Want the intel on Washington's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which restaurants have been getting extra 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 poised to start summer off strong.
Circa at Navy Yard
Open since February, this traditional American and New American bistro is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 2.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Circa at Navy Yard saw a 61.1% increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 99 M St. SE, Suite 100 (between South Cushing Place), Circa at Navy Yard, which has three other area locations, offers steak frites, blackened Atlantic salmon and braised short ribs, among other entrees, as well as salads, small plates and sandwiches.
La Betty
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Mount Vernon Square's La Betty, the New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, La Betty bagged a 76.9% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to its current 4.5 stars.
Open at 420 K St. NW (between North Fourth and North Fifth streets) since March, La Betty, from the owners of Baked & Wired bakery and A Baked Joint in D.C., offers chicken schnitzel, roasted root vegetable galette and smoked, glazed ribs, among other comfort foods with a twist.
Stellina Pizzeria
Stellina Pizzeria is also making waves. Open since March at 399 Morse St. NE (at North Fourth Street) in the Union Market District, the Italian eatery, which offers pizza and more, has seen an 84.6% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7% for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Washington's Italian category: Ristorante La Perla of Washington has seen a 4.4% increase in reviews.
Stellina Pizzeria offers Italian street food favorites: pizza, sandwiches and fried seafood, as well as pasta and lasagne. Over the past month, it has maintained a strong 4-star rating among Yelpers.
HomeSlyce
Foggy Bottom's HomeSlyce is the city's buzziest pizza spot by the numbers.
The well-established bar, which offers pizza and more, is located at 2121 K St. NW. It increased its new review count by 12.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.4% for the Yelp category "Pizza." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the pizza category: Sonny's Pizza has seen a 63.2% increase in reviews.
HomeSlyce, which has several outlets in Baltimore and one in Columbia, MD, offers 15 signature pizzas, plus options to build your own pizza or calzone.
The Caged Bird
Dupont Circle's The Caged Bird is currently on the upswing in the bar category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this bar and Southern and Caribbean spot increased its by 7.9%—and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 250% on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in the world of Washington bars: Lucky Buns has seen a 5.3% increase in reviews.
Open for business at 1723 Connecticut Ave. NW (between North R and North S streets) since mid--2018, the business offers six flavors of chicken wings, chicken strips and salads.
Millie's
This beer bar and breakfast and brunch spot in Spring Valley, which offers tacos and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Millie's saw a 9% increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. It gained 0.7 times more reviews than expected based on past performance, significantly outperforming the previous month.
There's more than one place trending in Washington's breakfast and brunch category: Unconventional Diner has seen a 14.4% increase in reviews.
Located at 4866 Massachusetts Ave. NW (between North Fordham Road and North 48th Street), Millie's offers crab eggs Benedict, brioche French toast and steak and eggs on its brunch menu. It also serves lunch, dinner and 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.
