Wondering where Chicago'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 local businesses have been getting extra attention 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are riding a trend, right now.
Crazy Bird
Open since 2014, this traditional American spot, which offers chicken wings and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Crazy Bird saw a 32.3 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
Located at 1160 W. Grand Ave. in West Town, Crazy Bird offers chicken, salads, sandwiches and more.
JoJo’s Milk Bar
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the Near North's JoJo’s Milk Bar, the diner and bar, which offers desserts and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Desserts" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, JoJo’s Milk Bar bagged a 25.9 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed three-star rating.
Located at 23 W. Hubbard St., JoJo’s Milk Bar offers burgers, sandwiches, fries and more.
Barton G.
The Near North's Barton G. is also making waves. Open since 2019 at 415 N. Dearborn St., the New American spot has seen a 21.7 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
Barton G. offers seafood, risotto, jambalaya and more. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
La Mejikana
The Heart Of Chicago's La Mejikana is the city's buzziest Mexican spot by the numbers.
The bar and Mexican and New Mexican spot, which opened at 1820 S. Ashland in 2018, increased its new review count by 14.7 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.1 percent for the Yelp category "Mexican."
La Mejikana offers steak, fish, chicken, or pork tacos.
SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen
Is Logan Square's SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the bar and Italian and breakfast and brunch spot is seeing plenty of action.
While businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 1.7 percent over the past month, SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen nabbed a 9.2 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a superior four-star rating.
Located at 2715 N. Milwaukee Ave. (between Spaulding and Sawyer avenues.), SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen offers a brunch, lunch and dinner menu. Look for the lobster ravioli, chicken Parmesan or the salmon with broccolini.
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.
