Want the intel on Denver's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which restaurants have been getting a noteworthy uptick in attention 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 extra hot this spring.
Hank's Texas Barbecue
Open since last November, this New American and caterer spot, which offers barbecue and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 2.4 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Hank's Texas Barbecue saw a 64.7 percent increase, with an upward trend from a three-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
Located at 5410 E. Colfax Ave. in Hale, Hank's Texas Barbecue offers meat by the pound, main dishes, tacos, sandwiches, salads and sides. Try the Squealer plate with a house hot link sliced and served on a brioche bun with pimento cheese, slaw, chicharrons and hot barbecue sauce. Or go for the brisket sandwich, served on a brioche bun with house sauce and onions.
Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Five Points's Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers, the brewery and Italian spot, which offers tapas and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp saw a median 2.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers bagged a 44.9 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
There's more that's trending on Denver's Italian scene: Jovanina's Broken Italian has seen a 26.1 percent increase in reviews, and Lou’s Italian Specialties and Giordano's have seen 20 and 17.9 percent increases, respectively.
Open at 2403 Champa St. since November, Liberati Osteria & Oenobeers offers Italian dishes like the Cappellacci di Spigola with handmade ravioli filled with fresh sea bass and lemon zest served on slow-cooked shrimp bisque; and the Parmigiana di Melanzane, an eggplant Parmesan with Liberati fior di latte cheese made in-house and cooked with tomatoes from San Marzano in Campania and 24-month Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
The Brutal Poodle
Overland's The Brutal Poodle is also making waves. Open since November 2017 at 1967 S. Broadway, the bar and traditional American spot has seen a 5.9 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis The Brutal Poodle's review count increased by more than 330 percent.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Denver's bar category: Super Mega Bien has seen a 11.9 percent increase in reviews.
The Brutal Poodle offers a diverse selection on its menu. Try the The 2-Step Chicken And Waffles, made with a jalapeño cheddar cornbread waffle, hand-battered chicken breast a Sriracha maple syrup. There's also plates like the Poodle Bites with jalapeño cheddar corn breading, local smoked sausage and a stone ground mustard aioli.
Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Leven Deli Co
Civic Center's Leven Deli Co is the city's buzziest sandwich spot by the numbers.
The deli, which offers sandwiches, coffee and tea and more and opened at 123 W. 12th Ave. in July of 2018, increased its new review count by 12.1 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.3 percent for the Yelp category "Sandwiches." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.8 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the sandwich category: ZEPS EPIQ Sandwiches has seen a 4.5 percent increase in reviews.
Leven Deli Co offers various specialty sandwiches such as the Chix Hogie, a marinated chicken with grilled peppers, onions, feta, pickled onion, tahini yogurt and za’atar served on a baguette. Or look for the smashed chickpeas sandwich, which has marinated chickpeas, tahini yogurt, avocado, pickled onion, shaved radish and comes on a sourdough flatbread.
Intersections
Stapleton's Intersections is currently on the upswing in the breakfast and brunch category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this traditional American and breakfast and brunch spot increased its by 9.8 percent—and kept its rating consistent at four stars. Review counts increased by more than 400 percent on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in the world of Denver breakfast and brunch: Snooze, an A.M. Eatery has seen a 12.5 percent increase in reviews, and The Bindery and Maddie's Restaurant have seen 9.2 and 5 percent increases, respectively.
Open for business at 8241 E. Northfield Blvd. since 2017, the business offers breakfast and lunch options like the Crab Cake Benny which comes with two jumbo lump crab cakes, cage-free poached eggs, hollandaise, home fry potatoes, mixed greens and tomatoes.
Another selection on the menu is the Smothered Burrito that consists of cage-free eggs, potatoes, breakfast sausage, cheese, pico de gallo, pork or vegetarian chili and an avocado verde.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
