Want the inside word on Washington's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze 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 getting plenty of attention this spring.
Circa At Navy Yard
Open since February 11, this new outpost from the local mini-chain is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but CIRCA at Navy Yard saw an impressive 106.7 percent increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the traditional American category: Rare Steakhouse has seen a 6 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 99 M St. SE, Suite 100 (between South Cushing Place) in Capitol Hill, CIRCA at Navy Yard offers elevated bistro fare, like sautéed Brussels sprouts with bacon and blue cheese, flatbreads, seared scallops and a house burger with scallion aioli. Its bar serves house cocktails, beer and wine.
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Southwest's Rappahannock Oyster Bar, it is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 2.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Rappahannock Oyster Bar bagged a 48 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 1150 Maine Ave. SW since December, Rappahannock Oyster Bar offers raw oysters, of course, largely from our own Chesapeake Bay. There is also fried fish, chowder and crab cakes, plus a few items not of the sea. With warmer weather coming, consider the 90-seat patio along the river.
Momo's Cafe
The Palisades's Momo's Cafe is also making waves. Open since last fall at 4828 MacArthur Blvd. NW, it has seen a 22 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Momo's Cafe's review count increased by more than 280 percent.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Washington's coffee and tea category: Sharetea has seen a 15.1 percent increase in reviews.
Momo's Cafe offers numerous teas, including milk and boba tea, and a couple of lattes, as well. It's also got snacks like popcorn chicken, Taiwanese sausage and basil french fries and a few Taiwanese entrees. Over the past month, it's maintained a strong 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Sotto
Logan Circle's Sotto is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers.
The live music venue and drinks spot, which opened at 1610 14th St. NW (between North Q and North Corcoran streets) in 2015, increased its new review count by 7.5 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.7 percent for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the cocktail bar category: Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar has seen a 14.5 percent increase in reviews.
Sotto offers classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Boulevrdier, as well as house concoctions, like the Emerald City, made with Green Hat gin, salted basil syrup and lime. There's live jazz and blues most nights of the week and a seafood and barbecue-heavy menu.
Kith and Kin
Finally, Southwest's well-established Kith and Kin is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Afro-Carbibbean spot from celebrity chef Kwame Onwuachi increased its by 6.8 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 260 percent on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in the world of Washington New American: Bar Deco has seen a 3.6 percent increase in reviews.
Open for business at 801 Wharf St. SW since 2017, the business offers Caribbean-style grilled meats like jerk chicken and braised oxtails served over flavored rice and seafood like salmon with smoked carrot puree or Veracruz-style calamari with green olives and parsley.
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.
