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 and SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to uncover which local businesses have been getting a significant uptick in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we first 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. Then we analyzed foot traffic data from SafeGraph to validate the trends.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring, right now.
Slipstream
Open since 2014, this popular cocktail bar has seen a major increase in foot traffic recently.
While Slipstream stayed on par with the median 1.9% increase in new reviews for cocktail bars on Yelp over the past month, maintaining a strong four-star rating, the number of visitors to Slipstream more than tripled over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
The specialities include "coffee, cocktails and libations," according to its page on Yelp.
It's not the only trending outlier in the cocktail bar category: Saint Yves has seen a 2.9% increase in reviews, and Thai Chef Street Food and Baan Thai have seen 4.2% and 1.7% increases, respectively.
Located at 1333 14th St. NW in Logan Circle, Slipstream offers a variety of craft cocktails and coffees, as well as seasonal soups and rice, grits or pasta bowls. Salmon spread and broccoli and cheddar dip are also on the menu.
Slipstream is open from 7 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, foot traffic is heaviest at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. and on Saturdays and Wednesdays, so go on Mondays if you want to avoid the rush.
Beau Thai
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Shaw's Beau Thai, the popular bar and Thai restaurant has seen a major increase in foot traffic recently.
While Beau Thai stayed on par with the median 1.3% increase in new reviews businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp over the past month, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating, the number of visitors to Beau Thai more than tripled over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
What does this business focus on? "We are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, feature a full bar of craft cocktails, great wines and a locally focused beer list, and offer dine-in, delivery and carryout service," its page on Yelp states.
There's more that's trending on Washington's bar scene: Clyde's in Gallery Place has seen a 0.5% increase in reviews.
Open at 1550 Seventh St. NW, Unit A, since 2010, Beau Thai offers a full bar, including a Thai Basil Gimlet and homemade ginger beer. And the spot's signature dish is lightly battered chicken tossed in a spicy garlic sauce with string beans and Thai chilies, served with white jasmine rice.
Beau Thai is open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5 p.m.–10:30 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–10:30 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and on Fridays and Mondays, with a slowdown on Tuesdays.
Roaming Rooster Restaurant
Woodridge's Roaming Rooster is also making waves. Known for its food truck, Roaming Rooster opened its restaurant at 3176 Bladensburg Rd NE in 2018. The chicken shop and traditional American spot has seen a 22% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.1% for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Washington's traditional American category: Morton's steakhouse has seen a 1.4% increase in reviews.
Roaming Rooster Restaurant offers free-range fried chicken in a variety of flavors, as well as salads, french fries, chicken tenders and wings. Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday.
Rooster & Owl
Columbia Heights' Rooster & Owl is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The New American spot, which opened at 2436 14th St. NW in February, increased its new review count by 13.6% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.3% for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 11.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
What's the business known for? "Led by chef Yuan Tang, Rooster & Owl serves a customizable shared plates tasting menu with a focus on seasonal produce," its Yelp page says.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Central has seen a 0.3% increase in reviews, and Off The Record and Medium Rare have seen 3.5% and 0.3% increases, respectively.
Rooster & Owl features the option for guests to build their own four-course meal to be enjoyed with the table. Dishes include Icelandic cod, eggplant Milanese, Pekin Duck and crispy pig ear.
Busboys and Poets
And finally, Busboys and Poets in Anacostia is currently on the upswing in the breakfast and brunch category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, this restaurant, which has several locations in the area, increased its new reviews by 12% — and kept its rating consistent at four stars. Review counts increased by more than 200% on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in the world of Washington breakfast and brunch: Firehook Bakery has seen a 2% increase in reviews, and Dirty Habit and Belga Cafe have seen 0.5% and 1.1% increases, respectively.
Open for business at 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE since March, Busboys and Poets in Anacostia offers Cuban paninis, fried chicken sandwiches, salads, small plates such as shrimp and crab fritters, and pizzas.
Busboys and Poets in Anacostia is open from 8 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday.
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.
