Curious where New York City's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses have been in the spotlight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New York City 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 this summer.
Rabbit Rabbit Tea
Open since May, this bubble tea spot, which also offers iced tea and smoothies, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Juice Bars & Smoothies" on Yelp.
Citywide, juice and smoothie spots saw a median 3.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Rabbit Rabbit Tea saw an 84.4% increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
Located at 110-112 E. 23rd St. in the Flatiron District, this first New York City location of the Taiwanese bubble tea shop serves a variety of traditional teas and milk teas, with or without tapioca pearls and other add-ins like brown sugar syrup. Rabbit Rabbit Tea also has a selection of smoothies in flavors like Strawberry Cloud and Blue Citrus and Yogurt.
Mojo Restaurant
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Forest Hills' Mojo Restaurant, the Latin American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Latin American" on Yelp saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Mojo Restaurant bagged a 76.3% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating.
There's more that's trending on New York City's Latin American scene: Santiago's Beer Garden has seen a 27% increase in reviews.
Open at 70-20 Austin St. since May, Mojo Restaurant offers contemporary takes on Latin American comfort food. Try the pork belly buns with red pepper sauce, the Latino Fried Rice or the vegan ceviche made with mango, mushrooms, broccolini and sweet potato. There's a selection of wine, beer, margaritas and sangria, too.
Seafood Heaven
Jamaica's Seafood Heaven is also making waves. Open since 2018 at 127-7 Merrick Blvd., the seafood spot has seen a 32.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.3% for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Seafood Heaven's review count increased by more than 330%.
This casual takeaway spot serves up platters of fried, broiled and steamed seafood, like catfish, flounder, shrimp, mussels, scallops and more. Seafood Heaven also offers all-day breakfast specials featuring seafood favorites served over grits. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
Metro Taco
Forest Hills' Metro Taco is the city's buzziest taco spot by the numbers.
The bar and Mexican spot, which opened at 102-15 Metropolitan Ave. in March of this year, increased its new review count by 31.1% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.1% for the Yelp category "Tacos."
Metro Taco offers eight varieties of tacos, from a pulled pork taco with pineapple salsa to a chorizo taco topped with a fried quail egg. The menu includes other Mexican favorites such as burritos, nachos, quesadillas and guac, as well as a few vegan and vegetarian options. This spot also has a full bar serving an array of specialty cocktails.
Modern Bread and Bagel
Is the Upper West Side's Modern Bread and Bagel on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the bakery and cafe — which offers bagels, breakfast, brunch and more — is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Bakeries" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 1.4% over the past month, Modern Bread and Bagel nabbed a 28% increase in reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sound four-star rating.
Located at 472 Columbus Ave. (between 82nd and 83rd streets), Modern Bread and Bagel sells fresh-baked bread, bagels and pastries from its bakery counter. For customers looking to dine in, this spot offers a full menu of morning and daytime fare. Stop in for cinnamon babka French toast, salmon Benedict or an open-faced bagel sandwich.
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.
