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 eateries have been getting extra attention 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots have the momentum heading into summer.
Shore Raw Bar & Grill
Open since 2019, this Mexican and Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mexican spots saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Shore Raw Bar & Grill saw a 30.4 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today.
Located at 8665 W. Sh 71, Suite 100, in West Oak Hill, Shore Raw Bar & Grill offers dishes like lemon pepper halibut tacos, oyster po'boys and seared scallops.
Torchy's Tacos
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown Austin's Torchy's Tacos, the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers tacos and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2.1 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Torchy's Tacos bagged a 23.4 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating.
Open at 110 San Antonio St., Unit 120, since 2018, Torchy's Tacos offers breakfast and lunch tacos, burritos and treats like street corn. Look for the Mr. Orange tacos with blackened salmon, grilled corn, black bean relish and more.
Colleen's Kitchen
RMMA's Colleen's Kitchen is also making waves. Open since 2018 at 1911 Aldrich St., Suite 100, the popular cocktail bar and Southern and New American spot has seen a 6.8 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.6 percent for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Colleen's Kitchen's review count increased by more than 270 percent.
Colleen's Kitchen offers starters like buttermilk biscuits and fried zucchini. For main dishes, look for cornmeal-crusted redfish or shrimp and grits. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing four-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.
