Want the dirt on Atlanta's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been getting a significant uptick in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Atlanta 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 sizzling hot this spring.
Bar.bacoa
This newly opened Mexican-Spanish tapas bar is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mexican spots saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Bar.bacoa saw an impressive 116.7 percent increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Mexican category: Mama's Cocina Latina has seen an 8.7 percent increase in reviews, and Tin Lizzy's Cantina has seen an 8.5 percent bump.
Located at 1000 Virginia Ave. NE in Virginia Highland since January of this year, Bar.bacoa offers a variety of small plates on its menu, from goat cheese fritters with red pepper jelly to the eponymous barbacoa sopes on house-made tortillas.
The Original Hot Dog Factory
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Downtown's The Original Hot Dog Factory, the well-established traditional American spot, which offers hot dogs and desserts, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, The Original Hot Dog Factory bagged a 27.8 percent increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 75 Piedmont Ave. NE, Suite #150, since 2010, The Original Hot Dog Factory offers hot dogs, wings and salads on its menu.
Grindhouse Killer Burgers
Grant Park's Grindhouse Killer Burgers is also making waves at 701 Memorial Drive SE. The burger bar, which is known for freshly grinding its own meats and for its boozy milkshakes, has seen a 9.7 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Burgers" on Yelp.
Open since last April, Grindhouse Killer Burgers offers beef, turkey, veggie and vegan burgers. Over the past month, it's maintained a sound four-star rating among Yelpers.
Amara
Inman Park's well-established Amara is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The Indian-New American hybrid spot, which opened at 870 Inman Village Parkway back in 2016, increased its new review count by 7.5 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.5 percent for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.8 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Amara features a variety Indian-inspired small plates on its menu. It has an impressive 4.5 stars out of 201 reviews on Yelp.
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.
