AYAT’s Foggy Bottom restaurant now serves a weekday lunch special: a platter, two sides and a drink for $15 to $19, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The chicken kebab and kefta platters are $19, shawarma platters are $17 and the falafel platter is $15, each with your pick of two mezze sides and a lemonade, hibiscus or ginger ale.
The restaurant at 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW opened July 21 and has settled into regular hours, Resy reservations and a 4.7-star Google rating from 185 reviews. It sits a block from the George Washington University campus, which is exactly who the lunch menu is built for.
AYAT Washington DC: Quick facts
The AYAT lunch special: what $19 gets you
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, AYAT prices its lunch platters so a full meal lands under $20. Every platter comes with two sides and a drink. The sides are hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara, labneh or a mixed greens salad, and the drinks are lemonade, hibiscus or ginger ale. A chicken kebab platter with hummus, muhammara and a lemonade is $19 all in, before tax and tip.
Kefta or chicken kebab platter
Grilled skewers over rice with two sides and a drink. The chicken kebab with hummus and muhammara is the plate to order first.
Shawarma platter
Chicken, beef or mixed shawarma with two sides and a drink.
Falafel platter
The cheapest way in, and it still comes with two sides and a drink.
Araby shawarma sandwich
Chicken, beef or mixed shawarma in a sandwich, served with fries. Ask whether sides and a drink are included; the restaurant lists it with fries.
Fattat jaj or fattat lahma
Six layers: chicken or roasted meat, rice, chickpeas, mint yogurt, crispy pita, garlic sauce and slivered almonds.
Mixed grill
Beef kebab, chicken kebab and kefta on one plate for the day you skip dinner.
Menu note: Prices and the lunch lineup come from AYAT’s DC lunch menu as of September 10, 2026, and the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekday window was confirmed with the restaurant. Tax and tip are extra, and the restaurant can change the menu without notice.
About AYAT and the Foggy Bottom restaurant
AYAT started in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in 2020. Founders Abdul Elenani and Ayat Masoud built the restaurant around food they knew from home, and the name honors Masoud. The group has since expanded around New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Its original Bay Ridge location is listed in the Michelin Guide, which describes AYAT’s Palestinian menu and neighborhood setting. The Washington restaurant is a new location and has not separately received a Michelin distinction.
The DC dining room is on Pennsylvania Avenue in Foggy Bottom, close to George Washington University. AYAT’s July 21 opening announcement described the restaurant as a place where people can share a table, learn about Palestine and feel at home.
What to expect on the AYAT menu
AYAT’s menu centers Palestinian cooking rather than a trimmed-down fast-casual format. When the restaurant was first announced, the team told Washingtonian that dishes such as msakhan, mansaf, fattat jaj, mezze and mixed grills were planned for DC.
Mezze to share
AYAT’s official menu lists hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara, labneh and a mixed Palestinian mezze platter. Offerings can vary by location.
Msakhan
This Palestinian staple is one of the dishes AYAT specifically planned to bring to Washington.
Mansaf and mixed grills
Hearty platters and grilled meats make the restaurant a good fit for groups who want to order several dishes for the table.
Falafel and house specials
The broader AYAT menu includes falafel alongside location-specific specials and playful dishes promoted on social media.
Menu note: The dinner menu runs all day. The lunch platters above are a separate weekday menu that ends at 3 p.m., so plan the visit around which one you want.
Why AYAT stands out among new restaurants in Washington DC
AYAT is one of the city’s newest restaurant openings, but the reason to know it is specific: the Foggy Bottom restaurant brings the Brooklyn-born group’s Palestinian cooking to 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
For diners searching for Palestinian food in Washington DC, AYAT adds another place to find dishes such as msakhan, mansaf, mezze and mixed grills. It also gives Foggy Bottom a new sit-down option near George Washington University and Metro.
Seven weeks in, the restaurant has regular hours, a Resy listing and a 4.7-star Google rating from 185 reviews. The weekday lunch menu is the reason to go back: it turns a sit-down Palestinian restaurant into a $15 to $19 lunch for the students, faculty and office crowd around Foggy Bottom.
The Falafel Pizzawarma that showed up on Instagram
One recent AYAT post features a Falafel Pizzawarma, a pizza-and-shawarma-style mashup built around crispy falafel. It is worth watching, but the post promotes AYAT’s broader restaurant group and does not confirm that the item is available in Washington.
Watch DC Spot’s AYAT video
Watch DC Spot’s Reel from AYAT’s Washington DC location.
Getting to AYAT in Foggy Bottom
AYAT is at 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, near the George Washington University campus. The closest Metrorail stop is Foggy Bottom–GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.
Street parking in this part of the city can be tight, especially around dinner. Metro, a rideshare or a nearby paid garage may be simpler than circling for a space.
Three things to know before you go
The platter, two sides and drink pricing runs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. After that, and on weekends, you order from the regular menu.
Hummus and muhammara are the two that travel best if you are taking lunch back to campus or the office. Labneh and baba ghanoush are better eaten at the table.
Dinner reservations are on Resy. Lunch is walk-in friendly, and the restaurant is BYOB if you want to bring a bottle to dinner.
Frequently asked questions about AYAT Washington DC
Does AYAT DC have a lunch special?
Yes. Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., AYAT’s Foggy Bottom restaurant serves lunch platters that each come with two sides and a drink. The kefta and chicken kebab platters are $19, shawarma platters are $17 and the falafel platter is $15.
What comes with the AYAT lunch platter?
Each lunch platter includes the main, two sides and a drink. Sides are hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammara, labneh or a mixed greens salad. Drinks are lemonade, hibiscus or ginger ale.
What are AYAT DC’s hours?
AYAT is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The lunch special runs weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where is AYAT in Washington DC?
AYAT is at 2112 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 101, in Foggy Bottom, a block from the George Washington University campus. Foggy Bottom–GWU on the Blue, Orange and Silver lines is the closest Metro station.
Does AYAT take reservations?
Yes. AYAT DC takes reservations through Resy. Lunch is walk-in friendly.
Is AYAT halal? Is it BYOB?
AYAT lists its menu as all halal. The DC restaurant is BYOB.
Is AYAT a Michelin-starred restaurant?
No. The Michelin Guide lists AYAT’s original Bay Ridge, Brooklyn restaurant, which is different from earning a star. The Washington DC location has not separately received a Michelin distinction.
What kind of food does AYAT serve?
AYAT serves Palestinian food: mezze, falafel, shawarma, kebabs, fattat jaj and larger plates such as msakhan and mansaf. The lunch menu focuses on platters and sandwiches; the full menu runs all day.
Lead photograph courtesy of AYAT. Lunch photographs by DC Spot. Menu courtesy of AYAT.
Published July 23, 2026. Last updated September 10, 2026 at 9:32 am EDT with the weekday lunch special. Lunch prices and the lunch window come from AYAT’s DC lunch menu and were confirmed with the restaurant; hours, address, reservations and rating were checked against AYAT’s site and its Google Business listing. Menus and hours can change.
