I wish Yelp would allow for half stars, because in that case I would have given Marrakesh 3 1/2 stars.
I was always a huge fan of the Shish Cafe and sad to see it close. So when I read about Marrakesh in the paper I was so excited to go try it that I went there for dinner the same day I read about it.
They did an amazing job cleaning up the exterior and interior of what used to the Shish. The restaurant looks much cleaner and more appealing overall with fresh vibrant colors. They also put up drywall where you used to be able to see into the kitchen which is nice and the restaurant looks more spacious than it used to.
Our server was very friendly and attentive. I had the mint tea which was outstanding. We also had the eggplant appetizer Zaaluk which was also really good. I wish they would have served more pita bread with it.
For an entree I ordered the Chicken Tajine and my partner ordered the Chicken Brochette. Both were served with rice. The portions were not as big as I would have thought they would be for the price. I wish there would have been more food. The Tajine was good. I was a little disappointed in the olives that were used. I expected big juicy mediterranean olives and instead they were simple pimento olives. I cannot recall the name of the Moroccan restaurant that used to be downtown Madison but there Chicken Tajine tasted better in my opinion. Their sauce was better and the flavor of the preserved lemon was more prevalent. My partner's Chicken Brochette was excellent. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and the meat was really tender. The yoghurt dipping sauce was great and you could tell it had some sour cream mixed into it.
I will definitely go back again. Like I said I just wish their portions were bigger.