Want the inside word on Sacramento's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which restaurants have been getting outsized 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 are sizzling hot, right now.
Yard House
Open since September, this New American restaurant and bar is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 1.5 percent over the past month, but Yard House saw a 22.9 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Canon has seen a 5 percent increase in reviews, and Punch Bowl Social has seen a 6.2 percent bump.
Located at 405 K St., Suite 100 in downtown Sacramento, Yard House offers modern American bites like Wisconsin fried cheese curds and Nashville hot chicken with sweet potato pancakes, honey hot sauce and more. (You can check out the full menu here.)
Zocalo
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Sierra Oaks's Zocalo, the well-established bar and Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2 percent over the past month, Zocalo bagged a 10.2 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.1 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 466 Howe Ave. since January 2018, Zocalo offers bar favorites and craft cocktails like the Elderflower Sting margarita mixed with Espolon Blanco tequila, elderflower liqueur and fresh jalapeños. (See the full drink menu here.)
Huckleberry's
Natomas Crossing's Huckleberry's is also making waves. Open since July at 2580 Arena Blvd., Suite 100, the breakfast and brunch spot has seen an 11 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Huckleberry's offers fresh Mardi Gras beignets, along with sizzling breakfast skillets and signature omelettes like The Riverboat consisting of sausage, bell peppers, Cajun chili and more. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers. (You can view the full menu here.)
