Tara Kitchen

P Alright, gather 'round, folks, because I've found a place that's practically a portal to another culinary dimension. My last visit there was nothing short of a revelation. The food? Oh. My. Gosh. It's not just good; it's mind-blowingly amazing and unlike anything else you'll find in the area. You can taste the high quality, the love, and the sheer effort poured into every single dish. Seriously, it's like tiny edible works of art. And the service? Top-notch. They're like ninjas of hospitality – attentive without being intrusive. Plus, I remember a glorious Thursday special with buy one get one. I'm crossing my fingers it's still valid, because a deal like that on food this good is practically a public service. Now, let's talk about the ambiance. stepping in feels like you've been whisked away to a vibrant marketplace. The Moroccan design is absolutely stunning. It's so pretty, you'll probably spend half your meal just admiring the intricate details. So, if you're looking for an incredible meal in a beautiful setting, stop reading this and go. Now!

I got a gift certificate through the WTEN be our guest program. My boyfriend and I went to this location because we live in Troy. The restaurant is small and intimate and well decorated. The staff was very kind and accommodating and asked us if we had any questions about the menu. They told us most of the dishes that we picked were very popular across all three restaurants. The food was well seasoned and very flavorful. We shared an order of the Moroccan cigars, while my boyfriend got the lamb pepper fry and I got the hyderabadi wedding chicken. A nice gentleman ended up paying for our dessert, we chose baklava, our favorite. Would definitely come back sometime, especially with the restaurant so close !

Edit: After recent visits have had worse quality, I no longer recommend Tara Kitchen as a must visit restaurant in troy, though its still an okay dinner spot. Months ago i visited and had poor service (which i understand was due to a new waitress, but yikes it was bad). Most recently, the menu has been changed removing the spicy options (including the spicy date sauce) and many of the best dishes. The lamb with smen also was worse during my last visit. I dont think the food at the troy location was ever up to par with Schenectady, but this seems like a disappointing direction. If i enjoy my next visit more, then I will update my review accordingly. — my original review below — Have been to the schenectady location many times, and am happy to discover the troy location is also delicious and flavorful, with the same tea, rice, pita, and menu options. I love the tagines, particularly the lamb with smen, chicken with oranges and spinach, and the spicy date sauce which is quite spicy. Always also order the eggplant dip Ive only come here for lunch once and it was good but the dinner selection is better. The staff were kind and helpful, and i like the larger open space in the Troy location. The food is also presented beautifully.

They don’t take reservations. On Saturday evening, the waiting time was about 30 minutes. Once got our table, they were so busy that we were waiting almost 20 min with an empty table (no drinks, no plates..) until everything (our ordered meals, glasses of water, tea, ustensiles) arrived in the same time. I ordered the chicken tagine. The meat (chicken breast) was overcooked, so hard to chew and the tagine was too sweet. I can’t finish it. I love their rice and bread, I would come back and try other specialties in different timing.

Excellent food! The service is excellent, always coming by to see if she can refill our sweet tea (free) and water. Her recommendations are excellent and we enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Will have to go again soon!!!

The flavors and aromas of the dishes at Tara's Kitchen are intoxicating. The food is authentic, with incredible flavor combinations and a diverse menu! My favorite entrée has to be the tagines—stews cooked in traditional pots. The lamb tagine with chickpeas, parsley chermoula, and tomato jam is a must-try, along with the lamb tagine with vegetables in spicy date sauce. Their lamb is always so juicy and tender that it literally melts in my mouth (low-key drooling right now). The portion sizes are perfect, and I love their pita bread—so soft and warm. It’s wonderful that they have a dedicated "Vegetable" section for vegetarians, which made it so convenient when deciding where to take my aunt for dinner. The appetizers were very good too; we had a sampler of all three dips, Moroccan cigars, and potato patties. I also appreciate that the food comes out steaming hot, and you can see them making it fresh in the kitchen. The baklava was also fantastic. Everything about the ambience feels so Moroccan, from the music and paintings to the cutlery and placemats. The staff were nice, serving food quickly and answering any questions we had. However, on one visit, one of the staff members was very sick and coughing a lot, which made me a bit nervous, especially with a little baby with us. I hope the restaurant can be more mindful of that in the future. I also wish they had their Moroccan wines in stock; every time we've been, they never seem to have it. Tara's Kitchen is a wonderful spot that captures the essence of Moroccan cuisine. I’m looking forward to returning and trying more of their delicious dishes!

Pretty cool decor to match authentic Moroccan cuisine. They have a lunch buffet, which is a perfect primer or introduction to Moroccan cuisine.

We tried Morrocan plates- chicken dishes with golden and apricot sauces. I do not recommend them. The chicken was dry, chunky and only seasoned on the surface. So it was difficult to finish without any other sauce provided. Other than that, the service/ atmosphere were fine.