Want the intel on Houston's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which restaurants have been in the limelight 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 on a hot streak this spring.
Roma
Open since January, this Italian spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw a median 3.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Roma saw an 83.3 percent increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 2347 University Blvd. in University Place, Roma offers a wide selection of pasta, fish and meat dishes. On the menu, try the cocoa-infused fettuccine tossed with Pecorino Romano cheese or the grilled octopus served with crispy polenta and cannellini beans.
La Vibra Tacos
The Heights's La Vibra Tacos is also making waves. Open since January at 506 Yale St., Suite A, the Mexican spot has seen a 42.9 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.8 percent for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp.
La Vibra Tacos serves nine varieties of tacos, eight costras (Gouda cheese on a flour tortilla with a choice of protein), seven volcans (toasted corn tortilla with Oaxacan cheese and a choice of protein) and a host of sides. (Click here to view the menu.) Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
Captain Crawfish
Spring Branch East's Captain Crawfish is the city's buzziest seafood spot by the numbers.
The Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and salads and opened at 1114 Silber Road, Suite A, in March, increased its new review count by 100 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 4.8 percent for the Yelp category "Seafood."
It's not the only trending outlier in the seafood category: Cajun Town Cafe has seen an 80 percent increase in reviews.
Captain Crawfish has a menu that includes fresh and fried seafood, such as stone crab claws, po'boys, seafood noodle soup, shrimp and, of course, crawfish.
Dish Society
The Heights's Dish Society is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this New American, breakfast and brunch and traditional American spot increased its by 62.7 percent—with its Yelp rating improving from four stars to 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 1050 Yale St. since January, the business is a farm-to-table establishment that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the menu includes citrus-glazed salmon, chimichurri steak tacos and a turkey avocado sandwich. Plus, there is a complete drink menu.
Truth BBQ
Open since January, this Southern spot, which offers barbecue and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Southern" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Southern" saw a median 3.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Truth BBQ saw a 51.5 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
Located at 110 S. Heights Blvd. in Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park, this is the second location for Truth BBQ, which dishes out smoked meat (brisket, beef, ribs, turkey, pork ribs and more) by the pound, as a sandwich and has hearty sides (corn pudding and mac and cheese topped with bacon) and dessert to top off the meal. (To view the entire menu, click 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.
