Unsure where Seattle'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 uncover which local businesses have been most discussed 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 increased 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 summer.
Bangrak Market
Open since April, this bar and Thai spot, which offer Thai street food, cocktails and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Bangrak Market saw an impressive 122.2% increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the bar category: Arriba Cantina has seen a 50% increase in reviews, and Reckless Noodle House has seen a 7% bump.
Located at 2319 Second Ave. (between Battery and State Route 99 streets) in Belltown, Bangrak Market offers salads, bowls, curry, garden rolls and more. Drinks include Thai iced tea, cocktails, herb-infused drinks and more.
The Mountaineering Club
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the University District's The Mountaineering Club, the cocktail bar is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp saw a median 3.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, The Mountaineering Club bagged a 70.4% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 4507 Brooklyn Ave. NE (between 45th and 47th streets) since March, The Mountaineering Club offers views of downtown Seattle, paired with food items like oysters, clam chowder and the chicken melt. The drink menu boasts cocktails, wine and draft beer.
Ding Tea Seattle
The University District's Ding Tea Seattle is also making waves. Open since 2018 at 4725 University Way NE (between 47th and 50th streets), the spot to score bubble tea and coffee has seen a 16.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.1% for all businesses tagged "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Ding Tea Seattle's review count increased by more than 700%.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Seattle's coffee and tea category: Boba Up has seen a 12.9% increase in reviews.
Ding Tea Seattle offers flavored tea, milk tea, fruit juice, yogurt, coffee and more. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing four-star rating among Yelpers.
Lunchbox Laboratory
Green Lake's Lunchbox Laboratory is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, this New American spot, which offers burgers and more, increased its new reviews by 13.7%—and kept its rating consistent at three stars.
There's more abuzz in the world of Seattle New American: Le Coin has seen a 12.4% increase in reviews.
Open for business at 7200 E. Green Lake Drive North (between 72nd Street and Maple Leaf Place) since 2018, the business offers cheese curds, build-your-own burgers, fried pickles, boozey (and regular) shakes and more.
Qin Xi'an Noodles
Is Capitol Hill's popular Qin Xi'an Noodles on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Chinese spot, which offers noodles and more, is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Noodles" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 3.4% over the past month, Qin Xi'an Noodles nabbed an 8.9% increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong four-star rating.
Located at 1203 Pine St. (between Melrose and Minor avenues.), Qin Xi'an Noodles offers dumplings, biang biang noodles, sandwiches, rice bowls 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.
