A Food Lover's Road Trip in Morocco: the Best Roadside Tajine and Grill Stops

In Morocco you often eat better beside the national road than in a hotel restaurant. At roadside stops, tajines have been simmering over charcoal since morning and the butcher minces your kefta in front of you. These are the stops worth a detour, and what to know before you sit down.

Photo: Houssain tork — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Published on 19 August 2026

1. The butcher-grills of Berrechid and Settat (Casablanca - Marrakech road)
2. The tajines at the Tichka pass roadhouses
3. Oualidia oysters and Atlantic coast fish
4. Fruit stalls, season by season
5. Moroccan couscous: where and when to eat it on the road

1. The butcher-grills of Berrechid and Settat (Casablanca - Marrakech road)

On the old road from Casablanca to Marrakech, Berrechid and Settat are known across the country for their butcher-grills. If you are on the motorway, come off at either town for lunch.

It works like this: you choose the meat at the counter (lamb chops, beef skewers, kefta seasoned with coriander, onion and cumin), it is weighed, and the grill man puts it straight on the coals. It comes on paper with round bread, onions, tomatoes and mint tea. You pay by the weight of the meat, plus bread and drinks.

2. The tajines at the Tichka pass roadhouses

As the N9 climbs towards Ouarzazate, the roadhouses of Taddert and around the pass line up rows of clay tajines on braziers.

Lamb with prunes and almonds or a vegetable tajine cooks slowly here, and the stop comes at the right moment, just before or just after the most winding stretch of the road. Break the drive here rather than taking all the hairpins in one go.

3. Oualidia oysters and Atlantic coast fish

If you follow the coast between El Jadida and Safi, stop at Oualidia, above its lagoon: it is the name every Moroccan links with oysters.

On the beach or in the fishermen's huts, order a dozen oysters opened in front of you with a squeeze of lemon, then grilled sea bream or sea bass with a Moroccan salad of tomato, onion and cucumber. Further south, Essaouira offers the same freshness at the port grills: you pick the fish from the stall, they grill it, and you agree the price before it goes on the fire.

4. Fruit stalls, season by season

On country roads, growers sell their fruit at the roadside. What you find depends on the season.

In summer, melons, which the seller cuts open for you to taste, and watermelons.

In autumn, fresh dates from the Draa valley and the Tafilalet, and pomegranates.

In spring, strawberries from the Larache area. The Sefrou cherries come a little later, in early summer, around the town's cherry festival.

5. Moroccan couscous: where and when to eat it on the road

In Morocco, couscous is the Friday dish: families share it at midday, after the main weekly prayer. Many small neighbourhood and roadside restaurants only make it that day, because semolina rolled by hand and steamed over the broth takes hours. If you are driving on a Friday, make the most of it.

The most common version is seven-vegetable couscous, with lamb or beef and chickpeas. Look out too for couscous tfaya, topped with caramelised onions and raisins, and in the countryside barley couscous, called belboula. For dessert, seffa is a fine sweet couscous served with cinnamon and almonds.

To find it, stop at lunchtime in a small town rather than at a motorway service area, and head for a simple eatery around the square or the souk, where local people eat. Park at the edge of the square, where an attendant often watches the cars. Tourist restaurants in the medinas serve couscous every day.

It is a filling dish. If a long drive lies ahead in the afternoon, share a plate between two, or take a proper break before getting back behind the wheel, especially in the heat.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to eat at a roadside stop?

Do what truck drivers do: stop where it is busy. A popular place gets through its meat within the day. Choose a grill cooked in front of you over a dish that has been waiting, and wash your hands before eating with the bread.

Can you pay by card at roadside restaurants?

Rarely. Small roadside places work in cash. Always carry some dirhams: between towns, cash machines are few and far between.

Is the tap water drinkable in these places?

Mains water in towns is treated, but for a visitor passing through, sealed bottled mineral water remains the careful choice. Every grocery sells it.

Where can I eat good couscous in Morocco?

On a Friday lunchtime, in a small neighbourhood restaurant or a simple eatery in a market town, where local people have lunch. On other days, medina restaurants serve it too. Ask for seven-vegetable couscous or couscous tfaya with caramelised onions.

Why is couscous eaten on Fridays in Morocco?

Friday is the day of the main weekly prayer: families gather at midday around a dish that takes a long time to prepare and is made for sharing. Many working-class restaurants only cook it that day.

Sources

Visit Morocco — visitmorocco.com

UNESCO — ich.unesco.org

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Written by the Loccor editorial team, the platform connecting travellers with car rental agencies in Morocco.

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