Habibi Restaurant

One of the best restaurants downtown, a bit small for large parties... but extremely good food for an intimate night out. more

My vegetarian friend wanted to come here and now I know why. As far as my meaty meal, it was juicy and the portions were pretty good size wise. My friend liked her vegetarian platter (spinach pie, baba ghannouj, etc.) so overall I'd say Habibi was good. With all the choices for vegetarians I'm pretty sure my friend will be back before I will too. more

My wife and I checked Habibi out last Friday and had a blast. The servers were very attentive and made us feel at home, but it was the great food and decor that really made the evening. The food is very authentic and the best Middle Eastern food that we've had in PDX. We've spent about 7 years searching for a place that we'd want to come back to and Habibi is definitely it. Also, very cool decor and bar. Definitely worth checking out! more

They have 2 convenient locations and the best food hands down. more

Have been there with couple of friends on a Sunday afternoon. We had chicken shawarma, chicken kabob. The general tasty kabob dish was just okay... i wished the chicken was a little bit more succulent (it just was dry as it was a day-old item). Shawarma was much better than the kabob item. The falafel was good. The salad, which came with the entree, wasn't great. I would prefer other middle eastern choices that are out there. Pros: Nice location Cons: Okay food more

We went here to use a Groupon. I ordered the Vegetarian Mezza platter, to try a little variety. Plenty of food, enough for two people. Service was fast and pleasant. My boyfriend got the Chicken Kabob. He said it wasn't is favorite thing ever. A lot of meat, not enough veggies. But some people might prefer it that way. I will definitely go back there again. I thought some things on the menu were a little pricey, but the mezza plate was a great deal. Pros: Good food, Good Service, Large portions Cons: Some items expensive more

Okay, maybe it's the fact that I have Lebanese heritage but I love this place and head here whenever I'm... more

Okay, maybe it's the fact that I have Lebanese heritage but I love this place and head here whenever I'm downtown. My face has since become recogni... more

The other night I was on my way to my favorite restaurant in town, ""Persian House"" and decided to try something new. I saw this place called Habibi and it looked busy so I stopped in and tried it. It was nothing to rave about but cheap. I think that's why some people go here. If your looking for quality home cookin go right up the street to Persian House and if your looking for good lebanese I recommend Nicolas. Cons: Quality more

We were sat upstairs and the wait staff promptly forgot that we were there (though from reading more reviews posted here I can see that it doesn't matter where you are, the service is horrible).\r The portions were extremely small. I ordered the vegetarian mezza. It came with 1 falafel and 1 piece of pita bread. No one ever asked if we wanted water.We ordered cokes and they were never refilled. $1.75 for a small glass of coke and not a single refill.\r I will always tip 20%, less if the service is bad. The staff at Habibi left me feeling like they didn't deserve a tip. Pretty bad. Can't imagine this restaurant being around for too many years. Pros: few Cons: many more

Was downtown today and I saw Habibi. My girlfriend mentioned she had dined here and loved it. Well, I agree with her. From the moment I walked in I felt appreciated. The owner was so nice and professional. Was by myself and just wanted to eat and read my book. I ordered the falafel combo, which consisted of hummus, side salad, falafel sandwich. Everything was fresh and amazing, reasonable too. I have dined out lately at enough crappy restaurants to last a lifetime, so it was refreshing to be treated kindly and professionally. Thanks Habibi. DeDe Unverzagt Pros: everything Cons: n/a more

I've heard great things about this place and tried it for the first time yesterday with a friend. All of the wait staff were very personable, our food came out fast and was very good. Their turkish coffee melted away the hangover i had within a few sips. We got the veggie mezza and the phoenician pizza. The falafel is amazing and their hummus, which i usually like a bit lumpier, had a great flavor, no specific spice overwhelming the rest. We ended up taking half of the pizza to go because we were near full after sharing the mezza. Our bill came to under $20. The location is very convenient for anyone who MAXes it downtown, as it's just half a block from the peterson's stop. I can honestly say that i have absolutely nothing negative to say about my experience here. Pros: Just off the MAX line, great food, great staff, cheap eats. Cons: Small , close tables may inconvenience large groups and people who can't control their kids. more

I have been to many Middle Eastern restaurants, and this one is the worst I have ever been to. I ordered the Baba Ganoush sandwich for $5. What I got was a tiny sandwich split in two, containing a few slivers of lettuce and tomato pieces and a dab of Baba Ganoush wrapped in an floury, dry pita. It was by far the worst sandwich I have ever eaten. The jallub (raisin) soda I ordered had a hint of mint and was tasty for $2.50 The service was nonexistent. I had to get someone else's attention, after waiting for 20 minutes for my original server who had seemingly disappeared, to bring me my check. The only other Lebanese restaurant I have been to in town is Nicholas Restaurant. Between the excellent food, the constant attention with the service, and the lively atmosphere, I would recommend that one if you were taking someone out. There are also other Middle Eastern restaurants in town I would recommend, including The Green Onion near PSU and Kabob House in Beaverton. Cons: Very poor food more

First time at Habibi but we will definitely go back. The food was so tasty, particularly the lamb schwarma and the veggie mezza. The owner was really genuine and fun, he made sure we were well taken care of. The restaurant is small and casual but inviting. Great location in downtown, right on the Max, can't wait to go back in the summer and eat outside. Pros: Food, ambience Cons: Small more

This place is small, but cozy; and there is a mezzanine in the back where larger parties can go. The food is phenomenal! The guy who owns this place is a hoot and will order for you if you let him. I recommend the platters that offer a little of everything. The prices aren't inexpensive, but not the most expensive I've seen. The atmosphere is friendly bordering on party like as the host goes from table to table asking how everything is. The pace isn't fast, so if you're in a hurry, try the McDonald's down the street. The food here is fresh, hot and tastes like it was prepared just for you; with care and expertise. Pros: on the MAX line; great food and friendly service; relaxed atmosphere Cons: small; close eating to your neighbor more

I love this place. The food is great, the hospitality is genuine, and the atmosphere is relaxing and homey.\r \r The owner welcomes everyone that comes through his doors. There is something flavorful and inspired on the menu for everyone, vegans, vegetarians, and even you carnivores.\r \r Seems I always go for the lebni sandwich wrap (no onions please) and the vegetarian mezza platter is plentiful and oh so tasty. The Lebanese pizza is great, the baklava is mouth watering....\r \r Some of Portland's lesser evolved Restaurateurs serving similar cuisines could learn a lesson from this establishment. Pros: Great food, excellent service Cons: Parking can be a challenge more

i love the food at habibi, delicious. the yogurt drinks are quite tasty, the lamb is always amazing, the lamb shank is the best. now onto service... don't get me wrong the owner is ridiculously friendly, and helpful, and he will bend over backwards to give you a great experience, but if he is busy, or otherwise unavailable you are left to the mercy of the rest of the staff. in which case you will get no refills of water, soda, etc. they look at you like you are crazy when you ask for anything such as the removal of appetizer plates when your entree comes, and they act like its the biggest chore in the world. outside of the owner, the service borders on being rude. that aside it is still a favorite of mine, and pretty much every time i've gone there i've had a great experience Pros: great service from owner, fabulous food, great prices Cons: poor service from staff more

The food here is very good and the owner makes you feel welcome and at home. He's happy to recommend dishes if you're not familiar with the food. I've been to Karam and thought it was great and I would say that Habibi is at least on-par with that. They could take a page or two from Oasis over in Beaverton as far as some of the dishes but nevertheless it's a solid dining experience and you'll walk away full and happy. The atmosphere is nice and they also have outdoor seating right on Morrison. Great for people watching and in the shade. Give it a try, there's a reason these guys have so much repeat business. Pros: The owner is a friendly guy. Cons: can be warm inside on a hot day. more

The first time that I ate here I thought that the food was somewhat mediocre though certainly not odious or inedible, I just found there to be nothing remarkable about it. I decided that I would probably just stick to Nikola's since the food there is slightly cheaper, slightly better, and served in MUCH more generous portions. Today, however, I was downtown looking for some chow so I thought I'd give it another shot. Bad decision. I have never neglected to leave a tip until today. The food was not fresh and it was down right gross. They served me a tiny piece of bread that was cold and stale, the hummus was dry, bland, and crusty, the babaghanoosh was yucky and too garlicky, the ""spinach pie"" was wrapped in this nasty pizza dough that tastes like the crust of frozen pizza. The ""Lebanese pizza"" was also a little stale, not to mention bland. And the falafel was crusty and dry. Before I ordered, I thought the price was a little steep, but I assumed that I would have plenty of leftovers to take home (my wife and I can split a vegan platter at Nikola's and still take home leftovers). The portions were jaw-droppingly skimpy here though. Then to top it all off, I sat there for 20 minutes after I finished my food and was completely ignored-no check, no drink refill, nothing. I finally just threw some money on the table and walked out. Lebanese food can really be much better than this. The owner of this restaurant does seem like a nice guy, but he needs to get together a bit. Pros: nice owner Cons: bad, overpriced food more

Fabulous food, warm and charming service, great location. I always have a special and fun time when dining at Habibi. All the food I have ordered there -- shawerma, baba ganouch, hummos, falafel, etc. -- has been delicious. I've dined there with parties from two to twelve and have never had a complaint of any sort. It's my favorite downtown restaurant. Pros: Fabulous food and charming service more