Wondering where Seattle's in-the-know crowd is 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 seeing especially high review volumes 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 worth exploring, right now.
Migoto
Open since last December, this sushi bar and seafood spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Migoto saw a 21.3% increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Migoto's review count increased by more than 170%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the seafood category: Tankard & Tun has seen a 7.8% increase in reviews.
Located at 514 12th Ave., Across Seattle University (between Jefferson Street and Barclay Court) in Central District, Migoto offers a variety of Pacific Asian fare, including poke, shrimp tempura, sushi and sashimi rolls, salmon teriyaki and more.
Bangrak Market
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Belltown's Bangrak Market, the bar and Thai spot, which offers tapas and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, Bangrak Market bagged a 34% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy four-star rating.
Open at 2319 Second Ave. (between Battery and State Route 99 streets) since April, Bangrak Market offers Thai street food, as well as curry, garden rolls and drinks like Thai iced tea, Thai soda and more.
The Mountaineering Club
The University District's The Mountaineering Club is also making waves. Open since March at 4507 Brooklyn Ave. NE (between 45th and 47th streets), the cocktail bar has seen a 20.4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.4% for all businesses tagged "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp.
The Mountaineering Club offers views of Seattle and a wide list of cocktails, beer, wine and small plates to munch on. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki
Capitol Hill's Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki is the city's buzziest Japanese spot by the numbers.
The sushi bar and Japanese spot, which opened at 219 Broadway East, Suite 14 (between Olive Way and Thomas Street) in February, increased its new review count by 19.7% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.1% for the Yelp category "Japanese."
Taneda Sushi in Kaiseki offers seasonal Edomae-style meals, which are prepared carefully by Japanese chefs and typically include variations of hand-rolled sushi.
Sugar Bakery & Coffeehouse
Queen Anne's popular Sugar Bakery & Coffeehouse is currently on the upswing in the coffee and tea category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp saw a median 3.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this bakery and coffee and tea spot increased its new reviews by 6.9%—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 280% on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in the world of Seattle coffee and tea: Seattle Best Tea has seen a 5.9% increase in reviews.
Open for business at 110 Republican St. (between North Warren and North First avenues) since 2016, the business offers a variety of pastries and sweet treats, including chocolate croissants, lemon polenta pound cake and almond tea cake. When it comes to drinks, look for kombucha, Vietnamese coffee and chai tea lattes.
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.
