Dina's Cuisine — Restaurant in Portland

We had a very similar sounding experience to another reviewer here. We went in the afternoon when no one else was there - we were the ONLY customers. Ordered falafel plate and some other things. Got back to our hotel about 10-15 minutes later only to find one of our things missing from the order (again, not busy, no other customers). We called the restaurant immediately to find a resolution only to be met with the owner 1) first claiming to not have any idea who we could possibly be (I doubt they had a swarm of customers in the interim), 2) then claiming we never ordered the item in the first place and therefore, 3) we weren’t charged for the item. Let me tell you - when you’re ordering in the restaurant in person, you both know exactly what you’re ordering and what you’re paying for. But, as I continue to warn my family, check your order before you leave anywhere as there are always unreputable business owners waiting to rip you off. After trying to talk reasonably with this guy, it was obvious he wasn’t going to admit his mistake or refund our money for the missing item. But, I’m warning anyone reading reviews here, just go elsewhere. I’ve included a before and after picture of the food we got - see how much we just threw away because it was such poor food. The falafels were okay, but the hummus was sour and gritty, the “salad” was some disgusting cut up cabbage mess, the dolmas were mushy and gross, the garlic naan was flavorless and the two desserts were okay but certainly not great....

I ordered delivery for here a couple weeks ago. The food was great, so I thought I would give it another try. Ordered to pick up on Friday 7/25 at about 6PM. Order was over $100. When I arrived at the location there were only two people in the kitchen. There were two other people waiting. The staff seemed to have difficulty keeping up with cooking, handling walk-ins, and working the order system on the iPad. When I was finally helped, I gave my name, they told me they were working on my order and it would be only 5 more minutes. After another 20 minutes, they told me my order was ready, only for it to be the wrong order. They could not find my name in the system. Another person had come in to check on their order during all this which they found but had not started. Finally one of the staff went out back for 5 minutes, returned with someone who seemed like the owner who looked at the iPad and finally found what was my order which had never been received or acknowledged. Not really an apology or an offer to make it right. I told them to simply refund my order and I went elsewhere. It’s too bad - I really wanted to give this place more business. If they can’t get it together to accept it, then forget it. I would...

We came down from Mid Coast to conduct business and checked reviews for Mediterranean food while we were in Portland. The Dina's experience is like going to someone's house for dinner and they cook for you. Authentic, homemade, perfect flavor and even butter brushed on the crust of the baklava. There are refrigerated cases with all the favorite salads and sides and then some.

The flat bread is bagged and for sale in baskets and the baklava is kept heated so it's perfectly warm when you bite into it. The wraps are huge, at least a foot long. We had chicken shwarma and the gyro. The owner instructed his employee to make sure the fillings were end to end across so that the patron had a full 1st bite of meat and veg and not just wrap.

What you need to know: It's a little hole in the wall, on a really busy road, very limited parking and just 2 tables inside. There are 2 picnic tables outside if you can park, but this is definitely a take and go. I gave atmosphere 5 stars because although small and simple, it feels like walking into an authentic Mediterranean home or establishment. I've been in every state, lived in 15 and Dina's by far is the best Mediterranean food that I've eaten in this country. Portland's best...