Nicolas Restaurant serves Lebanese and Middle Eastern fare and the name of the game here is large platters of reasonably priced food. Sandwiches run in the $6-$7 range and you can order a specialty dish for about $9. I like their lamb, hummus and baba ghanoush but find the rice pilaf uninspiring. Unless you’ve got an enormous appetite the specialty plates provide enough food to last you through the next day. The biggest downfall is that Nicolas Restaurant doesn’t accept reservations and there is very little room to wait. This means that once you add your name to the list you may end up huddled outside hiding from the rain under the canopy until your party is called.
Nicolas Restaurant, 318 SE Grand Ave, Portland. (503) 235-5123. M-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 12-9; Cash or check only.
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