Restaurant in Washington DC, United States
Georgetown's best daytime Levantine, no reservation needed.
Michael Rafidi's Levantine daytime spot in Georgetown holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) and earns it at every price point. Wood-fired pitas, shareable spreads, and a pastry program that draws long morning lines — all at $$. Walk-in friendly, but arrive early or mid-afternoon to avoid the peak queue.
At the $$ price point, Yellow in Georgetown is one of the most technically accomplished casual restaurants in Washington, D.C. Michael Rafidi's Levantine daytime concept earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024, which is the guide's clearest signal that the kitchen is doing something serious at an accessible price. If you've been once and left having only scratched the surface, this guide is for you. The wood-burning oven is the engine of the whole operation, and ordering around it is how you get the most out of a return visit.
The technical argument for Yellow starts with the pita. A wood-fired pita that's both charred on the outside and genuinely fluffy inside is harder to produce consistently than it looks, and Rafidi's kitchen does it at volume, across a full daytime service. The fillings reinforce that technical discipline: chicken shawarma with Palestinian pickles and green tatbili labne, or lamb with smoked peppers, feta, and toum. These are not casual assemblies. The interplay between the smoky, spiced proteins and the acidic or creamy components — labne, pickles, toum — shows a kitchen that understands balance, not just flavor intensity.
The spreads and sides are worth the same attention. Creamy labne with charred corn, urfa chili crisp, and smoked feta is a case study in textural and temperature contrast built from techniques that require actual skill: the char on the corn, the smoke on the feta, the controlled heat of the urfa. The batata tots, golden-brown potatoes with shawarma spices and urfa sauce, are a version of a familiar format that has been substantially improved. Order them as a standalone if you are returning , they are frequently cited and they earn it.
Pastry program is where Yellow separates itself from most casual Levantine spots in D.C. The morning lineup draws long lines, which tells you something about the consistency of execution. A brown butter and cinnamon cookie, a Turkish coffee brownie, and soft serve round out the dessert options. None of these are decorative , they each carry the same spice and technique logic as the savory menu. If you were here for breakfast last time, come back for a full pita lunch and work through the sides and spreads more methodically.
For broader context on the Middle Eastern dining scene in D.C., Maydan is the obvious comparison at a higher price point , wood-fire focused, more dinner-oriented, and more theatrical. Yellow is the daytime counterpart: less ceremony, more precision at the plate level, easier on the wallet. Albi operates at the $$$$ tier and offers a more formal Levantine experience if you want a dinner setting. Yellow is the right call when budget matters and you want the cooking to justify the visit on its own terms, not through ambient production.
Yellow is a daytime concept, which means walk-ins are the standard operating mode. The Bib Gourmand recognition has driven meaningful foot traffic, and the venue regularly draws long lines, particularly in the morning for pastries and breakfast sandwiches. If you're returning for the shakshuka or a full pita-and-spreads spread, arriving before peak morning service or mid-afternoon is the practical move. Booking difficulty is rated Easy , no tasting menu reservation system, no months-out waits. The challenge is timing, not access.
Yellow is located at 1524 Wisconsin Ave NW in Georgetown. Parking in Georgetown is predictably difficult. Metro access to Georgetown is indirect; the 31, 33, and 38B bus lines serve Wisconsin Avenue, or a short ride from Foggy Bottom station is the cleaner option if you're coming from the core of D.C.
The price range sits at $$. You are not spending significantly to eat here, which makes the Michelin recognition more meaningful: the Bib Gourmand is awarded specifically to places that deliver at accessible prices, and Yellow qualifies on its own merit.
For context on the broader D.C. dining picture, see our full Washington, D.C. restaurants guide. If you're planning around a hotel stay, our Washington, D.C. hotels guide covers the Georgetown and Foggy Bottom options closest to the restaurant. Explore more of what the city offers via our D.C. bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide.
If you are interested in Levantine cooking at different price and format points internationally, Bait Maryam in Dubai and Baron in Doha are worth referencing for how the tradition translates in different markets.
Quick reference: Daytime only, walk-in friendly, $$ price range, 1524 Wisconsin Ave NW, Georgetown. Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024. Google rating 4.5 (1,037 reviews).
If you've already been once, focus on the pita sandwiches with chicken shawarma (Palestinian pickles, green tatbili labne) or lamb with smoked peppers, feta, and toum. The batata tots with shawarma spices and urfa sauce are worth ordering as a standalone. For spreads, the labne with charred corn, urfa chili crisp, and smoked feta is the most technically composed option on the menu. For dessert, the Turkish coffee brownie and brown butter and cinnamon cookie carry the spice logic of the savory menu through to the finish.
Yellow does not operate a tasting menu format. It is a daytime casual concept built around pita sandwiches, spreads, sides, pastries, and soft serve. The value question is simpler: at $$ per head, the Michelin Bib Gourmand says yes. Compare that to Albi at $$$$, and Yellow is the clear choice when you want Levantine cooking at a fraction of the cost and don't need dinner-service formality.
Yellow is a daytime casual concept, not a dinner bar. The format is counter-service style rather than a bar-seating operation. Expect a queue, order when you reach the front, and find a seat in the dining space. It is not the right venue if you're looking for a long sit-down with a drinks program. For that format in D.C., our D.C. bars guide is the better starting point.
Yellow works for small groups in a casual, daytime context. The format , walk-in, counter-style ordering, shared spreads and sides , suits groups of two to four who can coordinate orders. Large group dining with seated service is not what this venue is designed for. If you need a structured group dinner experience in D.C., Albi or Jônt are better fits. No phone number is listed for Yellow, so advance group coordination would need to be done in person or via the restaurant's social channels.
Yes, straightforwardly. A Michelin Bib Gourmand at a $$ price point is the guide telling you this is good value by definition. The wood-fire technique, the quality of the pita, and the layered flavors in the spreads and sandwiches are not typical of the price tier. You are getting cooking that would justify a higher price at a restaurant that has chosen not to charge one. For the Georgetown area specifically, there are few daytime options that deliver this level of technical execution at this cost.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Middle Eastern | $$ | Chef/owner Michael Rafidi and team are behind this daytime casual concept in Georgetown where Levantine cooking takes center stage thanks to a wood-burning oven. It's always humming here, where long lines form for pastries, breakfast sandwiches or shakshuka in the morning and pita sandwiches, spreads and sides (creamy labne with charred corn, urfa chili crisp and smoked feta, anyone?). Fluffy pitas filled with chicken shawarma, Palestinian pickles and green tatbili labne, or tender lamb with smoked peppers, feta and toum are popular. Just try not finishing the batata tots, or golden-brown potatoes with shawarma spices and urfa sauce. To finish, a brown butter and cinnamon cookie, Turkish coffee brownie or soft serve are compelling choices.; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| Albi | United States, Middle Eastern | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Causa | Peruvian | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Oyster Oyster | New American, Vegetarian, Vegetarian (Sustainable) | $$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Bresca | Modern French, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Gravitas | New American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Start with the pita sandwiches: chicken shawarma with Palestinian pickles and green tatbili labne, or the lamb with smoked peppers, feta and toum are the dishes most people come back for. The batata tots with shawarma spices and urfa sauce are hard to skip, and for dessert the Turkish coffee brownie or soft serve are the stronger finishes. If you're there in the morning, shakshuka and the pastries are worth the early line.
Yellow does not operate a tasting menu format — it's a daytime casual counter-service concept built around pita sandwiches, spreads, and pastries. If a multi-course tasting experience is what you're after, Bresca or Gravitas in D.C. are structured for that format. Yellow's value is in its Bib Gourmand-recognized cooking at a $$ price point, not in a progression format.
Yellow is a daytime casual concept, not a traditional sit-down restaurant with bar seating in the conventional sense. Expect counter-service or casual seating rather than a bar program — the format here is order, find a spot, eat well. It's walk-in driven, so arrive early or expect a line, particularly for the morning pastry and breakfast window.
Yellow works for small groups at the $$ price point, but its daytime casual format and the foot traffic driven by Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition means larger parties will likely face logistical friction — seating is informal and lines form quickly. For a structured group lunch or dinner with a private room option, Albi in Navy Yard is a better fit for Levantine-adjacent cooking with table service.
Yes, clearly. At $$, Yellow delivers Michelin Bib Gourmand-level Levantine cooking from chef Michael Rafidi using a wood-burning oven — that combination of technical execution and price is rare in Georgetown. The main cost is time: lines form for the morning pastry window and peak lunch. If you want the same cuisine in a full-service dinner format, Albi runs higher in price but covers that need.
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