Ugarit Mediterranean Meals

Ugarit Meditrreanean Meals is located on SW 10th Ave., in between Alder and Washington, in downtown Portland, Oregon.

I'm a complete sucker for Mediterranean food. Maybe in one of my past lives, I had gluttonfests involving various dishes from the region.

I found owner Mo Menzalji to be an easygoing individual. Not much of a line when my friend and I showed up hungry beyond comprehension.

Menu
(September 2012)

I opted for the Super Halal Lamb Gyro ($7), lamb strips with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, and tzatziki in a rolled pita. This particular pita is more wrap-like, thinner than the thicker pita that you may find at Greek food establishments. Personally, I just prefer the thicker pita.

Super Halal Lamb Gyro
(Ugarit Mediterranean Meals)

My lamb pleaded for more seasoning. It was cut in chunks (not strips), with some pieces being juicy and others slightly dry. I liked the tomatoes and grated cucumber here, but felt like the hummus and tzatziki needed to assert itself more flavor-wise.

I probably should have asked for Mo to include feta cheese in my gyro, even though I didn't see that as an option. He does have it; the feta is on his Greek Salad ($7; $9.50 when adding chicken or lamb).

For being called a "super" gyro, it sure didn't feel like a larger portion. I can easily point out three other places for gyros that would live up to such a "super" name.

As for my friend, he got the Super Falafel ($6.50), also wrapped in a pita with tahini, lettuce, cucumber, and tomato. He said the falafel was a bit dry. Being ravenous pandas, we still ate everything.

Mo also has baklava ($2), Turkish coffee ($2), and smoothies ($5), if you're having cravings for those.

The food was not bad, but merely being OK in a city filled with great choices lessens the chances for a repeat visit. We'll see if I return. 5/10