TIQA

The Food was delicious and they have nice wine selection. They have a few vegetarian options. Our server was very sweet.

Dined here last night for a company Christmas party and was not impressed. Everything they offered for «entrees» were kabobs of plain grilled meat, fish, and tofu with no seasoning. I’m vegetarian and the only option they offered was the tofu which was frustrating! Vegetarians eat more than salad and tofu! The lentil and rice salad was good, though.
The place has a really nice atmosphere and it’s very clean. As we were leaving I spied some of the regular menu entrees on people’s tables and they looked delicious. I just wish they had offered better food and selection for their hosted parties as well. Disappointing…

We had a great business lunch at TIQA today. This is a restaurant that deserves to survive the Portland cauldron, At least based on our lunch experience. I’d highly recommend it for enjoyable business lunch any day of the week. The food was very good, music unobtrusive (this is extremely important to me) — service was unobtrusive and attentive at the same time. The mixed drinks were fantastic, although I wish they had been a little bit bigger. That really is my only complaint. I haven’t been there in the evening yet, but I probably will try it to see if I like it as well when the place is packed. Hope so.

We ended up at Tiqa as we wandered around looking for somewhere that looked interesting. We were attracted by the open fire heating torches on the patio, but we ended up eating inside. We sat in the bar area as they had no open tables and no reservations open until past our show start time.
The bar area is nice, and we ended up tucked back In a corner at a high top table. The stools were too high and pretty uncomfortable.
The menu has limited yet interesting offerings from a variety of locations the Mediterranean. The wine and beer list has some interesting offerings as well.
Service starts with a bread plate with oil and spices for dipping. I’m unsure or what the spices were but they were pretty bland.
We ordered mussels as an appetizer. The plate came with 6 mussels and was $ 11. As a comparison we ate at the Ritz in Boston and ordered mussels at the same price and were served roughly 20 mussels. The sauce was awesome (cream based and buttery), but it was served with only two pieces of bread for dipping. So far, we were unimpressed.
We each ordered from the kabob menu. It took 20 – 25 minutes after our appetizer to receive our meals. We had ordered them at the same time as the appetizer so I have no idea what took so long. Our waitress made on stop by our table to apologize for the wait and stated she had been «badgering» the kitchen for our meals.
That being said, I had the seafood kabobs and they were fantastic. The grains were perfectly cooked, the seafood was perfectly grilled and the hummus type dip was amazing. My husband had the keftah kabob which is similar to a lamb meatloaf. Is was a little dry, but not charred. His grains were almost tasteless and bland. Portions on our meals were reasonable and much better than the appetizer.
We didn’t have a chance to try any dessert or even see a menu as we were now late for our show. It took over 2 hours to eat.
Overall 3 star rating as the food was tasty, but the service was slow. Our waitress was more than pleasant.
I’m not sure we would go back.

Can there be a zero star option? 5 stars to Jorge. 0 stars to everything else.
This was my second time visiting TIQA, and while the first experience was fine for a drink and an app, my second experience was not so much. We had made reservations for a table of 12 for 6 pm, arrived at 545 and were seated right away. When ordering, around 630, we requested separate checks. We were assure this was able to be accommodated. At 720, when we were served our food we requested our checks as we had to be somewhere at 8. By 8, we still did not have our checks. During this time, it was clear that our waiter was clearly overwhelmed. The general manager was the in vicinity, but appeared more interested in chatting at the bar than actually helping out his employees. We asked him for assistance, reiterating that we did have a place we had to be (10 minutes ago). He told us they were working on it. By 815, still no checks, and the checks that had come to some parts of the table were incorrect. At this point, we were truly willing to pay whatever because it was imperative that we leave. The owner touched base with one of the members of our party. When she expressed frustration that a) we had requested separate checks 2 hours prior, b) we had requested our bill almost an hour prior — she was told that the waiter was working on it and «we were the ones holding them up». We were then told to «just go», I’m still not sure what we were even charged for at this point.
In addition to this, the restaurant ran out of: mint, basil AND cucumbers in the 2 hours we were there to order drinks. They served another member of our party the entirely wrong meal, offered to comp it, then charged her for it.
I do have to say that up until the check fiasco, the service was really great. Jorge, our waiter, was very well meaning and it clearly was not his intent to struggle with the check situation. We would have appreciated being told that we could not split checks if it had been an issue.
The owner and general manager are another story. They were condescending and downright rude. I will not be visiting this establishment again.

Great appetizers at TIQA in Portland: fried pork Bellies and warmed olives. Then moved on to lamb chops and lamb skewers, with a wonderful assortment of bread, olive oil and spices for dipping. For dessert, you MUST try the strange-​sounding but absolutely FABULOUS Knafeh, made with shredded phyllo, fresh mozerella, spiced cherries and crème anglais. A must have!!!

I had high hopes from the second I walked in and smelled a mix of fragrant spices. The service was friendly, the décor inviting and modern. I love that the menu identifies where each dish comes from, and I will say, the dishes are very well presented. I’d give this spot a 4.5 star if I could!
The selection of breads with olive oil and a spice mix was a great teaser. The pita was unexceptional, though fine, but the olive bread was really delicious, lightly crispy, perfect with all the accompaniments.
The michoteta salad was beautiful: long, fresh, thin slices of cucumber wrapped in a circle around a bed of what looked like a Greek salad: black olives, feta, tomatoes, topped with oregano vinaigrette, and I have to say, it was one of the most fresh, balanced, and mouth-​watering salads I think I’ve ever had.
There are a number of wines, both from the usual suspects (New Zealand, California, etc.), but also some Lebanese and other more exotic wines. I enjoyed the Lebanese Cabernet-​Syrah from Lebanon, though it wasn’t highly memorable.
The harissa lamb kebabs with pickled saffron cauliflower, red onions, spiced yoghurt, and date vinaigrette was well-​seasoned and again, well-​balanced, though I found the lamb kebabs very slightly dry, thin, and impossible to get off the skewers (I opted to cut them off — they would not slide off for anything).
My dining companions enjoyed the whole fried fish (sole) with a parsley pesto and greens, and the sumac roasted chicken. All in all, a wonderful meal.

One star, because there isn’t an option for zero.
My wife and I dine 50 – 60 times per year in the Portland area alone, and over the years we have had the good fortune to visit excellent restaurants all over the world. The food at TIQA was very pretty on the plate but fairly bland. We’ve both eaten at many locations all around the Mediterranean as well Morocco and France and this was a very weak representation of the cuisines from these areas, which have some of the most flavorful food in the world.
The service was hands down the absolute worst we have ever experienced. When I say the worst, I mean worse than than any backwoods diner, all-​night pizza joint, or airport deli. And when I say ever, I mean EVAR. In a dining room that was 30% full (which should have been a dead giveaway at 8:30 on a Saturday night in July) we waited 45 minutes for drinks, another 45 minutes for dessert, and an hour to get our check. One hour, not from the time we started eating, but from the time we asked for the bill.
But wait… there’s more! Did I mention that they never actually brought it? About 30 minutes after the first and second requests for our check, the manager came by our table and briefly apologized for the delay. No explanation, and no offer to comp a single thing for our party of ten. At the one hour mark we had to actually go to the front of the restaurant and tell them what we had ordered, then pay, then leave.
While the interior of the restaurant was very inviting and the drinks were great, I have no idea where any of the positive review are coming from. In a city of truly exceptional dining options, save the $ 150 you would spend on dinner for two… you’ll get better food and service at your local Olive Garden.

Tiqa left me underwhelmed.
I’ll start with the negatives. The décor is really industrial. I felt like I was dining in an Ikea more than a Mediterranean restaurant. The food was kind of bland. I was expecting to be hit with a million flavors in my mouth, but it was just okay. The price for this bland food was kind of high.
Also, we ordered more bread (the pita was amazing!), and it wasn’t complimentary. Which is fine, but the waitress should have let us know,
The positives:
–the pita (and the rest of the bread plate, I guess). Really yummy. The order of pita comes with a house made cheese that was perfectly creamy and paired with the seasoning already on the pita.
–The space. There is so much space for a possible event. I think it has potential to be a nice venue for a gathering of sorts.

We had a pleasant dinner here with family. Mediterranean style foods. We ordered Hummus with pita to start. Not enough pita, had to ask for more. The hummus was really good. We also ordered warm olives. Plenty for 6 people to share. I ordered the salad with bread (the bread was actually pita chips) and added the chicken skewer with it. The salad was just ok and the chicken was pretty dry. I’m basing the 3 stars on my meal alone. Other family members were satisfied with their dishes.
Also ordered at our table: the calamari appetizer. Wow, that was delicious! I could have eaten 2 orders of it! Don’t plan on sharing that dish if you order it!
The staff was very attentive and the food came out in a timely manner. The décor is current and seating very comfortable. I love the bar area. Comfy couches and chairs. I will go back and try this unique spot again

We had been wanting to take a trip to Tiqa so I when we received a gift card here we were pretty stoked! Unfortunately the excitement fizzled pretty quickly once we arrived.
Our experience from best to worst:
The service was wonderful, our waitress was the best! She’s what probably put the most positive spin on our night. She was patient and attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu, this was super helpful in deciding what to eat since I had to Google what a lot of it was. I’m sad to say I overheard her mention that she and a fellow waitress were leaving in a week to work for another restaurant. Tiqa is new to the Portland scene so it worries me that their good staff is parting with them so soon.
The food was good, nothing that really stuck out to me though. We ordered the brussel sprouts to start, they were tasty but similar to those at Pei Man, and also not as tasty. The squeeze ordered the beef kabobs, he said they were good but he was quiet for the most part about his dinner which usually means it’s not a winner. I ordered the squash entrée, I did really enjoy mine. One suggestion for the dish is to add more cheese, the cheese was so good and added variety to the flavor, otherwise it was just a plate of squash with a side of squash-​like purée and a drizzle of something green. Still very good, but lacking in dimension a little.
The cocktail menu I found odd, there are drinks ranging from $ 5.95 to $ 14.95. I asked our waitress and she explained that the costlier drinks have about double the ounces of alcohol. I guess that’s kinda cool? I just can’t justify $ 15 for one drink, I can on the other-​hand justify $ 7 – 8 for a couple different drinks. I guess it’s all your mindset. I opted for the dawa which is vodka, muddled lime, brown sugar and a whipped honey stick. It was VERY strong and despite the sugar and honey it was not sweet at all. I mean for $ 6 I’ll take it, but not my favorite cocktail.
The décor is just baaad in my opinion. It has that «hotel» interior feel with the over-​the-​top design, textures, and mood lighting. It looks like an extension of the Marriott it’s attached to which I don’t think allows for it to stand out on its own. They need to tone down the layout and find something that speaks Mediterranean and not «we hired seven different designers for each room in the restaurant.» Speaking of rooms, there is an entire additional room on the right side that was completely empty, it even has its own full bar. You could fit another restaurant in the space alone! Tiqa seems too big for its own good.
There are so many wonderful places in Portland to eat that I just don’t foresee us coming back here. I’ve read other reviews and it seems like the majority of people either really like it here or really don’t. Simply not for us is all.

Eating at Tiqa felt like a mini vacation to New York in our own backyard of the Old Port.
Our server Debbie was FANTASTIC. She was perfectly attentive, knew the menu thoroughly, and gave us excellent recommendations.
Our cocktails were brought to us in very modest sized glasses. As soon as we starting drinking them we realized were STRONG. We definitely drank our money’s worth of alcohol.
We ordered the Sofregita and the Coda Brasto Del Libano. Both meals were, hands down, the best we’ve had yet in the Old Port. They were perfectly portioned, and we felt pleasantly full rather than ‘I hate myself full.‘
My only complaint was the chicharron appetizer was $ 12 and only came with 3 small pieces of cured pork belly. Don’t get me wrong, it was DELICIOUS, but $ 12 seemed a little over priced for an appetizer that was literally three bites.
The venue was very modern and chic. The tables were comfortably far enough from one another which made us feel as though our conversations were still private. The owner was genuine, humble and down to earth, which gave me much more respect for the establishment.
We will definitely being going here again!

Either the magician was missing the night we came, or the magician has done an excellent job at casting an illusion on the rest of the population… because my friends and I did not have the experience we were expecting, hoping for, or led to believe we would have when we dined here recently.
— SPACE:
The space is incomprehensibly enormous. We were seated so… SOOOOOOOOOO… far away from everyone else in the restaurant. At one point — and probably for a good thirty minute stretch — there wasn’t a single employee in the giant room (which had it’s own bar, by the way) we were seated in. That’s kind of weird to me.
— SERVICE:
Our service was severely interruptive. I have never had to say «hold on, I’ll tell you after» so many times in my life to dinner companions because of how often a server would appear, stand there, and just stare at us.
+ DRINKS:
The Pantry (rum, apple butter, ginger beer, and a sprig of rosemary), $ 11: Alright, this was the highlight for me. I had something called The Pantry that was absolutely delicious, well balanced, and flavorful. I would definitely come back here for THIS. The Turkish Delight (rakis, grapefruit juice, and a salt-​peppercorn rim) for $ 8 and the Dawa (vodka, lime, brown sugar, whipped honey stick) for $ 6 ALSO sounded delicious… I wish I had them instead of the…
-/​+ FOOD:
— Broccolini Frito Misto (fried broccoli topped with mustard seed, tomato jam, and cheese), $ 9: Our entire table agreed that it tasted like fried clam strips. It was just limp broccolini deep fried to absolute death. HOWEVER, that tomato jam it came with was SPECTACULAR. If Tiqa served that on toast points topped with some kind of creamy cheese and charged $ 6 or $ 8, I’d be back!
-/​+ Olives, $ 6: I was annoyed that they were pitted. Is that weird?
— Falafel (chickpea fritters and cucumber tahini), $ 6: I didn’t even know what these were when they came to the table because they were so small and abundantly covered with shredded vegetables. Three pingpong ball sized falafels, and I think we ended up not even eating it all because it was just so unmemorable even as it sat in front of us.
-/​+ Hummus, $ 6: That pita? I’ve literally never eaten anything so hard in my life. That joke about something being «hockey puck hard»? These actually were! We really did have to ask for soft pita, because each of us were THAT concerned about chipping a tooth. Thankfully, the hummus was fine… I actually ended up making my own appetizer using the soft pita, the hummus, the tomato jam, and the olives.
— Patlican (tofu kabobs with marinated eggplant, tomato, zucchini, and saffron yogurt), $ 12: My significant other and I usually eat everything we order, but we didn’t touch the rice or the stringy vegetables that came with this. The tofu was fine (gooey, but fine), the eggplant was fine, the tomatoes were fine, the zucchini was fine, and topped with the saffron yogurt — it was all fine. But there was something neither one of us liked about the rice or the veggies. We would have mentioned something to the waiter but… she started disappearing towards the end of the meal.
— Desserts: We tried almost all the desserts and they were just fine. Nothing really stood out, and it all seemed one-​note across the board. I did, however, like that the coffee came with rock candy on sticks as a sweetener option, though. Very cute. Very clever. Very pan-​Mediterranean? Perhaps not (neither was the very eclectic selection of soft adult rock options they were playing as house music).
I’m not inspired to come back here for dinner at this point. I did like my cocktail, so maybe I’d come for one of those (especially because they’re on the more reasonably priced end of the spectrum in Portland). And I know they serve brunch (SHAKSHUKA!!!), so maybe if I could tear myself away from the other places I’ve come to love and trust, I’d try Tiqa out for that, but as of now… I think I’m all set.

I came here for lunch during Maine Restaurant Week. It wasn’t very clear what the deal was, and their special menu didn’t even mention restaurant week. Odd.
Anyway, there were only 3 dishes advertised, so I chose the Tiqa salad and the ricotta and pear flatbread. The salad was on the salty side (not spicy, salty) without any other flavor to balance it out, and there was no consistency on the plate — each bite was a surprise as to just how seasoned it would be. The parts that weren’t over done were pretty good, but I won’t be ordering this salad again.
The flatbread was very tasty, but I realized halfway through my meal that it’s basically Otto’s ricotta, cranberries, and butternut squash pizza, with pears instead. And, well, it’s not very new or inspiring when I notice I’ve had this dish before.
The space is huge, but the way it is broken up seems to do it justice. It doesn’t feel as large and empty while you dine (there were a few other lunch guests) as it looks on the outside. I am left confused by their décor though, it seems they were really into the modern thing with peacock blue and hexagons, but the wait staff’s attire was a completely different color and style. Maybe Tiqa is having a little bit of an identity crisis?

I really wanted to like Tiqa and after reading so many glowing reviews, I thought it would be a slam dunk. But on the night my friends and I were there, it was essentially the complete opposite. From the minute we were seated (at a table in the «overflow» section next to an untended bar) to the end of the meal 3.5 hours later, I was in a constant state of disappointment.
Things didn’t start off terribly — I really liked the glass of Sauvignon Blanc I ordered but once the food started to roll out, it was all downhill. Our appetizers were passable — the chicharron was flavorful and well prepared, the warm olives were nice and the hummus was tasty — but the pita that was served with the hummus was hard as a rock and inedible. I ordered the shorbat adas soup and although the flavor was okay, it was luke warm — a trend that carried through every dish I tried during our meal. My entrée, what Tiqa calls sofregita was sofregit — a Catalan stew base (sofrito in Castillian and Latin American cuisine) with clams, mussels, rings of lightly fried calamari and almonds. I couldn’t taste the almonds and the sofregit was decent but not hot. Sadly none of my friends were pleased with their entrees either. We were hoping that dessert could redeem the meal so we ordered more than we really needed, almost one of everything, and again we were disappointed.
On top of the bad meal, the service was slow and uneven. Our server was very nice and suffered my many questions with cheer but she was clearly out of her depth when it came to knowledge of the menu and preparations. Processing the bill took 15 minutes alone.
As others have said, the restaurant is absolutely gigantic by Portland standards and the décor is modern and clean. The tile in the bathrooms is gorgeous but if that’s the best part of the Tiqa experience, that’s rather sad.
I wish Tiqa luck and I hope they improve but I couldn’t recommend them to a friend (or anyone) at this point.

I DO NOT understand the popularity of this place. I’ve had authentic Moroccan food (in Morocco), authentic Portuguese food (in Portugal), authentic French food (in France) and authentic Italian food (in Italy/​Sicily), and my one takeaway from this dining experience is that sometimes when you have 8+ ethnic influences working together, you really have none. Perhaps people are so starved for good middle eastern/​mediterranean food in Portland that they got confused.
We were a group of six that came in to dine on a weekend night. I don’t quite get the atmosphere that they’re going for — it feels like a horrible cross between an aquarium, a Skyy Vodka photo shoot, and the 80s video game Tron — all apparently set to the soundtrack of Goo Goo Dolls, Train, Jack Johnson, etc. What is that?
Service was OK, although VERY slow. Server also did not have a grasp on what dishes were vegetarian. We were seated in the ‘overflow’ section (as I overheard one of the staff members say), and so perhaps our server was preoccupied with other customers at the other end of the expansive dining section. We had requested that our appetizers come out separately from our main dishes, however the gap between finishing our appetizers, ordering our mains and then getting our mains was about 30 – 45 minutes. Once we were finished with dessert, it took roughly another 30 minutes (no exaggeration) to sort out the bill situation, split about 4 different ways.
And the food.
I ordered:
— Warmed marinated olives — good, but they’re just olives.
— Harissa lamb kabob — came out lukewarm. Rice was tasty, kabob was WAY overpriced. For $ 8 – 10, I’ve had MUCH better in Boston.
— Fatturato — Good, well plated, and the ice cream flavor blended well with it
I tried:
–Broccolini — ok, but tasted like clam strips from the frying process
— Chicharron — the highlight. Very tasty and well prepared
–Falafel — Pretty average.
— Bolo de Pistachie — I don’t think anyone really cared for this, although myself and one other person really enjoyed the semolina pudding… very unique
We arrived at 7pm and left at 10:30pm. This should have been a two hour meal, tops. Worst part is that no one walked away with few positive things to say about their meals. Perhaps ALL SIX OF US just had a one-​time bad experience, but I can’t say I’ll be coming back to find out. I’d rather just go to one restaurant that specializes in the ONE cuisine I want to eat that night.
Kudos to the green tiled bathroom design, very nice! Although I almost ran into the mirror because I thought the reflection was actually an extension of the room. Be careful in there. The bathroom design, plus the company (5 stars!) brought this review up to 2 stars.

We ate at Tiqa for Valentine’s Day and had a really lovely meal. One of the other reviews talks about the «perfectly balanced and deliciously rich» flavors of the food, and it is such a good assessment. Many «Mediterranean» don’t appeal to me on a regular basis, but I look forward to returning to Tiqa again!
We enjoyed a fixed price menu for the holiday: a beet (the vegetable) tartare amuse bouche, and small Tiqa salad (with sunflower seeds and marinated mustard seeds — very nice), the falafel appetizer is excellent, and my wife enjoyed the oyster special. She had the hake and I had the half chicken and both were very good, and the restaurant was very good about accommodating a very bad nut allergy. The dessert was a flourless chocolate cake that was rich and divine.
We chose to order the wine pairings with the fixed price dinner, but look forward to trying the specialty cocktails the next time we dine there. And, having complimentary valet parking if you spend $ 40 or more, is very convenient.
We sat at the chef’s bar overlooking the kitchen. While this was very entertaining to watch, the seats are very high and not terribly comfortable. Next time, we’ll skip the «show» and sit at a regular table.

The start of this review is for «happy hour» only. I walked in to find three hometown friends behind the bar… whaaaat? Pretty cool though, because I was confident that no matter the price of whatever I ordered, it’d be more than worth the $. And that my friends, is the feeling you want walking to a bar!
On a second note, I haven’t been drinking lately, but when I have, I’ve been making myself ruby red martinis at my house. That was what I was hoping to order, but they don’t have the grapefruit vodka. THANKFULLY, like I said, the bartender knew exactly what she was doing. I told her what I wanted and she said she’d come back with something I’d love. Boy, was she right. A homemade grapefruit martini, whipped up with fresh squeeze grapefruit juice and a twist of lemon. It was amazing and JUST what I was «craving.»
Because that drink wasn’t on the menu, I was unsure of the price. $ 10. Perfect for a wonderful drink, atmosphere, service, and the hr it took me to drink it.
My confidence in TIQA is higher than high, so until they disappoint, which I’m praying they won’t, this is my new spot!

Tiqa is the new Mediterranean restaurant that opened recently adjacent to the Courtyard Marriott, just outside of the heart of the Old Port. I’ve been a few times now. The owner is the nicest guy you’ll ever meet and really cares about his restaurant. He appreciates feedback and I expect Tiqa to improve as the months go on. After all, it is a very new restaurant. In my few visits the food has been up and down, the atmosphere is great (I like modern and hip) and service was right on.
First, the space. This is perhaps the most stunning restaurant in the Old Port. It’s a near-​200 seat behemoth, and the interior decorating is perfect to suit all moods. There’s chef table seating, bar seating, intimate 2 person tables, large party tables and even a roomy lounge with couches. Just to cover all bases, there’s a banquet room that holds 85 as well. The colors are light and chic and the space feels modern and expensive. Despite the slightly out of the way location, this could (and should) become a very popular spot for weekend night drinks. The hours extend to 1 am on weekends.
We sat at the bar on my first trip and the service was impeccable. Several bartenders tended to our every need and were attentive but not overbearing. During two subsequent visits in the lounge area, service was also perfect. Other reviews have mentioned slow dinner service, but I have not experienced this at all. Maybe it was a bad night?
The food on my visits has been a bit uneven, but overall good. There’s a dinner menu broken up into several sections and a small plate menu. The mezze plate ($ 16) was a fantastic sampler of hummus, ganoush, falafel, veggies and yogurt dill served on a giant pita. This vegetarian dish was huge and satisfying, leaving the two of us nearly full after. The calamari was served over what tasted like a fun twist on mashed potatoes (but was cod). The mussels were the only truly disappointing dish. I’ve had better in the city and the price point of $ 12 was high for the portion size. The hummus was good but came with pita chips when I was expecting (and would have preferred) pita bread. I thought the chicken kebob was excellent and a fair portion for the price.
The drink menu has a handful of specialty mixed drinks, a solid selection of craft beers and 5 – 6 red and white wines by the glass. There is an extensive bottle list as well. The cocktail menu lags a little behind the competition, but the Dawa may be the best value around. For $ 6 you get absolut vodka (which is the house vodka!), lime, brown sugar and melted honey on a stick. It was sneakily strong and I wisely quit after 2 in order to drive. The price points are very reasonable on most drinks.
Overall Tiqa is already a strong restaurant that will certainly get even better with time. It’s also great knowing that a local family is in charge and passionately cares about their restaurant.

Portland, if the dining experience here has any semblance to taste or attention we experienced during a sneak-​peak, you’re in luck. …We’re all in luck.
We were invited here as part of the owners’ New Years Eve mixer, though in the spirit of full transparency, this restaurant has not yet opened to the general public: not for about two weeks yet, and I’ll reevaluate my review once it does.
Even before opening, Tiqa (meaning ‘kebob’ I think) enters the competitive and growing Portland eatery scene as one of the largest and stylized venues in the area. Luckily for me and no doubt many others, being a t-​shirt and jeans guy; it carries all the style while skipping on pretense. You’ll be comfortable here, I promise. You’ll feel right at home, whether you’re donning the Armani you wore to that partners’ meeting or just stepped off an island ferry in jeans and a plaid shirt (my own uniform of choice).
The owners seem to be launching an all out assault on the senses while throwing-​open wide arms, embracing everyone who walks in, like a warm Lebanese uncle or a welcoming Greek grandma would, or so I’d imagine.
But it’s the food… If Tiqa is to serve-​up anything close to the succulent, perfectly seasoned, grilled and cooked fare we tasted on our visit, it will be a must have many times over.
The beef kebobs we had were out of this world, the lamb was the same and my partner is still going on about the chicken he had and wants to attempt to mimic at home. Not sure we’ll be able to. The staff, though a skeleton crew when we visited, were all smiles, proud of the new surroundings and being a part of this long awaited kickoff. We’ve been curious about this place since first hearing of it and the invite for NYE was by complete chance. A new hands down a favorite of mine, even before the hard opening. It’s going to be one of yours as well and I can’t recommend it enough. Try one of the varieties of hummus, and definitely have the beef! …Or lamb!