Ambar Adds Sharable Sandwiches to Menu
With takeout and delivery more critical to restaurants than ever, and with comfort food remaining a go-to during the pandemic, Ambar recently introduced new hearty Balkan street food sandwiches.
Ambar’s smoked grilled sausage sandwich is dressed with mustard, caramelized onions, shredded cabbage and dill pickles, and served with house-cut fries. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
Developed by recently appointed executive chef Ivan Zivkovic, the new menu features eight large, shareable sandwiches starring slow-cooked, locally sourced meat and produce between two slices of seven-inch bread baked in the restaurant’s brick oven and served with either thick, hand-cut fries or a kale Caesar salad priced from $12.99-$16.99. The sandwiches are available for dine-in or take-out at the Clarendon location. Unfortunately for D.C. residents, they are only available for take-out or delivery from the Eastern Market location.
The all-meat lineup
The all-meat lineup includes Balkan kebab, meatball parmesan, grilled pork neck, grilled chicken, the Ambar burger, roasted lamb, smoked sausage or Balkan fried chicken. All of the sandwich proteins can also be found on the regular menu as entrees served breadless.
The meatball parmesan features house-made meatballs and tomato sauce with parmesan cheese and micro basil. The grilled pork neck is marinated 24-hours in a house-made spice-mix with Ambar mustard, caramelized onions and dill pickles, while the grilled chicken breast is marinated in ajvar and topped with cucumber yogurt, shredded cabbage and pickled ketchup. The Balkan fried chicken breast is panko-almond crusted and served with apple-wasabi slaw, the six-hour roasted lamb is topped with garlic yogurt, horseradish sauce and finely chopped Balkan salad; and the signature house-ground Ambar burger is served with with pickled ketchup, caramelized onions, smoked mayo, dill pickles, lettuce and tomato.
Based on standouts from a recent sampling, I recommend the flavorful and well-seasoned house-ground and smoked grilled pork sausage links served with Ambar mustard, caramelized onions, shredded cabbage and pickles or the Balkan kebab made from house-ground beef topped with marinated onions, traditional Serbian kajmak cheese and smashed paprika.
Ambar’s Balkan kebab is made from house-ground beef topped with marinated onions, traditional Serbian kajmak cheese and smashed paprika. (Photo: Calypso Digital)
Add-ons
To expand your take-out meal, one-pound servings of veal and tomato soup are available at $9.99 each. Ambar’s spreads are also available in eight-ounce portions for $7.99. Choices include garlic bean, beet tzatziki, urnebes, ajvar and kajmak. Eight-ounce portions of Brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower and baked beans can be added for $8.99 each. Kale Caesar, Balkan salad and cabbage slaw are also available with house-made pickles for $4.99 each.
Ambar Capitol Hill, 523 Eighth Street SE, is open for lunch from noon-3:30 pm. Monday-Friday; for dinner from 4-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday, 4:30-10 p.m. Saturday and 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday; and for brunch from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on weekends. Ambar Clarendon, 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, is open for lunch from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; for dinner from 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 4:30-11 p.m. Saturday and 4:30-10 p.m. Sunday; and from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. weekends for brunch.
Editor-in-Chief Mark Heckathorn is a journalist, movie buff and foodie. He oversees DC on Heels editorial operations as well as strategic planning and staff development. Reach him with story ideas or suggestions at dcoheditor (at) gmail (dot) com.
