Kairouan is not a major culinary destination, but it has one thing it does very well: makroud, a date-filled semolina pastry fried in oil and soaked in honey that has been made here for centuries and is sold at bakeries throughout the medina. Buy them fresh, eat them warm. The city also produces a local sheep cheese and is known for its lamb dishes.
Restaurants cluster around the edge of the medina and the main square. Most are simple and serve the standard Tunisian repertoire — couscous, tajine, grilled meats. The food is honest rather than refined.