Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant

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1201 NW 21st Ave (at NW 21st Ave & Northrup Street)
Portland, OR 97209

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(503) 248-9442
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Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant - Portland, OR
Reviews
( 30 )
( 25 )
( 8 )
( 15 )
( 17 )

Best

I've never gone to such a place. What fun! I was out of my comfert zone but loved every bite. Our server always checked in with us, never pushed us to buy a certain food, and d...

Worst

The food is subpar, especially the chicken dishes. Vegi dishes are bland. Most people give it high ratings because of the whole package: entertainment, seating style, pouring of t...

Worst Service and Raw Tasting Food 9/9/2008

We had a birthday party there with a group of 13. First off, the service was extremely slow and the waiter was very rude. We wanted to each get what we want from the a la carte menu; however, the waiter did not let us do so. I thought the point of going to a restaurant was getting what we want to eat and not letting the waiter choose for us. We got the royal feast; which took an extremely long time (the meal ended up being 4 hours!) considering it was a Monday night and no one was barely there. The food was decent, but it was bland and tasted raw. When the meal was done, the waiter bought out the check and did not even add it properly. He did not split the check for us as we have asked earlier. Overall, the food and service was terrible and I do not recommend groups going there. The money spent is better served at a better restaurant with better food, service and atmosphere. Pros: None Cons: Service, Cost, Atmosphere, Food more
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Special Occasion Restaurant a Must! 8/12/2008

My Boyfriend and I love to go here for special occasions, like birthdays and anniversaries. The menu is set, yes, but for people like us (takes forever to make decisions!) its a blessing! Beef options can be a little tough, but the chicken and fish are always AMAZING! The lentil soup and bread are wonderfully delicious and I love the chicken/egg/pastry thing! It sound weird, but it's so good! Yes, it takes a while to get your orders, but you're dining in a restaurant that takes its practices from ANOTHER COUNTRY! If you've ever travelled outside of the US and eaten in a restaurant, you know that it can take from 2-5 hours to eat a single meal! It's a more relaxed environment, they just want you to really enjoy yourselves and don't want you to feel like you're getting kicked out. So if you're in a hurry and unfamiliar with Mediterranian cooking, wait until you have more time. And a five course meal for $18.50 a person is NOT expensive! Pros: Everything! Cons: Parking can be hard more
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Great Dining Experience - BEst kababs, soup and meal 7/18/2008

My husabnd took me there in 2001 and we have been going there since. I love the food. The Chicken with Olives and the Kabobs are out of the world. They serve a lot of food - so go hungry ;) The soup and appetizer are too good to resist. The only thing I do not like about that place is the carpets...They are dirty. If you want me to sit on the carpet - please keep it clean...the areas where people walk are black.... Pros: Great Food, romantic date place... Cons: Unclean carpets ... more
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amazing food, really fun place! 6/26/2008

I had a friend's birthday here and LOVED it! I can't say the food is authentic because I have never been to Morocco, but i CAN say that the food was obviously extremely fresh , different, and entirely delicious. I actually craved the food for a few weeks and could not WAIT to go back! And, the chicken pastry dish DOES have a vegetarian option which is equally delicious! Good deal, too. You get SO much food for a decent price! I'm going there on Saturday for my birthday! Pros: food, atmosphere, service Cons: bathroom is a bit sketch more
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Interesting concept 6/18/2008

My friend and I went and had dinner, was disappointed when informed that we could only order a set menu for $18.50, would have liked options from the ala carte menu. The waitress was good and helpful and seemed to be enjoying her job. The food was average, a tad bland, although the lentil soup was delicious. I recommend going once to experience it, but a second visit is not necessary. Pros: interesting decor Cons: price and no options more
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Fun, new experience! 6/12/2008

I went to Marrakesh about 3 weeks ago with a group of 8 for a birthday. Go to this place because you want something different, that is my reccomendation. We all had a great time getting messy eating with our hands, the belly dancer was fun to watch and we had a TON of leftovers! We ordered the feast and had so much food. The food was tender and flavorful, the service was fine on a busy night and we had a fun experience!! I say go for something new and don't expect Papa Hayden's service or a comfortable seating situation, just relax and enjoy the food. Pros: Eating with your hands (when do you get to do that) Cons: A little crowded and you can't get the food out of your nails for awhile! more
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best experience for something different 6/9/2008

If you go here with an open mind of trying something new, and you have patience on being seated, it is a great experience. I realize that not everyone can think outside the box and try new things but this place is well worth it. The restaurant is big, busy, good food, and entertaining. Make sure if you are going to go that the belly dancers are going to be there. It just really makes the atmosphere more authentic and exciting. Please do not listen to those who say bad things about this restaurant, give it a try yourself and enjoy the time you have there. Pros: good food, entertaining Cons: little expensive but really worth it more
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Fun with great service, if you go at the right time. 4/23/2008

I am a little confused about the recent reviews of this restaurant. I have been to this place multiple times (7?) over the past ten years and have experienced nothing but well-prepared food and exceptional service! I have gone early in the evening (reservation between 5 and 6) on Friday or Saturday. Perhaps the service deteriorates as the evening progresses, or when they get busy? Anyway, I have always gone with a group of 3-6 and ordered the feast. The food has been consistently good and had obviously been just prepared. The flavor is unique, and the feast offers someone who isn't familiar with the food a wide variety of things to try. The food is well-seasoned, and the meat is tender and seems to melt off the bone. I have no context to say whether or not this food is authentic, but I have always enjoyed it. I have also never been served cold food. Perhaps the food is made in large batches that other people are catching the end of? I have also never had anyone not bring me water or napkins promptly. Pros: The meal, as an experience, is a blast. Cons: Questionable bathroom, I hate parking in that part of town. more
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I TOOK A FORK WITH ME 4/13/2008

Yes, Yes I know...eating with your fingers is part of the "fun". It just so happened that I celebrated my Pros: you get to sit on pillows on the floor Cons: you get to sit on pillows on the floor more
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I ate there a few years ago and I just remember it as being expensive 3/29/2008

I am seeing many horrible reviews that seemed to get balanced out (in quantity anyway) by reviews that seem less than authentic. Pros: its different Cons: It seems as if the prices are a rip-off. Anybody check the rear lot for a gypsy wagon? more
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Not worth the $ 3/28/2008

Our party had reservations for 8pm. We where seated at 9:15. There is no waiting area in the restaurant so we where forced to wait outside in the cold. When we where finally seated, we ordered the ?Feast? a five course meal. The first course was a soup of some sorts that taists like chili from the can. It was cold. The second course was a ground chicken pastry topped with powdered sugar. It was bland, again, not quite warm, and didn?t seam fresh. As followed the rest of the unimpressive meal. The belly dancer was entertaining. Also, begging for napkins and drinks seems to be a reoccurring theme in the reviews I?ve read on here and something I?ve personally experienced. Pros: Cute Theme Cons: Dirty Bathroom!!! Bad food... Terrible Service! more
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Overcrowded, Poor Servie 3/28/2008

Squeezed between two overcrowded tables, my husband and I where served mediocre less than desirable food. I agree with the posts on here, we practically beg for a glass of water or a glass of wine. If our waitress even noticed us, she didn?t let on. She was more than rude, she was out right mean to us. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Pros: Wine..... Cons: Overcrowded, less than average food more
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Awful servie, awful food! 3/28/2008

Awful Service! Our waitress acted as though we where taking up her time to ask for things such as a glass of water, a napkin, a refill of a drink. Our waitress was outright rude to our party. The food ? awful and luke warm. more
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I will never eat there again. I will never ever recommend this restaurant to anyone 3/28/2008

My best friend made dinner reservations two weeks prior to her birthday for a party of 19. Marrakesh assured us they cater to large groups and we would have great service. We also requested an area with a booth because her mother just had knee surgery. She called to confirm everything two days prior. Upon arriving, the hostess directed us to two tiny tables. We let them know *again* that we had 19 people in our party. They told us that the two tables could fit 8 each. We did the math for her and practically had to beg for another table (8 people each @ 2 tables = 16 people, not enough room!). Finally they gave us the extra table and with a booth. Pros: belly dancing Cons: everything else more
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Horrible Service, loser of reservations, and unable to please even the most patient of patrons 2/29/2008

Where do I begin? Our reservation for 8:30 was ?lost?, but we, my girlfriend and I were seated shortly after. We were brought water promptly but for 10-15 minutes we sat awaiting our server. We both got up and asked for a manager, but a short man with glasses promised to ?take care of us?. Pros: Ambience Cons: Service, organization, courtesy, lack of respect, lack of a waiting area, chaotic more
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Very Relaxing and exciting! 2/24/2008

I went to Marrakesh for my first date and I tell you....It was the most fun I ever had, Everyone was so nice and always checked on us. They wash your hands in the beginning and afterwards followed by a rose scented wash that leaves your hand smelling soooooo good!! The food was fantastic and the best part was...you eat with your hands!! There was a beautiful belly dancer who kept everyone enjoying there time there and even the kids that were there who would dance along!!! While you eat you sit on these soft pillow like cushions or sofas! how fun is that!! I loved it! Pros: Relaxing, comforting Cons: None more
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food is seriously sub par 2/6/2008

The middle eastern food here is what taco time is to Mexican food. This is coming from someone who lived in the middle east. It?s just not that great. And it?s far too expensive! However if you want to go to a fun place with an interesting atmosphere, then I would try it. It?s an unusual place to take friends but I wouldn?t go for the food by any means. Pros: the unusual atmosphere Cons: food, service and cost more
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Unique Dining expierence 11/12/2007

I think everyone is a bit hasty about tis place, the enviornment is unique to Portland (Or, the United States in general) and interesting. The Belly Dancing is a bit different sort of entertainment than the "Red Robin" squaking by with some balloons, but it's beautiful and an evening here is truly an event. Pros: Interesting atmosphere, good service, beautiful dancing, fair food. Cons: The floor is not always the cleanest, but nobody has ever died from sitting in dirt. more
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Once is enough to remember 10/7/2007

I am not impressed. I have to agree with "jlkrammer" comments. Food is bad, interesting atmosphere but it's not a place where I would return. Once is enough to remember. Pros: Washing hands, Tea, Belly Dancing Cons: Bad Food more
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Great Atmosphere, Bad Food 9/27/2007

Although the atmosphere is great, I can't recommend this place. The food is not good. Each meal starts with a lentil soup which is okay but not spicy enough. Then some sort of salad is served which is mediocre. The next course is chicken in pastry with powdered sugar and cinnamon (for which there is no vegetarian substitution). The chicken is not good quality. The entrees are just plain bad. The fish is not fresh, the dishes are not seasoned properly, and the meat is not good quality. I got apricot chicken which turn out to be skinless bone-in chicken thighs with dried apricots and corn syrup ... yuck. Pros: Good ambiance, good service Cons: Bad food, Poor drink selection more
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Menu for Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant


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Visit our cozy Moroccan oasis for great food and hospitality serving Portland area!

Owner Message

  • Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant is a traditional Moroccan restaurant that has been serving the Portland area since 1989. As you walk into the restaurant you will feel as though you have entered into a different world. Once you are seated your hands will be washed before & after your five course meal. Your five course meal consist of soup, salad with homemade bread, B'stilla Royale (baked in butter, sugar & cinnamon on top), followed by your choice of entree (chicken, vegetarian, beef, rabbit, fish, vegan), dessert and fresh mint tea (accompanying with a tea ceremony). Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant serves a wide variety of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African dishes, as well as a nice selection of wines and beers. We feature belly dancing from Wednesdays-Sundays. Stop by Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant today.

Editorial

  • In Short
    Guests sit on long couches or firm pillow-stools before low tables, surrounded by the room's colorful, ornate patterns. Traditional music forms a soothing aural background as...

  • 6/26/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Daily 5pm-10pm
  • Payments: American Express, Diner's Club, Discover, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Northwest District, Neighbors West - Northwest
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