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 deduce which restaurants have been getting a significant increase in 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, 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 this spring.
Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.
Open since September, this Southern breakfast and brunch spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. saw a 31 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.'s review count increased by more than 320 percent.
Located at 1819 Seventh St. NW (between North South and North T streets) in Shaw, Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. offers fresh-made buttermilk biscuits, Southern fried chicken and sides like hash browns and cheddar grits.
Coconut Club
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Union Market's Coconut Club, the Hawaiian restaurant and cocktail bar, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 2.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Coconut Club bagged a formidable 138.9 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight upward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
Open at 540 Penn St. NE (between North Fifth Street and North Brentwood Pky) since February, Coconut Club offers island small plates like poke, fish tacos and spam dishes alongside its creative signature cocktails.
Brick Lane
Capitol Hill's Brick Lane is also making waves. Open since October at 517 Eighth St. SE (there's another outlet in Dupont Circle), the New American spot has seen a 25.6 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Brick Lane's review count increased by more than 330 percent.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Washington's New American category: Chloe has seen a 9.2 percent increase in reviews.
Brick Lane offers creative bistro fare like a fancy burger made with caramelized onion Asian slaw and chipotle aioli; a smoked salmon Benedict; and rosemary lemon chicken. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from four stars to 4.5 stars.
Officina
The Wharf's Officina is the city's buzziest Italian spot by the numbers.
Opened at 1120 Maine Ave. SW since October 13, Officina increased its new review count by 21.2 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.1 percent for the Yelp category "Italian."
It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Sfoglina - Downtown has seen a 18.2 percent increase in reviews.
Officina offers Southern Italian dishes, including pasta, seafood and grilled meats, as well as an all-day cafe serving cappuccinos and pastries and a specialty Italian grocery.
Mission Navy Yard
Is Capitol Hill's Mission Navy Yard on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Mexican spot is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 2.2 percent over the past month, Mission Navy Yard nabbed a 16.3 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating.
Located at 1221 Van St. SE (between South M and S North streets.), Mission Navy Yard offers a menu of mostly classic Mexican dishes, like barbacoa tacos and carne asada, plus numerous beers on tap and creative house cocktails.
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.
