Now living in So. Cal. when I return to Cap. Dist. I celebrate the really wonderful and diverse food available. I like the Albany Delaware Ave. corridor, as well as Central (lower) Ave. Went with friends, just wonderful! Lamb, chicken, dates, perfect spicing and preparation. Schenectady has it's share of restaurant treasures, this stands head and shoulders above others! read more

The environment was positively energized and the decor was authentic. The wait staff were very friendly. The food was high quality and very well seasoned! read more

Tara Kitchen - My Chicken, Spinch, Oinion, and rice dish! 9/10 - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Beautiful authentic Moroccan food. Like eating at your Moroccan friend's grandma's house. Excellent. read more

Tara Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Sumptuous. Pretty. Friendly. Upbeat. Call ahead and reserve!! read more

I had dinner here a couple of months ago with a few coworkers. I don't recall what we had but everything was wonderful. Service was quick and courteous. I would definitely eat here again. I'm dinging them a star because they added gratuity to our check for a party of five which seemed excessive to me. Most restaurants only do that if you have a party larger than 6. They also won't split a check which made paying the bill more awkward. read more

I love this place! I got the chicken with tomato jelly and it was amazing. I also had the potato cakes and pomegranate chicken skewers for appetizer, the potato was great and the chicken was alright. Go early for faster service! read more

Tara Kitchen is a place that has been and will remain on my list of places eat when I visit Schenecatdy. I have only dined during lunch but must go back for dinner as their menu is more expansive these days, plus they have brunch now! The eggplant dip and olive tapenade are my go to starters. Their tangine plates haven't let me down. My favorites are the lamb meatballs, chicken meatballs, and chicken patties, so abundant with vibrant flavors. The seasoned rice and vegetable of the day are very far from lackluster as well. The icing on the cake is Tara Kitchen offers an array of ready to use sauces. I can't help myself from taking home the Harissa and Apricot & Prune. Today after lunch I also opted for the Spicy Date Marinade, can't wait to give it a try. I could eat here everyday if I lived locally. So much yum! read more

Don't read reviews, just go. This is the best restaurant in Schenectady. If you haven't tried it yet, you need to go immediately. Most of not all of the food is also dairy free and gluten free. Make sure to get a khaki roll and some tea. Just writing this review is making me want both. read more

Great food. Grilled chicken with apricot and prune marinade was excellent. Quick friendly service. I would have given 5 stars if food was a bit less salty. I suppose that is personal preference and I need to ask next time. read more

I just had a delicious dinner here with a couple of friends. It was a little unexpected, but since there aren't many restaurants open on Sunday night in downtown Schenectady, the choice was easy. The service was really great! I felt like I was a guest in a family home. The food was plentiful and delicious (and they had several Gluten Free options for me--Score!). I will certainly come here on future visits to Schenectady and the Proctors Theatre. I only wish I had room for dessert read more

The restaurant just opened another place in Guilderland and I couldn't be happier! The food is still top quality, fresh and delicious. Never had a bad meal here. Ordered take out and the order was ready quickly, hot and just perfect. read more

Enjoyed the whole visit. I showed up earlier than they were open but they were gracious enough to let me sit down, look at the menu, and use the restroom in the meantime.I tried out the all of tapenade appetizer and took home the lamb role. The appetizer was delicious of course and I even tried the Casa beer which was quite delicious and remind me of the Dominican republic a little bit. I will definitely be making my way back with my mother and wife. Many other delicious options I didn't even try because it was too early in the day. Very excited to see their dinner menu. read more

This is a great place to have a dinner you don't find anywhere else. The chef is on point! She signaled her workers in a way that was commanding yet respectful, and single handedly made amazing meals for 20+ people. I had the chicken with spicy date sauce and artichokes. Just hot enough to bring sweat to my brow, and chicken so tender I could hardly tell the difference between it and the artichoke hearts under my fork... Spot on flavor and great presentation!!! read more

Tara Kitchen - The bar - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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We love the food and the owner's passion for food since the restaurant 1st opened and have celebrated some milestones at the restaurant. Our recent visit on a Friday afternoon for lunch showed several gaps. We were seated downstairs as we were a party of 2. The restaurant wasnt busy with only 2 pther parties but we understand they had to save the upstair tables for a party of 4. The server repeated at least twice that she was the only one and didn't want to open the other space upstairs. On a friday lunch one could plan to have more people. We brushed it aside. The server wasn't as attentive and checked her personal phone several times and didnt attend to guests. The pressure cooker in the kitchen area which is pretty close to the dining table kept going off for 10 minutes. If it was an older couple or group they would have trouble hearing each other. That just killed my ambience. I could have just done take out but we still braved. I guess that is fine as well. The reason for our rating is the food we got served. Sitting downstairs we were privy to the conversations between the kitchen staff. There was some confusion as to what goes in a dish (onions etc). It was hard eating the dish when we knew some of the ingredients one person in the kitchen was mentioning to their coworker wasn't added. The lamb dish was good but the shrimp dish didnt really have harissa. It only had an acidic tomato flavor. We have eaten when Aneesa is the chef and the food flavor is 10 times better. Aneesa's kids make the best servers as well. We hope the staff and the servers give as much attention when the owner is not around. We would hate to loose a fav spot for dining/takeout read more

Love love love this place. Can get super busy and cramped but the food is so very good. Lots of interesting flavor combos that can fit with almost any palate. Sweet, spicy, tart, earthy. So good. read more

My first time eating Moroccan. I had seafood chermoula. Very flavorful! There are spicy dishes if you like heat, but plenty of choices if not. Rice substitute for pita for gluten free diners. Warm cozy environment with nice ambiance. I love her blog of cooking videos too. read more

Tara Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

My favorite new restaurant this year. The chicken in preserved lemon and olives tagine is unbelievably aromatic and delicious. Cooked in clay pots, this is authentic Moroccan surely at its best. read more

Tara Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Lunch here was great. I sat at the bar with coworkers and we got the harissa as an appetizer. It was a little hot for some but I thought it was perfect. They offered complimentary tea, which was delicious. I got the Eggplant with potato and harissa, daily vegetable and rice (pile of food for $8!). It was the perfect amount of spicy. Would definitely love to go back more often. read more

Food was phenomenal and something you cannot get anywhere else. Everything was rich with flavors. And so many great vegetarian options! The restaurant itself had a real cozy feel and sitting at the bar was great fun watching the food get cooked. The staff was friendly. At one of the busy points the service was slightly slow and chaotic. we didn't get our drinks until the meal came and it took a while to even order. Yet the staff was so attentive and apologetic once it slowed down and the food was so delicious. Next time I'd do take out. Also a little pricey..16 for a vegetarian dish..but worth it. read more

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Everything was really good. Definitely have to try this. Open kitchen is cool too. Watching the chef work is always fun.

Ordered lunch but had to take it to go because they took too long to prepare it. So it would be best to order ahead of time. I really enjoyed their eggplant dish. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! They are such kind and adoring people. They love what they do and it reflects in every bite you take. They are always so sweet to my kids and treat us like family! Delicious and inviting! read more

Delicious food, beautiful interior and great prices! So glad someone finally got it right in Schenectady!

Just had a great dinner here with my wife. Potato pancake with veggies for our appetizer. Then I had the Lamb meatball with egg Tajine and she had the Chicken with preserved lemon Tajine. Everything was fantastic! Service was SO friendly, we almost didn't want to leave. read more

Tara Kitchen - Tara Kitchen... Wonderful Moroccan menu! - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I work in Schenectady, so I've been everywhere in the area for lunch, and Tara Kitchen is by far my favorite. If I don't have time for a sit-down lunch I will often order takeout because the food is worth the drive to pick it up. Where to start? The owners are wonderful, the service is excellent, the prices are reasonable, the portions are healthy, the free Moroccan hot tea is refreshing, the atmosphere is cozy, and then there's the food. Oh, the food. It's like the home-cooked meal your grandmother would make for you, if your grandmother were Moroccan. Even the veggie dishes are amazing, and I'm a staunch carnivore. Everything is made fresh to order, so if you're in a hurry this probably isn't the place for today. But next time you have an hour free for lunch, do yourself a favor and check this place out. read more

Oh this place is so good and tasty. The rich flavors of the spices stays with you for the day (in a very good way). The staff is VERY friendly and helpful. There is a very cozy patio and deck in the back yard. Everything is made to order so be patient because it is worth the wait. I take my friends here when they visit Schenctady from out of town. Thank you Tara Kitchen!! Oh...and most important, the prices are amazing. read more

After a year or so of reading news and great reviews of Tara Kitchen, I was excited to try it out. Since we were a group of 4, and the other reviews said the restaurant was cramped, we decided to go in a weekday so that it would be less busy. We walked in a few minutes after 6 on a Thursday evening and were promptly seated in the back of the wonderful smelling restaurant. We ordered a bottle of wine and 2 appetizers while deciding on entrees. (The harissa dip with fresh pita was AMAZING). Several different servers came to the table between drinks, appetizer, and entree orders. We ordered 3 lamb dishes and a chicken option. While the appetizers had been delivered quickly, the entrees came out at staggered timing, with the last dish being almost 10 minutes behind the third. This resulted in a second bottle of wine being ordered before we ate the dinner plates. The food was hot, fresh and absolutely delicious. Each plate was flavorful and unique. Shortly after putting our forks down, we were offered baklava for dessert, but since we had been unable to finish our meals we declined and asked for boxes instead. The check came very soon after and we paid while still drinking the remainder of the wine. After one server took the check book off the table, and checked the tip in front of us, another came to the table and said "We have other customers waiting for a table, so if you guys could wrap it up..." Now, I understand that the place is small and table turnover is important, but it was just about 6:45 and we had half a bottle of wine left. We mentioned this to the server who inspected the wine and said "okay". Realizing that we should be courteous of other guests waiting, one in our party finished his glass. About 3 minutes after the waiter left the table, a woman who seemed like the owner came to the table, took the empty glass and picked up the bottle of wine to clear it from the table. At this point she realized there was still some left, put it back on the table and asked us to hurry up. We did as she asked, and will not be returning. read more

Based on the few negative reviews here, I was expecting a jam-packed minimalistic diner with crabby waiters. When I went for dinner on Tuesday night, I encountered none of that. The waiters were warm and hospitable. There was plenty of seating. And there was a cute homey ambiance. I had the chicken with pomegranate, which came with a complimentary side of seasoned rice and flatbread. It was all quite good and extremely fresh, with the flame-licked pan set before me in a basket just moments off the grill. The melded flavors of savory chicken, sweet and tart pomegranate, and salty olive were wonderfully balanced. I finished the entree feeling comfortably full and deeply satisfied. read more

I previously submitted a rave review for Tara kitchen. My last visit was watching something red being made in a large pot. Just watching globs and globs of what appeared to be high fructose corn syrup being poured into the pot totally turned me off. Watching the whole process of making it and being mixed with the hand drill... it was enough for me. I also questioned the lack of head coverings in the kitchen. I can no longer eat here. :( read more

Service is excellent here even when they are busy - from the welcoming greeting at the door to the service throughout the meal! You can tell the owners, staff and chefs take pride in their food and restaurant. You can't go wrong with any of the menu items but my favorites are the tapenade appetizer and lamb meatballs. All the food is cooked to order and absolutely delicious. Their wine and cocktail selections are a great fit with the dishes as well. I would definitely recommend Tara Kitchen and I've found their prices to be reasonable considering the portion sizes and freshness of the food. read more

First time trying Moroccan food. It was very different from what I imagined, but in a good way. The two dishes that we ordered were 1- chicken with honey, raisin, and onions, 2- lamb with spinach and onion. They have unlimited free rice and pita bread which is awesome. They also give free mint green tea with a touch of honey. Definitely worth trying. read more

Finally got to try Tara Kitchen when the kids where in for the weekend. I ordered the chickpea dish which was very tasty. Two had the lamb meatballs and my husband did a custom Tangine. I love the spices along with the fruit and nuts in the dishes. We will definitely go back. Worth the half hour drive. read more

Went here for dinner with the boyfriend. Good place for a date as it was not super dark or loud. The food was delicious and so flavorful. Never really tried Moroccan food before but I'm definitely a fan! We enjoyed all the food we ordered. - Eggplant dip with pita bread appetizer -- very flavorful; if you are not a fan of eggplant, you might not like this dish as it has a strong eggplant taste - Fish with Spicy Date Sauce -- I love this dish! It did not have a strong fish smell to it. It was packed with flavor. I'm not a big fan of raisins but it was really good in this dish - Lamb with Chickpeas Parsley Chermoula and Tomato Jam -- I wasn't too big of a fan of this one but it was good. The lamb is tender and it went well with the sauce and flavor it was cooked in. Will be returning before I leave the area to try other dishes on their menu. Highly recommend! Give your appetite an exotic getaway! read more

What can I say other then the food is absolutely amazing! This is my new favorite restaurant! Keep up the great work you are doing here.

Food is of mediocre level and not great. Place is small and in-spite of that they have managed to create good ambience. The concept here is that curry is served with rice and pita. Average pricing here is 23$. read more

Considering the last Moroccan restaurant (Restaurant Marrakesh - Epcot) is the only other Moroccan restaurant I have ever experienced - and that was over 10 years ago, I can not judge Tara's on how good/quality it is against anything Moroccan. Against other restaurants, the food is excellent and definitely worth experiencing. If you have not eaten here, absolutely give it a try. It is now my wife's favorite place. That said, it is cramped. Also, the service was friendly, but inattentive. We did not have reservations so that may have had something to do with it - Maybe they were booked up and still trying to accommodate us? It did not seem "that" busy... I don't know, but it is not stopping us from going back. read more

This place is delicious and perfect for diners that like powerful flavors. There's a lot of GF and vegetarian options. It's small. We sat outside and unfortunately the adjacent property kinda kills the view; it's an unkept backyard, but there's only so much the restaurant can do to hide that. The owner stopped and chatted and made sure we liked the food. A little slow to close out our bills, but really all around good service and delicious food. read more

First time customer at Tara Kitchen. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. We had 9 of us, including 2 young children and an infant. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel at home. Service was great and the food was so delicious. Even our picky little girls ate a full meal. I had the lamb in spicey date sauce. The lamb was fork tender and delicious. The olive tapenade and eggplant/tomato dip is a must have for an appetizer. read more

The tagine I had brought me back to visiting my in laws every year in Morocco. It was amazing! I can't wait to go again. Christine Rotterdam, NY read more

Went to Tara Kitchen for lunch today and it was the best food I've ever eaten in my entire life! The flavor profiles were top-notch! I could eat here every day of my life and never get tired of the food! read more

Tara Kitchen - Lamb meatballs, harissa dip, and lamb pita pizza. - Moroccan Near Me - Schenectady, New York