Moroccan Paradise

Excellent Moroccan food, especially enjoyed the beef tagine.

We have always enjoyed Moroccan food for its fruit and savory flavors, the use of unrefined olive oil and spices – and most importantly – the communal dining experience underscored by great hospitality. It was these repeated experiences that brought us to this Tempe restaurant eager for another Moroccan fare. On this day, we were the first to arrive to the restaurant. The interior was large, spacious, with the vibe supported by natural sunlight, and a row of TVs placed along the walls. The interior also had a crêpe and gelato bar. Being so close to the campus, the overall make up was conducive for large group gatherings.
We started off with a plate of Dolmas ($ 3.99) that came with rice wrapped in grape leaves. The centrality of the lemony flavor was a positive, and the leaves were easy to break into. The rice was more soggy than necessary, but it was good overall, especially when served warm.
The Chicken Tagine ($ 11.99) came with half of a chicken braised with onions, potatoes, preserved lemon, green olives, ginger, saffron, and cardamom. The base of the sauce was flavorful, but the chicken was small, uncut, boney, and difficult to share among the four of us. For the price, the portion on the chicken could be more generous. It was decent, but not amazing.
The Beef with Prunes Tagine ($ 11.99) came with four small cubes of beef braised with ginger, white pepper, garlic, apricots, and prunes. Again, the base sauce was fantastic, but the portion size was not good at all. The meat itself was too dry, and over reliant on the pool of sauce to keep us entertained. Not recommended.
The Mixed Grill ($ 13.99) was put together with skewers of beef, chicken, chicken leg, kefta kebob, rice, French fries, salad, and pita. There was too much filler, as the skewers were way too small except for the kefta. By this time I started to get the sense of being robbed. Not recommended.
Overall, we were pleased with the mix of seasonings and base flavors. However, the meat was too skimpy and inconsistent to worth another visit. I also find it unacceptable when the server gave us only two small pieces of bread to share among the four of us.
Lastly, we were extremely offended by the service throughout the entire meal. The server had a poor attitude, and clearly did not want to be there. Whenever we needed service, I had to walk across to the gelato bar to find her chatting with her friend. She was clearly reluctant when we asked about the items on the menu, and acted as if she was there to do us a favor. In the end, she had the audacity to tell us to all get out of our seats to walk to the entrance in order to pay. It was a poorly orchestrated meal, and when the food does not meet expectation, bad service only amplified the experience. Interested diners should opt for Couscous Express and Alzohour Market instead. We will not be coming back.

Wow, what a pleasant surprise, morrocan may be my new favorite cuisine. The simple cucumber salad and hummus with beef were both fresh and a great pair. The beef was seasoned beautifully and super tender. The real WOW dishes here are the beautiful aromatic tajine pots. The chicken was super moist and tender, and the thick bread is the perfect vehicle to mop up the rich, salty broth. The savory and slightly sweet beef tajine was fall apart tender and the stewed apricots are to die for. I also reccomend the mixed grill as everything was tender and seasoned beautifully, more flavorful than your normal kabobs imo.
I will be back at some point to try poutine and one of their delectable deserts. Their gelato and crêpe creations look like they are to die for.
This place is absolutely going in my heavy rotation.

We went to here because of the Unilocal review. We got the mixed grill meat. The kefta and fries were flavorful but the rest was bland. Should have read more or ask what their specialties were.

A Tempe gem. Ordered for pickup: juice, entrée, soup, and dessert. Everything was delicious! Definitely will come back to dine in.

Nice selection of Moroccan specialties and Middle Eastern favorites. Staff extremely welcoming and friendly. Look forward to trying more of the Tagines. Portions are generous but not excessive. Many healthy choices — however if you do want to indulge there’s also an excellent selection of gelato and specialty desserts. Will definitely be back again.

Went here for lunch the other day. Service was good and friendly; prices are fair; and serving sizes are good. We had the hummus and that was good, but the falafel were more like mini cornbread muffins. It was OK, but I have had better. Chicken shawarma was OK and the lamb tajine was OK too. But I guess my biggest criticism is that the seasoning level is rather weak — my guess is that they cook and season their food for the «western palate» and therefore the spice level is rather low.

I liked it. They are open late, until 1am. I Loved the lamb tagine, the meat was grilled, and almost tasted like rack of lamb. The owner was super nice, he helped me pick a gelato.

Dropped by this place on a Saturday around 12:30 and it was empty not sure why as the food was excellent. I have never eaten Moroccan food but I do eat middle eastern food all the time and although they are different they do carry some similarities. I had the chicken tagine and is was very flavorful and moist. The amount of food for the buck was also great. Also don’t miss the desert menu with all of the crepes and drinks. Definitely will be back

Service was great here! The only issue I had was they ran out of soap in the bathroom which was easily corrected! I order my meal… Mixed Grill and promptly this masterpiece of a dish comes out. It has chicken, beef, salad, rice, fresh fries, and naan! It was Amazing! I also ordered a dessert called Inauga… WOW!!! No words. It is a strawberry lovers delight! This place is by far my new local Mediterranean spot. Also, the biggest plus for me is, due to the large open window I didn’t leave smelling like the food I just consumed! This place is definitely worth a visit!

Newer restaurant. Service was good although they messed up our order. They did correct it and gave us a few free items to make up for the mistake. That was a class act! Food was good. Worth a try if you are in the area.

Food has no flavor, the lamb was not cooked well, when I got here I check yalp but it’s not real, will never back agin

We wanted one more special meal on our Spring Break vacation before returning home. Moroccan Paradise provided us with just that opportunity.
The Chicken and Vegetable Cous Cous was presented beautifully and was especially good with the two sauces. I am particularly fond of the raisin sauce, which was sweet with hints of cinnamon and cardamom. The rest of our party explored the kebab, tajine and kebsa dishes on the menu; the consensus was «Wonderful».
As an extra bonus, Moroccan Paradise has a variety of fancy fruit drinks, gelatos, crepes and pancakes. The bright colors and fresh flavors are a perfect match for the friendly, welcoming energy we experienced throughout our meal. Even without eating dinner at Moroccan Paradise, it is a great place to stop in for a fruit drink on a hot day, or finish the evening off with a lively dessert. Most of my group tried various gelato flavors, while I thoroughly enjoyed the Gaspé crêpe.
Be sure to make the time for a meal at Moroccan Paradise. It’s a great experience!

Yeah. A change of pace from your more standard «Mediterranean» or «Middle Eastern» joint, Moroccan Paradise offered up a delicious meal tonight for my family.
One of the specialties here is the tajine, or meat dish in sauce with vegetables and prunes with rice. My wife really enjoyed hers, and my daughter equally liked the vegetable version with falafel.
As for me, I got the mixed grill – a fabulous combo of beef kabob, kefta kabob, chicken kabob, and chicken leg, served over rice and accompanied by salad, pita slices, and fried potatoes. I’m full.
No baklava here, but they make up for it with huge array of mixed juices, milkshakes, and crepes. The desserts take up multiple pages on the menu! This is easily one of our favorite restaurants of its kind now. We will be coming back – even if just for dessert. :)
Not just «Middle Eastern» or «Mediterranean”– it’s More Rockin’. Give it a try.

I went there first time and food was great. Met the owner and a nice and friendly guy. You should try it. Great food.
F & B manager

The place is HUGE! Super friendly staff and took the time to explain items to us. I ordered:
Juice: strawberry and kiwi — It was filling on it’s own (fresh blended fruits, you can taste them)
Chicken Shawarma sandwich: Tasty but it was the gyro was dry and hard. Comes with french fries and a drink. I got the mint hot tea (YUM).
Juliet crêpe: chocolate and hazelnut — crêpe was good but chewy. The gelato ice cream was so so so GOOD. Not overly sweet.

It was the proverbial Sunday evening, where my wife and I are struggling with dinner selection.
We just had a wonderful Saturday dining experience that was going to be hard to top, and we just wanted something basic.
In my quick search for ideas, I saw a Unilocaler’s review of Moroccan Paradise that had an appealing picture of some type of fish platter. That piqued my interest, problem solved, and onward we went.
We were greeted by a server who was new at her position — this was her second day at her job. She still didn’t know the menu very well, but she was helpful and pleasant.
After taking our drink orders, I proceeded with my request for the fish dish that I saw in the picture.
However, I noted that there was no reference to this on the menu, whatsoever. She went to ask the manager regarding my request, and she eventually came back stating that it is simply called a «fish platter» but it is not on the menu.
Well then, splendid! I will take the «fish platter» that is not on the menu because it is why we came here in the first place.
My wife ordered the Moroccan Beef Couscous. I also ordered a cucumber salad for good measure, and my wife ordered a special banana and strawberry drink.
When the drink arrived, and my wife sampled it, she was quite impressed.
The gentleman that concocted the drink slowly wandered our way, and eventually mustered the courage to inquire as to what we thought of his creation. One word — Marvelous!
He was so happy with our response, and he proudly opined that he made it! Much kudos to him.
The cucumber salad arrived, and it was surprisingly bland. Not quite what I was expecting. So, I took a sample of it, and set it aside as it was not what I had expected.
However, once our dishes arrived, that was another story.
The «fish platter» was a grilled Golden Pompano, and quite delicious. It was nearly perfect in every way. However, I will caution you that this fish is «bone-​in» and these bones are large and sharp enough to cause you pain if you don’t extricate them fully from the fish meat.
My wife had the Moroccan Beef Couscous, and it was also quite delightful.
After our meal, we opted for the Nutella Crêpe, accompanied by Gelato ice cream. It’s presentation was just wonderful as you can see in the pictures, and it tasted even better.
Throughout our dining experience, we were well taken care of, by no less than 3 people. And one of those people happened to be the manager. He politely inquired as to our satisfaction with our food, and we responded by stating that we were very pleased with all that has been served to us.
We truly were very impressed with the flavors and the quality of the food preparation.
Along with the excellent service, this place definitely made a positive and wonderful impression on us!

Our daughter praised this restaurant many times, so we wanted to try it out. Last night was our unplanned chance. Since we heard so much about it, I was a bit concerned that I might have unreasonably high expectations. Our experience was generally positive.
The décor of this restaurant is simple. Tables have numbers, with a lamp in Moroccan shade (my assumption) and a condiment box. On the wall are flat screens showing beautiful pictures of Morocco. These pictures truly give a sense of this beautiful North African country. They make me want to visit.
The Zaaluk was somewhat of a letdown, even though it tasted freshly made. My experience with Mediterranean cuisine is very positive. I had Baba Ganoush at a restaurant in the middle of Colorado was very good. Consequently, I was so looking forward to this new appetizer. It lacked flavor. Even with the addition of seasonings, it was still bland. But more food was coming.
The grilled pompano platter was very good. The fish was seasoned and grilled to perfection. Like many cuisines outside of North America, this fish was not de-​boned. Neither my wife or I had problem with removing the fish bones, especially when the fish tasted so good. The side salad with its simple oil & vinegar dressing was fresh and tasty.
The lamb vegetable tagine was very tasty. The lamb was very well seasoned and grilled to order (medium rare for my wife). This savory dish was beautifully presented in the traditional earthen wear with a conical cover.
The owner and waiter were very attentive, with many visits, yet failed to notice our glasses of water needed to be refillEd. Yes, we should requested water refills but how hard was it to insure proper refill of water. Our glasses were right out front of our table. Also, the waiter took our order for 2 scoops of gelato, and simply forgot. Servicing other customers distracted him.
When it was time to leave, we were requested to go to the counter near the door and to give our table number. The owner presented what we ordered on a tablet. Payment by credit card included an option for tips.
In spite of some shortcomings, the friendliness of the owner and waiter, and the delicious cuisine earn a recommendation from us. We will be back to try other dishes.

I went to Moroccan Paradise on a whim because I was hungry right before work and it sounded interesting. I was the only customer in the place, which I can understand because it’s Monday and I assume that’s one of the slowest days for the restaurant business. I ordered the beef gyro sandwich combo which came with a salad and a soda. The price was good. It was less than $ 10 after tip. The meat on the sandwich was just ok. It was pretty dry and didn’t have as much flavor as I had hoped for, but it wasn’t terrible. The service was pretty good. The girl who helped me was very nice and personable. From first impression perspective, I would have to say that this place isn’t as authentic as I was hoping for, but I’d be willing to give it another shot and maybe try one of the recommended dishes instead of the beef gyro sandwich.

Moroccan Paradise, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Enjoy a little slice of Morocco and France (And Italy?) at this restaurant serving lovely foods such as tagine, crepes, and gelato.
The menu is pretty varied, with a mix of uniquely Moroccan foods, French food, Italian gelato, milkshakes, Mediterranean/​Middle Eastern style food, and even French Canadian food (Poutine). It is quite a fusion of different cultures! I was excited to try their tagine. It is rare to find a restaurant that even offers this delectable dish. The prices were reasonable too, cheaper than what I’ve found at other restaurants that offer it.
We first started out with the zaaluk appetizer ($ 3.99). It was a blend of roasted eggplant and tomato, served with pita bread. We each ordered a beef with prunes tagine ($ 11.99) and a chicken tagine ($ 11.99). They came with a hearty portion of rice, and a basket of bread.
The beef was tender, with a delightful combination of savory and sweet flavors, and the sesame seeds provided an added textural difference with the soft, slow-​cooked meat, fruit and vegetables. The chicken didn’t seem like it was finished in a tagine (It seemed like it was roasted instead), since the meat and skin were browned and it didn’t have the very moist, tender texture that a typical chicken tagine has. The spices and sauce itself was good though, and I liked the potatoes and green olives it came with. I enjoyed the light, fluffy rice with slightly crisp caramelized bits, and the bread went well with the tagines.
I also tried an Agadir milkshake ($ 5). It was touted as having almond gelato, milk, and honey. It was presented beautifully, but looking at it closer, I think I actually received a vanilla milkshake because I could see the bits of vanilla bean in it and I didn’t actually taste any almond flavor. It was a lighter tasting milkshake, still good, but not super thick like most American style milkshakes are. It was more like a «milk drink» instead of a «milkshake».
Service was friendly and warm, and we were checked up on as needed. The restaurant occupies the space that Jorge’s Chicken and Waffles used to be in, juxtaposing a hip, urban interior with more traditional Moroccan designs. The restaurant is open late, which is a draw for me (Until 11 P.M. or later depending on the day).
Here’s looking at you, Moroccan Paradise! I’ll be back to try more of your cuisine!