Want the intel on San Francisco's buzziest 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 most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we first looked at San Francisco 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 have the momentum heading into springtime.
Belcampo
Open since last summer, this location of the California chain of burger bars is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Burgers" on Yelp.
Citywide, burger spots saw a median 1% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Belcampo saw a 73.3% increase, with a slight downward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to three stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Belcampo's review count increased by more than 160%.
Located at 60 Morris St., Suite 27, in SoMa, Belcampo specializes in burgers and sandwiches made with grass-fed beef and other organic, pasture-raised meats sourced from its own farms. Try the half-pound house burger with white cheddar, the lamb burger with black garlic aioli or the seared chicken breast sandwich. Belcampo also boasts a full bar.
Belcampo is open from 10:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and 10:30 a.m.–12:30 a.m. on Friday-Sunday.
Cocosueño
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Cocosueño in Westfield San Francisco Centre, the Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 0.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, Cocosueño bagged a 56.4% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a strong four-star rating.
Intrigued so far? Here's more about the business from its Yelp history section: "Cocosueño is an irrepressible expression of our time spent traveling through Mexico and Central America, the yearly visits to see our family and friends back home and a deep desire to bring you the heart of those moments from places we know and love. We delight in offering you authentic food, gracious service and the highest-quality cocktails in a transportive atmosphere — and yes, in the unlikeliest part of town. We hope you love eating here as much as we have loved creating it!"
Open on the fourth floor of the Westfield mall (865 Market St.) since December, Cocosueño comes from the team behind nearby Tropisueño, which can be found just down the street at 75 Yerba Buena Lane. Similarly, Cocosueño serves up cantina fare like soups, ceviche, tacos and dinner platters of cochinita pibil, chicken mole, shrimp and more. There's also a full bar slinging beers and margaritas. Stop in between 4–6 p.m. for happy hour specials featuring discounted drinks and bar snacks.
Cocosueño is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
Dumpling Time Express
SoMa's Dumpling Time Express is also making waves. Open since November at 55 Division St., this mini outpost of the original Dumpling Time — located a block away at 11 Division St. — has seen a 55.6% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.1% for all businesses tagged "Asian Fusion" on Yelp.
Dumpling Time Express offers the original restaurant's dumpling-focused menu of bao, soup dumplings, shumai and pan-seared gyoza, as well as beer, wine, sake and cocktails —in a smaller format with countertop seating. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Dumpling Time Express is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
Lou's Fish Shack
Lou's Fish Shack in Fisherman's Wharf is the city's buzziest seafood spot by the numbers.
The well-established restaurant, which has been in business at Pier 47 (300 Jefferson St.) since 1988, increased its new review count by 0.5% over the past month, just below the median new review count of 0.6% for the Yelp category "Seafood." However, according to SafeGraph foot traffic data, Lou's Fish Shack saw visits more than triple over the past month.
In addition to a menu of seafood favorites, this spot offers a full bar, outdoor patio seating and live music on the weekends.
Lou's Fish Shack is open from 11 a.m.–8:30 p.m. on weekdays, 9:30 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and on Saturdays and Fridays. If you’re planning your visit, you may want to try its slower periods on Tuesdays.
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.
