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    Tara Kitchen

    4.0 (44 reviews)

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    Orange salad with olives
    Cynthia F.

    Husband enjoyed lunch buffet. I ordered from menu, which is limited during the lunch buffet. I loved the orange salad even though i left all the olives on the plate (not a fan of any olives). The pomegranate sauce which i requested only on the side is very sweet and very tart. I loved it. Build your own is wonderful, although pricier than the buffet. Chickpeas, potatoes, almonds in apricot prune sauce was yummy. Loved that they included mixed vegetables and excellent rice. Husband said it was the same mixed vegetables as on the buffet. I would return and try other dishes. The buffet is a bargain, although the selection is limited. But ordering a la carte is affordable too.

    two serving trays of food
    Jireh H.

    It has been more than a decade since my last exposure to Moroccan food with a close friend sharing his culture. While I enjoyed those different restaurant visits with him, I definitely stopped after he completed his degree and returned home. I happened to chance upon Tara Kitchen while searching for recommended lunch spots in Albany, where I chose to stop for lunch before continuing my drive to Niagara Falls. It's a cute little place with a small buffet spread for lunch, which I opted for since I wasn't feeling particularly picky and wanted to sample a wider variety of dishes that allows me to better gauge their culinary touch. It was a quiet day and only one other group was in the restaurant. I jumped straight in and grabbed a touch of every hot dish served. The flavor profile was slightly different from what I remembered having with my friend. Don't get me wrong as I'm no expert in Moroccan cuisine. It was just a new experience all over again. The food is good, slightly towards the sweet fruity side, but still balanced. I was more honestly impressed that a buffet was able to serve tender cuts of chicken breast...which usually dries up and dies hard on the hot hold line. I would return again if I'm ever in the area. It's a nice different touch on ingredients we are all familiar with.

    Chraim with fish
    Jessica R.

    The food here is always fantastic, and our meal tonight didn't disappoint. We ordered the Chraim with fish and the Lamb with green chermoula and tomato jam. Both dishes were delicious! Our server was very attentive and although we asked a few questions that he didn't know the answers to, he happily went and checked for us. Our only complaint was that we would have liked some kind of coffee after dinner, but they didn't have any. Overall everything was great and would highly recommend!

    Appetizer
    Leo Y.

    I love a Mediterranean, home cooked, seafood meal. The nice pita, the veggie spreads, some nice tea. Morocco is the only African country on the Mediterranean Sea, and the spice profile is a beautiful blend of traditional Mediterranean and African spices. For roughly $50 per person, you can have an excellent meal, with top notch service, and a great selection. The inside is very cozy, and comfortable as a single person, as a couple, or as a group. We had a small child in our group, and found that the restaurant accommodated the young one quite well. Overall, we will come back, as often as we can afford to.

    Pronto B.

    Perhaps our new favorite spot! Not crowded on the night we went; very friendly and helpful waiter; beautiful decor; comfortable seats; pleasant, peaceful background music; and delicious food. Couldn't really ask for more.

    My lunch from the buffet today
    Bill Z.

    I'm updating my review to include information about their lunch buffet, which is available between 11:30-2:00 on weekdays. I enjoyed what was offered. I don't know if the menu changes, but today it was 2 chicken dishes, at least 3 meatless dishes, a small salad bar, toasted pita and rice. A side table has bowls of spices if you wish more spice, fresh fruit, and dessert (brownies today). You also get a small glass of mint tea (they get their tea from nearby Short & Stout). The cost including tax and tip is approximately $20/person. The staff told me that apart from the pita and dessert, everything else on the buffet is gluten-free. This is a great add to lunch options in the area.

    Chicken olive and lemon dish
    Sirena W.

    I struggled between a 4 and 5 review - more of a 4.5 review. Everything we had here was fantastic. We got: - the sampler platter trio (harissa, olive, eggplant dip) and all were amazing. The pita was fresh, warm and fluffy - the honey apricot and prune lamb; I'm relatively new to Moroccan food so this food combo threw me off (sweet when I'm used to savory lamb), but ultimately this was the most unique dish and the star of the meal - the lemon chicken; flavor was good and actually helped balance the lamb... chicken itself however was dry - baklava; warm, crispy, sticky, GIANT pieces enough for 3 of us to share - cheesecake; tart sauce was a great compliment Would come back to try other dishes for sure.

    Arugula salad
    Gina F.

    Oh the Aroma when you walk in! Yum. This is a casual, welcoming restaurant on busy western Ave, very close to the colossal Crossgates mall. Hopefully people will come here to explore this flavorful menu. Wonderful flavor profiles here that you won't find anywhere else. Ranging from salty and tangy to warm and richly spiced, but not spicy Portions are big, leftovers will go home with you! Food comes out fast and is so delicious. Try something new: a Moroccan wine. If you like baklava, order it up. They serve it warm.

    Lamb Tagine (Stew) with Potato, Smen, Saffron, and Preserved Lemons, an order of Cabbage Rolls, and sides of Pita Bread and Rice.
    Mouschi Ü.

    Really amazing food and nice atmosphere. I had the Lamb Tagine with Potato, Saffron, Smen, and Preserved Lemons. The smell was amazing and the taste was even better. Highly looking forward to coming back some day. The Baklava was also really tasty and warm. One serving was plenty for two!

    Menu
    Afnan A.

    Drove by this place and it looked interesting, which made us decide to give this place a try. First Impression, you could tell its a very small family restaurant which has many variety of moroccan food. The beautiful atmosphere made us want to sit down and order food. The staff were very friendly and helped us along finding the right food. They give you free tea which is refreshing. I personally thought the menu was way overpriced for what they offered. They offer free rice and pita with most entrees. The main dish itself is really flavorful. However, the portions for the sides rather lacking. The portion for main food was much more than I expected but it still didn't feel like it was worth 25+ for just one entree.

    Chicken with mixed vegetables in apricot and prune sauce  Tagine

    Chicken Tagine with mixed vegetables in an apricot and prune sauce . So yum. Chicken perfectly cooked; sauce delectable. Fluffy pita and rice on the side . I could show you the trio of tapenades (eggplant, olive, and parsley ) we had and the spicy grilled shrimp appetizer except we scarfed them down. Service stellar as well. Tara's has got to be one of the best restaurants if not the best in this area .

    SHRIMP WITH SPINACH, PRUNES, TOMATO JAM & HARISSA

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    8 months ago

    The food here is great i love their chicken tikki marsala and the service is wonderful!

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    4 years ago

    Excellent service and food. We enjoyed our visit very much. Wait staff and chef were outstanding.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Tara Kitchen

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    Tara Kitchen - Warm fig salad

    Tara Kitchen

    4.1(105 reviews)
    9.1 mi
    $$

    This was our first time at the Troy location. We have been to Tara Kitchen in Schenectady several…read moretimes and the one on Western Avenue in Guilderland was our favorite. We would often dine there with my mother who only recently tried Moroccan food since going with us. On this night we took my mom out to the Troy location since we learned the Guilderland location has stopped dining in service. The atmosphere was quite different, a little darker, very quiet and relaxed. We had no trouble getting a table around 5:30pm on Saturday night. A few of the tables were full and even the counter had someone dining. The staff was very friendly and courteous. We shared a hummus, olive, and beet appetizer. My husband wanted to try the warm fig salad which is usually my favorite but each time I get it it always seems different from the last time. What it lacked in arugula it made up for in olives and figs which was not disappointing for him since he doesn't really enjoy arugula anyway. All three of us ordered vegetable Tagines. My mom and I both got our favorite, the Brown Lentil Tagine which was filled with green olives, preserved lemons, and artichoke hearts. My husband always changed which vegetable Tagine he chooses but this time he picked the Chickpeas and Oranges. The sauces is a little sweeter with the oranges and cherry tomatoes with a prune sauce. All Tagines were served with rice and pita bread and there was no way we could finish so we all had lunch for the next day all packed up to go home. My husband insisted we get a baklava to go which I didn't protest. We are primarily vegan and as honey is one of those controversial items we will just say it is the closest thing on the menu to a plant-based dessert. In all it was an excellent evening and we are looking forward to coming back again soon!

    It took me much longer than it should have, but I finally completed my "Tara Trifecta." I have a…read moregood opinion of all of the restaurants, and I've never had a bad meal or experience at any of them. Though I will give this one a slight advantage because of its ambiance. It's very relaxing, never harried here, and the music fit the mood (who knew you could do a smooth jazz rendition of a Kiss song?). Hot tea, made to order, is provided in a generous amount in a beautiful pitcher. We stuck with more traditional Moroccan chicken dishes for our meals, lemon chicken and chicken in apricot sauce with vegetables. Both came out quickly. All the vegetables in my entree had the perfect combination of crisp-tender plus flavor, and I almost wanted to pour the leftover sauce from the dish into a water glass and drink it (dipping your pita bread in it is the more polite option). Apart from being on a one-way street, the restaurant is convenient to access, and there's usually street parking very close. If not, there's a parking garage across the street.

    Photos
    Tara Kitchen - Inside

    Inside

    Tara Kitchen - Chickpeas with Oranges Tagine

    Chickpeas with Oranges Tagine

    Tara Kitchen

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    Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Lamb Shank

    Kismet Mediterranean Grill

    4.4(183 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    I've been dying to come here ever since I drove by a month ago. Finally! It's a nice, clean…read morerestaurant with great service! We started with some appetizers of cigar rolls and falafel. Mmmm delicious. The cigar rolls were so good we ordered another one. It comes with five rolls and a side of tahini. Crispy and fluffy with feta. The falafel comes halved and was crispy and delicious. Everyone pretty much tried everyone's dish because you just had to. I got the chicken shish. It came with a generous amount of char grilled juicy chicken chunks on a flat pita with a generous portion of yellow rice and a side salad. Dinner mate got the braised lamb shank and the other got the braised short ribs. They both came with generous sides. The asparagus was nice and tender. The short ribs just melted in my mouth. The chicken kavourma came fancy and just bursted with flavor with lots of chicken and vegetables. I didn't get to try the lamb because it got gobbled down so fast. The strawberry mimosa was delicious too. A must try in that row of restaurants on Madison. We got the best spot in the house, the window seat, where we saw people walking their dogs and lots of friendly people waving with their dogs and cars with dogs and cool cars driving by. Very entertaining for a seven year old. Baklava with ice cream for dessert. Amazing! They do not have a kids menu so if you have a picky eater, plan ahead! We did make a reservation for a party of five.

    Shrimp Kordovma (sp?) was so delicious, with mushrooms and buttery sauce. My dining partner didn't…read morehave as great an experience, however, because a restrictive IBS diet kept menu options to a very small range. I admired our waitstaff's ability to handle the entire dining room all alone. Another server would have helped quicken the pace of service.

    Photos
    Kismet Mediterranean Grill
    Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Lamb Chops

    Lamb Chops

    Kismet Mediterranean Grill - Shish Kebab Chicken

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    Shish Kebab Chicken

    Ali Baba

    Ali Baba

    4.5(362 reviews)
    10.1 mi
    $$

    Alibaba is probably the oldest Turkish restaurant in the Albany area, and it recently got a nice…read moreupgrade -- from the furniture to the serving plates and menus. The place feels much more modern and inviting now. Our family especially enjoys the beyti kebab, the güveç, and their pide. I haven't tried the pizza yet, but since their pide is very good, I imagine the pizza would also be solid. For me though, the real highlight at Alibaba is the mezze. In Turkish cuisine, grilled meats and kebabs are almost always enjoyed with a variety of mezze. They might technically be sides, but they're a big part of the whole experience. These days there are several Turkish kebab places in the area, but none of them offer a wide selection of fresh, house-made mezze like Alibaba does. At many places you're lucky if you find one or two options, often just a basic ezme. At Alibaba you'll find around ten different mezze and each one tastes distinct and freshly made. Every time I tell myself I'll just take a little... and somehow I end up filling a big mezze plate. Honestly, even when we grill at home, our motivation is picking up mezze from Alibaba to go with it. I'm not sure if it gets the credit it deserves, but don't skip the mezze here -- you'd be missing out. In fact, start with the mezze and figure out the rest later :))

    So so so delicious! We are visiting from NYC and so happy Ali Baba was opened despite the snow…read morestorm; the staff were so friendly and the food was phenomenal! We had my 3 yr old son with us who was a little loud but they never made us feel unwelcome which is always a relief! Will def come back next time we are in town; wish there was one in queens near my neighborhood!!

    Photos
    Ali Baba
    Ali Baba - Mixed Kebab

    Mixed Kebab

    Ali Baba

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    Keobi Restaurant - Egusi with Plantain Fufu

    Keobi Restaurant

    4.0(52 reviews)
    5.7 mi

    I've only had West African cuisine a handful of times in my life, but Keobi stands out as one of…read morethe best ones. We ordered the asaro and egusi with plantain fufu. Everything was terrific and strongly flavored. The asaro, a yam stew with shrimp and greens (though I located very shrimp if at all) had an intense, somewhat smoky savory flavor. It was also quite starchy and did not require any rice or fufu accompaniment. The egusi stew with chicken was also incredibly flavorful; I preferred this slightly more over the asaro. Paired with the soft steamed and lightly sweet but more neutral-tasting plantain fufu, the egusi was really tasty. As others have noted, the food did take a while to prepare. It appeared that there was only one woman working both the front of house and the kitchen. There were no high chairs. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated for the holidays. Our kids were entertained by the Afro beats playing on the TV. Overall we had a very delicious and comfortable experience at Keobi.

    Very quaint restaurant. They had a friendly staff. I believe the owner is also the chef and he was…read morevery accommodating to my order. I ordered egusi with fufu and a plate of jollof rice and goat meat. And I say don't walk... run there and get your order. You will not regret it. Even my children who have basic taste buds and are quite picky ate the entire plate of jollof rice and goat meat. I will be back to try more dishes.

    Photos
    Keobi Restaurant - Counter

    Counter

    Keobi Restaurant - Fried Yam And Stew

    Fried Yam And Stew

    Keobi Restaurant - Jollof rice with goat meat, plantain and steams veggies.

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    Jollof rice with goat meat, plantain and steams veggies.

    Tara Kitchen - moroccan - Updated May 2026

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