Mediterranean Exploration Company
| Mediterranean Exploration Company | |
|---|---|
The restaurants exterior, 2025 | |
Interactive map of Mediterranean Exploration Company | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2014 |
| Food type | Mediterranean |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′32″N 122°41′04″W / 45.52561°N 122.68451°W |
Mediterranean Exploration Company, or MEC, is a Mediterranean restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States.[1][2][3][4]
Description
The restaurant Mediterranean Exploration Company (or MEC) operates in northwest Portland's Pearl District. Food options include bacon-wrapped dates, falafel, mujaddara, and hummus with pita. The drink menu includes beer, cocktails, and wine, as well as tea and Turkish coffee.[5]
History
The restaurant opened in August 2014, in the space that previously housed Riffle NW.[5][6]
Reception
Kara Stokes and Maya MacEvoy included MEC in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of recommended restaurants in the Pearl District.[7] The website included the business in a similar list in 2025.[8]
MEC was a runner-up in the Best Mediterranean Restaurant category of Willamette Week's annual Best of Portland readers' poll in 2015.[9] It ranked third in the same category in 2016 and 2017.[10][11]
References
- ^ Russell, Michael (December 4, 2014). "At Mediterranean Exploration Company, the highs are high (review)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ Cizmar, Martin (September 30, 2014). "Mediterranean Exploration Company: Restaurant Review". Willamette Week. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ Clarke, Kelly (September 2, 2014). "First Impressions of John Gorham's Mediterranean Exploration Company". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ Yaeger, Brian (November 12, 2014). "Hummus, You Fancy - Food and Drink". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
- ^ a b Russell, Michael (December 4, 2014). "At Mediterranean Exploration Company, the highs are high (review)". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Russell, Michael (March 20, 2014). "Portland-area restaurants on our radar: March, 2014". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Stokes, Kara (September 9, 2019). "Where to Eat and Drink in Portland's Pearl District". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ Hilton, Thom (September 9, 2019). "The Best Restaurants and Bars in Portland's Pearl District". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. July 15, 2015. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2026.