10/25/09

Good food, but I'm not a Middle Eastern food expert

by mwhip

I was in the mood for kabobs and ordered their lamb-kafta-chicken kabob dinner meal with hummus. Food was good, but I'm not really picky when it comes to Middle Eastern food. As long as the meat is properly cooked and the hummus is creamy without being too sour, I'm a happy camper. With the bonus of really great fresh pita bread. The only time I had Middle Eastern food in PDX before this was years before at Ya-Hala. Contrary to popular belief, the food at Ya Hala wasn't that memorable for me and if I had to choose I'd probably go to Hoda's again.

The only issue I had was how the food was packaged. I ordered through Delivered Dish, and they just stacked the pitas in a plastic bag without wrapping them in saran wrap or foil. I found this particularly odd and careless because by the time I got them they had dried out and didn't stay as warm as they could have been. I think it's a minor issue that is worth addressing for future DD customers.

• Pros: flavor
• Cons: poor packaging

10/11/09

Great Food, Prompt service

by srkkreddy

The food here was great... I was impressed by the fashion the waiters bring out the pita breads right from the oven all through our dinner (not just during our appetizers).

The chicken shawarma was amazing... the kabob was good (could have been great). Can't go wrong with the hummus, falafel.

The only complaint was with the parking for this place.

• Pros: Great Food, Prompt service
• Cons: Parking

05/12/09

I've never had a bad experience at Hoda's

by Raven777

I've eaten at Hoda's about 7 times and each has been fine. There are better Middle Eastern restaurants in town, but this is fine. I've always thought the service was helpful and timely. I chose a glass of wine and at the first taste, it wasn't so pleasing. Without hestiation, the server exchanged for a more expensive glass (without charging me) which I did enjoy. The mezza is the best deal and very filling.

• Pros: good food, helpful service
• Cons: not so good wine selection, tables too close

04/12/09

good food, reasonable price

by kanino

good location, excellent menu, decent service. overall a good value.

we eat there enough to know that the consistentcy is good. we know that if we go there we don't have to worry about getting bad food or bad service.

• Pros: excellent flavors
• Cons: none

02/05/09

MMM!!! I'm lovin it!

by lovehodas

I have never enjoyed a meal as much as i did tonight! i have read what other people wrote about Hodas and honestly i have no idea what these people are talking about. I've been to that place millions of time and it became a family tradition! My friend and I had the best shawarma in town, I had the lamb and my friend had the chicken and we enjoyed it so much! we got half rice and half homus with it and the plate was HUGE!! I couldn't finish it because I was so stuffed, and i don't have to worry about my lunch tomorrow. People say its expensive, REALLY NOW? you could not find a cheaper place than that. I've been to yahala before and its more expensive and smaller portion and I left hungry and even the waitress did not smile at us once, and also the food was cold and awful (not a good place for lebanese food) anyways the owners where extremly nice and when they knew it was my friend's first time there he brought us hummos and tabouleh on the house. the waitress was really nice, she had a smile on her face the whole time, she kept checking on every table she passes by, my cup of water was always filled to the top, and the fresh hot bread was always surved before we even asked for one. I LOVE HODAS and people you need to be more patient and relaxed.

12/29/08

Good local resto--don't listen to people who write the bad reviews

by parkjiny

I've been to Hoda's four times and I had a good experience each time. It's my boyfriend's and my favorite restaurant in town. Every time we've been there, we were greeted warmly and seated pretty promptly. Once we went there at 9:30 when they were supposed to close at 10, and when we shyly asked if we were too late, everybody at the restaurant said no and seated us for some yummy Middle-Eastern food. Their bread is good, their rice is delicious, and their shawarma sandwiches cost as much as they do in Phnom Penh (where eating at restaurants is a lot cheaper than in Portland). I don't know where people get better service for less than what they pay at Hoda's, since so many people are complaining about the over-priced-ness. I guess a lot of the reviews have people complaining about the vegetarian dishes, I'm carnivorous so I get their meatier dishes. I had only had shawarma sandwiches before moving to Portland, but now I am in love with the shawarma plates. I enjoy the lamb at Hoda's. I also really like the Kafta. My boyfriend once got the mixed grill supreme and that was really good. We usually take left-overs home with us and I take care of two meals with one dish from Hoda's.

• Pros: Food, service, availability of cheaper options, location
• Cons: Some tables are kind of squished (less space at these)

12/25/08

poopy

by ochumley

amazing how oblivious a restauranteur can be. mid-afternoon, four tables going, owners in the house serving and prepping, immigrant kid cooking - 35 minutes to get a mezza to go. no water offered while I patiently waited, no sorry for the delay (until the order finally materializes and I'm all frustrated).

tried not to be a pooh about it, christmas and all, but jesus, what the hey?

food was only OK, bread bland, spinach pie bland, worst ever baklava

moral of story - go to Nicholas or Ya Hala

• Pros: location

12/08/08

Depressing Middle Eastern food

by thegloamingdrips

I came here this evening expecting a wonderful meal. The reviews were quite nice for a local middle eastern restaurant so I was pumped up for something local and home made. My friends and I entered and we had to stand for about 15 minutes while they cleaned a table for us. Our server was extremely lazy and didn't fill our water up more than once.

The food was WAY overpriced(I'm used to Zankou Chicken in my hometown of Los Angeles which is amazing. It will run you 8 buck while this place ran me 12) and they took forever to take our order. The food was prepared by hired migrant workers so I knew it wasn't coming from the heart and soul of someone from Lebanon and most of all the service was scattered and unorganized. In a world of wonderful Portland cuisine and exceptional middle eastern food this restaurant failed to deliver and really let me down. My salad was overly salty and drenched with vinegar.

The hummus was like water and the only good thing was the glass of water alongside the fresh baked pita. I can see how this place was once amazing but it has lost it quality and consistency. This restaurant does Portland a huge disservice. Choose someplace else and save yourself a couple dollars and the pain of a bad dinner. Go to Nicholas because they give a damn there or fly to Los Angeles and have Zankou.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Food, Service, Price

12/07/08

Beyond disappointed, will not return

by kivasmom

Saturday night, 5:30pm, few customers, no FOH staff in sight. A server appeared, no acknowledgment. The "it's a mom and child horror" vibe was there. We waited three minutes at the door before a busser came to greet us and then another few minutes while she cleaned the table. We were not asked what we wanted to drink or told the special of the day. The women behind us were promptly seated, told the special and greeted by all staff, received water and bread right away. It was another five minutes before the server came to take our order, 3-5 minute wait on bread, 5 minutes later for my salad. I watched around the room as patrons arriving after us received their bread and salad first. Newcomers were welcomed upon entry. When my food arrived, green lentil soup (lukewarm and bland); vegetarian grape leaves (over marinated, limp, mediocre); side of olives (no bowl for pits, yet my neighbors who only had olives for garnish received a bowl for theirs), it was a disappointment on all levels. I was half way through my meal before a server came to see how we were doing. The only items worth eating were my son's cheese pizza and mango juice. We were in the back corner which was great for heat, inconvenient for servers retrieving necessary items. The flow of staff chatting up my neighbors did not contribute to the ambience of the meal, nor the extended sit down visits squishing us in. I had my plates stacked up to be bussed (subtle "check, please" ) when the original server we had came to check on us, attempted to sweetly mince words with my son (note to server: sweet talk child in the beginning, great for tips). The bill came to $19, guiltily left a $3 tip whereas I usually would have dropped a $5. We were treated poorly from the get go, believably due to preconceived stereotyped notions. As a server myself it's a shame, because I usually tip 25-30%. Overall, the food was sub par, poor and snobbish customer service. I WILL NEVER RETURN.

• Pros: convenient location
• Cons: mediocre food, horrible service

12/06/08

Green Lentil Soup and Spinach Pie

by mwfowler72

Mezza was good, pickled turnips always make us happy, but we go back for the green lentil soup and the spinach pie. Service was very attentive.

• Pros: Green Lentil Soup, Spinach Pie, Nice people
• Cons: none so far