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Jonathan W.
Kosher, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian
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327 reviews
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1 star
- Aug 24, 2014Updated review
Amba ditched the Vegan thing this spring, added some meat options (beef kabobs, chicken schawerma & schnitzel), and is now Glatt Kosher.
I got the Chicken Shawerma Platter ($16 http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amba-oakland?select=zHNi06YktDhY5799JxcJag#zHNi06YktDhY5799JxcJag) which is a big plate of food coming with fries, Israeli salad, slaw, pickles and hummus (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amba-oakland?select=ZRS-D7IqZkEtuPA42RgCLA#ZRS-D7IqZkEtuPA42RgCLA). The chicken meat was moist and flavorful with a yellow curry type of sauce. Good size serving made for a second meal the next day.
The pita here is whole wheat (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amba-oakland?select=wwCLEY10S3tMzcCxvoiIHg#wwCLEY10S3tMzcCxvoiIHg) and was uneven in thickness and was falling apart on one side (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/amba-oakland?select=qHCmbXltvtjuqkxavvFECw#qHCmbXltvtjuqkxavvFECw) Luckily I was not having a pita sandwich!
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Love this 4
Oh no 0Mar 28, 2012Previous reviewI've been a bit under the weather so wanted something simple for lunch. I saw the recent good reviews so decided to give Amba another try with their Hummus Bowl with Eggplant ($8.50) + extra Egg (+$1) To-go (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MDmWzRKQQ6E46a4B3dntnQ?select=iP4_bBX7wwfA1ycUNGHvvA).
What a difference from my last visit!
The pita were warm & fluffy as opposed to dry and broken last time. One was pretty thin in the middle (the top 2 halves http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MDmWzRKQQ6E46a4B3dntnQ?select=PX6m966M-82PKr0e7jWhcg), but overall still held up. The generous amount of hummus was really garlicky, just how I like it! Three rounds of eggplant were good with a nice char and all topped with a non-chalky yolk hard-boiled egg.
Bumping them back up to 4 stars.
I hope they keep it up. A few more meals like this and I might forget my sub-par Sabich.Sep 7, 2011Previous reviewSandwiches are up to $8.50 from the $7 from my last review and quality seems to have slipped . . . at least tonight.
Got a Sabich (fried eggplant + hard-boiled egg in pita w/ Israeli salad and hummus) with a side of falafel.
It looked pretty good coming to the table (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MDmWzRKQQ6E46a4B3dntnQ?select=zojsxnjW0xAWNalW9WWtRQ), but the pita was hard and dry and fell apart almost immediately. After a bite or two I had to resort to knife and fork. The boiled egg had a chalky dry yolk with an un-appetizing green/gray layer (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MDmWzRKQQ6E46a4B3dntnQ?select=xukJ1mabvRifMkWH9xoyWA).
The fresh fried to order falafel (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MDmWzRKQQ6E46a4B3dntnQ?select=ax1PczGEma7JpOKO0cg6Yg) were nicely cooked and tasty with a crisp outer layer and moist inside.Jan 7, 2010Previous reviewGot the falafel sandwich ($7) and fresh lemonade ($3).
If you're a fan of the mint lemonade at Holy Land then don't order the fresh lemonade here. It was pretty weak and I probably wouldn't get it again.
The falafel sandwich in a pita, on the other hand, was delicious. The four falafel were crispy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside. Nice helping of Israeli salad (chopped tomatoes and cucumbers) and hummus and topped with some purple cabbage. I thought the hummus could have used a little more lemon juice (and garlic, but they don't call us Koreans "garlic eaters" for nothing), but other than that everything tasted nice, fresh, and flavorful.
All the employees I interacted with were super friendly. Amba looks to be a nice addition to Montclair Village. 
332214015326Mar 1, 2011Fast, friendly, hefty healthy portions & delish iced tea.
Thumbs up: mezze platter, even the dolmas was edible, I hate dolmas, super garlicky hummus, thick lentil soup with cubes of perfectly cooked potatoes and the french fries were crunchy and seasoned right. Super cute mini baklava in different varieties and shapes.
I LOVED how nothing was drenched in EVOO as many mezze plates are.
Thumbs down: dry falafel.
Parking is fairly easy, if you're willing to hoof it a block or so on Moraga, but hey it's FREE, can't beat that.
Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 3Oh no 0
238688633Apr 10, 2011Amba didn't make a good first impression on us. I've had this Groupon for eons, but each time we wanted to go, the restaurant was closed! Apparently closed on Friday evenings and Saturdays for Sabbath for us non-Jewish folks who got upset to discover it's closed when we're hungry. That's when I'm out and about usually. So, one Friday night was our last attempt to go there and had to opt for Toshi Sushi instead.
Okay, we're finally there. My Groupon expires on Wednesday! Our expectations were low. SOO...let's talk about the food first. We had the mushroom hummus with pita bread ($8.50), dolmas ($3 for 3 small ones), and three salad combo ($10, orzo, couscous, and falafel ball). Out of everything, my favorite has to be the falafel ball. I love fried crispiness. The hummus was okay. The pita bread was warm and soft. The couscous was overly onion-y and pungent, overpowering any other flavor in the dish. Blah...where's my breath mint? The orzo was not memorable at all. For what it was, the food seemed overpriced.
The service was alright, but it bothered us when the waitress was bus'ing the table next to us and sprayed diluted bleach to wipe down the table. Ugh...having chlorine dispersed in close vacinity of us was especially appetizing. BLAH...serious?
The restroom was clean, but why was there Purell and not liquid soap by the sink? WHAT?
Meh, I won't be coming back. I'd rather spend my money elsewhere...
Helpful 3Thanks 0Love this 3Oh no 0- Feb 12, 2015Updated review
I've recently gone to Amba and fortunately it has been better. I love the falafel and the hummus, it's just to die for, or it's just me that I love it so much. This time the pita bread was reallyy good, it reminded me of a fluffy light pancake. I'll come oftenly now more often
Unfortunately I heard it will close.Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0Jan 9, 2014Previous reviewI've had a really interesting experience and mixed feelings at this location versus other hummus and falafel places.
The atmosphere and and decor of Amba is alright, the employees were friendly, I did experience a good beginning.
When the food came I was excited a lot...t but when I tried the hummus it was bland and somewhat tasteless and the bread was tasteless too. The falafel were really good and they did look that they were fresh so that's good. The red cabbage salad was also not like what I've tasted before. I feel it's not authentic in my overall experience, it was just different from what I've had at other location.
The price was okay for what I got. I prefer to go to San Francisco's "Sabra Grill" even though the price is high in SF the taste is worth it.
I wanted to like it but it didn't work out for me. I'll recommend this place to others though trying to look for a quick falafel/hummus. - Jul 18, 2015
Amba has got some excellent middern eastern food, and a lot of it. The chicken shawarma I got had a ton of chicken and was too big for me to pick up - that's a lot of shawarma! I like how they used a curry blend for the chicken as well.
Prices are a little up there, but the food and service are great.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 1Oh no 0 
Shimmy S.El Cerrito, CA04758Feb 1, 2015Amazing Shawarma and Falafel!!! Wow! Super authentic and fresh! As an Israeli American, I have to say the shawarma and falafel at Amba taste just like in Israel - which is very hard to find here in the Bay Area. Honestly I have been to a few middle eastern restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley and SF and this one tops them all!
The restaurant is also very cute and clean which is important to me. And the people who work here and very nice! The portions are very big - I couldn't finish my shawarma pita and my mom couldn't finish her falafel plate. There is also very convenient parking just behind the restaurant.
Highly recommended! Will definitely be coming back!
Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 2Oh no 0Business owner information
Jon W.
Feb 3, 2015
Amba Loves you right back!
- May 24, 2013
One good thing about LivingSocial/Groupon/etc is that you often get to try a place that you never would have before. Such is the case with Amba. Located in the Montclair district, it's a bit out of the way from where I usually travel. I think I've only been on Hwy 13 twice, before venturing off the beaten path towards Amba.
I'm glad the 50% off deal convinced us to check it out. I wouldn't have found the place otherwise. We waited up until nearly the last day of coupon viability, since it seemed to be so far outta the way. When you actually look at it, it's really not too far away. It just seems like you're not really in Oakland when you arrive. It feels very secluded. Not really a bad thing at all.
We ordered the falafel sandwich and a small Mezze platter. The Mezze disappointed in that you only get two balls with it. Falafel is my thing, so the more the merrier. They do have a good amount of side dish choices to complete your platter. We got the orzo as one and it wasn't all that great. Way too tangy, and this is coming from someone that thinks "the tangier the better" when it comes to Dolmas. Speaking of which, their Dolmas were pretty good. Their hummus was flavorful and creamy. I would have liked to see more on my plate though.
I'm not big on their version of the Falafel Sandwich either. I could eat a falafel wrap everyday if you let me. Put those same ingredients in a pita pocket, and my mood changes. Also, there was something tangy in this as well. I think it was their Tabouli that didn't sit well with me. Totally took away from our falafel experience.
I believe they're 100% Vegetarian so they have that going for them. Also the service was pretty good from the young kids working there. It wasn't terrible, I just don't think it would encourage me to take the detour down Hwy 13 to eat here again when there's so many better falafel choices out there.Helpful 10Thanks 0Love this 8Oh no 0 
Lee R.Oakland, CA6876621852Dec 1, 2010The food is terrific. No frills ... just good food and really great fries.
My husband likes the food here, especially since he is a vegetarian and he happens to be Jewish too. Yesterday, I brought treats from here to my daughter after school and I barely heard a word from her on the way home ... her mouth was full ... yum yum.
This weekend, I will be taking my in-laws to Amba and I am sure they will love it.. I will love it more since they recently obtained a license to sell beer.
The food is covered ... Now I look forward to them getting some good beer & wine.
*fingers crossed*Helpful 6Thanks 0Love this 4Oh no 0
Vicki S.San Francisco, CA1304313Dec 4, 2014I really want to love this place, it's one of my favorite cuisines, but....
I got the chicken shwarma platter today - with tax it came to 17 dollars. That is just way too high in any world, I'm sorry. I would value this dish at around 10 dollars, tops. I feel like I definitely spent too much - and I'm curious how well they are doing here at these price ranges.
Aside from the overpricing, I will say - the service was super nice today. The salad that came with my platter is delicious - cabbage, pickles, and a tomato/cucumber mix. The other salad items looked amazing too - I will most likely come back and try the cauliflower, the beets, the couscous - all looked really fresh and good.
The chicken shwarma is tasty - the chicken is moist, but I will say - it's more a yellow chicken curry than a traditional shwarma.
The fries are average -good - again, maybe I would have liked them more if I wasn't paying 17!!! dollars for them - really overpriced.
Still - this is my neighborhood, and out of desperation for good middle eastern/israeli food, I will be back and try the shakshuka and the salads.
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0- Mar 20, 2011
Clown size portions for kosher vegitarian food. We got the mezze platter w/a side of fries and it MORE than enough for the two of us. However we pride ourselves on "leaving no survivors" so we polished it ALL off.
Was it really necessary, in a word "yes" as it was yummy. We'll be back when we are looking for cleansing whole bunch of food.
Did I say the fries were good? Steak cut double fried to a crisp outter layer...mmmHelpful 2Thanks 0Love this 3Oh no 0
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