Hoda’s Middle-Eastern Cuisine

I would give less than zero, if I could. Last year I ordered a falafel sandwich to go, I work across the street. Halfway through I bit on a staple (!), I did not report then. Today I ran out of food options and decided to give them another shot, and it seems unbelievable, but I found a piece of glass in my falafel today. Went back and showed them, the cook acted as if I had made this up.
Come on! This place is crap.

There are many Middle Eastern restaurants closer to me, but I love going out of my way for this place. I’ve never had mediocre food here — it’s always excellent. Although they have cocktails, I usually go for lemonade’s — my favorites are the lemonade with rose and lemonade with orange blossom.

Best mezzo that I’ve had in town. And they actually make muhammara… this is amazing stuff. Family owned and awesome folks.

They make some of the best soup. I never really *loved* any lentil soup until I had a bowl of it at one of two places and theirs is one of the only ones I’ve had made from scratch that I *really* purred. :)
Their turkish coffee is *really* good.
Their grape leaves/​dolmas :NUMMY!
Their service is *really* warm and friendly.
If you have a soy allergy, don’t get their gluten-​free pita.

This is probably one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in town. Amazing flavors, great service, clean, and big portions. Good for large groups and families. You can’t go wrong with this place. Highly recommend it!

It was ok, everything was a little bland. My soup was served after my meal, and had clearly been microwaved. The atmosphere was somewhat old and dingy. Not my favorite.

I love getting their take-​out super falafel with salad and hummus

Since moving up here, I’ve gotten hooked on Lebanese cuisine. There aren’t that many places in town, but the few that are around are all quality places. I used to live up in the Beaumont Wilshire neighborhood and Fremont was where I tended to end up frequently. Hoda’s used to have a location there but I never had the opportunity to eat there. The original location on Belmont I’ve passed many many times but also I hadn’t the time to go in.
I was with several friends across the street at Aalto and yes, they have food, but I wanted something more substantial to eat. So me and one of friends were going to hit up a friends food cart, but they were closed, so we decided (and the pouring rain helped decide for us) to go into Hoda’s. The warmth was helpful.
We dried off, sat down and ordered some drinks and food. A roasted cauliflower dish for my friend and a chicken shwarma wrap with salad and hummus for me.
Our server was quite friendly and made the margarita suggestion for my friend and he loved it. Fresh juices and according to him, some good tequila, not the well stuff. I stuck with a beer. The food was great. I actually like the cauliflower dish (that shocked me) and my food was terrific. The chicken was seasoned well, all the veggies inside were tasty, the salad was dressed well and the hummus was creamy. They served us some hot pita bread to dip in the hummus as well. Really good.
It was a nice break from the downpour outside. Hoda’s treated us well, and I’d like to go back and try some of the other options. There was an eggplant and beef dish that was unfortunately sold out that night. It looked like something I would have enjoyed eating. Oh well, next time and it won’t take me so long to get in here.

I had never heard of Hoda’s but my boyfriend and I went to a place down the street who said it was going to be an hour wait so we decided to give it a try. I am so glad we did! It was busy but we were seated quickly and the waitress brought waters and the menus promptly.
They had a big menu so choosing wasn’t easy but we decided to go for a couple of Lebanese beers and one of the family style dishes:
Taste of the Middle East (For Two)
two kafta kabob skewers, two chicken kabob skewers, served on a bed of basmati rice with humos, baba ghanouje, tabouleh, and falafel and stuffed grape leaves.
The waiter said that we had made a good choice and we would have plennnnty of food.
We were brought some fresh, hot flatbread soon after followed by humos, baba ghanouje and tabouleh (all were amazing and the best I have had) and they kept the flatbread coming to accompany the deliciousness. Next came the stuffed grape leaves (also the best I have had) which were hot and stuffed with ground lamb and rice. By this time we were already getting kind of full then the huge plate with kabobs atop basmati rice came followed by the falafel. The meat was tender, juicy and flavorful, the rice was spiced just right and the falafel was fresh with the perfect amount of crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
After only a few bites of the main entrée, we were STUFFED. I wished my stomach were a bit larger so that I could keep on eating, it was so good. The leftovers we took home were enough for both us to have another meal!
The food was fresh, delicious and came out fast. The prices are reasonable. The service was excellent. I can’t wait to go back and try something else (especially the baklava that I saw in the kitchen in the way back from the bathroom).
Well done, Hoda’s!

The staff was friendly & attentive. The food was good. Had the eggplant bowl form the lunch menu. Tried the Baba ghanoush Served with a warm pita & a smile. The atmosphere was very authentic levant. I would come back here again.

It was our second visit to Hoda’s. We ordered the aromatic Lamb Shank, the Veggie Mezza, and the amazing Baba G. Our visit this time was lovely. We had a long wait the few month’s back. The restaurant was packed and we had a lengthy wait for our food. I just remember being very hungry. This time, our attentive waiter was fast and friendly. He made sure we had fresh pita to eat. The eggplant dip, Baba G. was exceptional. The simple salad that came with the entrees was simply perfect with lemon, spices. and oil. They had Freekeh pilaf as a choice with the lamb that we enjoyed. The food was all so fresh and I still had leftovers for today.

Friendly staff.
Food is delicious. A good suggestion is to try the various mezza dishes. You will get enough for two with any of them, so order 4 – 6 and see what you like.
The beet hummus is one of my favorites, of course the tabouleh is amazing so DO NOT skip it!
The lamb kabob was very tasty, a bit chewy but amazing flavor.
The chicken shawarma was very good, but if you order one of the kabobs, skip on the shawarma, or vice versa.
Last their meat grape leaves are delicious, made me fall in love with them again after many years of bland ones.
For a tasty drink, try Hoda’s margarita, minty, lemony goodness!

This place was not good. Burned food, took a long time to get our food when we were the only ones there. Flavor subpar.

I was in a huge rush to eat something so I wouldn’t have a low blood sugar episode during my hair appointment. I dashed into Hoda’s hoping I could grab a quick sandwich.
My waiter, Alex, made sure my food came out in a to-​go box. As it turns out, Hoda’s is not a place one should dash into. My sandwich came out with fresh hot pita and spiced dipping oil. My sandwich, the chicken shawarma, was accompanied by excellent hummus and small salad. I really would have like to enjoy all the flavors and textures of this lunch.
The sandwich was spiced excellently. Bursts of flavor and nicely sauced, good amount of chicken and veggies.
I want to come back and enjoy a more leisurely lunch or dinner one day. Meanwhile I give kudos to Hoda’s for the food and to Alex for taking such excellent care of me during my dash in and out!

I went to Hodas today and got the lamb shwarma vegetarian dolmas, and oh my gosh. the garlic tahini sauce~ SO good!
Service was excellent, and the server was knowledgeable about the food! I’m thankful for the Lebanese cuisine available in PDX, and they rock catering! Most tasty!
FRESH LOCAL
Will be coming back soon!
Thanks for the awesome grub!

This is one of the best Arab restaurants in the area. We have probably tried 90% of all Arab Restaurants. Everything is very good; especially the various meats. I send everyone I talk know there. I even asked an Arab food tent at Portland Farmer’s Market about the best Lebanese food in the area. He said Hoda’s.

This is definitely my favorite Lebanese place in Portland so far. I’ve been here twice and each time the food was very delicious. The first time I came with a group of about 12 and I can’t remember if we called ahead, but we all got seated quickly. The waiter was excellent in remembering all orders and dividing up checks to multiple parties. The food was outstanding. I had a mezza of some sort, but managed to scavenge some food from those who couldn’t eat everything so I got to taste a little bit of everything. I even ordered some Lebanese wine which tasted really good and fun considering its differences from Oregon wines.
The second time was just my wife and me. The service was great and friendly and the food was so good again. Perhaps I’m a simple man, but their humus and baba ganoush are one of my favorite parts of the whole selection. I don’t know how they make it so tasty.

I ordered the kibbeh. It’s like meatloaf, but not as sugary and made with grassed beef. It was topped with tahini, tomatoes, onions, and I think cilantro. It came with a large piece of bread that came with something called «zattah» or something like that which is a mix of seeds with olive oil.
Spacious seating was nice; I brought some stuff to read. My first time here gave me the impression that they care about the quality of their ingredients, which I appreciate, especially when it comes to meat.

Visiting Oregon, and I came to check this out since I’m Middle Eastern and I can’t live without my food and I love trying it in different cities. This was a great choice, I’m very happy with the falafel sandwich i ordered, the zataar manaeesh/​pie, hummus, and Middle Eastern tea as well. All of it hit the spot for me!!! The staff are very very very friendly, nice, helpful and know their food! I will defiantly return there when I’m in Portland again.

Lebanese in SE Portland look no further!!!
Big big fan of this place. I think it has to win an award for consistency. I’ve never been disappointed in my five of six visits.
Being a vegetarian, Middle Eastern is one of my favorite choices in Portland. Hoda’s delivers on all fronts. I sincerely appreciate the diverse menu options from the appetizers to the deserts.
I usually get a mezza or sandwich of some sort. The hummus is a very nice, creamy rich texture, and a decent amount of garlic. Falafel is always spot on. Never over fried or dry in the middle. Salads are well prepared, fresh, and not drenched in oil or dressing. Sandwiches are nicely prepared with fresh bread, and the contents are all smashed so when you take a bite everything comes oozing out. That drives me crazy and this place has taken the time to get it right.
As always, cleanliness is a big issue for me in restaurants. I’ve always found Hoda’s to be well tended to so no issues there at all. Bathrooms are always neat and tidy as well
Service is very good. I’ve never had a bad experience. They even smile!
Overall I highly recommend this place. Just wish it was closer for me.