Our best seller
Chicken Shawarma, Lebanese Family Style
Our chicken shawarma in Joliet comes straight off the spit and into your bowl or wrap while you watch. The recipe comes from our parents’ Lebanese kitchen, and now we get to feed you.
What is chicken shawarma?
Shawarma is seasoned meat stacked on a tall vertical spit that turns slowly next to the heat. As the outside browns, it gets shaved off in thin, crisp-edged ribbons. The word comes from the Turkish for “turning”, and it’s been a street food staple across the Levant (Lebanon, Syria and their neighbors) for generations.
Chicken shawarma is the version most people fall for first. It’s tender, it soaks up the spices, and it plays nicely with almost every sauce we make. In Lebanon you’d find it wrapped tight with garlic sauce and pickles. Here, you get to decide.
How AMBA makes chicken shawarma in Joliet
Dany, our head chef, cooks from family recipes that go back generations, straight out of our parents’ Lebanese kitchen. The chicken is carved from the spit, produce is chopped daily and every sauce is made in house. Nothing sits in a steam tray waiting for you.
Every bowl gets built right in front of you, so you can say “more onions” or “easy on the feta” and we’ll do it. First time in? Ask for a taste of the chicken shawarma next to the tawook, which is our grilled chicken, and see which one you like more.
You point, we scoop, and you walk out with a bowl built exactly the way you asked for it.
The sauces that make it
Shawarma without sauce is a sad sandwich. Pick one drizzle with your bowl:
- Toum. Whipped Lebanese garlic sauce. Bold, fluffy and the classic match. More on it in what is toum.
- Tahini. Nutty sesame sauce, smooth and a little lemony.
- Amba. Tangy mango sauce, and the reason for our name.
- Harissa. Red chili sauce for people who like it hot.
- Tzatziki. Cool yogurt and cucumber.
Bowl, wrap or family meal?
In a Mediterranean bowl, chicken shawarma sits on saffron turmeric rice, bulgur pilaf, greens or half and half, with a dip like hummus or spicy feta plus three toppings. Sumac onions and pickled turnips are the Lebanese move.
For toppings, our Lebanese starter pack is pickled turnips, pickles and sumac onions. The turnips are bright pink and tangy, and sumac is a tart red spice that tastes a bit like lemon. Add tomato and cucumber salad if you want something fresh against the rich chicken, and red cabbage slaw if you want crunch.
Want it handheld? Our signature wraps and pitas start at $11 and chicken adds $2. Feeding four to six? The Family Feast Meal brings chicken shawarma, tawook, rice, hummus, pita, salads, sauces and a half gallon of ginger mint lemonade for $49.99. These are in-store menu prices and they can change.
Order chicken shawarma for pickup or delivery
Come see us at 1522 Illinois Rte 59 in Joliet, Monday to Saturday 10:30am to 8:30pm and Sunday 11:30am to 7:30pm. You can order online for pickup, or find us on DoorDash and Uber Eats. Call (815) 566-8881 with questions.
Bringing home dinner for the family? Call ahead or order online and it will be ready when you pull up. Our guests mention the portion sizes a lot, so come hungry.
“So much chicken. Juicy and tender. The hummus is some of the best I've ever had. Portion size is HUGE.”
Good questions
Asked at the counter.
What is the difference between chicken shawarma and tawook?
Shawarma is cooked on a vertical spit and shaved thin. Tawook is grilled chicken, a Lebanese favorite of its own. We serve both, and you can ask for a taste of each at the counter.
What sauce goes with chicken shawarma?
In Lebanon the classic is toum, a whipped garlic sauce. Tahini is the other traditional pick. At AMBA you can also choose amba mango sauce, harissa or tzatziki.
Is chicken shawarma gluten free?
Our chicken shawarma is marked GF on the menu board, and so is the saffron turmeric rice. Pita and the bulgur pilaf are not, so build on rice or greens. If you have a serious allergy, tell us at the counter.
Is chicken shawarma spicy?
Not on its own. It’s seasoned, not hot. If you want heat, add harissa or the spicy feta dip.
Can I get chicken shawarma for a party?
Yes. Party Trays come with chicken shawarma or tawook wraps, fresh-cut fries and a dip, and our catering team handles bigger events. Prices are from our in-store menu and can change.
Come hungry. Leave family.
1522 Illinois Rte 59, Joliet. Mon to Sat 10:30am to 8:30pm, Sun 11:30am to 7:30pm.
