Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right now?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 hot, right now.
Bar Louie
Open since April 2013, this bar and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw review counts increase by a median of 3.3 percent over the past month, but Bar Louie saw a 14.2 percent increase, maintaining a mixed three-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 210 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the bar category: Margaritaville has seen a 12.1 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 22610 US Highway 281 North, Suite 105, Bar Louie offers foods like flatbreads, burgers, salads, sandwiches, platters and desserts, plus a full bar of martinis, cocktails, sangrias, margaritas, mojitos and more. Featured items include the Pork Schnitzel Sandwich with a fried pork loin, marinated cucumbers, arugula and spicy honey mustard; the Bavarian Flatbread with applewood bacon, cider-braised onions, sour cream and parsley; and the Cider Sangria with hard cider, Skyy Apricot, Aperol, orange juice and soda water.
Twin Peaks
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Shearer Hills - Ridgeview's Twin Peaks, the well-established sports bar and New American and traditional American spot 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 3 percent over the past month, Twin Peaks bagged an 11.4 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed three-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on San Antonio's New American scene: Pharm Table has seen a 10.8 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 702 N.W. Loop 410 since September 2014, Twin Peaks offers options like the Billionaire's Bacon Burger with Sriracha pimento cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, bacon beer mustard and bacon mayo; the Ol' Fashioned B.L.T. with hickory smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, bacon mayo and potato bread; and the Beer Battered Fish & Chips with haddock fillets, tartar sauce, malt vinegar and fries. (See the full menu here.)
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery
Downtown San Antonio's CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch spot by the numbers.
The breakfast and brunch spot, which offers coffee and tea and desserts and opened at 611 Hemisfair Blvd. in May 2017, increased its review count by 14.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 3 percent for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: First Watch has seen a 6.1 percent increase in reviews.
CommonWealth Coffeehouse & Bakery offers both breakfast and lunch, plus a Saturday brunch. Coffee and pastries are served all day. Breakfast options include the Croissant Bechamel with black forest ham, cheese and bechamel sauce on a croissant; and the omelette with either veggies, ham & cheese or spinach & cheese, served with sliced potatoes and bread.
