Want the scoop on Washington's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries 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 riding a trend, right now.
Nicoletta Italian Kitchen
Open since April 2019, this Italian spot, which offers pizza, salads and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Nicoletta Italian Kitchen saw a substantial 116.7% increase, with a slight upward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Stellina Pizzeria has seen a 36.7% increase in reviews, and Officina has seen a 9.4% bump.
Located at 901 Fourth St. NW (between North I and North K streets) in Mount Vernon Square, Nicoletta Italian Kitchen offers tagliatelle, gnocchi al forno and veal Milanese.
Astoria DC
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Dupont Circle's Astoria DC, the cocktail bar and Szechuan spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp saw a median 3.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, Astoria DC bagged a staggering 141.7% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a superior four-star rating.
There's more that's trending on Washington's cocktail bar scene: Whiskey Charlie has seen a 9.9% increase in reviews, and Ellē has seen an 8.4% bump.
Open at 1521 17th St. NW (between North Q and North Church streets) since April 2019, Astoria DC offers sweet and sour ribs, walnut shrimp and ribeye chimichurri.
Rooster & Owl
Columbia Heights' Rooster & Owl is also making waves. Open since February 2019 at 2436 14th St. NW (between North Chapin and North Belmont streets), the New American spot, which offers tapas and more, has seen a 30.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.2% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Washington's New American category: City Winery - Washington has seen a 7.8% increase in reviews, and Bresca has seen a 5.8% bump.
Rooster & Owl offers risotto, quail and hanger steak. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
CIRCA at Navy Yard
Capitol Hill's CIRCA at Navy Yard is the city's buzziest traditional American spot by the numbers.
The traditional American and New American spot, which opened at 99 M St. SE, Suite 100 (between South Cushing Place) in February 2019, increased its new review count by 16.7% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.2% for the Yelp category "American (Traditional)."
CIRCA at Navy Yard offers lobster ravioli, braised short ribs and steak frites.
Busboys and Poets - Brookland
Catholic University and other Catholic Institutions' popular Busboys and Poets - Brookland is currently on the upswing in the breakfast and brunch category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this breakfast and brunch, Mediterranean and traditional American spot increased its new reviews by 4.6% — with its Yelp rating improving from 3.5 stars to four stars. Review counts increased by more than 400% on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 625 Monroe St. NE (between North Michigan Avenue and North Kearney Street) since 2015, the business offers vegan stir fry, catfish and shrimp and grits.
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.
