As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been seeing especially high review volumes 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 closing the summer out strong.
Slapfish
Open since 2018, this seafood spot at 1800 M St. NW, Suite GR06, in Foggy Bottom is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Slapfish saw a 50% increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Slapfish's review count increased by more than 190%.
Menu items include a lobster roll, fish tacos and a citrus shrimp salad.
Slapfish is open from 7 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends.
CR NoMa
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about CR NoMa, the Mediterranean spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mediterranean" on Yelp saw a median 3.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, CR NoMa bagged a 66.7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating.
Denver ribs, chicken schnitzel, leg of lamb and a house-made whipped ricotta appetizer are featured on the menu. The restaurant, the sister of the Carving Room in Mount Vernon Triangle, has been open since May at 140 M St. NE.
CR NoMa is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily for food service; the bar stays open until midnight Thursday-Saturday.
Dyllan's Raw Bar and Grill
Georgetown's Dyllan's Raw Bar and Grill is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The cocktail bar and New American spot at 1054 31st St. NW, which has been open since 2018, increased its new review count by 19.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.9% for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.1 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Featured menu items include sautéed branzino, grilled king salmon, seared sea scallops, pan-seared Arctic char and West Coast cioppino, as well as seafood on the raw bar.
Dyllan's Raw Bar and Grill is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 9:30 a.m.–midnight on Saturday and 9:30 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday.
Stellina Pizzeria
Stellina Pizzeria, near Union Market, is currently on the upswing in the pizza category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, increased its new reviews by 32.1% — and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business at 399 Morse St. NE since April, Stellina Pizzeria offers southern Italian-inspired pizzas and pastas. Signature pizzas include prosciutto cotto and mushrooms; grilled zucchini, eggplant and asparagus with ricotta cheese and tomato sauce; and homemade sausage and Calabrian peppers.
Stellina Pizzeria is open from 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday and 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Monday.)
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.
