Please see our New Oregonian article.

Jan 29,2010. Cheap Eats:

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2010/01/cheap_eats_tigers_cafe.html

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lhttp://www.rewardsnetwork.com/details.htm?search=true&merchantId=97729

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Portland, OR April 21, 2009) edited 11/11/2009
Press Contact:
Media Maison
(503) 719-6948

Lebanese Family Bring a Little Piece of the Middle East to SE Belmont

Portland, OR—Joseph Nemr never thought that roasting a few lambs for comrades during the holidays while serving in Iraq would turn into a business, but when he returned to Portland, he did just that.  Today, Joseph has turned his love for his mother’s Lebanese cooking into a little piece of the Middle East for one South East Portland neighborhood.

Upon returning from a 2-year tour of duty as a contractor for the US Department of Defense, Joseph knew it was the right time to realize his long time dream to own his own business.  He’d worked in friend’s restaurants growing up in Beirut and loved nothing more while overseas than sharing his mother’s recipes with DOD co-workers and Marines he was stationed with.  Naturally, when the opportunity to open his own café came along, Joseph jumped in feet first. While Joseph was finishing up his work overseas, wife Mary laid the ground work for what was to be their family's new business.

Tiger’s Café is the realization of that dream and a lot of hard work.  Located in the former Jáce Gáce location, Tiger’s Café (Nemr means tiger in Arabic) serves traditional Lebanese fare alongside an extensive selection of Cocktails, beers, wine, coffees, and yes BREAKFAST including the FABULOUS waffles.

Waffles?  If there was one thing that Jáce Gáce was known for, it was waffles, and Joseph’s two sons loved them so much, they decided to keep the extensive collection of specialty waffles on the menu, and now, since Portlanders LOVE breakfast, Tiger's is now hard at work creating an all day breakfast bar.  Bloody Mary's, and Waffles... Delightful. Stay tuned.

To solidify the marriage of Middle East meets West, Joseph and his kitchen staff created the Falafel Waffle, traditional falafel mix served as a waffle served on a bed of lettuce with tahini, mint, parsley and thinly sliced tomato.  Though only a month old, the Falafel Waffle has become a hit with patrons in this hip SE location.

Tiger’s Café is holded it's grand opening celebration May 6 at in its SE Belmont location.  Friends and neighbors are enjoyed a night sampling Tiger’s fare, enjoyed a little music from the East and met Joseph  & Mary.

 


My girlfriend and I discovered this little spot walking home from Colonel Summer Park the other day.  The sun was out and we saw their patio, so we decided to stop in and check it out.  The girl behind the counter was friendly and had us seat ourselves outside.  She returned quickly with place settings, menus, water, and a steaming cup of Stumptown for me.  Yum.

From reading other reviews above, with their 'odd mix' and whatnot, I felt somewhat confused.  It seemed pretty straightforward what Tiger's is trying to do.  I saw primarily Lebanese dishes, and then a breakfast menu, which worked out for us great since we were having a hung-over Sunday afternoon.  I wanted something hearty and ordered some ground-beef meatballs, kafta, I think.  My girlfriend was in the mood for breakfast and couldn't decide between the avacado ranchero waffle or the tiramisu waffle. After some prodding on my part, she went with the tiramisu  (I knew I'd want a few bites).

After a fairly short wait, our food arrived hot and we dug in.  The meatball pita I ordered was moist and flavorful, and the extra side of hummus I ordered was delicious (I'm a dipper, I like to dip).  While I was eating, though, I couldn't keep my eyes off my girlfriends tiramisu waffle.  The whipped marscapone on top looked so fluffy and good it wasn't long before I was pointing out the Great Dane across the street so I could sneak a bite while she wasn't looking.  Dang! The waffle was fluffy and sweet and whatever was drizzled over the top added an extra nice touch of sugary goodness.  She had a hard time keeping me off her plate after that.

We finished up and surprisingly, the waiter brought the bill out quickly, as in my experience in Portland waiters don't keep a very good eye on outdoor seating and many times I'm left to walk the bill up myself.  All in all, I think we found a great new little neighborhood spot.

Joe N.
Yelp.com

 


I live in the neighborhood and have been going for coffee and lunch at least once a week for the past few months, so I've gotten to know the owners, Joseph and Mary Nemr, two very nice, very genuine people. Last week Joseph and I were talking and he was telling me about how they are getting the kinks worked out of their new family business. I myself can't imagine the work and thought and long hours that go into opening a restaurant, and I imagine there's always some fine tuning that goes on with a new business, especially one that involves food.

On that note, I really enjoy their kafka sandwich, which is seasoned meatballs, hummus, and veggies. It's always moist and delicious and fills me up when I've skipped breakfast. They kept Jace Gace's waffles, which I think is a nice touch. Who doesn't like a fluffy waffle on the weekends? The waitstaff, especially Jacob, are always super friendly and go out of their way to make sure I'm taken care of.

I'm excited to see the new mural Joseph was talking about putting up in the next few weeks. With their patio and all the people who hang out at Colonel Summers Park, I see this place really taking off this summer. It couldn't happen to two nicer people either.

Philip Bailey
Superpages.com