Unsure 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 analyze which eateries 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.
Tortello
Open since July, this pasta shop and Italian spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Tortello saw a dramatic 181.8% increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Italian category: Mozzarella Store has seen a 63.6% increase in reviews.
Located at 1746 W. Division St. (between Wood Street and Hermitage Avenue) in East Ukrainian Village, Tortello offers bucatini, spaghetti, tortelli and more.
Tortello is open from 5–9:30 p.m. on Monday and 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. on Tuesday-Sunday.
Lola’s Coney Island
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Humboldt Park's Lola’s Coney Island, the spot to score hot dogs, salads and burgers is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Salad" on Yelp saw a median 1.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, Lola’s Coney Island bagged a noteworthy 155.6% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight upward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current five stars. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.6 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Chicago's salad scene: Dirty Root has seen a 118.2% increase in reviews.
Open at 2858 W. Chicago Ave. (between Francisco Avenue and Mozart Street) since March, Lola’s Coney Island offers a Greek salad and classic chopped salad. You'll also find hot dogs and sandwiches on the menu.
Lola’s Coney Island is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and noon–6 p.m. on Sunday.
Wherewithall
Avondale's Wherewithall is also making waves. Open since July at 3472 N. Elston Ave., the New American spot has seen a remarkable 155.6% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
Wherewithall offers a menu that changes periodically, offering food items like a summer squash, duck breast and more. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
Taiyaki Chicago
The Taiyaki Chicago is currently on the upswing in the dessert category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Desserts" on Yelp saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this spot to score desserts, bubble tea and ice cream and frozen yogurt increased its new reviews by 100% — with its Yelp rating improving from three stars to 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 530% on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 2468 N. Clark St. (between Arlington and Roslyn places) since May, Taiyaki Chicago offers smoothies, milkshakes, fruit tea and build-your-own taiyaki with a filling, soft serve and toppings.
Taiyaki Chicago is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11:30 a.m.–11:30 p.m. 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.
