Want the intel on San Jose's buzziest local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at San Jose 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 riding a trend this spring.
The Kickin' Crab
Open since 2018, this Cajun spot, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw a median 2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but The Kickin' Crab saw an 11.9 percent increase, maintaining a mixed three-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis The Kickin' Crab's review count increased by more than 1,300 percent.
Located at 1051 Blossom Hill Road, The Kickin' Crab offers build-your-own seafood specialties with your choice of seafood, seasoning, spice level and add-ons. There's also garlic noodles and starters like Cajun edamame and coconut sea snails.
Seven Seas Sushi
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown San Jose's Seven Seas Sushi, the well-established sushi bar is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Sushi Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Seven Seas Sushi bagged a 2.2 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating. While this may not seem like a large increase, it significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 10.0 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 130 E. Santa Clara St. since 2014, Seven Seas Sushi offers a wide selection of ramen, rolls, deep-fried dishes and grilled entrées. For a main dish, look for the hamachi kama, a yellowtail jaw served alongside soup, salad and rice.
Ben's BBQ and Brew
West San Jose's Ben's BBQ and Brew is also making waves. Open since 2018 at 5391 Prospect Road, the sports bar, which offers barbecue and more, has seen a 10.5 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Barbeque" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Ben's BBQ and Brew's review count increased by more than 170 percent.
Ben's BBQ and Brew offers a variety of smoked meat platters, sandwiches, wraps, greens and brews. Look for the baby back ribs served with garlic bread and a side. For vegetarians, there's also a small selection of plant-based fare. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Kung Fu Tea
West San Jose's new Kung Fu Tea is the city's buzziest coffee and tea spot by the numbers.
The spot to score bubble tea, coffee and tea and juice and smoothies, which opened at 457 Saratoga Ave. since October 2018, increased its new review count by 15.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.3 percent for the Yelp category "Coffee & Tea." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Kung Fu Tea offers a variety of refreshments, including classic black and green teas with tapioca pe, milk-based beverages, slushies and punch. Look for the rosehip-infused milk tea.
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.
