Want the inside word on Washington's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are riding a trend this spring.
Mazi
Open since December, this New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw new reviews increase by a median of 2.4 percent over the past month, but Mazi saw a 78.6 percent increase, maintaining an impressive five-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Brick Lane has seen a 29.7 percent increase in reviews, and Wingo's has seen a 35.7 percent bump.
Located at 1518 K St. NW in downtown Washington, Mazi offers a brunch, lunch and dinner menu, along with a diverse wine selection. On the menu, look for pasta, seafood and meat-focused dishes like the pan-seared New York strip steak with garlic butter, roasted potatoes and broccolini.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about South West's Rappahannock Oyster Bar, the wine bar and beer bar, which offers seafood and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 3.5 percent over the past month, Rappahannock Oyster Bar bagged a 71.4 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating.
Open at 1150 Maine Ave. SW since 2013, Rappahannock Oyster Bar offers grilled and on the half shell oysters and clams, along with caviar and specialty items like charred octopus. On the drink list, there's a wide selection of beers, wines and cocktails. The Michelin Guide and The Wall Street Journal both recognized this spot as one of the best oyster bars in America, according to its website.
The Mirror
Downtown Washington's The Mirror is also making waves. Open since December at 1413 K St. NW, the cocktail bar has seen a 76.9 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7 percent for all businesses tagged "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Washington's cocktail bar category: La Vie has seen a 11.8 percent increase in reviews.
A secret speakeasy, which creates an intimate experience for its guests, The Mirror offers a limited, but hand-crafted cocktail selection. On the drink list, look for boozy blends like the Bobby Burns, a mix of scotch, sweet vermouth, Benedictine and bitters.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
