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Are These Trending Denver Restaurants On Your Radar?

(HOODLINE) - As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending at this very moment? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been seeing especially high review volumes this month.

To find out who made the list, we looked at Denver 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 sizzling hot, right now.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ

Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Lower Downtown's Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ, the Japanese and Asian fusion spot, which offers barbecue and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.

While businesses categorized as "Asian Fusion" on Yelp saw a median 2.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ bagged an 89.5% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating.

There's more that's trending on Denver's Asian fusion scene: Hop Alley has seen a 4.5% increase in reviews.

Open at 1998 18th St. since March, this Denver location of the chain of Japanese spots serves up marinated meats, veggies and seafood that you grill at your table, as well as classic appetizers and sides like edamame and spring rolls.

Bamboo Sushi

Highland's Bamboo Sushi is also making waves. Open since November 2017 at 2715 17th St., Suite 102, the well-established sushi bar, cocktail bar and Japanese spot has seen a 9.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.8% for all businesses tagged "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Bamboo Sushi's review count increased by more than 430%.

Bamboo Sushi offers fresh sushi rolls, nigiri and sashimi to accompany its unique twists on classic cocktails, like its Old Fashioned made with Japanese whiskey and its Yuzu Highball. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.

The Brutal Poodle

Overland's The Brutal Poodle is the city's buzziest traditional American spot by the numbers.

The well-established bar and traditional American spot, which opened at 1967 S. Broadway in late 2017, increased its new review count by 7.9% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.6% for the Yelp category "American (Traditional)."

The Brutal Poodle offers up pub grub that's both clever and classic, like surf and turf–stuffed chili rellenos, chicken and waffles with Sriracha maple syrup, and a grilled cheese stuffed with candied pork belly.

Article provided by Hoodline.

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