Want the scoop on Seattle's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp and SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to uncover which eateries have been getting a noteworthy increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we first 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. Then we analyzed foot traffic data from SafeGraph to validate the trends.
Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention, right now.
Venture Coffee
Open since March, this coffee and tea spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
Citywide, coffee and tea spots saw a median 2.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Venture Coffee saw a 90.9% increase, with a slight upward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Venture Coffee's review count increased by more than 500%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the coffee and tea category: Santo Coffee has seen a 137.5% increase in reviews, and Ampersand Cafe has seen a 1.9% bump.
Located at 5819 24th Ave. NW (between 59th and 58th streets) in Ballard, Venture Coffee offers a wide array of caffeinated beverages and light snacks.
Venture Coffee is open from 6 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekends.
Tankard & Tun
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Pike Market's Tankard & Tun, the gastropub, which offers seafood, beer, wine and spirits and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, Tankard & Tun bagged a 9.2% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 1415 First Ave. (between Union and Pike streets) since July 2017, Tankard & Tun offers sea and land-based entrees, soups, salads, sandwiches, appetizers and a variety of tap beers.
Tankard & Tun is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Blue Water Taco Grill
Queen Anne's Blue Water Taco Grill is also making waves. Open since August 2014 at 305 Harrison St., the well-established Mexican spot, which offers salads and more, has seen a 4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp. According to SafeGraph foot traffic data, Blue Water Taco Grill saw visits more than double over the past month.
Blue Water Taco Grill offers classic Mexican cuisine including customizable burrito bowls, enchiladas, tacos and seafood. Over the past month, it's maintained a 2.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Blue Water Taco Grill is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. According to SafeGraph, foot traffic is heaviest from noon-2 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays, with a slowdown on Tuesdays.
Sawyer
Ballard's Sawyer is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The popular New American spot, which opened at 5309 22nd Ave. NW (between North Ballard Avenue and Market Street), increased its new review count by 10% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.3% for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.1 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Le Coin has seen a 9.5% increase in reviews.
The menu includes both small and large plates, meant to be a communal family dining experience. Look for notable options such as fried potato jojos with ranch; pork belly steam buns; a blackened halibut fish sandwich with lemon tartare and avocado; and a wood-grilled flat iron steak with tempura onion rings.
Sawyer is open from 4–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 4–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4–10 p.m. on Sunday.
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.
