Food was over cooked and wasn't fresh. We shared a plate and left basically everything.The cider on tap was completely flat.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Kaitlin Hansen
Came here today for lunch with a friend. A really kind man provided us with excellent service. He was attentive and went above and beyond to ensure that we were taken care of throughout our two hour lunch, which meant a lot to me as an expectant mother. Really had a lovely experience. Looking forward to returning soon.
Vegetarian options: Almost all dishes can be made vegetarianDietary restrictions: Great for vegetarian, gluten free, vegan and nut freeKid-friendliness: Very kid friendlyWheelchair accessibility: Very access
Very bummed out that there’s no table service. Why stand in line to sit in a place that used to be such a great place to enjoy a meal? Not worth it anymore, unless I want something to go.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 2
Dana Ferrara
We drove a bit this weekend to try this place out, because it has so many good reviews. I am completely baffled by the positive reviews for this place. The staff was nice enough, service was very slow, and the food was completely without flavor. There were no spices at all. We were actually shocked at how little flavor there was in any of our dishes, the chicken kebab plate, the chicken shawarma wrap, the rice. I don’t think the hummus even had garlic in it. The baba ghanoush was decent, but served cold. We will not be back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Bella Minor
Chicken shawarma was delicious! Go early. They get busy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adees Gulbenkian
Very clean place.Simple decoration.Slow service.The food doesn’t meet the Lebanese standards (The Shawarma, Falafel and hummus were tasteless)There is not an Arabic person in the kitchen staff.And the “Fairuz” songs are too much, which make the place depressing more than it already is.Parking: Probably you need to circle the area around 4 times to get a spot
This place used to be a fantastic experience. Over the past couple of years, I have not had great food at Ya Hala. It is very much run of the mill Lebanese food, no real effort or care is put into the meal — it’s just basic recipes with overcooked meat.But I think my main critique of this place is that the food simply takes WAAAAAY too long. I dined here on a week night in January and we were the only customers in the place. It took 20 minutes for us to get our food, and then it’s overcooked!I don’t want to slam anyone’s restaurant, but this place really phones it in. Once upon a time, this spot was special — great food, great service, great experience. My sense is now that Ya Hala is on autopilot, no real mind for hospitality from the top down, and it shows.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
sharon hascall
So grateful to have been relishing Ya Hala’s fine cuisine ever since they opened years ago. The best in Southeast and maybe all of Portland.Vegetarian options: Perfect for vegetarian. Falafel is the original meatless burger, but infinitely more savory.
I've never been to this restaurant and had a few questions to get more information before taking my date to eat here. The man with an accent answered the phone and when I asked what time do you close, he said "We just closed now," and hung up on me. I called back and the phone picked up and was hung up right away. I called a minute later and the same man with an accent answered, I immediately said, "I know your closed but have a few questions to ask and you hung up on me!" He said what are your questions? I said, "Why should i go eat at this restaurant if you treat customers like this by just calling? He said what do you mean. I told him how rude and disrespectful that was just hanging up on me. He again said what are your questions instead of offering an apology. I told him if you treat me like this how will you treat me if i go eat here. He didnt know what to say but it would have been an oppourtunity to say I'm sorry to try to correct the matter. There was a long pause of silence but this dude just remained silent. I'm never going to eat at this place and they should learn how to be customer friendly.
Service: 1
Kris Waterworth
Do not
Food: 1
Service: 4
Daniel Garcia RM
Delicious food. Fast and friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Wrap, Chicken Shawarma
Monica Bourgeau
We LOVE YaHala. They are great for dine-in but their takeout is amazing and so convenient. We order extra so we have plenty of leftovers for the week. We also love their grab & go case with lots of tasty sides and desserts. This is definitely a Portland gem!
This one is different. I say this in a good way in hopes they fix a simple problem, which is communication. My girlfriend and I are always open to trying random places, and this place popped up. Parking was a bit challenging, so make sure to park on the street and not the neighborhood because it's a bit rough in some places. We got in, and we sat ourselves. I can tell staff was short this day. However, they still did the best they could. We ordered our food and it took some time despite seeing another couple get there food before us we still waited patiently while we watched one person clear the tables and get everything ready for the next patrons to be seated. One lady just claimed a table and waited for the table to be clean because I assumed that's exactly where she wanted to sit. Nothing fancy with the seating. Very simple. The order came out, and I specifically said no tomatoes, and even when the server brought out the food, he even stated no tomatoes and placed the plate. The grilled pita had tomatoes. I was taken back by this, but proceeded to take out the tomatoes because waiting on a new one who knows how long that may have taken. The food was great, and when the hostess came by and asked, we let her know that they didn't do the order right. They did everything, and I mean everything to make it right, and I still said I'm good. I stated that the next time you see me, just make it right, so I hope on my next visit I will change this review to a 5 star because everything else was cool. The customer service is top notch, especially when we ordered. They explained everything on the menu, and the food itself was delicious with the exception of the tomatoes. I hope they see this review and recognize me on my next visit. I will make sure to wear my Google pin in case they need a reminder.Parking: Don't park in the neighborhood if you can help it. Park on the street.
Food was over cooked and wasn't fresh. We shared a plate and left basically everything.The cider on tap was completely flat.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Came here today for lunch with a friend. A really kind man provided us with excellent service. He was attentive and went above and beyond to ensure that we were taken care of throughout our two hour lunch, which meant a lot to me as an expectant mother. Really had a lovely experience. Looking forward to returning soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lemon Chicken, Chicken Shawarma
Vegetarian options: Almost all dishes can be made vegetarianDietary restrictions: Great for vegetarian, gluten free, vegan and nut freeKid-friendliness: Very kid friendlyWheelchair accessibility: Very access
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mezza Sampler Platter, Grape Leaves, Tabouli, Falafel Sandwich, Falafel Wrap, Pita, Fries, Chicken Kabob, Salad, Chicken Shawarma, Baba Ghanouj, Greek Salad, Lamb Shawarma Plate, Gyro, Falafel, Gluten Free Pita, Chicken Shawarma Wrap
Very bummed out that there’s no table service. Why stand in line to sit in a place that used to be such a great place to enjoy a meal? Not worth it anymore, unless I want something to go.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 2
We drove a bit this weekend to try this place out, because it has so many good reviews. I am completely baffled by the positive reviews for this place. The staff was nice enough, service was very slow, and the food was completely without flavor. There were no spices at all. We were actually shocked at how little flavor there was in any of our dishes, the chicken kebab plate, the chicken shawarma wrap, the rice. I don’t think the hummus even had garlic in it. The baba ghanoush was decent, but served cold. We will not be back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Chicken shawarma was delicious! Go early. They get busy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very clean place.Simple decoration.Slow service.The food doesn’t meet the Lebanese standards (The Shawarma, Falafel and hummus were tasteless)There is not an Arabic person in the kitchen staff.And the “Fairuz” songs are too much, which make the place depressing more than it already is.Parking: Probably you need to circle the area around 4 times to get a spot
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Hummus, Falafel Wrap, Lamb Wrap
Reliably great food!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place used to be a fantastic experience. Over the past couple of years, I have not had great food at Ya Hala. It is very much run of the mill Lebanese food, no real effort or care is put into the meal — it’s just basic recipes with overcooked meat.But I think my main critique of this place is that the food simply takes WAAAAAY too long. I dined here on a week night in January and we were the only customers in the place. It took 20 minutes for us to get our food, and then it’s overcooked!I don’t want to slam anyone’s restaurant, but this place really phones it in. Once upon a time, this spot was special — great food, great service, great experience. My sense is now that Ya Hala is on autopilot, no real mind for hospitality from the top down, and it shows.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
So grateful to have been relishing Ya Hala’s fine cuisine ever since they opened years ago. The best in Southeast and maybe all of Portland.Vegetarian options: Perfect for vegetarian. Falafel is the original meatless burger, but infinitely more savory.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hummus, Lentil Soup, Salad, Baklava
Restaurantji Recommends
I've never been to this restaurant and had a few questions to get more information before taking my date to eat here. The man with an accent answered the phone and when I asked what time do you close, he said "We just closed now," and hung up on me. I called back and the phone picked up and was hung up right away. I called a minute later and the same man with an accent answered, I immediately said, "I know your closed but have a few questions to ask and you hung up on me!" He said what are your questions? I said, "Why should i go eat at this restaurant if you treat customers like this by just calling? He said what do you mean. I told him how rude and disrespectful that was just hanging up on me. He again said what are your questions instead of offering an apology. I told him if you treat me like this how will you treat me if i go eat here. He didnt know what to say but it would have been an oppourtunity to say I'm sorry to try to correct the matter. There was a long pause of silence but this dude just remained silent. I'm never going to eat at this place and they should learn how to be customer friendly.
Service: 1
Do not
Food: 1
Service: 4
Delicious food. Fast and friendly service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Wrap, Chicken Shawarma
We LOVE YaHala. They are great for dine-in but their takeout is amazing and so convenient. We order extra so we have plenty of leftovers for the week. We also love their grab & go case with lots of tasty sides and desserts. This is definitely a Portland gem!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hummus, Lemon Chicken, Chicken Shawarma, Baklava
This one is different. I say this in a good way in hopes they fix a simple problem, which is communication. My girlfriend and I are always open to trying random places, and this place popped up. Parking was a bit challenging, so make sure to park on the street and not the neighborhood because it's a bit rough in some places. We got in, and we sat ourselves. I can tell staff was short this day. However, they still did the best they could. We ordered our food and it took some time despite seeing another couple get there food before us we still waited patiently while we watched one person clear the tables and get everything ready for the next patrons to be seated. One lady just claimed a table and waited for the table to be clean because I assumed that's exactly where she wanted to sit. Nothing fancy with the seating. Very simple. The order came out, and I specifically said no tomatoes, and even when the server brought out the food, he even stated no tomatoes and placed the plate. The grilled pita had tomatoes. I was taken back by this, but proceeded to take out the tomatoes because waiting on a new one who knows how long that may have taken. The food was great, and when the hostess came by and asked, we let her know that they didn't do the order right. They did everything, and I mean everything to make it right, and I still said I'm good. I stated that the next time you see me, just make it right, so I hope on my next visit I will change this review to a 5 star because everything else was cool. The customer service is top notch, especially when we ordered. They explained everything on the menu, and the food itself was delicious with the exception of the tomatoes. I hope they see this review and recognize me on my next visit. I will make sure to wear my Google pin in case they need a reminder.Parking: Don't park in the neighborhood if you can help it. Park on the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hummus, Lamb Wrap