Marrakech Cuisine

It was good, I can’t wait to return to try the Tagine. Last time I’ve had Morrocan Tagine it was in France… The crepes were good, the soup was best! Service seemed like all the waitresses were all by the glasses… even the bus boy for most of the part… Will have to return for that Tagine…

Oy… just, don’t go here. Terrible service, mediocre food, and if you’re lucky, they might degrade you!
We walked in and a waitress greeted us. Place was dead, so of course she put us at a table in the middle of the place, against the wall, right next to the bathrooms. Why? Don’t know. Ew.
Then, one of the servers, a middle aged gentleman who might be the owner, made me and my girlfriend feel like total crap. Several times.
Right when we sat down, with a nice little smirk on his face, he started asking me if something was wrong with me at the moment — I looked like something was wrong. What the hell? I’d just woken up about an hour before, was tired, and didn’t want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone. But sure, insult me when I sit down.
We should have walked out right away — the only reason we stayed was to redeem a groupon…
And speaking of the groupon, that was another point of contention: he wanted us to be 100% aware of their $ 20 minimum on credit cards, because people who paid with groupons usually didn’t spend enough money to hit that. Great, so now not only do you tell me I look terrible, I’m now a cheapskate. Thanks a bunch. I asked a girl working if they had an ATM. Nope. Where’s the nearest one? Dunno… Jewel? So now I walked over to Jewel to use their ATM. Cute.
On top of that, once we ordered, he started pestering us, basically demanding to know why we didn’t order an appetizer. Our food was going to take a long time, we should order more! No thanks buddy.
Maybe I have far too elevated expectations, when you’re spending $ 15+ a plate at a restaurant like this, I’d except some sort of pita, but nope, nothing. Maybe we pissed him off by not ordering an appetizer.
I will say though, he kept offering to refill a water bottle of mine several times, to a strangely insistent degree. That was the best the service got.
Food came.
Girlfriend had «The Royal Couscous» with merguez sausage, lamb, and beef. Very meh.
I had the Chicken «Pastille» — wish I hadn’t. It was flat like a pancake, not layered very deep, just felt flimsy. Not even that much taste. When the powdered sugar on top of a dish made with chicken, almonds and cinnamon is the most flavorful part… wow, that’s bad. I’ve had this dish as an appetizer at other restaurants for HALF the price, and it was about twice as thick and more appetizing. Pretty bad.
It was a pretty terrible experience. I recommend Marrakech — insofar of avoiding walking in altogether.

This place could have easily gotten 4 stars but sadly they did not.
The atmosphere was extremely weird since the front is also a gift shop.
Surprise: I do not like eating food next to a rack of belts for $ 15.99 each (that was an arbitrary price, don’t expect to get belts here for that price).
The food was good. Felt very authentic and a little bit like home cooking. Everything was simple and tasty.

I could not believe how empty this place was when we walked in on the last day of our Groupon validity. One server/​greeter, hopefully not the cook. The nicest pushy guy ever — I pointed to the menu item I wanted to order and he goes: «Well, can you say that?» I did in my perfect French accent and he was impressed.
On to the eggplant&tomato appetizer — delish!!!, and the leg of lamb with the meat falling off the bone. The rice was a bit sweet, but I loved it anyway.
A must comeback for the chilly winter months.

This restaurant is the sort of wonderful hole in the wall that lets you know you’ve really come to know a city. From the outside it’s so unassuming that you’d easily miss it. But inside it has some great food and wonderfully friendly service. When I go I feel like I’ve been invited into the owner’s home for dinner.
Top picks for appetizers are the baba ganoush (a creamier, smokier version than you’d find at middle eastern places) and the zaalouk. The harrira soup is excellent as well. For mains, lamb is really the specialty — in particular the fez tajine — lamb shank in an almond /​prune sauce that’s savory & sweet.
Added bonus is it’s BYOB.
As for the negative reviews — they’re bewildering to me. I’ve been here repeatedly over 4 years and have never had a bad experience. I would call the service perfectly paced — I’ve been in and out in less than an hour but I’ve also sat and enjoyed tea for two hours. Never have I felt hurried nor ignored.

I visited here 4 times in total, and I am not sure I will ever come back. I enjoyed Marrakech enough during prior experiences that I purchased a Groupon to dine there. Unfortunately, during my last visit the owner/​manager/​waiter, took one look at my Groupon and said, «You will have to pay the rest in cash.» When I told him that we did not have cash, he walked away from the table not even stating the location of the nearest ATM. (While I’m totally fine with family-​run, cash-​only restaurants — there is a Master Card and Visa sticker on the door when you enter, why? I don’t know because if you have a groupon, it’s cash only.) My friend and I decided to go elsewhere for dinner and I promptly wrote to Groupon for a refund. (which I received)
Each time prior to this weird and rude experience, I had the babaghennoush which was delicious, creamy and amazing. During most of my visits, I stuck with the vegetable tajine which was delicious. I did venture once to attempt to try the fish-​phyllo dough concoction «Fish Pastille» and I did not enjoy that.
In sum, it has a hole-​in-​the-​wall atmosphere and food that doesn’t necessarily warrant putting up with rudeness and weirdness. I suggest getting the Babaghennoush to go. (Bring cash.)

I have gotten decent reviews for this place and was super excited to experience the Moroccan fun! As soon as we walked in, we sensed something was a bit off because there was no order to the place. We walked around aimlessly because we did not know if we were supposed to be seated or wait to be approached. When we got to the back of the restaurant we were finally greeted and offered a seat (but no menus).
The service was slow, which I rarely mind, but it seemed a bit uncomfortable. The manager/​owner did not seem to help the waiter very much and kept slipping into the office to smoke. Yes, the smoke was permeating under the door and did not mix with the rose I bought to accompany the food, nor the meal.
As for the meal, eh. The falafel was yummy, as was the salad, so we were excited for the main courses. Boy, were we wrong! The chicken was bland and the couscous tasted slightly off. On a positive note? We didn’t eat that much, so we did not have to worry about packing on any extra pounds.
The waiter was nice and funny, but did not heip us forget the rest of the disastrous experience.

Good food, but horrible service… 10 minutes before I was greeted, another 10 before a server came by, never got water or the drink I ordered, no silverware or napkins for my apps!!! They were busy, but not that busy!
Its good middle eastern food, with bomb shelter in Iraq service

I thought the food here was quite good for the price. Not a fan of the casual and retail store like ambiance though.
I had Harrira which is a Moroccan soup for the first time and will definitely try to make it at some point. The entrees were good as well… chicken in sweet sauce made of some dried fruit, lamb shank.

It seems typical these days to venture out and try places via a Groupon — often not returning for meal #2. This would certainly not be the case for Marrrakech, although we were drawn to the Wicker Park hole in the wall via Groupon, we’ll certainly be back again soon!
We started with the soup (the only one on the menu), which we would describe as Moroccan chili — tomato based with different veggies/​beans. It was delicious.
For our entrees — we tried both the lamb couscous and a Moroccan sausage dish — both flavorful & hearty. Out of the two — would be more likely to recommend the couscous.
What really stands out at Marrakech though, is the service. Although other Unilocalers have mentioned slow service — we had an amazing waiter, who we actually presume to be the owner as well. He was attentive, made great recommendations, and even humored my boyfriend by engaging in some French conversation.
All in all it was a great recommendation and I would certainly recommend for a date and/​or fun group dinner (it’s BYOB!).

We went here on Saturday night with a couple friends and a couple bottles of wine. It was super cozy — kind of feels like you’re going into someone’s grandma’s house. Abe, the singluar server, was incredible. Immediately, he made us feel at home, and I want to go back again just to spend time with him and listen to his stories. We stayed for almost 4 hours and not once did he rush us out. Even when the kitchen staff was going home.
The food was delicious. Really solid home-​cooking kind of food. I highly recommend the Atlas Tagine and the Fish Bital (sp?). They were incredibly fresh-​tasting and so comforting.
Also, the Moroccan coffee is something I’d never had before but reminded me a bit of Ethiopian coffee with more spices. A wonderful end to the meal.
Go check it out when you want a fun place to hear your dinner companions and some comfort food.

My boyfriend and I ate there on Valentine’s Day. I knew it wouldn’t be busy, and I have always wanted to eat there. When we walked in, it was just as I suspected, dark, quiet, and empty. Well, there were two occupied tables finishing up their dinners. It was 830.
I am a vegetarian, so there weren’t too many choices for me, but that was fine, I’m used to a limited menu. I had a vegetable dish with rice. It came with peas, carrots, potatoes, and rice. It was bland and seriously lacking in the flavor department. I needed something to go with it, so I waited for the waiter to come back. 15 minutes later, he came back, so I asked him for harissa sauce, and a to go box. I never actually finished the dish after I brought it home. I just felt that I could roast my own potatoes, carrots, microwave some peas, and throw some rice on a plate just as good (probably better) as this place. It was nice to see what the odd place was all about, but I will not be back, nor will I recommend it to anyone. Sorry!

I went here on a Friday night with a girlfriend, and we had a blast. We got there around 6:15, and the place was very quiet. However, by the time we left (2 hours later), the place was PACKED. We volunteered to give up our table and finish our (second) bottle of wine at the small bar in the back. In addition to being a BYOB place (hence the two bottles of wine), this place also has delicious food and a good atmosphere.
My friend and I got the hummus for an appetizer, and it was outstanding. Perfectly creamy and flavorful, and the pita was warm and fluffy. For the main course, my friend got the kafta kabob and liked it. I ordered the Atlas Tajine and was pleased as well. The serving sizes are generous, so you leave feeling plenty full, but not grossly stuffed.
The food was good, but I wouldn’t say anything was absolutely awesome except for the pita. I would definitely check this place out for some good food, a nice atmosphere, friendly staff (though the service can be kind of slow) and BYOB.

Extremely disappointed and actually, insulted. Given the range of reviews, I can only conclude that there are two Marrakech restaurants. The one that cooks flavorful food to order and the one that shamefully/​sham-​fully reheats that same food for the other 29 days of the month.
But the babaganoush was fantastic! Don’t order anything hot.

BYOB plus the food was overall really good.
This place is dishing out flavorful food! The app was zaalouk w/​pita had smooth blend of veggies w/​a wonderful spice.
Yes the décor sucks extremely n with price tags of $ 17 a plate they should really start to upgrade the inside or lower the prices leaving it low end.
Felt like looking at an Asian menu everything is labeled with numbers. Very tacky. Lol. Anyways my 13 roasted lamb was super yummy! Portion size was just enough couldve used a Lil more but was content due to the app.
It’s the farthest thing from ane appealing date night but the food is good n byob kinda makes up a Lil as well.

They are only getting 2 stars because of the friendly and welcoming service. And maybe, just maybe the baba ganoush.
The venue itself has a basement smell, you would think there would be an aroma of great spices and cooking, but no. You walk into a dingy-​feeling basement with minimal décor and no lighting or music.
The food, although I only tried one entrée, was like eating a piece of chicken that had been baked in a ton of oil and with no essence of Moroccan seasonings. They didn’t even salt or pepper the chicken. Hardly edible. Thankfully I used a groupon so this wasn’t a total waste.
I was hoping I found a hidden gem. Disappointed!

On the bright side: we had a groupon, and the food was quite delicious. The owner was nice O.K., seemed very proud of the culture. Even gave us a bit of a lecture on how different Moroccan cuisine from everything else is… O.K.
Now, what is up with the table plastic covers and the overall (pink?) color of the place? And, at the end of the dinner the owner/​servant added automatically 20% tip?! What the f!@#?
Not that we regret a few extra bucks he made us pay… But give us a damn choice, will you?
Ever never again!

I have to start off by raving about how friendly the staff is here. They take the time to know you and even address you by your name which makes it super nice and cozy. It has a real mom and pop feel and it feels like you’re in your Grandma’s kitchen, if your grandma was a Morracan man – lol.
Our server Abe was very nice. i think the first time, I came here though just the owner took care of us but that particular night he was the owner/​host/​waiter/​cook. Talk about multi-​tasking!
So when you walk in, it might be a little empty. To some people a little strange, but I found it rather cute and cozy. It’s definitely a no thrills place.
The food here is super tasty. For our appz, we tried the Falafel and the Briwat Rolls, both were delicious. The Harrissa sauce was delightful and had a nice spice balance. The Merguez is extremely delicious. I’ve also tried the Fez in the past which is a super tender braised lamb shank. This time I tried the Atlas Tagine, which is the chicken tagine. It was very delicious as well.
The best part about this place is that the prices are unbeatable! We were stuffed to the brim for about $ 30.

Headline: Not clean, not flavorful, not recommended.
This is a strange little restaurant. When we first walked in we were confused because there’s no one in sight from the entryway, but after we walked forward a bit we finally saw someone behind the bar of this empty restaurant. In my confusion I asked «are you serving dinner?» In hindsight this was a strange thing to ask an employee of a restaurant at 7pm in the evening, but I really wasn’t sure as there was no sign of food at all.
Once we sat down we ordered a couple appetizers (eggplant dip with pita and vegetable egg rolls). Both were actually pretty good; however we weren’t brought appetizer plates, so they were kind of tricky to eat. Next we had a chicken and vegetables entrée that wasn’t very flavorful and it seemed that the vegetables could have come from a can.
The food isn’t actually were my complaints begin. I found the restaurant to not be sanitary with stains on the walls, strange plastic covering the tables, and stuff sitting everywhere (it’s supposedly a restaurant AND a store). Maybe you could find some neat stuff here imported from the Marrakesh souqs, but it really clutters the place.
Anyway, I’m also not too happy that I had to pull hair out of my mouth at one point during the meal – and, to top it all off, I was charged tax on the full $ 30 Groupon despite our bill only being for about $ 27 – 28. Not a good way to end an already unpleasant experience.
Won’t be returning.

Huh? 4 stars? Seriously?
Were it not for the major ceiling leak that no one noticed (literally water pouring in in the middle of the restaurant), the disgusting plastic tableclothes, dirty glasses, and a dungeon-​like space, the food would be pretty poor all on it’s own.
I was really expecting to like this hole in the wall. There were a few groups inside, seemingly enjoying their food. We were able to sit wherever we wanted (apparently I picked the wrong table as there was seriously crusty food on the plastic on the table). Soon after, the water started pouring in from the ceiling… on some diners… they didn’t come out with any sort of container until there was a large pool of water. I am a bit concerned as this spot is in the basement of a 4-​story building… rain seriously leaks in? I am concerned for the inhabitants of the upstairs apartments.
We tried to order 2 half portions of the hummus and another starter. This apparently wasn’t allowed — though, I’m not entirely sure why as the starter «dips» seem to be ladled on to plates. But, ok, who am I to argue?
The starter was the warm one with eggplant. It was served with dry pita… it was ok, we ate it.
Then we had the sausage (entrée #1) and the half chicken with rice and peas (and some other veggies). I’m pretty sure the peas were canned… and the rice was ok and chicken was tender. The chicken dish was ok, though nothing special. The sausage had good flavor, but was very dry. Oh — by the way — they were out of everything lamb (one of the reasons to go!).
We ate everything, but it was subpar. I give the food about a 2. Service, based upon the water issue, and the general non-​helpfulness of the server gets a 1. The bathrooms were acceptable, and I’ve seen worse… they get a 2. Atmosphere has to also take into account the water, dirty tablecloth and same song on repeat…1. Value… I have to say the prices are inexpensive. A 3 for value.
I won’t be back and I’m disappointed that this spot didn’t live up to it’s reviews. Unfortunately, my scale gives this spot a 1.8…I simply have to round down this time as I would not return.