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With quick service and some counter seating, it's a good spot for a quick stop if you need to grab a bite on the way elsewhere or running some errands downtown. That said, it left us wanting more. We got the braised beef hummus to start and shwarma sandwiches for our meals. Service was quick and friendly, and portion sizes were decent enough - however, the flavors and spices were missing and were a bit bland for our liking. We visited upon opening, just after 11am, as we needed a bite to eat before we checked out of our hotel and headed to the airport. Full disclosure: I'm from a Jewish background and outside the PDX area, and my partner is of Middle Eastern descent - so, our palates may be a bit skewed. I feel that the palate for Lil' Shalom may be perfect for those who are unfamiliar with stronger Israeli/Middle Eastern flavors.
My kid and her beau love this place, and its big sister Shalom Y'All (on Taylor Street. See: https://www.yelp.ca/map/shalom-yall-restaurant-portland-2). I think these two restaurants have the same owner/s. On my most recent visit, we came here, to L'il Shalom for dinner and it was great. Unlike Shalom Y'All, this L'il Shalom is indeed little. It doesn't seat a lot of people, and the seating that is there is primarily barstools along a counter on the wall, and a few seats in front of the main counter where they take your order and ring you up. Because I was there on a cold and rainy April night, it was cold in this restaurant as the place is so small, so whenever the door opened, the wind and cold came in, and essentially all the seating is in close proximity to the door. I wouldn't score this place highly for ambiance. But the food is great and that's what ultimately counts, right? The pita was incredible, as was the hummus. Probably the best pita and hummus I've ever had. I loved the chicken shawarma and my kid and her partner loved their platters, too (I forget what they ordered). Prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get and the high quality. It all was great!
Some colleagues and I decided to hit this new to us spot after a Happy Hour downtown Portland and it did not disappoint. My coworkers' lamb gyro, Shalom Y'all appetizer sampler plate, and the roasted cauliflower apps disappeared quickly and I really enjoyed my orange blossom panna cotta. There were pistachio and other crunchy shavings on top of a wonderful thin but flavorful orange blossom gelée layer, and the panna cotta had the little vanilla seeds, made very recently and just divine in texture and flavor. I enjoyed a Moroccan mint iced tea alongside with my dessert and can't wait to come back with a full appetite.
I waited to long too write this review and I can't recall exactly what I ordered lol (and forgot to take pictures) but it was amazing!! I was impressed with my (takeout) meal and it left a very positive impression on me so I wanted to be sure to leave a great review. Would highly recommend!
Lil' Shalom in downtown PDX is a charming destination for Mediterranean cuisine. The atmosphere is casual and cozy. All the dishes offer various flavors. They have great cocktails, frozen drinks, wine list and Turkish coffee for beverages, along with a diverse menu. While the dishes are flavorful, some portions seem smaller in comparison to the price (also given you order from the counter and wait with the number.) With only a limited number of indoor seats, the interior can feel a bit cramped. However, outdoor seating is available. The staffa were friendly, but during my visits, they appeared incredibly busy.
Moroccan Carrot Salad: - Textures were good. I liked how the carrots had some crunch and were thin but thick enough to still have some bit. And how the other elements like the red onions were similarly sized. - I felt like it had the right amount of oil, which made for a nice mouthfeel. - Under-salted. Also didn't have nearly enough acid. I finished reading How To Taste by Becky Selengut recently. Her advice is that the most important thing to get right is the salt level, and the second most important thing is the acid level. Ever since reading that I've been paying attention to it, and I think it's spot on. - I felt that the carrots themselves didn't bring enough flavor. Often times I find that carrots are bland and are mostly a vehicle for other flavors and stuff, and they provide some nice color, but if you're lucky the carrots actually taste... carrot-y! Unfortunately that wasn't the case here. - I think there were some dried cherries in there. I didn't love them. They came through a lot and gave a sort of cloying sweetness that stood out too much IMO. Maybe I would have appreciated them more if the salad had more acid. Chicken Shawarma Pita: - The pita bread was pretty good. It seemed fresh and had a nice soft and somewhat chewy texture. I would have preferred some a little more crunch maybe a little smokey flavor, like as a thin exterior to the pita. - The chicken was also good. Not dry or anything, not fatty or chewy. Could have been juicier though. - I felt like this too didn't have enough salt or acid. Overall it didn't really "pop". Other: - The atmosphere inside was kinda cool. You could peer into the kitchen a bit. It gave me vibes of a serious culinary place, whatever that means. - OTOH, the seating is kinda terrible. It's extremely cramped in there with iirc only one table. Which looked cramped. Other than that it's counter seating, but the counter is pretty small and the stools are close together. Which is something of a pet peeve of mine. You want the overall experience of the meal to be enjoyable, and when you feel cramped it takes away from that experience.
Highlights/Lowlights 1. Cute Ambiance 2. Good Food 3. Fast & Easy Stopped in to Lil Shalom on a work trip recently. I had read a bunch of reviews and this place was super hyped up! The vibe is really cute but it's definitely small and counter seating only. Not a place I would recommend for a big group but since I was alone it actually worked perfectly. I ordered at the counter and was able to swap the pita bread for cucumbers to keep it gluten-free friendly. I ordered a hummus bowl and a glass of wine. My total with tip was about $35. I received my food in about 10 or so minutes and service was friendly. My bowl was ok! The meat was a little salty and I felt like this was slightly overpriced for what you got. I would for sure try this place again!
Got takeout here while staying at a hotel nearby. My husband picked it up so I can't say much about the ambiance but I can say the food was delicious! The braised beef hummus was amazing and a perfect combination. The pita was puffy and fresh but my absolute favorite part was the grilled cauliflower. It was served on a lovely tahina, with crunch chickpeas that reminded me of my Greek family's recipes. I'll be chasing that cauliflower preparation at home until I can get back to Portland for sure!
Been a couple times, the food is pretty good. It's a small place w/ mostly bar seating and a couple small tables inside & outside. Small simple menu but they had a couple interesting sounding things besides the normal Mediterranean fare. I tried their octopus dish, and some lamb stew. The stew was hearty w/ tender lamb, potatoes carrots and quinoa. Simple but tasty. The octopus was pretty good too, very tender but w/ a different sort of spicy sweet sauce (sorta like piri piri). Served w/ fresh arugula & olives with some fried sweet potatoes which seemed kinda like an interesting combo but they went pretty well together. Order at the counter. Overall pretty good if a tad high on the price. I may come back to try their huge sandwich style gyros.
Love the daily happy menu. Huge portions that are shareable. I took a friend for the first time who absolutely loved the flavors of each dish. Food is well seasoned. Loved how each plate had different spices and flavors that mixed and complimented each other. Staff members are friendly and it was definitely popular on a Saturday mid afternoon! Outside seating available too.
Wow, what a nice surprise! There are so many good Mediterranean restaurants in Portland, but we had a few lovely surprises when we tried Lil' Shalom. Those fries! So crispy, beautifully seasoned, topped with drizzles of both tahini and red s'hug and so delicious! I never expected fries to steal the show but these sure did! We also had the excellent grilled cauliflower and it was very good. I like my cauliflower a bit softer but the flavor was fantastic and the sauces were just wonderful. The Shalom Y'all sampler plate was fine but did not measure up to our other two dishes. Everything on it was good but the cauliflower and the fries are so great they completely overshadowed the sampler plate. This place has limited seating, only at counters or the bar, something to be prepared for. Service was friendly and helpful, and we will definitely be back!
Delicious. Prices feel a little high, but the food is really good and they are in downtown Portland. Happy hour maybe the way to go here, but I came in earlier. I got the octopus place which had delicious, tender pieces over a bed of greens and a tasty sauce. We also tried the chicken shawarma pita and the carrot salad. The space is tiny (12 seats indoors a couple tables outside) so come at off hours. Service was friendly - you order at the register and they bring out the food.
The food is spectacular! Must try! Everything we had was so flavorful and well balanced. Customer service was good. Ambience cute.
Scrumptious food, quick service and cozy bench or bar seating. I tried almost everything vegetarian from the menu. The entire ordered was fingerpicking good including those fries. We thought we ordered so much and then we went back for more. One may find portion sizes are little for their price but their flavors are top-notch. I would say it's a great spot to get flavorful Mediterranean food. Though I wish they had more seating area. However, the food is extremely good and is worth it. If you haven't already, head there to try them and you wouldn't be disappointed. read more
2 years ago
Having been to one of the sister restaurants, I knew what to expect! The food was good, although the place was TINY. I love their hummus, especially the one with burnt ends! The chicken kebab was delicious, although the rice wasn't my fave... But that was just personal preference because I didn't love the lentils mixed in. I'll definitely be back! read more
Walked in around 1245 on a Sunday. Was greeted immediately when we entered. Showed the menus and explained he could help if needed. No line for us so we looked and picked our plates and ordered. We got a bottle of water and glasses from the waiter/server and we waited for maybe 5-8 min for our chicken shawarma to come out. It was warm, spicy and full of flavor. Would definitely order again. We also ordered the grilled cauliflower which was phenomenal! Full of spice flavorful, texture balance with the cooked chick peas. I would devour that again in a heartbeat! Small space with just a bar top against the wall and a regular bar to sit at downstairs. Small place, but was fine for our quick stop in. Wouldn't be great for big parties, but with how quick the food was made to-go orders would be great for a larger amount of people! Parking on the street outside. It was about $1.5 for an hour+ read more
With quick service and some counter seating, it's a good spot for a quick stop if you need to grab a bite on the way elsewhere or running some errands downtown. That said, it left us wanting more. We got the braised beef hummus to start and shwarma sandwiches for our meals. Service was quick and friendly, and portion sizes were decent enough - however, the flavors and spices were missing and were a bit bland for our liking. We visited upon opening, just after 11am, as we needed a bite to eat before we checked out of our hotel and headed to the airport. Full disclosure: I'm from a Jewish background and outside the PDX area, and my partner is of Middle Eastern descent - so, our palates may be a bit skewed. I feel that the palate for Lil' Shalom may be perfect for those who are unfamiliar with stronger Israeli/Middle Eastern flavors. read more
My kid and her beau love this place, and its big sister Shalom Y'All (on Taylor Street. See: https://www.yelp.ca/map/shalom-yall-restaurant-portland-2). I think these two restaurants have the same owner/s. On my most recent visit, we came here, to L'il Shalom for dinner and it was great. Unlike Shalom Y'All, this L'il Shalom is indeed little. It doesn't seat a lot of people, and the seating that is there is primarily barstools along a counter on the wall, and a few seats in front of the main counter where they take your order and ring you up. Because I was there on a cold and rainy April night, it was cold in this restaurant as the place is so small, so whenever the door opened, the wind and cold came in, and essentially all the seating is in close proximity to the door. I wouldn't score this place highly for ambiance. But the food is great and that's what ultimately counts, right? The pita was incredible, as was the hummus. Probably the best pita and hummus I've ever had. I loved the chicken shawarma and my kid and her partner loved their platters, too (I forget what they ordered). Prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get and the high quality. It all was great! read more
Some colleagues and I decided to hit this new to us spot after a Happy Hour downtown Portland and it did not disappoint. My coworkers' lamb gyro, Shalom Y'all appetizer sampler plate, and the roasted cauliflower apps disappeared quickly and I really enjoyed my orange blossom panna cotta. There were pistachio and other crunchy shavings on top of a wonderful thin but flavorful orange blossom gelée layer, and the panna cotta had the little vanilla seeds, made very recently and just divine in texture and flavor. I enjoyed a Moroccan mint iced tea alongside with my dessert and can't wait to come back with a full appetite. read more
2 years ago
I waited to long too write this review and I can't recall exactly what I ordered lol (and forgot to take pictures) but it was amazing!! I was impressed with my (takeout) meal and it left a very positive impression on me so I wanted to be sure to leave a great review. Would highly recommend! read more
Lil' Shalom in downtown PDX is a charming destination for Mediterranean cuisine. The atmosphere is casual and cozy. All the dishes offer various flavors. They have great cocktails, frozen drinks, wine list and Turkish coffee for beverages, along with a diverse menu. While the dishes are flavorful, some portions seem smaller in comparison to the price (also given you order from the counter and wait with the number.) With only a limited number of indoor seats, the interior can feel a bit cramped. However, outdoor seating is available. The staffa were friendly, but during my visits, they appeared incredibly busy. read more
Moroccan Carrot Salad: - Textures were good. I liked how the carrots had some crunch and were thin but thick enough to still have some bit. And how the other elements like the red onions were similarly sized. - I felt like it had the right amount of oil, which made for a nice mouthfeel. - Under-salted. Also didn't have nearly enough acid. I finished reading How To Taste by Becky Selengut recently. Her advice is that the most important thing to get right is the salt level, and the second most important thing is the acid level. Ever since reading that I've been paying attention to it, and I think it's spot on. - I felt that the carrots themselves didn't bring enough flavor. Often times I find that carrots are bland and are mostly a vehicle for other flavors and stuff, and they provide some nice color, but if you're lucky the carrots actually taste... carrot-y! Unfortunately that wasn't the case here. - I think there were some dried cherries in there. I didn't love them. They came through a lot and gave a sort of cloying sweetness that stood out too much IMO. Maybe I would have appreciated them more if the salad had more acid. Chicken Shawarma Pita: - The pita bread was pretty good. It seemed fresh and had a nice soft and somewhat chewy texture. I would have preferred some a little more crunch maybe a little smokey flavor, like as a thin exterior to the pita. - The chicken was also good. Not dry or anything, not fatty or chewy. Could have been juicier though. - I felt like this too didn't have enough salt or acid. Overall it didn't really "pop". Other: - The atmosphere inside was kinda cool. You could peer into the kitchen a bit. It gave me vibes of a serious culinary place, whatever that means. - OTOH, the seating is kinda terrible. It's extremely cramped in there with iirc only one table. Which looked cramped. Other than that it's counter seating, but the counter is pretty small and the stools are close together. Which is something of a pet peeve of mine. You want the overall experience of the meal to be enjoyable, and when you feel cramped it takes away from that experience. read more
Highlights/Lowlights 1. Cute Ambiance 2. Good Food 3. Fast & Easy Stopped in to Lil Shalom on a work trip recently. I had read a bunch of reviews and this place was super hyped up! The vibe is really cute but it's definitely small and counter seating only. Not a place I would recommend for a big group but since I was alone it actually worked perfectly. I ordered at the counter and was able to swap the pita bread for cucumbers to keep it gluten-free friendly. I ordered a hummus bowl and a glass of wine. My total with tip was about $35. I received my food in about 10 or so minutes and service was friendly. My bowl was ok! The meat was a little salty and I felt like this was slightly overpriced for what you got. I would for sure try this place again! read more
Got takeout here while staying at a hotel nearby. My husband picked it up so I can't say much about the ambiance but I can say the food was delicious! The braised beef hummus was amazing and a perfect combination. The pita was puffy and fresh but my absolute favorite part was the grilled cauliflower. It was served on a lovely tahina, with crunch chickpeas that reminded me of my Greek family's recipes. I'll be chasing that cauliflower preparation at home until I can get back to Portland for sure! read more
Been a couple times, the food is pretty good. It's a small place w/ mostly bar seating and a couple small tables inside & outside. Small simple menu but they had a couple interesting sounding things besides the normal Mediterranean fare. I tried their octopus dish, and some lamb stew. The stew was hearty w/ tender lamb, potatoes carrots and quinoa. Simple but tasty. The octopus was pretty good too, very tender but w/ a different sort of spicy sweet sauce (sorta like piri piri). Served w/ fresh arugula & olives with some fried sweet potatoes which seemed kinda like an interesting combo but they went pretty well together. Order at the counter. Overall pretty good if a tad high on the price. I may come back to try their huge sandwich style gyros. read more
Love the daily happy menu. Huge portions that are shareable. I took a friend for the first time who absolutely loved the flavors of each dish. Food is well seasoned. Loved how each plate had different spices and flavors that mixed and complimented each other. Staff members are friendly and it was definitely popular on a Saturday mid afternoon! Outside seating available too. read more
Wow, what a nice surprise! There are so many good Mediterranean restaurants in Portland, but we had a few lovely surprises when we tried Lil' Shalom. Those fries! So crispy, beautifully seasoned, topped with drizzles of both tahini and red s'hug and so delicious! I never expected fries to steal the show but these sure did! We also had the excellent grilled cauliflower and it was very good. I like my cauliflower a bit softer but the flavor was fantastic and the sauces were just wonderful. The Shalom Y'all sampler plate was fine but did not measure up to our other two dishes. Everything on it was good but the cauliflower and the fries are so great they completely overshadowed the sampler plate. This place has limited seating, only at counters or the bar, something to be prepared for. Service was friendly and helpful, and we will definitely be back! read more
Delicious. Prices feel a little high, but the food is really good and they are in downtown Portland. Happy hour maybe the way to go here, but I came in earlier. I got the octopus place which had delicious, tender pieces over a bed of greens and a tasty sauce. We also tried the chicken shawarma pita and the carrot salad. The space is tiny (12 seats indoors a couple tables outside) so come at off hours. Service was friendly - you order at the register and they bring out the food. read more
2 years ago
The food is spectacular! Must try! Everything we had was so flavorful and well balanced. Customer service was good. Ambience cute. read more
2 years ago
This place was amazing!! Some of the best chicken I've ever eaten in my life on the chicken skewers, with incredible onions on it as well. The pita was perfectly baked and would've been incredible by itself, so the amazing hummus in addition just made it even better. The waiters were amazing, delivering the food so fast and giving us water whenever we needed it. The place was well taken care of as well with a fun vibe. Definitely recommend!! read more
2 years ago
Visited this very interesting place on a Friday evening. It's interesting for me because everything was different at this place. Ambiance: It was amazing with all earthy atmosphere. The only downside of the place was their seating. There are couple of high chairs, that's it. You can't spend more time here because high chairs aren't comfortable. I guess it is mostly a takeout place because I saw more number of takeouts than people dining in. Next time, if I am trying, I'm definitely taking out the food and dining in isn't a good option here. Food: Food is amazing, delicious would be an understatement. We ordered cauliflower starter, chicken shawarma, falafel pita, cranberry cocktail. This place doesn't serve hard liquor, it's only wines and cocktails. It was authentic Mediterranean food. This is my first time seeing someone filling in the pita bread with falafel spread rather than creating a roll. It was delicious. Service: Staff is amazing and warm. Definitely a must try. Taking out is a better option than dining in at this place. read more
3 years ago
I have been reluctant to review Lil' Shalom for a few years... out of selfishness. Truthfully, I feel like this place deserves all the praise in the world, and I enjoy how quaint the space, the team, and the vibes are. However, the fantastic experience at Lil' Shalom should be shared - and you should make this location your habitual restaurant, too. With a small and cozy interior and an ambient but private outdoor space, you can't go wrong with any seating options here. Just remember to head inside first to peruse the (perfectly sized) menu and then order at the counter with the lovely staff. The team will immediately greet you - be sure to ask for their recommendations if you are nervous. During winter, I prefer to sit near the window at the bar with a good book, a cocktail, and a few of their menu items. In the warmer months between spring and fall, the patio space is lovely - and there are even several heaters to keep you warm. This downtown area is a delight to spend time in, thanks to the mature trees that canopy the outdoor space while also being present in the city. When you order a menu item with Pita, I highly recommend ordering a second one - you WILL need it - and you will eat them both! My only wish would be for this location to add the Egg Shakshuka to the menu. I treasure my time here, especially on Sunday afternoons when the Shalom Plate hits perfectly. I would love to learn how to make Pita from the staff here - they know what they are doing! Thank you for creating this space and curating the city's best Mediterranean. read more
3 years ago
Came here on a Saturday afternoon to grab a snack and relax, after coming back from Multnomah Falls. The space has limited indoor seating but the inside is very cozy and cute. We decided to sit at the bar, where we shared the Hawaij Spiced Fries and the classic Hummus with pita (tahini, paprika, parsley). The fries were crunchy and came with a lot of sauce. If you like spice, you'll like this one. The red sauce was a little too spicy for me. I wish I had known to order it on the side instead of all over the fries. I don't think I'd order the fries again, as I prefer your standard garlic or plain fries. However, they were very generous with their portions and it was plenty to share between 2 people. The hummus and pita bread were decent, but not spectacular. They seem to have a large wine selection, but we didn't try any of it. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
All the food was incredibly salty. We ordered fries, falafel (2 portions) and pita which all came with the sauce. Fries were super crunchy which was great but not as soft inside as I prefer, it was more like chips. LOTS of salt including the sauces. The falafel was pretty small sized but overly crunchy too, maybe if it was bigger it would've had more flavor in the middle. Pita was excellent. Sauces weren't as salty but humus was very bland and disappointing. We also ordered olive cake which was the only thing I liked though the cake didn't have the rich chocolate flavor and I couldn't taste tahini in the cream maybe because it was overly sweet, I like mild. Overall, it was a disappointing experience and I don't think we will be back :( lots of salt caused lots of bloating for the rest of the day. read more
3 years ago
I loved this place, great falafel, table and hummus. All super tasty and fresh. If you love the street food of Israel this is your place, with a sense of humor. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
If you are into below average food and worse service from a tiny place with no seating - check out Lil' Shalom! Stopped in based off of yelp reviews for a quick lunch bite, got the chicken shawarma. Came in a pita pocket, very underwhelming especially for $16! My stomach felt strange after and I'm not sure it was because of the food or because of the lack there of it after spending $16!! Was frowned at and got the cold shoulder after I declined the happy hour offer for chicken shawarma that included a free beer. Guess I wasn't cool enough to be part of the "in crowd" at the lil Shalom and I'm quite glad I wasn't! read more
2 years ago
Excellent food with enormous amounts of flavor! The service was very quick and friendly. The place is small but beautiful. Very calm space. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
What do you do when your spouse is craving pastrami and you are looking for a vegetarian meal? Lil' Shalom (y'all)! When I saw a hummus plate that included pastrami burnt ends as a topping on the menu, I knew we would be just fine for lunch in downtown Portland. We had our pup, so we had to order at the counter and then our food would be brought out to the sidewalk seating. I snuck a taste of those burnt ends, which were delish, and made the spouse even enjoy the hummus. The spiced fries were crispy and liberally doused with red sh'ug and tahini sauce (shockingly, my non-adventurous eater was gobbling them up). The Shalom Y'all sampler is a great way to go if you want a little of everything: hummus, chopped veg salad, labneh, fresh baked pita and falafel. Lil Shalom is a must for hummus lovers! read more
I popped in here for lunch not knowing it was on all of my friend's To Try list, and I see why! The food was delicious , the service was quick and lovely, and it has a very relaxing, chill ambiance. This is a great place for a lunch with friends over a quick meal or for dining solo. For my first visit, I went with the burnt ends and hummus. The warm hummus was everything I didn't know I needed in life. It was so good I came back two days later for the gyro and fries. I highly recommend! read more
3 years ago
Had takeout from here & got a chicken pita & hummus. It was SO GOOD! There is a really spicy green sauce they put on it I wish it came on the side because my first bite had my mouth on fire !!! After I scraped that off I really enjoyed the rest of the flavors in the pita. I wish I tried more and would definitely come back. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Excellent quick bites that hit all the spots. Great cute small vibe. Well needed after shopping near by! read more
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More info about Lil' Shalom
1128 SW Alder St
Portland, OR 97205
Downtown, Southwest Portland
Directions
(503) 333-6123
Call Now
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http://www.sesamecollective.com/lilshalom
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Ask the Community - Lil' Shalom
Do they have gluten-free options?
Yes! If you ask the staff, they have a marked up menu showing what is naturally gluten free and what can be made gluten free. Sadly, there fryer is not gluten free, so if cross contamination is a worry, you can't enjoy any of their fried food. But,…
Does all of their pita bread contain honey?
Hi Alyssa, Our pita bread does all have bit of honey, as it's used as the sugar to activate the…
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