Restaurant Marrakesh is a table service restaurant located in the Morocco pavilion at Epcot. This restaurant has a reputation as being one of the least sought-after dining locations in not just Epcot, but perhaps all of Walt Disney World. Most of these preconceived notions come from the average guest not understanding what kind of cuisine is here and, in turn, taking their money somewhere else that has chicken nuggets. Well we’re here to tell you that Restaurant Marrakesh is a hidden gem and an absolutely wonderful restaurant. It truly feels like part of old Epcot, in the best ways possible.
The menu for Restaurant Marrakesh features a robust amount of options. If something comes with an ingredient you’re not fond of, ask if you can order without it. The kitchen is extremely accommodating.
Drink first! Take note that a souvenir glass is ONLY $3.99 extra with each drink. That’s a heck of a deal.
Sahara Splash – Russian Standard Vodka, Midori, cranberry juice with a splash of soda – $10.99
If you like cranberry and peach flavors, this is the drink for you. Do note that most drinks made here are pretty light on the alcohol, so if you’re looking for flavor and effect, you may want to look elsewhere.
Marrakesh Express – Don Q Coconut Rum, orange juice, pineapple, juice, topped with Coruba Dark Rum – $10.99
I like my drinks tropical and this is everything you expect such a drink to be. It’s a refreshing, mostly pineapple flavored drink.
Who doesn’t want to take these glasses home? They’re pretty amazing.
Dinner service starts with nice and warm bread.
Goat Cheese with Crispy Bread – Mixture of cheese and kalamata olives served with tabouleh, red pepper sauce, and balsamic vinegar reduction – $14.99
This is a great option, offering creamy texture with a spicy kick, all well balanced and easy to eat thanks to the bread attached to each “goat cheese ball”. Highly recommended.
Jazmina Salad with a Beef Brewat Roll – Part of the Daily Chef’s Lunch Special
The salad leaves a lot to be desired (perhaps overdressed), but the beef roll is pretty interesting. The combination of minced beef and egg with cinnamon and sugar flavors isn’t a common one, but it works particularly well here. It’s not a bad way to start a meal here and worth trying fo you’re feeling adventurous.
Before we get too far into the food, let’s talk about the entertainment. There’s live music and even livelier dancing.
Couscous with Lamb Shank – $28.99
This was the only real miss of our meal. It was not the best piece of lamb, not offering a lot of very big bites of appetizing look and flavor when cut from the bone. I will say the server was very attentive and could tell this wasn’t being enjoyed and he offered another entree in place of this. It was out quickly and the crisis completely averted. I’m sure they are used to doing this for some of the more “adventurous” dishes (at least to Americans) and I applaud them for being so attentive.
Lemon Chicken Tangine – Braised half chicken with garlic, green olives, and preserved ham – $26.99
Nothing groundbreaking in concept, but also a rather bland piece of chicken cooked well over some couscous. There’s really not more to say here, you could make this at home, and possibly better.
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Shish Kebab – Grilled Tenderloin of beef with mixed vegetables and yellow rice – $29.99
The grilled beef kebabs are a great option: tender, flavorful, and a hearty portion of meat. This is probably what Marrakesh does best.
Chicken Kebabs – Brochettes of chicken breast, olive salad, and dried fruit sweet couscous – $25.99
The chicken kebabs aren’t quite as good as the beef, but still enjoyable. The chicken is well-prepared and flavorful from the spices added. Another solid choice.
Moroccan Symphony – Assorted Moroccan Baklavas – $6.99
I really enjoy baklava, and you can certainly get some of these at a similar quality from the bakery inside of Tangierine Cafe, but this is till a good option for those who like the treat and are dining at Marrakesh.
Marrakesh Delight – Fresh fruit salad topped with mint ice cream, toasted almonds, and orange blossom water – $5.99
On the weirder side is mint chocolate chip ice cream over a fruit salad with orange blossom water. If you want something refreshing, I guess this makes sense, but in a park full of great snacks (of all different varieties and levels of nutritional value), I can’t understand actively pursuing this. Honestly, nothing about this appealed to me and I think even the person who ordered it was not as enamored with it as he thought he would be.
OVERALL
After putting off visiting this restaurant for almost 30 years, I was pleasantly surprised how solid most of the meals were. Is it somewhere I would go every time I visited Epcot? No. If someone asked me if I wanted to tag along to Restaurant Marakkesh, I’m not sure I would turn them down though. Spice Road Table is honestly the better choice if you’re going to go down this road, but the 80’s EPCOT Center vibes, live entertainment, and beautiful interior at Marrakesh are worth at least one visit in your life if you’re a reader of this website. The moral of the story with restaurants, Walt Disney World or otherwise, be open to trying things outside of your comfort zone. In fairness, Walt Disney World is a nice place to get your feet wet before doing it out in the wilderness of the “real world”.
I like Middle Eastern cuisine, but my wife and I have always found the food at this restaurant to be, oddly, a little bland. Even Tangerine Cafe is a tastier choice. I wish they would upgrade the flavor of the food because it is an attractive restaurant.