Want the scoop on Sacramento's most happening local hotspots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries have been getting extra notice this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Sacramento 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots have the momentum heading into the end of the year.
Yard House
Open since September, the new DoCo outpost of the Long Beach-based national sports bar chain that bills itself as having the "world's largest selection of draft beer" is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2 percent over the past month, but Yard House saw a 90.3 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Beast and Bounty has seen a 48.1 percent increase in reviews, while maintaining a solid 4-star rating.
Located at 405 K St., Suite 100 in downtown Sacramento, Yard House offers beer and comfort food with a New American twist: lobster garlic noodles, ribeye steak with shrimp, and over a hundred beer taps await diners, including local craft beers like the Bear Republic Racer X Imperial IPA. (See the menu here.)
The Diplomat Steakhouse
Downtown Sacramento's The Diplomat Steakhouse is also making waves. Open since April at 1117 11th St., the formal steakhouse and bar in the former space of Chops has seen a 26.7 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7 percent for other bars.
The fine-dining destination offers surf and turf options, including, for a limited time, the introduction of a whole live lobster dinner on Sundays. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from 3.5 stars to four stars after a shaky few opening months. (You can check out the full menu here.)
The Other Side
Finally, East Sacramento's The Other Side is currently on the upswing in the traditional American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, Track 7 Brewing Co.'s entry into fast-casual dining plus beer increased its reviews by 11 percent — and kept its rating consistent at four stars. (You can find its menu here.)
Open for business at 5090 Folsom Blvd. since July, the gastropub has offerings like the signature Panic burger and Panic fries with beer cheese, and pork shoulder and pickled onions. Beers on tap include Track 7's signature Panic IPA and Nukin’ Futz Imperial Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Porter.
