Are these trending Chicago restaurants on your radar?
Photo: Parson's Chicken & Fish/Yelp
Want the dirt on Chicago's most talked-about local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which eateries have been most discussed this month. To find out who made the list, we looked at Chicago 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance. Read on to see which spots are extra cool, right now. Open since January, this bar and Korean spot, which offers barbecue and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Barbeque" on Yelp. Citywide, barbecue spots saw a median 1.8 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Iron Age Korean Steakhouse saw an 81.2 percent increase, maintaining a sound four-star rating throughout. Located at 1265 N. Milwaukee Ave. (between Ashland Avenue and Paulina Street) in Wicker Park, Iron Age Korean Steakhouse offers Korean-style steak, chicken, pork, vegetables and more. Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Parson's Chicken & Fish, the bar and New American spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data. While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Parson's Chicken & Fish bagged a 35.5 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. There's more that's trending on Chicago's New American scene: The River Kitchen and Bar has seen a 32.3 percent increase in reviews, and Gigi's Kitchen has seen a 21.7 percent bump. Open at 2439 N. Halsted St. (between Lincoln and Fullerton avenues) since 2018, Parson's Chicken & Fish offers Fried Amish Chicken, Cheese Curd Fritters, Fish Fry and more. Logan Square's SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen is also making waves. The Italian bar, breakfast and brunch spot opened this month at 2715 N. Milwaukee Ave. (between Spaulding and Sawyer avenues) and has seen an 11 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen's review count increased by more than 330 percent. SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen offers risotto, a portobello panini, a meatball sandwich and more. Over the past month, it's maintained a strong four-star rating among Yelpers. Logan Square's Landbirds is the city's buzziest Asian fusion spot by the numbers. The Asian fusion spot, which offers chicken wings and more and opened at 2532 N. California Ave. (between Logan Boulevard and Altgeld Street) in 2018, increased its new review count by 24.7 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.4 percent for the Yelp category "Asian Fusion." Landbirds offers chicken wings, rice, tofu and more. Wicker Park's Cafe Istanbul is currently on the upswing in the Mediterranean category on Yelp. While businesses categorized as "Mediterranean" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Turkish and Mediterranean spot increased its by 30 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 190 percent on a month-to-month basis. Open for business at 2014 W. Division St. (between Damen and Hoyne avenues) since 2018, the business offers Lahmacun, Su Boregi, Chicken Gorgonzola, Mahi-Mahi and more. Is River North's popular Pink Taco on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the bar, which offers tacos and more, is getting plenty of attention. While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 2.2 percent over the past month, Pink Taco nabbed a 12.7 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. Located at 431 N. Wells St., Pink Taco offers Pink Tacos, Fried Lobster Tacos, burritos and more. 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.
Iron Age Korean Steakhouse
Parson's Chicken & Fish
SABA Italian Bar + Kitchen
Landbirds
Cafe Istanbul
Pink Taco
