Marakesh Cafe & Grill

Marakesh is the best! Total gem! I ordered the falafel, hummus and tabbouleh — all Mediterranean soul food. Perfect falafel and flavorful hummus with a great texture. Tabbouleh is also super tasty and well-​balanced. The owner is warm, welcoming and a totally inspiring person! I will be back frequently and encourage everyone to check it out!

Food was ok. Had the hummus with meat and the shawarma wrap… Not very tasty. Lacked spice. Blah

We ordered the Spicy hummus, the chicken shawarma and the lamb. Outstanding!!! I’d give it

I randomly chose this place because it was close to a meeting I had. What a surprise when they came out with the most delicious lamb shawarma in my storied* history. Like yo mama cooked, if she was from the Levant, loved you, and loved food. Tender and… really, it’s hard to describe the spice other than to say it was amazing. Such an unassuming place, but give it a try!
*(my history is actually kinda boring, but go with it)

Lovely little restaurant hidden away near the Lowes on Shoal creek. We went on a Friday night after 7:00 and were seated immediately. Service was wonderful! Attentive and personable.
Appetizer was the Kibeh rated good by my husband. We had a nice Spanish granacha that wasn’t outrageously expensive (whole bottle $ 28).
I ordered the Beef Kabobs with Tumeric rice, humus and a salad. All very fresh, the beef nicely seasoned and tender. Rice very delicious, pita warmed up and the humus smoth with a lovely flavor.
Tom had the Beef Shawarma which he enjoyed. I found the beef a little tough, but again, excellent flavors.
I would definitely go again!

Not bad, but I wish it came with more meat on my shawarma gyro plate. It tasted more like straight up gyro than wonderful rotated all day shawarma to me. But it was still good, just not what I was necessarily in the mood for. Sadly while I love supporting non-​chain places I’d probably pick Verts around the corner over this. I wish them the best of luck though, it’s a nice quiet space to read if that’s what you’re looking for (and I often am)

Great food, very authentic and tasty! This is one of our regular spots. The family who owns the place even remembers our wine order and makes sure we have an amazing experience every time. I’m of Mediterranean descent and my Grandmother would be proud that I eat this well so close to home. Go visit these guys, very worth it!

Rediscovering Marakesh’s Steck location is like
being a six year old finding the building blocks he used to play with and love when he was four.
Finding old favorite toys can be much better than finding new toys.
There was a time that Marakesh was one of the few decent places to eat on Congress Avenue.
(Ok — make that one of the few decent places to eat on Congress Avenue when you are not being entertained by a lobbyist with a massive expense account.)
It was cheap wonderful Middle Eastern comfort food —
a reminder that a really good kebab sandwich is just as cozy as macaroni and cheese.
It was not a place where the cook was showing off fancy tricks «look at me look at me look at me.»
It was «You’re hungry? Oh you poor baby. Let’s take care of you.»
Their kebab pitas are served with a lot of sauce — sauce that almost gives the inside the consistency of a stroganoff.
There is nothing wrong with a stroganoff — and we don’t make those enough — either in restaurants or in people’s houses.
Creamy and savory and meaty? What’s not to love?
Their take on Turkish coffee is unusual — but just fine.
They don’t go for the «cup full of mud» that is the approach preferred by many Middle Eastern drinkers.
The cup is mostly liquid and feels like an espresso.
But the grounds are heavily herbed with cardamom and other goodies.
You do get your treats when you get to the bottom of the cup.
Okay — legendary Middle Eastern food which you would serve to the Ambassador from Morocco with pride? Marakesh ain’t that.
Marakesh is just a modest little place for real people.
But for the rest of us who just want peace and quiet at a table and the chance to feel good for a little while before we face the rest of our day,
Marakesh is just what the doctor ordered.

Came here with a date on a Saturday night. Food was good, music was good and the service was outstanding.
Just a few things to know on Saturday nights though. The live music is treated as like a focal point, not just something going on in the background. So it can be a bit awkward to have a normal conversation and then have to lower your voice as soon as the music stops. Also, they have an abridged menu for Saturday nights, which in our case only has like 3 entrees: the Kaft Marinara, the Chicken Breast Something-​or-​Other, and something else. The point is, no Gyros, no Tikka Korma, none of that. So be prepared.
I had the Kafta and my date had the Chicken, splitting some pita and hummus between us. I thought the Kafta was delicious; think like Middle Eastern meatballs with yellow rice and sliced potatoes. The pita was fresh and the hummus was spot-​on. And the baklava was incredible.
I also need to point out the service, in particular. I, as usual, was running late for the date, and despite it being a very busy Saturday night, they were able to move the reservation back by a half-​hour. When we get there, the two waiters were always available to get us more water, napkins, pita, everything. The place was incredibly busy and yet they still went out of their way to get us everything we requested, without the slightest hint of disgruntlement. I made sure to tip them accordingly. I know one of them was Saru, unfortunately the other gentleman’s name escapes me. But they were both incredible in providing top-​notch service.
Despite the unassuming exterior, Marakesh is very nice, not too fancy but definitely tasteful. The band, Indimaj, was great, and the belly dancer was gorgeous and talented.
Saturday nights don’t make for the best conversation, I don’t think, but I’ll definitely be coming back here on a week night!

This well hidden establishment is worth the GPS fine-​tuning. Just off Steck to the east of North Mopac in a fairly new strip center, it is bigger than it appears from the outside. The waitstaff was very helpful to me in my first visit, and the abbreviated lunch menu was well stocked with choices palatable to my «meat and potato» tastebuds.
I tried the trio dipper mezze and then had a veggie plate for the main course. Everything was flavourful and tasty, even to my untrained middle eastern palette. There were other items on the menu I would love to try, so undoubtedly … I shall return!

I came here for a quick meeting during lunch. It’s hard to find, but a nice spot when you do, with lots of eating space. I just had some fries for an appetizer and my guest had the coffee which was really good. The menu didn’t entice me, which i didn’t order a full meal. However you’re in the area it’s probably worth giving a try, because it is a good place for meetings.

Great food and great service. The Shawarma is perfect As an Arabian guy i think it is the best Arabian restaurant in Austin.

I waited too long to write a review so specific memory is a bit dull, so I’ll stick with general impressions.
This place is good beyond it’s unassuming exterior in the middle of a small plaza next to a physical therapy office. Everything is made fresh and it tastes like it. Service was great and the owner talked to us for a bit as it wasn’t very busy at the time. She works very hard and it shows in the quality of the food.
I rarely give 5 star but it was all good and I have no complaints. So stop by and keep her in business. I’ll be back.

Very friendly stuff! We were celebrating my friends new car purchase and stopped by for dinner. Shaverma was very good, all vegetables super fresh and the place was clean, with no annoying loud music so we could have a conversation!
Will be back for sure!

Based on Unilocal reviews, we tried Marakesh for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. The suggested Shawarma was most pleasant. The service was excellent. Even the low background music was nice and helped create a comfortable atmosphere. The location is a little deceiving as it is in the shopping center with Lowe’s and does not really face on Steck.
We intend to return again. Marakesh was a good stop.

N’attendez pas de restaurant marocain un repas mémorable. L e décor de la salle à manger est réussi et vous fera voyager. Cependant nous né pouvons en dire autant de la cuisine. Nos couscous étaient trop secs, les merguez petites, sèches et relativement chères.
De plus, les vins étaient plus chers que dans les autres restaurants d’Epcot que nous avons fréquentés. Il offre le vin en carafe, mais il n’est pas très bon.
Bref, ce resto est très moyen, mais si vous le comparez aux autres restos que vous trouvez sur les sites de Disney, il est au-​dessus de la moyenne.

We were in the area and wanted to eat somewhere new for lunch so we pulled up the map on Unilocal.I never knew this little strip mall even existed and I used to drive right by it once a week for years. Hello? Property management – some decent signage on the street please. People are driving by a very good restaurant. We had the chicken shawarma over turmeric rice, and a gyro wrap. Both excellent! The side salad that came with the shawarma was super fresh, the rice was sooo good. The fries that came with the gyro (while I’m sure just your typical food service brand) were even good – like they actually change their cooking oil regularly and deep fry at the correct temp. The baklava was pretty much perfect. If they were near my house in East Austin they’d be packed. But for now you’ll have to track them down when you want solidly great food (at a very reasonable price too).

We stopped in here after shopping next door. Unfortunately this place is in a really strange location which I fear may hurt their business.
Anywho — I ordered a gyro which I thought was ok. The meat was thicker than I have had in the past, it didn’t look like it had been shaved off of meat on a spit. The tzatziki was a little bland for me.
We had a round of hummus which was nice, but I thought lacked a little in the flavor dept. (I am used to a very lemon-​y hummus from a place by my office so perhaps I’m partial to that).
The staff were great, very pleasant and welcoming, and it appears to be family owned which wins points with me.
My friend really liked their house salad (she’s vegan).

This place is excellent in every way. From the wait service to the food every aspect was incredible. I love the venue, the spanakopita and the soup are great starters and the chicken Shwarma plate was so good I wanted more even though I was stuffed to the rafters!
Highly recommended this place.

I went on last Saturday night with some friends in town. With a name like Marakesh I was expecting a Moroccan menu. Though there were some Morrocan offerings it is really more of a Pan-​Near Eastern restaurant, as there are several Mediterranean favorites on the menu.
I started with the falafel appetizer which was fantastic. Their falafel are cooked and seasoned very well. Their babganouj was also good, plus they offered a mamaganouj which was made from zucchini as opposed to eggplant, it too was good and spicy! For my entreé I went with the kabob plate, with one chicken and one kefta. It came with a salad, rice and hummus. All of it was good, the kefta was the standout of my plate. However the best entreé item on the menu was the tajin. Some of my party had chosen that, and while mine was good theirs was excellent. When I find myself back there I will definitely be choosing that because it was the best thing I had tasted all night.
The location of this place has some personal significance. The building where my uncle used to practice dentistry is within walking distance from it. That area hasn’t changed too much over the years, but Marakesh is a more recent addition.

Meh… The reviews seemed great so I tried this place for lunch during a week day with one of my colleagues. It was right around noon and the place was empty, a first sign that something is a little off…
The Baba Ganoush was good, and so was the vegeterian dish that she ordered, but my couscous was far, far, far from authentic.
I’m a french native and we have a big middle eastern and north african community in France and I can tell you that the couscous prepared by my mom’s Tunisian friend or some of the couscous I’ve had at Algerian restaurants in France are from another world compared to this pale couscous served at Marrakesh Café and Grill, which comes with semolina, a few meager vegetables and what appeared to be grilled chicken. That is not what a couscous is about, sorry…
If you want to see what a real couscous is, just Google it. What I was looking for is something like this:
I asked for Harrissa and the waiter brought some, but again, not what I was expecting.
Overall, if you are looking for authentic, there are probably better places. Other than that, it was decent. But for example, I much prefer the buffet at Dimassis or at Alborz.

I have found a hidden gem! My significant other is not the biggest fan of mediterranean food but he really loved the food — which says a lot!
Best gyro meat I have had in Austin! The gyro meat is crispy, tender, and full of flavor. The Shwerma plate is delicious and just the right portion size. It comes with rice, meat, and salad. I have had my share of hummus and I can say their hummus is also one of the best I have ever had. Their Tahiti sauce is very yogurty — which I personally prefer.
The lunch prices are also very reasonable.
The only con is that it is very hidden (hence my new «hidden gem»)

My story:
I was kind of hungry looking for a snack. Then I found this sneaky hidden place so I thought I’d give it a try. I came in and it was completely empty; worried that the food was not very great.
No.
I had the gyro shawarma plate and this blew my mind. Before I was even done with everything, I decided to get the very exact thing to-​go for my dinner.
I’m pretty sure there’s cocaine in their food because it’s so good. This place is underrated for sure.
I hope this place stays alive since it seems like not many people know about it.
The staff is very professional and welcoming. I think my fiancé and I found our go-​to Mediterranean joint. YEEHAW.

Visited on a Monday night for dinner. There was hardly anyone there (I don’t think it was prime time), so we got pretty great service. It was my first trip there so the waiter suggested some items that had just been made.
The food was good — Greek Salad with Gyro, Spanakopita, and Kibbeh. Great flavors and came out in a timely manner.
The atmosphere was very large and open, more suitable for lunch. It could use a little love to make it feel more cozy.

Visited here on a weekday over the lunch hour with some co-​workers. The place was fairly empty, about 3 other tables of people in the place. Ambiance is nice, casual and well kept. The location is a little tricky to find, tucked in the side strip mall next to Lowes on the Steck side. Easy to miss, so keep your eyes peeled.
For a fairly empty restaurant, the service was terribly slow. It took us 20 mins to get our food, after we had to prompt the waiter to expedite our orders. We didn’t order anything too complex, veggie plate #3, gyro wrap, chicken shawarma, and a falafel wrap. The reason given for the long wait was a catering order consumed the single cook in the kitchen, who didn’t say anything about that to the single person running the front of the house. Now why a kitchen would decide to prepare a catering order during the lunch hour, is beyond me.
The food itself was pretty good once it came out. Flavors were nice and well executed. The humus was super creamy, gyro meet was juicy with a tasty crust, and the shawarma had lots of flavor. Overall I would rate the food 3 – 4 stars.
I wouldn’t go back, given there are other very tasty Mediterranean options around. Hopefully the dinner service is better, and has more staff, but as a workday lunch location I would look elsewhere.

On a rare work lunch out, my co-​worker and I decide to try Marakesh. We both love Mediterranean food. It is tucked away in a little strip mall. Parking was adequate. Only two people dining when we arrived.
I ordered the Veggie Plate 1 and my co-​worker had the shawerma wrap. It took about 15 minutes before our food was ready. So my Veggie plate had 2 falafels, fattoush salad, and hummus. Falafels were okay but small in size, I wish I had tzatziki to dip them in. They were crispy on the outside but mushy on the inside. Hummus was good, smooth and garlicky. Fattoush was just a salad. Nothing special on it.
I don’t have a big appetite but once back at the office, I ate my yogurt because I was still hungry. My co-​workers lunch was also just okay.
You don’t get your bang for the buck here. So I don’t think I will be back.

I’ve never been here. I went with a friend and I had this chicken sandwich thing. It was pretty delicious.
Would I go again? Absolutely. The staff are kind, the food is good, the atmosphere is a bit diner-​y. Tables and chairs. It’s not super nice, but it’s acceptable and the food more than makes up for it.

Grabbed a quick lunch with a girlfriend around 2pm on a Wednesday. We were the only two people in there. Perhaps a bit weird if we were on a date or something, but as she is a close friend, no biggie, and heck, maybe even preferred.
Despite all the dark wooden furniture, dark ceiling, and metal light fixtures, the interior is very open and airy feeling due to bright white walls and high ceilings. The lighting is so… delicate. (Irina S. captured a great photo here). I had my choice of seating so I picked the wooden benches along the wall with all the colorful pillows.
Five stars for the baba ganoush and the hummus. Honestly, the best I have ever had. Now, I know this is a matter of preference, but I love a good thick hummus, not runny and gross, with the perfect balance of ingredients (i.e., don’t F it up with a boatload of lemon). I’m picky about the consistency of my baba too, and they nailed it. Both were generous portions (that is, enough to split) served with a simple olive oil drizzle and a couple olives. SO. GOOD. (Oh, and $ 5 each, a steal!)
I was pretty full after both apps, so I ordered kibbeh for my lunch. For $ 6 I got two torpedos of meat goodness (TWSS) with tzatziki — perfect.
Next time I am remotely in the area I will definitely be snagging hummus and baba!