Why mess up a good thing with a rating less than 5 stars?! This place was amazing and did not disappoint! Had this location book marked for some time and was finally in the area. The service was great, location was cute, and the food was stellar. Plenty of vegan options available which i loved since i eat mostly plant based. They do have quite a but of meat options. I like the freshness and cleanliness of the restaurant! Staff was also very friendly and helpful in deciding what to get. Sample everything to see whAt your tastebuds are yearning for! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Lentils, cabbage, eggplant, saffron rice with spicy (not that spicy) red harissa sauce...chef's - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

I visited this charming restaurant for brunch, and it was delightful. The menu was creative, and every dish we tried was delicious. The atmosphere was perfect for a leisurely meal. read more

We really enjoyed the food and the staff was very helpful in educating us on the menu items.

I enjoyed the bold, flavorful and tasty lunch I picked up from Zoa's. It's conveniently located near memorial park for a perfect opportunity to have a picnic outdoors. I loved every part of the bowl I got - saffron rice, beef tagine with toppings of hummus, eggplant, beans and tomatoes with cucumbers. There's a variety of sauces which all sound intriguing. I definitely want to try all of them! Considering covid, I felt safe knowing there's a panel separating customers with the food. Staff were all wearing gloves and masks. It's a little hard to enforce distancing inside though because the shop is small. One worker was taking my order while a second worker was taking orders from the guy behind me so it's hard to keep 6 feet that way although the process itself is efficient. So maybe next time it will be better to call ahead to pick up your order. I noticed there's a connecting area where people were dining indoors. The parking in front is only available for 3-4 spots. I was able to get a spot during a weekday noon lunch hour. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Beef tagine with beans, hummus, eggplant and tomatoes with cucumbers - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

I stopped by for a late dinner with a friend on a weekday. Zoa Moroccan Kitchen is a tiny quick service Moroccan restaurant located in The Heights. They're right behind El Rey close to the intersection of Shepherd and Washington. It's so small that you can almost miss it and there are only a couple of parking spots outside the restaurant. I was lucky enough to find one but there is street parking close by if you need it. Zoa has the Subway concept going. Choose your base (couscous, salad, or a few other options), your meat, five sides, and then you're set. I went with the couscous base with lamb, feta cheese, cinnamon carrots, hummus, and potato salad. I wanted to get some Moroccan bread but they were unfortunately out. I did get a fresh tea though. One of the nice things about Zoa is that it's healthy eating. The ingredients are fresh and Moroccan isn't something you have every day. The food is flavorful with plenty of spices and often spicy. They have a small indoor dining area and a small patio but I view Zoa as more of a quick grab-and-go spot, even once COVID is over. The food was just alright in my mind though. Maybe Moroccan isn't my cup of tea but I just didn't enjoy it all that much even though I appreciated trying something new. They do have a rewards program where you can get some discounts. And they're owned by the same owner as Coco's Crepes. read more

What a lovely little place, I love the Moroccan/Mediterranean-style interior design, love the art and the colors (that beautiful Moroccan blue!). There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The staff here is very friendly and welcoming. Upon walking in, they thoroughly explain their menu and the ordering process to you, and they even come to check on us as we enjoyed our food. Drink: We ordered a Moroccan Cortado (which is simply a standard cortado with a layer of vanilla syrup and a layer of foam) with oat milk. It is very smooth with a perfect amount of sweetness. If you have never had Moroccan cortado, you should try it! For food, we ordered the Casablanca Bowl with lamb. The lamb is cooked to perfection, great flavor and very tender. The saffron rice is fluffy and light. The only complaint we have is the amount of food in the bowl, for $10 there could be a little more. Overall, it is very good. read more

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Checked out this place for the Yelp Houston top 100 event and got a customized bowl. Overall I'd rate this place a 5/5: Food: Delicious! everything was so flavorful - I tried all of the vegetarian toppings and potato patties for protein. The saffron rice was really good and complemented all the veggies. Similar concept as chipotle but the authentic flavors are unparalleled. Big portion sizes (i got 2 meals out of one bowl) and good prices! Ambiance: Lots of seating indoor and outside. The outside seating was really beautiful with blue painted walls and a Moroccan vibe. Limited parking in the front but they had an extra lot somewhere in the back. Overall - really loved the food. I will definitely be back! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Moroccan cuisine is unbelievably vibrant and flavorful, but I don't think I've had the chance to try it again since I visited Marrakesh in 2016, so I was super pumped to discover Zoa last weekend. I think a fast-casual, Chipotle-style spot like this is the perfect way to introduce this beautiful cuisine to the American mainstream. The counter service restaurant is located in a stand-alone house in the Rice Military district. COVID precautions are observed appropriately, and the staff was very patient and let me sample some of the meats as I mulled through the options. You have the choice between a sandwich or a bowl. They have some pre-made "favorites" available if you're feeling lazy, but don't hesitate to get adventurous and pursue your own custom creation. Your bowl consists of a base + a protein + 4 toppings (up to four) + sauces (up to two). The menu can be a little intimidating if you're unfamiliar with Moroccan and mediterranean cuisine, but there's a helpful glossary at the end! I ultimately settled on a bowl with couscous (a North African staple that's kind of like a soft quinoa), beef tagine, hummus, tactouca (savory eggplant and pepper salad), grilled eggplant salad, and beet salad, with red harissa and zesty mint avo yogurt drizzled on top. The concoction was packed with complementary flavors, a healthy dose of sour along with savory, sweet, and spicy. The Beef tagine was very tender and nailed that complex meaty/fruity profile, and the two sauces worked very well together as the refreshing yogurt cut through the spice of the harissa. On top of being delicious, Zoa is also extremely affordable at $9-$11 and fairly healthy. A lovely addition to the Houston food scene! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Beef Tagine Bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Essentially Moroccan chipotle! Got the bowl with half salad, half saffron rice, lamb, a bunch of veggie toppings, and spicy Moroccan sauce. Pretty good but not really filling. Haha I ate a second dinner once I got home. Cool concept tho!! Love the exotic flavors! Felt healthy afterwards too before my second dinner read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing food with very reasonable pricing. We came here on Wednesday for lunch around 1pm and got the build your bowl vege bowls with couscous and the potato pancakes as the protein. The bowls come with 4 toppings for free, and any of their sauces. There was no one else dining in so parking wasn't an issue. The Moroccan pancakes with Nutella were just divine!! (free if you leave a review). Plenty of vegetarian options. We sat outdoors on their patio. Highly recommend you try this place, you won't be disappointed! read more

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A little miscommunication with the girl taking my order but I came in to order the Yelp bowl, but I guess she didn't hear me so I ended up trying the Casablanca bowl and it was so so so good, bursting with flavor. I'll def be back for more!! It was my first time trying Moroccan food and man I've been missing out!!! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Casablanca Bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came here for the first time today and got a create your own bowl with with rice, chicken, hummus, pickles+olives, sweet potato, cucumber+tomato, Zoa green sauce and zesty mint avocado yoghurt. The wonderful person who helped me talked me through everything since it was my first time, and after speaking with them, I felt confident in my choices. They even offered to let me sample the choices they offered. The bowl was delicious. If you like bold flavors and a meal that feels wholesome, you will not be disappointed here. Each ingredient had a strong flavor profile and could stand easily on its own, but they were great combined, as well. The chicken was seasoned really well, too, which is nice because there's nothing worse than bland chicken. I can't wait to come back here and try the other proteins/toppings. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Create Your Own bowl. - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Houston has been in need of a authentic Moroccan restaurant for some time, and Zoa fits that bill. I really liked the optionality of making your own custom bowl or picking from one of their creations if you don't want to think. It seems fairly healthy and it's quick and easy, making this a great week night pick up. Also, the coconut macaron was out of this world! No photo because it was too good to wait. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Loved the assistance provided there, and I had the Pita with lamb, it was amazing! Will visit again read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Pita - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Always delish! Fast service, but slow cooked food. Yum! New favorite for unique flavors and authentic Moroccan items. Very casual seating.

First off the customer service was great here at Zoa. I really didn't know what to try so they gave me a little sample. I ended getting the marrakesh bowl (nice sweet and spicy flavor to it) which was really good to me. I also got a coconut pastry which was good. Will definitely be back to try more on the menu! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Marrakesh Bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I've been meaning to come to this place since it opened, since I love Mediterranean food. I was in the area searching on Yelp for what to eat and noticed it had 200+ 5 star reviews. There is definitely a reason for that- the food is absolutely delicious. The staff was very friendly helping me to decide and explaining the menu. I decided to get the Casablanca bowl, instead of building my own since it was my first time. Everything was extremely fresh and full of flavor. Great place to come for a quick, healthy and fresh meal!!! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Casablanca bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Fresh and delicious! BEEF TAGINE $9- tasty! Half SAFFRON RICE, half GREENS Toppings (4), additional 50c: Zaalouk (EGGPLANT), FAVA BEAN HUMMUS, PICKLED RED ONION CABBAGE, CINNAMON CARROTS, SWEET POTATO- I couldn't decide between the carrots or sweet potato, but she let me have both! Favorites were the pickled red onion cabbage, hummus, and carrots. Least favorite was sweet potato just because they were 'normal.' Eggplant was decent. Sauces: Half red harissa, half zoa green, & zesty mint avocado yogurt (she recommended)- all good, just a tad spicy, couldn't really differentiate the sauces when mixed Very friendly workers, fast service, dine-in available during covid, decent portion size for $9, although I think Chipotle gives larger portions and costs $8 something for beef. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - $9 beef tagine w/ saffron rice & greens. Preferred the hummus, pickled red onion cabbage & cinnamon carrots. Fresh and tasty - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Delicious food and so many options! The jasmine tea was a bit sweet but amazing mixed with the lemonade. Staff was great and offered samples of meat and sides. Portions were huge. read more

This is a brand new Moroccan fast-casual joint that just opened behind El Rey in March, and it is an absolute GEM. The chef is Moroccan, so you can be assured that the food is pretty darn authentic despite being fast casual. It's served "Chipotle-style", and we chose to build our own bowls. The beef tagine and lamb were both incredible!!! Even after trying both bowls I can't pick a favorite. For toppings we tried zaalouk, hummus, cucumber/tomatoes, pickled cabbage, and tactouka, and they were all amazing. The bowls were so hearty and bursting with flavor, and every bite left me craving more. I'm already so excited to go back and try experimenting with other topping/sauce combos! We were also *very easily* persuaded to try a Moroccan pancake with honey butter, which we ate fresh in the car immediately after and it was to die for. Do yourself a favor and get it. It's a great bang for your buck with huge portions that really fill you up for the low prices. The staff were so friendly and helpful and made the experience all the better. Specifically a really great option if you're vegetarian or just looking for a healthier lunch or dinner, and after visiting Morocco last year, I can attest that it lives up to its high standard. I already can't wait to be back!! read more

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This place is very pretty and their food is just as good. This was my first time coming here and I will definitely be back. When I stepped in, one of the servers explained how they serve the food and offered us some samples to try these new dishes.I appreciated him explaining the food and the process to me and LOVED the food here. There is also a helpful section on the back of the menu that explains how some of the dishes are cooked. No joke, this place is a gem! I got a 1/2 saffron, 1/2 couscous bowl with the lamb and chicken, which some toppings and the zoa sauce. My sister also got a bowl with saffron rice and the beef tagine and chicken with toppings and the red harissa sauce. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong here. Everything tastes delicious and pairs well together. I'll definitely be back again and again! read more

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Halfway through my bowl I bit into a staple. It was our first time ordering from here. I don't think we will ever return. Upon looking through reviews -there is a year old review where someone found a similar piece of metal. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Metal staple in Kenitra Bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was good. Customer service on point. Food was delicious . This was my first time. I will be back fosure. They brought me some tea, it was delicious. The restroom was clean and parking was right in front. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Receipt of what I ordered. - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Delicious!! My bf and I randomly decided to try this place because we were in the area, and we're so glad we did. The exterior and interior decor is gorgeous and vibrant, which totally matches their food. My bf got a Casablanca bowl with half saffron rice/half couscous; I made my own bowl with a couscous base, kefta (beef meatball), and 4 toppings (onion confit, taktouka (bell peppers/tomatoes), fava hummus, and egg potato salad) with harissa aioli and garlic aioli on top. It was soooo good. My bf demolished his bowl in like 5 minutes and proceeded to stare at and, eventually, eat mine. Since it was my first time, I feel like I chose pretty safe components, but I will definitely be back to experiment more! The employees were kind and helpful. One of them (I think one of the chefs? cooks?) came out when he heard it was our first time, and gave us a whole spiel explaining everything :D He also mentioned that everything is fresh, nothing canned. I wish the bowls were a tad bit bigger, but the price is very reasonable, ranging from $7 to $12. We paid about $9 for each of ours. There's this Tunisian-French film, La graine et le mulet/The Secret of the Grain/Couscous, in which there are lengthy scenes of characters gathered around a table, stuffing couscous and fish in their mouths with their fingers, and I think of that every time I see couscous. I feel like I got to live out that dream today. read more

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Okay WHAT! I didn't even know this place existed. The food was so delicious, spicy, and reasonably priced. I ordered the Kenitra Bowl with couscous, but I think next time I'll make my own bowl because all the toppings looked dank. Also, I picked up my order but I wish I would've dined in because this is such a cute spot! And the staff was super friendly and kind. 10/10 will return. read more

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Hands down one of my favorite spots to get a quick bite in Houston. Every single dish is packed with flavor - you can't go wrong with any type of combo. My favorite sides are the cinnamon carrots, red cabbage and cinnamon onion and raisins. Absolute chefs kiss with the saffron rice, beef and meatballs! I've moved out of state and this is still a spot I add to my itinerary when I'm back in Houston. 10/10 add this to your rotation if you're wanting a healthy meal that hits the spot every time. read more

Really has declined. The manager on staff was not understanding me and gave me a completely different pastry than I requested. I told him I wanted the one with the pecans and he gave me the one with coconut. And then wanted to charge me again for the whole dessert that I wanted in the first place. When I asked to speak to a manager, he told me he was the manager. I think more than anything the fact that he was so agitated with his reaction really ultimately as what made a not perfect situation worse I'll definitely think twice before I come over pay for a topo Chico and a sugary treat read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - The dessert that I wanted, but manager tried to charge me twice for - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Y'allllllllll. Everything we ate here was to die for. I did the pita with lamb, roasted peppers, cucumber and tomato, olive relish, feta cheese, harissa and the avocado lime yogurt. My only dislike was the pita is a *little* dry, but it's perfect as a side instead of a base. My boyfriend got the saffron rice bowl with beef, roasted peppers, cucumber and tomato, eggplant, chickpeas, harissa, and the avocado lime yogurt. I'm pretty sure I liked his better than mine. I went with their homemade mint lemonade to drink and it was fantastic! Service was very friendly/helpful, my only concern is the staff member who put together my boyfriends bowl was a little messy with the plating and it ended up on the outside of the bowl. Other than that I would absolutely recommend this place! read more

Welcome to my life Zoa. Thankfully their hours have changed so I was finally able to try out this new place. Also keep your eyes open for their breakfast coming up. So excited for it. Alexis was the manager on duty and absolutely wonderful explaining the different flavors and the combinations that worked well with the proteins offered. She was so friendly and happy to be helping us select the right dish. I walked away with chicken chermoula bowl w/ GF saffron rice, cucumber tomato salad, pickled red onion cabbage, tactouka (roasted peppers and tomato) and beets. It was delicious, a lot of food for the price and fresh. I also got pita bread with the shrimp which was another outstanding dish. Overall the ingredients are fresh, full of flavor and filling. Looking forward to trying more of their dishes and specially their mint tea. Shukran Zoa. read more

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One of our favorite take-out places (there is inside/outside seating) because it's healthy and satisfying. The flavors mingle so well and being able to build your own bowl is great. The staff has always been very nice as well. read more

Can't go wrong. I stop here frequently and like how I am able to create diffident bowls.

ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE. Super yummy and healthy! I want to try other things but at the same time, the bowl I get is so good that I always end up getting it. Do yourself a favor and go here ASAP read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Chicken bowl with quinoa/brown rice base! Added cabbage, sweet potatoes, cucumber, feta, and harissa aioli - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

So the best way for me to describe this place is to call it Moroccan Chipotle. You essentially chose between a bowl or a sandwich and load that bad boy up with protein, rice, veggies, and sauces. Mine was straight fire. You get four veggies included and pay extra after that. Kinda lame to pay extra for toppings but I went all the way on mine. Cauliflower. Pickled red onions. You name it. I added it. I also got them to dose me up with hot sauce. I will definitely be back! Best part is that it's very healthy!! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Really cool new fast casual Moroccan restaurant by the creators of well-regarded local restaurants CoCo Crepes, Mia Bella, and Andalucia Tapas. You can tell this is a labor of love for owner Youssef Nafaa, who is channeling the flavors of his heritage. We went on the grand opening, and the restaurant was abustle. Inside, it's essentially a fast casual style as popularized by Chipotle, where you can build your own bowl or sandwich with a choice of base, protein, veggies, and sauce. They also have a cabinet of fresh pastries (get the phyllo roll!!) and fresh squeezed carrot juice and coffee! The outside seating area is vibrant and sunny. Recs: We tried the beef tagine, which was well-spiced and really unique; with a sweet and warm flavor. The lamb meshwi was the star of the show (from a connoisseur of lamb!), a slow roasted tender leg of lamb with a lot of rich flavors of saffron and turmeric!! For toppings, try the excellent eggplant and cool cinnamon carrots read more

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Love this place! It's hard to find a place with good lamb but this place nails it. Super interesting flavors. Explores a flavor profile that no other place does. The service is great. And ambience is laid back read more

service was good! the lady explained everything to me because there was a lot of stuff i had never seen. it was good just too many flavors going on. Everything was very seasoned and good but seemed like a lot of side dishes thrown together as opposed to a cohesive plate. i know i can pick everything in this bowl MYSELF but there wasn't much else i really wanted to try. potato salad as a choice wasn't my best move but it was available so why not lmaooo it's a nice location tho. cute decor and a good amount of seating. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - bowl - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

Super tasty and healthy made to order bowls. A good variety of proteins, toppings and sauces. Nice indoor and outdoor seating. as well.

I have been looking for a wholesome and flavorful bowl like at Zoa. The bowls are mixed and matched to anyone's liking with many sources and add-ons. I got a Fez bowl with chicken and spicy add-ons. It was excellent! I asked for a side of fresh hummus and a Morrocan fresh pita. Everything is a bomb! As a drink, I got a cold brew with milk and sweet Moroccan Jasmine tea in a bottle. I couldn't be happier with the meal! read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Menu - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Counter order type place - very fast and casual. I got the Casablanca bowl with saffron rice and it was delicious. The lamb in the bowl was tender and juicy. All the sauces and flavors in the bowl complimented each other very well and made for a delicious bite when eaten together. Will definitely be back. read more

Love love love this place!! It's a weekly treat. The beef tangible is AMAZING and so is everything else. read more

Zoa Moroccan Kitchen - Ordering area - Moroccan Near Me - Houston, Texas