Want the intel on Seattle's most happening local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been getting a noteworthy increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Seattle 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 extra cool this winter.
G.H. Pasta Co.
Open since October of 2018, this classic Italian spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.4 percent over the past month, but G.H. Pasta Co. saw a 37.5 percent increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 2305 Sixth Ave. (between Battery and State Route 99 streets) in Belltown, G.H. Pasta Co. offers a casual alternative to upscale Italian food. Look for gemelli with braised pork, rigatoni with guanciale, and other Italian favorites.
Cinnaholic
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Capitol Hill's Cinnaholic, the all-vegan bakery, which specializes in cinnamon rolls, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bakeries" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, Cinnaholic bagged a 33.9 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
Open at 816 E. Pike St. (between Harvard and Broadway avenues) since October 2018, Cinnaholic offers a wide variety of cinnamon rolls with different toppings, ice cream and other baked goods.
Sal Y Limon
Lower Queen Anne's Sal Y Limon, which opened at 10 Mercer St. (between North Queen Anne and North First avenues) in April 2018, is the city's buzziest bar by the numbers.
The Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar increased its review count by 9.3 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 1.6 percent for the Yelp category "Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.0 times more reviews than expected.
Sal Y Limon offers Mexican cuisine such as chips and dip, burritos, entradas and sopas, as well as a number of signature cocktails at its full bar. Yelpers are particularly impressed with its Ultimate Margarita, which is one reason its Yelp rating has stayed strong at 4.5 stars out of 120 reviews.
Cinque Terre Ristorante
Belltown's Cinque Terre Ristorante, a farm-to-table Italian seafood place, is currently on the upswing in the seafood category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 1.1 percent over the past month, this nearly three-year-old Italian spot increased its by 4.2 percent — and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business at 2001 Westlake Ave. (between 7th Ave and Virginia Street) since early 2016, Cinque Terre offers upscale Italian food such as whole grilled Mediterranean sea bass with shishito peppers, grilled octopus and mashed potatoes, and fettuccine with Gulf prawns and salmon roe.
Qin Xi'an Noodles
Is Capitol Hill's Qin Xi'an noodles on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Chinese hand-pulled noodle joint is seeing plenty of action.
While businesses categorized as "Noodles" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 4.3 percent over the past month, Qin Xi'an noodles nabbed a 13.5 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a solid four-star rating.
Located at 1203 Pine St. (between Melrose and Minor avenues.) since November 2017, Qin Xi'an offers Lanzhou pulled noodle beef soup, biang-biang noodles with pork sauce, and more.
