Ayat is a Palestinian restaurant, the first one I've tried. We shared a couple of appetizers for an afternoon snack. The stuffed squash (Kousa Mahshi) was so good we just had to order another one. The other appetizer, a fried eggplant dish called Beitenjan, was okay. The wait staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. read more

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Ayat was exactly what I needed after a concert: a spacious, comfortable spot with great service and seriously satisfying food. They start you off with fresh pita that's warm, soft, and constantly replenished throughout the meal. The muhammara was the standout. I honestly could have eaten multiple orders of it as my entire meal, though that probably wouldn't have been the most balanced choice. It was rich, slightly sweet, full of flavor, and perfect with the pita. The spicy kefta mashawy and mixed shawarma platter were also excellent, with tender, well-seasoned meat across the board. One thing to note: the portions are larger than they make them sound. We were told certain dishes were meant for one person, but the shawarma platter could easily feed two, so we ended up over-ordering a bit. Still, everything was delicious, and Ayat is a great spot to check out if you're in Industry City. read more

The place has a casual feel, there's an upstairs but it didn't seem open to the public when we visited. The service was good, the food was great. From the hot appetizers wara dawali was especially good, the kibbeh was dry. The pizzawarma was huge and had great flavors. The mansaf was delicious, such tender and juicy lamb and the sauce on the side had good depth. read more

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First off, Ayat is stunning, outside and in! It just looks like it belongs and is there to stay (I hope so). Wanted to try something new but also yummy. Ayat came up in our search and decided to go there. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday night and there were no tables available for the entire night. Luckily, they do make orders for pickup, so that's exactly what we did! I do want to want to sit down and eat there because the vibes are so cool. We got a few things to try. The watermelon feta salad, falafels, chicken + beef shawarma plate and a salad. Everything was AH-MAZING! The salads were tasty, the hummus was balanced so well and creamy. The falafels were seasoned perfectly and the same for the shawarma plate. Each meat was seasoned so well and juicy. The menu is large, so it was hard to select what we'd have; I think for our first time, we did a good job. I look forward to going back and trying new things! read more

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This place has good reviews, but we don't enjoy our time here. The food all came out fairly lukewarm and the flavor wasn't good. Too many onions but then under salted. I wouldn't eat here again. read more

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I think I forget to look up sometimes. Every time I quickly drive home from work, I rarely turn my head towards Industry City and Japan Village. Over the last few months, I had noticed a restaurant with greenery and a muraled wall but kept things moving, thinking it was another Aramark sandwich joint. And then one day in true hungover fashion, I flick open UberEats to find that Ayat delivers to me. No freaking way, I thought. Their EV location has been bookmarked in Gmaps for awhile but I don't find myself around Alphabet City too often. On a day where the weather was criminally beautiful, I should've walked the 30 minutes to Ayat Industry City but lo and behold I had a platter and two appetizers delivered. In order to taste as much as possible, I ordered the mixed platter (beef and chicken) with extra tahini, baba ghanouj, hummus, and muhammarah as well as a side order of falafel and kibbeh. I'm still working on learning the right vocab to describe these amazing flavor profiles. My beef and chicken platter was delicious. The chicken tastes like it was glazed with something floral and fruit based after it was charred on the grill and both proteins were dusted in bright sumac before resting on fat pearls of yellow rice. The thick, smooth hummus and baba were anointed with deliciously verdant olive oil and the baba disappeared from m plate first. Side salad was plainly dressed in lemon juice but that's all that greens and sharp red onion really need. The falafel pucks were dense, crumbly, and perfectly spiced while the kibbeh had more warm spices reminiscent of things like cinnamon or allspice. I will definitely be ordering from Ayat in the future, any location. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mix Shaw PLAT - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food: The food is amazing here! We tried the lamb kebab plate and mixed shawarma plate. Plates come with rice, salad, hummus, and baba ganoush. The meat was prepared fresh. I would also highly recommend the lemonade which was refreshing. I've also come here for lunch takeout which is just as delicious and enjoyable. Service: Service was excellent. The staff are friendly and very attentive. Ambiance: The restaurant is spacious and has two floors. It's good for both small and large groups. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant! read more

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I came here for lunch on a Saturday. There's not many Palestinian restaurants in NYC so I thought I would check it out. My friends and I ordered the labneh dip (thick and creamy yogurt with za'atar) appetizer and the mixed grill (chicken kebab, beef kebab, kefta, and lamb chop with salad and rice). We also received two baskets of pita bread as well. The labneh and pita bread were really good. The mixed grill's meat were all pretty dry and overcooked. Also, we sat upstairs since we had a group and didn't get much service. It's probably best to sit downstairs. It was okay, maybe the other locations are better. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mixed Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I did a takeout and loved it. The place is cute to sit in and eat as well. Has a few locations that I'm going to try. read more

Love the food and ambiance of this restaurant. Everything is good. Service also good! read more

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If you like flavor, it's hard not to like Ayat. When the weather is right, Ayat takes over this corner of Maria Hernandez park with its rolled up garage doors and open kitchen format. The spirals of roasting meats and generously seasoned vegetables cannot be contained by the confines of Ayat physically space, instead it is drawn out into the neighborhood like oxygen to a flame. Being BYOB, there feels like a comfortable mix of parties who culturally might not drink, and the flexibility and openness for others to find an escape from $10 draft beers. Personally, I opted for the house made Arnold Palmer, which listed as a mocktail, made me feel like I was slightly misbehaving. A cuisine with so much variety is hard to experience in a single meal. This point is made clear by the expansive menu that doesn't make decision making as simple as ordering from 7th Street. From more traditional Mediterranean kebabs, to Palestinian dishes topped with roasted pine nuts, you will likely force yourself to come back to make your way through the menu. On top of that, the generous portion size (which I recommend ordering family style), will not let you leave hungry - a key tenant in my mind of hospitality and reason. In my eyes, Ayat is a family restaurant that has won over the support of its neighborhood, and deserves the attention of anyone visiting the city. Ayat is the type of restaurant anyone would be lucky to have in their neighborhood. A place where you can bring your friends and family, not get tired of the menu after multiple orders, and bump shoulders with the neighbor you haven't introduced yourself to yet. read more

So my primary complaint is that they have recently and inexplicably, almost doubled their prices. The food is good, but how do you double your prices overnight? They used to do a great BBQ chicken plate for $14, now its $24. An order of hummus $12. Hummus! Sorry guys, you lost me. There are many other great Middle Eastern options in Brooklyn/Staten Island for far less price. read more

We came here hungry for lunch. Got a beautiful window seat and ordered labneh hummus and a salad with dates and haloumeh and eggplant. It was all so delicious ! The labneh was thick and rich and filling, hummus was silky and Smokey and full flavored, the salad ample for two as was the eggplant dish. I'd return here in a flash. Service was spot on and the restaurant was super clean well lit. read more

Food, ambiance and service. Everything was so good!!! I have been to the one in the city so next time I'll go to the one in Bushwick. Love Palestinian food. And I love the owner is giving back so much to the community!!!! Thank you!! read more

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Not bad but I had a better experience and meal at the SI location. Still worth a visit though! Only one lady was running the ground so it was hard getting her attention, but I definitely felt bad for her. Chairs are metal so not the comfiest to sit on. The complimentary pita bread with the assortment of garnishes was really good or I was really hungry. I tried not to eat too much to save room for the stuff we ordered though. The cheese manaquish is a must as always. I also got the chicken kebab mashawy. The spinach filled pie was not very memorable. read more

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We made ressos for six people for noon on the Saturday of Mothers Day weekend. We were running late so luckily, they were able to accommodate for 12:30. They have a few locations in Brooklyn but this one seemed like the most friendly for a sit-down Mother's Day lunch. The downstairs area has seating but seems more casual. It's nicer upstairs (which is where we were seated). There's also an outdoor patio on the second floor but they weren't open that day. We ordered: -Mezzen Filistini - a mixed appetizer of hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, salata tahina and labneh. My faves were the tabbouleh and the muhammarah. They give you complimentary bread with zaatar and olive oil at the beginning so just make sure you don't eat it all at the beginning. Otherwise, you won't have anything to dip the mezze in -Falafel - I didn't care for the tahini sauce but the falafel itself was great -Fattat jaj and fattat lahma - 6 layer dish of meat, rice, chickpeas, garlic tahini, crispy pita, slivered almonds, and parsley. We had one with beef and one with chicken. I preferred the chicken because the beef was a little dry. The slivered almonds added a nice crunch to the dish -Mixed grill with rice - this had beef and chicken kebab, lamb chops, and lamb (?) kefta. I really enjoyed the kefta Overall, it was a nice experience and everyone seemed to enjoy the food. read more

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Large plates of food. The waiter gave us pita without us asking, but at the end we were charged for it...The pita was very dry and hard, definitely did not need it and would not have gotten it... The food is tasty and I like that they give you salad and rice on the plate. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mixed Shawarma Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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We got a mixed shawarma platter and felafel sandwich take out. The shawarma platter tasted healthier and cleaner than other shawarma platters I've had before. I'm not sure why ... maybe because it tastes less greasy? The falafel sandwich was huge! It comes in two separate chunks so you can easily make it two meals or share with someone. Food was very delicious and we didn't have to wait long for our food. Highly recommend trying this place as it's also conveniently located next to Industry City. Would love to come back and dine in next time and try out their specialty entrees. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mix Shaw PLAT - yum! Taste cleaner and healthier than other shawarma places - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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4/5 Mixed Grill - we loved the variety of the different grilled meat options on this platter! Overall had great grill flavor, but it did lack some flavor that is usually characteristic of Middle Eastern cuisine. 4/5 Pita ($2): Served piping hot with olive oil and Zaatar, which is always appreciated! A bit on the dry side and could use some salt for flavor. The service is also on the slower side, we came on a Friday afternoon and there were 3 other tables, but our platter took a while to be served. Also note a ortion size, we split one order as a light lunch! read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mixed Grill - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Palestinian food in Brooklyn. Lovely place. Food was amazing and the service incredible. 100% recommended. read more

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Amazing restaurant located in Industry City, Brooklyn. When you first sit, they provide you with pita bread and olive oil dip to start. I ordered the beef shawarma plate as my main and I would come again. The beef was well cooked and paired with their sauce and rice. I also enjoyed the cucumber salad included in the meal. Staff was friendly and I overall enjoyed the music inside. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Beef Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Firstly, I went to the bushwick location but there doesn't seem to be a Yelp page for them. I'll start with the good: the food and the ambiance is absolutely fantastic. Really authentic Palestinian food, absolutely delicious flavors, and ultimately if you're sharing with a group the price isn't bad (8 people, ~ $25/pp). The BYOB option was actually great and they do not have a bottle opening fee. Now the bad: we had a reservation for 8:30 pm and we're not sat until 9:15. From my understanding, there was a new host and he oversaw walkins which caused our table to not be available. A 45 minute wait when we have a reservation, however, is not ok in my book. This becomes especially bad because once we were sat we were rushed to order because the kitchen was closing soon. Its really unfortunate that because of this mistake on the hosts part (again, not the whole restaurant and it could be a one off but still), our service was hectic, rushed, and our dining time was cut short. Just ultimately very sad because it's a lovely restaurant and we did not get the full experience. ALL THAT BEING SAID, I would go back, however not to the bushwick location, and I would only go in a small party with an early evening reservation. read more

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This is a solid option for group dinners! Very spacious and the food is great for sharing. The pistachio pizza is a must get!! I did enjoy the mixed grill as well, although I preferred the chicken over the beef. I also tried the sahlab, which is a warm drink made from lotus root and cinnamon - the texture is thick and creamy, a good cozy winter drink to try out. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Sahlab - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Absolutely fantastic food and service. Go to lunch when working out of Industry City. Their rooftop seating has great summer ambiance

We were in the area and wanted something different. We were not disappointed. The food is delicious. Everything we had. From the bread and olives they set on the table to the halloumi we had for appetizers to the main course. Spectacular! Definitely recommend it! Service is also great! read more

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The best takeout in south Brooklyn 10/10 fresh, hot, well priced and fast. Lately I can't stop ordering the BBQ chicken which comes with a side salad, baba and hummus, rice and a pita for 14 total. It's an amazing deal and so healthy and filling. It's a good day when I can order Ayat! read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - 1/4 BBQ Chicken and Salata Filistini (VEGAN) - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I'm so disappointed by this food. I'm going to give you an honest review. I got the BBQ chicken and there's NOTHING BBQ about this chicken. It was sooo bland. There is absolutely NO seasoning at all. This taste like nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was not even BBQed at all. The skin wasn't even fully cooked as "BBQ". Also tasted reheated. Wish I never came here. Wasting money on food that doesn't even taste good. I couldn't even finish it. If I can give it a 0 I would. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - BBQ chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I heard great things about Ayat online and I love supporting Palestinian owned businesses; however, I was extremely disappointed with this particular location. It took about 12 minutes before we were noticed and then seated, even though we had a reservation. Then we were handed menus that were just caked with food on every page and it was really gross to touch and it was on every menu. Our server only came by twice during the course of our entire meal, which was disappointing because we needed some refills and more bread at different points. As a Lebanese person myself, the food was good-though really not great. A lot of the hot mezze came cold, and the walnut pomegranate salad was just a bed of mixed greens, covered in feta with barely any pomegranate or walnut. The drinks were really good though. We enjoyed our cappuccinos and mint lemonades. If I came back, it wouldn't be to this location. It would be to the one in Manhattan. read more

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Very solid food and great service. The staffs were super friendly and helpful. Came for a quick lunch and it was quite empty. Price is a bit higher than expected but the food was delicious and fresh. read more

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Ever since my last review, I have had Ayat food at a catered event and also ordered delivery yesterday. I must say - WOW. The beef shawarma arrived hot, juicy and iconic. Freshly shaved, dripping with fatty goodness, perfectly seasoned, filling of the shawarma perfectly rolled in the thinnest and perfectly crisped lavash bread. Heaven!! The shawarma platter was fantastic as always. The garlic sauce is delivering on flavor, salad is fresh, baba ganoush and hummus is creamy, topped generously with olive oil. The quality of food Ayat is dishing out is absolutely phenomenal!! Delivery was fast, efficient. I love this place!! read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mix Shawarma - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Located in Industry city but tucked into a side street, you won't know it's there unless you know to look for it. The food is delicious and the ambiance is super cute. They have 2 levels and outdoor seating on a patio/roof. The platters are generous in portions so you will definitely get filled up! I can't really say they have enough space for big groups so call ahead if you're traveling with a big group. It's definitely more fun though because then you get to try so many more dips and stuff off their menu! As for me, I am looking forward to going back either on my own or bringing my friends along. FYI: Service was a bit slow during lunch and definitely could be better. We hardly saw our server and waited a while before someone (another server) came upstairs (not to check on us) which we had to flag down to get our check. They also have that pesky 3.5% fee for using a credit card. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Chicken Swarma platter - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Wow !!! What can I say ??? This place is so amazing and culturally diverse and very welcoming ! The Staff ?? So polite and smiles for days with a wonderful burst of joy from a well established business!!! Let's not forget the beautiful music and very decorated with arts and a wonderful feeling of their culture! We love the set up and over all the Food is PHENOMENAL!!! but don't listen to me .... You must try it yourself read more

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I ordered from DoorDash, four items in total. Only two came. The bag was sealed, this was a restaurant issue! We tried to call and nobody picked up the phone. Terrible customer service, I won't be ordering from here again. read more

I'm always praising Ayat (The bay ridge location) So I decided to try out a different location for a change. Kind of wish I didn't. As many times as I've ordered the mix shawarma platter I know difference in taste once the food hits my mouth. For starters: Instead of babaganoush & hummus spreads they gave me some red spread with nuts in it. I'm honestly not even sure what it is. (Assuming they did not have hummus) Which is fine, but I still feel like they could've notified/asked me if I was okay with this replacement instead of just adding it to my plate. I would've been super ok without it. (I did try it though, & was not fond of it whatsoever.) Secondly: I LOVE babaganoush with my whole heart, but they put hella lemon on it which overpowered the whole eggplant flavor for me. It was just WAY too acidic & was very watery. Sadly, I took a few spoonful's and just couldn't finish the rest. Lastly: The beef was cooked unevenly. (Or at least that's the parts they decided to serve me) Most parts were fat & no meat while others where super chewy & dry :( The chicken though, tasted really juicy & good! But I don't think it was shawarma chicken instead it tasted like the drumstick part of the chicken(dark meat) just cut up! It tasted good so I'm not complaining about that part. I just know the difference as I am a cook myself. Now hear me out. I'm not discouraging anyone to eat here with my review but do recommend to try the other location instead & you will not be disappointed. I promise. Maybe they were having a bad start of their day but I myself, just wouldn't eat at this location again! read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I really enjoyed this meal! The baba and hummus were just okay, but the mansaf I thought was delicious. The different textural components (crunchy, meaty, fresh, saucy) make it a fun culinary experience. Would come back for that dish specifically! read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Mansaf, hummus, baba - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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The food was great, good service, and I love the atmosphere, friendly and efficient service.

My friend mentioned this location to visit and it did not disappoint. It is definitely recommended to make reservations, as sometimes they would turn people away because of it being packed. When ordering, you go up to the counter. Just wish when I ordered it they mentioned it would be this much, she didn't ask me and automatically made it a large. Def be sure to clarify the size. Either way, I absolutely loved my meal. We wanted to get the monster cookie and sadly at the time of visiting, they ran out. They also have an upstairs and an outdoor on the second floor, it was just cold at the time to do outdoors so we sat on the first floor. I would definitely come back to try their other dishes and hopefully they have the dessert! read more

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Soooo good. Don't hesitate or sleep on this decision. The flavors are excellent, textures and sauces on point with flares of classic and modern updates. Had the Vegan Platter $21 which was excellent for two as a meal or three as tapas when paired with the complimentary pita bread and Lemonana $5. The upstairs seating had some nicer views and breeze than staying in downstairs, but I felt a little bad for the servers going up and down, but they know what they signed up for, right? The service pace is relaxed, so don't come in a hurry, but come to enjoy and relax! read more

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i have passed ayat many times and been tempted to go in so when picking a place for lunch, my two friends and i finally decided to try it. none of us are really experts on middle eastern food (though i sent it to my palestinian friend and he said it looked like a great representation of their cuisine) so we decided to share the hot appetizers mix so we could try a few different things. the hummus was the best hummus i've ever had and i personally loved the cheese cigars. as a vegetarian, i do wish it was a bit clearer what was what on the plate so i didn't have to be scared i would bite into something with meat. our service was good!! our waiter seemed a little confused but he told us it was his first week so i dont blame him. the decor inside was very nice and the arabic music playing contributed to a lovely ambiance. read more

Ayat - Brooklyn - Hot Appetizers Mix - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Once they saw wearing a star of David they treated us like third class citizens and made us wait for the food while others being served. Not a place you want to visit. read more