Mediterranean Exploration Company

Aida Shams

Delicious experience but I think portions were small for the price. Service was fast and good. They don’t have happy hour on Sundays which is a bummer.

Julia Brooks

It’s hard to get a reservation and you needed to show proof of vaccination upon arrival, but the food, service and experience were totally worth it.

Ashley Tseng

We went here for a birthday celebration and the experience greatly exceeded our expectations! The sumac spiced confit chicken leg, kale salad, and house made labneh were our favorites from the night. We’ve had a lot of Mediterranean food before and this place is definitely at the top of the list. Such wonderful, unique flavors, and the pita bread is fluffy and delicious. We weren’t able to make a reservation online ahead of time, so showed up around 4:45 pm on a Saturday to get on the waitlist for bar seating. We were told it would be about an hour wait, but our seats were ready within 15 minutes. The service at the bar was friendly, quick, and attentive. Our food started showed up within 10 minutes of ordering and our plates were cleared promptly after finishing each dish. Reading other reviews, promptly clearing the dishes could have been viewed as rushing one out, but we didn’t mind it and frankly preferred it since the table space at the bar was limited. We’ll definitely be back and would highly recommend this place to others!

Constantine Johns

MEC is a Portland staple. It is one of those spots that you take anyone who is in town visiting. Every time we've gone it has been a delicious experience. Missed writing on our visit back in the summer, so I am doubling up... Due to COVID - you are only allowed to dine in with proof of vaccine. Back in the summer they had a nice outdoor seating area. They have 5 main sections to their menu; Salads, Mezza, Roasted, Grilled, and Tosafot. They have their staples within each section, but rotate a few dishes within each depending on the season. They are ALWAYS delicious. It is a great restaurant to pick a number of plates to share with the table. We've had a few iterations of their hummus, including their new fried brussel sprouts & pomegranate. We recommend their Hummus Abu Hassan - hands down the best hummus we've ever had! So silky and delicious; paired with homemade pita that keeps you coming back for more! We've had the Baked Feta & Peaches, Roasted Carrots, Lamb Kebab, Cod, Bureka, and Confit Chicken Leg. We've never been disappointed and enjoy trying new dishes. On our recent trip we tried their homemade Ginger Soda which was so good! Every time we've gone, we've been delighted with service. Our servers have been knowledgeable, kind and friendly. We highly recommend checking it out for a great date night!