Restaurant Marrakesh: Lunch

I talk about how much we love Tangierine Café here on the blog, yet I’d never eaten at Restaurant Marrakesh. It had been ages since Matt had visited, so we decided it was time to dine there. Over the holidays, we managed to visit twice: once for lunch (just the two of us), and once for dinner (with 4 others). We’ll start off with our lunch visit for today.

We didn’t have a reservation, but arrived shortly after the restaurant opened. We were seated immediately. The dining room is large, open, and ornate. Since this was my first time in the restaurant, I was a bit in awe of the décor.

Matt recalled that one of his favorite appetizers was the Beef Brewat Rolls ($7.99), so we decided to order them. The rolls are baked layers of thin pastry filled with seasoned minced beef. They are then fried and sprinkles with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

The minced beef was very light on the seasonings, to which Matt agreed and noted that he recalled them being a bit more flavorful. The texture between the crispy pastry and beef was enjoyable, but our favorite part was the sweetness and spice of the powdered sugar and cinnamon against the beef.

We were then served Moroccan Bread with butter, which was likely the same bread that is served at Tangierine Café, though it was served warm and seemed a bit fresher.

At this point, we both decided to order a Casa Beer to enjoy with our meal, which we both thought was a decent lager. Hey, we couldn’t sit there with Miller Lite!

Matt ordered the Roast Lamb Meshoui ($18.99), which is lamb shank braised in natural juice served with mixed vegetables, yellow rice, zucchini, capers, lemon confit and tomatoes. The portion of lamb is quite large, and the meat melted in your mouth.

The rice served with the dish wasn’t particularly exciting, and had a few peas and possibly carrots and onions mixed throughout. It was a bit al dente, too. I had a small bite and found it, “Meh.” The zucchini salad didn’t go over too well, either. Matt isn’t a fan of zucchini, so having a salad comprised almost completely of the ingredient wasn’t exactly the most sought after item on the plate. I gave it a try and found it okay, but a bit one-note. Perhaps if you are a fan of zucchini, it would be more appealing.

Not wanting a large entrée after eating a Brewat Roll and bread, I opted for the Goat Cheese and Crispy Bread for Two ($13.99). It’s a mixture of goat cheese and Kalamata olives served with tabouleh, red pepper sauce and a balsamic vinegar reduction. When the dish came out, I was surprised by the presentation. It was probably one of the most impressive appetizer presentations I’ve seen on property.

I was a bit nervous that the Kalamata flavor would be strong, but this was not the case. The goat cheese and the balsamic were the most prominent flavors in the dish. I didn’t really notice any red pepper sauce, but there were enough flavors going on that I didn’t miss it. The tabouleh was fantastic as well.

We both loved what we ordered, and I can recommend everything we ordered. Despite Matt not being crazy about the rice or zucchini, the lamb more than made up for it. The Brewat Rolls aren’t too “out there” that even a picky eater might go for it. If you like bold flavors, go for the Goat Cheese and Crispy Bread appetizer. I’m looking forward to sharing dinner with you!

If you’ve been to Restaurant Marrakesh, which items on the menu stand out to you? If you haven’t visited, what might be keeping you from trying it?