DMV Eateries Make Yelp’s Top 2024 Lists
Six restaurants in the DMV made two of Yelp’s top of 2024 lists this year.
Kappo’s sashimi trio, second course (Photo: Amol W./Yelp)
Best New Restaurant of 2024
Two D.C. restaurants and one from Virginia made Yelp’s 25 Best New Restaurants of 2024.
At No. 18 on the list, Kappo DC, 4822 MacAruthur Blvd., serves Japanese cuisine.
The intimate omakase restaurant seats only 21 people and serves an eight-course menu. The menu features Wagyu beef in almost every course, Yelp said. Because of its small setting, Kappo has a sort of dinner party feel, where guests talk with chefs at the restaurant’s counter.
Reservations are needed, as the restaurant only has two seatings a night Tuesday through Thursday and three seatings Friday through Sunday.
In Arlington, Carbonara, 3865 Wilson Blvd., comes in at No. 21 on the list.
Carbonara serves Italian cuisine. Yelp describes the restaurant as “dinner is theater,” referencing chicken parmigiana alla vodka being finished tableside and an espresso martini flight with six options. The restaurant’s take on its namesake features bucatini being tossed on an 80-pound flambéed Italian parmesan wheel.
Carbonara is open from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon-10 p.m. on Saturday and noon-9 p.m. on Sunday.
Back in D.C., Love, Makoto, 200 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 150, comes in at No. 22.
From chef and restaurateur Makoto Okuwa, Love, Makoto serves Japanese cuisine at multiple different smaller concepts under one roof. From a full-service sushi restaurant to a Japanese grill to an izakaya to a fast-casual food hall, it has many different options. There are the Michelin-recommended restaurants Dear Sushi and Beloved BBQ, which are sit-down meals, and also Love on the Run, a cafe. Chef Okuwa says Love, Makoto is meant to bridge Japanese and American cultures, according to Yelp.
Love, Makoto is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week.
In compiling the list, Yelp said it spotted three main trends: experiential dining, Japanese cuisine and more approachable restaurants.
- Many of the top 25 restaurants entertained through either the setting, decor, music or even through the food itself.
- Six of the restaurants also featured Japanese cuisine — including both D.C. locations on the list. Yelp said a variety of types of Japanese cuisine trended this year, from pub food to omakase to Japanese BBQ.
- Last but not least, the company found that thriving gourmet restaurants have moved away from the stuffy fancy white tablecloth setting. Popular upscale restaurants are describing themselves as approachable, Yelp said.
Sabores Tapas Bar’s paella de mariscos. (Photo: Le C./Yelp)
Top 100 Places to East in the U.S.
Three restaurants in D.C., Arlington and Bethesda made Yelp’s list of Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. in 2024.
To determine the top eateries, Yelp analyzed user submissions to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews and volume of submissions.
Coming in at No. 48 is Sabores Tapas Bar, 2401 Columbia Pike, Arlington, a year-old small plates restaurant.
Sabores comes from a trio of friends from Venezuela, Colombia and Honduras who realized during the pandemic that life is too short not to realize your dreams. The menu consists of shareable Spanish and Latin American comfort foods, each with its own twist, Yelp says. The arepitas, for example, are fried corn cakes topped with shredded beef or shredded chicken, inspired by a dish from Venezuela. Croquetas de Pollo — bite-sized fried croquettes with a creamy chicken filling — from Spain join larger dishes like the Chuletón Vasco, a 32-ounce ribeye steak smoked tableside with mesquite wood chips and served with grilled potatoes and chimichurri sauce from Argentina.
Sabores is open from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m-510 p.m. Sunday.
At No. 59 is Menya Hosaki, 845 Upshur St. NW, a ramen shop.
Korean-born chef-owner Eric Yoo is a former financial consultant who took a sabbatical from his day job to learn the secrets of the perfect bowl from famed New York ramen master Keizo Shimamoto. Everything is made in-house, from his two noodle styles — thin for the tonkotsu and thick for the shoyu — to the oils and tare (seasoning for the base of ramen) that Yoo uses to modulate broth flavors. The small, unfussy menu includes the classic shoyu made from chicken broth and umami-rich dashi broth with thick, chewy wheat noodles and the pork-based classic tonkatsu with thin noodles. There is also truffle shoyu made with truffle infused oil, “must-try” spicy tantan made with sesame paste and chile, and the “irresistible” triple threat, with a blend of all three signature broths (chicken, pork, and dashi). Vegetarian options, made with an almond-milk base, are equally excellent, Yelpers say.
Menya Hosaki is open from from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays serving only the special bowl of the day, 5-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 5-9:30 p.m. Friday.
Coming in at No. 82 is M & N’s Pizza, 4914 Del Ray Ave., Bethesda.
This pizzeria with an Indian twist is known for its “whacky pizza” menu. Prime examples include the aushak pizza, inspired by a popular dumpling dish from Afghanistan with spiced ground beef, mozzarella cheese and yogurt drizzle; and the vegetarian dal makhani pizza with an Indian-style creamy black lentil curry, red onions and extra cheese. Traditional Indian curries are also available, like chicken vindaloo, a fiery curry from Goa, India, and achari lamb prepared with Indian pickling spices.
M & N’s Pizza is open 4-8:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Friday, 3-9:30 p.m. Friday and 4-9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Trending this year, according to Yelp:
- Oodles of noodles. Chefs have unleashed their artistry on the beloved staple.
- Yelpers have always loved the bold flavors of Latin food, but now, they are beating a path to places serving plant-based versions of Mexican classics.
- Asian cuisines from every region are as popular as ever, but Korean fusion restaurants are really having a moment.
Albi in Navy Yard is the hardest restaurant in D.C. to get a reservation according to OpenTable and Resy. (Photo: Albi/Instagram)
D.C.’s 6 Hardest Restaurants to Snag a Reservation
Want to dine at one of the buzziest restaurants in town? You are going to have to strategize how to acquire that coveted seat.
Frustrated with your inability to get in? That is because they are some of the most difficult reservations to secure, according to new data. Resy and OpenTable shared insights on which reservations are the most challenging to secure. Based on restaurants that have all tables booked up, and the number of waitlist notifications set by users, this information reveals which restaurants in five cities across America have nailed the art of attracting diners.
The most challenging reservations to get in Washington D.C., according to data from OpenTable and Resy, are:
- Albi, 1346 Fourth St. SE
- Le Diplomate, 1601 14th St. NW
- Maydan, 1346 Florida Ave. NW
- Moon Rabbit by Kevin Tien, 927 F St. NW
- The Dabney, 122 Blagden Alley NW
- Causa, 920 Blagden Alley NW
As a core part of contemporary food culture, especially in urban spaces, popular restaurants have a grasp on both our tastebuds and minds. A meal sometimes feels more exciting when we finally unfold a napkin across our lap and dig into the elusive dishes at a hot spot, simply because it was so hard to get a seat to begin with.
Many of these locations do offer walk-in dining at the bar or outdoors, so check a restaurant’s details online to see if there’s a chance that you can sidle into a seat solo by simply strolling in. To help secure a spot, book a table on off-peak days of the week like Mondays and Tuesdays, or at off-peak times, like an early bird dinner, to help score hard-to-get tables.
Booking larger parties — typically for eight people or more — may also allow you to correspond directly with the restaurant’s team and secure a table for a fun group dinner, bypassing the digital reservation system entirely.
Tamashaa in Columbia Heights is now serving weekend brunch from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Photo: Tamashaa/Facebook)
Tamashaa in Columbia Heights Adds Brunch
Tamashaa, 3115 14th St. NW, a modern Indian Gastro Bar that opened in the spring, launched a $37 three-course brunch menu from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Brunch options include an appetizer section of popular Indian street foods like paneer bhurji sliders, scrambled cottage cheese on a buttered roll; potato cauliflower kulcha, flattened bread stuffed with potato and cauliflower served with yogurt and butter; and pani puri shots, wheat puffs masala chickpeas and tamarind emulsion with spicy mint cumin water. Entrées Khubani kofta, an apricot stuffed cheese dumpling in creams sauce served with butter naan; tawa chicken pulao, chicken chunks with peppers layered in basmati rice served with yoghurt; or meat Martaban, slow-cooked pickled lam in an earthen pot served with garlic naan. Desserts include a rasmalai tiramisu and the pistachio softy, a creamy pistachio ice cream served in a waffle cone.
A bottomless cocktail option is available as well for $17. Cocktails include traditional mimosas and bloody Marys, as well as a chaat margarita with tequila, agave, lime, triple sec, gooseberry and chaat masala. Cocktails are also available a la carte.
La Frontera in Gaithersburg has reopened after an arson fire in September 2023. (Photo: David R./Yelp)
La Frontera Reopens After Arson Fire
La Frontera, 3 Russell Ave., Gaithersburg, reopened last Wednesday after being forced to close in September 2023 due to a fire during an arson spree. To celebrate, the restaurant is offering 10 percent off all dine-in and carry-out orders during December.
“Our family has been in business since 1993, and this was the first time in 30 years that we had to close,” said a spokesperson. “My parents are immigrants from El Salvador who fled during the civil war in the 1980s. We were one of the first Salvadoran restaurants in the county and were honored to win an award for serving the best pupusas in Montgomery County.”
Neighboring businesses affected by the fires are also preparing to reopen. Dinora’s Hair Design reopened on Dec. 7 and Taco Bar is expected to reopen next month.
The Sept. 17, 2023, fires caused significant damage to the Holbrook Center and surrounding areas. Fernando J. Herrera-Rivera, 23, of Gaithersburg, was charged with six counts of second-degree arson for the fires, which included vehicles and businesses. Damage from the incidents was estimated at $1.25 million. Herrera-Rivera remains in custody without bond.
La Frontera is open from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday.
Bobalicious is now Pho and Banh Mi Eatery Cafe and has expanded its menu, including soft birria tacos.
(Photo: Pho and Banh Mi Eatery Cafe/Instagram)
Bobalicious Rebrands, Adds New Menu Items
Bobalicious Café, a Vietnamese eatery in Clarendon featuring bubble tea, has rebranded as Pho and Banh Mi Eatery Café and added some new menu items.
After opening in July at 3000 Washington Blvd. Suite D and rebranding over the summer, the cafe has updated its offerings to include soft tacos in addition to pho, poke, rolls and banh mi.
Owner April Luong said the Latin twist to the menu was based on her husband’s experience working at a Woodbridge taqueria.
Three soft tacos start at $14.95 and come in birria, Hawaiian shrimp, grilled chicken and tofu varieties. The Hawaiian tacos are piled with pineapple, sweet onion, cucumber, salsa, lettuce, cilantro and a house avocado sauce. The beef birria tacos, meanwhile, include cheese, salsa, onions and cilantro, and served alongside a bowl of consommé for dipping.
Luong believes the restaurant’s revised branding draws more attention to its food, which she said is as varied as its drinks.
“When we first opened, we named it Bobalicious Cafe, but then people were only ordering drinks,” she said. “One week in, I decided to change the name.”
Pho and Banh Mi Eatery Cafe serves a few variations of banh mi as well as pho and customizable poke bowls. Appetizers include egg rolls and summer rolls. It also serves smoothies, coffee, slushes, fruit-flavored lemonades and about 20 different kinds of bubble tea.
Through Dec. 31, the restaurant is offering $5 off purchases of $20 or more.
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub in Clarendon is expanding into the former Spirit of ’76 space. (Photo: The Spirit of ’76)
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub Expanding in Clarendon
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, 3207 Washington Blvd., Arlington in Clarendon is planning to expand into a vacant, adjacent storefront.
The pub applied for a permit for a commercial addition at 3211 Washington Blvd., formerly home to The Spirits of ’76, an Americana-themed bar that closed in fall 2020.
The pub hopes to add an extra bar and dining service in the nearly 2,000 square-foot space. The addition will be a casual, quiet space for patrons, kept separate from the main restaurant and its live music.
The plans require mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, according to permitting records. The business is still awaiting permits and it is unclear when construction will start.
O’Sullivan’s expanded a little over a decade ago into two nearby storefronts at 3207 Washington Blvd. Completed in 2013, the project broadened the pub’s reach from Washington Boulevard to the corner at North Irving Street.
