Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine

Service was excellent. However after three visits here, each time hoping for something better, I’m settling on 2 stars. Tzatziki and hummus were underwhelming. Falafel was so so bitter. I went with a group most recently and we all got some of their finer dishes. Meh, bland, flavorless. I can boil chicken and set in on top of flavorless rice at home. The salmon with tahini and garlic sauce sounded amazing, but I tried it and was hugely disappointing. I thought it was just me, but reading some other reviews helps me know I’m not crazy. Go to Nicholas, get your mind blown.

Good place and Good food. I was there for lunch, my first time and I like it. Next time I’m around the area I’ll stop by.

We were really unimpressed by this place. Service was mediocre at best, the appetizers were ok, but both entrees were bland and boring — not exactly what I expect from Mediterranean food. To top it all off, it’s expensive too! Not recommended as there are many other great restaurants right on that street.

I’d rate this place a 3.85
Had brunch here with some friends. We ordered:
— Houmous Balila
— Lebanese Country Breakfast
— Lebanese Picnic Basket
— Kafta Burger
— Moroccan Fried Chicken
The meal started off with complementary pita bread, which unlike some of the other pictures posted, was large, flat and had grill marks. Slightly sweet, but in a good way. We asked for seconds and were provided some at no additional charge.
I ordered the chicken which was delicious. The chicken wasn’t breaded, but it was well cooked with a hint of sweetness. Not very crunchy, more of a pan fried style. The pieces were on the smaller side, but the chicken came with a huge portion of couscous gratin. Normally I’m not a fan of couscous, but this couscous was rich with melted haloumi cheese and well seasoned (perhaps a touch salty). On the side, a fried egg.
The Picnic basket was beautifully plated. The sesame bun is a little more like a cookie: crumbly and sweet. The potato salad was well seasoned. The basket also included pickles and a white lemony sauce (not mentioned on the menu).
I tried the hummus; it was average, nothing to write home about. The brunch portion is very large. The burger looked delicious and was topped with a grilled tomato. The country breakfast included homemade sausage which was good in it’s own right, slightly gamey. Friends had the turkish coffee and them seemed to enjoy it.
Sunday brunch was not busy, they had plenty of tables available and there was no wait. Overall, the restaurant is spacious with a larger picnic table in the 2^nd room for big parties. Relatively quiet space. Easy to park on the street. This is a nice place for a meeting or for friends/​family. The menu is a little ‘exotic’ in that it includes things that many people may not be familiar with, but there is something for everyone here. Menu marks things that are gluten free and vegetarian for your convenience.
I would return here.

4 ½ Stars!
So we were actually heading to a nearby brunch spot which I knew would have a wait, but while walking by I noticed the larger tables in here were empty. So after checking how long we would have to wait nearby I came back to see how long at Ya Hala. They immediately put some tables together a little farther from the door since it was kinda chilly when the wind blew in. So then we convinced the fam to give it a whirl.
We order a variety of plates from the brunch menu since everything was brand new to my folks. The soujouk sausages were so packed with flavor it was hard to nail down all the flavors, it really was a spicy party in your mouth. The spice isn’t over-​powering just packed. The lamb bacon was a star all on it’s own. My mom and I were taken back by the glazed carrots that accompanied the fried halloumi. The sweetness of the pomegranate glaze just sealed in all the richness. The kafta burger was freaking bomb. The fries and that sauce was like garlic on steroids. We all laughed as we tried to throw it on everything, saying we were going to battle some vampires! Then the fried chicken! This fried chicken and couscous had so many wonderful spices trying to find their place on my plate. It was wonderful. The couscous was really so nice they named it twice. It was a cheesy mess on my spoon but so wonderful.
My last bit of advice, always get a flight! When a place offers a flight of mimosas, say yes! It’s Sunday, there’s no work, you ain’t got s*@t to do. They served up a mango, pomegranate, and traditional orange. The price was on point for a table of 6, so I would def bring my rowdy fam back here anytime for brunch! Go before the line starts to get long, or don’t and i’ll keep this brunch all to myself.

This is a fun place. It has a nice, classy vibe. The food is very good. We get this one dish with artichoke hearts and pine nuts — it is to die for. I also really enjoy the taziki (sp?) sauce, which has good flavor. This restaurant has been open for many years, and I think they have done a good job of staying fresh and relevant.

Food was great until I found a long pubic hair in it. Unacceptable, get it together Ya Hala. 2 stars for the food being tasty. Would have been 4 or 5.

OMG. french fries shoved in a pita wrap? are you kidding me?
Not sure what happens to the «best chef in Portland» but this must be a mistake!
when i moved up to PDX from SF bay area 15 years ago, we were delighted to have found such a precious, traditional, Lebanese place to provide not just great food but remind us of what heritage and traditions means … it always felt like family to me.
A few weeks ago we ordered 3 «to go» sandwiches for lunch … gyros, falafel and lamb shawarma. order was placed at 11 AM. it took then 45 minutes (without any other customers in the place) to serve. when asked why it too so long? the answer was «we cook everything from scratch! well, Mirna, if it takes you 45 minutes to cook a lamb «anything» … you missed your point. it was so so dry. and over cooked.
all 3 sandwiches were so dry it was pathetic. 45 minutes will overcook ANYTHING!
Then we find soggy oily french fries shoved in each pita sandwich … what? SERIOUSLY?
we thought perhaps Mirna may have sold the restaurant but apparently she is still running it.

To the point…
— VERY slow service even when the dining room wasn’t filled. Our server looked like he was purposely avoiding checking in with us.
— «Pita» bread was plentiful but pretty bland
— We ordered a variety of skewers:
Chicken was flavorful and tender
Ahi Tuna was perfectly prepared
Rib Eye had good flavor but was tough
Kafta was too squishy aka raw
— Basmati rice needs improvement.
That’s about it in a nutshell. Meh.

Food was good. Service was not. I’ve not seen anything this bad in the twenty five years I’ve lived in Oregon. We needed hot water for a baby bottle, and the server getting it for us disappeared for almost ten minutes. Turned out she was on the phone, and what sounded like to a member of our party, a personal call. We heated the baby bottle under tap water instead. One of our party arrived as the first round of drinks came out, and he was promptly ignored by the server, not even a «hi». The food was served to us individually over a thirty minute period. At the end of the meal, we were told they would only split the check three ways, we needed split five ways.
Not going back.

Should I say what I feel or what my husband wants me to write?
I don’t like the Hummus there. I said it.
The atmosphere and service are great and most of their dishes are good but for me when the Hummus let’s met down it’s all over.

Don’t let Unilocal fool you! Ya Hala is open for brunch on Sunday’s and it is amazing. Perfectly crafted menu, with something for everyone. Unique, one of a kind brunch experience. Shakshouka is spicy and flavorful, the branzino is beautiful, and the Kafta burger might be the best in town. The service was great, the Turkish coffee was dark and flavorful. All in all we had an amazing time.

Inexplicably premium prices for some pretty ordinary Lebanese/​mediterranean food.
To be fair, the hummus is above average, and the falafel patties are among the best I’ve had. But everything else is below average. (1) The makdous (poached baby eggplant stuffed with pepper, walnuts, and garlic) was served unsalted and otherwise flavorless (great texture though). (2) The chicken schwarma we were served must have been some mistake or horrible oversight by the kitchen, lacking in any real chunks of meat, but instead served with pebble-​sized left-​over chicken scraps buried in a pile of sauted onions. (3) The rice was cheap long grain rice and not the fragrant and chewy basmati rice I’d expect at these prices. (4) And the pitas, while thick and abundant, were served at basically room temperature and tasted dry and a day old.
There are lots of good Lebanese/​mediterranean elsewhere in town – most at more realistic prices. No need to make a special trip here.

Long ago, when I first found Ya Hala, the owner would greet us at the door, his wife would wave at us while running the kitchen, and their daughters would promptly show us to a table. Nostagic for such a well run family establishment, I went back while visiting Portland. While the food is just as it always been – broadly liked – their service has dropped since, forgetting (seriously) to take our orders, forgetting that I ordered a beer (which I had to then cancel), and then taking ages to bring the check.
oh well, things change.

It’s a cozy little restaurant that has a side room with a huge table for large parties. The wait was really long, so I’d advise calling ahead to get on the list. The wait staff was friendly and the food was delicious! Definitely worth the wait!

We were in the neighborhood and decided upon Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine for our late dinner. This place really hit the spot for me. We had the lentil soup, three different Kabobs, an arugula salad and basmati rice. Everything tasted so fresh and good. I was dipping my bread in the lentil soup! The glass of wine that DH had with his dinner was of a generous proportion. The prices do not break the bank. We ate all that we could and even took some home for lunch the next day. I will be returning here again for sure.
I’m giving an extra star here, because I love the curtains, I love the mural (makes you feel like you’re sitting in a mediterranean coast, and just thinking of the nice warm breeze touching your hair, so pleasant, like my last visit there, and no not in Lebanon, it’s much safer here!)

We stopped into Ya Hala on a late rainy afternoon. It was the perfect place for comfort food.
You have to give this place a try. They were very help with the menu offering suggestions.
We started with hummus, falafel. The meals came with salads or soup. Christopher got the soup and I got the tabouli salad. I had the leg of lamb and Kafta with potato.
It was a good hearty meal. The flavors could have been a bit more bold for my liking but all in all it was very well prepared.
I will be back to try several more items.

5 Star food. Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine is our favorite Middle Eastern eats in Portland area. The owner hails from the family of Nicolas restaurants. The service is hit and miss so we give ourselves plenty of time. Our favorites are the Eggplant stew with addition of Lamb and the Veggie Mezza Combo that comes with hummus, baba ganoush, salad, cauliflower, falafel, and stuffed grapes. It’s a perfect combination of flavors. We also pay extra to upgrade our salad to tabouli.
You have the cool Stark and 81^st to walk around as well. We usually visit Ya Hala in conjunction with Academy Theater down the street.

Sadly, I was pretty let down by Ya Hala. All the other not so great reviews sum up my experience. Although very friendly, the service was incredibly slow and the food was bland. No seasoning, and in dire need of salt (and I rarely ever say anything needs salt.)

Ya Hala made me wanna holla holla.
My evening started with one of Ya Hala’s Signature Drinks: Ya Hala Iced Tea ($ 9). Much like my liver most nights, this alcohol cannonball is filled with Absolut Vodka, Bacardi Rum, and Bombay Gin plus splashes of Triple Sec and Pomegranate Juice. My liver recommends it … and so do I.
Homous is the classic spelling of Hummus at Ya Hala. I tried the server-​recommended Butternut Squash Homous ($ 5) with smooth Garbanzo Bean (Chickpeas) dip flavored with a healthy dose of sweet Butternut Squash and served with a warm and puffy Pita. Even though I like Hummus a little less sweet, my recommendation is they spell this creamy version as Yummus.
For a main entrée, I pigged out on a Kabob Combo ($ 16.75) with 3 skewers of meat: Kafta (Ground Beef), Chicken, and Lamb with Basmati Rice and a Tabouli Salad ($ 1.50 upgrade). It was a lot of food and I was quickly getting full, but did find the Lamb reasonably tender and Kafta the most tangy. I recommend skipping the Chicken. Sadly, there was no room for some of the tempting Baklava displayed near the kitchen.
The two room set up at Ya Hala is a testament to their success and superb service. From the moment I stepped in out of the rain until rolling out like a stuffed pita, the Ya Hala team was quick, friendly, and helpful. 5-​star service.
For authentic tastes and flavors of Lebanon served with Portland flair, holla holla at Ya Hala Lebanese Cuisine on Stark Street.