Marrakesh Express Food truck

The chicken swarma sandwich is good. I like the service.

Ah Marrakesh Express, I can still remember when I first discovered this bright yellow food truck about a year ago. The color of the truck might be what catches your eye, but the food itself will keep you coming back. I almost always fork over the extra dollar for the platter with Moroccan fries, because the spice is just delicious and gets you a second container of pink sauce.
I have tried most of the sandwich (read: burrito) flavors, and the chicken as well as the fish shawarma are my favorites. The beef and lamb combo doesn’t quite fit my tastes, but the falafel is very good except for the one time where it was on the dry side.
Since I’m usually in a rush with my food, I sometimes like to call ahead so there’s no wait once I get to the truck. That said, the service is really fast and your food will be warm from the grill. I have yet to try the baklava or the baba ganoush, so I will be sure to do that when I get the chance.

Excellent service and great falafel wraps. The Moroccan fries are chunks of potato with some amazing seasonings on it. Yum yum yum.
Just a heads up, if you want to make your falafel vegan, tell them to hold the yogurt sauce and give you the red sauce. Also, add hot sauce, it ups the ante.
This place is no comparison to rami, but I’m really glad to have a great place to get some good falafel from!

Went here after hearing great stuff about this truck and seeing some awesome pictures. Got the lamb and beef schwarma with the fries. Was famished by the time I got to eat it twenty minutes later. Dove into the fries which were really potato wedges covered in spices. They remained hot and crispy which is of the utmost importance for a fries potato item. Dipped them in the pink sauce it came with which made an excellent combo. Proceeded to dive into the schwarma which was almost qdoba burrito in size. The meat was shredded and held excellent flavor. Was an amazing meal altogether and would highly recommend!

Come here if you are not in a rush. The line is usually long and the wait is long regardless of the length of the line.
The fries are actually not fries but a cross between wedges and home fries with spices. This is not worth it. The spices werent that great and you can barely taste it. The fried were very dry and not crispy. It was hard to eat.
The hummus is pretty salty. I had it multiple times because I thought maybe they made a bad batch l, but it has been salty consistently. The babaganoush is nothing spectacular too. You couldn’t even taste the lemon in it.
The falafels tastes good but it was dry on the inside so it was hard to put it down. I had to drink a lot of water which was a shame because that watered down the taste of the spices.
If Saads is too far of a walk, you could go here but it is nothing that memorable.

Exactly what I expect from a food truck: friendly service, bargain prices, and quality food served up fresh.
I’ve been to Marrakesh twice since moving to West Philly and was impressed both times. I’ve only had the chicken shawarma and Moroccan fries, so I can’t speak for the whole menu, but those are two items I’d definitely recommend. The shawarma was seasoned aggressively with a mixture of spices (tasted some nutmeg among others) and very juicy despite being chicken rather than beef/​lamb. The fries are essentially homefries-​shaped mini potato wedges fried and covered in an Old Bay-​ish spice rub. These fries deliver the perfect texture combo of crunchy outside and creamy inside that I’m always looking for. And for just $ 2 (or $ 1 if you add to a meal), the fries are one of the best deals around.
Looking forward to making this a regular lunch spot!

First off, let’s start by clarifying some definitions.
The shawarma «sandwiches» here are not actually sandwiches. They’re more like wraps/​burritos that are crammed full of delicious meat, vegetables, and yogurt sauce.
Similarly, the «fries» here are not actually fries. They’re more like crispy potato wedges that have spices sprinkled on them.
All that being said, I absolutely LOVE Marrakesh. I probably come here at least once every two days. I just can’t get enough!
The beef and lamb shawarma is my favorite «sandwich» here. It’s stuffed full of thick and juicy pieces of beef, and the lettuce/​tomatoes/​pickles/​onions add a fresh crunchiness to the «sandwich» that contrasts the softness of the meat quite nicely. The yogurt sauce cements the whole thing together with a pleasant creaminess that adds just enough spice to give the wrap a deeper level of flavor.
Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $ 1 to upgrade your meal to a platter. The spice on the potato wedges tastes great, and the «fries» go really well with the yogurt sauce.
If you have some extra money to spend on your meal (or if you’re just looking for a quick snack), the mint tea and baklava are great too!
If you’re not a fan of nuts, be warned that they use pistachios very liberally in making their baklava. I personally like the enhanced nuttiness and crunchiness that the pistachios bring to the dessert, and I highly recommend that you give it a try if you’re interested. For $ 2, you get two very bite-​sized pieces of baklava. It might not seem like you’re getting a whole lot for your money, but trust me, it’s the perfect amount of sweetness to end your Marrakesh meal.
I honestly could go on and on about how much I love this food truck, but if you’ve made it this far in the review, you might as well just go out and try it yourself!

Having never been to the restaurant before, this truck was our first foray into Marrakesh dining. My boyfriend had gotten the chicken shwarma before, so that’s what we both ordered my first time.
The sandwich is this very flavorful shaved chicken, along with lettuce, pickles, onions and probably two other toppings I’m forgetting, all cocooned up in a thick flour wrap. It comes sealed up in foil and paper to prevent leaks and spills, and a little container of what we called spicy thousand island dressing, but which I’m sure is something much more exotic.
The gentlemen running the truck are friendly and very quick. They’ve got a system down in there I can’t figure out. When we arrived, there were three people in line in front of us and I think we were still on our way with our food in a little over 5 minutes. The «express» is no lie!

Delicious! The chicken shawarma and the beef/​lamb shawarma are the best, in my opinion. The fish shawarma is good, but nothing to write home about (to be fair, tilapia is pretty bland at the best of times). The sauce here is absolutely amazing though! You can get extra sauce, which I always do because it is the best part. The sandwiches are nicely complemented by pickles and various other fillings. They are also easier to eat neatly, since they are wrapped up burrito-​style.
Prices are a tiny bit on the pricier side for a food truck, but certainly not unreasonable for such delicious food.
The guy working the truck is also super nice. If you go a couple times, he will remember your order (or at least make his best attempt to remember it). He’s always been pleasant when I stop by.

I literally pass by this food truck every day, and it’s a stone’s throw away from my apartment. Why have I not gone before now? Why has no one told me the food was this amazing?
I went with a HUGE group of friends on Friday afternoon. Though potentially overwhelming, the owner handled all of our orders with punctuality and grace. I ordered the Falafel Sandwich Platter (which comes with Moroccan Fries) and a Homemade Moroccan Mint Tea. Unfortunately, there weren’t more vegetarian options to choose from. Since we had about 20 people in our group, my food took a while, but still came in about 15 minutes, which was impressive.
It was freezing, so I decided to be a rude friend and drink my tea before all of my friends got their orders… OHMYGODTHISMINTTEA. I’m very particular about my teas, and this one is INCREDIBLE. You can really taste the mint, but it’s not overwhelming, like, say, mouthwash. It’s subtly sweet and spicy too, and just unlike any other tea I’ve ever had. Wow.
The tea set my standards high for my sandwich and fries, and I’m glad to say I wasn’t disappointed at all. I wasn’t the biggest fan of falafel before, but Marrakesh Express has changed my mind entirely. All my stereotypes of dry crusty falafel have been thrown out the window, and I am craving more as I type this. The sandwich had big juicy falafels, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, spicy pepper/​pickle things, and yogurt sauce wrapped up in a pita and it all came together so well. The portion was gigantic, too, so you’re certainly getting your money’s worth for only $ 5 for the sandwich and fries! The Moroccan Fries were decent – they were really just potato wedges with lots of Middle Eastern spices. Nothing too special, but they complemented the sandwich well.
Marrakesh Express, I will definitely be back. Multiple times a week, likely. Now that I’ve realized how delicious and affordable and close to my home this food truck is…

A solid option for when the Falafel Nazi’s cart is nowhere to be found, Mama’s has a line around the corner, and Saad’s is closed for Friday prayer. No lie… all of these things may happen to you like they did to me.
Unilocal led me here after my usuals all failed me. I ordered a falafel sandwich, Moroccan fries, and a mint tea from the very pleasant owner. Everything was good. Neither the sandwich nor the fries blew me away, but I did enjoy them. The Moroccan mint tea was so yum.

Marrakesh was a places that Burger Assassin had recommended to me for ages. But being the slacker that I am sometimes, it sadly ended up closing before I ever found the chance to make it down. So when I had heard that the owner was going to start a food tryck where he’d sell his signature sandwiches and sides, I knew that it was a spot that I was going to have to pay a visit.
First seeing the truck was somewhat bittersweet since it realized it was parked in the spot that used to house one of my favorites Rami’s (
). but the warm customer service and learning that I had picked up the final baklava before they packed up for end of summer vacation quickly brightened my day.
While its kind of hard to review the falafel without having memories of the flawless execution that Rami delivered with his (especially when you added hummus and hot sauce to it), it was a good sandwich in its own right especially given the reasonable price that you pay to savor it. And upgrading to the meal deal with Moroccan fries for $ 5 definitely adds up to one of the more best veggie lunch deals in University City. But the Shawarmas that range from chicken and lamb to tilapia and Philly cheesesteak, and the stuffed grape leaves also add up to some good meals. and the honey sweet baklava makes for a good reason to save room for dessert.
As long as Marrakesh’s new incarnation is parked in Rami’s old spot it if definitely going to have some big tires to fit into. But it definitely has the background and good food to make it possible.

This review is based solely on the falafel sandwich platter. The sandwich as a whole is good, but I’m not a fan of the falafel itself. Mine was heavy, pasty, and possibly undercooked. The texture was entirely unappealing, almost wet inside. The flavor was not much better. It was super salty, and the parsley is way too dominant. At first, I thought it was just a cooking mistake, but then I remembered that I had this sandwich once before, and the falafel was a problem then too.
The condiments (pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, sauce), wrap, and fries are excellent. I will definitely give this truck another try, but will get a shwarma sandwich next time. The service is pretty friendly.

I thought I would never find a better falafel than Mama’s in Center City. I wasn’t even that enthused for food when I chanced upon this food truck. I had my heart set on Ben and Jerry’s but thought just perhaps this one time I should have food before dessert instead of the other way around. O:)
Well, Marrakesh definitely wins for best falafel of Philly for me. I really cant’ even describe why. Maybe the texture, size, sauce. I don’t know. It was amazing though. Maybe the $ 4 price tag made my tastebuds more open to new company? Regardless, it was so good… must go back.
Moroccan fries are worth that extra $ 1 too. Just potato wedges essentially but well done with an excellent spice. I need to steal that spice combination and put it on everything I cook at home.
Just a warning. this food will be highly addictive.

order: beef and lamb schwarma, fish schwarma, side of fries
great truck!

Came here recently hoping for the best since they are parked in our beloved Rami’s former location.
The falafel was ok… the best part by far was the pita. It was large for the price. A few bites of the falafel itself tasted sandy. Clay enjoyed the grape leaves a lot so that was a plus.
The guys working the truck seemed to have communication issues, an order in front of us was messed up and things seemed to be very tense in the truck, which wasn’t welcoming.
I wouldn’t recommend.

AMAZING. Best new food truck on Penn campus this year!
A little out of the way if you’re running between classes, but the extra 5 minutes to get to 40^th and Locust is totally worth it.
1. Great prices — $ 4 for a giant falafel sandwich (more like a burrito) and only $ 1 for a huge serving of fries
2. The food — can only speak for the falafel so far but it was SO GOOD and super filling. Perfect proportions of falafel, veggies, and sauce!
3. Service — friendly and prompt!
Will definitely be coming here again to try more things!

Wow… what can i say, this is perhaps one of the best food deals in the city. And to be located right in the midst of the Universities among college students? Such great value is almost unheard of.
Located right where Locust Walk ends at 40^th street, the bright yellow Marrakesh Express truck is easy to spot. Brahim the owner is there whenever the window is open, and he is as friendly and happy as his food is delicious.
The Beef & Lamb as well as the Falafel are easily my two favorite options, although i have never had a bad meal there. The Chicken and the Fish are both well done, too. There is even a «Philly Cheesteak» style of shawarma… and while many restaurants in the city offer such a choice simply as a nod to local culture, it’s a really valid option here! (His seasoned, shredded beef as a base makes it excellent like all the others)
If you do nothing else, stop by at least for the Mint Tea whenever you’re passing that area. I have never had it made as well as Brahim’s, even when traveling through the Middle East. (Although now i suspect i will have to visit Morocco to be sure!)
I like to walk with my food, so I don’t often order the «platter» option… but you won’t be sad if you choose to. The fries are always crisp and seasoned in a way you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
I’m still working my way through the side dishes… the stuffed grape leaves were terrific and I’m eager to try the hummus. In truth, you can sample everything on the menu in about a week’s time and not break the bank… the prices are all just so outstanding, even while the portions are big and filling!
(Also, you can always call or text Brahim once he knows who you are in order to have your order prepared and waiting when you arrive! Since all food is made fresh to order, the sandwiches take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook… this option of calling ahead is wonderful and is just one more reason to choose Marrakesh Express whenever you’re in University City!)

My what big fish you have…
okay day two I found myself back at the truck in University City this time for the Fish (tilapia) Sharwarma… this time I had to break out the little fork they gave me delcious Wish I knew how to add a picture…
again delicious just like they said it would be

Yes, I am happy to report, the same owner of the now-​closed restaurant Marrakesh Express, which was 44^th & Chestnut, has opened a food truck. The food truck is painted cleverly and looks great at 40^th & Locust (across from the Penn Dental School). You can’t miss the truck…
Brahim has Mediterranean sandwiches and will slowly bring some of his Morracan foods back But, for now Shawarmas and Falafels. The Falafel is delicious! Moist and lots of yummy veggies. The secret sauce is different than at his restaurant, very nice. Also, had the Chicken Shawarma Sandwich. Yum! Chicken was very moist and tender and seasoned just right. Plus, he has two special sauces which are excellent. Finished off my meal with a Morrocan Mint tea. Excellent! He also has Morrocan fries, Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Grape leaves as sides. Will have soups on cold days. Today he had Morrocan lentil Soup which is very yummy!
It’s a great meal and it’s a great price. I paid $ 5.00 for my sandwich and could have added Morrocan fries for another dollar!
M — SA 11:30 a — 6p
Come and check out the wheels and get your good meal!