Seven Days of Middle Eastern and African Food in Portland

Moonlight Grill puts a Middle Eastern and Mediterranean menu on Southwest Terwilliger, with grilled dishes and deli service that make a straightforward first bearing for a week of deliberate eating. Start with the grill. For a food hunter, online ordering offers a useful planning option before heading out; check the current menu and hours rather than assuming availability. Keep this first stop focused on one meal, then save your appetite for the flatbreads ahead.

At Yalla on Southwest Capitol Highway, wood-fired flatbreads and savory dips give the route a vegetable-forward counterpoint to the previous day's grilled dishes. Bread sets the pace. For someone deciding where to eat in Portland, start by considering a flatbread and dip, then ask what is available before ordering. Leave room to notice the contrast between the baked bread and the plant-based plates, rather than trying to cover the entire menu in one visit.

Across the city in Sellwood, Moody shawarma shifts the search to an Iraqi-style food cart whose Arabi wraps are layered over fries, with falafel and kabab plates also on the menu. Wraps lead this detour. A hunter weighing Portland food spots can ask about the Arabi wrap first and decide between dining on site and takeout. This is a separate southeast outing, not a transfer from Tuesday; check the current hours before setting off.

South River Parkway brings the route back toward the water at Al Hawr, where Lebanese mezze and grilled skewers offer a different way to approach the week's Middle Eastern flavors. Share the table thoughtfully. If you prefer comparing bites with friends, consider dips before the skewers and ask the kitchen about the current selection. The waterfront setting gives this meal a distinct backdrop; plan it as its own stop rather than promising a connection from Sellwood.

Meskel's Ethiopian injera platters and Persian Kabab's rice and kebabs bring two distinct traditions into a downtown pairing, with their Southwest Sixth and Fourth Avenue addresses suggesting a compact route. Compare plates, not queues. For anyone seeking an Ethiopian platter in Portland, start at Meskel and consider Persian Kabab next, with a walk between them if that suits your plans. Check both venues' current hours first and treat the second meal as optional, not a timed transfer.

AKADI PDX on Southeast Division moves the week toward homestyle West African cooking, with jollof rice, peanut soup and plantains providing a new set of flavors to compare. Rice anchors this visit. Bring a friend who likes sharing impressions and ask about the jollof rice first; the plate makes a strong visual focal point as well as a starting point for conversation. Check the current menu and hours before crossing the river for this standalone stop.

Heart of Kabul closes the sequence on Southeast Powell Boulevard, where Afghan spiced rice plates and grilled kebabs bring the route back to the relationship between grain and grill. Finish with a contrast. For a diner comparing Portland food spots, consider a rice plate alongside the kebabs and ask what is available that day. Treat this as a final independent outing, and check the current hours before leaving instead of counting on a particular service window.