Casablanca Restaurant

by Leigh K.

I went here with my parents for a culinary adventure. I believe I've had moroccan before, but never anything like this. We got the middle feast called the Kasbah feast where your table chooses two entrees and either a soup or a salad for $22.95 a person. Before any of our food came, our waiter Andre (who was wonderful), brought out a pitcher of water and a receptacle to pour it into as we ceremoniously washed our hands. Our first food came out minutes later: a gigantic plate of 4 salads stacked with cucumber salad, carrot salad, eggplant salad, and beet salad. The standouts were the beet and the cucumber salad. Now, I used to think I hated beets, but within the past year, I have fallen for these suckers. The bastilla appetizer came out promptly after that and this thing was heaven for all three of us. It's almost like a sweet chicken pie. Here are the details from their website: Phyllo dough pie filled with chicken, eggs, almonds, walnuts, onions, parsley and sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. When this came out covered in sugar and cinnamon, I think we all thought it might be a little strange, but these tastes all combine into one delicious bite. We ate the entire thing and I couldn't believe that more food was still to come.For our entrees, we chose the chicken with lemon and olives and the lamb with almonds and honey since my dad loves his lamb. Part of the reason I do not eat lamb is that, in my childhood, he would call them "little ba ba bas" before chowing down. The chicken came out in three large pieces which seemed fairly difficult to eat without having our own plates, so we pretty much just dug in with forks and leaned in over the communal platter. That was a bit odd, but the chicken was excellent. It was juicy with subtle flavors and the large green olives were a great compliment to the chicken. This was a huge amount of food after the bread and salads, but we gave it a valiant effort and when the lamb came in, my dad tucked into that huge platter while my mom and I watched him. The dinner ended with a mint tea and almond cookies. The tea grew on me, but the almond cookies were pretty bland. I will definitely come back here when I come home for visits, but I'd love to try their lunch buffet during the week!

by Grace T.

I can't say that I know what authentic Moroccan food is supposed to taste like, but the food wasn't too shabby. Now when you think of buffet, you think of large selection, perhaps we're too accustomed to huge, crowded, MSG invested Chinese buffets. However, their lunch buffet had about five different hot items ranging from rice to chicken, which were both good. And a couple cold items ranging from humus to cucumber salad. I was satisfied after a lunch here and for $7.95 in Old Town, not too bad.

by Justin S.

As much as I'd like to like Casablanca, I can't quite bring myself to go back for a 2nd try.  Their sign in front of the restaurant offered a buffet with beef, lamb, chicken, and all sorts of good stuff.  I went inside and ordered the buffet.  I quickly realized that they only were offering chicken and a handful of sides. I put them all on one modest plate and sullenly went back to my table to eat my "buffet."I don't like being lied to.  The chicken wasn't bad, so I won't give it one star.

by D K.

for the lunch buffet.  not great, but filling.  i think i ate three plates.  chicken was bland, fish was bland.  but if you want mass quantities of food for a cheap price, not bad.  $9.

by John R.

Probably the best deal in Old Town as far as lunch goes.  If you've got a big group and are in a hurry or just want to take your time, this is the place to go.  They have a lunch buffet for around $6.95 that includes a decent selection of middle eastern fare.  Grape leaves, delicious rice dishes, tomato and cucumber salads, good breads, a marinated chicken dish, meat ball dish, and a few others to select from.  Can't beat it and it's tasty!

by Mo A.

I ran into this joint a year ago while strolling through beautiful old town Alexandria and never got the chance to check it out. Finally, with my friend's birthday providing the perfect excuse, I dragged a crew of 19 folks out to the place. The reservation process was easy and our table was ready on time. The staff is helpful and easy going and the atmosphere is perfect for big groups (it can be a bit loud, so you may find yourself straining at points to carry on a conversation without raising your voice).There are three options for set course dinners and the food is delicious. All this being said, what captured me wad the atmosphere. The joint is authentically Arab, complete with belly dancer and tacky band for the late nights. It reminded me of places I had visited in Egypt, Syria and Morocco.Loved it.

by Venu N.

As I languished in the sweltering heat on a Tuesday afternoon off King Street, only one thought dominated my mind: "Food!"  Was there culinary bliss to be found in Alexandria, or would I just find yet another disappointing mirage?  As I trekked further, I noted what appeared to be an oasis of edibility -- $7.95 for a Moroccan buffet?  Count me in.I was led to my ornate table, and in the middle of this barren hallway, an assortment of Moroccan treasures awaited me: fattoush, beet salad, chicken marinated with olives, cabbage and chickpea studded couscous, lamb meatballs, bistillah, Algerian style eggplant, and hummus.  Apparently, one could have the seven course meal found at Marrakesh Palace for only $7.95 here.  Unfortunately, most of the buffet items here were fool's gold.  Having said that, there were enough "hits" that one could get an altogether enjoyable meal for under $10 here.  I would suggest the marinated chicken, couscous, fattoush, and beet salad -- all of these items were quite tasty.  Indeed, since I arrived so late, I had a chance to see what the owner decided to eat -- he made a beeline for the marinated chicken and couscous (so should you).  As I made my way back to my office, my stomach expressed gratitude to Casablanca for providing it with diverse sustenance that would keep my energy level at high levels throughout the day.  A return trip, even though it might seem like walking to Africa from my office on a hot, summer day, appears likely.

by Heather G.

Ok, my visit this evening with my work peeps was horrible. The waiter got huffy because we didn't want to order the ginormous feast (there were 8 of us, and we couldn't all come to a decision about which items we wanted to order, so we wanted to do a la carte; plus, one of the couples was going to have to leave early owing to a family emergency; lastly, I had major gastric surgery and can't eat a whole lot at one sitting, so like hell I was going to pay $30 for food I wasn't going to be able to eat). He then moved us from the booth to a set of tables by the dance floor. We ordered our meals - I was splitting mine with a coworker - and things seemed to go along okay. Half the drink orders didn't show up, The soup was lukewarm. They were out of salmon, so I got tilapia instead (which just isn't the same with the onions and raisins). My co-worker that I was splitting some of my food with had ordered the lamb harissa....and got the chicken harissa....so she had to wait while the rest of us ate (we all ended up giving her stuff off our plates until her food was ready). This is where I should mention that were were one set of four tables in the restaurant (there were two other groups of two, and one other group of maybe four or six).  We specifically stated up front that we needed separate checks and was assured that it wouldn't be a problem.The belly dancer came on and the 3 year old daughter of my group loved her - the belly dancer really played up to her. Okay - the check comes (after our couple with the family emergency left; they gave us their credit card to pay for them)....and lo and behold, there's only one check for all of us...even AFTER we reminded them that we needed separate checks. Not only was there one check, there was no breakdown of what the prices were - just a random compilation of numbers. We called the waiter over to ask him to do the separate checks as we agreed, and he said that it was impossible for him to do that. What?! My German co-worker got all Atilla on their asses, went up to the manager, and told them that they would fix the problem immediately. We had already decided that we weren't going to give the dude a large tip because of his shitty attitude.About 10 minutes later, our separate checks come out , this time with a breakdown of our charges. Because I am a smart girl, and math is my friend, I quickly noticed that my bill which should have been no more than $33 was off by about $6. Turns out those a-holes decided that would already factor in a 20% tip for themselves. Now everyone, including me, was pissed off. It completely ruined a nice evening. We will never be back. Ever. Bastilla and all other numminess be damned. I will not even pretend to know what real Moroccan food it. I will, however, claim to know what…

by Kelly D.

I came too early for the belly dancing, so I can't comment on that, but it was a pleasant experience nonetheless.  The decor was great and there was an intimate though friendly atmosphere.I went with my mom, who was in town visiting.  We each had a salad and split the vegetarian appetizer.  The food was absolutely delicious and there were generous portions.  I will admit that I've had better hummus, but no hummus is bad hummus.The prices were reasonable as well, so if I'm ever back in Alexandria I would certainly pay Casablanca another visit!

by Kat F.

I've been to Casablanca several times and I've always had a good experience.  I recently took a friend and she loved it.  I've eaten Moroccan food in Tangier and this place is authentic.  My favorite is the Bastilla; I also recommend the Couscous with chicken and vegetables.  The staff was friendly and the service was excellent.