Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right this minute?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been getting outsized notice this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Portland 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 getting plenty of attention, right now.
Jurassic
Open since November 2019, this New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.1% increase in new reviews over the past month. Jurassic only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
The restaurant offers New American cuisine with international influences. According to its Yelp page, its meat- and vegetable-centric menu is free of "gluten, grains, soy, cow dairy, peanuts, tree nuts (except coconut), legumes, refined sugars and all weird food additives." It also accommodates AIP, low FODMAP, Keto, Whole30, Vegan, Paleo and SCD diets.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Tasty n Daughters has seen a 4.8% increase in reviews, and The Hairy Lobster has seen a 4.1% bump.
Specifically, Jurassic, which is located at 6036 S.E. Division St. in South Tabor, offers curry lime steak skewers, cabbage coleslaw and sunflower bread, which is served with whipped herbed goat cheese, smoked avocado and roasted garlic spread.
Jurassic is open from noon–8 p.m. on Wednesday-Saturday. (It's closed on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday.)
Choice of India Restaurant
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Northwest's Choice of India Restaurant, the cocktail bar and Indian and buffet spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Choice of India Restaurant bagged a massive 162.1% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Portland's cocktail bar scene: Eem has seen a 16.8% increase in reviews, and Pink Rabbit and Jinx have seen 11.4 and 9.7% increases, respectively.
Open at 305 N.W. 21st since October 2019, Choice of India Restaurant serves up butter chicken, aloo gobi and chana masala, as well as cheese naan, vegetable samosa and chikoo milkshakes.
Choice of India Restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.–10 p.m. daily.
La Luna Cafe
Buckman's La Luna Cafe is also making waves. Open since May 2018 at 828 S.E. Ash St., the popular breakfast and brunch spot, which offers coffee and tea, has seen an 8.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.1% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis La Luna Cafe's review count increased by more than 220%.
Want more about the business's specialties in the words of the people behind it? "Once home to Portland's best rock club, and more recently our beloved brunch restaurant, Simpatica, we're proudly holding onto the classics among a menu complete with health-conscious bowls, sandwiches, salads, juices and smoothies" — that's according to its Yelp page.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Portland's breakfast and brunch category: Fried Egg I'm In Love has seen a 4.6% increase in reviews.
La Luna Cafe's menu features pastrami eggs Benedict, waffles topped with buttermilk syrup and a veggie burger on a ciabatta roll. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
La Luna Cafe is open from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. daily.
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.
