We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been getting extra notice 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, 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 are worth exploring this winter.
Leven Deli Co
Open since July, this deli, which offers sandwiches, coffee, cocktails and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Sandwiches" on Yelp.
Citywide, sandwich spots saw review counts increase by a median of 3.2 percent over the past month, but Leven Deli Co saw a 44 percent increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 170 percent.
Located at 123 W. 12th Ave. in the Civic Center area, Leven Deli Co offers specialty subs like the Chix Hoagie with marinated chicken, grilled peppers and onions, feta, pickled onion, tahini yogurt and za'atar; the Classic Pastrami with deli mustard on toasted rye; and the Smashed Chickpeas with marinated chickpeas, tahini yogurt, avocado, pickled onion and shaved radish. (See the full menu here.)
The Bindery
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Highland's The Bindery, the wine bar and New American 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 2.6 percent over the past month, The Bindery bagged an 11.9 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating.
Open at 1817 Central St. since 2017, The Bindery offers artisanal cuisine like brûléed pink grapefruit, toasted quinoa porridge, avocado toast and an array of market pastries that can be paired with sides like strawberry ginger jam and Sriracha potatoes. (See the menu here.)
Mario's Ocean Club
Washington Park West's Mario's Ocean Club is also making waves. Open since May at 560 S. Broadway, the seafood spot has seen a 14.9 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.1 percent for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp.
Mario's Ocean Club offers fresh and sustainable seafood like their fried shrimp, anchovy toast and market oysters. The spot also serves a range of "chowdas" that include ingredients like poutine, lobster and crab. Over the past month, it has maintained a convincing 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Julep
Five Points' Julep is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers.
The cocktail bar and Southern spot, which offers comfort food and opened in February at 3258 Larimer St., increased its review count by 17.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 3.2 percent for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Julep offers seasonal snacks like pimento pecan cheese balls, buttermilk biscuits, tangerine and molasses barbecue quail and boiled peanut-stuffed crêpes, which can be paired with signature cocktails like the Ginger Julep or the Pony Boy, a combination of Wheatly vodka, lime and almond.
Kachina Cantina
LoDo's Kachina Cantina is currently on the upswing in the Mexican category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 2.4 percent over the past month, this cocktail bar and Mexican spot increased its by 6.3 percent—and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business since 2017 at 1890 Wazee St., the restaurant offers modern southwestern and Mexican cuisine like aguachile, tequilas carnitas tacos, vegetable relleno and a green chile cheeseburger, along with desserts like jicama sorbet and coconut flan. Vegan and gluten free options are available. (See the full menu here.)
