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 deduce which restaurants have been getting a notable increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Phoenix 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are riding a trend, right now.
Press Coffee
Press Coffee has expanded to seven locations in the Phoenix area since its founding in 2008. Its latest location is at 1616 N. Central Ave., Suite 102, in Encanto. This coffee roastery and breakfast/brunch spot, which offers coffee and tea and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw a median 1.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Press Coffee saw a 9.5 percent increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Press Coffee's review count increased by more than 1,000 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Centrico has seen a 6.1 percent increase in reviews.
Press Coffee specializes in using beans sourced by importers that cultivate relationships with growers in such countries as Ethiopia, Peru, Costa Rica, Brazil, Sumatra and Guatemala, according to its website.
Arizona Wilderness DTPHX
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Central City's Arizona Wilderness DTPHX, the bar and beer garden, which offers burgers and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 3.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Arizona Wilderness DTPHX bagged a 29.7 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating.
There's more that's trending on Phoenix's bar scene: Tacos Tequila Whiskey has seen a 7.7 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 201 E. Roosevelt St. since earlier this year, this is Arizona Wilderness' second locale. The business originated with a brewpub in Gilbert.
Cocina Madrigal
South Mountain's Cocina Madrigal is also making waves. Open since July 2018, at 4044 S. 16th St., the Mexican spot has seen an 11 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.7 percent for all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp.
Cocina Madrigal offers enchiladas, burritos and tacos, along with such specialties as crispy salmon and la diabla chicken pasta. Over the past month, it's maintained an excellent five-star rating among Yelpers.
Little Miss BBQ
Little Miss BBQ in Sunnyslope is the city's buzziest barbecue spot by the numbers.
The popular eatery, which opened last November at 8901 N. Seventh St., increased its new review count by 22.9 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.3 percent for that Yelp category. The business also operates a second location, in the city's University district.
Little Miss BBQ offers brisket, pork and turkey, with sides such as jalapeño cheddar grits, coleslaw, potato salad, mac and cheese and ranch-style beans.
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.
