El Harissa Market Cafe

I'm not sure how I never heard of this place, but I sure am glad I found it! This is a quaint gustatory gem hidden in a strip mall. The family that owns it is incredibly friendly and passionate about quality, healthy food. It is particularly noteworthy that they feature delicacies from Northern Africa. I tried: muhamarra, mam houria, Carthage salad, black tea and saffron rice pudding, tabboulah, cauliflower , Maghrebi chilli and carrot dip. I was lucky enough to try several gelato flavors and they were fabulous; such unique , well balanced flavors! I will be coming here on. Regular basis for sure!

El Harissa is one of my favorite cafes in Ann Arbor. I always spend a small fortune when I shop here because there are many unique goodies to purchase. There is so much to choose from, whether it's gelato, Torres chips, or their many delicious ready-made dishes. I've tried the Chicken Tagine, Skordalia, Saffron Rice, and Merguez Meatballs; everything is delicious. There seem to be a dozen more dishes I haven't tried yet, so I want to try something new every time I visit.

The three of us had a lovely dinner at this unassuming Café and store. It is truly a pleasure to have a meal here. The food is cooked to order and then saved for reheating later, so you're eating food that has been cooked long and slow as the cuisine dictates. The mom and son who do the work of this establishment are both charming and friendly. Highly recommend.

Despite getting food from El Harissa multiple times, I unfortunately don't have any food photos because, well, I ate it all :)The food here is seriously top-quality, fresh, and delicious. The staff is always so helpful in explaining what's in each dish and giving recommendations. These are some of my personal favorites:Spice Roasted Mushrooms: I could just pop these, they are ridiculously good! El Harissa somehow gets this lovely, super light crisp on the mushrooms while keeping them juicy and tender inside. The flavor is slightly reminiscent of falafel (I'm figuring that's the chickpea flour) but with a little more zest. These are a must-get!Spice Roasted Cauliflower: like the mushrooms, delicious!Root Vegetable & Date Tagine: what a beautiful dish! The tagine is silky and thick from all the root vegetables, and the dates and pomegranate molasses add a complimentary sweetness. Even if you're not plant-based, I think this is worth an order!Bacalao Fish Pie: unique and yummy! It sells out fast though, so you might have to be like me and try multiple times to get your hands on it.Black Tea and Saffron Rice Pudding: a seriously beautiful dessert, in looks and taste! Super silky, cooling, and flavorful. I especially love the juicy raisins because boy are they juicy! They're basically fully rehydrated so eating them is kind of like eating nature's popping boba. Then the nuts add a crunchy texture into the mix, really great!Other items that I've tried include the Chicken Tagine, Mujadara Rice, and Lablabi. I wasn't as blown away by these items but they were still very good and wouldn't be mad getting them again myself.On the whole, I think El Harissa Market has some of the best food in Ann Arbor!!! Definitely check it out. They have a really cute market inside too which is nice to peruse when they're warming up your food.

We placed a large takeout order to El Harissa. I guess I would categorize them more like a deli, compared to a sit-down spot. They will warm dishes up for you, but we opted to do that ourselves at home. Everything was very flavorful, and it was the perfect balance of savory and fresh. The highlights were the whipped feta, harissa dip, and merguez meatballs. We also ordered the Tunisian salad and chicken chermoula, which were good, but not mind-blowing. The portion sizes varied; I felt like they were generous for the dips, more average for the entrees. Even for how much food we ordered, our bill was pretty sizable. But it's a family-owned shop that clearly cares about quality, so worth the occasional splurge. If you're looking for a to-go spot with plenty of veggie-heavy dishes, El Harissa is a great option!

Beyond satisfied by this food! Always leave healthy and full. The menu offers some more cultured food that offers some diversity from traditional Ann Arbor Restaurants. Liberty (An employee) is my favorite to work with and very hospitable. I'm also planning on getting my wedding Catered from here. Inside the place is set up like a Deli with seating, during summer the place breathes life, plants inside and out as well as outdoor seating.

Amazing, healthy, tasty food. Great service and friendly staff and owner. Indoor ans outdoor seating available.

I won a gift certificate for this place, and had a chance to try this today. I ordered the large portion meatballs. It came with rice, bread, and a sauce. The food was outstanding! Very flavorful! I will definitely be back to try some of their other selections.

Amazing food at very reasonable prices. It all tasted fresh and was absolutely delicious, plus there was a variety of both meal options and desserts! Definitely planning on coming back.

Very nice staff, great food. And I nice little market area with unique finds! Had the egg tagine. it was excellent.