Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant

A disappointment. We decided to try Marrakesh Moroccan for a romantic, albeit brief, getaway. We were seated promptly by a friendly hostess?in a tiny space between two parties of oversized patrons who spilled out of undersized dining venues. Pros: Decent Food Cons: Noisy, circus atmosphere more

Try something new and fun! Great restaurant! Great food! Lively colored, you sit on pillows and eat with your hands! It?s great for special occasions, or just to try something new. It?s a fun place to meet up with friends/family. more

I've had my birthday dinners with friends here for a few years in a row and it's always been a BLAST!!! Food is great, atmosphere is always fun, and it always ends up as a great memory for all involved..... Don't come here if you don't want an adventure and can't leave your American expectations at the door -- hence the bad reviews by some customers. You will not have the service or the seat backs of a Bluehour or Fenouil (floor pillows are the norm here) But if you'd love to leave the country and can't afford a plane ticket, this is a night that you and your friends will be talking about until the next birthday! Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Vaule Cons: Short wait even w/ reservations, Sitting on the floor is a bit rough on the back more

Wanted to put my 2 cents in since I read some bad reviews on this place. Just had my surprised birthday party there on Friday night. There were a total of 19 people, the majority of us had a great time. There were a few (3) people who were a little freaked out by the non utensil situation but they had an entire month to decide if they wanted to come to the party knowing full well what the place was all about. The rest of us enjoyed the *Feast* we ordered.. we had fun trying all the different dishes and tastes. The service was fine.. they got our drinks to us and all the food out in an timely manner. One of the servers did get a little out of hand with the orange water at the end but after a few beers it didn't matter too much and we chalked it up to the experience! Pros: It was an interesting & fun experience! Cons: Go there expecting to use your hands and don't complain if you didn't do the research. more

Ohhh, so many complaints and people talking about how the experience just wasn't good at all. I've eaten here tons of times with my hubby and we've taken our boys, 9 & 11, and we've enjoyed it every time! Yes, it can put a little dent in your pocket book, yes, sometimes their flow is less than perfect, yes, sometimes they are out of things. I own several businesses involving food service, actually serving Middle Eastern cuisine including Moroccan. I also have an import store and sell foods, spices, sauces etc. from all over the world. Sometimes you run out, and sometimes you can't get things right away. Sometimes, your lamb or beef distributor doesn't show up. Sometimes things are back ordered. Such is life. Instead of ripping apart this establishment, ask yourself if you are one of those people (they usually run in packs), who think that the heavenly angels should sing when you are near, and if all is not perfect in the world for you...you are irritated? Or are you one of those who smiles at the waitress when you see that she is struggling and you say..."hey, we're here for fun, take your time because you're doing a great job"....even if she's not because of the duress that she's under, it might help her relax, let go of the defense and really be attentive to your needs. These wait staff are all very nice, I've had most of them. The belly dancers are awesome and I've never once seen the knife shoot off their heads and stab anyone! The food is indeed very delicious. No, the Anise bread is not Italian....they may make it in Italy because there are lots of crossover foods in European and some Asian countries.....Anise bread is Moroccan, who cares if the veggies are frozen as long as they have prepared them well.....and the reservation issue is sad, but life. My doctor sometimes has to rush off to deliver a baby during my appointment...it life folks, and unfortunately, the planets dont' aligh around YOU! Relax, put your cell phones away and enjoy! more

So I would first like to address the individuals below that say if you don't like this place than you must be the type of person who eats at The Olive Garden. I am not. I am world traveling, up for adventure, foodie type of gal. And this place is horrible. Its not unusual to sit on the floor or have a belly dancer at a resturant anymore. There must be 20 other places JUST IN PORTLAND that have this type of set up. IJust about every city in the country has a place like that and its almost becoming more common place than The Olive Garden (all right, I'm stretching, but you get what I'm saying). Frankly, its a little boring and resturants need to stop relying on the novelty of it to get by and start cooking some good food. The food was bland, boring and the service was the worst. I mean it, THE WORST. Our server served a dish claiming it was vegitarian, and then came back 15 MINTUES LATER to tell us it wasn't and to swap it out. He was totally unapologetic about this mix up that could have been potentially dangerous. Would they have been this lax if had peanuts we had been trying to avoid? The food came in a rush, giving us no time to eat each dish before it was wisked away and my water remained unfilled for almost the entirety of the meal. After the meal we had a ton of problems with our bill (who would think there could be probles with a price fix meal?). We tried to talk to the owner who even more rude than our server.I would also like to agree with the comment down below that several people in our group complained of...ehm...gastrointestinal distress later in the evening. If the Health Dept is crusing this site, they should check this place out. All said, don't go here. If your server is rude, chances are the owner will be ruder. There is better moroccan food in Portland and better Belly Dancers too. Pros: That there are other places to eat moroccan food. more

Our group of about twenty was trying to celbrate, but we were left unsatisfied on many levels. The communication in setting up the reservation was next to impossible. We were promised vegetarian food for our two vegetarians, but it ended up being just cous-cous (hardly the "feast" we were promised). We needed an itemized receipt to be reimbursed by our business, but it took more than half an hour of arguing with the wait staff to get one (no kidding!). The staff messed up running our credit card, causing a mess of receipts. At least a quarter of my group were very sick that night (citysearch won't let me use the word, but it rhymes with "momma-mia"), and I don't know how many more just didn't say anything. Pros: Will clear out your system Cons: Too much to mention here more

The food is definitely new to us, a party of 10 or so. But the service was AWFUL! We waited for more than half an hour after our order before we even saw the first course. Then the waitress only came around every 20 minutes or so. It took us more than 2 hours to finish our course---then to be "asked" to leave because there was a line waiting at the door. It's not our fault for sticking around that long, we had other plans, too. It's their service rate. We'd love to be done in an hour and move on to our next stop. The owner then asked us to leave right after they finally served the desert. We brought them over $300.00 of business and this is the service we've got? Long wait between dishes, and can't even sit and enjoy ourselves after we finally finished? I am very dissappointed and well, if you have that much time to eat, of course it is a good place to hang out. Just be prepared when the owner comes around ask you to leave when you take your last sip of their tea. Very annoyed and rather angry. Pros: Good food, nice atmosphere Cons: BAD SERVICES, BAD ATTITUDE more

My husband and I took my prim and proper parents to this place and we all had a great time. We ordered the "Royal Feast" and were pleasantly suprprised by how tasty each and every course was. The lentil soup was the starter--tender lentils in a creamy, spicey broth. Then the cucumber/eggplant salad was a refreshing change. The appetizer of meat and pastry was totally different than anything I've ever had before--sweet, yet meaty. We were then served 5 entrees and each was totally different--my favorites were the lamb/eggplant dish and the chicken/prune dish. Lastly, mint tea and pudding for desert. The server was very attentive to our needs (they even offered silverware, which we politely declined), all in an atomsphere that very much sealed the Morrocan experience. We'll definitely go again. Pros: A new experience, great food, great service. Cons: Those with back issues, beware. more

The last person is totally right. Some people just like to complain and don't like to try new things. If you want to go into a restaurant and complain and make demands then just stay home and do things your way. If you want to try something new then go to Marrakesh. The food is great, and freshly prepared. The staff is super friendly and accomodating. Come with an open mind. more

A couple of things: those are NOT frozen vegetables. They do get cooked and marinated and seasoned and then cooked again (a lot of food here goes through intensive marinating and preparation) but its funny how many people here have the nerve to claim they're frozen. Pros: ambiance, value(for special occasions at least) Cons: friday, saturdays beware, more

Avoid this place! The service was good: we were seated without any waiting, hostess gave us best table and our waitress was nice and pleasant. BUT, the food was bad. First of all the best items like leg of lamb and grilled beef were not available (on saturday night!). After five course dinner, which you must order since ala courte is available only on weekdays, we were hungry and had "second" dinner at home. Pros: dancer Cons: bad food, dirty place more

Great place,great music,is one of the best restaurants I visit ( Es un buen lugar ,buena musica buen atmosfera,exelente comida ) I will back again . Pros: Ambience is great Cons: parking is bad more

Get ready for an experience!! Enter the carpet-walled restaurant and sit on the floor or a nice pillow and excite the senses with family style meals and belly-dancing! Cozy atmosphere, very intimate and great food! Pros: Unique environment, wonderful family-style meals! Cons: Can be quite busy sometimes, beware if you have back pain from sitting on the ground/stools! more

The food here is great and very good to share. The dancing was great so make sure you make it for that part of the show. Pros: Great dancers Cons: The seats are not too comfy more

Ok, everyone stop your griping! Yes, they don't give you utensils and we Americans are not used to scooping up akward items such as rice with our fingers or sipping our soup from the cup without a spoon. However, that is an intended part of the experience. If you simply cannot try something new, don't rate the restaurant poorly, just go somewhere else.....or request utensils. They WILL provide them if you ask. I have been to this place about 6 times. Yes, it is always packed. Yes, you may have to wait EVEN if you have a reservation - heck most people are no-shows for reservations anyway and you can't expect a place to kick someone out just because you actually showed up. Be patient....stand in the admittedly akward entryway while watching the dancers (men and women) and listen to the music. They have done all they can with their space to seat as many people as possible and that's why you don't have an adequate place to sit while waiting for your table. Once you do get a table next, I hope you came prepared! Ladies, that means no short skirts or tight waisted outfits. You will be uncomfortable sitting in any of these. Wear something long and comfortable and wear easy to slip off shoes since you will most likely be sitting on the floor. If you get a table downstairs, consider yourself lucky! There is a lot more room and you'll be further from the entryway. As far as the food goes, I've tried almost everything on the menu and it is always delicious. My favorites are the meat/pastry app and the lamb dish w/raisins and honey. Everything smells and looks wonderful. The bread is far from Italian bread as one reviewer wrote. Obviously, some will like this place and some will not. If you rarely eat somewhere other than the Olive Garden, chances are you will be in culture shock with this place. Otherwise, if you're up for a change, I'd definitely recommend Marrakesh. Although, I hesitate to say that......because I still want a shot at getting a table! Pros: Atmosphere, Unique Experience, BellyDancing Cons: Limited menu, Parking (Duh!), Akward Entryway more

We had a party of 18 people. We made our reservations for 5:00 which is when they open. We showed up 10 minutes early and had the place to ourselves. It was an amazing experience. The food was great, except I do agree with others about the bland vegitarian dishes. We ordered the feast and got to sample just about everything. Our server was wonderful and very helpful. She answered lots of questions and gave good suggestions. It got very busy and I can see why other parties have had a hard time getting seated. I was nervous about going after reading the mixed reviews listed here. But I would recommend it and suggest that large parties try and come early in the evening if possible. Pros: food, service, ambience more

shelling out hard earned dollars for such horrible food completely hurt my feelings. It was insulting that the "vegetable" rice that came with my husband's dish was made with FROZEN VEGETABLES -- c'mon, we all know where mixes of square carrots, green beans, lima beans and mushy peas come from. The vegetarian cous cous, 2 stalks of raw flavorless cauliflower, some shreds of soggy cabbage and a few raisins onto dry flavorless couscous. The price they are asking for bland poorly thrown together food, that is an insult to moroccan cuisine is shameful. (I lived in Morocco and this is NOT how their food is!) And for as labor-intensive as the wait staffs job is with hand washing, bringing out 5 course meal... I sure hope they pay them well. The clientell is probably leaving pretty disgruntled, and that does not bode well for good tips. Pros: salad Cons: everything else more

I took a group of clients & friends on a Sunday night to Marrakesh visiting from L.A., California. They were impressed with the atmosphere and costumes of the waitstaff. We were seated after waiting for about 15 minutes even though we had a reservation, and placed our orders, received bread, soup and finger salad but shortly after that EVERYONE dissapeared! The music CD started skipping and after about 5 minutes a lady at a nearby table got up and turned off their music. After waiting for a while I decided to investigate. The kitchen was empty, not 1 employee was to be seen! We waited another 37 minutes and we left hungry and upset. My clients were understanding but I felt so bad for them! Overall experience: F- Pros: Nice Atmosphere Cons: long wait, understaffed, UNPROFESSIONAL more

Dining at Marrakesh is a sensuous experience for all your senses. It is truly a treat to enter into the ornate gem-toned world for a few hours with good friends. I take all my out of town guests here. It is really wonderful. Pros: Belly dancers!, Wonderful aromas, Transcendent food Cons: Slower service more