As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right now?
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 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.
Kaliflower
Open since June, this vegetarian and gluten-free spot, which offers salads and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Salad" on Yelp.
Citywide, salad spots saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Kaliflower saw a 56.2% increase, maintaining a sterling five-star rating throughout.
Located at 333 N. Michigan Ave. (between Wacker Place and MacChesneyer Drive) in the Loop, Kaliflower offers cauliflower bowls, soup and dairy-free ice cream.
Kaliflower is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on weekends.
Flora Fauna
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the Near North's Flora Fauna, the cocktail bar and New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, Flora Fauna bagged a 45.5% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating.
There's more that's trending on Chicago's New American scene: The Smith has seen a 27.1% increase in reviews, and VU Rooftop Bar has seen a 25.5% bump.
Open at 11 W. Illinois since July, Flora Fauna offers braised jackfruit, lamb tartare and seafood fritters.
Flora Fauna is open from 4 p.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday and 4 p.m.–1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken
Bridgeport's Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken is also making waves. Open since January at 2520 S. Halsted St. (between Archer and 55th avenues), the chicken shop has seen a 13.1% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "Sandwiches" on Yelp.
Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken offers chicken sandwiches, chicken soup and salads. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken is open from 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
Pancake Cafe
Lake View East's Pancake Cafe is the city's buzziest bar by the numbers.
The bar, which opened at 3805 N. Broadway (between Sheridan Road and Grace Street) in June 2018, increased its new review count by 11.4% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2% for the Yelp category "Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Pancake Cafe offers a variety of pancakes plus huevos rancheros, rench toast and biscuits and gravy.
Pancake Cafe is open from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. daily.
Barton G. The Restaurant Chicago
The Near North's Barton G. The Restaurant Chicago is currently on the upswing in the steakhouse category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp saw a median 1.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this steakhouse and New American spot, which offers seafood and more, increased its new reviews by 7.2% — and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars.
Open for business at 415 N. Dearborn St. since February, Barton G. The Restaurant Chicago offers salads, sliders and risotto.
Barton G. The Restaurant Chicago is open from 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 5 p.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday.
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.
