Curious where Houston'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 discover which local businesses have been seeing especially high review volumes this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston 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.
Yakitori Gunso
Open since January, this Japanese spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Japanese" on Yelp.
Citywide, Japanese spots saw a median 3.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Yakitori Gunso saw a noteworthy 106.7 percent increase, with a slight upward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Yakitori Gunso's review count increased by more than 200 percent.
Located at 10928 Westheimer Road in Briarforest Area, Yakitori Gunso offers Japanese-style skewered chicken, soup, salad, fish and vegetables. Beverages include sake, tea, soft drinks, beer and wine. Look for the pork belly, shiitake mushrooms and chicken thigh skewers, as well as the lamp chop.
Chills 360
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Neartown - Montrose's Chills 360, the spot to score desserts and ice cream and frozen yogurt is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Desserts" on Yelp saw a median 3.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Chills 360 bagged a 38.3 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.6 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 907 Westheimer Road since August, Chills 360 is a national chain with stores throughout central Texas and one in South Carolina. The menu includes Thai-inspired ice cream rolls with names like Pinky Promise, What the Fudge and Peanut Better Jealous. It also serves lemonade, shakes and cake.
B.B. Lemon
Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park's B.B. Lemon is also making waves. Open since November at 1809 Washington Ave., the gastropub and New American spot has seen a 32.1 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
B.B. Lemon offers British-inspired soups, salads, burgers, fish, chicken, steak and more. On the menu, look for heirloom tomato salad, fish and chips, grilled cheese with bacon and Shepherd’s Pie. (The rest of the menu can be found here.)
Over the past month, B.B. Lemon has maintained a superior four-star rating among Yelpers.
The Toasted Yolk Cafe
Mid West's The Toasted Yolk Cafe is currently on the upswing in the sandwich category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Sandwiches" on Yelp saw a median 2.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this breakfast and brunch spot, which offers salads and sandwiches, increased its by 17.8 percent—and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
Open for business at 2711 Fountain View Drive, Suite A, since September, this is the local eatery's eighth location.
The business offers large, separate breakfast and lunch menus. Early risers can order items like pancakes, french toast, Belgian waffles and omelettes. The lunch crowd may opt for soup, salad or a sandwich. (Check out the rest of the menu here.)
The Rustic
Open since October, this popular bar, music venue and traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Bars" saw a median 3.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but The Rustic saw a 21.5 percent increase, maintaining a healthy four-star rating throughout.
Located at 1836 Polk St. in downtown Houston, The Rustic offers live music, cocktails and menu items like burgers, salads, steak, sides and desserts.
Look for the spicy tamales with your choice of chicken, brisket or pork, and the signature Rustic burger topped with house brisket, white cheddar, green chile, grilled onion with smoked salt chips. (Find the full menu 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.
