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 uncover which local businesses have been in the limelight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at San Antonio 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 this autumn.
Spoon Eatery
Open since June, this New American and traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.9 percent over the past month, but Spoon Eatery saw a 45.7 percent increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, its review count increased by more than 180 percent.
Located at 8055 West Ave., Suite 125, Spoon Eatery offers dishes like the English Tenderloin with clarified butter, demi-glaze and a mushroom sauce served with mashed potatoes and buttered vegetables; a whole chicken breast glazed with honey barbecue sauce, served with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables; and a grilled salmon with a crust of herbs, butter and lemon sauce, served with risotto and grilled asparagus. (See the full menu here.)
Spoon Eatery isn't the only trending outlier in the New American category: Maverick has seen a 10.4 percent increase in reviews.
The Patio Southtown
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Lavaca's The Patio Southtown, the traditional American spot, which offers burgers and seafood, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Burgers" on Yelp increased their review counts by a median of 3.1 percent over the past month, The Patio Southtown bagged a 34 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, while maintaining a superior four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.6 times more reviews than expected, based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on San Antonio's burger scene: Burger Boy has seen a 14.7 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 1035 S. Presa St. since May, The Patio Southtown offers inventive options like the Southtown Burger with diced hot dogs, cheese and jalapeños; the Lavaca Burger with smoked brisket, cheddar, onion and pickles; and the Poblano Jack Burger with poblando sauce and mayo. (See the full menu, which also offers sandwiches, fried chicken and more, here.)
Dick's Last Resort
Downtown San Antonio's Dick's Last Resort is also making waves. Open since 2006 at 223 Losoya St., the popular bar, music venue and traditional American spot — known for its surly service — has seen a 5.6 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp. However, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 2,000 percent.
The bar at Dick's Last Resort offers beers and cocktails. For the latter, look for signature drinks like the Bourbon Breeze with Jim Beam vanilla, muddled maraschino cherries, orange juice and cranberry juice; the American Mule with Deep Eddy Vodka, limes, pure cane syrup and ginger beer; and the Dos-Rita with Sauza Gold Tequila and Dos XX lager. (See the full menu, including food options, here.)
