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Built in front of you.

The AMBA Bowl. Lebanese family recipes, made your way in Joliet.

01 · The Base

Saffron rice. Shawarma off the spit.

02 · The Build

Fresh toppings, every one made here.

03 · The Drizzle

Toum and zhug, drizzled to order.

A bowl of saffron rice on Amba yellow, ringed by every topping that went into it
  1. Hummus
  2. Chicken shawarma
  3. Sweet corn
  4. Cucumber + tomato
  5. Purple cabbage
  6. Pickled turnips
  7. Red pepper hummus
  8. Pickles
  9. Sumac onions
  10. Saffron rice

Lunch, upgraded

Lunch shouldn’t be a gamble.

  • The problem: Small, sad bowls at chain prices.

    At AMBA: Ours are big. Guests bring it up in their reviews.

  • The problem: Ordering something new and hoping you like it.

    At AMBA: Ask for a taste of anything first. Really.

  • The problem: Thirty minutes for lunch and a long line.

    At AMBA: Order ahead online and grab it on your way.

  • The problem: Food that tastes like a factory made it.

    At AMBA: Family recipes, chopped fresh every day.

We do it differently.

Order pickupSee the menu

From our guests

Rated 4.7 on Google.

Hundreds of five-star reviews from Joliet, Plainfield and beyond. Here are a few, in their words.

★★★★★

“This food is so good it makes me want to cry.”

Julie M.

★★★★★

“Greeted when we hit the door. The cook staff let me try different meat options to add to my shawarma bowl – saffron rice was flavorful so were all the toppings to add.”

Virginia B.

★★★★★

“This place is 10/10 amazing. The staff is so nice, the ingredients are so fresh and everything was so good. I also highly recommend getting the ginger mint lemonade.”

Nikki

★★★★★

“So much chicken. Juicy and tender. The hummus is some of the best I’ve ever had. Portion size is HUGE.”

Christian B.

★★★★★

“Always fresh, and always delicious! Always feel so welcomed when I go in.”

Mr. T

★★★★★

“Husband had a gyro that was absolutely loaded with meat. … The baklava was flaky gooey perfection.”

Lisa D.

The AMBA Way

Build your bowl in four steps.

You pick, we build it right in front of you. Not sure about the zhug? Ask for a taste first. That’s how we do it at home.

A white bowl of golden saffron rice on a wood table

Step 1

Pick your base

Saffron basmati rice, bulgur and tomato pilaf, mixed greens, or half and half.

Chicken shawarma piled on saffron rice in a white bowl

Step 2

Add a protein

Chicken shawarma, steak shawarma, falafel, gyro, tawook or roasted veg.

A bowl filled with hummus, corn, cabbage, pickled turnips and tomato cucumber salad

Step 3

Pile on toppings

Hummus, corn, slaw, sumac onions, pickled turnips and more. Chopped fresh, right here.

A finished bowl with zig-zags of white garlic toum and green zhug

Step 4

Finish with a drizzle

Toum, zhug, tahini or tzatziki. Or all of them. We won’t judge.

Signature bowls

Not sure yet? Start here.

The bowls our regulars keep coming back for. Get one as is, or swap anything you like.

Chicken shawarma bowl with hummus, corn, cabbage and toum and zhug drizzles

House favorite

Chicken Shawarma Bowl

Saffron rice, shawarma, hummus, corn, pickled turnips, cabbage, toum and zhug.

Steak bowl with saffron rice, corn, carrots, cabbage and tahini

Hearty

Steak Bowl

Steak shawarma over saffron rice with corn, carrots, cabbage, turnips and tahini.

Gyro bowl with greens, chickpeas, carrots, red pepper hummus and tzatziki

Carved from the spit

Gyro Bowl

Beef and lamb gyro on greens with chickpeas, carrots, red pepper hummus and tzatziki.

Roasted vegetable bowl with feta, corn, peppers and cucumber

Vegetarian

Roasted Veg. Bowl

Roasted vegetables, feta, corn, cucumber and red pepper hummus.

A gyro pita wrapped in black and yellow checkered paper, piled with shaved gyro, tomato, red onion, parsley and tzatziki

The gyro

Shaved off the spit.

Beef and lamb, roasted slow all day and carved thin to order.

Wrapped warm. Piled high.

Soft pita, tomato, red onion and parsley around a whole lot of gyro.

Then the tzatziki.

“Husband had a gyro that was absolutely loaded with meat.”

Lisa D., Google review

Wraps, pitas and falafel

Not a bowl day? Wrap it up.

Pick falafel or roasted veg, or go chicken or gyro (+$2) or steak (+$3). Add fries or baklava and a drink for $6 more.

A grilled chicken wrap cut in half with a cup of sauce on a white plate

$11

Signature wraps

Thin wrap bread, grilled until it crackles. Your protein, a spread, three toppings and our house sauce.

A pita pocket stuffed with gyro, lettuce, onions and garlic sauce

$11

Pitas

Same build, tucked into a warm pita pocket. Easy to eat on a 30 minute lunch.

Six golden falafel around a cup of tahini sauce

6 for $6

Falafel

Crispy outside, green and fluffy inside, fried fresh. Get them as bites, in a wrap or on any bowl.

Falafel, your way

Falafel bites, 6 for $6 or 12 for $10

Falafel wrap or pita, $11

Falafel bowl on saffron rice or greens

Vegan and gluten free

The AMBA crew in black AMBA shirts posing together in the kitchen
Dany, Johnny, Rabih and Rami, the four brothers behind AMBA

Our story

Four brothers. One big crew.

AMBA started in a Lebanese kitchen, where our parents taught us that sharing food is sharing love. Dany, Johnny, Rabih and Rami grew up on those recipes. Now we cook them for you.

Dany runs the kitchen. Johnny keeps the team steady. Rabih keeps finding new ways to make your visit better. Rami keeps it all running, every single day.

And behind them is a crew that chops, carves and builds every bowl like it is going to their own family.

Catering

Feeding a crowd? Bring the bowl bar.

Feeding a hungry team, throwing a birthday or planning a wedding? Our catering is fresh, full of flavor and built your way, so every guest leaves happy (and full).

Office events

Family gatherings

Weddings and more

Build-your-own bowl bars

A wood table spread with bowls, fries, falafel, hummus and dips for a group

Visit and order

Meat you here!

Address1522 Illinois Rte 59
Joliet, IL 60431

HoursMon to Sat, 10:30am to 8:30pm
Sunday, 11:30am to 7:30pm

Call(815) 566-8881

Emailambagrill1522@gmail.com

Delivery on DoorDash and Uber Eats.

A cup of ginger mint lemonade with a lemon wheel and fresh mint