Want the intel on Phoenix's most happening local spots? We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring, right now.
Farm & Craft
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about uptown's Farm & Craft, the New American restaurant is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp increased their review counts by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, Farm & Craft bagged a 20.4 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, with a slight upward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
There's more that's trending on Phoenix's New American scene: Dust Cutter has seen a 15.9 percent increase in reviews, and Bobby Q has seen a 6.7 percent bump.
Open since April at 5538 N. Seventh St., Suite 100, Farm & Craft offers breakfast, lunch and dinner fare daily. Expect egg-centric dishes and New American classics like pancakes and salmon toast for breakfast and a variety of soups, salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, bowls and smoothies. Take a look at the full menu here.
Cocina Madrigal
South Phoenix's Cocina Madrigal is also making waves. Open since June at 4044 S. 16th St., the Mexican spot has seen a 35.9 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 3 percent for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Phoenix's Mexican category: On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has seen a 12.9 percent increase in reviews.
Cocina Madrigal offers Mexican fare from the Oaxacan region including enchiladas, burritos and tacos, as well as burgers, soups, salads, sandwiches and a number of libations. Over the past month, it's maintained a terrific five-star rating among Yelpers.
Provision Coffee Bar
Provision Coffee Bar is the city's buzziest coffee and tea spot by the numbers.
The coffee roastery and cocktail bar opened at 4501 N. 32nd St. in September. It increased its review count by 23.3 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.9 percent for the Yelp category "coffee & tea." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Provision Coffee Bar offers roasts like Cyimbili from Rwanda; the Guatemalan El Duranzo; and the local Prickly Pear. Here's the website.
