Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been seeing especially high review volumes 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention, right now.
Spice 6 Modern Indian
Chinatown's Spice 6 Modern Indian is the city's buzziest Indian spot by the numbers.
The casual restaurant, which opened at 740 Sixth St. NW (between North G Place and North H Street) in May, increased its review count by 46.7 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 3 percent for the Yelp category "Indian." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Spice 6 Modern Indian offers an eclectic menu including naan pizza, naan wraps, rice bowls and salads, plus traditional dishes like butter chicken and biryani.
The Eleanor DC
Open since June, this combination bar, bowling alley and traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" saw review counts increase by a median of 2 percent over the past month, but The Eleanor DC saw a 27 percent increase, maintaining a strong four-star rating throughout. It gained two times more reviews than expected based on past performance, significantly outperforming the previous month.
There's more than one place trending in Washington's traditional American category: The Ugly Mug has seen a 5.7 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 100 Florida Ave. NE (between North Eckington Place and North First Street) in NoMa, The Eleanor DC offers a raw bar, sandwiches and entrees like a shellfish stew and a grilled ribeye. After eating, enjoy skee ball, mini bowling and other games, as well as hand-crafted cocktails.
Mission Navy Yard
Is Capitol Hill's Mission Navy Yard on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Mexican spot is seeing plenty of action.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.9 percent over the past month, Mission Navy Yard nabbed a 23.6 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound four-star rating.
Located at 1221 Van St. SE (between South M and S North streets.), Mission Navy Yard offers nachos, fajitas and other Mexican favorites, along with cocktails and many craft beers on tap.
