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 discover which restaurants have been getting a noteworthy uptick in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New York City 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 extra cool, right now.
Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar
Open since January, the Bronx location of this Maryland-based seafood chain is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month. Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
Here's more about the business from its Yelp page: "At Hook & Reel, we celebrate the flavorful cuisine of Louisiana by pairing the freshest seafood with authentic Cajun seasonings."
It's not the only trending outlier in the bar category: Izakaya Toribar has seen a 271.4% increase in reviews.
Located in The Mall at Bay Plaza (200 Baychester Ave.) in the Bronx's Baychester neighborhood, Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar offers build-your-own seafood boils with choice of seafood, seasoning and spice level — as well as a full bar serving wine, beer and 10 signature cocktails.
Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar is open from noon–10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and noon–midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Floral Park's Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill, it's a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 2.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill appeared on Yelp relatively recently. Many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, but it has seen a surge of interest.
Open at 271-11 Union Turnpike since December, Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill serves a full menu of Mexican comfort food favorites, like burritos, tacos, tortas and enchiladas, made with your choice of carnitas, chorizo, steak, shrimp and more. This spot also boasts a full bar, flat-screen TVs and daily lunch and happy hour specials.
Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Thursday and 11 a.m.–4 a.m. on Friday-Sunday.
Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood
Midtown's Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood is also making waves. Open since December at 135 E. 55th St. (between Lexington and Third avenues), the Cajun seafood buffet has seen a staggering 189.5% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood's review count increased by more than 360%.
This seafood buffet features crab legs, spicy shrimp, crawfish, scallops, sides and even a selection of meat dishes ($55 per person, all-you-can eat). Over the past month, it's maintained a sound four-star rating among Yelpers.
Crab House All You Can Eat Seafood is open from 2 p.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday, 2 p.m.–1 a.m. on Friday, 12:30 p.m.–1 a.m. on Saturday and 12:30 p.m.–midnight on Sunday.
Chubby Princess
The Financial District's Chubby Princess is the city's buzziest Chinese spot by the numbers.
Formerly known as Tomorrow, this restaurant located at 200 Water St. (entrance on Pearl Street) relaunched as Chubby Princess in January under the same ownership. Although it's still relatively new to Yelp, it has seen a surge of new reviews. Meanwhile, the median new review count for the Yelp category "Chinese" was up 2.3% over the past month.
Ditching Tomorrow's fast-casual concept, Chubby Princess offers guests a sit-down bistro experience centered on Northern Chinese and Sichuan fare. Stop in for dumplings and pork buns, spicy noodle soups, braised pork belly or mapo tofu over rice, and an assortment of "Chinese tacos" with a variety of fillings. There's also a full drink list with beer, wine and cocktails.
Chubby Princess is open from 11 a.m.–9 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.
