Nicholas Restaurant

Let me start by saying that I am no expert in Lebanese or Mediterranean cuisine by any means. When it comes to eating food it’s pretty simple for me: I like ethnically diverse flavors and I like what I like!
For me, the only drawback here is the small space, which some may find cramped. It’s a very small issue for me personally but some may find it quite bothersome.
I have been here several times and to be honest, we get the same thing just about every time lol. My partner and I start with meat-​stuffed grape leaves and of course, the enormous bread that every table receives on arrival. Then we split a vegetarian Mezza platter and either Beef Shwarma or the Lamb skewers, both served with lovely saffron rice. We never finish everything, even when we are starving, as we were this time! Just delicious food with leftovers and pretty good service. What else can you ask for? Check them out!

Their fresh baked bread is absolutely phenomenal! I don’t even wait for it to cool down before eating it! Their hummus is delicious to go with the bread!
I’ve always had great service here and I like the intimate setting of the restaurant.
I highly recommend the beef Kafka kabob!

I will give them a 2 for effort. They are trying run a restaurant here and that’s admirable, but they just aren’t pulling it off. I had high hopes as
I heard this place was good, though I was sadly disappointed. We arrived and were told by a hostess/​waitress to have a seat wherever we like. There were small tables for two and one table for four. The tables were so small I decided to sit at the table for four. I was then almost immediately approached by a girl who asked how many were in my party. I told her there were only going to be two, she then asked if I could move tables. I really didn’t want to so I asked if I could stay. Just abruptly said «sure» and walked away. Kind of bizarre as I was just asked to sit wherever I liked. Though that wasn’t what killed it for me. I ordered a starter of spinikopita which was like a cheese and spinach pastry. When it arrived it looked almost wet. I took a few bites only to find uncooked dough, and the cooked bits soggy with oil from the melted cheese. It was a slimy texture and made me feel ill. I took a few bites and left it. Hoping for better luck with my entrée I ordered a Kabob, one chicken and one beef. It came out on bed of rice, which was soggy and sticky. The meat tasted cheap and chewy. All the while trying to enjoy my food, the waitress who asked me to move kept starring me down. It made for an uncomfortable atmosphere. Not to mention they were playing Indian music in a Lebanese joint, maybe they’re confused about what they are trying to do here but serving good food certainly isn’t it. Spend your hard earned dollars somewhere worth the while.

What a nice surprise for lunch in an industrial section of town. The interior is cozy, if a little loud, and the open fire oven lends nice ambience. We opted to enjoy a side order of baba ganouj with the amazing roasted complimentary flatbread. My companion ordered Turkish coffee, which I’m guessing wasn’t up to par, since he only drank half of the tiny cup then sent it away. We had a Moroccan chicken bowl and a veggie mezza bowl. $ 25 before tip for two lunch specials, one side, and one beverage.

So delicious. Lots of delectable dishes. Great value. Very nice servers too. Worth the wait!

Delicious food. Very tasty and healthy combination. One of those hole in the wall places
Chicken kabob Chicken kabob Chicken kabob
The chicken was very tender, juicy and flavorful. Rice is soft and tasty. And there is kale on the side.
Pita bread is fresh baked, and if you pair it with hummus ($ 4), hit the spot.
Parking is a little pain, but I guess that’s just Portland in general.

We had a super time last night with superior service from Sergio. Fresh Pita bread always brings us back to Nicolas. Lamb salad was perfectly prepared and the mezza plate (vegetarian) was deliciuos. Three of us cleaned that plate in less then ten minutes because everything was just really tasty. This is a great spot for lunch or dinner since it is perfectly located in the Southeast section of Portland, OR.

Nicholas Restaurant had been on my list of places to try for a while. I had procrastinated on visiting because I had heard about long wait times on the weekend. We decided to go for a very early dinner (around 4:30 PM) and the wait was minimal — maybe 5 minutes.
There are so many tasty sounding options of things to try on the menu! As I was debating between my various choices, I saw some gigantic platters come out full of food to other people at nearby tables. Wow. They do not skimp on the portion size.
In the end, we decided to go semi-​family style with our date night meal. We ordered the meat mezza (hummus, tahziki, falafel, tabouli salad, beef kafta, and mini chicken kebab pizza) and the chicken kebab pizza (chicken, mozzarella, garlic cream sauce, basil, red pepper, and tomato). We also split a blended mango lassi. All of it was very good and we had plenty of leftovers. The prices seemed very fair for the amount and quality of food.
4 stars.

Good service, very good food, nice ambiance. Love the history portrayed on the walls, all the pictures about the owner.

Food here is really, really, really good. The location here makes you feel a little crammed but I think it’s worth it coming here for the food. It would have been nice if their place was a little bigger and the tables weren’t so super close to each other. I always get the lamb kabob here and it’s just amazing. I love the rice, I love the mushrooms, I love the lamb. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

You can’t beat this place for Lebanese food please try their strawberry yogurt drink I love it

First time there last night. Pita bread was fantastic. Shared a meat mezza platter, which was extremely tasty and very fresh. Ordered Kibbah, which was something I had not tried before, and it was savory and fantastic. Salad was also really good; loved the dressing.
Even in beer-​obsessed Portland, they had a few beers I’d never including Almaza from Lebanon, and Hawards 5000 from India.
Despite being very busy on a Wednesday night, the service was very good. I can’t wait to go back. Fantastic.

This is one of my favorite go-​to place, it’s ridiculously yummy. I love going in on a rainy day and they give you the fresh out of the oven Pita! The service is always quick. I really love the Vegan Mezza and the Grape Leaves! I have only been to the Broadway location out of the 3. It’s beautiful inside. Parking can be a challenge but it’s worth it!

Nicholas was one of my favorites in the City. It was my reflex recommendation when people inquired about good Middle Eastern food.
As of late, and coincidentally since they made changes to the menu/​staffing, the product is not the same. The food has way too much sodium and the meats are not fresh. Even the rice tonight was sticky. Definitely not the same recipes or chefs that won me over a few years ago.
I gave Nicholas another shot tonight. The service is decent but the food confirmed the same meh experience as my last visit a couple of months ago.

When the best comes back around!
Decided it was more than fair to update my review. I had several issues with food quality and service and I was pretty well done coming here to eat. After a very nice chat with the owner, my foodie friends and I tried it again, and we were all pretty happy overall. Still a few improvements to be made but I will be eating here again. I waited about 4 months and I can see some standards have vastly improved however. Lebanese is so special in Portland, and the family that brought it here still makes it great!
We ordered a veggie mezze platter for the two veggies including myself, a meat mezze for my meaty buddy, and an order of fried cauliflower and veggie grape leaves. I’m still amazed how quickly they prep the food and get it to table. The first thing that hits is that beautiful pillow of a pita bread with oil and thyme dipping sauce. A real treat in itself. Fresh, piping hot, and made with love. The dishes start piling up quickly between plates of garlicky garbanzo beans, baba gahanooj, hummus, falafel, tabouli salad, and a lentil/​rice combo called mjadra with gorgeous pan fried onion. Add some tzaziki yogurt sauce and tahini, you’re in for the night and there’s no doubt you’ll be full.
It’s one cuisine where sharing plates is made easy, and it’s fun when you’re with a group. Food overall was much more improved than the recent year or so. Sauces were delicious, tangy, and paired well with the vegetables and bean dishes. Scooping all that goodness up with pita bread puts me back in time in a Middle East village with family and friends. I especially enjoyed their hummus. Really good flavor now with a whipped texture. Plenty of garlic, and not super heavy. Tzaziki is amazing, and is something I hold high in regard. Beautiful stuff here!!!
Falafel still needs some work. They used to be oval, crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy inside. While the green goodness is back versus previous visits, they’re still small round hockey puck shapes that are really dense. It seemed like they had been sitting for awhile and soaked up oil. A little off-​putting but not bad… and we certainly ate them all!!! I’m a big fan of stuffed grape leaves. The ones here had great taste, they just were a bit messy to eat since they were wrapped really loose, or had come loose. Regardless, they are a labor of love and since i usually order things I have no skill of making myself… no big complaint, haha!
Overall, I’m really happy to see some improvements. This is just a fine place run by a beautiful family that works extremely hard to make it all seem easy when you sit down for dinner. Service was really very good this time, and I really appreciated that. A lot of attention and care. I’m very satisfied, and I hope anyone reading this will bring some friends and try it out.

The good:
— friendly service
— tasty food
The bad:
— street parking only
— small, cramped restaurant
Having never had Lebanese food before, my buddy recommended we give Nicholas Restaurant a try. When he used to work in the area, this was his go-​to lunch spot.
When we arrived, it was pretty empty, so we were sat immediately. Our server was friendly and attentive, but never hovered. Soon after placing our orders we were served their fresh, house pita bread with some herbed olive oil. It’s good stuff, so be sure to pace yourself so you don’t fill up on it!
For our appetizer, we decided to try the Meat Grapeleaves ($ 8). This was actually the first time all of us tried stuffed grapeleaves. These were filled with ground top sirloin, cilantro, parsley, jasmine rice, and fresh garlic, served on some tahini with chopped tomatoes and green onions. These were delicious! The meat was tender, the rice nicely done, well seasoned and just so full of flavor. We all loved them.
For their entrees, my buddy and wife both ordered sandwiches. My friend ordered a Gyro ($ 9), while the wife got a Falafel Sandwich ($ 9). Both were served with some pita chip strips and some tahini. Both liked their sandwiches very much.
For my main, I went with the Lamb Kebab ($ 18). The lamb was marinated in mint, garlic, olive oil and parsley, grilled and served over a bed of jasmine rice with a roasted tomato and toum (Lebanese garlic aioli). This dish was full of flavor, though the standard medium well doneness was too well done for me. I think next time I’d probably ask for a medium-​medium rare doneness, but hey, thought I’d go with the standard the first time around. The skewers also included onion, bell pepper and mushrooms.
In all, another great meal in Portland. The casual atmosphere was nice, the service great and the food wonderful. I’d definitely be back in the future, even though I accidentally left my credit card at the restaurant and had to go back the next day to get it!

I give this place a 3.5. I called ahead and they don’t take reservations. Once we got there, it was a 15 minute wait for dinner — not bad. However, the restaurant is very cramped so you have to wait outside, but at least they take your cell number and text you when a table is ready.
Once seated, the waitstaff were very friendly. We got the lamb platter and chicken schwarma sandwich with hummus. Staff brought out a huge pita bread, which was good. The two dishes were good too, but nothing to write home about. We also got mango lassis, which were incredibly pulpy and generally not great. Maybe we’re just used to mango lassis at Indian restaurants, but these were very different and we weren’t big fans.
By the end of the meal, we were stuffed. The portions are quite large and all that bread and rice is filling. We definitely brought some home.
Would we go again? Nah. Again, it was fine but we’ve had better med/​lebanese food in town. We also agree with Unilocal that it is kid friendly (we brought our 2-​year old toddler), but the space is so tight sitting in very close quarters to your table neighbors that we’d actually advise against bringing kids.

Check the dates on these reviews. Nicholas may have been good back in the day, but this restaurant is no bueno these days. The interior is kind of cheap and weird (which I’m cool with if the food is good), but nope, big disappointment in the food department. Yep the bread as promised is as wide as your waist, but really the food quality is just kind of shitty. Tough greasy meats, boring sides that tastes like something you can pick up in a grocery store, a poor booze menu, and terrible service. Really this place is a bummer. Went once and don’t plan to be back.

This use to be our go to spot! My husband and is Lebanese and we would go here every Sunday when we first met. We would order a little of everything hummus, tabouli, grape leaves, chicken kabob, rice pudding and baklava all delicious great portions and reasonable!
We have moved to California so now only come up when we visit. We went tonight and took my parents and kids. It looks nice and open, still tiny. We were looking forward to seeing Salam, he always waited on us. Pretty slow service, we had to ask for everything, no one was very attentive. We ordered the same as usual. Boy was I disappointed! The hummus is more runny, the grape leaves were all leaves and not stuffing, the bread is always great, the chicken and rice was fine… the rice is way too mushy, the chicken taste the same and all the portions are cut in half and you pay more. Then came rice pudding… surprise it’s a smaller bowl and way too runny!
Overall I was so bummed! This was the place to go and we couldn’t wait to come back and go there. I am sorry to say it might be my last. We had a lot of great memories there, but the quality and portions are a really bummer! It might help if you hired more up beat people who looked like they like there job too!

Came for lunch around noon and the place filled up quickly. Great staff, friendly and attentive. I got the gyro bowl and appreciated the option for salad instead of rice. Wish the salad was lettuce instead of kale but that’s just personal preference and was still delicious! Food tasted great and I even had leftovers! Parking is street parking so that can get a little tricky but I was able to find a spot within a few minutes!

I’d rate this place a 3.65
Solid choice for mediterranean, though not the best. I love their mezzas for the options they have. The pitas are large (like giant), freshly made and are included with every meal. Overall a fun place to come with friends to try a bunch of different things.
Some food specific reviews:
— Falafels were just ok, which is too bad since I use it to judge most places.
— Meat stuffed grape leaves were tasty
— Tabouli was solid, heavier on the parsley
— Fried cauliflower was great
— Hamara was ok, I prefer mine more spiced and sweet, but this was more tame
Good place on occasion especially when you want to try something different.

Authentic Mediterranean. Good spot. Small restaurant, little bit crowded. Not so good for groups.
You get a giant pita to start. Its huge as you can see from the many pics. You get an oil herb dipping sauce but get the meat mezza also. It comes with a lamb kebob, a mini pizza, tabouki, tzakati and hummus. Soo good!
We also go the gyro, that was good as well. Split in two, easy to share. Came with pita (fries) chips, I passed on those.
Great service, almost too much. We were checked on almost too much but I think that was because it’s so small.
I’d go back, I want to try more! I think I liked the gyro and the mini pizza best!

A go-​to restaurant whenever I’m in Portland. I love the pita and mezza dishes. I usually order the meat mezza and either a lamb kabob or chicken kabob. The salads are always great with a meat kabob.
The pita bread comes fresh from the oven and it’s as big as the table. There’s always a crowd here so I try to come during off hours for quicker service! This is a hole-​in-​the-​wall not to be missed.

Still the best Lebanese food in Portland by an order of magnitude. Everything they make is good in this semi-​counter-​culture affordable establishment. Now that they have a beer and wine license, it is complete.
They always bring a big bread to the table as an appetizer. It is like a fresh baked pita 24″ in diameter straight from the oven to your table. Pick up some hummus and tahini to go with it and you have an awesome appetizer.
They cover vegetarian, vegan, and carnivores quite well. Also the baklava is great, as is the rice pudding if you find yourself in a dessert mood. I seldom do, mostly because nobody goes hungry at Nicholas’. Their portions are more than ample.

Great service
Good food
Best friend & I both got the beef kafta, it was a bit dry for my liking. However the yellow rice was very flavorful & tasty.
I also love the complimentary pita bread they gave us. Yum!

This is not a slick and hip decorated place, in fact it could really use a fresh coat of paint (it is chiping). The floor could have used a sweep to if it wasn’t so full of happy people chowing down. The food is great though.
While I was waiting for my meal the waiter left a huge and tasty, fresh from the oven so still filled with steam, pita on my table along with something to dip it in. Seriously it was huge.
Then came my salad it was good, a bit to much dressing for me. It also had tomatoes which I had asked they hold all tomatoes and the waiter had said they would.
Then came the meal. It was served on a platter there was so much. I had the chicken kabab. Two large kababs with chicken, red peppers and onions spiced. The chicken was grilled to if not perfection it was close enough I could not tell the difference. The plate also came with delicious rice!
After the meal the waiter asked if I wanted desert, there was no way I could have eaten more, I had plenty of leftovers. So I got the baklava to go.
I think their rule is they want to make sure no one can finish the meal, none of the tables around me were able to. The bill for my meal came to $ 21 so not cheap but really good, and plenty of food enough for a meal the next day.
Four stars because they earn it with the food, I might have gone five except for the service, Not as slow as some reviews make it sound but while lots of refills later early in my meal I could have used one faster. The big problem was the tomatoes.

Oh my, I hope you have Magdalena as your server! Simply a loveliness and sweetness in her interaction.
She gave me sumac as a spice to try at home, since I asked her about it. I had schwarmas and hummus and salad. It was a delightful afternoon over gorging myself.
Highly recommended and you will love the art on the walls and the lovely music. The huge flatbread served at the beginning is a LOT to eat for one person.

This place is a hidden gem, not much from the outside, inside is a small but cozy dinning room decorated in warm colors, staff is very friendly and make you feel welcomed.
They bring you out this huge fresh baked pita that’s piping hot, you also get a side of infused oil to dip it in. They have a great menu selection, we shared the meat mezza it had Humus, tahziki, fresh falafel, tabouli salad, beef kafta skewer, & chicken kabab pizza pie that was for two. Everything was outstanding, the tahziki is outstanding, tabouli salad is very refreshing. Large portions and is perfect to share between two people. The flavors on this plate are just outstanding, it’s like your taste buds are dancing.
We also had the lamb platter, can’t even describe how amazing the flavors were, the lamb has a fresh mint flavor in the meat, it has roasted onion and red bell peppers and is on a bed of saffron rice.
The prices for the amount of food you get are not bad at all, you will be taking some home with you. I’m not sure how anyone has room for dessert at this place. All around a great first experience and will definitely return and recommend this place to others.