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Mon. 11:00 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Tue-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Yum yum yummers!!!
Went to Morocco's last night at the advice of a friend and was VERY pleased. Our adorable waitress somehow managed to tend to the entire floor while still giving us lots of dining suggestions and individual attention. We ended up ordering: Spinach & Fruit Salad; Vegetarian Briwatts; Potato & Beet Salad; Vegetarian Couscous; Vegetarian Tagine; and the grilled fish. Dessert were the DELICIOUS almond Briwatts.
To rank the dishes (1 being gross and 5 being, well, awesome):
-Spinach & Fruit Salad: 4
-Vegetarian Briwatts: 3 (I think there were shaved carrots inside and I'm anti-carrot!)
-Potato & Beet Salad: 5 (and I don't even like beets!)
-Vegetarian Couscous: 5--my favorite dish besides the dessert Briwatts
-Vegetarian Tagine: 3
-Dessert Briwatts (Almond): 5--YUMMMMMMMMMMM
Do yourself a favor and go. This place is a gem!
Everything here is amazing. The service, the food, the atmosphere, they are all incredible. From the time that I made the reservation to the moment I left, I felt as if I was invited there by a friend for a dinner party. Grace was our server and she knew her stuff! She was friendly and sweet and did a great job.
The food is memorable and executed perfectly. This was my first experience with Moroccan food, and I am in love! Cumin and cilantro are used often along with lemon. The cuisine is bright and healthy and full of flavor.
You must try:
The Briwatts, Signature Lentil Salad, and the Chicken Tangine. All amazing.
The Chef actually takes the time to talk to his guests. Incredible. Who does that anymore?
And lets not forget the decor. It is simple, tasteful, and authentic. Rich colors and fabrics surround you. Its beautiful.
I will be back soon!
Best elegant restaurant downtown - with fabulous secret lunch specials!
Let's start with the elegant. I went here with three friends before heading over to the San Jose Museum of Art. We ended up having their "family style" menu in which your group chooses two salads, two appetizers, and two main courses, followed by two desserts of the chef's choosing. The portions are generous and seconds are included for free in the "family style" menu, so we had a lot of food by the time we were done (including seconds of our favorite items).
The food was great and the service was flawless. I particularly liked the chicken kebabs and the beet and potato salad. Morocco's is not primarily vegetarian, but there were good selections on the menu for the vegetarian in our group. I highly recommend this restaurant as a good place to have an elegant night out.
Note: The family style menu is $29.95 per person, which is a bargain for what you get. You have to have at least four people to have the "family style" menu.
Now, here's the secret: Morocco's also has a great to-go lunch special (Their "Bail Out Lunch Special Menu"). For $5.50 including tax, you get a salad, entree, and your choice of rice, couscous, or bread. It's the same great food as the normal dinner menu, but amazingly affordable.
I have never had Moroccan food before, but my husband thought the food was good. Apparently I am not a fan. However, I did like the eggplant puree salad as well as the cheese and nut plate we got for appetizers. Here are our reasons for this review - We both got glasses of wine, however the pour on mine was much shorter than his, and not saying his was an over pour. If paying for wine by the glass, I want to get my money's worth. The second reason is that we got our eggplant puree and cheese plate wrapped up to go to take the rest home. Upon returning home and pulling out the leftovers to put in the fridge, they had not packed up the cheese plate, and we both knew we had much more of the puree left. Apparently giving us a new small loaf of their dry flat bread was supposed to make up for them perhaps throwing away our leftovers.
We booked through Opentable. Even though we had confirmation we were made to wait like walk-in. It is a small cozy place and exteremly close to parking in downtown San Jose. The food is good but not the best Moroccan food. They have a decent selection of wine. We tried the 5-wine sampler but they forgot to bring me the 5th wine. Service is good and attentive. They have good vegetarian options.
An elite yelper recommended this one. Why not?
The waitress "highly recommended" family style ordering 3 times. We felt a bit pressured and still went for individual ordering. Then we found several items on the menu are out (that was 6:30pm Saturday).
The famed Pinot Noir was not available. The substitute Cab was very tasty and at very reasonable price ($35). The waitress offered to open a new bottle and charge me by the glasses ($10 each). Very friendly.
The foods were excellent. Three of us shared all the foods (family style) and they are all good. The chicken and lamb tagline were excellent, but the imperial Couscous was superlative.
The vegetarian Briwatts had just enough bite. The chocolate one, as desserts, was very nice.
It is a unique and fine restaurant that I will go back again. It is quite small for company events. Large parties for up to 10 will probably be quite OK, but 2 to 6 is the ideal.
Alright. let me start by saying I have only been to one other Moroccan place; Marakesh (sp.) in D.C. That joint is always packed, and you are forced to get a set menu with service being on the next-to-crappy side. Enough about that joint...
This place is smaller and has a nicer atmosphere. The service was impeccable and we left feeling like a part of the family. We ordered from other Yelper's suggestions, and everything we had was delicious. Especially the Shrimp app. They didn't have a wine list, but Sham helped us choose a bottle with after few tastings from his selection/suggestion.
I usually never get dessert, but I do likes me some filo-pastries. I don't remember the name of the almond paste one, but I swear them shitz had crack sprinkled in em. Save room for those...although saving room is hard if you get the Lamb Tangine----it was almost the entire leg.
We will be back for sure.
I must write an update to say that I was contacted by Sham and Jay E., the owners of Morocco's thanking me for my "cool review." You are quite welcome!
An update is certainly in order as not only did he write to thank me, but he remembered our drink, "pomegranate sweet potato vodka martini." Something I was sure not to remember given we had "water" before we arrived. heh heh
Can't wait to experience the food so I can give them the 5 stars I'm sure they will earn!!
Thanks again for a great experience Sham and Jay E.
Until next time!
To start I'm only giving 4 stars as we didn't eat here so I didn't have the full experience.… Read more »
A couple friends and I went to Shisha for a Sunday night hookah session. Upon discovering, there was no alcohol allowed inside, we decided to do an in-and-out/revolving door routine between Morroco's and Shisha, so we could get our drink on! Nothing complements hookah more than some good hooch ; )
We were seated at the outdoor tables. The restaurant was closed, but luckily the bar was still open. The gentleman helping us offered free samples to my friend and gave great drink recommendations. We went with the pomegranate sweet potato vodka martini. Yum. Tasted as good going down as it did coming back up that same night ; p
A bartender that actually asks us how we prefer our drink before he pours? Sweet or dry? Love it! Then he made sure it was to our liking, after our first sip.
He even saw that we had our camera on the table and offered to take a couple photos of us and gave us cards for free tasting starter plates/beverages. I saw on the card that they hold wine flight nights here and a good variety of other events.
4 stars for the excellent customer service!
WOO-HOO! Is my palate is happy today!!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed an amazing lentil salad, drunken chicken (so tender in an unmatched marinade) and couscous to die for. What a find! I thought I knew flavors and even thought I knew how to cook, but after trying this Moroccan flair, I admit - I might have a not-so-guilty new pleasure. Very reasonably priced lunch, remarkable service from the friendly working owners and such a relaxing ambiance made me feel as though I visited Morocco for lunch. (oh ya, I did!!)
Score!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The service here was top notch. All the dishes we tried were delicious. The price for the meal was only $45. However, the two glasses of wine at $10 each is what surprised me when the bill came! Since there was no wine menu, we didn't see any prices. White Zen is usually not a high priced wine so, I didn't expect it to be that much! I would recommend it to others, with the warning that the drink prices are stiff.
There is nothing nicer than spending an evening with good friends at a good restaurant. The restaurant can make the evening really special and unforgettable, allowing you to chat with friends, not rushing you out the door, assisting with the menu, providing an impeccable meal. Morocco's provided all these factors.
The staff was friendly, the atmosphere allowed you to speak and not scream across the table, and the food, well, it was pretty amazing.
My friends and I were eating dinner prior to attending an opera. We were enjoying our experience so much at Morocco's that we were tempted to skip the opera and stay for dessert. We will definitely return.
when i saw the ratings on this place i got excited to finally find a morrocan food closer to where i live (sunnyvale).honestly it was a huge disapointment.i lived in morocco for a year and i did not recognize the subtility of the flavors that i had over there .we ordered the briwatts which were ok ..but the the entrees came and the food turned horrendous !.my couscous tasted staled as well as my lamb .i could not eat it .my friend had a chicken kebab which also tasted weird .these were definetely different spices then used in morocco.i never had chicken kebab mixed in a stew.honestly the food does not look like it is freshly prepared nor authentic .the music was also very loud and techno like.not the best atmosphere to eat .on the other hand the service was impecabble attentive yet casual.
So I came in on Friday night. the house was packed, due to an acoustic set and belly dancing inside, so we where seated outside. the outside was a perfect environment. It took a few minutes to get some attention, but once Grace came out to serve us we where treated like the guest of honor. the sangria was superb. the food was outstanding, you have to try the shrimp pil pil. everything we had was delicious and of course Grace was there to help us out on ordering and to keep us entertain. overall i became a fan. the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and most importantly the environment was perfect. i recommend checking this place out when theres a band playing or a dancer to get the full experience.
Loved the food, loved the company, loved the environment and absolutely adored the staff!!
This was my first time trying Moroccan food and the experience was quite amazing. I was with a large party and we did the family style dinner, where you can indulge in an endless 7 course menu...genius! Here are some memorable dishes:
- Crab briwatts
- Nut & cheese sampler
- Beef tagine
- Beef couscous
- Chocolate-filled briwatts
and the Sangria was delish too!
I think my entire party was very satisfied and full by the end of our meal. WARNING: Don't come here if you are in rush to get in and get out...the food takes a while to prepare BUT it gives you time to pace yourself, watch the blushing old folks stick dollar bills in the belly dancer's pants and enjoy the ambiance with good company.
Needless to say, I will be back...See you soon Morocco's!!
Morocco's has excellent customer service. I've been here 3 times in the last few months because it was fantastic. Each time I've been we've done family-style meals since it is more fun and cheaper. Also, it's all you can eat when you order family-style which is amazing. This place is kind of expensive but well worth it. The servers are super friendly. Everything I've tried on the menu has been great- really flavorful food. They have a belly dancer some nights which is cool, but I was scared to dance with her when she tried to get me out of my seat! The drinks are great too - sangria is good though I'm not a big sangria fan, shots were really tasty and the tea is so good. It's a plus that it's right next door to Shisha because I love that place too. This is a great special-occasion spot.
This place is so good. It was my turn to pick dinner and i had read about this place in the Metro. It is located in downtown San Jose in a very well decorated little building. The food was delicious from beginning to end. Its family style dining so you share everything. The price was a little much but that's only because we are trying to cut back a little but i would recommend this place for a nice date night. It was very impressive.
So I've been here three times, once with my college classmate, another with my ex girlfriend and the third time with my current girlfriend. All of them were impressed. I hold that it's a great place to take a date and even better to place to go with a girl. The thing to have is the Moroccan tea, it's so good. I'd recommend going on thursdays since that's when they have their wine flight nights and they offer cooking classes. I think I'll head back to this restaurant soon.
Oh and their ceiling design is crazy.
Try the pastia (however its spelled)! It's yummy chicken with philo dough and powdered sugar, sooooo incredibly good! This place is adorable and has pizzazz coming out the wazoo. The owner is really nice and attentive, as is the staff.
Not sure what the outdoor seating is for because market is kind of lame, but whatevs, no judgements.
I thought the food was fantastic here. Its a family owned business, and you're almost always interacting with an owner, a son of an owner - and everyone really cares about your experience. The place has a great atmosphere, and the menu options and resulting dishes are wonderful.
Update on 8/20
My mother, husband and I came here last night for dinner and everything was wonderful! The service, and the food were both spot on! The imperial couscous is to die for! I think we found our new favorite spot.
Came here with my husband after the San Jose jazz festival for dinner on Saturday. The service was extremely slow. We ordered a pitcher of sangria (at the server's suggestion) an appetizer (the chicken Phylo dish), the garbanzo bean dish and the lamb tangine.
The appetizer was okay, I've has something similar at other places that was much better. The chicken tasted old, like they used leftovers.
The sangria was good but the pitcher was half ice, half sangria.
The two entrees were very good, but the portions were very small, and I'm not a big eater at all.
We enjoyed ourselves, so why the three stars.
The bill came and the pitcher of sangria (which was half ice) was $35! I was completely shocked! I felt the server should have told us the price when we ordered this. I have never been charged $35 for a pitcher of sangria. We complained to the server, he apologized and took $10 off, which I thought was reasonable.
My husband and I were trying to enjoy a romantic mean when a couple with a demon child came in. The server asked them to sit at the table next to us while they prepared a table for them. This child was completely out of control, running around and drinking from glassed at dirty tables. It was mostly the parent's fault, but the restaurant should not have asked them to sit next to us.
The portions were a little to small, the rice was extremely dry and the appetizer tasted old.
Other then that we had a nice time. I think we will return on a Wednesday night when Sangria is half price, that seems much more reasonable.
Last week, La Novia and I came here for "date night." She was a bit stunned that I picked Moroccan for dinner, but since I had never been inside a Moroccan restaurant (but tried the food in another life) and she had never tried Moroccan food at all, I thought it would be a fun little adventure for us. We were not disappointed.
We arrived at this little restaurant around 5:30 P.M. and there was no one inside. We were greeted warmly by the one host/server/owner with a neat accent.
He asked us if we had ever been to Morocco's and we both said no. He said we picked a good day since it was wine tasting day. For $15, you could try 5 different 3-ounce servings of wines and a cheese & nuts appetizer. La Novia looked at me, unsure of what to say, so I took charge and said:
"Line them up, sir. It's date night."
He put down a 2 white wines and 3 reds. He promptly brought out a plate with an assortment of cheese and nuts. Each wine was served as he gave a description of each wine, how it should taste, and what region of the world it came from. So now the host/server/owner was our own personal wine sommelier. Cool.
From there, he brought out the menus, which were easy to read and had wine pairing suggestions. He went into great detail about certain items. There wasn't a whole lot of menu items, which is always a good sign. He answered any questions and made recommendations based on our tastes.
He said the lentil salad was a big hit with customers. I have tried that type of salad in the past, so I ordered it. La Novia opted for a spicy cucumber salad. Unfortunately, the lentil salad was such a hit, the kitchen informed him that they were out of it.
I then opted for the shrimp pil-pil appetizer, which he recommended based on my tastes. He then informed the kitchen of the order, and boom, flames were set off and wonderful aromas filled the air. It was good to know the host/owner/server/wine sommelier was not going to be the chef tonight.
Anyway, by now La Novia and I are a bit tipsy on the wine. She did not care for the reds too much, but that just meant more for me.
The host/server/owner/wine sommelier came back with the spicy cucumber salad and my shrimp pil-pil appetizer. The salad was presented in a sushi-like manner. It was a full sliced cucumber with a spicy dressing on top. La Novia loved it and so did I (since one so far she was not complaining about the food and seemed pretty happy with my "adventurous" choice).
The shrimp pil-pil was not as spicy as the salad, even though our one-man show server said it would be, but it did have some kick and it was delicious. So delicious, La Novia wanted to try it.
Unfortunately, she has an allergy to shellfish. The only way she can try certain seafood is with a glass of white wine and maybe a Claritin or two after, depending if the shellfish was fresh or not.
Well, with that said, I ordered another $15 wine tasting. So here comes another 5 glasses. This time I asked for only whites. They too were from all around the world. I was pretty tipsy by then, but I remember loving the Moroccan wine. La Lovia preferred the Portuguese one. But I do remember both of us loving the wine from New Zealand.
After several sips of wine from around the world, La Novia tried the shrimp pil-pil and liked it a lot. I just hoped she wouldn't break out in hives mid main course (and she never did or need a Clartin later since it was fresh shrimp).
Speaking of main courses, this where the real fun started. La Novia ordered a grilled fish that was freakin' amazing. Seriously, it was some of the best fish I have ever had (and I love fish). Wow. It smelled like heaven and the taste was amazing too.
I ordered the Lamb Tagine (this is where they marinate and trap the flavor in the meat over the course of several hours) and it was wonderful. The meat was so tender and it fell off the bone. La Novia, who does not eat red meat, tried a small piece and said:
"It does not taste like lamb at all."
Well, when lamb does not taste like lamb, that is usually a good sign. It means it is fresh and the meat has been marinated properly. I was very pleased with my dish as it was really Moroccan and it added to my experience. But I must admit, her grilled fish was definitely the highlight of the evening.
So after 2 different $15 wine tastings, cheese & nuts, spicy cucumber salad, shrimp pil-pil, grilled fish, and lamb tagine we were definitely stuffed (all for under $100). But we didn't feel heavy or as if we were going to suffer from food coma. But we knew dessert would make us hate life at Camera 12 (as we watched "Up").
So we promised the host/server/owner/wine sommelier that we would visit him in the future for dinner again and dessert. He said they have belly dancing nights and other wine tastings on certain days. He asked us to call in advance to know what the event of the night would be.
I shook his hand and promised to return...
...Maybe as early as next week.
Have been to Morocco's on lesiure visits as well as worked with Chef Jay for events for where I work.
All of their food is to die for! The chicken kebabs, kefta patties, salad with amazing dressing, desserts are just outstanding. Make sure to try the dessert especially the briwatts. The Mediterrean dressing is particularly delicious and the dressing is made to order.
Jay is great and always willing to explain various dishes, wines, etc. Having worked with them for various events- there is always a level of professionalism and helpfulness that makes Morocco's a joy to work with.
Have not tried their specialty cooking classes yet but would love to! Highly recommend. If you can't make it in for dinner- stop by and get their bail out lunch special- only 5.50 for a lunch platter to go!
And now I have officially been sucked into the world of Yelp users who have establishments they reviewed badly contact them.
I appreciate that they read their reviews and at least attempt to make an effort to make scorned patrons feel better. I have always liked these guys in the past. However, their offer was ridiculous, despite how polite they were in their message to me. I greatly appreciate the well wishes they sent to me and my boyfriend, but, as I told them, it's too little too late. They continued to hold their position about not taking my gift certificate, and the "making it up to you" deal they offered me required me to spend MORE money. Uh, guys... Offering me a $15 meal for $5 is a nice effort and under any other circumstances, I'd love it, but my gift certificate was for $25. Plus, I'm in no hurry to drive all the way out there to give you more money. Maybe I'm being petty, but hey, I'm a broke graduate student.
I hate that now I'm even more upset with what used to be one of my favorite restaurants.
**** Slight update. They told me they stopped taking the gift certificates in Jan. 2008, however I was at a dinner in June 2008 where the exact same one was used, no problem. Also, the "Sorry we ruined your night" offer they extended me is the same deal anyone walking in off the street at 1pm would get. I wasn't expecting a message from them let alone a "Here you go"- that's not what the review was about- but if you're going to extend an olive branch to someone who used to be a faithful customer.. c'mon. ****
While traveling through Morocco by bus, foot and scary "taxis," I had many chances to have the real… Read more »
Morocco's has been on my short list of favorite restaurants since they opened. It's the best and most authentic Moroccan food you will ever find. Whenever I have family or guests visit from out of town, I always take them to Morocco's for an experience they've never had before and always blows them away.
The dishes are amazingly prepared, seasoned, and presented. The combination of savory, sweet, acidic, and delicate flavors is wonderfully executed and even exciting. The food isn't what you would call "spicy", but the flavors employed in each dish are very specific and focused. It's not at all like Indian food where every dish is loaded with spices and practically interchangeable.
I love getting the fixed-price meals with a small group and just keep the food coming. Both the vegetarian and meaty dishes are inspired and equally exciting. I *adore* the beef tagine, but the salad and appetizer dishes are just as inviting. There are a lot of original and unexpected surprises on the menu like the cold beet and potato salad and the briwatts. The only menu item that hasn't blown me away are the grilled kefta patties, but with the beef tagine being so good I don't think twice about it.
The owners at Morocco's are great and they'll really make you feel welcome. They really know how to make you feel welcome and give you a new experience. The food is fantastic and even healthy. I love it.
This was one of the best meals I have had in a long time! The food was fresh, flavorful, and finished off to perfection. This is a MUST TRY!
Ugh, I'm hopelessly disappointed in San Jose's food options. I came here for the prix fixe menu as part of Dine Downtown San Jose. I sprang for the mid-tier ($30 dinner) option...
Total disappointment. Every dish was TINY! You should plan to pick up a La Victoria burrito either before or after you come here. Their "signature" lentils starter was flavorless and visual unappetizing. The chicken tajine had a piece of bone in it and the vegetarian cous cous was more sauce than anything else.
The only thing that made this place 2 stars instead of 1 was the almond paste dessert thing (Almond Paste Phyllo with Honey Briwatts). Definitely tasty, but not worth a trip here and definitely not worth the price that they charge.
Overall, a terrible restaurant -- avoid at all costs!
PS -- to experience what good Moroccan food should taste like, visit:
Aziza in San Francisco - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Kous Kous in San Diego - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I went here for a friend's birthday dinner and luckily our group was large enough to do the family style dinner at Morocco's. We selected our two salads, two appetizers, and two entrees and then enjoyed the setting and sangria. Of note, I should point out that we had vegetarian party guests, and the restaurant was very accommodating about letting the rest of us still order meat dishes and then bringing a small amount of the same dish done veggie style.
The atmosphere is very nice and the service was very friendly. The food came out slowly but surely and was a hit for most people. My favorite was the appetizer briwatts. I felt both the tagine and couscous were on the sweet side. The dessert briwatts were a nice treat but the green tea ice cream they offered with it didn't seem very Moroccan.
The price was a little on the high side and the meal was definitely the type for special occasion only. Maybe I am drinking the "hate-orade," but I am going to give it only 2 out of 5 as I will not be a regular here and I will not recommend this place unless someone was gung-ho about Moroccan food.
Me and my hubby went here for dinner on a friday night we booked the table through open table. It was a little tough to find parking on the street so we ended up parking in the public parking right across form Morocco's and paid $3 (not too bad!!). We got there a little early so we had to wait a couple of minutes for our table to be set. We were greeted very nicely by a man named Shaam...he was extremely hospitable and even asked if we were celebrating any special occasion.
Once we got to our table I ordered white sangria for myself which was excellent.....and because my husband wanted to get wine he waited to decide on his meal first...so the wine could be paired. This is what we ordered :
Appetizer: briwatts combo (3 varieties suggested by shaam): we had the crab and the traditional sugar ones.
Main course: Chicken kebab plate and lamb couscous platter
Dessert: Rose Crème Bruleé
As we waited for our appetizer one of the staff members there brought us complementary eggplant salad :)... very appetizing!! The briwatts were scrumptious specially the crab ones. Our meals were also delicious in particular we liked the chicken kebab it was more flavorful, the lamb itself was cooked perfectly and fell off the bone but we didn't enjoy the couscous as much it just felt really dry. After dinner came dessert.....Although it was called Crème Bruleé it didn't really feel like it because it didn't have any of the caramelized sugar on top. It was very refreshing and tasty but it was more like a rose pudding or custard.
Our overall experience was great!!!! The ambiance is fun and the hospitality is truly warm and generous. Only thing I would change is that even though we had ordered the wine along with the appetizer it was not served until the main course which was kind of a bummer.....I guess next time we will have to ask for the wine to be served before! Nonetheless, the wine was a Moroccan Pinot and according to my husband was very rich and smooth....he enjoyed it!
Highly recommend it if you are looking to have a good time with good food and drinks!!! The place is great for couples or groups. The staff members are extremely helpful and have many suggestions which enhances the overall experience at Morocco's.
Tonight was our first time at Morocco's and we had a wonderful experience. Outstanding service and the food was delicious. The Briwatt appetizers were very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the Beef Tangine and my wife loved the Chicken Tangine. If you enjoy a creme brulee, I highly recommend the rose water flavored version they offer.
We will definitely become regulars at Morocco's.
Just got back from dinner at Morocco's so its memory is still fresh in my noggin. Yeah, that and I'm gonna have to make something to eat because I'M HUNGRY....
You get three main choices for entrees at dinner time.
Tagines (stewed beef, lamb, or vegetables with (supposedly) rice or bread)
Couscous (and beef, lamb or vegetables)
Kebabs (grilled beef, chicken, shrimp or fish and rice)
When going to a new restaurant I believe in ordering the signature dish because if the chefs and owners feel this is their best stuff then all the other dishes must go downhill from there. right? So, I ordered the Lamb Tagine. It's the first thing listed and when most people think of Moroccan cuisine, the clay cone of the Tagine is what they visualize.
Food comes. Oh! ummm...where's the rest of it?
If you put what I got in a measuring a cup, it would come out to a little over a cup and a half. Disappointing.
Have you ever had a beef stew? How about any stew?
Then you've had this.
Your mom made this.
You and Ms. Betty Crocker made this.
Don't get me wrong. It wasn't bad.
Just very, very ordinary. Nothing about it told me that its origins were Morrocan. Other than what I'm pretty sure was orange peel (not for me), everything was what you'd expect to find in a beef stew. Potatoes, carrots, and meat. Also, the lamb flavor was non-existent. I don't know if that's a result of the stewing process or if they marinade the crap out of the lamb to mask its flavor, all I know is that it could have been cow and I wouldn't know the difference. And I'm looking at the menu online right now and I was supposed to be given the choice of "Himalayan Basmati Rice or Morocco's signature Anise bread". I was not given a choice. In fact the whole table got Morocco's signature Anise bread in the same way you get bread at a steakhouse. Which makes me feel like I was jipped out of about a half of my dish.
18 for the Lamb and Vegetable Tagine. 22 bucks total (tax and tip) that could have been spent better.
First and last time at Morocco's Restaurant.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go eat a couple steaks or a loaf of bread or....something.
Right now, Morocco's has a "Bail Out Special" where you can choose 3 items off their lunch menu and pay only $5.50, which already includes tax and tip. But, this is for TAKE-OUT only. My friend and I came here for lunch but wasn't given a lunch menu, so we asked the server about the "Bail Out" that we saw on their website. We ended up just ordering food to go instead.
The chicken kabobs, rice, and Mediterranean salad was probably the best combo! Everything was delicious, and the portions were decent. I don't know if it's enough food to feed a grown man, but it was enough for a girl!
There wasn't anyone in the restaurant when we came here last Friday, so I'm wondering if it's because of their location. The restaurant is still in downtown, but not right in the heart of all the skyscrapers. The server was really nice, I think he was probably the owner.
The restaurant is small, but the ambiance flare works better for an evening dinner than a lunch time thing.
What I liked about the restaurant was the live music. Everything else was pretty much a disaster.
The portions were tiny. I had the chicken kebabs- it was extremely dry, tiny portions of chicken. Not tasteful at all. My companion had the lamb tagine - that was palatable - but not great.
The restaurant did not have a drinks menu. All I got was a choice of two wines from the waiter.
When I wanted to have the briwatts - I was told (1) they did not have the mini-briwatts. (2) for the regular briwatts I needed to order atleast three!
And after all this, I ended up with a 70 bucks bill which was quite high.
The evening would have been a total disaster - but for the live music.
3.5 stars if I could... Service was great and they had this wine tasting deal (not on the menu) where they served about 4 tastings throughout your meal. The wines were nothing that you couldn't get at Whole Foods, but they were good selections. The food was good-- I liked the Briwatts - very interesting to have chicken with sweet flavors like that. I loved the couscous and the meat selections we had were pretty good. Very flavorful. The decor was nice, but not too glamorous.
It's not going to become one of my staple restaurants or anything, but we'll definitely be back to try more from the menu.
The web site shows some lunch specials for about $7. If you order those specials you have to leave. You can't eat them at a table. Once you elect to eat at a table the prices go up. My girl friend and I SPLIT two appetizers, a salad and desert and we both had our own tea. The bill was $50. If we each had our own of everything it would have been $100 for lunch. The portions were small and we could have eaten more. The food was good but not great. Save your money and eat some where else. I support cultural restaurants, but not at this price. Thinking I would spend $20 and end up spending $50 I felt cheated, espically when there are other great options close by.
My girlfriend happens to be the office manager for a law firm and she does not intend to order for the firm either. I won't be back. Pitty....
I had my first Moroccan cuisine experience here and I am TOTALLY coming back! I met Jay, the co-owner of Morocco's at a Cinequest Soiree when he tried to keep me from the vegetarian appetizers. After introducing ourselves he invited my boyfriend, me and our friend to try out his restaurant guaranteeing that I would love it assuring that there were many vegetarian options. It was early like 7:30 and we were going to catch a 9:30 Cinequest film. I was *hoping* everyone wanted to eat at Smile Sushi (MY FAVE haha) but they all wanted to try it out so I said fine why not. I am SO glad I didn't whine and bitch for sushi.
Jay's brother Sham was the manager/host that night, and the two set us up with a really great tasting menu since we couldn't decide what to order (thanks to me being very indecisive and picky). Jay suggested that the guys get some kind of beer drink but I forgot what it was called :( It did have this really delicious Moroccan beer plus some Tabasco sauce and lemons? Whatever it was it had a GREAT kick! I was fine with just some regular Moroccan beer and was presented with (I think it's called) Casablanca. It was so crisp and refreshing... almost tasted carbonated, like a carbonated Stella. We liked it so much we are going to try and scope it out at BevMo.
For appetizers, Sham served us the potato and beet salad and the lentil salad. It was a great portion for tasting and both were delicious and vegetarian!!! The potato and beet salad was chilled and I rarely eat beets but I like them now especially prepared chilled!
Then, we were served three kinds of briwatts: vegetarian, crab and chicken (? I didn't pay close attention to whatever meat option we were getting). Briwatts are soooo tasty! They are like samosas but crispier because they are wrapped in phyllo dough. I liked the vegetarian ones over the crab ones.
For our main course we were served Vegetable Tangine, (I believe) Chicken Tangine and Beef Tangine. Tangine is a braised stew cooked at a low temperature for a long time (says their menu) and it was delicious. With it came the Himalayan Basmati Rice and Morocco's bread- the rice was yummy!! We ate it ALL. Everything!
To top it off, Sham hooked it up with dessert, an Orange Blossom which was a sliced orange topped with cinnamon & I think honey? With their mint tea... YUM YUM YUM OM NOM NOM!
Everything was great!! The decor and ambiance really made me felt like I was in a true authentic Moroccan setting (even though I hardly know what it really entails). It was a little dark for me because the setting is really dim and intimate. Maybe I am just not an intimate person :P I really appreciated Sham and Jay's hospitality as they are truly great, accommodating hosts.
Be sure to check out their website as they have special themes and deals each night of the week and they also have some upcoming events. I am totally tempted to try out their vegetarian friendly Moroccan cooking classes! They also have their 1st yr anniversary party which sounds like a blast, I'm drooling at the thought of a 9 course endless buffet!
My roommate and I ventured out to this spot for dinner last night and had an excellent experience. From the friendly staff to the delicious food, this is somewhere we'll go back to for sure.
We started with the lentil salad, which our waiter recommended and were not disappointed. The flavors were great, a litle tart, a little sweet with hints of cillantro and red onion. We then shared the veggie couscous, also great topped with carmelized onions and garbonzo beans a bit sweet in taste with cinnamon and who knows what else, but it was delish. Which brings me to the main course we also shared which really brought the house down- a house speciality, the beef tangine. Excellent! A slowly marinated stew-like beef slow cooked in spices and apricot. Everything we ordered was delicious, the service was great and the prices ok. With a glass of wine each (at $10/pop), our dinner bill was around $60 for 2.
I was in search of a unique dining experience for my 30th birthday and stumbled across Morocco's event posted by Connie. So first thing first, thanks Yelp and Connie for introducing me to this wonderful experience.
I had many firsts last night... I went on my first Octudate, first dinner as a thirty year old, first time trying Moroccan food, first time entertained by a beautiful belly dancer (pictures will come soon).
I must say from beginning to end, Morocco's really know how to host their guests and throw a party! From the first time I called to reserve my tickets for the event, Chef Jay and Sham were delightful on the phone. I swear I must have asked 20 questions over the phone, but not for one moment did I feel rushed to be off the phone. I really feel over the phone customer service is as vital as in person service. And of course, greeted by Sham at the door was as pleasant as talking to him and Chef Jay on the phone. I had a great conversation with Chef Jay and Sham's madre. She is a wonderful lady, beaming with happiness. Staff at the restaurant were all very helpful and provided excellent service. 5 Stars for your STELLAR customer service and hospitality!
ENDLESS seems to be the key word last night. Endless Sangria, endless beer on tap, endless 9-course servings. Yes, 9-course! My party of 8 was enjoying the endless encounters in the buffet line. Once again, I wish I had a notepad and pen or my iphone wasn't dead so I can write the name of the dishes down. However, I did manage to remember the names of some of my favorite dishes of the night. My favorites were the Spicy Chilled Cucumber Salad, Chicken Tagine & Beef Tagine. I am drooling just thinking about the Spicy Chilled Cucumber Salad right now. It pairs really well with just about everything. The Chicken Tagine had the right amount of spices. I loved it! If you must ask, I had about 3 servings of this dish. I couldn't stop myself from going back for more!
My party really, I mean REALLY enjoyed the Sangria and the performance by the belly dancer. After the endless Sangria during the ride back to my place, we couldn't help but but hear the sound of jingles and hoping there was a belly dancer in sight. :)
If you have never had Moroccan food and you are looking for a memorable first time experience, I strongly suggest visiting Chef Jay & Sham for an incredible first. We had a magical time and will definitely be going back!
Just went here lastnight for my boyfriend's 30th birthday. Sham was so nice and super attentive and explained everything so thoroughly. Alot of our party had never had Moroccan food before, so that was nice of him. Dan and I got there early and he served us up some amazingly yummy and potent Sangria. The appetizers (nut and cheese plate, kebab platter, briwatts) were great and I think everyone was super happy with the food. I heard great things about the shrimp pil pil. The spicy cucumber salad is recommended.
I had the beef tagine and it was so tender and delicious. Dan had the fish tagine and that was great. We also tried some of our friend's lamb tagine. We ordered the dessert briwatts and they we so delicate, so crispy, warm, and yummy. The portions were perfect and made a nice cushion for a night of drinking. Definitely going back for more sangria and to try out the rest of the menu. All in all a great dinner and a nice way to start the evening.
I really like this place! The ambiance is great, the waiters/owners are super friendly and attentive, and the food is YUM. I brought my boyfriend here for date night once, and we both had a great time.
The waiters/owners are very nice - maybe its their sense of hospitality that makes some people uncomfortable, but I think they're just friendly people. They go out of their way to make sure their customers are enjoying their experiences. They actually offered to make one of their deserts a special way for me, since I'm allergic to almonds and the main part of the desert contained almonds.
Their lentil salad is pretty good, as is their beet and potato salad. But the real reason to go Morcocco's is the tagine. I *love* their beef tagine, and their shrimp pil-pil is awesome. Make sure you try one (or both) of these when you go. I also like how they have suggested wine pairings on the menu... I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, so I like having the extra help. :-)
Another plus -- they have a special "bail out" lunch menu going on that is a really great deal!
This place is definitely worth checking out.
San Jose, CA
Category: Moroccan
San Jose, CA
Category: Greek
San Jose, CA
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San Jose, CA
Category: Latin American
San Jose, CA
Category: French
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