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 seeing especially high review volumes this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at San Jose 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 hot, right now.
Oh My Boba
Open since October, this spot to score organic coffee and bubble tea is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
Citywide, coffee and tea spots saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Oh My Boba saw a 31.8 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Oh My Boba's review count increased by more than 180 percent.
It's not the only trending outlier in the coffee and tea category: Kung Fu Tea has seen a 12.8 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 1030 Piedmont Road, Suite E in Berryessa, Oh My Boba offers organic tea, milk tea, fruit-fusion drinks, smoothies and snacks. Drink add-ins include fresh fruit, six types of boba, grass jelly and in-house salted cheese crema. Patrons ordering tea may also customize the tea strength, the sweetness level, the amount of ice and the type of milk.
Benedict's Café & Bar
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the Cambrian Park's Benedict's Café & Bar, the cocktail bar and traditional American breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Benedicts Café & Bar bagged a 7.6 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy four-star rating.
Open at 5365 Camden Ave. since April 2018, Benedict's Café & Bar offers traditional breakfast fare like omelets, bacon, waffles, steak and eggs, French toast and pancakes. If you're going the lunch route, look for a selection of salads, burgers, sandwiches and pasta bowls.
Check out the full menu here.
SJ Crawfish
San Jose - East Valley / 680's SJ Crawfish is also making waves. Open since 2016 at 393 N. Capitol Ave., the well-established Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and more, has seen a 5.7 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.9 percent for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp. However, on a month-to-month basis, SJ Crawfish's review count increased by more than 180 percent.
SJ Crawfish offers crawfish, shrimp, mussels, lobster, oysters and crabs. The eatery also offers combo deals that include a selection of seafood and sides like corn, potatoes and sausage. Customers may choose their spice level and pick one of seven seasonings, ranging from Cajun to a thicker house specialty. Over the past month, it's maintained a strong 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
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.
