As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which restaurants have been getting extra notice this month.
To find out who made the list, we 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.
Read on to see which spots are riding a trend, right now.
Rise & Grind Coffee And Tea
Open since January, this cafe is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
Citywide, coffee and tea spots saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month. Rise & Grind Coffee and Tea only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
Located at 2598 Folsom St. (near 22nd Street) in the Mission, the new Rise & Grind is the second location of the Richmond District coffeehouse, which opened up in 2016. Like the original, this spot offers coffee from Oakland's Mr. Espresso, including pour-overs, cold brew and espresso creations like crème brûlée lattes and spicy mochas (there's a selection of teas, too). Spanning two levels, with 15-foot ceilings and wall art, the new cafe also offers a full menu of cafe eats, such as eggs, sandwiches and toasts.
Rise & Grind Coffee and Tea is open from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekends.
Mastro's Steakhouse
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Union Square's Mastro's Steakhouse, this San Francisco location of the well-known chain — which has restaurants across the country, including several in Southern California — is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp saw a median 0.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, Mastro's Steakhouse San Francisco bagged a 65.5% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating.
Open at 399 Geary St. (at the corner of Geary and Mason streets) since December, the high-end steakhouse serves dozens of steaks, chops and seafood dishes, including a $240, four-ounce cut of Tajima Kobe — "the most exclusive beef in the world," as the restaurant claims. Mastro's Steakhouse also features a lounge area and a private dining room that can be booked for special events.
Mastro's Steakhouse is open from 5–10 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday and 5–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
HI City
The Financial District's HI City is also making waves. Open since December in the Mills Building (220 Bush St.), the fast-casual Hawaiian spot has seen an 84.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1% for all businesses tagged "Sushi Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, HI City's review count increased by more than 200%.
HI City specializes in traditional poke (salmon, ahi or hamachi), available as a bowl or by the pound. Additional Hawaiian favorites are also on the menu, including musubi and loco moco. Over the past month, HI City has seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
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.
