Jablanica Roast Lamb

Jablanica sits on the M17 between Sarajevo and Mostar, and a line of restaurants along the road through the town roast whole lambs on horizontal spits over wood embers in open-fronted grills facing the traffic, which is the point: drivers see and smell them and stop. The meat is sold by weight, carved off the spit and served with bread, spring onion, sour cream and kajmak. Several of the places have been running for decades and the competition between them is part of the local identity. It is the standard lunch stop on the drive between the two cities and busy through the day and late into the evening.

What you actually see

• The open spits - the whole lambs turning over embers at the roadside.
• Carving to order - the meat cut from the spit and sold by weight.
• The accompaniments - bread, kajmak, sour cream and onion.
• The road stop - the line of grills along the M17 through the town.

When to go

Year round; the grills work through the day and into the evening. Weekends and holidays are busiest, with queues at the better-known places. Lunchtime is the peak.

Honest expectations

The meat is sold by weight and portions are large; ordering less than a kilogram is normal. Vegetarians have almost nothing here. The restaurants face a busy main road. Prices vary between establishments for essentially the same thing.

Nearby

Jablanicko lake lies north; Mostar is south down the Neretva.