Karam Lebanese & Syrian Cuisine

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515 SW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97204

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(503) 223-0830
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Karam Lebanese & Syrian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Karam Lebanese & Syrian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Karam Lebanese & Syrian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Karam Lebanese & Syrian Cuisine - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 53 )
( 9 )
( 0 )
( 0 )
( 2 )

Best

Great Lebanese, love the garlic, lemon, and other flavors. Staff is friendly and my daughter likes the humus plate.

Worst

I went for a birthday dinner, portions were not enough for what you pay, and the flavors were nothing to make me go back again. Well, and the best part, after I left I wasn't feel...

Great intro to Lebanese food 10/1/2009

My wife and I came across this place in some searches and hadn't tried Lebanese food, so we thought we would give them a try for a late lunch during a trip. The place didn't have a lot of diners at the time, so service was great. We both chose their Meat Mezza to get a variety of tastes. First off, the food took a little time to come, but wasn't unreasonable considering the freshness of the food. Their taboule salad was fresh and vibrant of lemon and parsley. Their hummus and babba ghannouj were very good, with the hummus being our fave. They bring a puffed pita bread that was very good. Their falafel has a nice outer crust with deep flavors. The grape leaves were nice. Their kafta kabab (lamb) had a nice array of spices, but was not heavy handed, so you could taste more of the lamb. Their chicken shawarma reminded my of a terriyaki chicken in small pieces with a different type sauce. Was very good. I think we both would come back to Karam again. The prices were not out of line and the flavors were very good. Pros: Fresh tastes in a nice small location more
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Great intro to Lebanese food 9/30/2009

My wife and I came across this place in some searches and hadn't tried Lebanese food, so we thought we would give them a try for a late lunch during a trip. The place didn't have a lot of diners at the time, so service was great. We both chose their Meat Mezza to get a variety of tastes. First off, the food took a little time to come, but wasn't unreasonable considering the freshness of the food. Their taboule salad was fresh and vibrant of lemon and parsley. Their hummus and babba ghannouj were very good, with the hummus being our fave. They bring a puffed pita bread that was very good. Their falafel has a nice outer crust with deep flavors. The grape leaves were nice. Their kafta kabab (lamb) had a nice array of spices, but was not heavy handed, so you could taste more of the lamb. Their chicken shawarma reminded my of a terriyaki chicken in small pieces with a different type sauce. Was very good. I think we both would come back to Karam again. The prices were not out of line and the flavors were very good. Pros: Fresh tastes in a nice small location more
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Great menu.. Friendly owner.. Better Service desired. 6/12/2009

I loved the food. It was fabulous. Cooked perfectly and nice to taste.. Very flavorful. Their interior is good too. Not too fancy, but very nice and middle easterny (to me, it seemed). I loved the maps on the table we sat at. I did not like the service though. The waitress took too long to bring in the food and the pita did not come with it. My husband and I were literally waiting with the dish for 15 minutes, when the pita came and it was cold. It was fresh though and I thought it might have been a case of forgetfulness on the part of the waitress and let it go, but what annoyed me was that she did not even come back to refill our water glasses. There was a party of 4 in the neighboring table and the place was not crowded. There was no reason that I could see for us to get a lousy service. The owner, who came a while later, was friendly. I will give them another chance. Pros: Variety of food; Tasted Great; Good interiors Cons: Service was not great more
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Great menu.. Friendly owner.. Better Service desired. 6/11/2009

I loved the food. It was fabulous. Cooked perfectly and nice to taste.. Very flavorful. Their interior is good too. Not too fancy, but very nice and middle easterny (to me, it seemed). I loved the maps on the table we sat at. I did not like the service though. The waitress took too long to bring in the food and the pita did not come with it. My husband and I were literally waiting with the dish for 15 minutes, when the pita came and it was cold. It was fresh though and I thought it might have been a case of forgetfulness on the part of the waitress and let it go, but what annoyed me was that she did not even come back to refill our water glasses. There was a party of 4 in the neighboring table and the place was not crowded. There was no reason that I could see for us to get a lousy service. The owner, who came a while later, was friendly. I will give them another chance. Pros: Variety of food; Tasted Great; Good interiors Cons: Service was not great more
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Delicious! 10/29/2008

The food is great! I LOVE the homemade pitas, they are warm straight from the oven. They have great options for vegetarians. I highly recommend the veggie mazawat. I recommend this place to everyone! Pros: The food! Cons: The restaurant is downtown, so parking can be tricky. more
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Delicious! 10/28/2008

The food is great! I LOVE the homemade pitas, they are warm straight from the oven. They have great options for vegetarians. I highly recommend the veggie mazawat. I recommend this place to everyone! Pros: The food! Cons: The restaurant is downtown, so parking can be tricky. more
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Just amazing... 8/21/2007

I've only been on Valentine's Day (twice) but I have to say that the service is just wonderful. The owners are friendly and the food is fantastic. The lamb is always moist and tasty and they serve my boyfriend's favorite hummus and fatayeer. Pros: Everything Cons: Nothing that I can think of more
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Just amazing... 8/20/2007

I've only been on Valentine's Day (twice) but I have to say that the service is just wonderful. The owners are friendly and the food is fantastic. The lamb is always moist and tasty and they serve my boyfriend's favorite hummus and fatayeer. Pros: Everything Cons: Nothing that I can think of more
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Great Family Owned Restaurant 7/4/2007

We went there on a slow tuesday night and found the service incredible. Both of the owners came over to greet us and the waitress was on top of everything. Great atmosphere, the decor was very nice and romantic. The music was not too obtrusive and set the stage. The food was good overall: The Veggie Mezawat which consists of many different dips (with pita) and falafel and stuffed grape leaves was incredible and made a very good sample platter. The lamb was good, but not spectacular, though we did not eat it right as it got to the table because we were distracted by our other dish. The Turkish coffee was excellent for those who enjoy their coffee very strong. The bhaklava was also quite good and served as a suitable compliment to the coffee. The prices were moderate, but not unreasonable. Definitely a good date location! Also, parking was very easy to find because of the numerous garages in the vicinity. Pros: Service, Parking, Atmosphere, Food Cons: Limited Stomach Capacity more
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Great Family Owned Restaurant 7/3/2007

We went there on a slow tuesday night and found the service incredible. Both of the owners came over to greet us and the waitress was on top of everything. Great atmosphere, the decor was very nice and romantic. The music was not too obtrusive and set the stage. The food was good overall: The Veggie Mezawat which consists of many different dips (with pita) and falafel and stuffed grape leaves was incredible and made a very good sample platter. The lamb was good, but not spectacular, though we did not eat it right as it got to the table because we were distracted by our other dish. The Turkish coffee was excellent for those who enjoy their coffee very strong. The bhaklava was also quite good and served as a suitable compliment to the coffee. The prices were moderate, but not unreasonable. Definitely a good date location! Also, parking was very easy to find because of the numerous garages in the vicinity. Pros: Service, Parking, Atmosphere, Food Cons: Limited Stomach Capacity more
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Flavorful Lebanese at a moderate price 3/9/2007

The restaurant is small and somewhat intimate. This may be why there was only one waitress covering the whole restaurant on a THursday night. Service was somewhat slow and the waitress forgot our appetizers, but the food was good. The babba ghannouj, falafel, taboule, kafta kabab, chicken shawarma, and ashta were all great. The ashta and falafel were especially noteworthy. However, I didn't quite like the Lebanese sodas (Rose water and mulberry) (it was my first time trying it, though) There is a parking lot across the street, but you have to pay to park. Disclaimer: this was only my second time trying Lebanese/Mediterranean food. The other restaurant i've tried was Nicholas' Restaurant, which i found to be inferior to Karam Pros: decent price, good food, falafel, ashta Cons: pay to park, service slow, lebanese soda more
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Flavorful Lebanese at a moderate price 3/8/2007

The restaurant is small and somewhat intimate. This may be why there was only one waitress covering the whole restaurant on a THursday night. Service was somewhat slow and the waitress forgot our appetizers, but the food was good. The babba ghannouj, falafel, taboule, kafta kabab, chicken shawarma, and ashta were all great. The ashta and falafel were especially noteworthy. However, I didn't quite like the Lebanese sodas (Rose water and mulberry) (it was my first time trying it, though) There is a parking lot across the street, but you have to pay to park. Disclaimer: this was only my second time trying Lebanese/Mediterranean food. The other restaurant i've tried was Nicholas' Restaurant, which i found to be inferior to Karam Pros: decent price, good food, falafel, ashta Cons: pay to park, service slow, lebanese soda more
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SIMPLY THE BEST 7/15/2006

This is, bar none, the most authentic and delicious Lebanese food you will find anywhere. All dishes are fresh and cooked to perfection. The service is wonderful, and I NEVER miss an opportunity to bring anyone who has not experienced Lebanese food here. I make it a point to try something different each time I go, and have never been disappointed...never. I visited Portland for the first time 4 years ago, and 3 times since. Each time I have eaten at Karam's at least 2 times for each 1 week visit....realized it would just be cheaper to move here...so we did! Now I can eat there anytime I want, and I surely do. SIMPLY, THE BEST!!!! Don't miss out :) Pros: Food, Service, Value - Excellent Cons: She won't cook at MY house :) more
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SIMPLY THE BEST 7/15/2006

This is, bar none, the most authentic and delicious Lebanese food you will find anywhere. All dishes are fresh and cooked to perfection. The service is wonderful, and I NEVER miss an opportunity to bring anyone who has not experienced Lebanese food here. I make it a point to try something different each time I go, and have never been disappointed...never. I visited Portland for the first time 4 years ago, and 3 times since. Each time I have eaten at Karam's at least 2 times for each 1 week visit....realized it would just be cheaper to move here...so we did! Now I can eat there anytime I want, and I surely do. SIMPLY, THE BEST!!!! Don't miss out :) Pros: Food, Service, Value - Excellent Cons: She won't cook at MY house :) more
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Great value for great food 7/14/2006

We had a terrific dinner there tonight. Amazing dinner and great service. Other reviewers said that the chicken sharmara and the lamb shank and goat stew were good- so that is what we ordered. My son adored the chicken and the lamb and goat were very good too. The hot homemade pitas kept appearing on the table and the spinach soup and hummus starters were really good also. I have never had hummus that creamy. We also liked the homemade ice cream. The dinners are very reasonably priced. A great value- we will go back again very soon. Pros: great food, great value, left full and highly satisfied Cons: I can honestly say that there were no cons. more
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Great value for great food 7/14/2006

We had a terrific dinner there tonight. Amazing dinner and great service. Other reviewers said that the chicken sharmara and the lamb shank and goat stew were good- so that is what we ordered. My son adored the chicken and the lamb and goat were very good too. The hot homemade pitas kept appearing on the table and the spinach soup and hummus starters were really good also. I have never had hummus that creamy. We also liked the homemade ice cream. The dinners are very reasonably priced. A great value- we will go back again very soon. Pros: great food, great value, left full and highly satisfied Cons: I can honestly say that there were no cons. more
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No deal with the Entertainment Card 12/11/2005

This place rocks! The food is perfectly prepared, the ambience great, the service is wonderful. Karam has a '2 for 1' offer in the Entertainment book, but it is no longer valid. They now give a 20% 'manager's discount in place of the '2 for 1'. There is only a placard at each table notifying customers of the change - if that side isn't facing you, you'll find out the way I did - when I paid - that you won't get the discount you expect. Hopefully they will change the deal in the book next year - I find it in poor taste the way it's done now. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance Cons: No more '2 for 1' more
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No deal with the Entertainment Card 12/11/2005

This place rocks! The food is perfectly prepared, the ambience great, the service is wonderful. Karam has a '2 for 1' offer in the Entertainment book, but it is no longer valid. They now give a 20% 'manager's discount in place of the '2 for 1'. There is only a placard at each table notifying customers of the change - if that side isn't facing you, you'll find out the way I did - when I paid - that you won't get the discount you expect. Hopefully they will change the deal in the book next year - I find it in poor taste the way it's done now. Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance Cons: No more '2 for 1' more
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So Wonderful!! 5/18/2005

There is not a dish at Karams that wont leave you drooling for more, and the service was impecable! Got to try the Chicken Shawarma over the best homus I have ever tasted! Cant believe the prices either very very cheap! $ 10 will get you a sandwich, a drink and dessert for lunch....Totally killer! more
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So Wonderful!! 5/17/2005

There is not a dish at Karams that wont leave you drooling for more, and the service was impecable! Got to try the Chicken Shawarma over the best homus I have ever tasted! Cant believe the prices either very very cheap! $ 10 will get you a sandwich, a drink and dessert for lunch....Totally killer! more
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Serving Authentic Lebanese Cuisine In Portland For Over 20 Years!

Editorial

  • Upscale restaurant serves Middle Eastern favorites like skewered beef, chicken and lamb; tabbouleh, hummus, grape leaves available as sides.

  • 3/13/2005 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: 11am-9pm Mon-Sat Happy Hour 2pm-6pm Mon-Fri
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, Neighbors West - Northwest
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