I ordered takeout, and it was hot and ready when I arrived. I ordered chicken shawarma sandwiches,…read morea beef & lamb shawarma sandwich, dolmas, and hummus. My daughter is Middle Eastern, so I was excited to see what she thought of one of my favorite local restaurants. She said everything was really tasty. She said the dolmas were probably made by hand on site, the meats were seasoned well, and the pita was warm and soft. The prices are reasonable, and I love supporting this family-owned business. They are friendly and welcoming. I can't wait for another excuse to drive across town for another meal.

I've been to Safura's several times as it's conveniently located near my wife's place of employment…read moreand we both love mediterranean food. Ambience - Kinda a cafeteria vibe to me. But tidy and orderly and functional. Service - very courteous, friendly, and attentive. Food prepared in a timely fashion. Food - modest homemade tasting food. At this juncture, we've tried just about everything on the menu. I personally find the food a little bland and think some improvements could be made in this regard. It reminds me of a home cooked meal in which you are having a large number of friends over and want to have the broadest appeal... but not really cooking for your family nucleus and going all out.. it's safe...but not really interesting win any regard...utilitarian....if that makes sense. It's a solid OK establishment all around. But I'm glad it's here in Lacey and we will definitely return again... at some point, I'm sure.

We celebrated a birthday at Mediterranean Exploration Company with their set menu, and it was one…read moreof the best dining experiences we've had in Portland. We were able to try a wide variety of dishes, and every single one was exceptional. I have dietary restrictions (no onions or garlic), and the kitchen and staff were incredibly accommodating. They prepared separate versions of several dishes for me without hesitation, and I never felt like I was getting a lesser experience. It's rare to find a restaurant that can accommodate food sensitivities so thoughtfully while still delivering incredible flavor. The food was absolutely delicious from start to finish, and the service was impeccable. The staff was warm, attentive, and made our birthday celebration feel special without ever being overbearing. Everyone in our group left talking about how amazing the food was. We couldn't have asked for a better meal or a better overall experience. Mediterranean Exploration Company has definitely earned a spot on our list of favorite Portland restaurants, and we can't wait to come back.

Stopped by for an early dinner bite around 5p on a weekday without reservation and were seated…read moreimmediately. We weren't too hungry and ordered 3 dishes to share - the hamachi crudo, baked feta with Blackberries, and braised Greek greens. The service was pretty fast, we received our food within 15 mins. The hamachi crudo was tasty with fresh fish that balanced well with the yummy smoked eggplant, tamarind soy, black harissa mayo, and crispy ginger. The baked feta was the heartiest dish, it came out with piping hot pitas to dip into the creamy savory/sweet feta and blackberries. The braised Greek greens felt like the most basic dish out of the 3, collard greens cooked with a lemon/olive oil finish, which tasted as described but not exciting enough to order again. Just as the name implies, this restaurant is a nice way to try Mediterranean dishes for those who don't eat it often. Admittedly, the cuisine isn't in our top favorites, but all the dishes were executed well, true to their description, and made for some fun bites.

okay, i can be generous with the five stars but this place GENUINELY deserves every ounce of the…read more5/5. the food was unlike anything my boyfriend and i ever had before. we started off w the bruschetta, prosciutto, fig, grape, and grilled bread, and that was phenomenal. the bread was warm and crunchy on the outside, but fluffy and soft on the inside. that paired with the soft creamy bruschetta, topped with thin slices of salty prosciutto and sweet warm grilled figs hit every taste bud in my mouth. for entrees, we got the seafood etouffee, which was so packed with plump scallops, jumbo shrimps, sweet crab meat, and smoky sausage. so robust and flavorful. to increase variety, we also got this tropical chicken breast dish. the breast was so moist and soaked in the tastiest red curry, paired with sweet mango salsa and perfectly grilled veggies. this restaurant was such a treat. if we are ever in the state (native californian here) we will certainly be back!

Food was amazing, portions were healthy, seafood percentage in our dishes were both very generous…read more Wine was great, service was perfect! Couldn't have been any better!!! And to top it all off someone very generously bought our dinner anonymously!! We were BLOWN AWAY!! And the waiter says it happens often. What a great place to foster such generosity. We will be back to enjoy such wonderful food and to pay it forward. Thank you to the great staff including chef Josh!

We stopped here after our bike ride. What a great find! We had the chicken and lamb/beef pitas. The…read moreadded avocado was great. My husband got a blueberry lemonade that was not too sweet as most are. There were blueberries and lemons on top. Truly delicious!

Food was delicious. Staff was very kind. Restruant was clean. They have an out door patio both…read morecovered and uncovered. Bikes can park inside the restruant..

Came back this week to try the lamb kabobs. Just outstanding!!! Friendly greeting and great…read moreservice. Food was just the best.

We have dined here a few times. The dining room is large with plenty of seating, however while…read morethere on a hot summer day, they did not have their AC on which made the restaurant very stuffy and uncomfortable to sit in. The food here is fantastic - I get the Gyro or Shawarma every time I go and it never disappoints. I will say that the guy who usually works the counter is nice enough until you tell him you don't want any baklava - because at that point, it almost turns unfriendly. All-in-all, I would recommend - maybe not on the hottest day of the summer.

We have been here several times and recently to their restaurant in downtown Oly. Always liked the…read morefood and service. When I saw how old the reviews were I thought I better give them a shout out for still being great. And yes the Shawarma salad is still a hit.

I love a good falafel - who doesn't? And being a vegetarian, it's very hard to find solid…read morevegetarian food on the road, so I was stoked when I found this spot in Yelp. I'll start with the set up - it's in this cute little area with two other food trucks (which also looked good...but not falafel good) and it was very much food truck clean. Bonus, they even had a bathroom nearby! The folks working there were super nice and cheerful - I love that. But the most important thing - the food. OMG. It was amazing!! Soft, pita wrap (I'm strongly guessing homemade) perfectly crispy veggies, a light delicious sauce and some of the very best falafels I've ever tasted. Ever. I can't say strongly enough how amazing this was - I wish they had one of these trucks in every city I go through. I could eat this sandwich every day. Go - just go, eat and be happy.

We popped in to grab some dinner, we were greeted by a cheery young lady. Our food was made hot…read morewhile we waited. They hit it outa the ballpark with the food!!!!! So fresh and yummy . We all enjoyed our meals . Service was excellent and friendly!! We will be back. Peace be with you all Sherri

Food was very good; we ordered hummus, rice salad with lamb and a gyro…read more Everything else was unacceptable. The young lady at the counter gave possibly the worst service I have experienced in a long time. She gave no acknowledgment, no recommendation, seemed bothered that we were there, no response when we said thank you multiple times. ZERO ENGAGEMENT! The place is also dirty and appears unkept. The outside seating area has trash and debris from the previous day...we were there right after open... needs to be swept. Doesn't appear like it has been pressure washed in a while either. Planters are smeared with dirt, concrete stained with food buildup and tables need a bath. The inside is just as bad, which starts at the front door. Front glass looks awful...smears, dirt, grime, and streaks galore. There are also signs peeling and tape residue left from signage that used to be present. Soda machine and bathrooms were also beneath expectations. You can't have a "thank you for supporting small business" sign if you aren't doing your part. I would love to support you in the future, BUT service and cleanliness must improve.

Amazing food. Alani is a top 3, if not #1, Mediterranean spot in all of the PORT LAND. Their…read morechicken shawarma is fantastic & their garlic hot sauce is majestic. If you're in the Oregon City hood or imbibing at Oregon City Brewing then be sure to enjoy Alani. You will thank me.

After a very good experience at their other location in Canby, I decided to check out their food…read morecart at Oregon City Brewing. I was sure not disappointed! To be as fair as possible in my evaluation of the two carts, I decided to order the exact same thing to eat - except for the sauce. The giant falafel suj was super tasty and the spicy garlic sauce was the perfect complement to all the falafels that were wrapped up in a gigantic flour tortilla. Also filled with lettuce, tomatoes, tzatziki, onions and that oh-so-delicious spicy garlic sauce, the falafel suj hit the spot. Very filling! I just can't believe all that goodness stuffed into that huge tortilla. Oregon City Brewing offers indoor seating with public restrooms and a nice adjacent parking lot as well as a covered outdoor seating area. A full range of beers and ciders are also available. I've been to other Mediterranean food carts but Alani's two locations were top notch with freshly fried falafels and fresh veggies, making Alani my new go-to for Mediterranean food. Next time, I'll be ordering something different, especially after reading the reviews of other things on their menu. With a wide variety of choices on the menu, there's more than enough to bring me back again and again. Thanks, Alani!