As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, 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 analyze which eateries have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Dallas 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 riding a trend, right now.
Merchant House
This New American cocktail bar and breakfast/brunch spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, cocktail bars saw review counts increase by a median of 3.3 percent over the past month, but Merchant House saw a 28.6 percent increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 4040 Maple Ave. in Oak Lawn since September, Merchant House offers charcoal-grilled wild salmon, roasted chicken phở, stuffed quail and more for dinner. Lunch options include shaking beef salad and Nashville-style hot chicken. (Check out the full menu here.)
Local Traveler
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Northeast Dallas' Local Traveler, the traditional American spot is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.6 percent over the past month, Local Traveler bagged a 17.2 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Dallas' traditional American scene: The Mockingbird Diner has seen a 5.7 percent increase in reviews, and Twin Peaks and Dick's Last Resort have seen 13.3 and 8.9 percent increases, respectively.
Open at 7522 E. Grand Ave., Local Traveler offers "communal" food, including smoked Idaho trout spread, fresh oysters, tempura portabella, duck confit tacos and guajillo onion rings. Entree options include Hawaiian swordfish and Belshire pork shank. Brunch is also available with options like chicken salad croissant and steak and eggs "Hulk Hogan Style." (See the menu here.)
Bottled Blonde Dallas
Northeast Dallas's Bottled Blonde Dallas is also making waves. Located at 505 N. Good Latimer Expressway, the well-established breakfast and brunch spot, which offers pizza and sandwiches, has seen a 17.3 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 3.1 percent for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Bottled Blonde Dallas offers pizza, pasta, sandwiches, craft beer, wine and cocktails. Starters include fresh mozzarella sticks, shrimp and calamari fritti, chicken wings and polpetti. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from two stars to 2.5 stars.
Lovers Seafood and Market
Bluffview's Lovers Seafood and Market is the city's buzziest seafood spot by the numbers.
The seafood market, which offers seafood and more at 5200 W. Lovers Lane, increased its review count by 13.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 3.1 percent for the Yelp category "Seafood." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Lovers Seafood and Market offers charred corn-poblano hushpuppies, Cajun-spiced shrimp cocktail, gumbo, blackened Texas redfish and pecan-crusted rainbow trout. Daily market fish including sea bass, Alaskan halibut, golden tile and more.
