As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending at this very moment?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been in the limelight 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 poised to start summer off strong.
Cielo Bistro Mexico
Open since October, this Mexican spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mexican spots saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Cielo Bistro Mexico saw a 35.7 percent increase, maintaining a superior four-star rating throughout.
Located at 7032 Wood Hollow Drive, Cielo Bistro Mexico offers lunch, dinner and brunch. On the menu, expect a culinary marriage of European influences and the native cuisines of Meso America and authentic, regional and contemporary Mexico. Try the carnitas (braised crispy pork) or the calabaza con esquites (zucchini squash, chile guajillo, crema Mexican street corn and queso oaxaca).
Rosewood
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Central East Austin's Rosewood, the bar and traditional American spot, which offers seafood and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Rosewood bagged an 8.8 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating.
Open at 1209 Rosewood Ave. since last May, Rosewood boasts a menu that changes daily, with seafood arriving each morning. A sampling of what is available includes grilled escarole (blue cheese, pistachios and a poached egg), beef fat potatoes (sauerkraut, loquat mostarda and drill aioli) and shrimp jambalaya. The full bar serves signature cocktails, craft beer and wine. (Click here to view the menu.)
Hideaway Kitchen & Bar
Franklin Park's Hideaway Kitchen & Bar is also making waves. Open since last June at 4323 S. Interstate 35, the popular lounge and breakfast and brunch and New American spot has seen a 10 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.1 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
Hideaway Kitchen & Bar offers locally sourced Southern comfort food with a Texas twist in a cozy atmosphere. For breakfast, look for chicken and waffles, peach pie pancakes and egg white frittatas, while sandwiches, burgers, soup and salad highlight the lunch menu. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
Sway
North Burnett's Sway is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers.
The popular cocktail bar and Thai spot, which opened at 11501 Rock Rose Ave., Suite 100 on Dec. 5, increased its new review count by 9.8 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.3 percent for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.2 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Sway offers curry, fried rice, grilled pork, steak, chicken and fish and noodle soup. Try the jungle curry (Texas Wagyu brisket, red chili, baby corn, eggplant, peppercorn and coconut cream) or the grilled pork, served with a farm egg and thick soy. (See the full menu here.)
Home Slice Pizza
North Loop's popular Home Slice Pizza is currently on the upswing in the sandwich category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Sandwiches" on Yelp saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this spot to score pizza and sandwiches increased its by 9.4 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 501 E. 53rd St. since 2005, the business offers New York-style Sicilian pizza as well as traditional pies with more than two dozen toppings to choose from. Customers can also order signature pizzas such as the eggplant pie or white clam pizza. There are also hot and cold subs and salad on the menu.
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.
