Shawerma Reem

Shawerma Reem is a tiny shop on the corner of Second Circle with a crimson banner and, nearly always, a queue. It opened in 1975 and has never moved from its original spot, and over the decades it has become one of the best-known names in Jordanian street food. Its shawarma is recognised across the country, and the brand has spread to other cities, but the original stand on Second Circle is the one people make a point of visiting.

The menu could not be simpler: there is only one item, a meat shawarma sandwich, and the team has had decades of practice making it. The meat is beef with mutton fat added, and the spice mix and tahini sauce follow the original recipes created by the founding partners in the 1970s. The salad that goes into each sandwich has not changed since 1975 either, and nothing else is added, which is part of the appeal.

Reem suits anyone looking for a quick, inexpensive and very local snack, and it is a good introduction to Amman's shawarma culture. The same manager has run the original shop for more than two decades, and the queue mixes regulars who have been coming for years with first-time visitors.

The queue moves fast, but it can stretch at busy times, and the area around the roundabout gets congested; late on Sunday mornings there can be traffic backed up around the circle. Many regulars park a couple of hundred metres away and walk back. The shop is very small, so plan to take your sandwiches away. Have small notes or coins ready to keep things moving.

The brand is now known from Irbid to Petra and Aqaba, and a partner opened a branch in Fuheis in 2021, but expanding the original shop has been ruled out. Second Circle is in Jabal Amman, an easy taxi ride from Rainbow Street, Abdali or Downtown. It makes a good stop on the way back to a hotel in the evening, or a quick lunch between sightseeing stops. If you are staying in this part of Jabal Amman, it is close enough to walk.