Couscous Express

This is the kind of restaurant Phornix foodies need to support if our town is going to grow up from a culinary standpoint. Because of the low key location and décor, this place qualifies as a hole-​in-​the-​wall, but this ethnically diverse part of town already boasts San Carlos Bay next door and the amazing Noble Eatery down the street. We were greeted by Abdul and John, our waiter, immediately brought out some iced tea with rose hips followed by a plate of fresh hummus and warm pita. My wife ordered the lamb and I got the chicken. Both were excellent. The lamb had blueberries in it which was unusual but delicious. After, we got a milkshake which had flavors of dates and peanut butter. All the while, we felt like guests in someone’s home rather than customers. We experienced true hospitality and a fantastic meal. We will be back.

Love this place!!! I threw my husband a surprise birthday dinner party here because of his love for Moroccan food. Met with Abdul in advance and he prepared my sister & samples so I could decide on the courses. Everything was bursting with flavor! My husband and guests were very pleased & excited with every dish that was served during the celebration… The delicious food kept coming and coming until we were all so satisfied … Literally stuffed cause we couldn’t stop eating.
Not only was the food fantastic … The hospitality and service here is unbeatable … So inviting and accommodating that we felt as if we were Abdul’s family. We will defiantly return to this gem of a find regularly. Thank you Abdul for the delicious food and taking such good care of our guests… My husband had a very happy birthday at Couscous Express.

Delicious! Wonderful food, great service. My sister wanted to surprise her husband for his birthday and this was the perfect spot. They took such good care of us. Even though they were not done with construction they made everything look wonderful, opened early and made the most delicious feast for us. Each course was delightful. The soup was rich, the carrots had just the right amount of spice, the lamb was tender, the couscous moist, the bastilla mouth watering and you must have the date shake! It’s the best I’ve ever had.

We had a great experience. Nice people there and great food. Sat down and they started bringing us great soup, flat bread, carrot salad, and tea. Then we had the chicken tagine with couscous. Loved it!
Thanks again for the shakes too!

Bread made on site is yummy! Really hospitable owners, adore the olives. Wonderful steak with couscous, a lot of vegetables. Will definitely be back as we work really close to here. And must attempt the home hot tea!

We were looking for something different to have for lunch when we almost drove right past Couscous Express. We were up for something different so we stopped in. Immediately we were welcomed and given tea. The smell of the food was great so we ordered — and the food was great — exotic but also familiar. The chicken was just spicy enough to make you want more after every bite. Very affordable and friendly service too!

I have only eaten Moroccan food once or twice before. But after dining at Moroccan Paradise across from ASU, I liked it so much that I decided to try another Moroccan restaurant the following day. That’s when I discovered Couscous Express, which I read is famous for their couscous and date shakes.
When I entered Couscous Express, I was personally greeted by owner-​chef Abdul who hails from Tangier, Morocco. Even before shown the menu, he had dropped off a few complimentary starters — a warm cup of bitter gunpowder tea, a bowl of mildly spiced hisara soup that was lentil based, and a microwaved piece of harsha that’s like a thick disc shaped pan fried bread. Abdul told me to take my time, he would take my order after I finished the appetizers. I have eaten at Arabic restaurants where a hearty lentil soup is the first item served, and the hisara soup tasted very similar to that. It’s like the «miso soup» of Middle Eastern meals.
The menu was very simplistic, permutations of either kabobs or tagine, with the choice of vegetable, chicken, beef, fish, or lamb. For that reason, there was no paper menu passed out. Just tell Abdul what you want. I chose the lamb tagine, after having had chicken the previous night.
The tagine was essentially an individual serving potted stew, very soupy, containing a mélange of boiled vegetables, raisins (instead of dates), and meat. I ate it with steamed couscous which was prepared reasonably well — very moist and soft, somewhat fragrant, a hint of raisin-​like sweetness. The couscous was not as spongy as rice that I eat more frequently, but it did taste good with the hearty low-​sodium broth. I especially liked the broth because it had natural sweetness from the boiled vegetables. The broth was light but still relatively savory, it tasted great even on its own.
Unfortunately, I was extremely let down by one aspect. I ordered lamb but I’m convinced that I received beef, although one of the servers assured me it was lamb. I don’t think it was goat meat either. The lamb tasted really similar to the boiled beef stock that I add to my Chinese soup. No gamey flavor, tough resilient texture, very lean meat. It was my least favorite aspect of the tagine. In my opinion, using lamb or goat shanks (bone-​in) would make the tagine taste infinitely better.
Nonetheless, I had a positive experience at Couscous Express. Hospitality was the most memorable aspect of the meal. Chef Abdul treats customers like family, and dining in felt like being a guest in his house. It’s a one man show in the kitchen but he somehow finds time to bus tables. Chef Abdul even refilled my broth and bowl of couscous without asking. It’s impossible to leave hungry from this place.
Between Couscous Express and Moroccan Paradise, I would pick Couscous Express if I wanted a more soupy and stew-​like tagine, and choose Moroccan Paradise if I were craving for a more of a purely steamed bowl where a gravy is served on the side.

Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised with how well our evening turned out. My wife and I gang out with some «foodies,» and they invited us here for a dinner out.
After driving by twice, we finally found it. We walked in and found our group in the corner booth area. It was the only area that could handle our party of six.
We didn’t really order any food, which I found fun. I just said, «Bring us whatever tastes good.» It could have been taken as me being a rude S.O.B., but we got what we ordered! :)
We had the lamb, beef, and chicken dishes. All were served with couscous and stewed vegetables. Everything was perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful.
Thank you for a great meal and pleasant experience.

Absolutely amazing. You have to treat yourself to this place! The owner and the service was great, it was like dining at home. In terms of food 5 stars!!! Try the lamb

I can definitely understand why Abdul Charra’s restaurant has garnered the rave reviews it has. Between the warm hospitality and the value, its awfully hard not to give this place high marks. I came here for lunch with my brother on a Thursday eager to see what the hype was about and to get my first taste of Moroccan cuisine. The restaurant is located a few blocks west of the 51 Freeway on McDowell. The inside is nicely decorated and with Moroccan music playing in the background. Parking is tough and the restaurant is a little dimly lit inside, but minor issues in the grand scheme of things.
As soon as we sat down, Abdul brought out some hot mint tea to our table. A perfect refreshment on an unusually chilly day in the Phoenix area. Shortly after that, Abdul brought out some fava bean soup and some warm fresh made bread. Admittedly I’m a bit of a wuss with really spicy food and the soup packed a pretty good punch. They must’ve put quite a bit of cumin in there. No complaints about the bread though as the texture was pillow soft. After that, we were provided with more of that delicious bread and a plate of homemade hummus. This version had quite a bit of complexity with a wide variety of different herbs working here. Garlic and chickpeas are there of course but I think I picked up a mild peppery mix in there as well. And keep in mind this was all provided to us before we even had a chance to order our actual dishes.
I went the traditional route this go around and chose the lamb couscous. They actually provide the couscous on the side and then deliver the slow cooked steaming hot meat, veggies, and broth in what looks like an iron bowl. From there you mix the two as you see fit. The couscous was perfect for soaking up all that beef broth and the meat itself was super tender. I honestly don’t know how I finished it, but I was determined to make it happen. Outstanding meal. To finish things off, I asked for a date shake, something pretty much all Unilocalers say you have to try here. As I understand it, the shake is essentially a mixture of ground up dates, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Abdul recommended that I wait to have it until after my couscous dish as he said the shake was super filling. He was right. That said, the shake had a smooth pleasant texture so it acted as a nice palate cleanser to top of the meal.
Total cost for my lamb couscous, my brother’s chicken couscous, a pair of date shakes, numerous hot mint teas, fresh baked bread, fava bean soup, hummus, tax, and tip came to about $ 36. Considering how much food and drink we were provided, it was a spectacular deal. Up until we got the check, I probably would’ve said 4 stars for this place, but what you get for the price pushes Abdul’s place to about a 4.5. When you can deliver good (at times great) quality hard to find food to the masses at a great price, you’ve earned this Unilocaler’s personal admiration (and a return visit).

This place was FANTASTIC!
Just as we sat, owner served us warm tea, pita & hummus. I could have put that hummus on everything. Beautiful flavor with a lingering spicy that was just delightful.
We got 1 Lamb & 1 chicken to share. It was so flavorful and the meat was tender. Both dishes had a great balance between meat & vegetable. After, we order a date shake. Now, if have never had one then you are missing out. The shake is water based and is not overly sweet. It was so good I took some for the road.
The owner gave us a Moroccan baklava. You can taste the rose water. This dish is very sweet but soooo yummy.
This is our first time here and we will def be back.

Outstanding!!!
The meats were tender, the vegetables savory. The staff was wonderful.
The proprietor is very professional, interacts with the guests and is very warm and friendly.
We will be coming back!

I saw another review that said this place is like thanksgiving dinner… it’s so true! A friend and I were finishing up a meeting and we decided to go to lunch. While we were debating on where to go, I opened up Unilocal,saw this places great reviews and we decided to go on an adventure!
When we got there, we were immediately welcomed by the owner/​cook. We sat down and he immediately brought us warm bread and AMAZING hummus! Also brought us some hot tea. I’m not a fan of tea, but this was pretty good! Very sweet, with hints of floral. To be totally honest, we ordered the beef, but he brought us the chicken. We totally ate it anyway because it still looked so good. Seriously delicious! I will definitely be back. The owner was great and very centered around how the customers were doing.

I’ve been told my reviews are full of emotion. but I just cant separate it.
Going to Couscous Express is not just great food it is an experience. You sit down and get this amazing hot tea (so good I got a to go cup just to have while working at my desk at work) and then the food. We had no idea what to get because even though the menu is small everythign sounds so good.
So our waiter came by and he chose for us.
We got the hummus first, it had an amazing spice level, the bread was great. and then I was starting to get full…
The main dishes came out and I hated my self for not pacing myself. Its liek Thanksgiving dinner all over again. After taking a breather… I started and WOW. just WOW. it was simply amazing.
I preferred the vegetarian dish because you can taste the spices more but this doesnt mean the meat one wasnt good.
Definitely going again. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE. 5+ STARS!

Holy cow… This place is amazing!!! Such a hidden gem! Immediately upon entering you are greeted warmly with some warm home made pita and hummus and tea. We ended up getting the vegetarian couscous and I can’t get over how tasty it was. My favorite part food wise was how perfect the potatoes were cooked in the couscous. I also loved the aesthetic inside. It felt like we were in morocco. I also enjoyed ending the meal with a date shake!

After a failed attempted to check out Couscous Express I was pretty excited when an 2^nd opportunity popped up to meet up with Norm, Jon and Jennifer O to try them out, we met up on a Thursday afternoon little before 4pm.
I was a few minutes late, so everyone was already at the table, and there was fresh naan like bread, but small and fluffy, with amazing tasting hummus, spicy and flavorful, so good it was hard to stop eating it!
Was served a glass of fresh mint tea, which was great tasting, and also some hot sweet tea, it too was great, just a little too sweet for me.
The menu is on the wall and it’s pretty simple, I went with the chicken kabobs that came with couscous and stewed veggies, this dish, though simple was amazing, the chicken was perfectly seasoned and cooked, the stewed veggies made me think of comfort food, the couscous was fluffy and cooked perfectly, in fact I loved it!
Abdul and John (aka Francois) took care of us perfectly! When the meal was done, Abdul brought us each date shakes, now the flavor of these were perfect, but the texture reminded me of egg nog, and I just am not a fan, but please don’t let that stop you, because it’s a delish little drink! Also brought to the table were some amazing dessert pastries drizzled in honey, just delish!
Excellent service, perfect meal, looking forward to coming back!

A recommendation from my pal Norm, always in good taste and never bad form. He always delivers with a solid five stars, so walk here or run or jump in your cars.
Couscous Express delivers phenomenal customer service and awesome food! We were seated, greeted, and before I could open the menu, I was chatting with my lady on how I hope they have hummus on the menu. I was jonesing for some of that garbanzo bean delight, I’m sure my hands were shaking from withdrawals; I’ve not had any in about two days and my home supply was depleted. No sooner then I had finished that thought, the waiter brought out some of the best tasting hummus I’ve had, and fresh out of the oven pita. Was this guy reading my mind, probably, their service is just that good. We ordered the beef couscous to share, which was a great idea because it was perfect sized for two ‘small plate’ eaters, but I totally could have killed that entire dish myself, and then some too. Oooh, it was so good!
After dining and sampling their house made date shake, I was assured by the waiter they had plenty more delicious food that he would love to serve me, especially their soup. I almost caved under the pressure, but I couldn’t eat another bite; they sure do know how to make you feel like you’re part of the family. Requesting my check, the waiter asked if we would like more hummus, more date shake, more anything, he is at our service. I’m pretty sure hat I replied with «OMG, I’m so full and every bite was fantastic, I couldn’t possibly take one ore bite!»
I think I’m coming to the conclusion that I’m not a fan of dates, I’ve had them on a number of occasions and don’t love them; more of a neither here nor there sort of thing for me. I’ll probably give the date shake another try if I run into it again, but if you love dates, they’ve got one here to satisfy that craving.
Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your enemies too, if you’re covering dinner at this spot, they’ll change their mind about you. It’s time to eat Moroccan food people, see you around and happy Unilocaling!

Oh my word … I have to remind myself to be really hungry when I come here. So much food, and very good food at that. Lightweight eaters, don’t be deterred — you can always take leftovers home for continued feasting. Abdul has removed the little bazaar portion but that’s a plus because that expands the dining area. Take note — this restaurant closes at 6 PM, so if you’re thinking dinner, better be there 5:30 or earlier.

Amazing delicious fresh clean food. Order anything and you will be pleased. I had the chicken couscous and it was awesome! Complimentary hummus and bread and date shakes! Love this spot.

A all inclusive meal, great hospitality and good food and decent prices. What more could you want?
Sit down and you will be greeted by bread, carrot and cabbage dip like salads, great olives, and an aromatic tea. You did not order this, but it comes with the meal. They are all well prepared and delicious.
You meal choices are simple. Couscous with your choice of meat (chicken, lamb, beef) or vegetarian (stewed veggies in spice). Price for this all inclusive deal are about $ 10 ± $ 3
And by all inclusive it includes the mentioned dip and bread. small plate of a couscous veggie garbanzo bean salad, tea and even a desert bite.
The service was great too, imagine visiting a family members house and their soul goal is to make sure you eat and eat and enjoy yourself.