Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Chicago 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 poised to start summer off strong.
Carson's
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Streeterville's Carson's, the steakhouse and traditional American spot, which offers barbecue and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp saw a median 1.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Carson's bagged a 10.9 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining three times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 465 E. Illinois St. (between McClurg and Peshtigo courts) since 1977, Carson's offers barbecue ribs, chops, steaks, salmon and more.
SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen
Logan Square's SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen is the city's buzziest Italian spot by the numbers.
The bar and Italian and breakfast and brunch spot, which opened at 2715 N. Milwaukee Ave. in 2018, increased its new review count by 13.5 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.4 percent for the Yelp category "Italian." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.2 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen offers salad, pasta, pizza, meatballs and more.
The Chicago House of Za Vegan Pizzeria
North Center's The Chicago House of Za Vegan Pizzeria is currently on the upswing in the pizza category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this vegan spot, which offers pizza and more, increased its by 16.8 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 280 percent on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 1939 W. Byron (between Lincoln and Damen avenues) since 2017, the business specializes in pizza, but also offers pasta, salads and more.
King Crab House
This popular bar, which offers seafood, sandwiches and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Bars" saw a median 2.4 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but King Crab House saw a 9.2 percent increase, maintaining a healthy four-star rating throughout. It gained 3.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance, significantly outperforming the previous month.
Located at 1816 N. Halsted St. in Ranch Triangle, King Crab House offers crab legs, oysters, shrimp 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.
