Alexandria Mediterranean Cuisine

This place is just lovely :) the lady who works here is delightful and very friendly, hard worker, and the food is delicious! We got lamb and chicken on rice with salad and coffee. Everything was so yummy and good portions. We will definitely be coming back :) yumm !

Good food. Excellent baklava. A bit small, so you wait fir your food. Clean, Affordable… falafel is really good.

Incredibly warm and welcoming! Food is perfectly seasoned and delicious! The best Mediterranean cuisine restaurant on PSU’s campus!!!

The chicken shawarma was delicious as always! And the owner is really welcoming and nice.

Reading through previous reviews, it looks as though the prices at this place may have gone up recently – and really that’s my only complaint. Maybe my expectations are way off, but prices were a little high in my opinion, in relation to portion sizes – $ 6.75 for a gyro that left me still a little hungry. I would have expected to pay $ 4.75 or so for what I got.
I got the lamb gyro, which itself was piping hot and delicious, with yummy tzatziki and a generous helping of feta cheese. Food itself was delicious, service friendly and prompt, but as a student I was hoping for something a little more economical as far as the price-​to-​portion ratio. Overall a good experience – I’ll be back, just maybe not as often as I’d hoped.

A reasonably priced, authentic Egyptian experience. Stuffed grape leaves, babaganoush, hummus, salads!
The lamb is cooked so tender and spiced with such care, I keep coming back.
In a hurry? Grab a sandwich — ready in 30 seconds!
Sometimes you can spot the owners two daughters helping out, so cute! It’s nice to have a real family business in the neighborhood.

The food is delicious and is as close to Egyptian cuisine as I have found. Also service is very quick.
Hassan the owner is genuine and very accommodating.
FYI, The bathroom is spotless which is a sign of an operator that is clean and that cares.

This place is good. Yes, indeed. I ordered the veggie meza that came with a variety of delicious things. My partner ordered the lamb combo plate with hummus, tabouli, and rice. It didn’t look like a ton of food at first but we were definitely filled up by the end.
Definitely worth the $ 21 (including tip) we spent. I’ll be back.

2 and ½, but I’m rounding down because I had high expectations given the all the great reviews. Pretty much agree with Lauren N. The lamb in the gyro sandwich was dry and lacked flavor. Pretty small, too. Falafel was good but didn’t wow me. The baklava was great, though — tasted fresh with just the right amount of sweetness. Looks like a one-​man operation, so my order took awhile. He was really nice, and I wish I could give a higher rating. But after my meal, I found myself regretting that I didn’t visit one of the nearby pods.

«FALAFEL SANDWICH **rated best falafel by the Oregonian!** ***customer favorite!!***
Falafel with parsley, tomatoes & tahini sauce wrapped in toasted pita bread. $ 4.75»
The above quote was taken directly from the restaurant website at 1:10 p.m. today.
Plusses:
— VERY quick service. Once I got there (walked from 3^rd and Jefferson), I was in and out in about 5 minutes.
— Reasonably tasty falafel sandwich, fresh ingredients. Certainly not the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a few. I’d rate it ‘okay’.
Cons:
— The website says $ 4.75. I was charged $ 6.00. (This ‘sandwich’ is not worth $ 6.00)
— The item is described as a ‘sandwich wrapped in pita bread’. What I received seemed more like a burrito, wrapped in a large tortilla. Maybe Lebanese pitas are supposed to be flat?
— It was ridiculously hot in the restaurant (not a problem for me, since I was doing take out). But I wouldn’t have been able to eat in there… and the open door (presumably open for ventilation) was letting flies, exhaust fumes, and construction noise in, but not really any cooler air.
Verdict: Meh.

Prices in store are higher than listed on the website menu. Food arrives quickly. Bathroom is clean, single person. Not busy when I went on a Fri @ lunch. Only accepts debit, mastercard, visa, & cash.
Ordered the Mezza Vegetarian (hummus, baba ganooj, falafel, tabbouleh & dolmas + pita bread & tahini sauce), Lamb Gyro, Fries w/​ketchup, & mango lemonade. Just under $ 20 for all that.
The bad: that ketchup was SO awful. At first I thought it was the oil … rancid even! Quickly realized the fries were good, but the ketchup was like some bastard mix of tomato paste, red wine vinegar & balsamic? It was hard to pin down, but it was NOTHING like ketchup should be…
Lamb Gyro: just did not care for the cut of meat; I’ve had much better lamb … it was not the tender, flavorful delight I usually expect from lamb. The other ingredients were fresh & delicious though (greek pita bread, especially!)
Don’t think I’ll ever be a dolma person, but I could tell they were executed well. The pita bread was Okay. Same for the mango lemonade (menu claimed it was a customer favorite, but I couldn’t see what made it anymore special than the mango lemonade you’d buy from wal*mart’s brand).
The awesome: the hummus! the baba ganooj! the falafel was really great, too, but served rather cold :(tahini sauce was the best I’ve ever had. the tabbouleh was also very, very good.
It’s decent for what it is, but I feel like I definitely had a hit & miss experience in one lunch.

Ridiculous good.
I normally eat at a place multiple times before I review but this was fantastic.
We had falafel, lentil soup, chicken shawarma sandwich, and baklava. All were delicious. I will say we have not been eating Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern food for years, but of the restaurants we have been to around the US– Alexandria’s flavors and execution were definitely one of the best. The food was simple with fantastic taste.
Another reason it’s 5 star? Price. Alexandria is located near a string of food carts so the prices have been adjusted to compete. Service was also very good.
Now, if you are looking for a gourmet or high end restaurant– this is not the place. A small, simple restaurant with simple, deliciously executed food.

I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a few weeks now and finally got the opportunity. It was beyond delicious and such a good value!
I got the Veggie Meza plate and it was all of my favorites: dolmas, baba ghanooj, hummus, pita, falafel, and tabouli. My only complaint is that my pitas were not as warm as I would have hoped. Still completely worth it. He even gave me some Baklava for free. Definitely one of the top Mediterranean cuisines that I have ever eaten and I cannot wait to go back!

With a consistent yummmmm factor located here, this is one of my favorite go to places. And has been that way for years.
What do you get here? A little house converted into a little restaurant. I’ve tried most everything on the menu and haven’t found a choice I’ve regretted. The sandwiches have gotten a little smaller over the years but they still burst with flavor and are very filling. If my late lunch hunger had led to indecision, I go for the Lamb Shawarma. They also serve one of the best plates of hummus and their Falafel sandwich is delicious.

Good flavors, but would have appreciated fresher ingredients. We stopped in the middle of the afternoon, and it appeared the felafel had been prepared earlier and just fried upon ordering. The pitas appeared to have come out of a bag, and my «spinach pie» was clearly made with bagged salad mix.
However, the food tasted good, the price was reasonable, and the staff was friendly.

In a town dominated by food carts, there are still some mom and pop shops around still doing it right. Alexandrya is one of them.
In some ways it is like a food cart. It’s a small place run by 1 cook putting out good food for affordable prices. The difference… chairs!
I went here with a
voucher, which is usually a harbinger of 1 star reviews. However, this place had the unique mix of
certificates and good Unilocal reviews. I brought my nieces here for their first try of Mediterranean cuisine. They are very picky eaters. They really enjoyed their food. The youngest and pickiest one had a Cheese Pie which is a Greek pizza smothered in feta cheese and olive oil. She finished the whole thing. That is saying something for this discerning eater. My older niece had the falafel sandwich. Now this is really going out on a limb. I had no idea how to explain what a falafel was. She didn’t know what chickpeas were. I just said, «trust me.» She really enjoyed her first falafel sandwich. For only $ 5 it was huge! A great choice for some cheap eats.
I had the meat combo platter. It came with sliced lamb, and 3 sides. I chose hummus, Tabouli, and falafels. The hummus was seasoned perfectly and topped with just the right amount of olive oil. I hate it when other places drown a pool of oil atop my hummus (to me, a sign of trying to hide the mediocrity of the underlying hummus). The tabouli was cut finer than most I have had. The flavors were bright as a tabouli should be. The lamb was the low light of the evening. Sometimes even the most dedicated mom and pops joints have to cut corners. I get it, but don’t let it show. The lamb was clearly reheated straight from the freezer/​fridge. It was sitting in a small pool of its melted ice. As compared to Nikolas’, I was disappointed by the small size of their platter combo. If my review stopped here, maybe this is a 3 star review. The saving grace was their falafels. It had texture. It was moist, it screamed, «I take pride in my food!» Most falafels are dry and a pale yellow in the middle. Ground up canned chick peas, cumin, lemon… bah. Alexandrya shows you how a falafel is supposed to look, feel and taste. My niece said, «why is it green in the middle?» I said, «that color means there is flavor and freshness in it.» he takes the time to make them right with fresh herbs that the falafel takes a vibrant green color when you get past the perfectly crunchy brown fried exterior.
The owner was very nice. He wanted to give my nieces a treat and gave us some baklava. Nice! Almost… They are allergic to nuts and baklava is topped with pistachios. A very friendly owner nonetheless.
Go for the falafels. The sandwich is a great value for great food!

Legit. Way better than Abu-​Rasheed or any of the Mediterranean and/​or middle eastern carts near by at about the same price.
It’s all fresh, well made and freaking delicious. Highlights are the falafel, especially in sandwich form with the perfectly tangy fresh feta added, and the schwarma plate. Plates come with your choice of three sides and falafel is an option. Schwarma, hummus, tabouli and falafel is the perfect road to a food coma.
The last couple times I’ve been in, there has been a table of Greek speaking people stuffing some tasty eats into their food holes. I’m taking that as validation of my existing conclusion that this place is awesome.
Taking one star off for using store bought pita. At least it’s a good brand, but come on, it’s a quick rise bread that takes literally 5 minutes to cook.

This is the real food — fresh, authentic, and inexpensive.
The gentleman who runs the place is welcoming and friendly, and the space is a cool and quiet reprieve from the busy campus streets outside.
My favorite dish at Mediterranean joints is the lamb kebab, and the lamb at Alexandria is top notch. For me lamb is a delicate flavor and some places serve it with too much fat or tough spots in the meat. But at Alexandria it was nice and tender and full of flavor.
Even with food carts all around this place, I consider it a high quality option that can’t be beat on price.

A long time ago, during my time at Portland State, I took a 3 year course in the Portuguese language. The classroom itself was completely out of the way from my other classes; way out in the Unitus building on 4^th avenue. After that class, I would always walk past Alexandria and I always had trouble not grabbing a bite before my next class started.
I had that Portuguese class 2 days a week for 3 years straight, so I ate here a lot. It wasn’t just out of convenience either. It’s because the food is absolutely phenomenal and the owner, Hassan, is one of the most kind and generous people I’ve ever met.
I’ve probably had every thing on their menu, but I keep going back to their veggie meza platter. For $ 8, you get hummus, stuffed grape leaves, baba ghanoush, tabouli, 2 pieces of falafel and pita bread. While the portions aren’t absolutely gargantuan, they’re very satisfying. The hummus has that perfect combination of chickpeas and tahini with a slight lemony twang. The baba ghanoush is very flavorful and not horribly acidic like most of them are. And the grape leaves are firm and delicious.
This brings me to the falafel, which in my opinion is the best thing they make. I’m a huge fan of falafel, but unfortunately almost every other Mediterranean restaurant seems to screw it up and make it too dry. With that said, Alexandria makes the most perfect falafel I have ever experienced. It’s crispy but not too greasy on the outside, and perfectly moist and soft (like a mashed potato) on the inside. I seriously have dreams about their falafel and find myself in a pool of my own saliva after I wake up.
I went in here today for the first time since graduating, and it was nice to see that Hassan remembered me right away. The menu hasn’t changed at all and neither has the quality of the food or service. Now that I started working out at the university’s recreation center, I’ll probably be making this my regular post-​workout meal.

Wonderful place to go for Lunch! One unique quality they have is that they actually fry the pita sandwich as if it was a panini. YuMMMMMy.
Great food with good baba for a great price.