06/23/2026 Second stop on the road heading West and my wife…read morefound this excellent restaurant in the middle of Joliet. Our waiter, Nick was very patient in answering all our questions and very personable. We started with the spread sampler which was plentiful. My wife had read how their steak was "amazing" so we went with the Mprizola (a 16 oz steak) that was served perfectly and was an excellent cut of meat. Paired with the steak we shared the grilled vegetables which were also excellent. Knowing we were heading for a wedding and probably "too much" food, we passed on any dessert. Thought about stopping in on the return trip, but ended up taking a different route. Next time though...

Saganaki was delicious -great drink choices friendly wait staff- liked dessert choices especially…read morethe lemon cake-yummy

One of my family's favorite restaurants!! We your bowls and friendly service. Definitely recommend !read more

Have to immediately put this out there... service was great!!…read more I yelped fast casual on a road trip. Amba was a little off off 55 but o simply didn't want some of the more traditional fast casual spots. So we selected Amba. We pulled up, and there was one table of customers. The atmosphere Ilic's clean but had a hamburger joint feel to it. I started to question if this was the right choice. If you stop reading before what I have to say below, trust me you'll love this place. We walked up to the digital menu which has a feel of a franchise even through the rest of the restaurant feels like an independent mom/pop joint. So I order a bowl- rice, greens, falafel, cucumber/tomato mix, picked onions, olives, traditional. Hummus and feta. Then we get to the sauce... I'm simply overwhelmed with all the choices. The nice man behind the counter gave me a little dollop of 5-6 sauces and they were all amazing... ! You can't go wrong with any of them. I went with The Amba sauce but really they all were so flavorful! My bowl was huge! More than I could eat in one sitting (similar to the quantity of a chipotle bowl which I also can never finish). The falafel!!! Oh my! Probably one of the most flavorful falafel that I've ever had. Yum! Yum. Yum! My husband had the chicken shawarma ... he said his was awesome, I'm pretty sure awesome chicken shawarma was no where as good as my falafel. I'm not a soda drinker, but if I was, I'd be super excited about their no HFCS soda. All flavors are made with real cane sugar! I was super happy with yelp's suggestion. Next time we pass through, we will be back!

Love coming here for burgers and gyros. My favorite spot in Joliet/Shorewood area. Highly recommend…read moreit! For two people I usually get the 2P2S gyro and it's very affordable. The meat is stacked high and tastes great.

Great food, fast service and a very clean establishment. I definitely recommend this place for a…read morequick meal.

Do not let the strip mall fool you. Do not let the kiosk ordering fool you. Do not let the…read moreunassuming interior fool you. Just go. Taste of Jerusalem is the kind of place that reminds you why you should never judge a restaurant by its zip code or its signage. Tucked into a perfectly forgettable strip mall in Plainfield, this little spot is quietly serving some of the best food in the area and I am genuinely annoyed it took me this long to find it. The chicken kabob plate was a revelation. Massive portions of beautifully marinated chicken laid over a split of white rice and spicy rice. That spicy rice deserves its own paragraph. Fragrant, deeply spiced, with a slow building heat that lingers just long enough to keep pulling you back for another bite. Addicting is the only word for it. The hummus was exactly what hummus should be, fresh, delicious, also addictive. I added falafel and pita and those falafel were genuinely among the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked, not a trace of that greasy heaviness that ruins lesser versions. Just fragrant, spiced, crispy little bites that I genuinely savored. My partner got the chicken wrap and said every component worked together without competing, tasted fresh, and left him full without feeling heavy. High praise from a man who knows his way around a wrap. The space is clean and simple. You order from a kiosk. None of that matters because the husband and wife team running the grill are pouring obvious passion into every plate and it comes through in every single bite. Plainfield has a gem here. Treat it accordingly.

Tried this for the first time and was so good. Loved they give the option of half and half flavors…read moreof rice. Chicken was so flavorful! Only thing is definitely a bit over priced. Got 3 little pieces of steak and it was added $9....

Terrible waste of 20 dollars on a gyro plate. Comes with side of Greek salad. Lettuce completely…read morewilted and brown, disgusting and inedible m. Also, only came with this amount of onions and NO tomatoes, I had to cut my own tomatoes at home. I would not come here again, Smileys is way better quality. UPDATE***** Owner contacted me right away and offered a in store credit. Also addressed whose staff that the salad does not go in the plate, should have gone in separate container. Which may of contributed to the lettuce being wilted. I will be updating on Monday, once I give them another try on their food.

Always friendly!! Always fast but not too fast! Great tasting food! I'm partial to the pizza puff…read morekids meal!! For $8..... I'll take it!!

Mr Submarine serves hot and cold sandwiches along with French fries and drinks. The bread is…read moreexcellent with fresh vegetables. I like the beef. Turkey or Tuna salad sandwiches served with cheese fries. The service is good, but may take time when the service line gets long. You can go in for indoor dining, but I tend to eat in my car.

Wow! The beef and sausage combo is plenty for two to share. Comes with crispy crinkle fries. The…read moreItalian sausage was perfectly flavored and topped with delicious roast beef and peppers mmm. Service space is tight but fast service helps. What a bargain all that for under $14! Yes! Go here.

Every year. Every. Year. I make the 45+ minute drive to get gumbo from this establishment, and I am…read morehesitant to write about it because then there'll be less for me, but it must be said: that dish is absolutely delicious. I buy multiple plates of it and freeze it in case I'm having a bad day or there's a freak snow storm in May. I'm not sure if the man who makes the gumbo is also the owner, but he needs a raise. It comes with cornbread. The most delicious also, and not a sliver; they give you a brick of cornbread. Such a friendly place, and actually this time while I was enjoying the quirky signs around the bar, I did take a peek at the rest of the menu. It looks like everything they have is equally worth eating. I tell you what, my soul was pretty happy walking out of there.

This seems like a fairly new, but very nice little place. We did not get to take advantage of the…read moreoutdoor seating as it was kind of chilly in a little bit rainiy that day as we went to the Rialto Theatre for a concert. This place is directly across the street from the theater, so the convenience cannot be beat. It is a comfortable place with a decent bar and excellent bartender. The customer service could not be beat. The owner was on hand, making sure everything went well through the rush prior to the show across the street. waitresses and food runners were busy, thorough and efficient. The sandwiches we got were fine, but the fries were excellent! Seasoned perfectly and had a great crunch to them. The appetizers were a basic fare. Nothing to write home about, but they hit the spot.

I finally stopped by after driving by for years. I had a gyros cheese fry. Very tasty, like eating…read morea gyro with fries. I noted that the gyros was good and the sauce excellent. The order taker was very helpful and suggested the cheese fry as my first meal. The atmosphere is like most restaurants of this type. It was originally a Pizza Hut building, so the layout follows that form. The menu includes breakfast, but lunch is their forte - it is very diverse and I intend to visit again.

The food here is great and the prices make it an amazing value. The gyros are honestly the best…read moreI've had--fresh, flavorful, and perfectly made. The portions are generous, and everything tastes like it's made with care. If you're looking for a great place to grab a tasty meal without spending a lot, this is the spot.

MAXWELL STREET RACING…read more Ya gotta make a pit stop for polish sausage at this Portillo's Pickup in Joliet. Speed isn't just the goal here; it's integrated into the overall theme.  Most Portillo's have decor from a certain era (e.g. Glendale Heights features 30's prohibition, Elmhurst is a 1950's neon diner, Homewood has a 70's hippie vibe), but this location on Larkin Ave is all about NASCAR. The racing motif is fitting, as this Portillo's has a unique triple drive thru (yep, *3* lanes) to serve customers as quickly as possible.  Since there's no dining room, all business is done at a small pickup counter inside or via the drive thru.  Service has been zippy across a few visits. There are lots of great things on the menu, especially the beef 'n' cheddar croissant ($8), jumbo Chicago style dog ($5), and the iconic chocolate cake ($6).  Lemon cake is a seasonal fan favorite, and my wife absolutely loves their strawberry shortcake ($5).  Char burger w/cheese & bacon is underrated, too. As with the classic hot dog, their Maxwell Street polish ($6) comes on a steamed poppyseed bun with mustard.  It's seasoned to perfection and has a wonderful 'snap' to it. Grilled onions are piled on top, and for an added burst of flavor, I recommend adding sport peppers. On my last trip here, I ordered a cup of hot giardiniera to go with an Italian beef and instead got.....a cup of hot oil.  0% "giard", 100% tub o' spicy liquid.  I found this more amusing than upsetting, but it wasn't what I paid for, so I have to dock a star. * TL;DR * Put the pedal to the metal and hurry to your nearest Portillo's! The Maxwell Street (a.k.a. footlong polish sausage) is great for those with a hearty appetite, although you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.  Sign up for their rewards program and they'll give you a free large fry, plus a free piece of cake on your birthday. This location is lacking the interior charm of other Portillo's in the Chicagoland area, but if all you care about is getting tasty food relatively quickly, then consider this place victory lane.

I've been looking for an excuse to come to this Portillo's forever since it opened. I assumed I had…read morethe perfect chance to visit after getting a free coupon for an Italian beef sandwich from a hockey game I went to months ago from a Portillo's promotion. Mind you that my card was valid until the end of 2026. The people at Portillo's were telling me that my card voucher was expired though it was not. The worst part was is that it took me 30 minutes just to get up to the lady to ask for my food too. Just to be the client and even get out of line in the end wasting my time that I won't get back. It's supposed to be a three-lane drive-thru and the traffic is more backed up than Interstate 55 heading towards Chicago just to be able to obtain your food anyways. After experiencing this, I will not be coming back to this Portillo's. If I do come back there better to be an area for me to walk in and order my food and not sit in the Drive-Thru the entire time.

Two members of our family got extremely sick after eating at Nickey Gyro. Both had severe diarrhea…read moreafterward, and the only thing we could narrow it down to was what we believe may have been the tzatziki sauce, though we can't say for certain. We understand it's impossible to know exactly what caused it, but the timing was hard to ignore. Based on our experience, we won't be eating there again. We hope the restaurant reviews its food handling practices so no one else has a similar experience.

Nicky's has been having "wow" special for a while. This week was jumbo Chicago style hot dog with…read morefries. I also ordered soup (chicken noodle) and their fire pit wings (5), let me tell you they were spicy. No amount of ranch dressing is going to cool it down. If you like spicy food I highly recommend getting those. Check them on Facebook to find out what the "wow" special is for the week. Nicky's been around for a long time and hasn't disappoint me yet.