Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending at this very moment?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are closing the year out strong.
Yard House
This New American bar and restaurant is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 1.9 percent over the past month, but Yard House saw a 15.4 percent increase, maintaining a superior four-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 200 percent.
Located at 812 Seventh St. NW (between North H and North I Streets) in downtown, Yard House offers poke nachos, truffle fries, and shrimp and calamari diablo.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Bresca has seen a 13 percent increase in reviews, and City Winery - Washington and Hazel have seen 14.1 and 4.3 percent increases, respectively.
Bluestone Lane
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Foggy Bottom's Bluestone Lane, the breakfast and brunch spot — part of a growing Australian-inspired chain — is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "breakfast & brunch" on Yelp increased their review counts by a median of 2.3 percent over the past month, Bluestone Lane bagged a 9.7 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a superior four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.8 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 1100 23rd St. NW (at North L Street), Bluestone Lane offers Aussie-style coffee, avocado smash, warm coconut quinoa and oat porridge, healthy bowls and gluten-free pastries.
Espita Mezcaleria
Shaw's Espita Mezcaleria is also making waves. Located at 1250 Ninth St. NW, the well-established Mexican bar and eatery has seen a 5.7 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 290 percent.
Espita Mezcaleria, which specializes in modern Oaxacan cuisine, offers guacamole, salsas, tacos, fundido and mole dishes. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Little Sesame
Foggy Bottom's Little Sesame is the city's buzziest Mediterranean spot by the numbers.
The fast-casual restaurant, which opened at 1828 L St. NW (between North 19th and North 18th streets), increased its review count by 10.8 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.8 percent for the Yelp category "Mediterranean."
Little Sesame offers hummus bowls, pita sandwiches and salatim (small salads).
Unconventional Diner
Shaw's well-established Unconventional Diner is currently on the upswing in the traditional American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 1.9 percent over the past month, this diner and traditional American spot increased its count by 8.5 percent — with its Yelp rating improving from four stars to 4.5 stars.
Open for business since 2017 at 1207 Ninth St. NW, the business serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu offers avocado toast, chicken Parmesan, and meatloaf with Sriracha glaze, mashed potatoes and morel gravy.
