Want the dirt on Denver's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses have been getting a notable increase 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring this spring.
Hank's Texas Barbecue
Open since February, this restaurant and caterer, specializing in barbecue, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Hank's Texas Barbecue saw a 36.4 percent increase, maintaining a superior four-star rating throughout.
Located at 5410 E. Colfax Ave. in South Park Hill, Hank's Texas Barbecue offers slow-smoked meats. Brisket tops the menu, but there is also smoked pork ribs, chicken and turkey, as well as a variety of sandwiches.
Cafe Miriam
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about City Park's Cafe Miriam, the creperie, cafe and breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Cafe Miriam bagged a 15.1 percent increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sterling five-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Another place trending on Denver's breakfast and brunch scene is Intersections, which has seen a 10.4 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 2217 E. 21st Ave. since 2017, Cafe Miriam offers sweet and savory crepes, pastries and coffee and tea.
Safta
Safta is also making waves. Open since last summer at 3330 Brighton Blvd., Suite 201, in the River North Art District, the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spot, which offers sandwiches and more, has seen a 12.9 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Sandwiches" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Denver's sandwich category: Tokyo Premium Bakery has seen a 10.2 percent increase in reviews.
Safta, opened by award-winning Israeli chef Alon Shaya, offers falafel, Bulgarian lamb kebab and Dutch matzo ball soup, among other items. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
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.
