Unsure where Philadelphia's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which eateries have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Philadelphia 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 on a hot streak, right now.
Philly's Gourmet Steaks
Open since early 2018, this spot to score cheesesteaks and more is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cheesesteaks" on Yelp.
Citywide, cheesesteak spots saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Philly's Gourmet Steaks saw a 55% increase, with its Yelp review holding steady at 3.5 stars. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, its review count increased by more than 370%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the cheesesteak category: Oh Brother Philly has seen a 9.2% increase in reviews.
Located at 114 Market St. in Old City, this casual eatery offers diners a range of options, from hot and cold buffets to freshly prepared sandwiches from a deli counter. Philly's Gourmet Steaks also features a full bar with beer, wine and liquor. (See the full menu here.)
Angelo's Pizzeria
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Bella Vista's Angelo's Pizzeria, the spot to score pizza and sandwiches is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Sandwiches" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, Angelo's Pizzeria bagged a 56.2% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight upward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current five stars. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining nine times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Philadelphia's sandwich scene: Glory Beer Bar & Kitchen has seen a 15.4% increase in reviews.
Open at 736 S. 9th St. since January, Angelo's Pizzeria relocated from its previous home across the Delaware River in Haddonfield, N.J. Angelo's serves up fresh thin-crust and pan pizza — as well as Italian-style subs filled with sausage and chicken cutlet — from noon-9 p.m. daily.
M Restaurant
Washington Square's M Restaurant is also making waves. Open since summer 2009 at 231 S. 8th St., the well-established bar and New American spot, which offers desserts and more, has seen a 6.7% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.3% for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, M Restaurant's review count increased by more than 250%.
M Restaurant offers a fine-dining experience in the elegant dining room of the historic Morris House Hotel, which was built in 1787 and restored to its 18th-century splendor. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Harper's Garden
Rittenhouse's Harper's Garden is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The well-established cocktail bar and New American spot, which offers tapas and more and opened at 31 S. 18th St. in spring 2018, increased its new review count by 10.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.6% for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining two times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Harper's Garden offers daily lunch and dinner menus, as well as brunch fare on the weekend. Expect elevated, gastropub takes on pretzels, mussels and burgers and an extensive list of beer, wine and specialty cocktails.
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.
