Marrakesh

Dear Marrakesh,
I hardly knew ye. Your colorful and exotically traditional décor with your plush cushions and pillows, which make chairs seem soooo overrated. Your pleasant and engaging service. Your plentiful and vibrant (albeit slightly underseasoned and occasionally overdone) dishes. Your ability to offer and accept groupon deals.
In an area where there’s already a host of ethnic cuisine options, you were creating your own niche. Alas, as fate would have it, the full construction of your reputation was cut short and sadly, you’re gone… so gone.
It is with great pleasure that I reminisce about my one time there. That one time when I stuffed my face on your seven course feast– veggie platter, chicken bastila (chicken pie appetizer), chicken and olives, lamb, couscous and veggies, fruit, mint tea and baklava. That one time when the server was patient in explaining the menu as my dining companion knew as much about Moroccan cuisine as Rush Limbaugh does about hip hop music. That one time when said dining companion learned that a whole universe of ethnic food exists beyond Taco Bell and Chinese carryouts.
Your prices were a little high but for the food and overall experience, it was worth it. Goodbye and know that I’ll be pouring out a 40 in your memory homie.

I’ve been searching for a good Moroccan place to eat, since Taste of Morocco left City Plaza. It’s been difficult journey. I definitely would not recommend this place. I came here with a living social deal and even with that I did not think this place was a good deal.
Fridays and Saturdays they have a set seven course meal which is $ 29.99/person. They do not honor the Unilocal deal that is advertised. No substitutions (we both don’t eat lamb), so we had to come back.
My partner in crime and I came back here on a Tuesday just so that we can opt for the selecting a few dishes. We opted to get the Bastilla (why because this was the dish that we both fell in love with when we had Moroccan food for the first time), they didn’t have a large so we opted to get the medium that feeds 2 people. In the end we just ordered 2 medium bastilla and spicy chicken, since have the 3 – 4 items that we had requested.
Food: The bastila comes in a gigantic plate the size of a large pizza pan, when really the bastilla itself is the a microwavable personal pan pizza. The chicken that is stuffed with, wasn’t as flavorful as I have had it in the past, kind of bland, unfortunately.
Spicy Chicken… not spicy at all, but very tender. Not the best, very unimpressed. not spicy. Again, small portion, it was literally just a chicken leg, with a spoon of sauce.
Honestly, I felt like we were eating something that was not freshly cooked, but was bulked cooked over the weekend and microwaved and served since there was only one guy the whole time. Anytime we wanted something, they didn’t have it… I guess because it wasn’t pre-​made. I felt really sick after eating the food here, and it didn’t make me a happy camper.
The environment was nice with all the plush couches, didn’t understand why Spanish music was playing in the front. Waiter was nice… I mean we were the only ones in the restaurant at the time. He made sure to include gratuity at 20% in our check.
Anyways the search continues!

We have gone to Marrakesh over 5 times in the last 6 months, and we have steadily experienced the quality and service getting worse each visit. Although the price for their seven course dinner has increased, the portions have gotten smaller and smaller each subsequent visit. After we received childlike portions of the third, fourth, and fifth course, we complained and they refused to do anything about it.
The service is atrocious and unprofessional. We were moved two times, until we were stuck in a dark corner next t o the loud kitchen entrance, even though the restaurant was only half full. The on duty manager refused to budge regarding discrepancies. She didn’t care about providing decent customer service, let alone an «authentic Moroccan experience». Although they boldly advertise hand washing we haven’t gotten our hands washed since our first visit.
We left without the last two course and the manager didn’t even attempt to say goodbye or apologize. She was too busy herding in the next batch of suckers. With that being said this will be our last visit to Marrakesh.

Overall it was ok and fun and the food was pretty good, but we were very disappointed with the service and the very very long wait between the main course and the measly dessert course (over 30 minutes to wait for a small 1 bite baklava type thing and some mint tea). We used a groupon for the 7 course feast for 8 — the groupon was supposed to cover the whole meal (excluding tip and possibly tax), however, they charged us $ 30 more than the $ 207 value that the groupon was worth — and instead claimed that the feast for 8 was $ 237 and the groupon only subtracted the $ 207 from it. That was very deceptive and simply not stated anywhere — in fact the groupon made it seem that it covered the whole meal. We expected to pay tip and drinks on top of the groupon, but that was very poorly handled. There seemed to be only 1 waiter for the entire restaurant — service was very slow. The belly dancer was terrific and the main course was very good. But we won’t be going back based on the poor service and deceptive practices!

I went with a friend for the fixed price menu for dinner on the weekend. Our overall impression for the restaurant was unpleasant.
Food: Food was delicious for the most part, especially the lamb. It was tender and flavorful. However, they serve the same portion no matter how many people at the table. I was in a party of two and we had the same amount of food to share that the party of four beside us had. For a fixed price of $ 29 per person, that is a rip off.
Service: The service was HORRENDOUS. We waited 30 minutes between courses and when we asked if they could speed it up, they said that they like to draw out the Morrocan experience because they want to encourage customers to watch the belly-​dancing at 8pm. I understand that they want customers to stay, but that option should be up to us. If they had informed us of the performance ahead of time instead delaying our food, we would have stayed to watch it willingly instead of being forced to watch it begrudgingly as we waited for the next course. Reservations are a must, although they do little to encourage this in their advertisements. The food was especially salty, and they never once refilled our waters.
Ambience: The atmosphere is very calm and relaxing. There are plenty of throw cushions and the lighting is soft.
Show: The belly dancer was good and she engaged all of the customers by moving around the restaurant.
We will never come here again, due to the charged price of $ 29 per person for small portions and poor service. 2 tables of customers simply left without paying while we were there, as they received no service at all. We would have done the same, but we felt bad. Don’t come here if you can, stay away!

I purchased a Groupon for Marrakesh and decided to take advantage of the belly dancer on the weekend. I made a reservation, as I was unsure of the popularity of the restaurant.
The first course was the royal salad, which according to their menu is supposed to consist of the cucumber salad, eggplant salad, carrot salad, and hommos. We didn’t received hommos, but the salad was delicious nonetheless. I *hate* cucumbers, but found the cucumber salad to be light and refreshing. It just had a fresh taste about it. The carrot salad was a close second. I didn’t particularly care for the eggplant salad (which is odd… I love eggplant), but my brother adored it and ate it up.
Next we were brought the chicken bastille. I admit that I was hesitant. I am not a picky eater, but it just didn’t sound appetizing. It’s essentially a chicken phyllo pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar. It was the powdered sugar that really didn’t sound appetizing to me. Boy, was I wrong! It was absolutely delicious. I was expecting it to be overly sweet, but it wasn’t. I found the cinnamon to be a pleasant addition. My über picky brother liked it, too!
Our third, fourth, and fifth courses all came together. We ordered the spicy chicken and spicy lamb. Neither was very spicy at all. There was a subtle heat that could be detected, but I didn’t exactly miss the spice, as it was delicious on its own. And oh, so tender! My brother has never had lamb before and he found it to be similar to moose?!? Hahaha. I laughed at this. It tastes nothing like moose to me, but, hey, he ate it and liked it. He’s tried all sorts of new foods while visiting the area, and I couldn’t be happier… he’s quite the picky eater. He doesn’t like «those weird foods,» and frequently asks if we can eat «normal food». So yay for him stepping outside of his comfort zone! Oh, and the couscous was good. Not superb, but good. My brother only liked his with the meat and sauce. He didn’t particularly care for it on its own.
The sixth and seventh courses ended up being baklava with Moroccan mint tea. The tea was good, but I didn’t care for the baklava. It wasn’t the typical baklava you receive. Instead it was its own individual pastry with a nutty filling. And it was small! It was smaller than one of those football letters you used to pass in junior high school. This wasn’t a huge concern for me, because I was stuffed at this point, but I still found it odd that the dessert could easy fit in a newborn’s hand.
We also happened to be there on a belly dancer night. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I appreciated the showmanship. She performed beautifully and was very engaging with her audience.
As I mentioned earlier, I had made a reservation. We got there around 7:30 and there was a large group in the corner, but other than that there was no one else in the restaurant. We were allowed to sit wherever we wanted because of this. However, less than half an hour later the restaurant had filled. Reservations may not always be necessary, but it might be a good thing to have, just in case.
Others have complained that they didn’t know about the fixed price menu. I knew about this in advance because of Unilocal.I should note, however, that upon seating us they asked me if I knew about their fixed menu. I said yes, but that my brother didn’t know. So she explained to us the different courses and our options. She was incredibly kind when she was at our table, which wasn’t frequently. This didn’t bother me, as it allowed my brother and I time to visit. When we received our check, the waitress explained to us the charges and let me know gratuity was already included, which was very honest of her. I’ve definitely been to places before that didn’t tell you this and you notice after one of your friends points it out.
Overall we had a very pleasant experience and I definitely plan on returning at some point in the future.

We went on a Friday night at 8 pm, and the place was packed. We had a reservation, so they squeezed us into the corner. The food was OK, but the waiter was very harried. We were never offered a menu. He said, «tonight we have one menu, fixed price» and ran over the courses very quickly without asking if we had any questions. Before I could take it all in, he was off.
But we had looked at their site and at the Unilocal reviews, so I had some idea what we’d be getting. When the waiter delivered the food, he always seemed to slap it down on the table: not a relaxing experience. The first cup of tea we received was half full, and lukewarm.
The food itself was passable: I had expected more from reading the reviews, but it wasn’t terrible. We finally asked for the check, and were presented with a bill for $ 55 for the two of us – very reasonable.
But here’s where it got interesting. We handed our harried waiter a $ 40 Living Social coupon, which he took without comment. I was expecting a bill for around $ 15, which was the balance after the coupon. Instead, he came back with a new bill showing a total of around $ 72, and a credit card receipt showing our balance of around $ 32. Then he ran off again, without explanation.
I went to the manager at the bar to inquire about this, and was informed that they had a «special» of $ 25.95 for the all-​you-​can-​eat, but this «special» doesn’t apply to the Living Social, because that would make two «specials» for one meal. Living Social people get the «non-​special» rate, which is $ 29.95, or an extra $ 5 apiece. OK, so why are we being billed for an extra $ 32, rather than an extra $ 10? Oh, that’s because they have added an 18 percent tip, it turns out.
All of this MIGHT be OK, but it was never explained. And, really, it was NOT OK to have two prices, not to show a menu, to add the tip without telling the customer (who, if not paying attention, might add a tip to the balance again.). When I explained my feelings, the manager very charmingly tried to disarm me by asking how the food was, how the service was, etc.
We paid the $ 32 (although normally we would have tipped 20 percent), and left. We won’t be back, though! And I would suggest that Unilocalers be careful when buying coupons for this place: they will get you in the door, and then find ways of invalidating your coupon. Buyer beware!

Odds things happen when you are not looking for them sometimes ~ even things that are painfully pleasureful in the key of 7.
My daughter and I were actually heading down Georgia Avenue to grab a quick bite for dinner when we passed by this colorfully decorated restaurant that once was an Ethiopian bar. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Marrakesh scrawled on the top of the building. We peeked inside and saw a wonderland of cushions, pillows, and ankle high, octagon tables.
An avuncular gentleman greeted us and was so pleasant that we decided to give this place a try. We were seated onto to a group of push seats and was introduced to the list of Moroccan pleasure and pain.
At this restaurant, there is no menu. You get a seven course meal or an endurance of gluttony (as I like to call it). Here is how the meal breaks down:
1. the salad plate comprised of three separate piles of vegetables. pile one — carrots, pile two — tomato and cucumbers, and pile three — some spicy eggplant mash. a basket of bread also accompanies the salad, which comes in quite handy in scooping up the eggplant mash.
2. bastilla — a rotund minced chicken patty pie covered with powdered sugar. slightly spicy and all around decadent.
3. a choice of chicken dishes — one spicy, and the other cooked with preserved lemon and olives. we had the chicken and olives, where the meat was cooked so tenderly, that meat almost fell right off the bone.
4. normally, this part of the meal would go to the lamb choices, but as i do not eat red meat, i had to settle with bread and hummus. my daughter was given a small sample of the lamb with raisins, but she wasn’t impressed the lamb.
5. a plateful of couscous topped with a variety of vegetables. it was at this point that the meal was becoming a chore. i was running out of areas in my intestines to stuff food. needless to say, i had only a few bites of the vegetables and couscous.
6. a basket of oranges and apples. it would have possibly made for a nice way to slowly end the meal, but all i could do was stare at the fruit.
7. mint tea and two tiny triangles called honeyed baklawa. it was at this point where the phrase ‘waffle thin’ and that scene from Monty Python’s ‘The Meaning of Life” popped into my head. i somehow was able to finish off the two tiny sweet (so sweet that it would make sugar blush) triangles and not have my innards explode.
At the end of the meal, I felt like I maybe had finished some culinary endurance test or maybe this was a prequel to that 7 movie with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman It is definitely an experience and for $ 30 bucks per person — well worth every piece of food, eaten or uneaten.
*note to the non-​Moroccan customers. There are no forks, knives, or chopsticks at this establishment. You eat with your hands. At the beginning of the meal, you will have a server bring you a pitcher of water and some towels. The server will pour the water over your hands and then you scrub and dry. It would probably be a better idea if some actual soap came with the pitcher of water, but we are still in a recession and that stuff is expensive. If you are a germ-​a-​phobe — bring some purell.
**another note — my daughter was not charged for her skimping of the meal. They don’t charge for toddlers and they charge only half price for children aged 10 to 6.