Want the intel on Washington's most talked-about local spots?
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 analyze which eateries have been getting extra notice 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 riding a trend this winter.
The Avenue
Open since 2018, this traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, but The Avenue saw an 8.3% increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis The Avenue's review count increased by more than 400%. According to SafeGraph foot traffic data, visits to The Avenue increased by 40% over the past month.
Here's more about the business, from its Yelp page: "The Avenue is a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant and bar dishing up elevated American classics in a lively, brick-walled setting."
What's the business known for? "We specialize in great food, comfy atmosphere and friendly patrons. Join us for a casual lunch, watch your favorite team with a cold drink at one of our three bars, or a delicious brunch over the weekend. We offer three private party rooms to host your next social event too," its Yelp page says.
It's not the only trending outlier in the traditional American category: Little Pearl has seen a 6.1% increase in reviews, and Red Derby has seen a 0.9% bump.
Located at 5540 Connecticut Ave. NW in Chevy Chase, The Avenue's dinner menu features pork tenderloin, pan-seared cod, shepherd's pie and filet mignon.
The Avenue is open from 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Friday and 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy at 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Fridays, so go on Wednesdays if you want to avoid the rush.
Mission
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Mission in Navy Yard, the bar and Tex-Mex restaurant, which opened in 2018, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Mission in Navy Yard bagged a 7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a strong four-star rating.
Regarding specialities, "Known for our vibrant bar scene, daily happy hour, spacious private event and outdoor spaces and delicious Tex-Mex food. Our spaces are created to be welcoming for brunch, happy hour, dinner and private events, as well as those looking to rewind in a vibrant weekend late-night atmosphere," its Yelp page says.
There's more that's trending on Washington's bar scene: Prather's on the Alley has seen a 6.6% increase in reviews, and El Centro has seen a 0.9% bump.
Open at 1221 Van St. SE, Mission offers taco varieties that include green chile duck confit, chipotle chicken and braised chorizo. Other options are Mexican stir fry, fajitas, adobo marinated salmon, tamales al pastor and carne asada steak.
Mission Navy Yard is open from 5 p.m.–midnight on Monday-Wednesday, 4 p.m.–1:30 a.m. on Thursday, 4 p.m.–2:30 a.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.–2:30 a.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.–midnight on Sunday.
The Bar @ Milk & Honey
Brightwood's The Bar @ Milk & Honey is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers.
The popular restaurant, which offers seafood and more and opened at 5832 Georgia Ave. NW in August 2019, increased its new review count by 7.2% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.1% for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch."
Interested so far? Here's more about the business from its Yelp page: "Winner of the Food Network's hit show 'Chopped' and winner of D.C.'s Best Main Dish, celebrity chef Sammy Davis introduces a unique concept entitled 'global cuisine.'
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Unconventional Diner has seen a 4.9% increase in reviews.
Belgian waffles, crab cake Benedict, Caribbean-style whole red snapper, blackened salmon and grits and jerk lamb with garlic hash are among the menu items at The Bar @ Milk & Honey.
The restaurant is open from 10 a.m.–8 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. (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.
