Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Austin 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 this spring.
Moonshine Comfort & Cocktails
Moonshine Comfort & Cocktails is also making waves. Open since December at 10525 W. Parmer Lane, the bar and traditional American breakfast and brunch spot has seen a 26.2 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.4 percent for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp.
Moonshine Comfort & Cocktails offers appetizers such as deviled eggs, grilled cheese, avocado toast and more, as well as lunch plates like fried chicken and waffles, barbecued shrimp and grits and baby back ribs. Stop in for dinner to score blackened catfish, herb-crusted salmon or red chile chicken pasta. Check out the full menu here.
Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Austin Rotisserie
Dawson's Austin Rotisserie is the city's buzziest sandwich spot by the numbers.
The French spot, which offers comfort food and sandwiches and opened at 121 Pickle Road, Suite 110, in April 2018, increased its new review count by 30.3 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.9 percent for the Yelp category "Sandwiches." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Austin Rotisserie offers quarter, half or full chickens to take away or to dine on in-house. Also on the menu are tacos, baguette sandwiches, platters, sides and extras. Hone in on specific choices like The Special, a platter including a quarter bird, a side salad and roasted potatoes, or the Veggie Tacos with cheese, cabbage and cilantro. Here's the menu.
Bar Peached
Old West Austin's Bar Peached is currently on the upswing in the cocktail bar category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp saw a median 3.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this cocktail bar and Asian fusion spot, which offers desserts and more, increased its traffic by 23.5 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 1315 W. Sixth St. since January, the business offers a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, including signature cocktails, spirits, wine and beer. Hungry? Check out cheese corn, chicken wings and kale tempura as an appetizer. If you're in the mood for something a bit heartier, look at Malaysian fried rice with chicken, shrimp, eggs and spicy paste. Here's the menu.
Hank's
Open since April 2018, this traditional American breakfast and brunch spot, which offers coffee tea and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Coffee & Tea" saw a median 1.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Hank's saw a 5.4 percent increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 5811 Berkman Drive, Suite 100, in Windsor Park, Hank's offers brunch, lunch, dinner and late-night menus. Fare options including everything from ricotta toast and eggs Benedict to cheeseburgers and wood-grilled salmon. The extensive menus also feature a variety of alcoholic beverages. Check out the website for a complete list of offerings, pricing and more information.
ATX Cocina
Is downtown Austin's ATX Cocina on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Mexican spot is seeing plenty of action.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 1.4 percent over the past month, ATX Cocina nabbed a 6.7 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound four-star rating.
Located at 110 San Antonio St., Suite 170, since 2017, ATX Cocina offers a variety of Mexican fusion cuisine. Start off with an appetizer like empanadas, sope or chips and guacamole before heading toward pastor tacos, swordfish, chili roasted chicken or bone-in ribeye for your main course. Check out the website here for a full line of offerings and more information.
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.
