Cous Cous - Cherry Hill

I was in the mood for falafel late one night and options were limited past 10:00PM. We came across this restaurant and were happy to see that they were still serving food. The late night menu was pretty good. My friend got a shawarma sandwich while I opted for a falafel sandwich, spicy garlic fries, and we shared an order of hummus. The hummus stood out for its strong garlic flavor. The falafel was flavorful and satisfying, although my friend was not as impressed with her shawarma. The spicy garlic fries lacked the strong garlic taste we were hoping for and weren't very spicy. The atmosphere was laid-back, with small tables and seating that may be more comfortable for shorter individuals. Most of the tables were occupied by people smoking hookah and enjoying drinks.

We arrived at the restaurant late at night around 10pm and were pleased to find out that they were still serving food. We ordered the hummus, falafel, and shwarma sandwiches, along with the spicy garlic fries. The hummus was delicious, with a good amount of garlic and not too much lemon. The falafel had a great flavor, while the shwarma was average. It wasn't outstanding but it wasn't bad either. The spicy garlic fries had a decent taste, but the fries were a bit soggy and not very spicy. They used pickled jalapenos to add some heat, but the garlic flavor was not very pronounced.

As someone who has been around hookah and Mediterranean restaurants for most of his life, I can say with certainty this place is a sham. The only reason they are in business is because they have a monopoly on the south jersey market and sell to unsuspecting novices who don't know any better. While the family that owns and operates the establishment is generally lovely, the grumpy old man that sometimes works there just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. He always insists that his ridiculously inflated prices for tobacco in the store are somehow justified. They charge $18 for something that costs $9.80 at a store in central jersey. Beware!!! On top of that he is disgustingly rude and is unnecessarily aggressive and offensive. I will never set foot in this establishment again, and will tell everyone I ever come across to stay away from this place after my experience today.

This review is ONLY for the hookah. I've been to numerous hookah lounges all over Philly, North Jersey, and NYC. The only reason I go to Cous Cous for hookah is because it's literally the only place in South Jersey, otherwise if I could go to Philly or North Jersey every time I wanted hookah, I would. They charge $25 per hookah (one flavor) with an added 20% gratuity tip and sales tax. So, it ends up coming out to $32 for one hookah. It's also a $5 cover charge for BYOB. Personally, that's pretty expensive for me especially when I'm used to paying no more than $20 for a hookah everywhere else. If they lowered their prices just a little, Cous Cous would still be my last resort, but it would be better than nothing.

Five stars for the food! Subtracting one for the dust. Two of my group were excited to try CousCous and two were dragged along kicking and screaming, but we ALL liked the food! Started with the harissa soup which had a great spice profile and then had the vegan bastilla which, though a bit sweet for an appetizer, was delicious and a huge portion-more than enough for four. I had the stewed lamb couscous dish and it was delicious- loved the flavors. My only issue was the dried food on the seats and the HUGE dust bunnies and hair on the little shelves of the speakers pole which were right at face level at our table. So if they do a good dusting it's a five star!