Curious where Phoenix's insiders are 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 uncover which restaurants have been seeing especially high review volumes 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots have the momentum heading into springtime.
the larder + the delta
Open since August of last year, this New American and Southern spot, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw new reviews increase by a median of 1.7 percent over the past month, but The larder + the delta saw a 21.6 percent increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 200 W. Portland St., Suite 101, in Central City, the larder + the delta offers Southern fare with a twist like its crispy pig ears with Cheetos, vegetable beignets with black garlic mustard, vegetable ash and green goddess dressing and its barbecue meatloaf, served with carrots and turnips. (View the full menu here.)
Muse & Market
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Camelback East's Muse & Market, the breakfast and brunch and New American spot, which offers sandwiches and more, 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 1.9 percent over the past month, Muse and Market bagged a 29.3 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight upward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to its current 4.5 stars.
There's more that's trending on Phoenix's New American scene: Roland's Cafe Market Bar has seen a 12 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 4602 E. Thomas Road, Suite 110, since August, Muse & Market serves all-day morning treats inspired by Asian, Latin and French flavors. The menu includes veggie hash (with herb potatoes, cauliflower scramble, leeks, house cashew cheese and sauteed spinach) and spicy strawberry wings (chicken wings, fresh celery, carrots and Korean gochu spiced ranch dip), alongside an array of lattes, teas and pastries.
The Buzzed Goat
Ahwatukee Foothills's The Buzzed Goat is also making waves. Also open since August at 4302 E. Ray Road, the food truck, which offers coffee and tea and more, has seen a 31.2 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
There's more than one hotspot trending in Phoenix's coffee and tea category: El Charro Hipster Bar & Cafe has seen a 21.6 percent increase in reviews.
The Buzzed Goat offers a variety of libations like its mojito cold brew and its blueberry lemonade. The coffee spot also serves up meat-filled paninis, bacon and egg breakfast bagels and a variety of pastries. (Take a look at the full menu here.)
Over the past month, it's maintained a sound 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Rott n' Grapes
Central City's Rott n' Grapes is the city's buzziest Italian spot by the numbers.
The Italian wine bar and breakfast and brunch spot, which opened at 1001 N. Third Ave., Suite 1, last September, increased its review count by 18.4 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2.2 percent for the Yelp category "Italian."
Named the "Best New Restaurant" by Arizona Foothills Magazine, Rott n' Grapes is known for its bistro-style offerings of wild mushroom risotto, roast beef paninis and bruschetta topped with eggplant puree, goat cheese and olive tapenade. (View the full menu here.)
Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza
Alhambra's Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza is currently on the upswing in the pizza category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Pizza" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 2 percent over the past month, this spot to score salads, fast food and pizza increased its by 7.5 percent—and kept its rating consistent at three stars. Review counts increased by more than 250 percent on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 5120 N. Central Ave. since 2017, the dine-in restaurant offers signature pizzas and salads that are also available for carry-out and delivery. The Art Lover pizza comes topped with red sauce, artichokes, mozzarella, ricotta and garlic, while the barbecue chicken pizza is served with a medley of grilled chicken, mozzarella, red onion, banana peppers and gorgonzola drizzled in barbecue sauce. For dessert, the shop offers s'more pies, sea salt cookies and olive oil brownies. (Check out the pizza joint here.)
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.
