As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, 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 uncover which eateries have been in the spotlight 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 extra cool, right now.
San Martín Bakery
Open since the middle of December, this bakery and breakfast and brunch spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw new reviews increase by a median of 2.8 percent over the past month, but San Martín Bakery saw an impressive 107.9 percent increase, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Twisted Trompo has seen a 21.2 percent increase in reviews, and Snooze, an A.M. Eatery has seen a 14.8 percent bump.
Located at 3120 McKinney Ave. in Oak Lawn, San Martín Bakery offers traditional breads, specialty breads, Salvadoran breads (picudas), sweet and salty pastries, coffee cakes, cookies and different types of loaf bread. (Click here to view all the offerings.)
Mi Cocina
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Far North's Mi Cocina, the popular Tex-Mex and Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 2.8 percent over the past month, Mi Cocina bagged a 9.8 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 6.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 13350 Dallas Parkway, the company has been in operation for 25 years. Mi Cocina offers a menu of Tex-Mex selections. Try the Tacos de Camaron with wild Gulf shrimp, seasoned aged cheese, coleslaw and sliced avocado in corn tortillas, the Gina's (three chalupas, queso, beans and guacamole) or Ernie's Chicken (marinated Chicken breast topped with sour cream sauce and served with guacomole, rice and pico de gallo). (Click here to check out the full menu.)
Ross & Hall Kitchen & Beer Garten
Northeast Dallas's Ross & Hall Kitchen & Beer Garten is also making waves. Open since September at 3300 Ross Ave., the sports bar and traditional American spot has seen an 8.3 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 330 percent.
Ross & Hall Kitchen & Beer Garten offers expected pub fare like wings and sliders as appetizers, as well as sandwiches, burgers, signature pizzas (the margherita, chicken Alfredo and Texas BBQ, to name a few) and entrees such as fish & chips, country fried steak and a smoked pork chops. (Click here to see the full menu.)
The bar has a large selection of beers on tap, including local and craft brews, wine and cocktails. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Mille Lire
Oak Lawn's Mille Lire is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers.
The well-established wine bar, cocktail bar and Italian spot, which opened at 3102 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 116, in 2017, increased its review count by 9.1 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 3.7 percent for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.7 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Mille Lire offers Fettuccinie al Limone (Maine lobster, sweet peas and fresh lemon) and Saltimbocca alla Romana (veal scaloppine, prosciutto di Parma, sage, poached farm egg in a white wine sauce). The menu was created by celebrity chef Giuliano Matarese.
bellagreen
Lake Highlands's bellagreen is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 3.1 percent over the past month, this New American spot, which offers salads and pizza, increased its by 23.1 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 8041 Walnut Hill Lane, Suite 810, since November, the business offers tacos, sandwiches, pizza, burgers and pasta. Off the menu, t the hand-pulled chicken tacos, the El Jefe pizza with oaxaca sauce, chorizo, roasted tomatoes, garlic olive oil and cilantro or the spicy avo shrimp.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
