Want the inside word on Denver's most happening 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 Denver 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.
Read on to see which spots are sizzling hot, right now.
Mario's Ocean Club
Open since May, this seafood spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.4 percent over the past month, but Mario's Ocean Club saw a 42.1 percent increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 560 S. Broadway in Washington Park West, Mario's Ocean Club offers menu options like market oysters served with cocktail sauce, horseradish and lemon, New England Clam Chowda (belly bacon, potato, cream and saltines), the Point Judith Calamari (fried calamari, arbol chiles, sambal chile, ginger, cashews and scallions) and the Linguine & Clams (with whine wine, parsley and red chili flakes). (See the full menu here.)
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Whether or not you've been hearing the buzz about Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, the breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.8 percent over the past month, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery bagged a 40.6 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating.
Open at 5073 S. Syracuse St. since May, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery offers dishes like the Breakfast Pot Pie (rosemary sausage gravy over a puff pastry, topped with an egg any style with hash browns), the Smashed Avocado Benny (English muffin topped with smashed avocado, green chili, Parmesan cheese, tomatoes, two poached eggs and smoked cheddar hollandaise) and the Sandwich I Am (pretzel roll filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar and a sausage patty). (See the full menu here.)
There's more that's trending on Denver's breakfast and brunch scene: Wendell's has seen a 22 percent increase in reviews.
Daikon
Capitol Hill's Daikon is also making waves. Open since May at 211 E. Seventh Ave., the Vietnamese and Asian fusion spot, which offers sandwiches and more, has seen a 27.9 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Sandwiches" on Yelp.
Daikon offers Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, which are served on a toasted baguette with house pickled daikon and carrots, fresh herbs and house mayo, plus your choice of meat, including spicy chicken, teriyaki salmon and braised jackfruit. (See all of your options here.) Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Acova
Highland's Acova is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The New American spot, which opened at 3651 Navajo St. in May, increased its review count by 31.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.3 percent for the Yelp category "American (New)."
Acova offers dishes such as the Havana Panini (braised pork, smoked turkey, pepperjack, pickled red onions and pineapple-jalapeño jam on a ciabatta), the Honey Stung Fried Chicken (buttermilk-battered chicken breast, whipped potatoes, spicy greens, sausage gravy and honey cayenne drizzle) and the Brat Burger (bratwurst with cheddar, bacon, egg and spicy mustard on a pretzel bun). (See the full lunch and dinner menu here.) It also offers a brunch menu.
