I've been there 3 days ago with my husband and my 2 year old son and we really love the Moroccan food they make, the staff were very very nice, we felt so comfortable. this will be the first place I'll think about if I decided to have middle eastern or Moroccan food, I tried many restaurants in denver but this is my  best one.
Review Source:It's really nice having a Moroccan option without all the pomp and circumstance of Mataam Fez or Palais Casablanca, and close to home, too! Â I went there for the first time a few days ago and will definitely for more!
I ordered the lamb with apricots on couscous, which came with soup. Â The soup was a bit watery but very nicely flavored and a bit spicy. Â The lamb was very good - braised and falling off the bone, like a Moroccan pot roast! Â I don't know if it was necessarily to my liking but it cooked very well. Â Can't wait to come back and try the Bastilla!
I looked at this place a while ago, pulled up in the parking lot, got out of my car, and ended up not going in for some reason. Â Stupid me. Â I'm kicking myself for not trying Cafe Paprika sooner. Â I finally went Weds 07/25. Â Ordered hummus & falafels, along with a combo skewer plate to try things out. Â The owner came out and talked to me while I waited. Â He let me know they've been there 19years and we had a nice conversation about how to make my hummus creamier and what spices to add if I give homemade falafels a try. Â Everything I had was quite tasty and the price was very reasonable. Â I'll stick with lamb skewers next time, but both the chicken and shrimp had a nice flavor in the combo plate. Â The hummus was nice and creamy with warm pita, so good. Â But I've had a really bad craving for falafels and they were incredible. Â Flavor was on point and they were crispy on the outside, but nice and moist on the inside. Â Just good food all around. Â Definitely plan on adding this as a favorite for me.
Review Source:One of the best middle eastern restaurants in all of Denver metro area. Â They make excellent hummus and babba ganoush. Â For babba ganoush, most places don't cook the eggplant long enough and so the dish is missing the smokey flavor. Â This babba ganoush all the right flavors in good balance. Â They make a combo appetizer dish with hummus, babba ganoush and falafel which is well worth getting. Â My favorite dish is the lamb kebab, Â which they make both savory and tender. Â Also they make excellent mint tea. Â Most places don't use spearmint, Â which gives it a bit of a harsh flavor, Â the mint tea here is nice and mellow and easy to drink. Â
If you are looking for a super quick lunch, Â this might not be the place for you as it is a sit down and enjoy kind of place.
I'm so glad we made the effort to find this adorable and delicious restaurant after a long afternoon of driving through the mountains. Oh, the (unsweetened) mint iced tea was sublime - I couldn't get enough. The owner was so welcoming, my two kids and I were totally at ease. We tried traditional dishes like tagine, and an appetizer that was both sweet pastry and savory chicken - yum! I can say that the entire experience was a treat and a learning experience for my kids and me.
Review Source:My family and I had a wonderful experience at Cafe Paprika. Â It's located in a Strip Mall but don't let that stop you from checking it out. Â The food there is wonderful. Â I ordered the Apricot Chicken dish and it was really yummy. Â Also they make fantastic Baba Ghanouj! Â Check it out and support a wonderful family owned and run Moroccan restaurant.
Review Source:I am so glad I chose to try Cafe Paprika. The food was delicious. Beyond the food was the customer service. He was very personable and pleasant. It was a pretty long wait, but I understand quality takes time. It was also a little bit more expensive that I was expecting. But overall, I am very pleased with my dining experience.
Review Source:From my first experience -- if you like Middle-Eastern style food - give this place your money. I've rarely stumbled upon a place, with food THIS good - I was lucky to be in the area and saw the Yelp reviews on 'restaurants nearby'.
 I had the seafood bastilla (which is cooked inside puff pastry), the lamb, shrimp, and merguez (sausage) kebabs, a Greek salad (which comes with a variety of delicious olives) and Moroccan coffee.
 Even the slices of red pepper that are on the saffron rice that comes with the kebobs is sweet and full of flavor. The lemons that come on the side are fresh and full of juice - and the marinated shrimp meat from the kebobs is extremely flavorful.
 The Moroccan coffee (with cardamom like Arabic coffee, also with cinnamon) was served with the grounds filtered out, so I didn't have to worry about drinking every drop.
 The owner was very friendly and attentive, he explained they've been in this location 19 years.
I very much enjoyed my falafel sandwich at lunch today... more on that in a moment.
Cafe Paprika is a tiny kitchen and a few tables cordoned off from the rest of this gas station convenience store. Â Both of which are run by (I assume) a very nice mom and pop.
The falafel sandwich ($5) was delicious. Â Falafel balls tasted fresh, not fried to death. Â This "sandwich" is not like the ones wrapped in a large pita (kind of closer to a big burrito), but instead folded in a smaller pita (sort of like a large taco, to keep with my Mexican food analogies). Â With lettuce, tomato, red onion, and tahini yogurt dressing.
Very tasty, nice folks, I'll be back to try other things!
Went here for dinner last night with my gf. We had the Middle Eastern combo for an appetizer, which had great hummus and baba ghanouj. For entrees, I had a chicken tajine with preserved lemons and olives over cous cous, and my gf had the sweet cous cous. We both really enjoyed the food and would like to go back and try some of the other options.
I think we were being served by the owner, which made it feel pretty intimate. He did a good job refilling our mint tea too.
Funny story:
So I am running errands during my lunch hour and I decide to bypass McDonald's and have a REAL lunch. I wanted a Gyros salad, so I walked into Paprika's and found a menu and waited to for my order to be taken. Five minutes or more pass by and I decide that I need to get going because I have to go back to work. I walk out and go to my car...before I can buckle my seat belt...the man, person who works there...the owner? Appears beside my car. I roll down the window...he apologizes for the wait and explains he had something in the oven...yadda- yadda. And what can he get me?
I felt kind of embarrassed..so I get out of my car and follow him back inside and order my salad. I felt like an idiot so I went out to my car to wait because clearly his relatives had seen the whole "incident" and I didn't wish to sit there awkwardly.
Man appears again..with salad...bringing it to my car !
I again, went back inside with him and said salad, paid my bill, and he appears with a glass of mint Turkish tea...
Cafe' Paprika, your food is good ! Maybe you need more help around lunch time though? You are competing in a fast-paced, instant gratification world..and lunchtime is just that way. I enjoyed my salad....I will be back for lunch when I have more time. I promise..no more car-side service.
This place was awesome! Not only was the food great, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the staff was amazing. Out of a table of 8, everyone had a masterpiece delivered to them and there was more than enough food to go around. I had an amazing lamb shank with couscous that was perfectly spiced and tender. And the dessert, appetizers and tea were also amazing. Throw in a great price and this was a perfect dining experience.
Review Source:Sooooooo delicious! Just moved to town and was looking for some good falafel... it was fantastic! The atmosphere was perfect and the food was unbeatable! Everything from the appetizer combo to the tea was just phenomenal... my roommate and I are both veggie and we both left very satisfied with the entire experience. I will definitely be going back soon!
Review Source:We went for my birthday dinner, and I admit I was a bit skeptical. Â It's tucked away in a small strip mall that looks like it should have check cashing and liquor stores in it. Â That said, I'm convinced Cafe Paprika is a hidden gem! Â It's a small, family-owned restaurant, and we had a fantastic time there. Â
We asked for an appetizer recommendation and started with a chicken bastilla. Â It was an amazing combination of flakey dough and savory insides with a bit of sweet on the top. Â
My step-dad had apricot chicken and loved it. Â I tasted a bite, and it was a bit on the sweet side but still tasted good. Â My mom had kadra tajine (potato, garbanzo stew) over cous cous. Â It was wonderful, and she equated it to Indian food. Â I ended up having the artichoke and olive tajine. Â Mine was a wonderfully salty combination that reminded me of Greek food. Â The olives and artichokes were both salty, but not too salty. Â We all took advantage of the mint tea, which was wonderful as well. Â
None of us had much experience with Moroccan food, but I can guarantee we'll be back! Â I highly recommend checking this place out.
If you are a fan of middle eastern food you will love this place.
My recommendation, the lamb tajin with carrots, peas, and preserved lemon rind. My taste buds were not prepared to receive such a delightful combination. I'm a big fan of spices and the blend was just perfect!
I read a couple of reviews that complained about the slow service and I just have one thing to say: "good things come to those who wait" and trust me folks it is well worth the wait!
I had no problem with the service and was pleased that the owner and chef were very attentive and cared to explain how they do things and what ingredients were used.
Overall a pleasant experience and my final tought, don't forget to order the baklava and coffee to finish your meal. You will not be dissappointed, they both are something entirely different from what I have experienced in other middle eastern restaurants.
You can tell these people take pride in what they do and you can definitely taste the love in their food.
As soon as I walked in, I thought to myself Mark T. has surely been here. Turns out I was right, so that's kinda cool.
I went with a few co-workers and in the end each palette was satisfied with the dish they ordered. That says a lot about a restaurant when 4 people can all find something they like. I went with the lamb shank. Seemed a bit on the smallish side but delicious over a bed of couscous (next time I'll go with the saffron rice though).
Others in my party enjoyed Bastilla which I stole a bite from (it was good) and what amounted to a Gyro, which also looked good.
The Moroccan coffee seemed watered down. Maybe that's how it's supposed to taste, either way I didn't like it. The service was great and the prices weren't bad either, I'd call that a successful lunch.
We came here on Saturday night and were 4 of 9 people in the restaurant, so what the atmosphere lacks in patrons, the food makes up for twofold. We started with the combo platter and while I typically find falafel to be very dry and bland, this had a great balance of flavor and texture. The baba ghanouj & hummus were tasty too.
The true standout was the Sweet Couscous with chicken (the others had with lamb and loved it too). I eat couscous at home fairly often, but mine does not even come close to this...sweet, and delicious...it's almost like a dinner and dessert in one! I wanted to try the marquez (beef sausage) so I had 2 added to the meal. They were good, but definitely different - it was surprising to take a bite into sausage and see red meat...I should have known to expect that seeing that it IS made of beef, but didn't really think about it. I'm glad I tried it, but likely will just stick to the dish as it was intended since it is just about perfect.
The food is delicious, and they actually have real mint tea! Their hummus is very good, as well as their gyro meat. They drizzle a sauce that I'm not sure what it is (not taziki), but it tastes great.
The only complaint I have is the service is a bit slow, so it isn't a great place to stop for a quick lunch.
Been here a few times. Â Friendly service, quick for lunch, slower for dinner. Â Everything here has been solidly good if not great. Â A colleague of mine ordered the lamb shank stew and it smelled heavenly! Â I love the combo appetizer plate, the harira is good, the paprika burger, and the kabobs (mm chicken and lamb) are great. Â Really good pita here. Â Definitely recommend.
Review Source:I have been to Café Paprika twice and both times it was great.  The restaurant was highly recommended by some colleagues from work.  It is a small restaurant in a strip mall.  There is plenty of parking and the restaurant is very clean. Â
The waiter was friendly and helpful. Â The first time I was here it looked like it was closed - the lights were dim and no one was in the restaurant (middle of week around 8pm). Â The waiter told us that they were supposed to be closed for a holiday but they had catered a party and therefore went ahead and opened the restaurant for the evening. Â We had about 10 people in our party and a few other folks arrived after us.
I have had the lamb shank which was very tasty. Â I have also ordered the kebab combo (chicken, lamb and merguez). Â The Merguez sausage was okay but I thought the lamb kebab was better. Â A couple of my friends have ordered the Tajines which they claimed was excellent. Â The Middle Eastern Combination is a great appetizer for $8 - hummus, baba ghanouj and falafel. Â The $9 Bastilla is also a highly recommended appetizer. Â The light puffy pastry encases a savory combination of chicken, onions, eggs, nuts and spices. Â It is topped sugar and cinnamon. Â It sounded a little odd too me since it mixed sweetness with chicken, onions, etc. but it is truly delicious. Â The Moroccan Tea is also very good.
This is a great little gem of a restaurant. Â Everyone with whom I have dined here has greatly enjoyed their meals.
Went for the express lunch that was far from express. Â The service was so slow and it took forever for our food to come out. Â Even though the food was good, I can't give more stars due to such poor service. Â We were well over our hour lunch break, but no one seemed to notice.
We started with the app you can print a coupon off their website. Â It saves you about $8.00. Â It's the sampler of falafel, baba ghanouj, and hummus. Â The hummus and falafel were ok, the baba ghanouj was lacking flavor. My friend had the middle eastern version of shrimp scampi which she enjoyed. Â The shrimp were fairly big and the grilled flavor was good. Â It's served with a small portion of Moroccan eggplant in the middle that was full of spice and flavor. Â My other friend had the chicken sandwich. Â I didn't try hers, but it looked very good. Â It was juicy and came with some great looking dipping sauces. Â We shared the side of fries, and they were also really good. Â I had the soup and salad. Â The salad was nothing special, but the soup was good. Â I was looking for more spice to it, but other than that, I did enjoy it. Â It was full of lentils and chick peas.
Too bad the service was so terrible. Â This is near my work, and I thought it would be a great place to go for lunch now and then. Â I can't afford to go back and have the same service again. I seriously might get in trouble and really make my co-workers mad!
Another diamond in the ruff. This place is right next to the barber shop I take my son, and never thought twice to try their food. It's in a small strip mall that shares a 7-11, a barber shop, and a cigarette store. Stuck in the corner it does not stand out unless you are in the "know" I always enjoy really ethnic foods and this place is no exception. While my son was getting his hair cut, my cousin and I decided to meet at Cafe Paprika by her request because she lives a few blocks away and has eaten there already. She said it was good, but I wasn't so sure. I was very close to calling and suggesting somewhere else nearby, but after reading the reviews on Yelp I decided to give it a chance. We both had a tight schedule that day, so lunch is all we could fit in. I ordered their mint tea which was really good and refreshing. For lunch I ordered their open face lamb sandwich with fries. My cousin ordered their soup that she loves and the hummus. The hummus was to die for. So hard to find good hummus in restaurants these days. I tried her soup and it was hearty and delicious! My sandwich was also very good. The lamb looked like over cooked little nuggets, but they were cooked perfect and was very tender and flavorful. I was full and enjoyed eating there very much. I would love to go back and try more off their menu. The owner was very nice and friendly as he served tea and talked to his customers. I will for sure be back again.
Review Source:Wow! Â I am impressed! Â Had I not asked a coworker to pick a place for lunch, I would've had no idea Cafe Paprika existed, even though it's on a well-traveled route for me.
Cafe Paprika is in a tiny strip mall near Senor Ric's, close to a 7-11. Â If you didn't know it was there, you'd drive right passed it, like I have on so many occasions. Â The decor and ambiance are charming: Â bright colorful desert scenes, accompanied by great North African/Middle Eastern music. Â This place is tiny, so be aware that you'll be close to everyone in the restaurant.
I haven't had Mediterranean food or the like for ages, so this was a nice treat to fall upon! Â I tried the open-faced lamb sandwich from their lunch menu and couldn't be more pleased. Â Delicious, tender meat with just enough spice; tasty vinaigrette dressing; and of course, awesome pita bread. Â
I took previous reviewers' advice and made sure to try the French Fries and mint tea. Â The fries were awesome: Â seasoned uniquely and maintained a nice "fluffy" yet crispy texture. Â The mint tea wasn't anything spectacular, just regular ol' mint tea, but still a nice touch. Â I loved the tall tea glasses that it was served in though.
Everyone enjoyed their meals and also the decent lunch prices. Â Great deal! Â I can't wait to try more of the menu soon.
My coworkers and I were certainly pleased with Cafe Paprika. Â We were welcomed like old friends and treated as such. Â The owner was so kind and made sure to give us a card to remind us of the tasty lunch we had.
Don't worry, we'll see you again Cafe Paprika.
I picked up some food to go from this place a few months back. I got a combo plate that had hummus, babaganoush, pitas and gyro meat (the details escape me now, it's been a while). I thought the hummus was a bit bland but the babaganoush was the best I've ever eaten. I couldn't get enough of it. Everything else in my combo was very good, but it was the babaganoush that knocked my socks off. I will definitely be going back for more!
This place is beyond small and has been around forever. The owner is very sweet and loves to chat you up when you come in. Check the hours before stopping by, because they close after lunch and reopen for dinner.
Believe it was the owner that greeted us at the door, seated us and was our wait person. Offered to explain everything on the menu, asked if we had questions, "how did we hear about Cafe Paprika", and went beyond our expectations. Food was great! Seasoned perfect, portions great! Â Atmosphere was perfect and the place was clean.The only drawback was that it was 65 degrees in the place and so our food cooled quickly. Definitely will be going back.
Review Source:We went there because of the big "Gyros" sign but then realized it was serving more than just Gyros. Â We tried the Lamb Shank, which came with a nice salad with a flavorful vinagrette dressing. Â The lamb was tender, cooked in a saffron broth of veggies and spices and layed over a bed of couscous. Â We finished every bite. Â We'll be back to try something new next time!
Review Source:It had been too long since I'd been here and I had forgotten how good it was. Â This isn't traditional middle eastern food, but rather more North African. Â The menu has some of the standard things you would expect at middle eastern places, such as the appetizer sampler with hummus, falafel and the like, but certainly many dishes are accented with different spices and flavors. Â The hot mint tea is excellent on a cold night, and portions are pretty generous all the way around the menu. Â The sandwiches are pretty good at lunch (get the fries with it!), but the entrees are even better. Â I enjoy their couscous as well as anything with lamb in it, and the apricot dishes are tasty too. Â I also like the kebab plate which arrives with plenty of meat and vegetables on a big pile of very flavorful rice. Â The pita seems homemade as well and is a nice accompaniment to your meal. Â When you want something a little out of the ordinary, give this place a try, and go there more often than I have so far!
Review Source:In the next building over from Señor Ric's (see previous review) is a mouthwatering Moroccan masterpiece.
Cafe Paprika has been around for what seems like forever in this little stripmall, and with good cause. Each culinary offering is a delight for multiple senses.
To begin, sample Bastilla (traditionally made with pigeon but here consisting of either chicken or seafood blanketed by Ouarka pastry then dappled and dotted with powdered sugar).
Harira is a light yellow lentil and rice soup used for Iftar, the fast-breaking repast occurring each night during Ramadan (month nine of the Muslim calendar). Cafe Paprika's elegant edition will no doubt have you burbling in Berber in no time.
For a main course, you can't go wrong with a Tajine (long-simmered casserole in a cute earthenware pot). Styles include Tfaya (with deeply-caramelized onions and raisins), or with preserved lemons (traditionally only the rind is used) and olives. Or maybe try fish M'schermel, an ever-changing fillet marinated in the Moroccan spice blend called Chermoula and then baked to flaky softness.
Yea, for dessert they have baklava - blabbity blabbity blab. Why not try M'hencha instead? This coiled-snake pastry is ready to spring and surprise you with hints of almond and orange-flower water.
Finish the meal with some hot mint tea. Many Moroccans, Sahrawis and Mauritanians (among others) drink three glasses - the first is bitter, like life; the second is sweet, like love; and the third is gentle, like death.
Shukran! And I hope you enjoy.
Surprisingly Yummy
Hidden in a very unassuming small store front set way back in an unassuming strip mall is, for lack of a better phrase, a hidden Mid-Eastern'ish Gem.
I think the food was suppose to be Moroccan, but I was betting it was more Turkish, Armian or even Syrian. I would actually love to know exactly ethnicity, so if anyone knows, please enlighten.
Sorry to digress...back to the show in progress.
We wandered into the CF about 1:30pm midweek, to be greeted by 2 very nice gentlemen; obviously owners.
Since we were 1 of 3 couples, a sit anywhere approach was given.
Both the HTB and I immediately eye spied the lamb shank ($12.95) which was served atop either a bed of couscous or saffron rice, and preceded by your choice of soup or salad.
While the lamb shank may have been on the small side for dinner, it was perfect for lunch, especially since I try not to eat the starch accompaniment. Â The lamb was perfectly tender and flavourful. The spices weren't overpowering, yet you could really name each one.
Even though I loved the lamb, the soup was my favorite. It was a small cup of fullest flavored soup -- totally yummy.
The tea, by the way, was so minty, hot and yummy, I had about 3 glasses.
A 3 Yummy Review --- Wow, I better give it 4 stars !!
Stopped in for dinner because we had a coupon from the Entertainment Book (Buy 1 entree get one free).
My first reaction when I walked in was probably the obvious... holy cow this is small. But it's a very authentic environment and we got a great, homey feeling when we walked in. I forget exactly what we ordered for an appetizer, but babagannus was part of it and it was excellent. I ordered the Kebab Entrees Combination which I Chicken, Sausage (?), and Merquez (like hamburger). All three were tasted awesome and came with rice and a few veggies.
I should mention the herbel mint tea they serve to everyone is fantastic, and I wanted to take the tiny cups they serve it in home with me.
Service was pretty good, and the guy working (think he was the owner) said hello, asked us if it was our first time there, how we found out about the place, and if we were satisfied. We told him we'd come back in a heartbeat and we weren't lying. Great place!
This is my 3rd visit in 10 years (I know -- regular customer, huh?) Â Compared to other Morrocan/Middle Eastern places I've been to, the decor, food, and service is much better. I am a huge cous cous fan and ordered the chicken cous cous - nice assortment of vegetables, savory sauce, etc. Â My husband (non-foodie) loved the apricot chicken. Â His soup to start and my salad were great but the high point of our meal was the Middle Eastern appetizer plate with hummus, baba ganoush, and falafel served with warm pita bread. Â Low point was the tea - tasted a little smoky and not sweet and minty, but okay. Â The teenage son refilled my water glass as often as I needed (I must have been a camel in a former life.) Â Gap in service between the salad and the entree but there were 6 tables at the point, having all arrived at around the same time. Â We'll be back. Â Much more pleasant that the fellows at Ya Hala, and no poinsettias in July.
Review Source:Hmmm, how can I put this. Â Its a pretty small place to eat Morrocan/ Middle Eastern cuisine. Â My friends seems to like their dishes, but to be honest, Cafe Paprika can do much much better. Â I ordered the "Cafe Paprika Specialty" for dinner ~ Lamb Shank. Â Though it says it comes in a set either with the Soup or Salad and fresh warm pita breads I did not get any of the Starters as promised. :(
********************************
HOT Â HOT UPDATES as of June 11 2008:
I went TODAY (June 11 2008) for a dinner feast with hubby and my parents. Â I was apprehensive at the very beginning due to my last trip to here. Â But boy am I wrong this time... indeed they provide the service up to par. Â The food today was awesome since I get like 3 other approvals from my parents and hubby.
Indeed after the whole dinner we were stuffed.
These are what we order:
Balistic (Seafood)~ it came piping hot and crispy. Â This l like since I love to get my food fresh and hot.
Lamb Shanks with Rice ~ My Dad's order
Lamb Shanks with Coucous ~ Hubby's order
Lamb with Green Peas & Carrots ~ My Mum's order
I ordered the Kebab Entrees Combination which I choose, Shrimp, Lamb and Merquez.
All main entrees were given salad and harrira (special kind of soup).
Both hubby & dad had their fair share of coffee, while I had mine Morrocan Mint Tea. Â All in all, my parents and hubby liked the food.
I think its better if you could go in a smaller group of four since they can entertain to your needs.
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