I loved everything we ordered! Turkish Coffee is my new favorite! You must go!!!!!

    (5)
  • Stephen E.

    I don't hand out a five star too easily, but I have to give it for consistent superior service, amazing food, and excellent atmosphere. We are always warmly greeted by the polite staff and almost always by the owner. He goes out of his way to welcome families and children. The food is always excellent. The Veggie Eggplant Casserole is a favorite by many, I have noticed. I prefer the Vegetarian Mezza (platter) or the Falafel sandwich. We also love to order the refreshing Habibi Lemonade. And best of all, it is endless. The location is also very nice. Right along the MAX on Morrison between 10th and 11th. It makes for a great date spot at night with the trees always lit up with lights. I recently moved away from Portland and this will be one place I greatly miss and will always go to when I am in town.

    (5)
  • Elaine L.

    Habibi haiku: warm and friendly staff falafels, yummy hummus a delightful find

    (4)
  • Honesty J.

    Habibi is my favourite addiction! I love the food and the staff and the prices. I have tried everything in the vegan sections of the menu - the fact that they have a meat, vegetarian AND a vegan section is plus to me. My friends and I have diverse diets and this makes it easy. I have enjoyed every meal there. The staff are friendly and the service is great. Not too mention crushworthy. I always leave full and sometimes with leftovers and don't spend much doing so.

    (5)
  • Rinky N.

    I could easily give Habibi TEN STARS! What a wonderful place!! First of all, some of the warmest and friendliest staff I've encountered. We felt so welcome as first time customers and the regulars were treated like family (family that you like). There are MANY choices for everyone, including Vegans and vegetarians. We had a hard time deciding what to order. We had the lentil soup, hummus, falafel and.Veggie Kibbah (Potato, walnuts & onions cooked in a bulgar shell and served with a side salad)......all were spectacularly yummy! The only downside is that it is 700 miles away from us. Next time we're in Portland we''re making an beeline for Habibi!

    (5)
  • Desert D.

    Agreeing with the previous sentiments regarding a good place going downhill. I used to dine here all of the time and it was fantastic. Last night, I noticed they had expanded, opening a bar, changing décor etc. It's really to bad that they decided to skimp on the food and the service however. We brought the kids who behaved like angles and it was pretty clear they were not respected nor welcome here. The Good: The kids pizza was yummy and the Vegetarian Grape leaves were a good appetizer. The Bad: My boyfriend had the chicken Kabob and I had the artichoke Casserole because, they were out of the first three things that we tried to order on the menu. The chicken was bone dry and tough and the temperature was only warm. I was clear that it had been sitting under a heat lamp all evening. The artichokes looked, tasted and felt like they were out of one of those jars from Costco and the rice portion with my dish was pathetic. We had a mini size stale pita served to us with nothing to dip it in...even when they brought us the second one. The service was horrible and rude. The guy came to the table as we were finishing and pulled the spoon out of the hand before the youngest had put it down. Seriously, it's so sad to see what was once a great small family joint, go so rotten. The Rice pudding used to be awesome and served in a really fun large dish. It was tiny, the waitress even suggested that we get two of them. Water does not come with cucumber anymore and is served in a plastic cup rather than a nice glass. The wait staff didn't know what was going on. There was an empty table next to use and the servers reached over to put the bill on the table, rather than bringing it to us. I feel like I was ripped off here as I was trying to take the family out for a nice Father's Day meal. Update: My boyfriend is sick this morning and has classic food Borne Illness symptoms. Don't waste your time folks. I wanted to give a good report and I am sorry that I cannot.

    (1)
  • Aleksandra E.

    Several friends and I celebrated a birthday here, and it was an excellent experience. We sat at the table upstairs that overlooks the restaurant, which is a great seating arrangement for larger parties. The service was superb and fast. Very friendly, family-owned and authentic. The dolma were soft; the hummus perfectly creamy, the pita bread fresh and warm, falafel crispy and yummy... Everything was good! Great, downtown location, amazing food, noteworthy service-- I must return.

    (5)
  • Stanley T.

    Update: Check out Habibi's new website: habibirestaurantpdx.com for their menu and a great tune! Still my favorite eatery. I eat here twice a week. Mazen is the friendliest owner in town. He serves the most flavorful food in town. You won't pay much here. He has done (and continues to do) so much to make this place aesthetically pleasing. I'd go for the food and service whether or not.

    (5)
  • Jim R.

    Nothing special to justify the noise. Not bad, but food just wasn't better than any of the other middle eastern places I've been to. Meat a bit dry, hummus a bit bland. Service not great, repeatedly forgot about requests.

    (2)
  • Joshua C.

    In an effort to make my reviews more accessible I've decided to translate this one into a variety of Yelpiverse styles. So here for your tasting pleasure is Habibi Ten Ways. Yelp Speak: NOM NOM NOM Chicken Shawarma! NOM NOM NOM Beef Shawarma! NOM NOM NOM Falafel! Oh Habibi forgive me for not writing earlier. All these times I've visited to lick clean your delicious dishes and enjoy your friendly service and in return what? No review? Whether you're an elite yeep or nOOb this is teh awesome Lebanese cuisine [read: bastion of hummus and hot pita goodness ] *Sigh* Oh and when you're here, they really do treat you like family. Rock on Habibi! Rock on! Screen Writer: "What are we doing tonight Brain?" "The same thing we do every night Pinky." "Oooh, we're going to run around with pink tights on our head performing the African Anteater Mating Ritual?" "NO, we're going to Habibi for some Chicken Shawarma with Hummus!!!" Exaggerated Tourist (if you think they're bad here, read Honolulu Yelp): I wish we had one of these where I'm from. Even though I've never had Lebanese food before I'm quite certain that this Chicken Shawarma is the BEST EVER!!! Probably even better than in Beirut. Ironic Hipster: Sorry, I don't think I even know what that is. Can't we all just get along. Eat some Shawarma and move on. Foreign Language: Habibi ga daisuki desu yo! Tori Shawaruma wa tottemo oishii desu ne! Mindless Unhelpful Five Star One Line SPAM: This place is really great. Great food, great service. I can't wait to return. Ascii Arteest: me chicken shawarma __ / o \ | ( o o o o o o o o o o o o \___/ Wannabee Run-On-Sentence Over Adjectived Foodie: Tender chicken (or beef) pieces flavor stacked with onions and Middle Eastern seasonings, combined beautifully with silky smooth hummus and freshly made pitas. Hints of cinnamon, cardamon, and nutmeg dance happily across the palate as textural joy and wonderful warmth bring about sublime sensory overload. Poet: But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Chicken Shawarma is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou, her maid, art far tastier than she. Myself: Take all of the above, mix them in unequal schizophrenic portions, pour into a review, set the oven for forty minutes, but take it out after twenty.

    (4)
  • Kellee M.

    We chose Habibi after searching Yelp for some highly rated restaurants. While I thought the food was good, it wasn't memorable. Well, at least not memorable in a good way. I am vegetarian so my husband and I ordered the vegetarian mezza plate to share and then he asked the waitress for a second recommended dish. That turned out to be a mistake! She brought us a bowl of rice and grains. Whatever it was, it shouldn't have been served as a main dish! It was more like something we should have been eating as a side dish to something else! I was surprised by the mezza as well. I feel like wherever we go we get so much delicious food when we order a mezza plate to share...that was not the case here. We got small portions of everything, so it was not really made to be shared unless you're not very hungry. The positives were that they were nice enough to accommodate our stroller and the staff was friendly. It was weird that they all referred to my son as a "she" though! Haha. He was dressed like a boy and we called him by his name and yet they still said "she." I wonder what made them think that?! Anyway, like I said, they were all nice, and I don't hold it against them. We have had better Lebanese food at other Portland restaurants so we don't see ourselves returning to Habibi.

    (2)
  • Diana M.

    Went here for dinner on a Saturday night and we were able to find a table big enough for our group. The food was amazing. My husband and I both had lamb shawarma sandwiches without sides. The sandwiches were packed mouth watering lamb and yummy veggies. We knew that if we would have ordered sides we wouldn't have been able to finish our meals! Before our meals we munched on fresh pita bread (which they definitely don't skimp on, I think they gave our group 8 separate pita breads throughout our meal) along with hummus and tatziki, both of which were amazing. I had to restrain myself from completely filling up on those before we received our meal. The service was top notch and very attentive. I would definitely visit this place again when we are in the area.

    (4)
  • Jennifer L.

    Came for lunch on a weekend. Easy to get a table. Had vegetarian mezze, meat mezze, and lamb kebab. All was tasty but not particularly special. These 3 items filled 4 adults. Check total $37. Overall satisfactory.

    (3)
  • Snow M.

    Time for another Beth and me review or as we like to call ourselves: Two Fat Chicks, Food Critics. We had walked to Dimitri's down on 17th and Burnside only to find out they were closed for the afternoon. Lucky for us, the chef was hanging around off to the side having a smoke. After striking up a conversation with him, Chef I-Can't-Remember-His-Name suggested Habibi's and you know if a working Chef suggests a place, it can't be all bad. We packed up our trusty mules and hoofed it there. It was middle of the afternoon when we went in, catching just the tail end of the lunch rush. We settled in for a wait, more then happy to watch the lovely people of Portland. People watching should be an Olympic sport. Anyway, we did not have to wait long at all. Beth ordered her falafel and I ordered the meat mezza. Someone should have told me there was more then enough on the plate to share. Beth nibbled on some of her sandwich and some of the mezza plate. Seriously, it was all so good. We also shared the dessert of almond milk pudding (it has a different name but I can't recall it). The waitstaff was friendly but didn't seem to speak a lot of English but that didn't take away from our experience. The pita was always warm and there seemed to be an endless supply of it. We have been back several times and will probably go back again!

    (5)
  • Amber F.

    This place was amazing. I would eat here every day if I could afford it. I went here with friends for a birthday and mainly just had alcohol and appetizers. I am new to Mediterranean food, so I could be easily impressed, but this was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had the vegetarian grape leaves, mezza, hummus, pita bread, spinach pie.... other stuff. All had great flavor. The atmosphere was great and the prices were better than I expected. PS-- their staff had some pretty decent eye candy, I gotta tell you. Both for the girls and the boys. :)

    (5)
  • shannon t.

    OK I love this place not only do I love the food but the owner is great, he is always welcoming and remembers you. Food is great and very reasonable. Oh but wait...they have just expanded and have a full bar and happy hour all day long with some amazing deals...so even if you don't want to order off the menu you can always go to the bar for a drink and some small plates. YUmm!

    (5)
  • Leah P.

    So I've never like a restaurant enough to actually write a review... But this place totally deserves it. We were greeted by the owner, who picked up our one year old daughter and bounced her around. He also brought her a small strawberry smoothie (on the house) which was amazing because it kept her fairly preoccupied and happy! Major kudos on the way they run a business. We ordered a Lamb Shawarma Sandwich Combo... and it was absolutely delicious. It wasn't overly drenched in sauce like the food carts tend to do, and you could actually taste the seasoning and flavors of the lamb. We also ordered the Chicken Kabobs. The chicken was cooked perfectly and uniquely seasoned *just right*. I have now officially found a new favorite restaurant in Portland. I'm hoping to check out their bar and live belly dancing soon!

    (5)
  • Chris D.

    What makes this place stand-out for me is the truly unique atmosphere and the enthusiam of the people who work here. The food is excellent and the portions are generous, and at a reasonable prices. I have a large appetite, so I got the Meat Mezza platter -- some of everything basically; along with a side of humus...ya gotta have humus. I went for lunch during the week and got there after the actual lunch hour. From the time I arrived the service and people were so damn nice and gracious that I kept having the overwhelming urge to ask them to treat me just a little poorly. Nothing fancy or pretentious about the food or presentation -- just delicious. All that would be enought to recommend the place, but the atmosphere and the owner or manager -- not sure which -- was truly entertaining. He was so enthusiastic about the place you just had to smile. When I was there they had some very upbeat, fun middle eastern style modern music on, which he was dancing and singing to in-between sitting down at individual tables talking to customers and literally pulling people off the sidewalk to welcome them into the restaurant. He took obvious pride in the establishment as did the gracious hostesses, it was infectious. When I left I felt like I had taken a very brief little vacation from Portland and my work day. I plan on taking that vacation again.

    (5)
  • Paula F.

    Service: Slow. It took three people twenty minutes to bring water to the table. My order - a falafel salad - took forty minutes. Atmosphere: Hot, stuffy, crowded, and deafeningly loud. Food: Not good. The falafel was dense, dry, and crumbly. The only spice I could taste was salt. The salad consisted of a half cup of mixed greens drowning in a sour-tasting dressing, topped with thick slices of raw onion. I had asked to substitute rice or something for the pita bread so the server brought me a small dish with about 3 tablespoons of randomly chopped cucumber. The cucumber was refrigerator-flavored. To drink, I ordered a mango juice and received a warmish, viscous puree, more like a sauce than a beverage. Honestly, I can make better Lebanese food myself. Not worth the $$.

    (1)
  • Daniel S.

    Ignore the 1 and 2 star reviews because this place is a solid 3. Also, if you're vegan like me, the menu actually distinguishes between "vegetarian" dishes and full-on "vegan" dishes. Highly recommend the mezza that includes hummus, tabouleh, falafel and garbanzo beans.

    (3)
  • Kenny P.

    To be honest, when my friends asked me to come to this restaurant, I am not over the moon. I was kind of skeptical. But, since I love to eat, i thought why not give it a try. So we ordered three dishes + 1 dessert and ... 1. Baba Ghannouj -- this eggplant dip has a pinch of garlic taste. I have to give this one two thumbs up. When i tasted it and put it with the bread into my mouth, it struck me and made me surprise. a very good opening and i started to change my mind 2. Veggie eggplant casserole -- this one is eggplant cooked with tomato sauce. And i have to tell you, it's so good. Look so simple yet the taste is so rich. The eggplant is so soft. The tomato sauce is just in a perfect tanginess and sweetness. 3. Lamb Shawarma -- Usually I am not fond of lamb. It has some specific smell that make my stomach react in kind of funny way. I only eat lamb if people know how to cook it to make the smell not pop out that strong. This one ??? I love it... the smell is not funny.. it is indeed delicious. The crispiness of the lamb just added the taste. Nothing can go wrong. We ordered it on the top of hummus. The hummus is different from the baba ghannouj, but yield the same deliciousness 4. Knafe -- this is the only thing that i think ordinary. don't get me wrong, it's still good but not as good as the main courses. I still like it though. If you have a phobia toward middle eastern likey food... try this one.. I am sure you will like it. or eat least, you will say "yummm"

    (4)
  • Julie C.

    Oh Habibi. I want to give you the full five stars, I really do and I would have had I written this review a year or two ago. I've been coming to Habibi's since they converted from a little pizza joint years ago. They used to be the absolute best, most delicious Lebanese food I've ever had for a super reasonable price. The owner is very personable, remembers us, and greets us like old friends. The service used to be great. I RAVED about this place to anyone who would listen. I'm not sure what happened...maybe it's the curse of expansion? First they dropped their portion sizes, then they hiked their prices, and then they expanded the inside of the restaurant. I'm not dinging stars for increasing prices, everyone has had to do that, I get it. I've been eating here for years, so although my boyfriend and I have tried to remain loyal to Habibi, our last meal just made us quite sad. It's like coming back to an old lover who just doesn't give a damn about you anymore. The lamb was dry, the chicken was stringy, the service was slow and disinterested. It just doesn't sing the same song it used to. Please, Habibi, come back to us. You can do it! I believe in you!!

    (3)
  • Michael B.

    We eat Lebanese often all across the USA. I'd place this one about last of all of them. Food was average at best. Portions are EXTREMELY skimpy. I felt cheated. Service was very poor. We had long waits for everything and servers had challenges with the English language. I would NEVER return. For the $13 I'd rather give $10 to a homeless person and eat off the dollar menu at McDonalds with the other $3.

    (2)
  • Alison P.

    One word: yuck. Ok, maybe I have a few more words. Usually medditeranean and middle eastern is healthier and more fresh tasting. We got shrimp skewers and chicken shawererma that were drenched in salt and oil, so much so that we couldn't even finish them. On top of that we sat outside, and as another reviewer mentioned were ignored for long stretches even though the place wasn't busy. The smallest diet coke ever served in their 6 ounce glasses were never refilled once making sitting outside on a pleasant sunny day unpleasant. We had to go in to pay and the waiter wouldn't discount the bill, but gave us a baklava for our trouble. Thanks a lot, but it isn't enough, I won't be back.

    (1)
  • O. Bilal O.

    We had a very good experience over all. Lets start with drink I ordered, I wanted to try their lemonade with mint, it came with a small size plastic cup with literally 2 leaves of mint and very light amount of lemon. Really !? I could have ordered tab water with a lemon wedge and got a better lemonade. Finally a restaurant that serves Grape Leaves with Beef as appetizer and not a bad one either. Try it, you may even like it as much as I did except I prefer yogurt sauce on it vs. tahini. We ordered 3 things as main course: Nakanik Sandwich: It was good, not my favorite. I did not know what to expect when I ordered, I probably would not get this again. Chicken Kabab: Nice presentation with a big plate shaped like a leaf, as for the meal itself it was good but not wow. Fatayr: Last but certainly not least, this was my absolute favorite among what we ordered. The meat is very nicely spiced and combined with parsley, it reminded me of Turkish Lahmacun which I was craving for. At the end I wanted to try the Knafe desert but they were out, the owner saw my disappointment and offered me 2 some baklava for free, and there and then I was sold for this restaurant and would definitely come back.

    (4)
  • Atha M.

    Like most "middle eastern" restaurants (this one being Lebanese), they have an offering of lamb, chicken, and beef, in different incarnations, (though all similarly spiced), and served with either greens, rice, hummus, or stuffed inside a pita. The food is a-ok - while a little on the salty side, their shwarma is tender and their kabobs are delicious. The rice is decent, though coming from a Persian household, my rice standards are pretty high. My two complaints about Habibi are (1) the pitas are consistently undercooked. At times, it's as if you're chewing on raw dough. I like my pita to have a bit of a char (like another well-known Lebanese place that I won't mention here). and (2) it's expensive. A shwarma sandwich with hummus and a salad ()the combo) is about $10. True, you get a lot of hummus and a decent sized salad, but maybe give people a little less, and charge a few bucks less. I know that hummus is not that expensive to make, or keep, so upcharging $3 for the salad and hummus is a bit much. The bottom line is that there are cheaper, better, and less cornily decorated middle eastern places in Portland (and even in the downtown core) that I'd rather go to.

    (3)
  • Michael R.

    I have been comming to habibi for years now. The food is excelent, the prices are reasonable, and the portions are generous. The owner, Mazen, earned My loyalty the first time I came in, (to the original location on sw Morrison st, there's a ner one on sw Pine now too). He came right over and said" Welcome Brother, my name is Mazen, I don't know Your face yet, may I help You with the menu?" he explained the items on the menu that I wasn't sure about, He recomended the mmeza platters to get a good sampling of the food, I was in love with all of it, so I ordered the Meat platter, skewers of lamb, chicken & beef all of it was packed full of flavor, even the rice, and though i'm a chef I admit i don't really like rice, but I could just go and have a huge platter of the rice alone! Crazy flavorful!! Inside the front of the menu is the story of , and a tribute to His parents. That was when I first knew i was talking to the owner, not just a wonderfull wait person? He had my loyalty for good! though the place has been expanded twice since the original Lebonese Pizza place, I is still Friendly as can be, great staff. Oh, did I forget to mention the Belly dancer at certain times? The dance & she are quite festive and beautifull ! This is My favorite place to eat, with E San thai right up there!

    (5)
  • Nosniv X.

    We only dropped in because it was raining and the food cart we wanted to try didn't have any covered seating. The positives: Friendly service, nice owner, hip and clean interior. The negatives: Confusing menu (grouped by family member?!#?), dinner prices for lunch, overly sweetened mint tea. The neutrals: The food (decent but not outstanding, esp for the price). Wouldn't recommend going out of your way to eat here. Even if you're in the neighborhood it is only worth dropping in when seeking food and shelter from the rain.

    (3)
  • Francesca P.

    Habibi is lovely. I usually have the Phoenician Pizza. To be honest, it's the only thing I ever order - it's that good! I have had other dishes on the menu, as well as sampled others, and must say I like the Phoenician Pizza the best. The garlic accompaniment that comes with the kebabs is also stunning. You may think it is a little blob of creamed garlic, but you would be wrong. They make it by quickly mashing garlic together! The mashed potatoes of garlic, if you will. The owner is also lovely - he is friendly, remembers who you are, and if he really likes you, sneaks you freebies from time to time. As for authenticity, I have yet to visit the Middle East, but I don't suppose this restaurant can be too shocking as it is owned by Syrians and has traditional dishes on the menu, as well as making the dishes fresh. They do however, cater to Americans, as they are well aware they are a restaurant in America. I am not giving it full stars because they recently expanded, and since then they have raised their prices. This was a total buzz kill when I unsuspectingly went in one day and noticed. Other than that small point, it's a great restaurant, and I LOVE it! p.s.: Really nice hot Mint Tea.

    (4)
  • Holly B.

    I really LIKED Habibi for their chicken shawarma plate, which was served on a giant gold leaf plate. The chicken is better than the lamb there in my opinion. And the hummus, it's to die for! The pita comes out of the oven, right to your table. And it's unlimited. The service is very friendly, they get a little mixed up sometimes, but they are nice about it. Anyone that has ever been there knows the owner, he greets each table, comes over to you during your meal, pats you on the back, thanks you for coming in, GREAT guy. And he pays tribute to his parents on the menu and on the website. I like that. Notice I said I really LIKED Habibi for their chicken shawarma plate ... that's because I am vegan now. Goodbye chicken shawarma, hello artichoke heart casserole. I can still eat the hummus with the nonstop fresh pita bread, but now that meat is not an option, I was shocked to see all the vegan options Habibi has to offer. And vegetarian too. Clearly labeled and easy to find. And not just one or two things, a bunch of options! They get 4 out of 5 stars because they still are a little spendy compared to other Lebanese restaurants/carts in the area. But they just did a big remodel to their restaurant, so I get that they are trying to class the place up. It's worth the extra $1 or 2 for the unlimited pita. (As you may have noticed, I am very impressed by any restaurant that provides a constant stream of carbs.)

    (4)
  • Claude A.

    Asfter my conference ended, I went to Habibi yesterday (10/22/13) for a late lunch before heading back to NYC. I have to say that the food was truly wonderful. I had the chicken shwarma with humus, and without a doubt it was the best i had ever eaten, and I've eatena lot of chichen shwarma in my day. The service was also top quality: attentive and friendly. I recommend this restaurant to everyone

    (4)
  • H O.

    +: A lot of food. -: A lot of mediocret food. !: My food presentation looked very phallic, haha! ?: Isn't this spot two doors down from another Middle Eastern restaurant or something??

    (3)
  • Esther H.

    Delicious food that is reasonably priced. I had the Spinach Pie and Rosewater to drink. It was so good I ordered another to go. Staff was friendly- it seemed very family style. *Great first date place.( not too over the top, try something new together, and you can actually hear each other to conversate)

    (5)
  • Charles C.

    Excellent. Had the Veggie Plate so I was able to try about 7 different things. Baba ghanouj was made with roasted eggplant for a more smoky complex flavor. Nice sidewalk seating on a nice day.

    (5)
  • Frank C.

    Excellent food - great atmosphere - very friendly staff. On the owner's recommendation, I had the Meat Mezza. This was my first time at a Lebanese restaurant and I wanted a sampling of the traditional dishes. And that's what the Meat Mezza plate is all about. It also came with homemade pita bread which was fantastic. And I topped it off with a Lebanese red wine that was very good, on the dry side. Even the water was cool - it came with a slice of cucumber in it which made it very tasty. Treat yourself to something different and authentic and come here!

    (5)
  • DJ G.

    Any restaurant where the owner sits down at your table to take your order, then high fives half your table as he leaves, is off to a fine start. Up at our cozy upstairs group table with awesome (bad) music videos playing on the TV on the wall, it was time to eat. The baba ghanoush appetizer with home-made pita arrived and the cooing and contented muching began. The smoky tang was perfect and the piping-hot pita consistency was spot on. Washed down with a mango lassi, all was well. Main course was a variety of items - vegetarian mezza platter, foul moudammas and lamb shawarma with a fabulous tahini sauce. My entire party was absolutely head over heels for the not-oily, crisp and light falafel...or the creamy, tangy hummus...or the tasty yogurt sauce. Or the soft spanakopita... Bob Barker would be very impressed because the prices are VERY right at Habibi. $8 main dishes for dinner (lunches are SO cheap). Drinks a bit more, at close to $4 for beer, lassi's or yogurt drinks, but hey, gotta make your money somewhere. For 5 of us, it still was only $60 for drinks and a meal. After two great meals here, I'm giving it a solid 5 stars. What will the Habibi bar next door bring to SW Morrison?!

    (5)
  • Heather Y.

    Delicious Lebanese food! The servers where so friendly and passionate about their food, the decor was beautiful and interior clean. They have great prices- they have a Happy Hour menu going all day- which is funny to me, but nonetheless their pita & hummus, lentil soup, taziki sauce & kabobs were all so yummy. Ending the meal with their simple mint tea was perfect: simple and soothing, I was full, but not that awkward uncomfortable full like when you have just eaten a bunch of deep fried food. I will DEFINITELY go back again, there are so many other goodies that I would like to try!

    (4)
  • Cindy I.

    Well it's been over a month since we have been here but I hate missing out on writing a review. The owner was very nice and when he heard it was our first visit he gave us free lemonade or soda's. The food was flavorful and I would go back for a quick meal in the area. Perfect for before a show and it won't break the bank.

    (4)
  • Harsha R.

    4 stars but that does not mean "Yay! I'm a fan". 3.5 stars suits it better. But I will round it to 4. Here is why - Ordered the vegetarian mezza. A platter of all the usual suspects. The falafel was kinda dry. But its only a minor gripe as it did taste good otherwise. The chicken shewarma sandwich was good. Messy to eat but yummy chicken pieces. However, the service was not very consistent. We were seated right away, but the server took a while to come and take the order. Even the water was brought to the table after the order was taken, which was out of order? But the server did ask us if cucumber in the water is okay. We were fine with it. I suppose thats how it works over here. Anyway, the food came out reasonably quick and the waitress did check on us a few times. But again, the time taken to clear the check was really slow. We finally decided to pay at the counter. A (different) server behind the counter seemed surprised when we did that. But hey, we can't keep waiting forever! The owner validated our parking for the nearby Smart Park location. Overall, a happy experience albeit on the slower side.

    (4)
  • Kate T.

    Great food and great service. Really, that's all you need to know. More? Ok. The vegetarian mezze was great. I loved that there was a huge glop of tzatziki instead of the little dab some places deign to share. They were out of the Lebanese beer that night, but the Armenian beer (light and dark) was perfectly serviceable. The feta appetizer is simple but good. The pita bread didn't turn into rock-hard slabs after being exposed to air for more than 15 seconds. The falafel was well-but-not-overly-seasoned. The owner came by our table about halfway through the meal to say hi and see if all was well, then came by again to chat when he found out it was the first time we'd set foot in his restaurant. He, and all the wait staff, were incredibly friendly. So, as i said, great food and great service. I'm definitely going to eat here frequently. (We even got a little show with our meal. Some protesters were coming in to eat after what i imagine was a long, cold day in the rain, and one nearly took out the display of hookahs on the stairwell with his stack of anti-war signs.)

    (5)
  • Martha R.

    It's tiny little spot where the staff is very friendly and quick about it. The menu is fairly extensive, and there were several things that I would have liked to try. As I was off tooling around Portland on my own, I didn't get to sample anything but my own meal, a tragedy at best. The decision was difficult, but I chose the kafta sandwich combo, which was a delight. It could have used just a touch more kafta... and that's a little bit of a bummer because I was pretty excited about the idea of having kafta after such a long stint away from the Detroit area where it's on every street corner. Either way, it was quite up to par as far as taste and quality. The hummus was delicious - not the best that I have ever had, but pretty darn good. The mini side-salad was just okay. The dressing wasn't the "usual" that I am used to on either the Lebanese salad, or tabouli... but it was nice to get a little bit of green in there to pretend that I had a balanced meal. Walking out extremely full and happy for a mere $8.50, plus tip is nothing to baulk at... so I won't.

    (4)
  • Sean G.

    Obviously Habibi has done well for themselves... they are expanding and every time I walk by they are doing a brisk business. The hundred-plus reviews seen here can attest to that. I won't rehash what has been said - great food with good portions, reasonable prices, very friendly staff. My favorite part was the hummus. It was outstanding. Silky smooth, tangy, and served with a garnish of oil and spices. SO delicious. If you haven't given them a try, do!

    (5)
  • Mia R.

    Word on the street was that lebanese cuisine is the best out of all middle eastern cuisine. Habibi proved that right~! Gosh i love that word & meaning. i overly use it on someone all the time. I'd love to come back to habibis on another road trip to hipsterland to try out there chicken shawerma.. mmm...

    (5)
  • Kate B.

    Note: This review is for the Pine Street location. Came on a Thursday and really expected something spectacular given all of the glowing Yelp reviews. We love Lebanese food and really wanted to like this restaurant but the food was mediocre at best and truly bordered on bad. The falafel was dry, the mjadra was crunchy and tasteless, the lamb was dry and really chewy and the "strawberry lemonade" we ordered for the kids was basically Hi-C. The pita came out warm but as soon as it got to room temp it tasted stale. The hummus was fine but nothing special and the tabbouleh had barely any bulgar in it. The cucumber slices in the water were a nice touch, 1 star for that. We did have great service, but since we were the only ones in the place it made it easy to pay attention to us. 1 star for that too. I have no idea why everyone raves about this place. There are plenty of other really good Lebanese food options in Portland.

    (2)
  • Tim S.

    Wondered into Habibi this past weekend and had a great experience. Likes: Tasty. I'm no expert, but really enjoyed the hummus and tabouli Excellent value. Large (veg) mezza plate for around 9 or 10 bucks. Great service. Not only were they responsive, but we ended up striking up a nice conversation with Deanna about Syria. Random, but fun! Dislikes: Menu was a bit overwhelming and funky; hard to explain Was a bit dark inside. But for a hot day, this cool, darker atmosphere was perfect.

    (5)
  • Timothy C.

    Was originally we where going to go have pizza down the road but they were closes. You think they would be open on July 4. As busy as Portland was. Good food and good service. We will be back. God for the fam during the day.

    (4)
  • Zeba E.

    This place had very tasty dishes. We ordered the Shawarma lentil soup, shawarma chicken and Lamb plate with rice and it was cooked to perfection. The service was fantastic.

    (5)
  • Donald S.

    The atmosphere is surprisingly hip and the service was beyond friendly. Between the shawarma lamb, ahi tuna kabobs, tzatziki, and homemade pita, the food was nourishing and very tasty. My girlfriend and i are both exceedingly glad we took this culinary tour of Syria and Lebanon...we will be back.

    (4)
  • Misty G.

    It was good. The bread dried out and fell apart by the time we were done. the food was good, not as big of portions as Nicholas, the service was good. The host seemed a bit irritated when we walked in and chose to sit outside. He was in a hurry. Remainder of service was good. We had a mezza platter and sandwich. the meat was great, hummus a little bland, the roasted eggplant fantastic. The felafel was dry. We had the rice pudding and baklava for desert. the pudding was done with rose water and very tasty!!! Baklava was very dry and didnt have much flavor. Hubby said "you make way better baklava than this" i have say I agree! I liked that they have an all day happy hour, I will go back for that! For a full dinner i would have to say we will stick with Nicholas, better portions, cheaper prices, excellent service and never disappointing!

    (3)
  • Melissa P.

    My husband and I went to Porland for the weekend and we visited Habibi Restaurant last night. Honestly, we will come here everytime we visit this city, the place is amazing, the food delicious but the best part of everything is the SERVICE... I really want to thank the owner, Mazen Khoury for coming to our table to ask several times if the food was okay and if we needed anything else, also for the two glasses of wine he gave us as a gift and the amazing stories he shared with us. Seriously, I cant wait until we visit Portland again so we can go straight to Habibi to have an amazing meal and visit our new friend. Thanks Mazen...

    (5)
  • Patrick D.

    I came here recently on a date, but had never been here. They have really nice décor and a nice ambiance. The food was good, but not great. They have all day happy hour, every day and the prices are very cheap even for happy hour. The drinks are very tasty but not very strong and a bit spendy. What I love about this place is the owner. He is very accommodating and genuinely very nice. He made sure throughout the evening that all of our needs were being met and at the end of the evening, he even gave both my date and I a hug. Definitely a great touch. I will definitely be coming back.

    (4)
  • Megan W.

    been here a bunch--inconsistent I've had awful service/good service thought the food was pretty good for its low prices--then went back thought it was awful turkish coffee--once good--next time horrible probably won't go back

    (2)
  • Laura S.

    First time visit to Portland. Walked by this restaurant and after reading reviews decided to give it a try. Absolutely delicious. Had 6 different dishes and 2 Stella drafts for $21! The staff was attentive and very friendly. Will definitely go back before I leave.

    (5)
  • sarah y.

    when a restaurant has a wait at 2pm... you know it's gotta be at least halfway decent. the khafta kebabs were yummy, portions are relatively large. mango juice had a really nice rose water flavor to it. tabouli salad was very flavorful and refreshing. but vampires beware -- the garlic sauce is freakin' amazing. i do not recommend going here w/ a hot date if you plan on doing any snogging later in the evening... BUT it may just be worth it.

    (4)
  • Rumrum N.

    This is one of the worst restaurants I ever tried. The food is horrible I couldn't even eat it , i ordered Zatar it tasted expired I never tasted something like it. Their main seasoning is garlic !! And it won't hurt them to smile !! Waste of my money and time !! The owner seems that he hates arabs because he treats us like shit and like other people and treat them better !! it was kind of obvious !!

    (1)
  • Jason W.

    This is a nice little restaurant near Pioneer Place with indoor and outdoor seating. It was a pretty hot day in Portland, so the inside of the restaurant was really steamy. Compounding the hot restaurant was slow service - the waitress took a long while to get our drink orders, and they were behind the counter where they could plainly see our table. The food itself was very tasty. I had the lamb schwarma sandwich. The lamb was well-seasoned and not too strong, and the pita wrap was perfect. The iced tea was freshly brewed and was kept full. The prices were right - you could easily go cheap or pricey here depending on how hungry you are. Overall, the food gets four stars, but one star gets knocked off for the slow service.

    (3)
  • Michael S.

    Deanna runs a great restaurant with excellent, delicious food and superb service.

    (5)
  • Jared P.

    Very friendly staff and a clean inviting atmosphere Walked by this place a million times but glad I finally came in. Had the Meat Mezza and a delicious armenian beer. It wasn't the best Lebanese cuisine I've ever had, but it was up there for sure!

    (4)
  • Knox K.

    Love, Love, LOVED the food here! Wow! I don't give out too many 5-stars, but this place was outstanding -- food, service and ambiance. The baba ganoush was superior. The owner personally served us our meal and gave us a little of history ... great grandmother's secret recipe! A must try. The hummus was stellar too. And the wine, reasonably priced. Go forth and enjoy!

    (5)
  • kelby k.

    Don't order the artichoke casserole. It is not a casserole, it is artichoke hearts in tomato sauce. The fava beans are good (although a fairly simple dish). The Lebanese beer is good as well.

    (3)
  • James H.

    Wow! What a nice find! Walked in off the street for lunch one day last week while on vacation in Portland, and was immediately impressed with the place. Very nice decor, though admittedly a little dark. But the staff was fast and friendly and they always had a smile; the lamb shawarma sandwich was wonderful. The owner even came up to the table to ensure we were satisfied with our meal. Highly recommended. And the next time I'm in Portland, I'm going to dine here again!

    (5)
  • George B.

    I recently visited Portland and this place freaking awesome! I stuck to the meat mezza plate because I had seen pictures of it here on Yelp and it was so good. I also had the Tamarin drink, which I had many refills of. Since we were on vacations, we tried to go to new places everyday. This was the only restaurant we visited twice, it was that good.

    (5)
  • Jon E.

    Excellent - currently all day happy hour with great selection to put together your own mezza. Delicious Lebanese standards. Entering, with the glow of the green tables and the rustic bare brick walls, it feels like you've stepped into a stylish hidden bar on a side street in Beirut (though I've never been there but can only imagine). Very welcoming and attentive service. I'll go back at night and take in the warm ambiance of the bar.

    (4)
  • Jayne T.

    Craving Lebanese food I remembered this recommendation from my friend, and chose to meet a guy here for our first date. It was the perfect atmosphere for this! Small but roomy with high ceilings, quaint but not quiet, and plenty of other people in the restaurant (but we were seated right away). It has two floors of standard table/chair seating, and can accommodate small or large groups (I saw plenty of both sizes on a Friday night). Service was great, very attentive and friendly. It felt like you were in someone's home, with a total family vibe. The menu is completely authentic and is not lacking any dishes you would expect, and the place smells amazing. I was on a mission for lamb, so I chose the lamb schwarma plate, and my date chose the lamb shank. Both were hot, fresh and flavorful. We split the feta/pita appetizer, which paired perfectly with the Lebanese red wine we were working on. Overall this is a great neighborhood spot for delicious, authentic Lebanese food any day of the week.

    (4)
  • Rob W.

    The food: Pretty damn good. I ordered the beef shwarma plate on hummus, and the meat was cooked and seasoned to perfection. The Pita bread seemed very fresh, and the hummus was fantastic. My baklava, however, was a little on the dry side. I was surprised to find a rather healthy beer selection, from which I ordered the Hair Of The Dog IPA. I found the portion to be smaller than average for the $8.50 price, however. I found myself ordering a side of rice ($2.50) to get the portion to where it needed to be. Beyond that, the menu is fairly exhaustive. Every section is broken down into Vegetarian, Vegan, and Meat. Everything sans the beef in my meal was in fact vegan, which leads me to infer that the meatless options on the menu are terrific. I'm sure my lady friend would approve. The atmosphere is typical of Lebanese restaurants, though there's a lot more Persian techno. The service is on point. Food times were good, though the restaurant wasn't especially busy. And a quick side note - To my server: I appreciate your enthusiasm and your attitude, really. But I'm not your "buddy" or your "pal", you do *not* have license to invade my personal space and/or engage in bodily contact with me. (repeat patting on the back). You may think that it is endearing, and many of your patrons may tolerate it, but it's just not that cool to me.

    (4)
  • Amber F.

    Meat Mezza Plate...? Yes please! Yummy food, cheap prices, and friendly service!

    (5)
  • Jennifer W.

    Food was wonderful and the atmosphere delightful. Attentive waite staff and gracious host and owner who loves to please his customers:

    (4)
  • Bob B.

    Service is good if the owner is serving you. Otherwise, it is some of the worst service I have ever had. The servers are nice, they just have no idea what they're doing. I sat waiting for my food for 30 minutes before I was told they were out of what I'd ordered. My appetizer was served with no silverware or napkins. I waited for silverware till I could no longer stand it and finally just grabbed some from an empty table...On repeated occasions the service has been really poor. I have been disappointed so many times, I probably won't return

    (2)
  • Laura H.

    We loved it! The hummus was smooth and delicious, some of the best I have ever had and I am a huge fan of the divine stuff (I make it at home too). All of the food was really, really good. I loved the lamb schwarma, the lamb was tender and flavorful, the rice (which I normally skip) actually enticed me to eat it. Yummy salad dressing...I even got the recipe! The freshly baked pitas were divine. The owner is super friendly and made us feel very welcome. The service can be a little slow but they make up for it by being so darn friendly. Removed one star for not getting a bill and the billed amount was sketchy! Check your bill!! Also the owner made a rude remark about using a groupon, not very classy.

    (3)
  • Ally M.

    Absolutely amazing! Everything was so fresh and delicious while still being reasonably priced. Their hummus is to die for and they are very generous with their serving sizes! I highly recommend the meat mezza plate and the chicken skewers. Can't wait to return!!

    (5)
  • Raynaldo M.

    We came in during the slow time so we had our pick of tables. Even though Mazan tried to seat us in a warm cozy area, I insisted on the chilly window seat. My bad. I reccommend the soup. I'm not really sure what kind of soup it is because Mazan just brought each of us a cup. Probably because he felt bad about us being chilly next to the window. They have a happy hour menu all day every day. Not the biggest portions but hey what can I expect for $2.50. Service was great. It felt like I was at someones home.

    (4)
  • Sasha S.

    Just a quick little update- I talked to Habibi, the owner, recently. He said despite the rise in groceries he's opted to keep prices low because of the economic crisis.. so people can still enjoy food even if their pockets are smaller. Thought I should mention.

    (5)
  • Anthony P.

    Great location near Pioneer Square! Very good service and delicious food. Try the mezza meals or the kabobs. The pita bread is fresh and the hummus is fresh and soooo tasty.

    (4)
  • Charito C.

    We found this place on yelp and wanted to try it. The owner was quite friendly and offered to give us free hummus. The pita bread and hummus were yummy, as well as the tamarind tea. Unfortunately the lamb shawarma was tough. If u want something fast and not too expensive, try this place for yourself.

    (3)
  • Martin H.

    Our party of 4 enjoyed the lentil soup, vegetarian mezza plater, falafel sandwich, and lebney sandwich. Complimentary bread and dipping oil as well. Food was tasty, and service was very friendly. Atmosphere not the best for kids, but doable. Not too pricey.

    (4)
  • Theresa H.

    I have been going to Habibi regularly for 4 years now and I still love it. Everyone who works there is friendly and genuinely interested in chatting and making sure you are happy with your food. The restaurant is pretty small, but there is rarely a long wait. Even when I've eaten here with large groups, they have accommodated us by moving tables together or sitting us upstairs. I could keep going on about the service here, but more important is the food! Every meal starts out with a huge piece of warm, homemade pita bread and typically hummus for dipping, but you can order tatziki or baba ganouj as well. I have tried a lot of different dishes at Habibi, but my favorite are the mezza platters. There are various platters, but the vegetarian one comes with falafel, mini pizzas, tabouli, spinach pie, vege grape leaves, and dipping sauces. It's probably enough to split with someone else if you eat enough pita bread in the beginning. Also delicious are the kabobs served on a bed of rice with a side salad. And if you are trying to really save money, the chicken gyros are less than $6 and they are both filling and tasty. This place is a must-go, you won't be disappointed with anything you order. The service is great, food comes out fast (and pita fills you up in the meantime) and the variety of dishes is endless.

    (5)
  • Chris C.

    This is my favorite Lebanese restaurant. They have the best hummus ever! Their Spinach Lentil soup is incredible. I have tried to make this traditional recipe at home and know they have a secret ingredient. You have to order their Shawarma Plate with chicken ask them for both humus and rice. It is marinated with onions, garlic, vinegar & spices and served with warm pita bread. OMG this is addictive. The owner, Mazan is what makes you feel like you are an old friend. He is so kind and gracious. I have eaten here several times and never had a bad meal. The food is consistently good. I highly recommend Habibi's!

    (5)
  • Krys G.

    Eating at this place is the pinnacle, the essence, the epitome of everything you love about Mediterranean or Persian food. It's a super friendly, a little overly touchy feely guy who welcomes you (you quickly get over it since he's charming and warm in that suave bola kind of way) and then you sit down to fabulous food and consistently attentive service. You're sucked in by the atmosphere and the feeling that you're a regular (even if it's your first time to Portland, as it was ours) and that they're sincerely happy to have you and appreciate your business. It's sad that that's such a rarity these days. We went for lunch early, and the place filled pretty quickly while we were there. Would definitely recommend it or seek it out again next time we make the trip up.

    (5)
  • L. R.

    We have Habibi before events downtown. Firstly, because I crave it. Then because it always makes my stomach happy, not upset. So, you can stay active after you eat. Its our ritual before a Timbers game. (and sometimes after) I like seeing Mazen checking in on us. When my boyfriend auctioned his Timbers seat for the Cancer walk last year he included an appetizer at Habibi before the game. Refreshing and deep in good flavors. Relaxing, pretty decor. I wish I was there now! =)

    (5)
  • Jenny C.

    MEMORANDUM TO: pdx downtown 8-5ers FROM: your stomach DATE: any Monday - Friday, excluding holidays and paid time off RE: Lunch. Remember that thing? It has come to my attention that there has been an increasing neglect in your acknowledgment of the lunch hour, herein known as the most sacred 60 moments of the work day. Traditionally, this time period is noted as the break in which to stop answering calls and emails to get in a few rounds of guiltless Free Cell before bracing yourself for an afternoon of the same protocol. However, this ideal break has become a periodic occurrence. It is my belief that as the inbox continues to fill up and papers get strewn everywhere, you forgetting that one of the 3-squares of the day is supposed to take precedence is not without cause. Our cohort Heart has also noted this issue, typically raising your blood pressure as a means of concern. Brain has also taken the liberty of intervening, suggesting: "Oh God, you've got to get out of here..." Yet these actions have gone unnoticed. Your continual drive to "stay on top of things" coupled with your concern that you'll "never make it back to the office in time" have long prohibited your ability to take a proper meal break. This unhealthy habit must be rectified, and thus, we must formally suggest that you consider grabbing a few workmates and heading to Habibi as soon as possible. Located on the Max line, a half of a block away from the 10th and Morrison / Galleria stop, Habibi Lebanese Cuisine offers a huge menu of traditional dishes ideal for lunch, but also wonderful for dinner time in Downtown Portland. For first time visitors, one can't go wrong with the Veggie Mezza Platter, presented beautifully on a gilded leaf plate and including the following: - Falafel - Humus - Tabouli - Spinach pie - Zattar pizza - Baba ganouj - Veggie grape leaves Aside from taste satisfaction, the rest of your sensory system will be delighted to interact with a brightly day-lit restaurant, tidy and smelling of wonderful spices that hit you the moment you walk in the door. Hearing the pleasant chatter of fellow professionals is a reminder that you are not alone in your professional struggle to survive. The friendly staff will quickly take your order and return with your dishes, honestly within a matter of minutes. If you want to be in and out within a half hour, plan on arriving between 11.45 - 12.00. You'll be well on your way, I'll be full, and your wallet will be less than $10.00 lighter. While I and your fellow organs recognize that we collectively have more faults than a map of California earthquake zones, this is an opportunity to right one of the bad habits currently in place within your typical work week. We look forward to your timely consideration of this gastrointestinal matter. Very Truly Yours, Stomach CC: File - Brain & Heart

    (4)
  • Harry G.

    Nice environment, good service. Visited during the day and the place was pretty empty. Food was tasty and reasonable priced. I would like to go for dinner and cocktails, their setup, lighting and decoration is perfect for that.

    (3)
  • Alison M.

    The food is super tasty! My favorite is the meat mezza platter. You get a just the right amount of 6 or 7 different things on one plate. The people who work there are super nice! The service can be a little slow from time to time but it's worth the wait. The mixed cocktails and drinks could be improved by using fresh juices or something a little more exotic.

    (4)
  • Rebecca J.

    I had a disappointing experience here. First time in Portland, and I was very excited to get some good Lebanese food. Ordered the chicken shwarma plate with a side of tabouli (this becomes relevant later, but I did actually point at the "side" version of the tabouli). Expensive for the small portions, but I figured it'd be a good splurge. The food was just okay--I didn't care for the pita bread, which was overly chewy and very bland. When the check came, however, they had charged me for an appetizer taboui--a difference of $4.50. When I talked to the (very young, inexperienced) waiter, he didn't even apologize for the misunderstanding. No attempt to rectify the situation, no offer to charge me for the portion I had actually ordered. Just an explanation that the side portion would be smaller. As though I would have somehow known that the portion I got was bigger than some mythical other portion? Anyway, this was a disappointing end to my brief (and otherwise very enjoyable) trip to Portland. I wouldn't recommend it.

    (2)
  • Elizabeth K.

    Loved it!! Went with friends to try something new and the waiterstaff immediately joked with us and made us feel at home. The lebanese wine that they recommended was great, and since we didn't know what to order, they made recommendations for us which turned out to be Fantastic!!! The topping on it all was that after a long, delicious meal, we were about to leave and when the waiter/manager/owner (not sure what he was) found out this was our first taste of Lebanese food, he gave us a couple desserts to all share for free. That was just the topping on the cake for me. What a kick-ass spot.

    (4)
  • Jenny T.

    The food was great! Especially their appetizer with the grape seed leaves... i can't remember what it was called. The staff was nice too, but some were a little too friendly where they would check up on you every 5 minutes. Otherwise, this place is great and the prices are decent.

    (4)
  • Ken N.

    Great lebensse food! Awesome service! When I go to Habibi I feel like I'm going into the home of a super hospitable family. I almost forget i'm in a restaurant. This is a good thing. I recommend the falafel!

    (5)
  • Kody L.

    After having dinner here again, I have to update this to five stars. My dinner was so amazingly good I can't stand it! Meat Mezza platter: What cracked-out spice is on that chicken? I can't get enough! Yummy hummus, beef kebob, and dolma among other tasty samples. Lamb and Egglplant Casserole: So good! Of course, you have to like eggplant, which fortunately I do! I want more... Rice Pudding: I didn't want to try it, but my friend insisted and I'm glad he did! Lebanese wine: very dry (not a bad thing, just an FYI) Service: Amazing and friendly. I like him a lot, very funny. I think this might be the best Lebanese in town. I'm a fan!

    (5)
  • Kim Y.

    2.5 stars. after a few hours of exploring pearl district, we got huuuuungry. i had nothing planned for lunch so where did i look? on my trusty blackberry to look up yelp suggestions, which lead us here. i was surprised at how many Lebanese places there were around downtown Portland. this seemed to be the go to place. the mixed plate (chicken shawarma, grape leaves, hummus, babaganoush, falafel and lamb kabobs) and spinach pie caught our eyes and tummies. we were gonna order more but the owner/manager told us that was more than enough for the two of us. that's twice!!! a waiter telling us to stop ordering...twilight zone. we also had Lebanese wine that was superb. it was fruity and smooth. when the food came out, the spinach pie looked like a 3-point star calzone. the dough was soft and the spinach filling inside was super sour. it did say it had lemon in it but i had no idea it was gonna be that sour. it tasted better when i dipped it into the hummus. our mixed plate wasn't that big at all. the meat looked dinky on the large gold gilded leaf plate. then there were two dollops of hummus and babaganoush next to a small pile of tabbouleh salad. the salad was really good but i wanted more of it on the plate. i docked some stars cuz they forgot to give us grape leaves. i had to go in and ask for it. then they came out w/ just one. i had to share that w/ my friend. i've had better. and i thought it was rude when they came out w/ the bill when we didn't even ask for it. it's a pet peeve of mine when restaurants do that.

    (2)
  • Sara K.

    It's been a while since I've been to Habibi- and since then they have expanded, remodeled, and fancy-fied the place. Definitely looks good, the owners are very friendly and remember their customers. However, it's not my favorite place for Middle Eastern food in the Portland area...I'll say that their hummus is delicious- one of the best I've had around here and while all the food is good, I prefer Arabian Nights in Lake Oswego or Karam on Stark. The tabouli was a little salty for my taste, the chicken kebabs a little oily, and the pita wasn't as phenomenal as the HOT pillowy, doughy fresh ones Arabian Nights serves. The atmosphere at Habibi is elegant yet suitable to any mode of dress and the service is quick and attentive. The menu is also pretty large and includes items such as pizza or pasta for less adventurous patrons.

    (3)
  • Jim T.

    Love this place. Very laid back and friendly people. The lamb Shank is excellent. Perfectly seasoned and cooked.

    (5)
  • Olivia T.

    Just because I got a big hug from the manager of this place, I had to write an update review. They have the "People love us on Yelp" sticker on their door now, but it doesn't change anything. Five stars quality of food....yup! Five stars service....yup! Five stars lamb and eggplant casserole that I truly love...yup yup! Five stars place...yuuuuuuuuuuuuup!

    (5)
  • Chrissy S.

    There are certain restaurants that talk a big game. You know the ones. Every Yelper has been Yelpin in their damn pants about these spots. And it's hard to live up to that kinda hype. My problem with Habibi has always been one simple thing. Whenever I want to go, they are CLOSED. Not their fault. It's mine. It's like when you consistently crave a food only on Sunday's and that happens to be the only day you cannot get said food. Horribleness. Just plain bad timing. Imagine my surprise and exuberant delight to find all the lights glowing on those pretty kitchy chandeliers, and an open sign smiling back at me. HUZZAH! great success. So this restaurant is my Chuck E. Cheese. It is absolutely so happy and clean and cool. Bottles upon bottles of Hot Lips sodas line the walls of shelves. Wine bottles too. Filling the shelves instead of books. Over the loud speakers pumps out the new Britney Spears album, which would normally annoy but in this setting it almost seems joyful, dorky and perfect. I bop my head along and I wait for my Lamb Schwarma sandwich with patience. When it arrives via the super nice and constantly smiling dude, it looks amazing. I almost need a minute to appreciate just HOW good it looks before I can bite it. And I do. And they flavors hit me. Hard. This amazing and beautiful combination of spicy juicy pipping hot lamb meat, drenched in THE BEST Tzatziki sauce that you are gonna find, and fresh tomatoes and lettuce wrapped in warm garlicy pita. Oh my GOD. Is this love? YES. Yes it is. And it came with a really yummy salad of mixed greens and amazingly awesome killer hummus. AMAZING. We got an extra plate of Tzatziki and pita. I couldn't decide which was better; The Hummus or The Tzatziki. Seriously it's a toss up, because they are both SO DAMN GOOD. So in the end. I love this place. I love almost everything about it. The only thing I don't love about this place, is that I'm not there more often. I've died and gone to food heaven. And I will be back. Especially for my birthday. Though, it's not quite as good as a creepy singing dancing mouse from Chuck E Cheese....but it's damn close.

    (5)
  • Elisabeth N.

    The appetizers and main courses were absolutely delicious and the owners are extremely genuine and friendly. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in town.

    (4)
  • Senthil R.

    Habibi is my favorite place for dinner while I worked in Portland downtown for about 18 months. The owner is very friendly and the food is very good. My favorite dishes are the Meat Mezza, Meat Combo and the Chicken Kabob. I should add that the rice served with the kabobs is fantastic. And did I say the prices are very very reasonable. Most dishes are less than $10. Can't beat that.

    (5)
  • Joe H.

    Wandering through the downtown area, we stopped at Habibi's for dinner last week. The reviews here on Yelp encouraged us, and I've got to say they were right on. The food was outstanding, the service very friendly and reasonably quick, and the overall environment of the restaurant was wonderful. I wish we could have snagged one of the outdoor tables that afternoon, but they were all taken. Don't let that keep you away from their incredible food though - just go on in!

    (5)
  • Nestor P.

    I went to Habibi following the reviews in Yelp and the restaurant is good. After I ordered my meal I realized that the portions are huge! and was too late to ask for a half ration :) I had Hummus which was good however the guy put too much olive oil on top of it in my opinion when presenting the plate. The pita bread was delicious and cooked by them which is a plus. Then I had a meat combo which was very good. I got a cupper leaf plate with not less of 8 oz of rice and I big portion of meats (lamb, pork, etc). The plate looks very similar to the showed in the picture but be aware that this is a plate for 2 people because is huge. The do not take AMEX :( My server was from Guatemala and was so nice to have her covering my table because she explained to me all the options when detected my spanish accent :) Good place to try if you in portland downtown.

    (3)
  • Bronson J.

    I used to live in the Middle East, and Habibi has the best food in Portland that actually compares well against the food I had there. Their hummus is exactly right, as is the baba g. I try to get over to Habibi about once every other month. It's a greta lunch spot, very quick service, never had a problem getting served in time and back to the office.

    (4)
  • Eva M.

    The food here is made with love. I have never been let down and have been going here for years.

    (5)
  • Jen S.

    ordered the meat mezza to go the other night and went to pick it up and realized that i had forgotten my wallet!! i told him (maybe the owner?) embarrassingly that i would be right back with my wallet, and he offered to let me take the food because he "trusts me" - what a sweet guy!! i declined, luckily my hotel was closeby and returned with my money in hand. thus as you can tell the staff is friendly and nice! as for the food, i never had a meat mezza before but it was delicious!!! even though i ordered it to go, it was still warm when i got it and all the items were placed in a fashion that the sauces wouldn't run into each other and the different types of meat was great!

    (4)
  • Traci M.

    Fabulous food! I'm not a vegan, but I chose from the vegan portion of the menu and I have never experienced so much flavor. Awesome place, it's a must visit.

    (4)
  • Elizabeth R.

    This place is totally fine. There are better restaurants in Portland, and there are probably better Middle Eastern restaurants (Nicholas, for instance), but Habibi's location is great, the service is friendly, and it adds some nice flavor to the downtown dining selection. I'm not in a hurry to come back, but that doesn't mean I won't.

    (3)
  • Itch S.

    A fun staff. Enjoyed chatting with the bartender and the staff. While nothing jumped out as being a signature dish for me, the classics were all well served including the homemade tahini and kebabs. The restaurant itself was kind of dark for me but that seems the norm for Lebanese ambviance. I enjoyed the experience.

    (4)
  • Lisa D.

    So many restaurants have disappointed me recently. Many with their crappy service, their stink eye, their over- usage of MSG and their overpriced sub- par food that smacks of Sysco food service products. Habibi has sent the new benchmark for me in service, food and ambiance. This is what all of the other restaurants in town should measure themselves to as an all around great restaurant. Seriously. We were seated promptly during the busy lunch hour and perfectly attended to. Not neglected and not pressured into ordering. We were given enough time to look at the menu before our very friendly waiter came and took our order and then... BOOM!!! Our order came out 2 minutes later. Not only was our food ready so quickly, it was delicious. I had the hummus sandwich and the habibi lemonade. Mmm... minty. My husband had some perfectly sweetened Turkish coffee that I had to sneak a few sips of and my buddy had some sort of meat pizza that came with a side order of hummus and bread. From the time we walked in to the time we paid our bill (40 minutes) we had a perfectly pleasant dining experience. Go there and experience what a truly good restaurant should be. I COMMAND YOU TO DO SO!!!

    (5)
  • Skylar L.

    I went here last night for the first time. With money getting tight (damn you Portland job market), I was on the lookout for value. You can't beat this place. Save for the weird Bride of Frankenstein vases still on the table a week after Halloween is over, the place is nicely decorated. For the unbelievable prices I was expecting a shabby little hole in the wall. This place is not that. It's almost date worthy (maybe midweek, been dating for a while date). The food ranged from OK to delicious. I wasn't impressed be the grape leaves. They were dry and not very flavorful. The pita, hummus, baba ganoush were definitely return worthy. My favorite dish was the artichoke heart casserole. I don't know how it's a casserole, I would define it more as a stew, but regardless the hearts were tender and the tomato sauce was tart and complex. The end of the meal brought Turkish coffee and rice pudding. The quantities of both were huge. The coffee was served in a ornate percolator looking thing and had four cups of coffee for the coffee drinking unk and I to enjoy. The rice pudding was served in an oversized margarita glass. It was too much for the three of us to finish, however hard we tried. The rice pudding had a strong flavor of pistachios instead of cinnamon. I liked it, but I do love me cinnamon rice pudding. Extra points for all the vegan and vegetarian options.

    (4)
  • Tab B.

    We love to go to Habibi when we're jonesing for a little taste of home- hubby and I both grew up eating Lebanese and Mediterranean food. They have an all-day happy hour with individual size appetizers starting at $1 (falafels!). The owner and bartender are both really nice- we almost feel like we're eating at someone's home when we go there.

    (4)
  • Erin D.

    I'm Lebanese and this place comes closest to my grandmother's food of any of the Portland lebanese places (ironic since I believe the owners are Syrian).

    (5)
  • Irene C.

    My first taste of Lebanese cuisine, and I'm glad I had it here. i had grown largely wary of Middle Eastern cuisine from a past food poisoning incident, but Habibi has changed it all. Seriously, prior to this point, I had refused any sort of Middle Eastern food for about five years. We started off with the baba ganouj, which was good but the pita bread was better. Light and fluffy, just like pita bread should be. I had the chicken shawarma plate with rice. The chicken was as chicken goes. Nothing too special about it. The garlic sauce was a little bitter for me. The rice, however. . .wow. Buttery goodness galore. It was so good that I was trying to eat the chicken first to get it out of the way and save all the rice as my special reward. Yes, this dish reverted me to my childhood ways. Service was friendly and efficient. There was one awkward point where one server brought our dishes and a minute into eating, another server came by and asked if she could take our plates. After about a minute of confusion, she says she's just kidding. . . and it was kinda awkward. Yup. Awkward to read too, wasn't it? Exactly.

    (4)
  • Zachary Sam Z.

    A dilemma: My friend and I are both starving, the sushi places I was craving are all 1 hr + wait and don't take reservations for two, and we're getting crabbier by the minute. We need food and we need it soon. PS, it better be delicious and reasonably priced. Habibi delivered on all fronts. After a quick 10 minute wait, we were seated in the upper area. I ended up getting the Chicken Schwarma plate, and E got the Vegetarian Mezza. At first, we were a bit disheartened: Given our ravenous hunger, it didn't look like all that much food. But appearances were deceiving, because after we had finished, we were full and satisfied. The food was all around delicious. A relaxed place with a great environment and very courteous wait staff. Love it.

    (5)
  • Gregory L.

    The place: I didn't dine in, but from the few minutes I spent picking up my food, the place had a little charm to it. I believe there are tables downstairs, and a small dining area upstairs. The food: I ordered the Vegetarian Mezza platter to-go. The dish comes with hummus, baba ganouj, one grape leaf, one falafel, a spinach pie, something they called zattar pizza, tabouli, a yogurt/creamy dipping sauce, and a HUGE pita. Admittedly the falafel was cold by the time I got back to the hotel, but it had good spices so that's a plus. The rest of the food is what it should be, super fresh, well spiced, perfect textures. All in all delicious. An absolute TON of food and very filling, great value for your money. The bottom line: If I'm back in Portland looking for a good Mediterranean fix, Habibi is at the top of my list.

    (4)
  • Chris D.

    Puffy, hot-from-the-oven pita bread, homemade dolmas, outstanding kufte, and smoky baba ghanoush. Generally fantastic, and also not very expensive.

    (5)
  • Sarah C.

    So I had a few people come in from out of town and we're hungry.. what's Middle Eastern and tasty? Let's look on Yelp.. Habibi? Good reviews? Right off the tram? Sure, why not. Holy fracking crap.. our food comes up fast and tasty. No one spoke for ten minutes. That's how long our food was allowed to last. I don't think I've ever inhaled a meal so quickly in public. But.. we.. could.. not.. help it. It was like I woke up in a dreamy valley filled with kittens, puppies, flowers, whatever else in the world is pretty awesome, and some of the best food I've had in awhile. Then we ate it all. Kittens included. Now I'm getting too excited. We ordered a ton of stuff and it was all good. My personal favorite of everything was the artichoke and lamb in a tomato sauce. Then the rice pudding. Then everything else. Hell, they even made the chicken kabobs memorable.. usually those are the most boring.

    (5)
  • Clinton H.

    So, a woman just belly danced for us. Definitely wasn't expecting that! Food was great and the happy hour menu is a steal! Minus a star for service.

    (4)
  • Kevin L.

    Echoing Katherine C's sentiments, because we went together.. Just couldn't compare to Nicholas unfortunately, since we went there just a week before. Chicken dry and not very tasty, and the rice was very plain.

    (3)
  • Jen g.

    Great food. Service was a little on the slow side. Prices were average.

    (4)
  • Melissa S.

    Absolutely fab. Our group of 8 sampled several different dishes and no one left hungry or disappointed. The pita bread comes out hot and fresh, and the drinks were delicious. The menu is expansive and there is something for everyone - I had the eggplant casserole over rice which was comfort food at its best. The all-night happy hour menu was a nice surprise, and allowed us to supplement our dinner entrees with some inexpensive appetizers. The staff was really attentive and didn't even mind splitting up the check between several credit cards. I will definitely come back to Habibi next time I'm in Portland!

    (5)
  • Jill B.

    Visiting Portland and got lost... stumbled in to this place and was warmly greeted. I let him (I think the owner?) know I was lost and he offered to help. He even gave me a generous amount of hummas an pita on the house! I ordered a couple drinks, an AMAZING lentil and spinach soup (YUM!) and some more food to go. I noticed on the menu that most of the food are from old family recipes. Great service, great food ~ 5 stars :)

    (5)
  • Vince C.

    Having grown up in Dearborn, MI, I'm kind of picky about middle eastern food and seldom am truly impressed by the middle eastern places i find elsewhere. Habibi happily surprised me. The baba ghannouj is the best i've had anywhere, the portions are beyond generous, the prices are really reasonable, they have a good selection of great Lebanese wines, and the staff is universally awesome. While i've eaten in the dining room, i often get take out, and they are prompt and generous with these. Highly recommended!

    (4)
  • Katie A.

    Seattle's got nothin' like Habibi.. and it makes me sad. I had no idea of where to get lunch today until I went on PDX Yelp and looked up lunch joints.. This little gem popped up with tons of great reviews and it's close to where I'm staying so I thought I'd swing by and check it out. Well.. leave it to me to pick the busiest place on the block. This place was packed, inside and out.. fortunately for me, a few tables free'd up only a few minutes after walking in. Everything on the menu looked good.. Chicken Shawarma, Meat Mezza Platter, Lamb Shawarma Gyro, Lentil soup.. Ohh man.. What to get? I decided on the Meat Mezza Platter, which consisted of Kafta (ground beef, parsley, onions & Lebanese spices), chicken shawarma, falafel, hummus, baba ganouj, tabouli & grape leaves. All that AND warm pita bread. I loved it. The Kafta was probably my favorite, followed closely by the grape leaves. It's a good thing when you're at a table, eating by yourself and you realize that you're 'MMmmmming' to yourself as you're chowing down, right? Yeah, that was me. I'm not a huge tabouli fan and theirs was fantastic! All this and diet coke for $13! Such a deal! Cute place. Nicely decorated, the serving platters are really pretty, and the presentation is nice too. Tall ceilings, big windows, and lots of charm. Loads of outdoor seating and an upstairs if it's too busy on the main floor. Very nice staff, great service, and the food is amazing.. However, I'm still a little sad.. and until we get Habibi up in Seattle, I will be.

    (5)
  • Formicas F.

    Ambiance is nothing special, but the food is out of this world. We had the mezza meat plate, the veggie eggplant casserole, and lots of humus. Prices are decent too.

    (4)
  • Kelly B.

    I love the food. I love the convenient location. I love the atmosphere. I'm not so wild about the overly-attentive service. Every time I've eaten at Habibi, the server (different each time) has returned to the table to check up on me an average of once every 5 minutes. While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, it makes it difficult to have a conversation and generally annoying to have someone interrupt your meal that frequently - even if they are doing so in order to serve you. Perhaps this is a nitpicky complaint, and I certainly don't mean to unjustly malign a restaurant that I genuinely enjoy. But,I do find the way the servers hover around my table like well-meaning flies to be about as bothersome as...actual flies.

    (2)
  • Rick W.

    Great Food, the service was a little slow at first (10 minutes to order a beer, and that was after flagging a waiter down.). Our actual server was very friendly, quick, helped us navigate the menu, and was well worth taking a second glance at. The food was reasonably priced, sufficient portion sizes and delicious.

    (4)
  • Michelle H.

    Excellent Food + Gorgeous Weather + Outside Table + Fabulous Service + Good Friends = Habibi. I can't imagine any other experience there being any less, really. Take away the weather and the outside table, I'm almost positive everything else would remain. The menu is long. Really long. It took me forever to decide what goodness to grace my belly with. Everything sounded fabulous from the appetizers, the sandwiches, the pizza, the platters, the specialties, the desserts, everything! Veggie mezza platter was decided upon. Excellent choice. It came out on a HUGE leaf shaped platter. I was in heaven. I loved everything, but the veggie stuffed grape leaves? Divine. I could eat my weight in them. Smother them in baba ganouj and I'm a happy happy girl. As everyone has said, the owner is fabulous. He was super friendly, and super helpful. Since it was my first time, we got free baba ganouj. You can't say no to that! We were in and out within in 30 minutes, but you don't feel rushed. They know how to get the working lunch crowd fed and back to work for $10 or less. You really can't beat that.

    (5)
  • Amy H.

    I love this place. Delicious food, great service and especially fun on a warm summer evening to sit outside and enjoy downtown Portland.

    (4)
  • Jennifer L.

    A couple friends and I had been anticipating Habibi for weeks, and when we finally experienced it we were NOT disappointed! I ordered the meat mezza and a Lebanese beer (slightly stronger than water) and was quite pleased! The falafel were scrumptiously crispy, the hummus delicious, baba ganouj just perfect. I should mention the meat since I ordered the meat mezza - it was juicy, deliciously spiced, and ample in amount! Our server was very attentive and cute when he insisted we not rush, but take our time to enjoy our drinks!

    (4)
  • Venerable V.

    I actually used to work here years ago when it was Long Island Cafe and managed that restaurant for just over two years so I've got an interesting perspective on this place. First, the noticeable differences - they've done an amazing job turning the inside of that place into a good looking, small restaurant. It used to have this immensely huge NYC skyline (complete with twin towers) and a HUGE American flag. The previous owner was proud to be an American citizen. As I used to work there, the new owner warmed to me and has always remembered me when I would come back. He's always nice and upbeat which makes me feel good. Service is so-so. Aside from the owner who knows me, the staff is really only bringing your stuff to your table - I wouldn't say there's really any 'service' going on here. Ok, so here's my gripe - I usually get the mezza here and have to admit that the portions are paltry at best. Granted, when I worked here, I would eat all the food I wanted but didn't take that into consideration when I pay nearly $10 for a mezza (which I usually split with a friend) and we have to fight for the hummus. I mean, that stuff is so inexpensive and easy to make. Pile it on! Everything looks like it's portioned with an ice cream scoop. Barely any tabouleh... The food tastes great and all is well, they've just gotta give me more bang for the buck.

    (3)
  • Phil K.

    Great food! Great service! Great prices! Habibi apparently can't be beat, and I believe it. We had a great meal there tonight, chock full of good fresh food and with personal and friendly service. We were about the last table to leave at around 9:30. Everyone there seemed to be a regular, or at least the owner treated them that way. I'd definitely be in attendance on a regular basis if I lived in Portland. The Vegetarian Mezza - basically a sampler plate of various delicious Mediterranean tastieness - was very good. My friends also had lamb kebabs and lamb shawarma, which they enjoyed. The sodas from hotlips were a nice touch, recommended if you go.

    (5)
  • Devon D.

    People here are very friendly and good-humored, which somehow make their plentiful mistakes endearing. The food is A-ok--the pitas are average. Dolmas are quite aromatic and different. The Baba Ghannouj was great. and the space is just... really interesting--almost comical, but still awesome.

    (3)
  • Marki V.

    . 3.5 + 6.5 = 10 Do you see anything wrong with this simple math? If you do then don't even think about going to "Are you smarter than the 5th grader" H2 + CL2 = 2HCL Do you see anything wrong with this equation? If you do then chemistry is not your thing. And that's ok, don't feel bad. _____________ _______ | | /\ | | Do you see anything wrong with | | / \ | | these shapes? |____________ | /___ \ |_______| If you do then it just means you are geometrically challenged! I don't see anything wrong with any of the above and I don't see anything wrong Habibi either! Their lamb and chicken shawarmas got great flavor. Home made pitas are good. Flavored rice , as they call it got lots of flavor and got some grease too. So if you don't want your bad cholesterol to catch up your FICO score then skip the rice (you got enough grease on the meat already) otherwise you will end up geometrically challenged.

    (4)
  • Zar S.

    My husband and I visited Portland a couple of weeks ago (Rose parade weekend) and stayed at a hotel nearby. We walked by this restaurant a lot and decided to try it out one night. The food was amazing and so was the service. I ordered the vegetarian mezza. The home made pita bread, the hummus, the falafel, the grape leaves...all of it was yummy! My husband ordered this pastry type thing stuffed with spinach, which was really tasty, too. I got a mini version with my entree. Even though we were staying at the hotel, I wanted to bring home leftovers! Our waiter ( I think he might have been the owner) was very pleasant, warm and informative about what to order, and even tried to save us money to get the best deal! Absolutely recommend!

    (5)
  • Wes M.

    Habibi is a delicious Lebanese restaurant with amazing service. There's few other places I could go where I would expect the owner to come shake my hand and slap my girlfriend a high five. To start off their hummus is amazing and their pita bread is made fresh. Their vegetarian mezza platter has a great variety of food if you're looking to try a bit of everything. Their falafel sandwich is one of my favorites, and their calzones are also amazing. They have delicious lemonades (I'm a big fan of the raspberry). Their table decorations should be an interesting suprise if you haven't been there before.

    (5)
  • Rebecca R.

    We usually go to the one closer to the river but since this location is closer to Hubby's office, we stopped in for lunch. The food is the same as the other location which is a big plus. I like consistency. The service was quite different. Here our server had absolutely no personality. I don't expect a server to fall all over themselves to be my friend but at least put a smile on your face, even if it is fake.

    (3)
  • Brian M.

    I came here while visiting Portland based on a recommendation and it totally lived up to the recommendation. We had a fantastic meal here. Everything from the cabbage rolls and Lebney appetizers to my lamb kabobs were phenomenal! If you like Mediterranean cuisine, this place is a must.

    (5)
  • Marina P.

    I like the Morrison location. Always accomodating and willing to do substitutions. Their grape leaves are delicious and i love the lamb shawarma!

    (5)
  • Amy L.

    Tasty Lebanese food. I ordered the veggie combo, nice and yummy. Cons: Place a bit dark, parking is hard expected of the downtown location.

    (4)
  • Yekta A.

    Shockingly found good hummus somewhere, HERE! So we ordered the chicken shwarma, yum it came on a bed of hummus and it was a perfectly porportioned plate. The shwarma was so tasty! This place needs to be located a bit more in where it's crowded, they are really good, a definite must try!

    (5)
  • Alena H.

    My husband and I stopped by because we were in the area. He's a huge fan of Mediterranean food so we gave it a shot. Our server was VERY sweet. Good eye-contact and pleasant to talk to. Our meal was good---not the best pita though. What I liked about the menu was that there were many options. They had all the classic dishes but also items that anyone would be familiar with such as pizza and calzones. Also, their happy hour menu is offered all day- a wide variety of food and drink options. Overall, this place is great because they are very progressive, yet still traditional. All types of crowds can enjoy this restaurant! Took out one star because there were flies, probably because we were sitting next to the entrance.

    (4)
  • Victoria T.

    I'm going to be honest, Habibi and I got off to a rough start a few years ago. I had completely written them off for being constantly closed when the sign said they were open. I had a gift card to there and tried several times to use it to no avail. Fast forward to a week ago and I discovered they had a Facebook page so I contacted them to see what the deal was. After talking to them I decided to give them one last try and boy am I glad I did! The food was great, if a little higher priced than I'd like. The staff was attentive and friendly, our glasses were always full. The decor is interesting, as is the music, but keep in mind they're right by a max track so there's a mini earthquake every 15 minutes. Will I eat there again if I'm in Portland? Absolutely.

    (4)
  • Bob M.

    Wonderful food and service!!

    (4)
  • Kaylie H.

    I love Habibi! All of the food that I've had from here has been delicious. The menu accommodates people of many diets and budgets. The staff is delightful. I can't think of anything about this place that isn't absolutely wonderful.

    (5)
  • David S.

    Have no idea how the food is. I waited forever for service in a very warm restaurant. Gross. Couldn't take it and finally decided to leave. Oh well. Their loss. Buh. Bye.

    (1)
  • Susan L.

    Lebanese food. Ordered the meat mezza platter, lamb shwarma, mini personal pizza, habibi lemonade (refillable). Went here with my ex roomie and beau. Food was mediocre, price was on the higher end. Habibi :)..cute word with a cute meaning though.

    (3)
  • Morgan C.

    I love Mediterranean food, so if you're looking for your basic dish that fulfills those tastebuds for this style of cuisine, then it's totally worth a visit.

    (3)
  • Gretchen G.

    I recently discovered Habibi; I have to say, I've never had better pitas. While I've never traveled to the Middle East, the pitas at Habibi's make me feel as though I have. Our lunch was lovely; I had the vegetarian mezza platter and greatly enjoyed each of the dishes. I have a Jordanian friend who complains frequently about the lack of good pitas available in Portland. I asked the owner if I could buy a few to take to him. Rather than charge me, he made a large batch and wrapped them for free; he gave me a big hug on the way out the door and implored me to bring my friend. Turns out, my friend goes there often and swears by their hummus. I'm planning a return visit tomorrow--great food, terrific service, and reasonable prices.

    (4)
  • Tamara K.

    My friends all love this place so I end up eating there fairly frequently by default. There are a few dishes that I really love but as a falafel lover, I am always disappointed in their falafel. Just too dry and uniform in shape. Makes me wonder if it is house made or out of a box. After a few tries, I just don't order anything with falafel on it any more or I give it away when I order the mezza plate. I do love their baba ganoush!

    (3)
  • Sarah B.

    Best Lebanese food in Portland! I've been on the hunt for a while, and Habibi is as good as it gets, especially for the reasonable prices! Staff is always friendly, and I always leave there satisfied. Would definitely recommend.

    (5)
  • ZZ S.

    The food is really awesome there and I'm so pleased just by the happy hour portion. It's also really amazing that they serve happy hour menu all day long.

    (4)
  • Melissa E.

    Service and food were excellent; wonderful gathering place for friends and drinks.

    (5)
  • Tracy K.

    Habibi is a small hole in the wall restaurant in downtown Portland. It looked fast and cheap, and I love Mediterranean food. But after a meal there, I have to admit I was completely blown away. The staff (including the owner), was wonderful. Incredibly friendly, and pretty much everything you could ask for. The food came out very fast and my water was always immediately refilled. But what makes this place so good is the phenomenal food. The traditional recipes are perfectly prepared and everything was very fresh. I had the vegetarian mezza plate, which I highly recommend. There were a lot of options on the menu for a vegetarian (which I am) and I'm looking forward to going back and trying some other dishes. One last note: I don't like coffee (never have), but the owner insisted on giving me some Turkish coffee on the house. I'm now officially addicted. AMAZING.

    (5)
  • Lisa K.

    After hearing from so many people about how good Habibi is, I had to try it. The first time I wasn't impressed with the schwarma lunch combo plate. The meat was dried out and the salad was mediocre. But the hummus and oven-fresh flat bread were pure heaven! The second time I came, the meat was spot-on perfect and the salad was still mediocre. I would recommend either piling up the greens on the salad, or just skip serving it because it takes away from the meal to receive something so pitiful looking. According to my friend's theory, the food is the bomb when the owner is on the premise. When he's not there, quality control tends to go down. Moral of the story, eat when the owner's there?

    (4)
  • FJ H.

    Nothing blew me away. Food was simple and predictable. No unique twist. Tastes like something my mom would make at home (which isn't bad at all!). Pretty good if you want some authentic Middle Eastern food though. Had the basic -- dolma, kabab, hummus. Nice place though. I liked it. Solid choice.

    (3)
  • Wendy P.

    What an amazing find. We were in Portland for 2 days and ate at Habibi twice! The staff is as wonderful as the food. And the chicken shawarma with garlic rice is to die for! We tried a bit of everything, the grape leaves stuffed with beef (delicious), the hummus and baba ganoush (on our 2nd trip we ordered one of each to bring home!)...the list goes on. We tried the Massiah Lebanese wine and it was surprisingly good. The staff was so friendly, offering us tastings, bringing extra pitas, even an order of bakalava when we were too stuffed to order dessert (it got eaten!). Probably our least favorite was the lamb shwarma - the taste was good, the lamb was just a little dry. Our 13 year old twin boys loved it so much they first time, they asked to go again. Oh, and the prices are fantastic. We ate at the Pine Street location and the boys liked that they could run around the corner and check the lines at Voodoo! Can't say enough wonderful things about Habibi. My biggest regret is that we live 3 hours away!

    (5)
  • Hannah J.

    Extremely affordable city dining with excellency, high quality meals. Fun little decor, different than most Lebanese restaurants but charming in it's own way!

    (5)
  • Sally G.

    If your mother is alive, she is either the worst cook ever or is shamed entirely by your representation of her "Lamb Casserole," and if she has passed on, she is most certainly rolling in her grave! A casserole is not what I was served. I was served a puddle of sauce, doctored with spices, with scraps of the charred, inedible bits from lamb shish kebob you obviously served to someone else. This was the 2nd MOST DISGUSTING "meal" ever put before me in a restaurant, and actually a very close tie with the horrendous dish served me at Antique Cafe, which has closed. Are you all drunk before you eat, or do Portlanders have no taste buds??? This APPALLINGLY BAD restaurant wouldn't survive a night in NYC. The food is ASTONISHINGLY BAD!!! SHAME ON YOU HABIBI FOR SERVING SLOP-SLOP! YOU SHOULD BE IMPRISONED FOR YOUR CRIME AGAINST FOOD!

    (1)
  • David H.

    For 30 years, I searched in vain for middle eastern food like my friend's Turkish wife, Aila, used to make. I was starting to think I would never rediscover the wonderful taste of Aila's baba ganoush and hummus. And then I found Habibi, and the 3 decades of searching proved worth the effort! The baba ganoush is smokey and wonderful - fresh made and just the right texture. The hummus is flavorful, too. Those are just the sides - Their main dishes are great. Probably their most popular dish is a mezza meat platter that features lamb, chicken, baba ganoush, hummus, and tahini. Really good. Just thinking about it is making me hungry. If you like middle eastern food, give it a try. I highly recommend it.

    (4)
  • Jesse S.

    Stopped in for lunch today on a whim because the decor looked really nice from outside.. Best idea ever! They have happy hour prices all day long, and the food was absolutely incredible! Accommodating waitstaff, and who we assume the owner is went out of his way to be kind to us. Can't recommend this place enough! We will be back!

    (5)
  • Christine H.

    This is the first time I had been to Habibi after wanting to try it for a while. I probably wouldn't go back unless someone else suggested it and was paying, and in that case I would still probably persuade them to go elsewhere first. I ordered the lamb schwarma sandwich combo. The lamb is billed as "tender." It is not. It was so tough---they very few small pieces of it that there were. I could definitely tell the meat had been sitting under a heat lamp all day. The sandwich was also more than 3/4 iceberg lettuce. The combo comes with a "side salad," and hummus and pita. The "side salad," consisted of a few pieces of ice berg lettuce and one piece of cucumber. The "salad," was drowned in some type of drippy tahini type dressing. The piece of pita for the hummus came a few minutes after the "salad," and the hummus were brought to the table. I started writing my yelp review on the back of a Safeway receipt I had in my purse, while I was still eating my meal. This is when I usually know I'm not having a good dining experience. I was going to include in the review that the only good part of the experience was the glass of Lebanese white wine I ordered. However, as I took the last long sip of white before I left; I got a mouthful of some type of gritty wine sludge. Going by my experience at Habibi, I'd say it's very Americanized, fast food quality food. The sandwich was also served in a plastic basket lined with paper, much in the style of french fries served at a dive bar. Don't get me wrong, I love me some dive bars, but I don't want to get dive bar service is an atmosphere that is clearly not dive barish by design. If you want good Lebanese food in Portland, check out Ya Hala on Stark in SE Portland.

    (2)
  • Caitlin H.

    I really like this place. I always have a great experience and I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the staff and management to have genuine interactions with their customers. I usually get either the lamb shwarma plate or sandwich and always go for the hummus because it is so good with the fresh pita! Prices aren't bad for the area and having an indoor eating space (as opposed to the food carts) is definitely a plus when its raining!

    (4)
  • Heidi H.

    The food was okay, but nothing to write home about. The pita I got with the hummus was a little on the crunchy side. There wasn't quite enough sauce on my falafel sandwich, so it was a smidge dry, and the menu said if you got soup, you had the option of lentil or spinach and lentil. I ordered the spinach and lentil, and the waited told me I could only have the lentil soup. Perhaps I made a mistake of sitting at an outside table on a beautiful day, but the service was terribly slow. I was only on an hour-long lunch break and I got back to the office 15 minutes late (it's only a few blocks away). It took him 5 minutes to bring out a menu. Another 10 minutes to come out and take more order, and another 20 minutes to get my food. I'm not sure what took so long to make a falafel sandwich and to ladle up some soup. When I asked for the check I still hadn't received it after 5 minutes, so I asked another lady who walked past me. Another 5 minutes later and the guy finally came out with check. You would think they'd want to turn over their tables quickly, but apparently they were in no rush here...

    (2)
  • Zoe Z.

    I seriously cant wait to go back *mouth waters* .. While walking the streets my husband and I looked in the window of this place and it was packed with young hipsters. My motto is, "The Hipsters usually know where the good food is at..." Plus the all day happy hour special sounded cool. So we ate dinner there. We had the baby $1.50 pizzas. WAY good deal for the price. I had the Shwarma Sand which with a side of hummus, freaking delicious and my husband got some kind of Kabob thing, it was good too.

    (5)
  • Alice S.

    Worth the 9.5 hour drive from the SF Bay Area! The falafel were crispy on the outside and moist and steamy on the inside and the shawarma was seasoned just right. Add to that the delicious tea and almond panna cotta and the whole meal was genius! Thank you!

    (4)
  • Roberta T.

    We made a reservation for 6 people thinking to enjoy good Lebanese dinner and we were very disappointed. We were not impressed with ingredient selection. Chicken shawarma looked bland and was extremely salty. The vegetable meza had couple zucchini peaces which appeared very cheap. The environment was ok, but not the greatest and coziest. We had Lebanese before and expected the same good food, but this is definitely not the greatest place if you want to experience authentic cuisine.

    (1)
  • Brandi M.

    We love Habibi. Excellent Lebanese food and wonderful service. After eating here dozens of times, I can say it is always consistently good.

    (4)
  • Brooke S.

    We have always wanted to stop here partly due to it's advertised LONG happy hour. It is not worth it though...You have to order a few things to make it a meal. The lamb really is just meat and it was dry/over cooked. The chef spent too much time chatting with the servers who barely cared to acknowledge us except when they had to bring food or clear plates. They never asked us how things were and really just cared about conversing with the chef.

    (1)
  • Flavia A.

    This place is always very friendly and the food is consistently good. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because of the prices. I think it's about $10 for a vegetarian mezza platter. Don't get me wrong - it's a delicious mezza platter, but ummm, $10 for hummus, tzaziki and falafel? It probably cost about $1 to make. The mark-up is just a little extreme IMHO. However, their falafel has gotten better over the years. YUM! The eggplant platter is amazing.... and their lamb kebob? Delish. I can't get enough of the rice that it comes with. And, as others here have said, the service is friendly and the owner always makes a point of saying hello and remembering us. It always feels good to come here.

    (4)
  • Rico M.

    One of the best lebanees restaurants I've ever been to. Their food is excellent and the staff is super friendly. I had the meat mezza platter, everything tasted like it was made in heaven. And I had the Almasa Lebanese beer, you gotta try it to believe it, one of the best bears I've ever had. Overall 5 star experience, definitely coming again when in Portland. Probably not exaggerating if I said its the best restaurant in Oregon.

    (5)
  • Emma W.

    A pleasant surprise on Morrison St. Service was friendly, the atmosphere was inviting and exotic and the food was delicious. Try the Lebney. It's great!

    (5)
  • Jen M.

    Home run. I have been complaining that, since I left California, I haven't been able to find good Lebanese/Syrian food. Well, here it is at Habibi. Strong family influence and inspiration is felt in the menu with nods to his parents, sister and sister in law. Nice thoughtful touches like cucumber in the ice water and fresh mint in the iced tea. Hummus is perfect...tabbouleh is flavorful, and the chicken skewer and chicken schwarma were juicy and flavorful. Falafel was top notch. Service was great. The food comes to the table as it is prepared in the kitchen so don't expect the food to arrive at the same time. Great experience.

    (5)
  • Jennifer C.

    Excellent service! I only had the lentil spinach soup. The soup was very flavorful with the perfect blend of spices. It was cheaper than Whole Foods soup from the deli under $6 for a bowl. It came with warm pita bread which was fresh and perfect for dipping in my soup. I will come again next time I am in Portland. Can't wait to try some of the other food.

    (4)
  • Chelsea E.

    Every once in a while i absolutely crave hummus. Habibi makes the best , and smearing it on a piece of spiced beef or pita bread with baba ganoush ~~~yuuuum!~~ It also has a very nice atmosphere for dining with friends or family, not to loud, and beautiful bar area.

    (5)
  • Allison B.

    The service was wonderful, friendly but not overbearing. The drink selection was nice. The food was ridiculously good. I love that their Happy Hour is All Day, Every Day!!! I was able to order 3 small plates for under $10 and left delightfully full. Will definitely be going back, often!

    (5)
  • Grant S.

    Charming and delicious if only slightly slow. Paprika infused falafel the size of your head in tahini ambrosia for one dollar. Put it in your face. Pizza was a bit complicated for my eyes, but the baba and hummus made me smile and relax after my flight.

    (4)
  • Sean W.

    Very nice lamb dishes (we ordered 3 different ones)! Juicy and well controlled. Interestingly good rose water too!

    (5)
  • Marcus L.

    Mazen the owner is always a gracious host. This has been my favorite for Lebanese in the SW of Portland. The eggplant casserole is a must have and treat yourself to some of the best hummus in town.

    (5)
  • Jason F.

    This is my favorite place in town. I haven't gotten anything that wasn't good. The service is usually very quick, too.

    (5)
  • Annie T.

    The food was fantastic for the price! The drinks... meh. but the food! om nom nom nom nom!!!! Super cheap, they have all day happy hour, and again... om nom nom nom!

    (4)
  • RooLyfe G.

    I have been going to Habibi Restaurant for years. The owner is a very nice and give a heartfelt warming. I have taken business clients, family and friends to the restrurante. Food is fresh, seasoned well food. I would highly reccommend this place to anyone looking for good food at reasonable prices.

    (5)
  • Julie K.

    Habibi has been one of my go-to places for Middle Eastern food for years. I live in Eugene, 110 sad miles south of Portland, and there is a distinct paucity of good Middle Eastern food here. Habibi is therefore my Middle Eastern craving Mecca. I am not fond of meat, so I stick to the vegetarian mezza. It is so wonderful with such diverse dishes, why bother branching out? So my review would therefore be limited to this menu item. It includes baba ganoush, hummus, a little "pizza," a mushroom pocket thing, falafel, tabouleh, and yogurt. Every one of those items is just absolutely delicious, and I am always pleasantly full from them. The owner remember us when we come in (I have some friends who also frequent the place often), and remembers the dish I like. He also gave me a CD of music he was playing there once. By way of utility in assessing the value of my review, please be aware I do not have a vast frame of reference for Middle Eastern cuisine - I have not been to the Middle East, nor do I have any people from there in my family. I've eaten in several middle eastern places in the Portland area, and two in Eugene, and Habibi holds its own against other Portland area places, and kicks the Eugene options butts. I also believe star ratings should be tailored to location; so do not read my 5 star rating as saying any place is the same as a 4 or 5 star rated place in New York, San Francisco, or other such places. This rating is compared to what else is available that I have tried in the local area. I have a young child, as do my friends who go to Habibi with me, and they accommodate our children nicely, and there are several options on the menu that appeal to our kids. The owner is also very nice to the children. I also am not a professional restaurant reviewer or trained chef. I just know what I like, and I definitely like Habibi.

    (4)
  • Tamara C.

    I love this place. The food is great, the hospitality is genuine, and the atmosphere is relaxing and homey. The owner welcomes everyone that comes through his doors. There is something flavorful and inspired on the menu for everyone, vegans, vegetarians, and especially you carnivores. Seems I always go for the lebni sandwich wrap (no onions please) and the vegetarian mezza platter is plentiful and oh so tasty. The Lebanese pizza is great, the baklava is mouth watering...what don't I love? I always have to remind myself not to stuff myself on the hummus plate and save room for the main course. The hummus is so good that I sometime go just for the hummus platter. You just can't go wrong here. I have been going here for years and it has been consistently terrific food and great service.

    (5)
  • Georgie K.

    On the upside the food is delicious! The Atmosphere is relaxing and pleasant. They have a full bar and great location. On the down side the portions are small and spendy. The service was okay, not super attentive. I think service should match the prices. Something to work on. The one compliant about the food is that the Mjadra lacked any distinct flavor. I love Mjadra, but would not order it here again, but would definitely go back for Tabbouleh, Falafel, hummus, and home made pita bread.

    (3)
  • Brandon B.

    Tell me again... what's the Law of Diminishing Returns? Because I think Habibi has adopted it as their business motto. A once superb lunch place has incrementally tumbled down the hill of mediocrity into the One Star abyss. Service is glacial and unfriendly. Prices have increased while quality has decreased. Today, my very simple order was so wrong I had to send it back. There was no attempt to make it right, offer a discount, or even say a simple "Sorry about that." The waitress dropped it on the table and went back to chatting with her coworker about how much they hate the new menu design. That much I agree with.

    (1)
  • Liliya Y.

    Great atmosphere! Our waiter was hilarious and made sure we were completely satisfied with everything (including replacing any of the dishes we told him were "alright"). Good laughs, good food.

    (4)
  • Vanessa K.

    Definitely so so. Seriously what's with all the 3+ stars? Have you ever had real middle eastern food? So I though the "fresh" pita bread was good, until it cooled down, and my jaw started to hurt. We ordered the baba ganoush, and it was too blended. I'm not a fan of eggplant, but when it comes to baba I would like some chunks of it, and oh yes flavor. That was lacking too. As to the lamb sandwich, probably the worse. Now I can't compare to the gyros I've had in NYC, because that is NY afterall, but compared to the one I had in Sacramento, WOW. Sacramento's Opa Opa was better. I definitely would not be combing back. The lamb was chewy, and seriously my jaw was tired when I was done because of the pita and lamb. Also not enough tzasiki (sp) sauce. So also dry.

    (2)
  • Miranda N.

    Yum! The decor is "eclectic" but with food like that it doesn't matter what's on the walls. Great service too! Family owned :)

    (4)
  • Leslie E.

    My friend and i came in on a limited budget and certainly weren't expecting to feel full when we left. We asked for somewhere cold to sit (it was a hot day) so we were taken into the dimly lit but cozy room near the back. We shared the Vegetarian Mezza Platter (although they were out of Tabbouli salad so we substituted a Cabbage Roll instead...not vegetarian, i know, but we didn't care) and a raspberry lemonade. Our servers were very nice, bringing us plenty of refills on our water with cucumber slices in it. The raspberry lemonade wasn't great, it almost tasted like crystal light which was pretty disappointing. But that is okay, because when the food came my taste buds were blown away. EVERYTHING on the mezza platter was good. Some of it was AWESOME. Most notably, the Cabbage Roll (which normally comes on the meat mezza platter) was phenomenal and i can safely say it is THE BEST cabbage roll i have ever had in my entire life. Theirs contains a beef filling, delectably spiced and quite flavorful, with a good balance of rice in it, not too much like some cabbage rolls i have had. It felt like it melted in my mouth. It was so good we ordered a second one from the happy hour menu (which i think cost about $3). The Baba Ghanouj was really, really tasty, as was the Tatziki and the Hummus. The hummus was some of the smoothest i have ever had, really good and the right balance of garlicyness. Also the little spinach pie thing was amazing, so good i wish it had been a little bigger. We left under $20 ($9 for the mezza, $3cabbage roll, shared drink and tip), both full, taste buds agog at the awesomeness that had just passed over them, and happy. I will definitely be returning! In some ways i think Karam's food is generally better, but they are more expensive and have a less casual feel. So even though they are in fairly close proximity i will be going back to both for different types of occasions.

    (4)
  • M L.

    A-MAZ-ing! Entered tired & Hungry. Left Happy & Full! Went w my daughters after they selected it online. Never tasted many of the dishes. Loved People. FOOD. Atmosphere. Vibe. Worth the 600 mile drive. Want to return! Memorable! Worthy!

    (5)
  • Aaron L.

    I have kind of a mixed review about this place. Went there today with my sister and my niece for lunch. She thought she had a Groupon for it, but it was actually for the location on Pine St. No big deal, said the owner/manager, he'd take it. Awesome! We were totally ready to pay the "stupid tax" and just pay full price, but he wouldn't hear of it. He even helped my sis get her phone on their wi-fi cause her reception was spotty. As for the food, it was really tasty. However, I had a problem with some of their portion / price ratio. I ordered the chicken shawarma plate which at over $10 seemed very expensive for the amount of food I got. However, I saw other plates go out (like the mezza platter) which was about the same price, but a much more impressive looking plate of food. My sis ordered off the happy hour menu (all day) for her and my niece. That seemed like a very good deal. To finish off, we ordered rice pudding to share, which was delicious, although I'd like a smaller option for a smaller price. It was a big dish of rice pudding for $5.75 which seemed like a lot. Overall, it was a good experience and I'd go back for both the accommodating service and 'cause I want to try that Mezza Platter!

    (3)
  • John S.

    Very good! Similar to what my grandma would cook, but not quite as good. Lol. They had plenty of favorites and a few new ones to me. I asked about why there was no Kibah on the menu and he said, "We only have the vegetarian version right now. The meat will be coming soon." Once they add this family favorite of mine I will re-review for the last star. Great Iced Tea.... comes with fresh mint. Yum!

    (4)
  • John P.

    Not cheap and service was slow. The food was just ok for me. Restrooms were in bad shape. Not sure if I will return

    (3)
  • Shirley C.

    I love this place! I have been coming to Habibi since they opened up because the food is wonderful and the owner is so friendly. My friends and I decided to go there this week. We were able to get a table outside so we could enjoy the beautiful weather. Since I have been so many times before, I ordered for all of us. We had the meat mezza, chicken shawarma and fried eggplant. I am not a fan of the grape leaves on the mezza so I always have them changed to either a spinach pie or a zatar. Mazan (the owner) is always willing to accommodate. The Mediterranean flavors are fresh and exciting and the pita is always fresh and warm straight from the oven. If you love Nicholas' on Grand Ave, you will love Habibi, the family is related and many of the recipes are the same. The nice thing about Habibi is that they accept credit cards and they have a full bar, Nicholas' does not..

    (5)
  • Jen S.

    I was not that impressed with the food here because there are so many amazing options for Lebanese food in Portland. I thought it was expensive and have had much better (Nicolas, Ya Hala).

    (3)
  • Zachary S.

    Just what we needed. Starlight Parade mucking things up on our first day in portland (what is this parade anyway? oh, just a bunch of people yelling, i guess, although the marching band was pretty killer, I have to admit) so we wanted to stay close to the hotel. After almost getting run over by a cop on a DUNE BUGGY, we found Habibi. We got the taster platter, and some of the best hummus ever. I got a beer (don't know what kind, but it was good) and J got the Cranberry Tea with fresh mint. But more remarkable was how the owner greeted the people he knew...With hugs and cheek kisses, which made for a great atmosphere, as we felt again like we were in somebody's home.

    (4)
  • Amy P.

    This food was absolutely amazing. We had a large group of people, called and asked to move our reservations up and they were incredibly kind and accommodating. Something for everyone on the menu, from vegans to carnivores! The lamb kabobs were amazing. I cannot wait to go back to taste another lamb dish. The bottles of booze on the shelf looked sketchy so I went with my gut instinct and got a beer in a bottle. Good choice! Amazing food, great prices and a clean bathroom..way important!

    (4)
  • Lilly R.

    I found this restaurant on Yelp, as I often do, and I couldn't believe how accurate all of the reviews were. As soon as I walked in, we were greeted by the friendly owner and offered drinks and appetizers. Unfortunately, I showed up late to the restaurant to meet my friend, (pretty typical), but he had been entertained the whole time by the owner. I miss this aspect of businesses nowadays... It's hard to find a friendly host who goes so out of his way to make you feel comfortable and engage you. The food: well, it was fantastic. We had 5 people ordering, so he suggested we try what was essentially a huge appetizer plate. When we tried ordering any extra sides, he discouraged us, promising that this was going to be MORE than enough food. And he wasn't wrong. We tried about 6 or 7 different dishes, and my mouth was in heaven. He even brought me a small side of tabouleh salad (which I had initally requested, and been shot down) on the house. I love Mediterranean food, and this did not disappoint. It tasted fresh and authentic. After our meal, the owner brought us out a complimentary dessert to split (some almond pudding dish), and it was a fantastic way to wrap up the meal... light and airy, and just the right amount of sweet. All in all, we were at the restaurant for a good two and a half hours. The environment was really laid back and homey, and we lost ourselves in food and conversation. I would recommend this place to anyone, and I'll definitely be back soon...

    (4)
  • Shane M.

    mmmmmmmmmmm, we loved this place. We got the Grand Mezza plate and could not have been happier. The service was great, they had open tables, the food was not oily, the tabuleh was full of parsley not bulghur...yay, we wanna go back

    (5)
  • Elizabeth E.

    Habibi means "sweetheart" (or my beloved) and boy am I smitten with my new sweetie, Habibi. All my friends can tell I have a true crush on Habibi because of the way I excitedly tell everyone I know about Habibi. I've introduced many of my close friends, and this weekend, I even introduced my mother! The service is practically incomparable - my first visit went something like this: I told our server (the owner) that we'd never been, he sat down at our table and explained the menu, highlighting his favorites, the he brought us some goodies "on the house" and checked in with us frequently to ensure our enjoyment of our order. Now, when I go, I am warmly recognized and welcomed back. The food is phenomenal, and the hummus (as was promised) is really the best in the city. Vegans, vegetarians, and meat-lovers alike will have many tasty options to choose from. No matter what I order, I always seem to have enough left over for another full meal. The price to portion ratio is unbelievably good. So with this review I include this fair warning to all potential diners: if you go, you may fall madly in love with Habibi, but you'll never have to worry since your new sweetheart will never disappoint you! Favorite picks: Habibi lemonade, chicken kabob, tatziki appetizer, and the Mezza Meat platter.

    (5)
  • Maggie and Chad T.

    This place gets 3 stars (barely) mostly because I asked a direct question and was lied to. I can't have dairy - not a personal choice its an allergy . I asked for a recommendation from the waiter when it arrived it had what looked to be a yogurt sauce so I asked and was told it was Tahini. Now I will never claim to be all knowing (unless you ask my husband) I was skeptical but said OK why would they lie. I spent the rest of the day bright red, blotchy, and itchy! NOT COMFORTABLE! The dish was fantastic - and if I had no allergies I probably would go back but I can't chance it. Besides the loud music & close quarters the place was pretty nice & the food was good - until I was lied to I would have gone back.

    (3)
  • Jean S.

    Definitely try Habibi. To briefly recant some of the other reviews: mezza platter, great. Service, warm and expeditious. Owner, very welcoming and gregarious. The kind of place where you feel like you're in a friend's home rather than a public restaurant.

    (4)
  • Mike K.

    If you're going to visit Powell's book store, this place is just a few blocks to the south. We ran into it by accident (after the Indian place down the block was closed after 2pm). We were all really happy with this find. We ordered the vegetarian Mezza platter, Kafta (beef) sandwich combo (with humus and pita). The food was beautifully prepared and tasted really great. The restaurant is nicely decorated with hukkahs and a larged mirrored wall downstairs. I will definitely return when I come back to Portland.

    (5)
  • Chris E.

    An all around great experience. The only exception was that the service was a little slow, but it was the busy lunch hour, so that's really a minor issue. The menu is great. The food was excellent! Prices were affordable. The people were friendly. The atmosphere is fun, with interesting decor, lighting, etc. Convenient downtown location. We've only been there one time for lunch, but we'd definitely go back. Yum!

    (4)
  • Kiran C.

    I stumbled on this place on accident recently on a visit to Portland - Thanks to those great stickers "people on Yelp love us". This place is great. It gets busy right around dinner time for about an hour. The food was fabulous and I love the brass dishes in the shape of a large leaf that the food is presented on. I highly recommend the meat sampler or veggie sampler platters. Their is a ton of food for incredibly low prices. They had some interesting looking drinks that I was tempted by but decided not to go for. The leg of lamb also looks pretty impressive despite its lack of veggies. If I get a chance I will definitely be going back. I was worried when I saw pizza's on the menu but they looked pretty good too - not greasy and a reasonable size for a personal pizza. I would give them a try next time if I was in the mood. They have an upstairs which I didn't get to see but it would have been nice to be farther from the door (draft when it opened since it was so cold outside). Overall, my favorite part of the dinner was the home made pita bread and the falafel. Both were exceptional. Go check it out and tip well at this great establishment with good food and low prices. Don't expect the service to be fast and just sit back and enjoy yourself.

    (4)
  • Rick K.

    I haven't written a review in at least a year, but after this meal I just had to. I had the chicken shawarma plate. That's the best shawarma I can remember having. And the restaurant looks nice, and the waitstaff is friendly. Check it out!

    (5)
  • Z Z.

    We really liked our dinner at Habibi! The food was great, the service was great, and it was quite warm and inviting inside. I will go back there in a heartbeat! I got the vegan mezza which normally has falafel, hummus, tabouli, tahini, garbanzo beans & majadra. I am always nervous asking for substitution (even though I do it all the time) and our waiter was so nice about it! He told me that I could substitute anything I wanted, he even repeated it twice! So, I took out the tahini and added in feta. Guess it wasn't vegan anymore, right? Anyway, everything was great! The falafel was good, crispy on the outside and soft/fresh on the inside. It had a nice flavor to it, I really liked it. The hummus was good but I think it just needed a bit of time for the flavors to come together. It was much more flavorful today when I ate the leftovers. The feta was delicious and they gave me quite a bit of it, which is always nice! The tabouli was incredibly fresh, I just wish it had a bit of lemon in it. I should have asked for some but I was too busy stuffing my face to take a moment to do so. My favorite part of the meal was the majadra which is brown rice and lentils with onions. It was so good, especially the onions that it came with. I loved it. Paul really liked it too, he ate quite a bit of it. Oh, and he liked the tabouli a lot as well....guess he doesn't mind that there wasn't a lot of lemon on it. Oh, and I really loved the freshly baked pita that came out right after they took it out of the oven. It was so fantastic, I was in love! They give you a small plate of hummus too. Umm, how great is that? Free hummus and freshly baked pita bread served right out of the oven? Super cool. Paul got the fatayr which seemed like a beef pizza to me when the set it down. It was too funny, when they put it on our table we both just looked at and said...wow, it is a beef pizza. Paul liked it though, I guess it had quite a lot of spices in it. I am not sure if he will order it again, he didn't eat the leftovers that he took home. As we were leaving though, he mentioned that he really enjoyed the food and would totally go back there. I agree! And serious bonus points for how friendly the folks that work there are! They were awesome! The food is four stars but the service is easily five stars so I am rounding up. Plus, the bread...........ohhhh, the bread...........so fantastic!

    (5)
  • Reba M.

    Yummy yummy. Went here for lunch with my sister yesterday. Waiter was super friendly and gave us free hummus since it was our first time there :) we had strawberry lemonades that the waitress refilled regularly. Love it when I don't have to keep asking myself for a refill on my drinks. I ordered the lamb shank and my sister a chicken and rice dish. We were nice and stuffed. Everything was a lil pricier than I expected but well worth it!

    (4)
  • Lenny V.

    I was looking for a popular place to eat during my short stay in Portland, something close to the hotel. So I pulled out my nifty iPhone, and yelped, this place came up.... I decided why not give Lebanese food in Portland a shot. The owner was very nice and friendly being very accommodating as soon as I walked in... the restaurant itself looks very cute, almost like an "al fresco" house where you are eating as a guest and the family is cooking for you. I ordered the Hummus appetizer which came with fresh bread and let me tell you that Hummus is some of the best I have ever sampled... I make hummus myself but this one can even rival mine ! Then came the chicken shawarma wrap that I ordered, deliciously flavored, moist, and I had some home made spicy sauce on the side that I kept putting on the chicken..... this sauce is like crack ! the owner said its home made.... I swear two stars go to the spicy sauce alone ... its tangy and spicy but a great balance of the two and just adds a burst of flavor to anything you put it on ... highly recommended !!

    (4)
  • Emily C.

    I've been going here for almost three years. That alone should tell you that I love this place. The owner is a personable guy who always recognizes my partner and I whenever we stop by. And, I've never had any problem with the servers. Their food is fantastic, I would choose Habibi over any other Lebanese style restaurant. If you're going for the first time, go with a mezza platter! I usually get the vegetarian style platter; before Habibi I hated dolmas (the grape leaves and rice) and tabbouleh, now I can honestly say I'm a fan. The spinach pies are to die for, and I find myself craving their hummus. Forever a patron.

    (5)
  • Vivek K.

    The food was good, but definitely doesn't deserve the rave reviews that led me there. This is the kind of place I'd describe as a "meat-on-a-stick" establishment for Lebanese food: you can get the basics (kebab, mezza, etc.) but none of the fancier dishes of the regional cuisine (don't come here looking for Fatteh). I found the atmosphere very casual. To its credit, the service was very warm and friendly, but for the money, I would walk a few blocks to Karam if you're looking for great Lebanese in a nicer setting.

    (3)
  • Jason H.

    Habibi is a breath of fresh air. The service is incredible and the variety in menu selections is as well. I had the Lamb Shawarma plate and it was exceptional. I went with my family and everyone loved their respective dishes. Absolutely great meal experience!

    (5)
  • wayne s.

    My first venture into lebanese cuisine, and it was a good one! This bustling lunch downtown spot was a very comfortable place to lunch in, they have interesting centerpieces on the tables: a goddess figure with her eyes popping out! (don't know if it was an empty flower vase or what, but maybe ushered good spices into the food???) I had the fatayr(sp?) a beef dish on crispy bread, very good, but had to eat somewhat fast or it gets soggy. My friend had the hummus sandwich which she reported as very good, and lastly my friend really enjoyed his turkish coffee.

    (4)
  • Alexis G.

    In part because of the positive Yelp reviews, I wanted to like Habibi, but the food and service were mediocre for the most part. I went with a friend for dinner (maybe that was our mistake, as it seems to be more of a lunch place) and we ordered the vegan mezza and the eggplant casserole. The tabbouleh, hummus and bread were fine, but the chickpeas were flavorless, the majadra (rice/lentil mixture) was crusty and bland, and the falafel, though flavorful, was dry. The eggplant was oversalted, but otherwise decent. The service was slow, and alternated between lackluster and overly familiar and jolly. I definitely would not take the risk of returning when there are better options nearby.

    (2)
  • Jeffrey C.

    I love this place! I read about this on Yelp before my recent trip to Portland, and being a big fan of Lebanese food, I had to go. You know how you build something up in your mind and it's never as good, well, this was. The service was terrific, you got the feeling they really were happy you were there. The food was so terrific, probably the best falafel I have ever had, and I've been to the Middle East a lot. I'll eat here again, fo shizzle!

    (5)
  • Beth F.

    I was cold. Tired. Hungry. ...and I was on a budget. I was flipping through the in-hotel magazine looking for a cheap-y place to eat, preferably not pasta since that was all I had eaten since I had been in Portland (the cold and rainy weather does that to you). Everything was too expensive for my budget, until I came across Habibi. Looks like good prices. Close to my hotel. (walking distance) Mediterranean cuisine! ...and off I went. A few blocks up and walking in the door I was immediately warmed. The decor is Mediterranean inspired without being over the top. It looks like it was an old house redone, there was one floor with tables and then you walked up some stairs where you found a bit more of an intimate atmosphere. Since I was alone, I figured downstairs was fine, didn't really need to be intimate with my book. As I looked down the menu there were many choices, but what struck me and odd was the presence of pasta - it was like a half-Italian, half Lebanese menu. Damn you pasta! I can't get away from you in this town, can I? I ordered the Lamb Schwarma sandwich (gyro) which came with hummus and a small Greek-style salad. The pita was out of this world - warm, soft and fresh. The hummus was very good too, they gave you just enough to lap it up with the large pita bread. The salad had a good dressing, creamy without over-doing it. And the sandwich was fabulous too - perfectly cooked and seasoned lamb that wasn't drowning in the tzatiki sauce. My total bill was around 11 dollars, (plus a few extra 'cause I just had to get an order of baklava to go) The gentleman who served me was pleasant and attentive, even when I asked for a glass of water with no ice for my drink it arrived with a slice of cucumber in it. One thing that flipped me out was the MAX transit speeding by right outside the window -- kind of gave me a deja vu "Ghost" moment (odd movie reference but that is what popped into my mind) But it's all part of the charm. I was full. Happy. It was very good. ...and I went back to my hotel to finish my book with my baklava and a container of milk. (ah the life of an actress -- so exciting, no?)

    (5)
  • Carolyn N.

    We went 1 week later to Hoda's, ordered approximately the same meals and our bill was, $111. Something WAS fishy with our Habibi bill. What made us so made was the inflexibility of the owner to even recalculate it. By the way the food and SERVICE at Hoda's was outstanding.

    (1)
  • Azurell P.

    There's no strangers to the friendly wait staff, I looked over to see the waiter dancing around with someone's toddler while being wowed by secret "lebanese spices" I'm in love with this place and will go as often as I can, I'd recomend it to everyone!

    (5)
  • Danielle P.

    We discovered this place by chance, becuase it was around the corner from our hotel. It's pretty unassuming, and if you go early be prepared to eat alone, but this was some of the best Lebanese food we've ever had. I feel like that's saying something because, as vegetarian travellers, we have to order "The Mezze Platter" A LOT. My favorite is the grape leaves - YUM! I was craving them the next day.

    (4)
  • Megan M.

    This place was AWESOME! Happened to walk by, decided to try it, and my first Lebanese experience was so great. The staff was SO friendly, offered help on choosing great items on their menu. We loved everything we tried and left full and content with a great experience. Thank you so much Habibi! I will return soon!

    (5)
  • Laura P.

    Not much more to add at over 100 reviews for this awesome place. Only can say that gilding the lily is adding fresh whipped cream to their stellar rice pudding. Heaven in a dish.

    (4)
  • Andy B.

    Used to like it but won't go back. Cold appetizer cabbage rolls. Forgot my entree. Brought one entree out 10 minutes before other and before appetizer. Food not hot.

    (2)
  • Paul S.

    Best grape leaves I've ever tasted, very good house red wine, fantastic lamb - artichoke casserole - what can I say? It was a real pleasure with very memorable food.

    (5)
  • Aaron E.

    I'm in town for a meeting and between the Yelp reviews and the packed locals, this place was an easy sell. Friendly owner and great food. What more is there to say.

    (4)
  • Megan C.

    Delicious!

    (4)
  • Liem L.

    we sampled off of their all day happy hour menu and had a feast!

    (4)
  • Sarah B.

    Ewww!!! I saw the cook pick up food from the floor and put in the reach in! I told the clerk and he said the owner doesn't allow them to waste food! OMG!

    (1)
  • Lyric A.

    I don't know if the place has gone downhill, or the previous reviewers are just accustomed to bad food. My partner and I decided to try Habibi after reading the rave reviews here on Yelp. Upon entering the tiny hole in the wall, we were greeted halfheartedly by what appeared to be a fourteen year old girl who pointed to a couple of seats by the window. We took our seats and she handed us some dirty menus and walked off to chit chat with what appeared to be Mom and big sister behind the counter. We scanned the menus and decided on the lamb kebabs, lamb mezze and majadra. Underneath ALL of their dinner dishes it states: SUBSTITUTE SALAD FOR TABULI FOR $1.50. While placing our order the fourteen year old girl said, "The lamb mezze doesn't come with a salad or tabuli. If you want tabuli, it will be $3.00." We still had the menus in our hands, so we looked and it CLEARLY says right next to it on the menu: SUBSTITUTE SALAD FOR TABULI. We went back and forth with her a little and she wouldn't budge at all on this, so we said that we would just pay the $3.00 charge. After she left our table, we had to flag her down again and ask for water. The customers at the table next to us ordered water for themselves as well. A few moments later, the waitress delivered our water and kept our glasses full the duration of the meal; the table beside us NEVER got their water even after asking three more times! Our food was brought to us at a very rapid pace. It was almost like they were trying to rush us through our courses. The tabuli came first... it was tabuli, nothing special. Swiftly followed by the majadra and flat bread. The majadra was horrible, to say the least. It was dry to the point of being crunchy. Anyone who has ever had good majadra would know that it should not be crunchy, but should be more on the creamy side. The bread was nothing special either. The main courses arrived about two minutes after the majadra and bread. They are served on these giant gold leaf platters that are made out of some sort of metal (I believe it may have been copper). The platters are appealing to the eye, but it made the VERY DRY food taste like the metal that it rested on. The lamb kebabs and lamb mezza were overcooked. The lamb mezza tasted like it wasn't lamb at all, but ground beef instead. The Lamb kebabs were dry and rubbery and very hard to chew. The dry meat was served on a bed of dry rice that had no flavor other than the metallic taste of the metal platters. We quickly asked for the check and bid farewell to the poor couple beside us that were still trying to get their water. There are other Lebanese restaurants in Portland that will out perform this restaurant on food, service, drinks and ambiance (the decor is god awful and there was no music playing, so all you have to listen to is the three vacuous women gabbing behind the counter). Stay FAR AWAY from this one folks!

    (1)
  • Amanda Z.

    I bought a Groupon and was super pumped to use it because my brother is visiting in town and has never eaten Lebanese food. Sorry baby bro! I didn't realize we weren't going to be given any silverware or that they wouldn't bring you any pita bread to enjoy the mezza platter with! Also, lamb is not usually burnt like that. Our server was really nice and she had that look on her face that means "Sorry!" Next time I'm definitely sticking to Nicholas, they have way better service and food.

    (2)
  • Larry H.

    Food was delicious. Very tasty and traditional lebanonse spices. Very poor staff. One of the three table here and wasn't even properly waited on. Prices are good too

    (3)
  • James B.

    After a long wait I finally made it to habibi. What a disappointment. Like previous reviewers stated the portions were small and not that fresh. I got the meat mezzanine platter and it was like an appitizer. Three bites of chicken shwarma, a thin kafta the size of a small hotdog, one falafel, one grape leaf, and hummus with baba ganou. Sorry I can't spell but you get the picture. It all came on a copper leaf platter which gave off a metalic flavor. The baba ganou has liquid smoke in it I swear. Very strange. Shwarma was dry but tasty. I guess the hummus was the high point. Which isn't saying much. Save the trouble and go to Nicholas restaurant on NE grand. The food is better, you get twice as much, and it's five bucks less. I'm just sayin'

    (2)
  • Jeana A.

    Fantasic. Quite simply. I stopped at this place on a whim while I was actually heading over to a sushi restaurant, and I'm glad that it was so unseasonably cold that I didn't quite make it there. The food here was excellent, and I'm sure I'll be going back. We sat upstairs and thought for a moment that the servers had forgotten about us after a bit of a wait to take our orders, but our server made up for it by comping some hummus - very nice, and delicious. I had the lentil soup, which was arguably one of the best lentil soups I've ever tasted, and the lamb shwarma. All the food came to the incredibly fast, was presented very well, and there was enough of it to take home for lunch the next day (the shwarma dinner reheats quite nicely). The rose water was a little strong for my tastes, but was still pretty good. And everything was all at a pretty decent price, especially for the amount of food. Overall, food was fantastic, staff was great (I was being called by name by the end of dinner), and I would definitely go back just for the lentil soup alone. 5 solid stars.

    (5)
  • Rick F.

    Walked by Habibi, it smelled terrific, so we gave it a try. The food was terrific - satisfying, delicious, fresh. We were delighted by the meal. The vegetarian mezza platter was great, cabbage roll apps were wonderful, kabobs were tasty and well-prepared. Our server gently told us, perhaps, we'd ordered too much for two, which we thought was very nice of her, and she turned out to be right. Not that we didn't finish it all... and then roll down the street. Recommended highly!

    (5)
  • Mike K.

    I ate here once and it was much better than I expected. I had lamb shwarma and hummus; I'm not the most seasoned veteran of Mediterranean cuisine but this was the best I'd ever had. I topped the meal off with a Turkish coffee that was to die for. Superior, friendly service. Excellent all around.

    (5)
  • Sejal P.

    My friend and I purchased a groupon for this place and went to check it out. We ordered off the happy hour (baba ghanoush, lebney, rice, and chicken skewer). The food was alright, nothing to write home about, but it did come out quick! I really enjoyed the baba ghanoush but everything else was just meh. I think they were in a rush to get us out of there that night because they didn't even ask about dessert, and I love baklava. I might go back just because they don't seem to be busy.

    (3)
  • Dawn M.

    I love middle eastern food - and due to where we live (north west suburb of Chicago) - we don't get it too often. So - when the staff of Finnegan's Toy Store gave us a middle eastern restaurant as one of the options for a good place for lunch, over we headed. I was not disappointed. At the urging of the owner, I tried the Lamb and Eggplant Casserole. Not what I picture when I think of casserole, but it was great. It arrived on two dishes - a plate of lightly seasoned rice on one, and the lamb casserole on another. The casserole was a tomatoe-based sauce, chunks of eggplant and lamb shwarma all presumably baked together for a period of time. After spooning the casserole onto the rice, I proceeded to eat. Delicious! My lunch partner and co-worker tried the lamb shwarma. This came with pita bread, hummous, olives and of course lamb. It was nicely displayed, and reportedly tasted great. The gentleman who took the orders was very welcoming and answered every question we had. We assumed he was the owner as he seemed to be every where and acted the host. The decor was cute. The info at the table indicated the have belly dancing there one day a week. We spent about $25 for an enjoyable lunch, including tip for the waitress who served us. The true test: Would I go back, and would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, and yes.

    (4)
  • Annette W.

    This was my first time into this restaurant, although, I've been meaning to go sooner. My friend and I were greeted by the most normal and friendly person. He wasn't fake or overly nice, he was truly asking "How are you guys? "What's going on tonite?", smiled and waited for a reply before just plopping menus down and talking about the menu/drinks. We then asked for some opinions on what to order off the menu and Mazen, our server AND OWNER of Habibi, made a great recommendation for us to share and also helped to accommodate my friend who was unable to eat certain things. We also got free tzatziki since it was our first time in and I normally do not care for tzatziki by itself, but this was creamy and delicious, like a cheese sauce for our homemade pita. The rest of our platter was good, but the SERVICE was what made the experience. We will be back! Glad to see an owner so passionate about their restaurants =)

    (5)
  • Ninihada C.

    Went back last week and was underwhelmed. looks like they had some other staff running the place while the owner was out, dont know if that's a factor or not, but the quality of the food was definitely lower this time. Hubby had the chicken kebabs again, enjoyed it although the rice was less flavored and the chicken was a bit overcooked. I ordered the shawarma and did not enjoy it. It tasted more like a burrito (flavoring) than middle eastern. Maybe it was an off day or maybe this is a reflection of the quality, good one day, not the next. I dont know if Ill gamble again to see.

    (2)
  • T G.

    Well my friends... timing is everything. We were so looking forward to Habibi. Let me rephrase that to we were salivating over the thought of Habibi. With such stellar reviews it was a slam dunk. Love Lebanese food-check; hungry as hell-check. So what went wrong? What in the Wide World of Sports could make you, for the love of that is good slant your opinion? What indeed... "Habibi" is Lebanese for "darling"; English for "creepy" Remember the 1980s? Yeah good times... If the 80s for you were coming into work after whiffing a couple rails of coke, walking through a body mister of Drakkar Noir, downing a couple of brew-skis then ruining 2000 years of dining tradition, then the 80s are alive and well at Habibi. NOTE: Okay, you are saying, you are biased, you just had a bad experience. Well, no duh dear readers. But, I swear, it wasn't just me. Honest! Here is what my dining companions had to say: Mike's Comments: Enter Habibi establishment off of 10th and Morrison. Quite a walk for fat bloggin uglies, and lets just say the Zorn almost inspired the group to walk out due to the 120 second rule. Let me explain, we were sitting at our filth trough for 120 seconds why the waiter/weight lifter finished his cold brew and groomed his sanchito stash of Yid Flake. We each order, and wait. Everyone is given most of their food w/in minutes, but no meat - interesting considering one of the patrons ordered the meat pile plate. I ordered the Lamb Gyro.....w/ the fries. :22 minutes later I received my grip. Stale Tortilla poor excuse for Pita wrapped around Dragon Lamb. Grotesque grizzle and fat led me to trade and offload half of the "which" to my teammate for the chicken swarma glove. Second bite - realized again, this is Dragon bird and puked into my plastic wax bat. Fries came as a dessert - what is that about. The grease sponge cut was decent w/ 8 - 12 oz's of Ketchup. Bill arrives, BRUTAL - everyone is charged for their free side items and you don't argue w/ the Cashier AKA Mr. Probe meets John Basedow Basics. Pay, bail, and commit to putting this place out of business. Blogger of the year advice, don't go...........or go and order the Tortino's Goat Cheese Pizza and call me Mr. Right. NOTE: Okay, Mike can go off... that is why we dig him. Seriously, the man loves a good meal, as well as half a dozen Michael Mann references. Want another opinion from the dining crew? Well, only because youasked so nicely... Josh's Redux (The Midnight Dance Mix): Six delegates sit, menus down, eyes to the ceiling emoting boredom while quietly counting the final two minutes they've given the Habibi staff to say hello, deliver water or acknowledge their existence amongst the otherwise empty tables. Amid the clamor of Lebanese techno blare, whirring vent fans and the muted mumbling of the Spanish channel from a backroom they hold on to hope... ...but hope is... a lie. All the food was cold and rank like Safeway Signature deli choices at the bottom of your cooler 4 days into a rainy memorial day camp session. The tabouli's at the bottom too, only it's your friends crappy salsa that they always bang on about spilled into the melted ice and mixed with grass from the campsite. The cost was high and portions were meager too, thanks to the late food shipment from Shiplate Discount Krapfoods being hand carted to restaurants due to rising gas prices and because of the ethanol being grown for hippies who got scared at the propaganda movies. It's like me investing in explosives because I saw Tango and Cash. NOTE: OUCH! I know it is harsh. Try sitting next to these uglies. I am going to give Habibi another chance with my wife. Maybe that was just a strange day.

    (2)
  • S. L.

    I dropped by here for dinner while visiting from out of town based on the great reviews, but thought it was fine, nothing more. Cucumber water was lovely. The hummus was yummy and you get lots of it, but nothing to write home about. Pita was warm and delicious. I had the vegetable kabobs and was a little disappointed. Some of the vegetables were fine, but others (like the mushrooms) were mushy and a little unpleasant to eat. Not to be nitpicking here, but I really didn't like the platter they were served on - like a brassy/tinny gold platter - the feel of my fork and knife on the plate was really quite unpleasant. The service was indifferent - a guy that I assumed to be the owner was friendly and took my order, but everyone else seemed to not give a fig. Next time I'm in town I'll definitely try somewhere else.

    (3)
  • Carlo X.

    I had a craving for some lamb kabobs and followed yelp to Habibi. This is the second time yelp failed me. I had the kabobs and my wife had the meat mezze. Habibi gave us every opportunity to walk out. The single cook with backed up orders, and the server who was running the bar, the till and taking forever to take our order. The lamb lentil soup that was on the happy our menu for $3 was the only decent thing to land on our table. The kabobs were gristly and dry, by far the worst I've ever had. They laid atop greasy flavorless rice with a dollop of garlic paste on the side. The meat mezze was disgraceful. The falafel was rock hard on the outside and dry and bland on the inside, the dolmade was dehydrated like it had sat under a heat lamp, the ground lamb was also dry and pathetic. The chicken was the only decent tasting meat on the platter. The tabouleh, baba ganoush and hummus were good enough. Hard to mess those up. I don't believe in yelping places out of business so when the owner very excitedly asked how I enjoyed my meal, I laid it all out uncensored. I was being polite but I didn't like the excuses he gave. He said the tenderness of the lamb depends on the vendor and that normally it melts in your mouth. He also tried to comeback with how he sells 50 plates a day of lamb kabobs and people from miles away enjoy his place. Well that day it sucked. I hope he takes the criticism positively. He offered to reduce my bill for $3 but I told him not to bother. Just fix the problem buddy.

    (1)
  • Megan B.

    So cold inside! The food was OK, and I was contemplating 3 stars before the check took 40 minutes to come AFTER we'd asked for it, and before we realized coffee/tea/soda refills were NOT free (this is probably in small print somewhere on the menu, but we didn't see it).

    (2)
  • Anthony B.

    All the flavors left me in a euphoric state of mind that had me looking for a rave and a glow stick. I had the Meza meat plate and every bite was an adventure. And the tzatziki....oh the tzatziki...just give me a bowl of that with a spoon please.

    (5)
  • F. Explora L.

    BEST FOOD EVER. Wow, I was so impressed by everything: the service, the presentation, the food, and the atmosphere. Best babba ghanouj I've had, very smokey flavor. Everything was very fresh and wasn't overly flavored. Extremely vegetarian and vegan friendly!! Would definitely come again! I highly recommend the vegetarian sampler dish which is large enough for two. Good for casual dining or romantic date :)

    (5)
  • Rachel S.

    Freighted with six days of camping grease, my nephew's hair was actually starting to lie flat on the top of his head, but then we got to Portland and washed it and back up it sprang. So, while we waited for our lamb shawarma sandwiches, the owner (or whoever) of Habibi tried to make it lie flat again. "He's like, six, seven months?" (Pat, pat, and then his hand came away and up the hair sprang.) "Eleven months," my brother told him. "Sweet!" He put his palm down on the hair again. "Who . . . " he guessed, looking at me. "Her," my brother said, pointing at his wife. Then at me. "That one's the Auntie." The owner looked at everybody. "Sweet!" he commented, waving his hand. The hair sprang up again. "This your first time here? How'd you hear about it?" "We were just walking by, and it looked good," we told him. "Smelled good?" he asked. "Sweet!" The sandwiches were sweet, too, though (happily) not literally so. Very nice tangy sauce, little chunks of lamb browned just right, everything good enough that the owner himself seemed happy enough to eat one, hanging out by the sidewalk sign while at the table we happily munched and watched the MAX go by. It was a good introduction to Portland.

    (4)
  • Cathy G.

    Was attending a conference in Portland, and happened across this gem!! The food is excellent and reasonably priced. The service is very good and they made sure we had everything we needed. I had the vegetarian mezza plate. The falafel, grape leaves and baba ganoush were the best I have had. There pita bread is made there and very fresh. When in Portland again I will make sure to stop here!!

    (5)
  • kristin e.

    Good falafel sandwich, though the falafel was crumbling into pieces as soon as I bit into it, still one of the yummier falafel I've had in Portland. Their peach juice was a little too chunky...it was yummy, just not silky smooth...probably their blender's fault (totally not a Vitamix) but all in all, it was a good lunch.

    (4)
  • Sue N.

    Oh my God, so good. We asked for vegetarian recommendations, and got the veggie kebabs and eggplant casserole. Along with hummus and a glass of wine, we spent 37.00. 37.00! Ridonkulous. Both meals were magically delicious, and yes, we've had Middle Eastern food before and found this meal among the top. Service was fast and friendly. We'll definitely be back.

    (4)
  • Christopher Q.

    Had the lamb shank which was pretty good. The sauce was a bit on the thin side. It was served with rice. They also served Lebanese bread with a taziki and a side salad with the meal. Service was great. What a nice spot to spice up the downtown Portland food scene.

    (3)
  • Dave L.

    While nothing in Portland has ever fully satisfied my craving for a hot, salty doner kebab, overflowing with fries and served with a giant, icy Coke, Habibi's lamb shawarma has come pretty damned close. The mezza platters are great, but somehow leave me feeling like I've grazed a cocktail party rather than had a full meal. Splitting a pair of sandwich combos with a friend (lamb shawarma and lebney for maximum utility) pretty much always hits the spot. Great prices, clean restaurant, super friendly staff.

    (4)
  • Christian B.

    Had a lamb shawarma plate here for lunch today. It was really good! Have to echo what others have said about Habibi here: good food, great atmosphere and fine service.

    (4)
  • Terra G.

    Amazing! I am so glad Groupon did a deal there or else I would have never discoverd this gem! Hummus was AMAZING! The service was out of this world. You must go here!

    (5)
  • Anna C.

    I joined yelp for this. The food is that good. I got the chicken shwarma wrap which was unendingly amazing. Great service - some of the frendliest people I've ever seen. You can tell they love what they do and it translates to the quality of the food (amazing).

    (5)
  • Warren M.

    Is this a restaurant? Do we serve food here? Do we work? Ask the inefficient waitstaff and wait forever for some coffee. The Turkish Coffee for one is $2.50. The Turkish Coffee for 2 is $5.00, but they do not give you any more coffee. this is a great deal...for them! Actually the food is pretty good. The place fills up at lunch time, so arrive early and expect lackluster service. It is odd to me how whenever I went here with a certain blue eyed friend the waiters perked up and the service was better. They even comped us one time. Word to the wise fellas!

    (3)
  • David U.

    Visiting Portland from Southern California. Stumbled on this restaurant our first night and returned on our second. Great food, great service, great prices and great atmosphere. Highly recommend.

    (5)
  • Anna M.

    Hummus for the win. Nice, big plates of the tasty goods. BUT. There was a "fruit plate" on the menu, and when I mentioned it to the (very nice) server, she had no idea what I was talking about, even after I showed it to her on the menu. They couldn't make a mojito to save their life (they honestly didn't know how), but the hummus made up for it. Staff was friendly, even though the space was extremely small. We were seated upstairs though which gave us a bit more room. I'd return, for the hummus and pita.

    (3)
  • Sarah T.

    First of all, the staff is great. They're polite, cheerful, and quick to bring you anything you need. Second, the food is good. I had tarator, which iI'd never had before, but it was TASTY. My husband and I finished off a whole lot of it which the awesome pita bread. I had the lebney sandwich--it was okay, but I'll try something different next time. The lentil soup, however, was really good. My husband had these things that looked like meat pies, I can't remember what they're called, but he enjoyed them. And to top it off, the lemonade with mint was quite refreshing.

    (4)
  • Jordan C.

    Wonderful food, perfect portion sizes, nice outdoor seating. Great place, highly recommended!

    (5)
  • Alex K.

    baba ganoush was over-pureed, rice was bland, meat was oversalted, service was sub-par (not rude), price is too high for quantity and quality. Ok decor and fin music.

    (3)
  • Josh R.

    Good food, great service (cracked up about the 'touchy feely guy..." someone else mentioned. So true but he's very friendly so it isn't awkward at all). Menu had lots of choice without being too cumbersome. Nice little place, good "home" atmosphere. Will have to go back to try more of it and get a better feel!

    (3)
  • freckles a.

    The waiter was very inviting and humorous! The food was good and it's consistent. I visit this place when I visit Portland (because Seattle has poor to mediocre mediterranean/Lebanese cuisine). Nicholas's is also good too!

    (4)
  • Nick D.

    I went here my first night in Portland and this was some of the best Middle Eastern food I have ever had. Everything is fresh and hand made, the staff is incredibly friendly and sweet. The best hummus I have ever had!

    (5)
  • Lindsey S.

    Got excited over a groupon for this place and ended up very disappointed. I had the Vegetarian Mezza Platter and my husband got one of the meat platters. He said the meat was ok, and I thought the Mezza platter was so-so, good enough to finish. Husband ordered Baklava to-go and ended up with a tiny square of very dry dessert. I didn't think the portion sizes were very generous at all for the prices. Have to return to use another groupon but wont return after that. Really wanted to like this place.

    (2)
  • Eric B.

    I had visited this place for a take-out chicken shawarma, and it was well seasoned, tasty meal. This, I surmised, would portend an even better dining experience. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Many reviewers here have mentioned the friendly people - with the exception of one particular server, who pretty much threw my meat combo plate at me - it is true. On to the food: The aformentioned meat combo was fine: chicken was moist, rice was tasty, the ground meat kebab, however was dry, and the hummus had no yogurt tang to speak of and a bit too lemony.My friend had the eggplant dish, and it was tasty. The Zattar was dry and lifeless, and was not finished. Liked our server( she was the nice one), attentive and pleasant -goes a long way toward our dining experience.Also liked the touch of cucumber in our water. Overall, just not up to snuff.

    (2)
  • A. B. C.

    let it be known i have the. hardest. time. ever. trying to decide what to eat. it was especially hard for me on one particular day because i was still new to the city and not familiar with many of the restaurant options downtown. i first heard of habibi through one of my coworkers who grew up here and lives on the west side; he pointed me in the right direction! i called in my order for pick up (a half hour for lunch seems like it would be enough time but it never is), a veggie mezza platter: falafel, humus, tabouli, spinach pie, zattar pizza, baba ganouj (loooooove); veggie grape leaves (so so so yummy) and some yummy lebanese yogurt sauce stuff- i don't know what it is or what it's called but i like it! the staff is amazingly friendly, and even recognized me after my first visit (which was just a pick up!). i'm always impressed by that kind of memory- it had been at least a month. habibi never fails to hit the spot.

    (4)
  • Terri F.

    My husband and I have very eclectic tastes and enjoy many different kinds of cuisine- Lebanese being one of them. We have tried other Lebanese restaurants before (outside of Portland area) and found this one to be just average. We had high hopes due to the high rating here on Yelp. It is in a good location but the site itself is small and cramped. The food was good but very average and a little over priced in my opinion for what we got. I got the Vegetarian Mezza and my husband got the Chicken Kabob. Each dish was good but not great. The best part of dinner was the hummus which tasted very fresh and delicious. I would say try it for yourself if you are up for something different and gauge for yourself.

    (3)
  • April B.

    We took a friend here; it was recommended by another friend 6 months ago or so. It was a Tuesday night, around dinner time. Not too busy, we got a seat right away in the little area downstairs. Very cozy, tables weren't crowded. The owner? came over to take our orders and sat down at the table with us. I had the Baba ghanoush sandwich and lentil soup. The soup was very good, it also had potatoes in it. I should have ordered the baba ganoush platter instead of a sandwich; it had some veggies I'm not so fond of including cucumbers. But overall it was good--in a pita, cut on the diagonal. My husband had the falafel mezza and said it was good. The falafel was a little dry, but good. And also the side of hummus was awesome, with homemade pitas (the best!). Our friend had the hummus sandwich and apparently it was fine, too. Overall, a pretty good experience. I'd like to try more from their menu.

    (4)
  • Amanda E.

    I've been meaning to try Habibi for a while now, and while I'm delighted there are so many vegan options around here that I can accidentally forget some of them, I'm sad I didn't go here sooner! The vegan mezza was delicious. The falafel here is slightly different than the 'usual' falafel I've had around town, but it's definitely a good different. The lentil soup is fab, and I'm obsessed with mjadra...theirs did not disappoint. It's also a bit fancier of an atmosphere for Lebanese food in Portland, which is a nice option to have. I suggest you try it.

    (5)
  • Lorraine B.

    This is actually the first Lebanese restaurant that I've had the opportunity to go into. All other Lebanese food experiences were in my Aunts' and Grandmother's kitchen. I was craving something simple... a little tabouli salad and a fresh pita to go. Habibi's tabouli had a great flavor, and the pita was still warm. I'm used to it with more bulgar (not like I need the extra carbs) but it was really pleasant and fresh. The staff seemed friendly and cheerful, and the atmosphere was welcoming and energetic. I hope to get back there at least once before we hit the road again.

    (5)
  • Bob S.

    Just finished the remodel. Classic, inexpensive Lebanese food. Right on the westbound MAX line. Great Value, big portions. The beer's a bit steep but otherwise...a great place to eat before/after a show.

    (4)
  • John T.

    Very, very good Lebanese/Eastern Mediterranean food. We've been here a few times in past years, and this is the first time we've been back since the "big renovation" even though that was years ago. The tzatziki was really outstanding, and the bread was also great - no burned/dry center like many other places. The lamb kabob was excellent - very tasty, not gamy, not overcooked. The spinach pie was really great, too. We ordered way too much stuff, but that's never a bad thing - it's just good leftovers. Service was prompt and cheerful from all three people that we spoke with (owner, server, busperson/runner.) Downsides: Not many. The table up against the window was a bit chilly - stay towards the rear or upstairs if you're prone to being cold. The bathroom is tiny. Minor issues, though - overall no real complaints, and we'll be back with some frequency.

    (4)
  • John M.

    What a find! We were down for the weekend and my wife overheard some folks talking about this great Lebanese restaurant, so we decided to try it out. We have a favorite in Bellevue, WA and now we have one in Portland too. I had the Lentil soup and the Chicken Shawarma.Good Good. And for you vegies out there, they have lots of vegetarian dishes too. I know we will be back.

    (4)
  • Kate B.

    The hearty vegetarian soup with lentils, spinach and potato was so delightful and filling on the cold, dreary day like today. I had the traditional black tea with mint and that was lovely too. I would like to go back with some friends and try out their "All-Day Happy Hour" menu. Yum! Thanks for a wonderful lunch, Habibi!

    (5)
  • T T.

    My first foray into Lebanese cuisine was a good one. Went with a work group on Cinco de Mayo (we had to buck tradition) and were seated in a comfortable area upstairs...like the prior review stated, the videos playing on the TV were indeed awesomely bad! I stayed somewhat mainstream and ordered their Spinach Pie...it was delicious and an enormous portion...but I conquered all but one little corner! And the iced tea with mint was really good too... Our server was very nice, though they didn't check in with as much as I would have liked, it was otherwise very good service. I think next time I will definitely be more adventurous and try something more traditional (like the shawarma sandwich!).

    (4)
  • Nick Z.

    I tried Habibi for the first time today for lunch. What a pleasant experience. The food was great and the service was simply perfect. The staff was very tentative without being invasive. Even the owner came around to check up on us. I will definitely eat here again soon and often..

    (5)
  • Daisy S.

    I have to say that the place is the BOMB!!! The place looks like a bistro.. very nice, but the price is very GOOD! If it would have been located in the Bay area, it probably would have been pricey. BUT, It wasn't!! and, I LOVE the food... AWESOME. The service is very friendly. All we remember that how good their lamb dishes are and the grape leaves wrap are just AWESOME. I can't say more... just thinking about it.. my mouth is watering.

    (5)
  • Liz M.

    After picking up the Italian at the airport, we decided we would go for a walk so that he would keep from falling asleep and avoid jet lag. I had read the good reviews about this place so I had to try it. As soon as we walked in the door we were greated by two men. They appeared to be brothers or related somehow. We weren't incredibly hungry so we decided to split a shawarma sandwich and the tzatziki appetizer. I love tzatziki and this was no disappointment. It was delicious and the pita bread was fresh and soft. The guy who took our order asked the Italian where he was from, to which the Italian replied, "Italy, " and the man said, "Well we don't have any Italian beer, but you can try our Lebanese beer". So of course he tried it and gave it the thumbs up. Our shawarma was really good and it had tzatziki in it so I probably shouldn't have ordered the tzatziki appetizer because the sandwich combo also came with hummus, which was also delicious. It turned out to be too much food for us since we weren't super hungry and we ended up leaving half of the hummus plate and most of the tzatziki. I felt terrible about it, but neither one of us likes to feel stuffed. I hope they didn't think we didn't like the food because we absolutely did!! We will definitely go back there because the food was very good, great service and the prices were reasonable. Next time we'll go hungry!

    (5)
  • Aaron M.

    Service: Treat you like family every time. Like gold Food: Always the highest quality. Value is unheard of here. Unquestionably one of the best places to eat in Portland

    (5)
  • Songphon M.

    This is the first time I tried Lebanese food in a restaurent. We came to this place at lunch time on Friday and the place was busy. The food was great. For appetizer, we ordered Baba Ghannouj which turned out to be real good - a perfect blend of roasted eggplant, tahini and garlic that we could dip with a very good pita bread. We ordered two main dishes: Lamb Shawarma with Hummas and Veggie Eggplant Cassarole with house special seasoned rice. Both dishes were delectable. As for dessert, we ordered Knafe - a warm cheese pastry with honey. I really enjoyed the meal. My only complaint for this visit of the retuarant was the limited number of staffs. We had to wait for a while to order and then a while loger to get our foods. If the service was faster, I would have given this restaurant a five-star. Anyway, it might be because we were there during the busy time... All in all, I highly recommend this place for good food.

    (4)
  • Randall S.

    I had pretty much most of the vegetarian selections here and most of the drinks. The homemade yogurt really seems to make a difference here and the food in general is exceptional.

    (4)
  • Suzanne O.

    I gave this two tries before reviewing, in the hopes that the first visit wasn't 'reality'. Sadly, for us, it was. Let me start off by saying that I really LOVE middle eastern food. I'm a fool for a falafel. So, my first visit, I tried the falafel. Dry. Tasteless. Second visit, had the lamb schwarma (gyro). Tough meat--not the succulent lamb strips you typically get. Pita WAS good. Baba Ganoush only so-so. In a nutshell, I'm still searching for my middle-Eastern nirvana here in Portland.

    (2)
  • Beth S.

    I love Habibi! Hummus! I love dolmas! I could eat here everyday. Yum!

    (4)
  • Tammy K.

    I was so pissed off after leaving this place - it was our last meal on our little mini-weekend trip to Portland and it was horrible!!!! The food was not bad or anything, but the service was absolutely horrible! We walked inside and no one even looked at us (except the other diners), so I walked towards a couple of two person tables in the back and gestured, asking one of the ladies who worked there if it was ok if we sat there. She said "sure" and looked at me vaguely. Ok. So we went and sat down. And sat. and sat. I went in back to the bathroom. Came back. Still no one had even come to our table. Literally over 10 minutes. Girl came over and said "did you get menus yet?". We shook our head. She brought us menus and left....and did not return. We waited. 5 minutes later another waitress came by and said "have you decided what you want?". Seconds before we were getting ready to walk out - good lord. Ok, so I ordered the meat mezza platter and bf ordered the swharma. We ordered drinks at the same time since no one had taken our order yet in the 15 minutes we'd been sitting there. I noticed many people there had glasses of water with cucumber slices. That would have been very refreshing and nice - but alas, I was not given one. I ordered a raspberry lemonade and bf ordered a diet coke. We got them 1o minutes later and they were tiny little juice cup size glasses. Food came shortly after and it was good, though we both thought the falafel was kind of old'ish/stale tasting. Didn't care for the dolmas either - very sour. Hummus and baba ganoushe were great as well as the kafta and schwarma meat, though I've had better. We ate our meals quietly. No one checked to see if they were ok and no one offered us a refill. When done, the menu girl came back and asked if we were done and took one of the plates. That was it. We sat some more. I finally went up to the front and said "I would like to pay" and they rang me up. I had been friendly, smiled, didn't do anything rude, I wasn't wearing anything outlandish. I can't imagine why I would be treated in such a way, but even if the food had been the best in the world, it would not make up for that. Crap.

    (1)
  • Karen H.

    Here in Portland for a conference and stumbled into the place. I thought that the hummous and baba ganoush were some of the best I've had in a long long time. Quick, friendly service as another noted. What I loved most of all was the fact that the owner Mazren (?) had a photo of his parents and a thank you note to them at the front of the menu. Who couldn't help but love that? Great prices, to boot.

    (4)
  • J.K. P.

    This is one of my favorite places to eat in downtown Portland. Every chance I get, I stop by to get a falafel sandwich and a side of hummus, to take home and eat later. The hummus here is close to being the best around here. The owner always has a smiling face and greets everyone like they're family. The staff is considerate and fast. The lemonade is awesome too. I recommend this place as it has a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone.

    (5)
  • Liliana G.

    reasons why habibi is ab-fab: --amazingly delish food (fresh baked bread, to boot) --super accommodating staff (we had a party of 14 and they let us move up our reservation by an hour with only 15 minutes notice. wow.) --user friendly prices ($5 for a huge helping of tzatziki with unlimited bread!!) --even when i'm stuffed, i still wanna order more. --it's right on the max line reasons why i just can't award that 5th star: --having to ask for water 4 times before getting a glass --being brought the wrong bottle of wine, the wrong glass of scotch, and the wrong beer (no they weren't all for me :P) --appetizers (all dips) arriving a good 5 to 10 minutes before the bread to dip in them --crazy white-columns-and-mirrors-everywhere decor

    (4)
  • sasha s.

    Maybe it was an off night for our hosts at Habibi, a Lebanese restaurant I had heard good reviews of and have wanted to try for a long time now. The pita was hard and inflexible, the hummus rather bland, the lamb stringy with tendon....However, the baba ganouj was probably the best I've had in a while, and the tabouleh fresh and delightful. I also had the Strawberry Yogurt drink with rosewater and homemade yogurt, and found it refreshing and dee-licious. All in all, the staff was super friendly, the prices very reasonable, but the food was just ok.

    (3)
  • Captain C.

    Great food, great service. The lamb kafta pita was exactly what I was looking for for lunch. Quick, easy and efficient service. I'll definitely be back.

    (4)
  • Chris T.

    Delicious pizza: goat cheese, artichoke, sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms

    (4)
  • chris m.

    this place was pretty tasty and not very expensive. i enjoyed dinner a lot, though their hummus and baba ganoush were nothing to write home about, so i'll just yelp about them instead. the service was alternately great and awful--they were very obsequious until we'd settled into our main course, and then they wouldn't talk to us again for hours. i mean, we were enjoying eachother's company but we didn't get new water or the check until we went up and asked. the food was very good but not quite great. the cost was very reasonable, and the atmosphere was good.

    (4)
  • Edward J.

    Its a good place for good vegans and meat eaters. There are plenty of choices from lamb to chicken kabobs, and spinach pie to vegan pizzas. Really really delicious! Though I wish the food is warmer when it arrives at the table. I got a vegan mezza lunch meal which came in kinda cold, and I'm not a big fan of the grape leaf wrapped rice thing. Though my boyfriend who got the calzone, he loved it. It had really good thick feta cheese with spinach filling. Highly recommended! Their bread isn't as good as Nicholas Lebanese on SE Grand. The portion is smaller and the bread is cold. I did hear the Eggplant casserole is good.

    (3)
  • David R.

    My wife and I ate there while on vacation in Portland. We walked around and saw this place was almost full so figured we had a good find. That was indeed correct as the food and service was great. I had the chicken kebab which was tasty and the saffron rice was great too. My wife has the mezza plate and enjoyed that as well. If you're taking the Tri-Max, I think the stop is on 9th st (?). We accidentally passed it by the first time and ended up at PGE park, which is about nine blocks away. Highly recommended!

    (5)
  • Rachel E.

    i am so happy that we found this place. i've been trying to get some good lebanese food for awhile, but it's not as simple in eugene as it is in chicago. luckily we make frequent trips to portland because this place is phenomenal. the vegetarian and meat mezzas were both amazing, a great amount of food for a very decent price ($9.99 for the veg and &12.99 for the meat, or somewhere around there), and they were served on these huge golden leaf-shaped plates. that was pretty great. the hummus is the perfect texture and the falafel was crispy outside and moist inside. the chicken shawarma was tender and the zattar pizza had such a great flavor - i love zattar and one cannot find nearly enough of it in restaurants. also of note, they have a happy hour menu all day with $1 falafel and other really cheap stuff. we were there on a sunday, so it could be only on sundays, but it looked pretty permanent on the menu. not only was the food great but the staff was very friendly and the atmosphere is great - i like the hookahs and the green walls.

    (5)
  • Jenna L.

    Delicious Lebanese food! When we arrived for a late lunch, there were very few other diners. It took us a while to get service, but once we did it was great! I ordered the happy hour tzatziki to start with (happy hour is every day, all hours) for only $3. The tzatziki itself was delicious, much more flavorful than many others. Lots of lemon! It came with a lovely, huge, hot-off-the-grill pita bread! Now that's impressive. Our food came out almost immediately. I ordered a chicken kabab, and my husband ordered the lamb shawarma plate. Both were delicious! Perfectly seasoned, very hot, with some kind of hummus or garlic paste that was AMAZING. The water came with cucumber slices, which I love, the iced tea came with fresh mint... there was all sorts of little flavorful touches that made it refreshing and delicious. Overall we spent about $35 on appetizer, drinks, and meals for 2, which is a great cost for delicious food and quick service. I heard that some nights they have live belly-dancing, we'll definitely be back for that!

    (5)
  • Jens M.

    Fresh pita, amazing humus, and the best spices on the lamb schwarma make this place worth going back to again and again. Top it off with friendly service from the owner who remembers you!

    (5)
  • Tyler R.

    My favorite lunch place although they do a great dinner as well. I stop in here at least once a week. Especially this time of a year it's so nice to sit outside cafe style. The tables are located under nice shady trees. The service is fast, friendly and spot on. The owner will most likely be your waiter and He's about the nicest guy around. Every time I go in he spots me right off the bat and stops by to at least give me a "Hello". The food, oh yeah! This is the best Lebanese I've had on the West Coast honestly. There are a few others in P-town that come close, but Habibi gets it right every time. I like the lunch combos. Falafel, Humus and salad for under $10. you can't beat that with a stick. The soups and entrees are tasty and reasonably priced as well. Lentil Soup; good on those blustery PDX winter days and the homemade pita; Mmmmmmmm! If you've never had their Lemonade you gotta give it a try. Made in house with a little fresh mint- So nice in the summer heat! Habibi also offers the standard list of Lebanese delicacies for the sweet tooth Baklava and the like, but the thing you really have to try is the Rice Pudding. I know what your thinking, but seriously give it a go. You'll never look back. Man, I'm making myself hungry!

    (4)
  • Sheila J.

    Absolutely fantastic flavor ! We tried their new location and it is much more suited to a nice dinner. The Lebanese wine is great. The lamb is exquisitely tender. The mezza was wonderful! My new favourite middle eastern restaurant. Great for take out too.

    (5)
  • Randy D.

    i used to love going to this place when i lived on the westside by the stadium. i remember when it used to be dumpier-looking. the renovation has got it looking pretty classy. i'm a big fan of the lamb shank and lamb and eggplant in tomato sauce. both served over some tasty rice. but the crown jewel of habibi has gotta be their rice pudding. it's served in a huge glass and has a nice lavender flavor. yummy....

    (4)
  • sanjar a.

    not bad at all. Great food. Menu is very extensive. Many many vegetarian options as well.

    (4)
  • Greg L.

    We ate at Habibi's Sunday afternoon. I had the Shawarma Plate with lamb and humus. My food was pretty good. Quantity was ok as well. Couple of the negatives was the slow service and some confusion over what we were going to be charged. After we received our food we didn't have anyone check on us until our meal was almost over with. I don't like to be bothered constantly but I think someone should stop by at least once to see how everything is after serving your food. We were almost done before we had our water glasses refilled. The other negative was that when we ordered there was some confusion between the server who took our order and another server whether or not we were ordered off of the lunch or dinner menu. I wasn't sure what we were going to be charged until I got the check (which I had to go up the cash register to ask for). It was kind of a bad customer experience by not explaining what we were being charged. Overall, I would recommend trying it but would advise that you be clear with the server what menu you are ordering off of if you go in the afternoon and you might experience some slow service.

    (3)
  • Tasha L.

    My boyfriend and I flew into Portland tonight, and it's the first time either of us have been here. Our first meal was at Habibi, and we love this city now :) The owner was very friendly, the service was great, and the food was delicious. I ordered the vegan mezza (the hummus and tabouli were fantastic) and my boyfriend ordered eggplant casserole with lamb. Everything was homemade (even the cucumber water) and had a great flavor. The salad dressing was so good that we lapped up the extra with some pita. The prices and portions were reasonable, but it was really the food and service that get give Habibi four stars.

    (5)
  • Kate N.

    Ok. They have the best falafel and lentil soup I have ever had. I find myself constantly craving it. The service was a little eh. Our server was very ditzy and slow but the food more than made up for it. I also would like to see a real cocktail list that is not a scribbled on piece of paper considering they have a wonderful full bar. There are some kinks that need to be worked out but Habibi is definitely worth a visit.

    (4)
  • Kate K.

    Habibi is a charming place with great food and friendly and professional wait staff. The owner is super charming and seems to make every feel like they are special guests. I never had a bad dish, never had a bad time at Habibi!

    (5)
  • Rick S.

    I've been to Habibi's over 20 times I'm sure. I've been totally satisfied ( with the exception of only one time). But I have to say this is my favorite Lebanese restaurant in Portland. It is a quaint little restaurant with lots of character. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Lebanese food.

    (5)
  • Jason G.

    excellent food, friendly service and decent-sized portions. vegetarian platter is a great deal. best hommos i've ever had in a restaurant. excellent fallafel, baba ganouj. incredible value.

    (5)
  • Emily C.

    I thought it was a sign that this place bears the same name as my favorite Lebanese restaurant in the South SF Bay Area and happened to be open when my mom and I were looking for some post-Powell's/pre-airport nosh. We split a platter of vegetarian dishes, including falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouli, stuffed grape leaves, zatar, and spinach pie. The falafel wasn't outstanding, but it was good enough, and the zatar and spinach pies weren't too special, but everything else was up there in terms of heavenliness. I'd go back if I were in the area and jonesing for some MIddle Eastern goodies, definitely. Preferably when I'm hungrier.

    (4)
  • tamairah b.

    Recommended cheap eats! Food is great, people are friendly. What more can you expect? There was a line and the service was a little slow. But they made up for it by delivering our food fast. We had a great time sharing appetizers of all sorts. The eggplant/lamb in their tomato sauce was also great.

    (5)
  • Jeremy S.

    We were in Portland for a few days (thinking of moving down here), and we were having dinner with some friends and their 2-year old daughter. We asked our hotel concierge for a "cheap, kid friendly place to eat" (in addition to our friends' 2-year old, we have a 5-month old), and they directed us to a place that was neither cheap nor kid-friendly (?!?). However, the very nice host at THAT restaurant kindly directed us around the corner, and we ended up at Habibi, and I have to say it was one of the best Mediterranean meals I've had in a LONG time (and I love Mediterranean food and eat it whenever I get the chance). The owner/waiter was amazingly friendly, and even made the 2-year old's pepperoni pizza "on the house". I had the Meat Mezze platter, which was incredible all around, and our friends raved about their chicken and lamb kebabs. All in all I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone wanting an amazing meal for an amazing price!

    (5)
  • Robyn H.

    Quick friendly service; delicious gyros; thick, sweet Turkish coffee....these all add up to a good place to go for lunch when you're in the Yamhill area. habibi is a fairly new restaurant just starting to get its footing in the competitive world of Portland eateries. They also have pizza on the menu and a large green salad that's enough for a meal.

    (3)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Habibi Restaurant

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