Want the scoop on Phoenix's buzziest local spots?
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 Phoenix 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.
Noble Eatery
Open since December 2014, this bakery, which offers sandwiches, salads and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Sandwiches" on Yelp.
Citywide, sandwich spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.8 percent over the past month, but Noble Eatery saw a 29.2 percent increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 950 percent.
Located at 4525 N. 24th St. in Camelback East, Noble Eatery offers sandwiches using baked homemade leavened bread using organic GMO free flours, water and sea salt.
Look for signature avocado toast and The Dario sandwich that includes ham, salami, pepperoni, lettuce, tomato, onion and Calabrian chili peppers on country bread. Patrons can also opt for the bacon, potato cheddar and rosemary wood-fried eight-inch pizza.
Bobby Q
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about North Mountain's Bobby Q, the well-established New American spot, which offers barbecue and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.3 percent over the past month, Bobby Q bagged an 8.7 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a superior 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.8 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Phoenix's New American scene: The Collins Small Batch Kitchen has seen an 8.7 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 8501 N. 27th Ave. since 2005, Bobby Q offers barbecue hand-pulled pork, smoked sausage links, brisket and ribs.
On the menu, look for offerings like the two rib combo where you can choose between two styles of ribs or beef and get two sides such as mac and cheese and ranch beans. Or opt to for the combination platters such as the prime rib & shrimp chimichurri that comes with a baked potato and two side dishes.
Bobby's also has domestic and imported beers as well as a wine list to complement the meal.
The Sicilian Butcher
Paradise Valley's The Sicilian Butcher is also making waves. Located at 15530 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 160, the well-established traditional American and Italian spot, which offers sandwiches and more, has seen a 7.4 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.2 percent for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp.
The Sicilian Butcher offers the unique opportunity for customers to pick from 15 craft meatball varieties to combine with a pasta and one of nine sauces or to build-your-own charcuterie board.
Order the Uncle Arthur's N.Y. Meatballs with ground lamb, beef, provolone cheese, garlic and fresh herbs and top it with amatriciana sauce (tomato, pancetta, onions and bayleaf) and spaghetti. For the charcuterie board menu, enjoy artisanal cured meats and cheeses, toast points and polenta fries.
Over the past month, it's maintained a solid 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Rustic Cafe
Paradise Valley's Rustic Cafe is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers.
The popular traditional American, Mediterranean and breakfast and brunch spot, which opened at 20811 N. Cave Creek Road, Suite 101 in 2009, increased its review count by 6.5 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 3.2 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Rustic Cafe offers standard and unique breakfast and lunch fare. To start the day, choose a healthy option like the layered vegetable enchilada with sautéed zucchini, red onion, jalapeno, tomato, roasted pepper, corn and low-fat Mozzarella cheese on two tortillas topped with an egg white, salsa and avocado. Or try the Greek breakfast casserole that comes with zucchini, beef gyro meat and rustic potatoes topped with Feta cheese.
For lunch, choose from a variety of salads, wraps, burgers and sandwiches.
