Wondering where Boston's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which local businesses have been seeing especially high review volumes this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Boston 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 on a hot streak, right now.
Rina's Pizzeria & Cafe
Open since 2015, this Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, but Rina's Pizzeria & Cafe saw an 8.4 percent increase, with a slight upward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today.
Located at 371 Hanover St. (between Tileston and Clark streets) in North End, Rina's Pizzeria & Cafe offers salads, paninis and pizzas. Try a meatball cone or a house specialty like the bite-size arancini with meat and peas. Single slices are available all day. The pizzeria also offers beer and wine. Check out the menu here.
Kings Dining & Entertainment
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about South Boston's outlet of Kings Dining & Entertainment, the combined sports bar and bowling spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. It also has eight other locations nationwide, including in Florida, North Carolina and Illinois.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.3 percent over the past month, Kings bagged a 12 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.5 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Boston's traditional American scene: Wahlburgers has seen a 6.9 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 60 Seaport Blvd. (between Northern Avenue) since October 2017, Kings offers something for every gamer, including foosball, ping pong, darts, billiards, bowling and air hockey.
It also offers something for every foodie. On the menu, you'll find everything from classic snacks like fried mozzarella to a Nashville hot chicken breast sandwich to steak tips with roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables. Signature cocktails include the Pop Rocks Martini, made with citrus vodka, elderflower liqueur, strawberry puree and a Pop Rocks rim. Check it out here.
The Palm Boston
Downtown Boston's The Palm Boston is also making waves. Re-opening in May of 2013, at 1 International Place, Suite 190, the upscale steakhouse, which also offers seafood, has seen a 6.7 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.4 percent for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
The Palm Boston offers high-end seafood like a three-pound Nova Scotia lobster in addition to its steaks. Of course, there's the surf-and-turf if you want the best of both foodie worlds. Sides include Brussels sprouts and green beans with pancetta and red pepper flakes and pine nuts. See the menu here.
Terramia Ristorante
North End's Terramia Ristorante is the city's buzziest wine bar by the numbers.
The Italian restaurant and wine bar, which opened at 98 Salem St. (between Bartlett Place and Hull Street) in 1993, increased its review count by 5.5 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 1.4 percent for other wine bars.
Terramia Ristorante offers an intimate atmosphere with only 12 tables. Start with the pan-seared sea scallops with parsnip puree and a veal truffle reduction. The chicken Marsala is made with Murray's Farm organic chicken breast, wild mushrooms, smoked pancetta, string beans, herb-roasted potatoes and thyme Marsala cream sauce. Finish up with the flourless chocolate cake. See the menu here.
