Yalla is a neighborhood Mediterranean smokehouse, and the newest restaurant from the Sesame Collective restaurant group. Opened in summer of 2020, Yalla brings a Mediterranean smokehouse to the heart of the Multnomah Village neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, with a menu of smoked meats, vegetables, and comfort dishes. Yalla is currently open for delivery, take out, and full service outdoor patio dining. With dishes like pastrami and our famous hummus, housemade bread and pastas and a variety of seasonal vegetable centric dishes, Yalla offers options for a diverse set of discerning diners.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 7850 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219
Phone: (503) 206-4007
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Yalla | Sesame Collective
Yalla PDX | Portland OR – Facebook
Yalla (@yallapdx) · Portland, OR – Instagram
Reviews
latke fries & cornbread were 10/10! loved the dutch baby and khachapuri as well, all so unique.
we got these 4 plates for 3 of us and it was great to share with no crumbs left 🙂
We started off with cocktails — the Turkish Espresso Manhattan and Kissed by a Rose — and were incredibly impressed by both of ours. In fact, I turned to my partner and said, we need to come here just for the bar. Both were leaning sweet, but nothing extreme. They were both very well balanced, so hats off to the drinks curator.
For food, we got the Mustard Greens, Gathering Together Greens salad, Shakshuka, and Khachapuri. They also brought out a complimentary order of toast with goat cheese, harissa, honeyed walnuts. Everything was incredible, salted, spiced and balanced perfectly. The mustard greens were citrusy and earthy. The salad was refreshing and creamy without being overwhelming. The harissa toast had the perfect amount of honey drizzle, enough to complement the spice without being sweet, and the bread was hearty with a crust but not hard to cut into. By the time we got to the entrees, we had let them sit for a second so the egg in the Shakshuka and Khachapuri had hardened, so I recommend the waiters let the diners know to not let it sit. But regardless, we could tell it would have been dreamy (and still was). They were both seasoned and cooked to perfection.
We ended on some wine and the Dutch Baby dessert. They had a good variety of wines to select, so both of us were able to find something we liked. The Dutch Baby well-baked but a bit overly sweet despite the labneh providing some much needed sourness. I think it could have used some mint, nuts, or citrus to cut through it.
We sat at the bar and the bartender was kind and attentive. We altogether spent 170 on the food and 5 drinks, which I think is a good price, and we ended up taking half of nearly everything home. We will definitely be coming back!
My pal and I went there yesterday for brunch and had such a lovely experience! They take reservations, we didn’t have one, but managed to come at a slow time and were able to get a table in the bar straight away. The staff were very welcoming and everyone was helpful.
After being seated they brought us water and gave us time to look at the menu without feeling rushed. They took our drink orders (I had the Turkish Coffee and she had the Bloody Mary) and then we decided our menu while waiting.
As it was described by our server, traditionally the items are intended to be shared family style, so we decided to get the Dutch Baby, the Rise and Shine Hummus plate with pita bread (our servers recommendation) along with the Fried Chicken and Waffles.
The beverages:
Turkish coffee: this was my first time having it- it had vanilla and cardamom in it. I did ask for a side of cream since coffee can be hard on my stomach, but mama didn’t raise no quitter. I was instructed to pour the coffee slowly into my glass from the percolator and did a terrible job by doing it too slow and started to make a mess. Our server was amazing as came to my rescue and poured the coffee for me and didn’t make me feel bad about it. Truly some of the best coffee I have ever had.
The Bloody Mary: Per my pal, she said it was high top three the has ever had and she has high standards and is very particular. There were nice vegetables and I think her favorite was the turmeric cauliflower. She said it almost tasted like pizza with a focus on basil. I was sad not to try it myself, but next time for sure!
On to the food!
The Rise and Shine plate was the first to come and wow! Hummus, tahini, chili oil, and soft boiled egg It was not spicy, just so flavorful. My only gripe here is it’s a decent amount of hummus and you get one piece of pita with it. They asked if we wanted a second piece of pita and we happily agreed, only to find that a charge at the end of the meal. Just be prepared. Worth it? Yes, but a heads up would have been great. We were already getting full off of this. The pita is really thick, pillowy and warm.
The Dutch Baby: mind blown. I had never had one of these before and omg. So. Damn. Good. There was blood orange chunks and honey with a honey labneh (thick greek style yogurt with honey in it) and I cannot imagine anything better. I wasn’t sure what to expect but wow. It was about 6 inches or so and many people told me this was way smaller than most places, but for this, quality over quantity any day. It was amazing! Based on the taste alone I swear I could have eaten 5 of those alone!
The Chicken and Waffle: again….mind BLOWN. They brought this out last. It had a sumac butter, a smoked maple syrup, a crunchy waffle (yes you read that correctly- it was still crunchy from the waffle iron!), three pieces of fried chicken thigh, and a sunny side egg. The only thing I would change would be an over easy egg. Not a fan of sunny side, but it was still good. The chicken was juicy, flavorful, and it was so good with a drizzle of the maple syrup! I know it might be blasphemous for some, but I am not a fan of butter in general so I didn’t try it. My pal said it was really good- spiced and salty which elevated the savory-sweet combo. The waffle still being crunchy was amazing. The smoked maple syrup was so good.
All in all, our bill came to just over $80 without tip. Worth it? Absolutely. I recommend getting a few items to share to be able to try all the things. I can’t wait to go back and try different menu items. Also, put in a reservation just in case, and note- parking sucks ass, but the wait staff, the very efficient kitchen staff and the food make it all worth it.
our server shannon (sp?) was super nice and attentive. i would 100% go there again solely for her vibe and willingness to help.
the food?!? chefs back there know what they are doing. nothing needs salt or pepper. it’s flavorful and warm! thank yall for having us. we will be back. and with friends!!!!