Want the intel on Washington's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring, right now.
90 Second Pizza
Open since July, this pizza spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp.
Citywide, pizza spots saw review counts increase by a median of 1.7 percent over the past month, but 90 Second Pizza saw a 61.3 percent increase, maintaining a superior 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the pizza category: Curry & Pie has seen a 3.8 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 1077 Wisconsin Ave. NW (at Blues Alley) in Georgetown, 90 Second Pizza offers a simple menu featuring a dozen varieties. Try its namesake, the 90 Second Pizza, with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and spicy salami. The Pascalina, a vegetarian option, is made with vegan cheese, cherry tomatoes, broccoli and olives. Soft drinks are available for purchase. (See the menu here.)
The Smith
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the U Street Corridor's The Smith, the cocktail bar and New American and breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 1.7 percent over the past month, The Smith bagged a 28.6 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Washington's breakfast and brunch scene: Kirwan's Irish Pub has seen a 6.7 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 1314 U St. NW (between North 13th and North 14th streets), The Smith offers a raw bar, featuring shrimp, lobster, clams and a variety of oysters, like Moondancer and Old Black Salt. In addition to breakfast and brunch, go for dinner and try the Blue Catfish Schnitzel with Brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, melted leeks and dijon beurre blanc. Or try a comfort-food favorite, the chicken pot pie, with baby portobello mushrooms, pearl onions and a cheddar biscuit top. Hand-crafted cocktails include the Cucumber Loco, The Hungry Teacher and the Touch of Evil. This restaurant has a few other locations in DC and New York, but you can see the menu for this location here.
Miracle on Seventh Street
Shaw's Miracle on Seventh Street is also making waves. Open since November at 1843 Seventh St. NW (between North South and North T streets), the Christmas-themed pop-up bar has seen a 12.5 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 370 percent.
Miracle on Seventh Street offers fun cocktails like the Santa Bei Bei, made with Siembra Azul Blanco Tequila, lime and vanilla agave soda. The eggnog shots seem to be a big hit as well. Non-alcoholic drinks are available and a mistletoe photo booth is yours for the picture-taking. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers. (See more information here.)
Rare Steakhouse
Downtown Washington's Rare Steakhouse is the city's buzziest traditional American spot by the numbers.
The steakhouse and traditional American spot, which offers seafood and more and opened at 1595 I St. NW (between North Vermont Avenue and North 16th Street), increased its review count by 8.3 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 1.9 percent for the Yelp category "American (Traditional)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Rare Steakhouse, which also has locations in Wisconsin, offers a raw bar, salads, and a tavern menu, but the main draw is the steak. The menu includes everything from a 9-oz. filet to a 50-oz. dry-aged, double-bone union chop. Sides served are spinach, escarole and cream, fried Brussels sprouts, carrots and pistachios, sweet potato hash and more. Pair your meal with a glass of pinot noir or merlot. (See the full menu here.)
Prather's on the Alley
Mount Vernon Square's Prather's on the Alley is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 2 percent over the past month, this bar and New American spot increased its by 17.1 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
There's more abuzz in the world of Washington New American: Yard House has seen a 17.1 percent increase in reviews, and Bresca and Fancy Radish have seen 14.5 and 9.2 percent increases, respectively.
Open for business at 455 I St. NW, Suite 100 (between North Fifth and North Fourth streets) since earlier this year, the business offers brunch, lunch and dinner, prepared by chefs Akhtar Nawab and Dan Izzo. For brunch, try the Duck Hash, made with duck confit, crispy potatoes, onions, harissa aioli and duck eggs. Complement that with the Red Snapper Bloody Mary, made with Beefeater gin, fresh vegetables, spices and togarashi salt. For dinner, there's the pappardelle with rabbit, soffrito and parmesan. There is also a social hour, featuring a simple menu of small plates, beer and wine. (Check it out here.)
