Jaffa Mediterranean Grill — Restaurant in South Portland

Story time. What? Are you the type to skip to the end of a book and read the last few pages? If so, here is the ending, go eat here. It's awesome!!! Now, for those who want more details...

I am staying in the Portland area for work. My husband suggested this place for dinner. I was a little hesitant when google maps lead me to the food court of the mall. I worked in mall retail for 12 years at 8 different malls. I can count the number of memorable food court eateries on one hand. This place tops the list.

Seriously, order takeout from here and you will not regret it. The food is priced extremely reasonably. The fattoush salad is slightly larger than a typical side salad and is served with fried pita. It is refreshing and delicious. The gyro schwarma was very good as well. We topped it with what the owner suggested with the addition of the harissa sauce. The harissa sauce has nice heat but isn't hot. The falafel was nice and crispy on the outside but not dry on the inside. Definitely get the signature rice to go with it. This highly fragrant rice is seasoned with (I am guessing here) cinnamon, cardamom and maybe a little turmeric? However, my absolute favorite item was was the LOADED SCHWARMA FRIES!!! Where have these been all of my life? Why bother with other fries when schwarma fries exist?

Where I live has many mediterranean (Turkish, Lebanese, Greek) restaurants. They are some of our favorite places to go. However, when I go home, I am going to miss...

The people who prepared my food were all very welcoming and the eating area was impeccably clean. I tried several things on the menu and really enjoyed most of them. The few things I didn't care for seemed like they were probably good, just not quite to my liking. I will especially mention that the texture of the hummus was amazing; I don't know how they got it so smooth.

The base portions are reasonable (if a little pricey), but what really gets you is the add-ons. Want extra protein? Sure thing, but it will cost you. Want extra hummus? Another upcharge for that. Each charge is transparent; there are no hidden fees. While I was building my first bowl, it seemed to me that each additional item cost just a little more than it should. It struck me that it was an interactive lesson about gluttony. "Want to be a greedy pig and stuff your face? That's totally your call, but you'll pay for it (both literally and figuratively)." It didn't stop me from doing it, but I was a bit more mindful as I ate. I know nothing about the philosophy of Jaffa Mediterranean Grill's owners, so I have no idea whether this is an intentional 'lesson' or just something that exists only in my mind. Having said that, I would gladly eat there again when I'm in southern Maine. But next time I will stick...

It's not often that you find a place where both the food and service are excellent, but Jaffa is one of them. I was at the mall to pick up an order and smelled something amazing at the food court doors, so stopped in at Jaffa. I used the kiosk to place an order, and here's where I screwed up - I ordered the wrong type of gyro. (I didn't realize there were different versions, and if the ingredients were listed then I must have blown right by them.) So I was really disappointed to open up my order when I got back to work & see that I had the "wrong" wrap - though the garlic fries & mint lemonade were still excellent.

The kiosk hadn't provided a paper receipt, so I emailed customer service with the details I had. The research and response was quick and courteous and really went above & beyond for something that was actually my fault. (Which I'm incredibly embarrassed by.)

I will be going back this weekend to order the correct item and plan to work my way through the rest of the menu over the coming months, because I really appreciate this level of service - and like I said earlier, everything...