Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending at this very moment?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 getting plenty of attention this spring.
Magnuson Cafe and Brewery
Open since July 2018, this brewpub and cafe is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cafes" on Yelp.
Citywide, cafes saw a median 1.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Magnuson Cafe and Brewery saw a 17.4 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Magnuson Cafe and Brewery's review count increased by more than 250 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the cafe category: Cafe Opla has seen a 9 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 7801 62nd Ave. NE, Magnuson Cafe and Brewery offers salads, tacos, wraps and brunch options like cinnamon rolls and burrito bowls.
G.H. Pasta Co.
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Belltown's G.H. Pasta Co., the Italian spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp saw a median 2.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, G.H. Pasta Co. bagged a 13.2 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating.
Open at 2305 Sixth Ave. (between Battery and State Route 99 streets) since 2018, G.H. Pasta Co. offers tonarelli, bucatini, spaghetti, gemelli and sides of snap peas, fried potatoes and garlic bread.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar
Central Business District's Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar is also making waves. Open since 2016 at 815 Pine St. (between 9th Ave and Eighth Avenue), the sushi bar and Japanese spot, which offers seafood and more, has seen a 3.4 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.2 percent for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar's review count increased by more than 200 percent.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Seattle's seafood category: Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar has seen a 3.3 percent increase in reviews.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar offers tempura, nigiri and vegetarian sushi rolls. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Cinnaholic
Broadway's Cinnaholic is the city's buzziest bakery by the numbers.
The bakery and vegan spot, which offers desserts and more and opened at 816 E. Pike St. (between Harvard and Broadway avenues) in October 2018, increased its new review count by 12.4 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.3 percent for the Yelp category "Bakeries."
Cinnaholic offers toppings and 20 different frosting flavors to create one-of-a-kind cinnamon roll combinations.
Eureka!
Open since 2009, this popular bar and New American spot, which offers burgers and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "American (New)" saw a median 1.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Eureka! saw a 4.9 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. It gained 0.8 times more reviews than expected based on past performance, significantly outperforming the previous month.
Located at 2614 N.E. 46th St. in Ravenna, Eureka! offers burgers, sliders, seared shrimp salads, skirt steak and more.
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.
