Great value! Great quality… not so much! I’ve eaten my fair share of falafel sandwiches at a wide variety of places in Portland. I like a lot of things about this place, but something just misses the mark. Aybla’s food trucks are well known around town, so I was really happy they had an inside location. It’s a little hard to find in a warehouse laden area just South of Grand/MLK. Simple order at the counter service and they work hard and are quick with your food, and you get a LOT of food. Like I said, great value. $ 7 for a sandwich is just fine, but after two visits I won’t be back. First time was alright. Except… the tomatoes were unripe and that really throws off the flavor of the sandwich no matter what you put in. Second visit, same issue with the green tomatoes, but what did it was that there was mold on the bread. I brought my sandwich back in and showed them and while they made another one for me, the server disagreed with me there was mold. That green stuff on the bread… that’s mold! Keep it in perspective however. They don’t have bad kitchen practices, the bread had just gotten wet and sat too long and they didn’t catch it. It happens, just don’t argue with me. Other places it loses a star from me is that even being an inside location, they have no bathrooms available for customers and no seating whatsoever. I understand, but one assumes there will be a basic necessity for customers parking and going inside to order food. I have since learned that this location in technically a commissary kitchen, and they cannot legally have restrooms in the kitchen area for the public. Also, no seating apart from a picnic table outside is because of zoning laws and restrictions, and they have no control over this. Not their fault on these points, just difficult as a customer because you don’t know upon walking in. Overall, not a bad place at all, it just missed the mark for me and I can find better elsewhere for my money. Naturally it’s up to each customer to make their own determination.
Nick E.
Classificação do local: 5 Spokane, WA
Takes credit cards. Clean and open. I suspect this site is where they prep the trucks to go out. In an unassuming warehouse area near OMSI. Like is said new, clean and nice. The food was delicious.
Jasmyn M.
Classificação do local: 4 Portland, OR
Based on reviews I figured I’d try this place during lunch during my day class at the nearby PCCCLIMB. Ordered the regular lamb gyro($ 6) not the super because I didn’t feel like I needed more pita, meat or the addition of feta that was included in a super. I was right. The regular was quite generous in size and very amply filled with delicious lamb meatballs, not the thinly sliced kind I was expecting. The tzatziki sauce was also delicious… but also ample. Amply messy. I could’ve used less of it and/or many more napkins. Maybe a wetnap or two. They staff were friendly and my food came in about 2 minutes. Nice spot for a quick lunch if you’re in the area.
Allison B.
Classificação do local: 3 Portland, OR
Food and wait time is awesome, wish it was cheaper but you can’t win them all!
Paula W.
Classificação do local: 4 Portland, OR
I kept driving by this spot for months before I finally decided to stop and check it out. I’ve been a huge fan of a Med place further north so this joint had big shoes to fill. And fill them, they did. I usually get the Mediterranean platter with lamb. Waaaay more than one person can eat. I easily get 2 meals out of it and it was like, $ 10!!! Compared to the other joint further north, this was a huge savings. I’ve also had the lamb gyro. Again, a big olé’ handful of meat for little money. I pretty much plan my trips to the nearby restaurant supply houses so I can grab some grub while there. In fact, my employer buys everyone lunch periodically and I talked them into ordering from Aybla last time. The employees loved the food and my employers loved the price and thought the service was wonderful.
Buttercup A.
Classificação do local: 5 Portland, OR
suuuper lamb gyro… again(and again!!) so what if I eat here at least once a week — mind your own business! bigP says«i don’t like lamb — yuck!» i say«put it in your face and then you can thank me» he does, and he did… again(and again!) now we are scouring the city in hopes of finding a 12 step program to cure our addiction. tomorrow, right after lunch… ps: not too sure the hours posted to Unilocal are correct… I think they close closer to 3 or 3:30 on weekdays. you can always head up to the Belmont food carts for a fix after hours! super lamb gyro is consistently 5*‘s. always at least 2(messy!) meals for me. hand cut fries with feta is 3*‘s. they are good but not something I’d order again. chicken salad is 4*‘s. that’s some darn good chicken. the salad greens are kind of boring and sometimes the romaine is bitter but i still order it often. mezza platter is 3.5*‘s. huge portions of hummus and baba… follow michelles advice and get the delicious extra pitas for .50ea falafal is good but i dont eat it enough, from here or anywhere, to rate it honestly. kafta is 4*‘s. very moist and flavorful. pistachio baklava is 5*‘s. might not be for everyone, but i have to restrain from purchasing the entire platter.
Matt L.
Classificação do local: 4 Portland, OR
You shift your wrap from one hand to the other. «This — I don’t know what to do with this.» «Put it in your face,» your companion suggests, demonstrating with their own order. Eyeing the double handful of meat, pita, veggies, and sauce before you, you’re a little doubtful. This is a giant wrap. There is no way you can fit it wholesale past your lips. Piecemeal seems like the way to go. «I’m gonna need a bowl and fork,» you admit, setting it back down and wandering off towards the kitchen. Really good greek food, your friend said, but there’s nowhere to sit. We can go back to my place and eat there. You agreed, even though the weather wasn’t particularly hospitable to waiting around out in the open for your food. You’re glad you agreed, you muse over your first mouthful; the food was worth waiting for. «Those things are dangerous,» they say, indicating your exploding wrap, «it’s like a kafta bomb.» «I got lamb,» you correct them, hefting a chunk of said protein on your fork. «Lamb, whatever.» They take another bite of falafel. «It’s good greek. You should hit me up next week, we’ll go again. Sometimes they’ve got really good specials.» Yeah okay. You’re curious about the gyros. Yeah, next week sounds good. You take another bite of your wrap.
Jenny M.
Classificação do local: 5 Portland, OR
BACKGROUND — I’m no stranger to good Greek food as we are pretty much spoiled by it in Oregon… PROS — Walking distance from work! Also a great walk from Aybla to the boat docks to eat your to-go.(This location is only for to-go with no seating area.) I usually get the Veggie Mezza for $ 7 dolla holla plus TWO extra sides of pita(50cents each) because they give you A LOT of hummus. At least get ONE extra side of pita on your first order of the amazing Mezza and see what I mean. For work meetings, I can order two Veggie Mezzas and a few orders of extra pita to-go and can easily feed 5 – 7 people. CONS — They don’t give you enough pita for your Veggie Mezza order but is that really a con now? :) Nope! They are just waaay generous on the hummus. POINTERS — This place is between Clay and Market on SE3rd, they usually have a couple of food trucks parked right out front of the building.
Randy P.
Classificação do local: 5 Portland, OR
Great lunch. They serve the industrial area of Southeast near OMSI. I have stopped here several times in their brief history here. As for Michelle’s review, I don’t think she realizes that the location actually serves as their catering center and prep location for their food trucks. The lamb is fantastic. I am so happy that they cut chunks of lamp instead of just thin shavings. It keeps the meat juicy and tastes fantastic.
Michael K.
Classificação do local: 5 Portland, OR
Awesome. cheap. tasty. and a lot of food!
Michelle P.
Classificação do local: 4 Los Angeles, CA
This hidden gem is in a kinda sketchy neighborhood. I walked there after going to OMSI. I had a falafel sandwich, which was pretty good besides it being a little cold. It was a little strange that it wasn’t a food truck or anything like that. It was a large restaurant-type place that was clearly bigger than it needed to be. The staffwere fine. It’s just in a super odd location.