Marrakesh

[evanssc]

We will be dining at Marrakesh on our next trip in Feb. I have read the reviews at All Ears Net and it seems that the food and service have gotten mixed reviews. Has anyone eaten there recently, and if so what was your experience?

Also, I would appreciate any menu reccomendations that you might have.

Thanks

 

[barnum42]

A general "problem" I have found with some of the more culturally diverse restaurants at Disney is that the "Cheeseburger and Fries" brigade don't like them because said eateries do not serve....cheeseburgers and fries Because of that they get bad ratings.

Personally I love to try new flavours, which is something you get to do at Marrakesh. They do a couple of "Feast" options, which will give you a variety courses to sample.

Enjoy the new tastes, atmosphere and belly dancer :wave:

 

[ZapperZ]

I highly recommend it. I go there on every trip. The "feast" is certainly the best option since you get to sample several different food items. If you go for lunch, the performers will appear between 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, so you even get some live entertainment.

Don't miss the traditional mint tea, serves hot. This tea is normally sweetened, but here they serve it unsweetened (just add 2 packets of sugar to each cup and you're fine). And if you like lamb, don't miss the lamb couscous.

Zz.

 

[tigsmom]

We also eat here every trip, usually lunch. Try to get the "Chef's special"... it is less expensive than just the main entree is at dinner time and you will get a salad, main course and dessert. It is not spicy or odd, just different from normal burgers/fries. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. :wave:

 

[lawyergirl77]

My one complaint with Marrakesh is the fact that I don't find it authentic enough!! I do enjoy it very much, but I can get better quality Middle Eastern food at home! (Not necessarily a legit complaint, but that's why I don't rate it as highly as some other places... including the San Angel Inn because, contrary to many of you, I can't get decent mexican food at home!! :lol: )

That being said, I would definitely encourage anyone to try it! The one thing that Marrakesh does amazingly well is their couscous... I haven't been able to replicate that flavour at home and there are times when I get a wicked craving!! :slurp:

 

[tigsmom]

My one complaint with Marrakesh is the fact that I don't find it authentic enough!! I do enjoy it very much, but I can get better quality Middle Eastern food at home! (Not necessarily a legit complaint, but that's why I don't rate it as highly as some other places... including the San Angel Inn because, contrary to many of you, I can't get decent mexican food at home!! :lol: )

That being said, I would definitely encourage anyone to try it! The one thing that Marrakesh does amazingly well is their couscous... I haven't been able to replicate that flavour at home and there are times when I get a wicked craving!! :slurp:

This recipe?

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yield - 4 servings

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1/2 of a red onion
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 of a sweet red bell pepper
1/2 of a sweet green bell pepper
1/2 of a chopped zucchini
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Cinnamon to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 cup orange juice
12 ounces cooked plain couscous
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup tangerine segments or mandarin orange segments
Mint sprig for garnish

Method:

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté onion, garlic, sweet bell peppers and zucchini in olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup olive oil to vegetables along with raisins, chickpeas and orange juice. Toss vegetable mixture with couscous and pan juices. Add parsley and gently fold in citrus segments. Mound mixture onto a serving platter and garnish with mint. [/FONT]

 

[barnum42]

My one complaint with Marrakesh is the fact that I don't find it authentic enough!! I do enjoy it very much, but I can get better quality Middle Eastern food at home!

It's a possibility that they had to tone down the flavours for the blander palette of the burger and fries crowd. I saw on a documentary that they had to do that with the French restaurant, so it's possible they had to do it here too.

 

[lawyergirl77]

This recipe?

*snip*

Yup, that one - I can never seem to make it taste the way it does in Disney World... I just stick to my own recipe and make do! :lol:

 

[lawyergirl77]

It's a possibility that they had to tone down the flavours for the blander palette of the burger and fries crowd. I saw on a documentary that they had to do that with the French restaurant, so it's possible they had to do it here too.

Entirely possible... I find that they use far too much sugar and honey in the recipies and not enough of the more savoury spices. *shrug* It still tastes just fine, but I'm a bigger fan of less sweet food.

 

[evanssc]

Thanks to all for the feedback. There will be four adults in our party, so should we all split the feast?

What time is the evening entertainment?

 

[tigsmom]

Thanks to all for the feedback. There will be four adults in our party, so should we all split the feast?

What time is the evening entertainment?

Each person can order what they want... we usually get 3 specials and my youngest orders from the kid's menu. Each person will get an appetizer, salad and then main course followed by the dessert. Each person gets their own plate.

 

[surfsupdon]

I had a birthday dinner there, 8 of us total. I had that Sultan's Feast I believe. I think those are the best bets here--we all enjoyed our feast and everyone got salads, soups, apps, entrees, desserts, and a drink. It was a fun place to eat.

I think it only gets bad reviews b/c it doesn't have standard theme park fare. It's not a huge walk on the wild side, but it is something different. It's good.

 

[barnum42]

Thanks to all for the feedback. There will be four adults in our party, so should we all split the feast?

What time is the evening entertainment?

The feast is priced per person, so it's not something you actually split. There was plenty of entertainment last time I went. The band took regular short breaks but was playing much of the time and the belly dancer made a number of appearances.

 

[ZapperZ]

I have a Moroccan restaurant here in my neighborhood, and while Marrekesh does tone it down a bit when compared to the local restaurant here, the food is still quite good, and it is certainly doesn't lose much in authenticity.

Also, take note that if you're a passholder, you get 10% off on lunch, and if you're a DVC member, you get 20% off.

Zz.

 

[wdwmagic]

We will be dining at Marrakesh on our next trip in Feb. I have read the reviews at All Ears Net and it seems that the food and service have gotten mixed reviews. Has anyone eaten there recently, and if so what was your experience?

Also, I would appreciate any menu reccomendations that you might have.

Thanks

There are some reviews at http://reviews.wdwmagic.com/censura.php?cmd=details&itemid=121&tsid=2

 

[makscopes]

It's a possibility that they had to tone down the flavours for the blander palette of the burger and fries crowd. I saw on a documentary that they had to do that with the French restaurant, so it's possible they had to do it here too.

Yes, all of the restaurants around Walt Disney World offer "Disney's take" of the dishes to fit into the entire experience. For example, at the 50's Prime Time Cafe, the dish is an "idealized" home cooked meal - not what most of us would normally eat. The same thing goes for the restaurants around Epcot.

 

[evanssc]

Thanks to everyone for the information.

What is the wine list like at the Marrakesh?

 

[Bourne]

I ate there in November. The food is bland. The beer tastes like any other American beer (so don't think you're missing out)

 

[tigsmom]

I ate there in November. The food is bland. The beer tastes like any other American beer (so don't think you're missing out)

Moroccan food is not spicy, they do use a lot of herbs and spice, but not the firey kind like Thai. We have never been disappointed with a meal there and when you add in the music and belly dancer well...

 

[barnum42]

What is the wine list like at the Marrakesh?

"What do you mean, you don't do cheeseburgers?"
"What do you mean, you don't do fries?"
"What do you mean, don't do apple pie"

...sorry, that would be the whine list