Unsure where Washington's in-the-know crowd is eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries have been getting outsized attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Washington businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month.
Read on to see which spots are on a hot streak, right now.
Prather's on the Alley
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Mount Vernon Square's Prather's on the Alley, the bar and New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 1.6 percent over the past month, Prather's on the Alley bagged a 43.8 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating.
Open since July at 455 I St. NW, Suite 100, Prather's on the Alley offers wine by the glass, beer and house cocktails alongside modern American cuisine like gourmet burgers, a smoked fish dip with charcoal crackers, and rock shrimp ravioli.
O-Ku DC
Located near Union Market, O-Ku DC is also making waves. Open since June at 1274 Fifth St. NE, the sushi bar and Japanese spot has seen a 38.7 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7 percent for all businesses tagged "Sushi Bars" on Yelp.
O-Ku DC offers sushi, nigiri and sashimi, plus chef's specials like bulgogi made from duck breast "sashimi," a curry ramen and long-cooked pork belly. Its Yelp rating is an impressive four stars.
Poca Madre
Downtown's Poca Madre is the city's buzziest Mexican spot by the numbers.
The restaurant, which debuted at 777 I St. NW in June, increased its review count by 35 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 1.8 percent for the Yelp category "Mexican."
Poca Madre offers upscale Mexican fare and a mezcal-heavy cocktail menu in rustic, Oaxaca-style digs.
