This place is fantastic. Went here with some friends and didn't know what to expect. Our server was awesome! And super friendly and helpful. He was in such good spirit. The place is nice and open and we were one of the o lay few tables. We got the pita chips to start which were great. Then we all got the chicken and the beef gyro and I got the chicken shawarma. Everything was so great! Some of the best shawarma I've had in Portland! And everything else was packed with authentic flavors. The fried and sweet potatoe fries are also some of my favorite in all of Portland. We finished off the dinner with the pistachio ice cream and Dubai chocolate which was recommended by our server which was a good end to the meal. Definitely check this place out as soon as possible. It's fantastic and you will not be disappointed in any way. read more

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Had a nice casual lunch at Olive Cafe a few days ago. We ordered a salad, shwarma, and a few sides. My husband said the brussels sprouts were the best he'd ever had. My salad was pretty good too. Prices are reasonable and location is great. Service is friendly and excellent. I'd definitely return. read more

Lunch time at work and where to go? Started wandering around Commercial Street for something easy and handheld and Olive was perfect and the Gyro pulled me in. I'm a lover of an authentic Gyro and this place looked like the real deal. I was greeted immediately and offered a menu and a drink. I informed the gentleman I was here for to-go which he seemed happy about. The decor is middle eastern in feel with pretty decorations and a fair amount of seating. Did not have to wait long at all and boom it was done. I promptly took my tasty and found outside seating by the water. Oh so DELICIOUS! Everything was spot on! I had not a crumb left when it was all done. I have made a lunch date with a co-worker and we are headed here! If you love a great Guro, seek no more. read more

Olive Cafe - Service counter - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The owner would not allow us to order the samplers we wanted during lunchtime, so we got three gyros of different types. The pita bread was a bit soggy and undercooked. The haddock was well cooked but could have used more spicing, same with the chicken, and the falafels were not crispy or as tasty as I would expect. Staff was a bit brusque. read more

The owner (or who I believe was the owner) of this business is incredibly sweet. Upon arriving in Portland, we did a quick search on Yelp to find some healthier/veggie eats and Olive Cafe popped up. This little eatery is located in the heart of the historic port district- not too far from the cruise terminal and lots of other popular spots in town. Their menu is very vegetarian friendly with offerings like falafel, baba ganoush, hummus and freshly made fries. Now, let's talk about these fries. They're exceptional! It looks as if they were hand cut in the kitchen (skins and all) and fried to perfection. Cannot recommend them enough. The owner was also very sweet about us having two kiddos in high chairs and navigating the shuffle of little humans. Grateful for this charming and delicious meal to end our day in Portland. read more

Delicious, fresh, Lebanese cuisine. Great menu and wonderful service. Loved everything we tried, from the Beirut Salad and Lamb Shawarma to the Turkish Coffee and lucious baklava highlighted by rose and pistachio. Our new favorite place for healthy middle-eastern food! read more

This place has been around forever, but I hadn't gone in years until the other day. The owners are nice, and the food is fresh, flavorful, and affordable. It's a great place for lunch or a relatively inexpensive dinner. read more

Ray is a great host...the lamb kabob with rice and salad was outstanding with the lamb cooked to medium rare perfection! I couldn't decide between lamb and kibbeh so it was lamb for dinner and it'll be kibbeh and salad for lunch tomorrow!!! I'll be back!! read more

Delicious, refreshing, and simple. Really enjoyed the meal for nice authentic mediterranean flavours but not too strong for those with milder palate. The beef gyro was delicious with nicely browned beef, refreshing tzatziki, and a yummy pita. Also tried the Kibbeh platter with couscous. Very delicious and a perfect portion. Potentially lacked some acid in both dishes to amplify the flavors. Turkish coffee was a great experience that I highly recommend if you enjoy coffee. Prepared traditionally heating in metal small pot and very aromatic with strong notes of cardamom. Overall, had a pleasant meal. read more

Olive Cafe - Kibbeh Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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What an incredible place. The owner, Ray, provided us with authentic Lebanese cuisine. The stuffed grape leaves were insanely delicious, as was the gyro wrap, pickled veggies, and Greek salad. My boyfriend said his margarita was great, too. Beautiful location by the waterfront, and just an amazing experience all around! Music, vibe...loved it! read more

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This place was excellent. Hummus great but the lamb gyro and fries was the best we've had in years. As a first gen Greek American felt a little like Athens street carts. read more

Large selection. Excellent falafels, pita and hummus. Friendly service. Causal vibe. Good location.

My husband and I loved the food at Olive Cafe. We ordered the muhammara with pita, Beirut salad and a falafel bowl and everything was absolutely delicious. We finished the meal with tea and the most amazing baklava. The owner was very nice and attentive and the environment was quiet and low key. I highly recommend. Do not hesitate to eat at this restaurant! read more

Food was fantastic! The seafood did not disappoint, exceptionally fresh and delicious!

Delicious food, great service, cozy and casual. The sampler platter was so good! Roasted cauliflower, salad, home made pita and hummus. The owner is very kind and friendly. read more

What a great find! We were visiting from California and decided to stop in rather than walk by. My husband really enjoyed his chicken shawarma, and my Mediterranean Sampler Plate was fabulous! First time I've ever had falafel that was moist inside, and so flavorful. And, the pita---it has to be homemade!! If we lived here, we'd be regulars. read more

Just fantastic lunch today, we had the gyro sandwich and the Fatiha bean and chick pea dip on naan. Just fantastic food and wonderful service just the best of Portland Maine right on the waterfront. Recommend very highly and prices were great as well read more

Olive Cafe - Stephanie and Liz at the Olive Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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first: vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options! service was fairly quick, kind, and sincere -- and the wraps we ordered were grand! would definitely recommend if you're in the area. read more

Food wasn't really worth the price and there appeared to be a kitchen and wait staff fight developing while we were dining.

Had lunch here and everything was wonderful for all 3 of us, will definitely be going back for the Baba Ghanoush!

The Olive Cafe was absolutely incredible, we were lucky enough to try both the Mezza and the Mediterranean sample platters. Everything was packed with flavor, the man who works there is so kind and helpful as well. We will absolutely be back, this place deserves all of the attention! read more

Ray is amazing! Always happy, always helpful and quick. Food is out of this world. I've made it a staple to get lunch every week there. All the food is healthy and great price! read more

Delicious & expensive LUNCH. Smoky from kitchen. Excellent service. Appetizer platter $18 included spiced bread, thin scraping of hummus, two falafel patties, four pieces of cauliflower, and a few bites of salad. Lamb gyro on naan bread more worth its $13 with tzaziki yogurt sauce, tomato, cucumber, and red onion. DIVINE gluten-free lava cake made in-house + vanilla ice cream $9. Average good tiramisu $9. NOTE: Lunch & dinner use same pricing, and restaurant has different hours on different days of the week. read more

Olive Cafe - Gluten-free chocolate lava cake made in-house $9 and Tiramisu $9 - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Been wanting to go to this place for years, and today I finally ordered take out food. We ordered lamb gyro and the flavor was good however the food was warm and not hot and fresh. The meat was precook, warmed up and not from a meat cone . The Falafel was ok . The Greek salad was mostly baby spinach and very basic. Being on Commercial St. rent is pretty high and so are menu prices for the quantity and quality of food. It would have been ok if the quality are exceptional but unfortunately it is not. read more

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Oh this place is great! I quite literally just visited with some of my family and we all loved it. Great service, the man who was there was super welcoming and seemed genuine. The feel of the place was pretty chill, which I appreciate. And the FOOD! Delicious. I got the beef kabob with fries, both of which were really good. My family loved their food too, and according to my cousin the hummus was-in her words- divine (I didn't try it). I'm genuinely sad that we are only visiting, because this is totally the kind of place I'd visit often. I chose 5 stars with no hesitation! Very yummy read more

we called multiple times and no answer. and we went in after the suggested time and they still said 25 more minutes. and after all this has service they didn't even say sorry. read more

Tabouli was made fresh to order. I would have enjoyed more red onion, but it was excellent. Baba ghanoush was smooth and smoky, one of the top I've ever eaten. My wife raved about the stuffed grape leaves. The pita on the side was a nice thin and a bit crispy , very nice. The owner visited us while we were finishing and described how everything was made. We now have a good idea of how to add the smokiness to our homemade Baba ghanoush. read more

Delicious food Good service Good environment Lamb Shawarma Coming back again in a week for sure. read more

Olive Cafe - Lamb shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

The food is amazing! I'm a frequent customer when I'm in Portland and have tried the lamb kabob, couscous salad and the brussel sprouts are out of this world. Also the shawarma is very good Owner is very friendly and accommodating read more

There are 7 or 8 tables total in this restaurant...so small. And it isn't a big chain. And it's nice to be able to get something other than just American food. I saw one waiter and one cook during my time there. So they keep busy. Those are the good points. The food is ok. It's not great, it's not bad. It's just ok. We have been a few times. Sometimes the shawarma is delicious. Sometimes it's ok. Our recent trip, we couldn't tell if we got lamb as requested or beef. The beef plate was ok. Rice was good. Salad was plentiful. We also got a side of Brussels. They were great. They were a side dish. We didn't have to wait to be seated which was nice. And it didn't take long to get our food either. Service was fine, bringing us water and utensils at good times. If they are busy, you have to wait outside on the street. Sitting in the restaurant, we could often smell weed. Not sure if coming from outside front or from the back. Sometimes we have gone during posted hours and they weren't actually open. And their hours aren't good for spur of the moment or if you are hungry, as you must match their specific lunch/dinner hours and the day of the week. So this place is okay. It's a nice change. You just won't have a craving for it later or be telling your friends about a great meal. read more

Really nice guy on staff (maybe owner?) and the food was great. Hard to find vegan options this far outside a big city so this was a gem of a find for us. 4 of us had separate wraps and all were delicious! read more

This place doesn't look like much when you first step inside but oh the food is delicious! I can't wait to go back again! read more

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The food is exceptional! Wonderful Lebanese spices that expand your Mediterranean pallet from the lamb to the falafel as well as the hummus. Another wonderful place in the Old Port of Portland that is exceptionally clean and welcoming. Rajon (sp?) was a wonderful host and most attentive. We've been here previously and will continue to support our local businesses. We are grateful they survived the pandemic mess! read more

Service is amazing as is the food. I had the lamb shawarma with garlic sauce instead of the hummus. My husband got the chicken shawarma. We got a side of the assorted pickles which included eggplant, turnips, cucumber, walnuts, and artichoke hearts. We got a side of the falafel as well which was also good. The ambiance is wonderful, nice and small but with plenty of searing. I've had the Turkish coffee before and it was awesome. read more

Stopped for dinner on ride back from day trip to Augusta and WOW are we glad we did!! We started with the vegetarian stuffed grape leaves (delicious) and Mediterranean bean dip (superb). We continued with couscous salad, Beirut salad and beef shawarma roll up. The food was simple yet very flavorful!! We found the restaurant was clean and inviting. We were seated promptly by a very friendly person. Our order was taken and meal served in good time. Our family really enjoys Mediterranean food and visit restaurants in the Cambridge and greater Boston areas often. This gem - by far- is our favorite one to date!! Worth a trip for dinner from Boston again!!! read more

Olive Cafe - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

I just recently stumbled upon this place via 2DineIn when I was in search of some takeout. I was looking for a place that was new to me, and was craving a salad. Enter Olive Cafe. I ordered the Beirut Salad, which comes with greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, sesame seeds, and tahini viniagrette, and added falafel on top. HOLY COW, YOU GUYS. This is my new favorite salad, and one I have tried to recreate many times at my home, but it just misses the mark. This salad from Olive Cafe is one of the best salads I've ever had seriously. I'm looking forward to ordering some of their other salads, as they all look good. I haven't tried anything else other than this yet, and I do have a feeling I will be trying more very soon. Their Lebanese/Mediterranean fair hits the spot for sure. Can't wait to explore this menu a bit more! read more

I had a delivery order of a Greek Salad with chicken and a Gyro. Wow. Great food and a great price. $10 Greek Salad with $5 for chicken added. $10 Beef Gyro. The salad had lots of chicken and feta cheese and salad dressing on the side. It included onions, tomatoes and cucumbers as well The chicken was grilled and chopped. The gyro had tzikki sauce with flavored beef, onions etc. really good value too. read more

Olive Cafe - Greek Salad with Chicken delivered - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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TIP: Check Groupon for Deals! There are a good amount of Middle Eastern cuisine restaurants in Portland, however, Olive Cafe, an authentic Lebanese restaurant, stands out as the best! My friend, who grew up in Tripoli, was surprised to find such authentic Lebanese flavors here in Portland. OoOoh were my taste buds singing! I was also not expecting to find this hidden gem right on Commercial street. He ordered the beef kafta and I ordered the kibbi (my only prior experience being my friend's mother's kibbi) and boy was it a home run! The food was absolutely delicious! Service was great! It's a bit on the pricier side, but it was absolutely worth it. The food lingers in your mouth leaving you craving for more. It looked like we both licked our plates clean. Not even one grain of couscous was left. The waiter commented, "I guess you guys didn't like it" with a sweet chuckle. This place gets the Lebanese approval stamp from my friend! (I can only give out Mexican approval stamps). Do yourself a favor, whether it's for lunch, dinner, or a romantic date night, head over to Olive Cafe and try something new! Authentic! Flavorful! Simply put this place is just damn good. read more

Olive Cafe - Beef kafta with rice and Kibbi with couscous! SO DELICIOUS! - Mediterranean Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Incredible food and service! Our party had the mediterranean plate, haddock shawarma bowl, and the lamb shawarma bowl. We also ordered their baklava after our meal and everyone agreed it's the best baklava we've had anywhere! Hot and homemade. We found our way here after trying unsuccessfully to get a last-minute table at a seafood place while we were in town. Next time we're in Portland we'll just be heading straight here! read more

Very authentic Lebanese food. It was so good; felt like I was eating my Mom's cooking. So happy to find my cultural food here in Portland, an unexpected surprise. If you know food from this region of the world won't be disappointed. We are hooked and will be regulars now. Don't forget to try the baklava; it's served warm and so delicious read more