As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, 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 discover which restaurants have been most discussed 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are extra cool, right now.
Dacha-Navy Yard
Open since May 8, this beer garden and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 2.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Dacha-Navy Yard saw a remarkable 154.5% increase, though in a downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to three stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Bresca has seen a 5.3% increase in reviews.
Located at 79 Potomac Ave. SE (between South Half and South First streets), Dacha-Navy Yard features entrees such as cauliflower steak, lobster linguine, scallops and grits and crown of Muscovy duck. It also offers extensive lists of beers, craft cocktails and wines.
Estuary
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown's Estuary, the seafood spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 2.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, Estuary bagged a 65.2% 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. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.5 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 950 New York Ave. NW (between North 10th and North K streets) since March 22, Estuary is headed by "Top Chef" brothers Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. The restaurant offers Maryland crab roll, striped bass ceviche, Chesapeake Bay oysters and tuna tartare, as well as breakfast and brunch menus.
Roaming Rooster
Northeast's Roaming Rooster is also making waves. Open since July 2018 at 3176 Bladensburg Road NE (between North Eastern Avenue and North Fort Lincoln Drive), the chicken shop and traditional American spot has seen a 29.4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Roaming Rooster's review count increased by more than 120%.
Roaming Rooster, which also has food trucks, offers free-range, buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, such as fried chicken breast topped with honey butter and cheddar cheese. Sides include fries, cole slaw and wings. Over the past month, it's maintained a sound 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Lupo Marino
Southwest's Lupo Marino is the city's buzziest Italian spot by the numbers.
The restaurant, which offers pizza and more, opened at 40 Pearl St. SW on the D.C. waterfront on May 18. It increased its new review count by 9.3% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.7% for the Yelp category "Italian." It outperformed the previous month by gaining five times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Downtown's Sfoglina has seen a 15.1% increase in reviews.
Lupo Marino, which has a 3.5-star rating on Yelp, offers a Southern Italian menu that includes pasta with wild pork carbonara, cured egg yolk, pickled onion and broccoli rabe, and a signature pizza with porchetta, roasted pepper relish, broccolini and pecorino cheese.
Mi Vida Restaurante
Also in southwest, Mi Vida Restaurante is currently on the upswing in the Mexican category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, this Mexican spot increased its new reviews by 6% — and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars.
Open for business at 98 District Square SW at the D.C. Wharf since February 2018, the restaurant is headed by James Beard Award nominee chef Roberto Santibañez. The menu offers braised brisket enchiladas, slow-braised and seared baby back ribs and jumbo scallops and shrimp with chorizo and avocado-serrano purée, as well as a brunch menu and a host of tequilas and mezcales.
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.
