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 Meghan F.

It took me a while to figure out what star rating to give this place.  My food was pretty good, if slightly over-priced...I had a really good time, the atmosphere is pretty cool...the service was bad, so slow! It was a good thing we didn't need to be anywhere for the rest of the evening... literally it was an hour from the time or ordering to seeing our entrees! They didn't do the ceremonial washing of hands like most people mentioned, which is too bad because I was thinking that it wasn't a very good idea to eat with your hands if they aren't clean, and sometimes its just hard to make your hands feel clean in a public restroom,  no matter how clean.  The food was good, and the belly dancing was very entertaining. To me I think the highlight was the little alcove, it was so romantic and very cool atmosphere. I definitely loved that, but I think next time I might be more inclined to come here with a larger group and get the fixed price dinner.  I think we made a mistake ordering a Le carte....  Or maybe I should try it at lunch, with the buffet, that sounded like a really good option.  So I guess in summary I'd recommend people try it out, if for nothing more than the experience and hopefully you'll get a better waiter than ours was.*Update:  I've been here a couple of times for the lunch buffet since I wrote the above, and Its definetely improved my opinion.  They buffet is good (similar food quality, speed much improved) and the service was good.  The prices are better for the buffet too.  Not quite the romantic atmosphere at dinner but I think lunch is a better value.

by Cherie O.

A fun restaurant for a Friday night.  I had my birthday dinner here a few years ago and it was the perfect location.  We got a square booth to ourselves and it was almost like having our own little room.  There was a belly dancer, which was very entertaining.  The food was delicious.  My only complaint was that when the tea came, it didn't have sugar in it.  I asked for sugar and the waiter told me that Moroccan tea doesn't come with sugar.  (I know this to be false.)  Overall, though, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was fantastic.

by Maureen K.

This is a great place to go on a weekend with a big group of friends. They have hookah and a dj spins. I love the cove style seating with a plethora of silk pillows for ultimate privacy. Never too crowded but not dead.

by Christopher v.

Awful.

by Deborah A.

This restaurant gives you an authentic Moroccan experience with great belly dancers and delicious food, but I felt that the order process was limited and that the food was overpriced.  I probably won't return.

by M G.

We have gone to Casablanca about twice per year for several years.  Had last night's visit been our first, I would be giving them two stars.  Had this been a review of almost every other past visit, I would be giving them four stars.We arrived at about 6:30 pm and the place was quite busy.  There was a tour group of about 70 - 80 diners finishing their dinners.  The entertainment (a bellydancer who had come in for the tour group but did a regular show) had just started.  My only complaint about the entertainment is that the music is way too loud.  We ordered the fixed price Kasbah Feast.  Look at Leigh K's March 18, 2007, review for a good description.  A few minutes after we placed our order, the waiter brought us the salad (since we had ordered soup instead of salad this came as a surprise) and told us that our dinner would be delayed a bit so they were giving us the salad course for free.  This was a very nice gesture.The remaining courses arrived in due time -- not overly delayed -- and all were, as usual, outstanding.  The normally scheduled entertainment (another bellydancer) started right on time at 8:00.  She was the more polished of the two dancers.So far, we were on track for a four star rating.Then two things arrived: the tea and the check.  Although the menu and past practice told us to expect mint tea, we were served regular tea.  I was not thinking and I drank it.  At 2:00 am I was still trying to metabolize the caffeine so that I could go to sleep.But what would have gotten Casablanca two stars had this been our first visit was that, even though there were only four of us in our party, the tip (at 20%) had been added to our check and had not been highlighted in any way.  The credit card slip not only did not mention that the tip had been included, it had a blank for me to add on the tip.  While I would have added a tip of about 20% myself as the food and service had been outstanding, I strongly object to having it added for me especially when that practice is not obvious either on the Website, on the menu, or on signs by the entrance.So, four stars for everything but their sneaky tip policy (that I bet gets many double tips) and the average is three stars.  And, next time I will ask when I make our reservations that I be allowed to determine the tip.  If I cannot, we will need to find another Moroccan restaurant.

by Tara B.

Love it. Great ambience for groups and parties (love the seating!). my pick: the little taste of heaven that is, Bastilla (it's on the appetizer list)drink: the Ingrid Bergman (champagne+peach schnapps)oh and the belly dancers, very entertaining!

by Gayle G.

We saw my girlfriend Mel and her belly dance class perform their debut here. All of the seating areas are cozy tables with a bench on each side. The benches have cushions to sit on and to lean back against. Ahh! Comfy.The belly dancing was certainly the highlight-- especially the "trick" portion where the girls would do stuff like place a lit candelabra on their heads. Overall, the food was decent, but I have had better Moroccan food at other joints. However, the lamb was really tender and tasty.

by Alexa B.

Never tried a meal here but the moonlight performances are fab.  Loved it the night I went with a group of Moroccans and a friend from out of town.  Gorgeous Saad El- Mjarred, from the Arab Super Star competition, was belting out spine- tingling melodies that evening at the intimate venue.  The red wine was flowing, the cigarette smoke was swirling, the Arab couples were dancing, and everybody was happy happy.Definitely on my list to go back to.

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 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 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 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 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 Nicholas S.

The food is mediocre and the customer service okay at best, but people seem to love going here as a group and for that I can't fault them. The dancing when everyone jumps in is fun to watch and the music not stupid loud. The couch seating allows for lounging which is great with a friend near by.

by Leigh L.

I braved the lunch buffet and I felt like I went to a strange wedding where nobody showed up except the horrible caterers and me. I'm not a fan. It's no surprise that the food tasted like it was sitting out all week because we were literally the only people there aside from one other businessman.

by Michael G.

The words "dining adventure" come to mind when I think of Casablanca Restaurant.  Not so much for its diverse menu but for the general dining experience. I attempted to eat here twice and the desertedness (read either way you want) and general vibe of this restaurant was a bit off-putting.  If the real Morocco is like this, I'm glad I vacation elsewhere.The first time I attempted to eat there was a lunch. Casablanca has a full lunch menu, but when I went in at 1:45 p.m., all that was offered me was the $7.95 buffet.  I figured at the time that this was because of the weird schedule so many restaurants in Alexandria adhere to (closing between lunch and dinner) but this isn't the case according to their online menu.  Though I don't want to read between any lines.Midway through my meal, I had to, um, use the facilities (which seemed to be in an office building behind the restaurant).  Outside the rest room, there were people sitting in some sort of waiting room for an office I couldn't see and they all stared at me curiously - the scene in "Deliverance" where the "city folk" arrive in small town Georgia comes to mind.The buffet, however, was excellent.  There wasn't an extensive vegetarian selection (which would be fine if the sign outside the door didn't proclaim "for vegetarians and non-vegetarians") but the cold salads and couscous were worthwhile.  And eating them on top of a traditional low couch and gold platter setting felt adventurous (but unlike other aspects in the good way).The second time I tried to go to Casablanca was to try their excellent looking dinner menu. At about 9:00 p.m., I heard people in the restaurant, but after about five minutes no one to seat me ever showed up and I walked out (again, the menu states they close at 11:00 p.m.).  There seemed to be some sort of meeting in hushed tones taking place at the tables closest to the door.  I never ask questions in situations like that.So, yeah, this place creeps me out quite a bit.  But the food makes me want to give it another try.  I just hope I'm not tempting fate and walking into some sort of black market situation waiting to happen.  I like my kidneys, thank you.

by sande e.

First off, this place looks nothing like the picture here. Though the decor wasn't too bad the food definitely was lacking in flavor. We went on a Tuesday for their $7.95 lunch buffet, so I wasn't expecting too much.They had a small bar with your typical hummus and cucumber salads and a hot bar with a decent selection but only two vegetarian dishes. There were two desserts, some cookies and a flaky looking thing that ended up having meat in it!I can't say that I would recommend the place.

by Lia M.

First, you must order their prix fixe menu for dinner - you cannot order individual dishes.  Annoying, because I did not want that much food.  It was a lot - if you do decide to go here, which I do not recommend, you your companions had better be hungry.  So we order the first prixe fixe dinner: soup or salad, bread, bastila, lamb harissa tagine (our choice), mint tea, and pastry (almond cookies, no choice).  The lentil soup had no flavor, and we did not like the bread.  The bastila, a mix of sweet savory was very good.  I thought the lamb harissa was OK - am used to tagines being served in the clay pot, and this was not.  The mint tea the almond cookie was OK as well.  The music was loud, then when the belly dancer started, it became unbearably loud.  We asked for the check quickly, which automatically included 15% tip, but with no forewarning.   The bathrooms are far away, in some sort of office building.  Though clean, I did not like the location.   However, our server, whose name I did not get (an older, distinguished gentleman), was excellent.  He offered to bring us salads when it was apparent we did not care for the soup (we declined).  Our water glasses were filled, and he was very attentive.  But I am hoping this area has better Moroccan restaurants.

by Nicole E.

This was my first experience with Moroccan food - so my opinion may not be that helpful, but I thought this was a great experience.  We went it at about 7:30 and so we were there for the 8pm belly dancing show which was neat to get to see. The service was very very friendly, the atmosphere comfortable, and the food delicious.  We had a chicken dish and a coucous dish and both were delicious.  We also had soups and salads and mint tea (which was to die for) and cookies.  We finished nearly everything - and probably would have finished it all if we weren't so full. By the time we left it was 9:30 and we were all shocked that we had been in the restaurant for so long because it didn't feel that way - it was a nice relaxing dinner and I would do it again.

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.

by damon n.

baked goods are awesome.  haven't had the food the locals seems to love it.

by Stacey S.

Went here for dinner with a guy I'm seeing. I had never eaten Moroccan before (he had), so I suggested we go here. We were the only people in the restaurant (6:15 p.m. on a Saturday), but I really liked the atmosphere. We were seated in a secluded cabana-like room that was really nice. We opted for the Kasbah (which was a 5-course meal) at $22.95/person. Not bad! We started off with a bottle of red Moroccan win, a salad (realllly good...it had green beans, beets, and other vegetables) and the harira soup (could have used a little salt, but not bad) then got the bastilla appetizer. The appetizer tasted like a chicken-filled cinnamon and powdered sugar donut. Kind of an odd combination of foods, but I like chicken and I like cinnamon-sugar donuts, so it was good! We had the chicken with lemon and olive dish (the chicken was really tender) and the lamb with harissa sauce as our entrees. The harissa sauce was a little spicy, but it was good nonetheless. We even had leftovers of both of the entrees. For dessert, we had cookies and mint tea. So overall, the food was really good and pretty reasonable for the amount of food you get. The weird thing, though, was that the check included gratuity already, which I've only seen this at restaurants for tables of 6 or more. Also, at the end of our meal, there was a belly dancing show. I think the only thing that could have made this place better is if there was hookah! Needless to say, we will be coming back here.

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 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 Lemon C.

The main picture here is not of this restaurant. I went for dinner at 7:30 on a Friday and the restaurant was practically empty. The waiter insisted that we could only order the fixed prix menu but I argued with him and eventually he brought out a different set of menus that had a la carte.They don't offer wine by the glass. I got the vegetable couscous which I thought was too expensive at $14. The people at my table got a chicken dish and beef kabobs and didn't like either. The kabob was too hard and the restaurant doesn't have any salt. That's right no salt at your table, not an option. The hummus wasn't any good. But the bastilla was good.When the bill came it only had a bunch of numbers on it, it didn't say what price was for which dish. Tax was not on the bill but tip was already included.The worst part was the bathrooms. They were filthy!!!! I won't even tell you what I saw, it was disgusting! There was a sign on the door telling people to keep it clean. Why is that necessary? The restaurant should keep it clean. There was also no toilet paper. The restaurant is part of a larger building so you actually have to exit the restaurant to go to the bathroom. However, from what I could tell, it seems like the rest of the building is not used at night. So when their patrons come in at night for dinner, they should make an effort to have it clean and ready for them.

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.