Normally I have an excellent experience here. The one time I ordered takeout I ordered it to be picked up at 6pm. I arrived at 6:15 and the gentleman working the front said he didn’t know the order was placed and would start the order. I waited almost an hour while they prepared my food. The gentleman just kept telling me “do you forgive me”. He didn’t even offer me a discount or even something to drink or somewhere to sit while I waited for my food. I was highly disappointed, this used to be my most favorite place in pdx.UPDATE:The owner of the restaurant reached out to me and apologized for the experience. I appreciate the quick response from him. He was very understanding. It was very nice to have the actual owner call me. The food is absolutely amazing here and if you dine in the service is great. I hope after this he is able to make his takeout situation better and I have faith he can.
My 8 year old son loves this place and we take him here for every year he finishes up in school. We come with all three of our kids (3 yo, 5yo and 8yo) and they are so kind to our family. They also have belly dancers there that are really great, and had our kids come up and perform with them.Oh, and the food is out of this world :D
Tried the royal feast one night with my buddies to celebrate a birthday. Missed the belly dance around 7:30 since we had a late reservation and were the last customers to leave the restaurant. We stayed way past closing and danced to the beautiful music when we had the floor all to ourselves. The service was great especially considering we saw only 2-3 folks working the floor that night and the restaurant was packed when we entered around 8. Our host Samique was excellent from start to finish.Decked in a middle eastern costume reminiscent of Alladin with a red fez on top, Samique seated us in a corner spot with well adorned sofas and cushions. We had a large round table adjoining a smaller round table to share amongst 9 of us. Seating can be a bit awkward for taller people as the table height is pretty low. A couple of us had problems adjusting our legs initially. Samique then took care to answer all our questions and explained what the royal feast would contain as we were considering that option. At close to $30 per person, this would be an excellent choice to consider for parties of 6 or more, given the number of plates that they offer and the amount of food they serve.We were 9 in total, so we went with a feast for 7, with 2 others sharing the same food. As we had vegetarians in the group Samique ensured that some versions of the dishes arrived in their vegetarian forms for some of the portions. In the royal feast, some dishes have multiple portions, so he brought out a combination of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options for such dishes.After taking our order and before our food arrived, an ornate Tass was used to wash our hands on the table, as eating with hands was encouraged. However, if one is not used to the custom of eating with one's hands they also provide cutlery on request.The food then started flowing in. Started off with the traditional Moroccan lentil soup. It was savory, delicious and reminded us of home. Then we had the Salad Marrakesh, which blew most of our minds. It was unexpectedly delicious and was probably the dish which made the most impact that night, as it caught us completely off guard. Even the folks that didn't like eggplant in general, loved this salad. Then we had the Chicken and Vegetarian B'Stilla Royale. The flaky pastry and the savory chicken on the inside with powdered sugar and cinnamon on the outside did not fail to surprise us. Some of us thought that this was a great idea for a meat dessert. But we were horribly wrong, the night hadn't ended, it had barely begun.After trying the above 3 dishes, our royal feast was about to start now. And while the previous dishes were served in series. These royale feast was served in quick succession so that it looked like a huge royal spread with barely enough space to fit all the plates at once, on the large table.Their in house freshly baked warm bread was really good. Moussaka vegetarian, a layered eggplant dish reminded us of lasagna. The tagine of spicy lamb and tagine of lamb with eggplant were both delectable. The chicken brochette was soft and moist and would be one of the best skewers we have had so far. The couscous marrakesh was also pretty good. The tagine of chicken honey and prunes and tagine of chicken and apricots were a bit too much on the sweeter side for us. But all the dishes were good. Just that some dishes were great.Samique surprised us with a baklava and a candle for the birthday boy. We then enjoyed our surprisingly light and creamy pudding dessert and mint tea before dancing to the background music, taking pictures and eventually heading home.When we do come back next, we would probably try out the Mechoui which needs to be ordered ahead and for a party of 8 or more people. I would also like to try the tagine of braised hare and tagine of lamb M'rouzia in future visits.
A full 5 course meal of really delicious food and good atmosphere for 25$ kinda blew my mind. Sad they are understaffed but they did amazing regardless with only a couple of people. My only disappointment was I didn't have enough room to eat everything. I'm a picky/plain eater and I truly loved every dish! Also recommend the mango lemonade
The environment and atmosphere was great! And all of the dishes aside from the main entrees were very good, the appetizer especially. However, a majority of the main entrees were very bland. They were well cooked and tender, but had no flavor. The spicy lamb had no spice, but was cooked well. Would love to try it again sometime and see if it gets better.
6 of us went to celebrate my birthday and Mother’s Day. 4 of us had never been and Samique was beyond helpful and thoughtful with his explanation of each delicious dish and how to eat it. He sang me happy birthday with a delicious piece of baklava. The belly dancer was incredible and I regret not dancing with her when she asked. Amazing, fun and delicious! We’ll be back.
First time eating at a Moraccan restaurant and didn't know what to expect but everything was wonderful. The ambiance, wait staff and food were all very, very good. The 7-course meal was not as big as it sounds, but believe me, you will NOT leave hungry! We had so much fun and can't wait to try it again on our next visit to Portland. Truly a hidden gem!
Seeking a memorable Christmas Eve dinner, I contacted the restaurant to find out when the belly dancing was happening and asked that they arrange my reservation time around that. I also specified that we had a member of our party who needed a sofa or chair with a back; NOT a stool. When we arrived they tried to seat us at one of the only tables that only had stools. When no belly dancing started at the appointed time I asked and was told it was happening an hour later. We were one of the first reservations after they opened for the evening but I was told they were “out” of my first, second, and third menu choices. Without so much as a “sorry.” Just a flat “we’re out,” over and over. The food was meh, nothing great, and my son’s lamb was so fatty and congealed he couldn’t eat it. And it was all served without napkins or cutlery. I had to ask multiple times. A memorable Christmas Eve dinner for all the wrong reasons. I also doubt there are any Covid protocols at all in place.
I've been going there for years it has always been one of my favorite restaurants . But this time they fell on their face . A lot of this happening with covid .The B'stilla was outstanding, as usual. However the rest of the items were lacking flavor development. The harira was just a salty, lumpy soup. The zaalouk was full of lime juice. The sauces for the meat were now a thick, gooey sugary mess. Way too much cornstarch. Like a sweet and sour sauce at a cheap Chinese restaurant. A real put off.And it's still a delight to go to this restaurant I just wish they'd get their act back together. This visit warrants three stars but I gave them an extra star for ambience and for old-time sake
This was a delightfully unique place to eat. The food and service was great. Options that even your picky eaters will enjoy. Enjoy entertainment from the belly dancer on Friday and Saturday. Be mindful that the seating is close to the floor. Street parking only, so be prepared for a bit of a walk.