Wondering where Phoenix's insiders are eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been getting outsized notice this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Phoenix businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on the 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 on a hot streak, right now.
Connolly's Sports Grill
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Connolly's Sports Grill, the sports bar and traditional American eatery is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American Traditional" on Yelp increased their review counts by a median of 4.4 percent over the past month, Connolly's Sports Grill bagged a 12 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open since 2009 at 2605 W. Carefree Highway in North Phoenix, Connolly's Sports Grill offers burgers, sliders, chicken wings and more. See the full menu here.
Caveman Burgers
Deer Valley's Caveman Burgers is also making waves. Located at 430 E. Bell Road, Suite 103, the popular burger spot has seen a 12.5 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 4.3 percent for all businesses tagged "Burgers" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 360 percent.
Caveman Burgers offers grass-fed beef hamburgers, turkey burgers, bean burgers and more. Take a gander at the full menu here. Over the past month, it's maintained a sound four-star rating among Yelpers.
Wildflower
Deer Valley's Wildflower is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers.
The well-established bakery and breakfast spot, which has several outposts in the area, is located at 2805 W. Agua Fria Freeway.
Wildflower has a 4.5-star rating on Yelp. It increased its review count by 7.2 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.6 percent for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Wildflower offers breakfast bowls, egg sandwiches, frittatas and more on its breakfast menu. See the full menu here.
