Tag: 8245 SE Division

Food and Drink, New Business

Essa Bakery Middle Eastern Desserts

Essa Bakery opened in August within the former Stop By Bakery & Deli space at 8243 SE Division Street. The new bakery’s owner, Essa Abdulsahib, is friends with the previous business owner and learned that the space was available after Stop By Bakery relocated to Beaverton. Abdulsahib is a lifelong baker who brought his father’s traditional recipes and techniques from Iraq to his new home in Portland. The sweet shop specializes in baklava, but also offers a diverse selection of other Middle Eastern desserts, with an expanding menu of options.

Caixa de baklava em destaque na frente, com várias peças de baklava em um tabuleiro ao fundo.
Photo courtesy Essa Bakery

In early 2025, people began noticing a “coming soon” banner hanging in front of Stop By Bakery & Deli’s door, with window advertisements promoting the new shop’s name. However, the storefront on SE Stark Street remained closed for several months, awaiting an official opening date. Nabaa Altaie, Essa Abdulsahib’s nephew, who manages the store’s social media and oversees the shop, explained that sourcing issues with specialized equipment caused the delayed launch of Essa Bakery. Altaie said his uncle had purchased most of his baking equipment from Turkey, and they discovered damaged components during the installation. “Parts kept breaking and we had to fix that,” recalled Altaie. Replacement part shipping times kept pushing back the opening date, but the commercial kitchen equipment was critical to preserving Abdulsahib’s baking methods.

Exterior view of the Stop By Bakery & Deli storefront featuring a 'Coming Soon' banner and advertisements for baklava and other Middle Eastern desserts.
Essa Bakery opened in the former Stop By Bakery & Deli storefront (Jacob Loeb)

Quality and variety are essential to Essa Bakery’s owner and head baker. “We make everything fresh in the back of the store with our equipment. We also are expanding our menu. We’re adding, basically, every Middle Eastern dessert you can think of in the future,” said Altaie. He also noted the shop is working on adding Dubai Chocolate bars filled with kadayif and a pistachio-tahini cream. “We use pistachios from California farms, so they’re fresh. We use Bolivian chocolate, which is the best chocolate you can get, on top. It’s a really popular trend,” said Altaie.

A beautifully arranged box of assorted Middle Eastern sweets, featuring baklava, rose-shaped pastries, colorful cookies, and chocolate-covered treats, displayed in a stylish tin with decorative designs.
Photo courtesy Essa Bakery

Currently, Essa Bakery relies on support from the owner’s relatives to operate. Altaie explained that his uncle is so busy baking that they are having trouble finding time to create a new website, so instead, they focus on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. “It’s only family at the moment. Maybe we’ll need help when we expand it,” said Altaie. They are also looking to offer coffee and other bakery items. “We’re also trying to make bread in the near future,” remarked Altaie. The shop already offers savory options, incorporating meats and cheeses into some of their pastries. However, they remain invested in keeping their baklava the featured product at Essa Bakery.

A close-up of stacked pieces of baklava topped with crushed pistachios, showcasing its flaky layers and golden color.
Photo courtesy Essa Bakery

Altaie said they are slowly earning loyal customers, and offering free tastes of their products is often all it takes to win people over. “When they come, they keep coming back because of how good it tastes. They say that the baklava is up to par with what they would have in good, expensive restaurants.” He also explained that they focus on meeting people’s budgets while still committed to quality baking practices. “We have to make it as affordable as we can for people. It’s $20 a pound, which is basically the best price I’ve seen for baklava. Because I usually buy it from food trucks and pay $4 a piece, and it doesn’t compare to our flavor at all,” said Altaie.

Close-up of a tray of baklava with a single piece showcased on a small plate, highlighting the layers and nuts.
Photo courtesy Essa Bakery

Essa Bakery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. They want people to stop by often, as they continue to expand the menu with new options that visitors may not know they would appreciate. Altaie also said they would like to learn what customers want to see offered at the shop. He explained they want to be a reliable source for sweet baked goods in the neighborhood and hope people will enjoy what the family-run business has to offer.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Food and Drink, New Business, Restaurant

Stop By Bakery and Deli on Division

On December 5th, 2023, Waseem Elaibi opened Stop By Bakery & Deli at 8245 SE Division Street near Portland Community College’s southeast campus. The owner and chief baker migrated from Iraq in 2016, bringing traditional baking skills first honed in his youth. The menu features halal-compliant foods and many freshly baked items, including samoon, an Iraqi bread enjoyed by many cultures throughout neighboring regions.

Stop By Bakery & Deli is Elaibi’s first restaurant, although he worked as a baker early in his career. Before moving to the United States with his family, he worked with electronics, repairing phones in Iraq. Elaibi explained that as technical jobs became more scarce, he saw an opportunity to rekindle his commercial cooking know-how. Finding affordable rent in a former Mexican restaurant on SE Division Street, he opened his bakery with what he believes are the town’s finest halal dishes made with the freshest ingredients, enhanced by his flavorful sauces. Stop By Bakery creates organic bread and other baked goods from this location, giving customers access to recipes developed before mass production altered the way people cook.

Since opening, Elaibi has updated the menu to accommodate customer requests. Although he enjoys cooking the gyros, kebabs, and other dishes, he hopes to hire more kitchen staff to bolster the offerings. For now, he is focusing on creating fresh bakery goods, including a well-reviewed baklava. People can also purchase dried goods at Stop By Bakery & Deli, and they accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefit cards. Waseem Elaibi invites people to come to try his signature bread from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. He thinks there is a good chance new customers will experience unique dishes that some guests may have never experienced before and perhaps find new favorites.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Business Closing, Food and Drink

Enchilada Express Closes SE Division Location

Enchilada Express shuttered its Montavilla location after a temporary closure became permanent. The restaurant owners ask customers to visit the original SE Powell location instead or order online. The food-service-ready storefront at 8243 SE Division Street is once again available for lease after less than three years.

Enchilada Express opened this second location on SE Division in February 2021. This pandemic-era expansion forced the restaurant to focus on takeout orders and sales through delivery apps. Enchilada Express had difficulty establishing a solid customer base in the two-and-a-half years they worked in this space. Foot traffic from the nearby community college has yet to return to pre-covid levels, and changes to the street eliminated some on-street parking. A few other eating establishments have recently closed in this area for various reasons, adding to a cluster of vacant storefronts on this block.

Although this area has several empty retail spaces, commercial property around SE 82nd Avenue and Division Street could increase activity as more residential projects break ground. Developers plan to build a 143-unit apartment building called Jade Lofts on the neighboring block at 8301 SE Division Street. Additional housing developments in the pre-planning phase will bring more residents to the Portland Community College SE Campus and the former Canton Grill property. However, waiting two to three years for new customers is not viable for many businesses, and current conditions are challenging for existing shops. As things improve in this area over the next few years, this former Enchilada Express space may provide affordable retail space in a desirable location. People interested in leasing the now vacant shop space should call 503-407-7936.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Event, New Business, Restaurant

Enchilada Express Opens on Division

Enchilada Express opened its second location this week. The new restaurant, serving Mexican food, is open for takeout. Located on SE Division next to the recently completed Pacific Plaza, this additional location is in the heart of a rapidly growing section of Montavilla.

Located at 8245 SE Division Street, this Enchilada Express location joins the original restaurant on SE Powell Blvd. The menu offers a range of Mexican dishes that should be popular with the lunchtime crowd. Place orders over the phone at 503-477-9800, on their website, or when visiting the location.