Curious where San Antonio's in-the-know crowd is 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 analyze which restaurants have been in the limelight 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 on a hot streak, right now.
Smashin Crab
Open since April, this Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.6 percent over the past month, but Smashin Crab saw an 11.9 percent increase, maintaining a solid four-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 400 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the seafood category: Aspen Creek Grill has seen a 6.5 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 700 E. Sonterra Blvd., Suite 1117, Smashin Crab offers seafood, including fresh crab, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, mussels and lobsters boiled and served in either Cajun, citrus pepper, garlic, Trinity or classic sauce. Po'boy sandwiches and baskets of popcorn shrimp, catfish, cod and more round out the menu. For the non-seafood fan, there are chicken tenders, ribs, sausage and smoked chicken. (Click here to view the full menu.)
Shuck Shack
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Government Hill Alliance's Shuck Shack, the well-established bar, which offers seafood, fish and chips and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.6 percent over the past month, Shuck Shack bagged a 3.8 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a mixed three-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 520 E. Grayson St. since 2015, Shuck Shack offers, oysters, burgers, fish and chips, sandwiches and fried chicken. Try the hot chicken thigh nuggets appetizer to start and then move on to the lobster roll, which includes kewpie mayo, celery, scallions and is served on a toasted King's Hawaiian bun, or opt for the any of the fried chicken selections (two legs, half chicken, wings, etc.) that come with Shuck Shack's secret house spice. Don't forget to add a side of mac and cheese or crispy Brussels sprouts. (To see the menu, click here.)
The drink menu has craft, domestic and imported beer, wine and hand-crafted cocktails like the Turbo Colada with white rum, pineapple, coconut cream and dark rum.
Sabor Cocinabar
Sabor Cocinabar is also making waves. Open since 2017 at 5313 McCullough Ave., the popular Mexican, breakfast and brunch and traditional American spot has seen a 4.5 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2 percent for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 370 percent.
Sabor Cocinabar offers chilaquiles (tortillas tossed in a variety of salsas served with refried beans and topped with queso, sour cream and red onion), pancakes, waffles and breakfast tacos in the morning. On the lunch and dinner menu, expect several enchilada types, chicken entrees and salad options. Diners can choose the enchiladas de chipotle that are filled with chicken and topped with chipotle sauce, cheese and crema fresca.
The drink menu offers domestic and imported Mexican beer, margaritas, cocktails, wine and sangrias. (Click here to view all the menus.)
Over the past month, it's maintained a strong 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
