Wondering where Austin's in-the-know crowd is eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which local businesses have been getting a notable uptick in 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 are getting plenty of attention this summer.
Vamonos
Open since April, this Tex-Mex spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Tex-Mex" on Yelp.
Citywide, Tex-Mex spots saw a median 1.8 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Vamonos saw a 59.1 percent increase, maintaining a solid four-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Tex-Mex category: Cyclone Anaya's Tex-Mex Cantina has seen a 6.9 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 4807 Airport Blvd. in North Loop, Vamonos offers classic ceviche, quesadillas, elotes and tortilla soup. On the menu, you'll also find grilled entrees like Texas Gulf shrimp and adobo marinated chicken.
Miyako Yakitori & Sushi
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Miyako Yakitori & Sushi, the sushi bar and Japanese spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Sushi Bars" on Yelp saw a median 3.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Miyako Yakitori & Sushi bagged a 67.4 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.1 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Austin's sushi bar scene: Sweet Chive has seen a 16.9 percent increase in reviews.
Open at 8701 W. Parmer Lane, Suite 2128, since November 2018, Miyako Yakitori & Sushi offers fried jalapeño appetizers, spicy miso ramen, bento boxes and yakitori (skewers with chicken, beef, pork seafood and vegetables). On the menu, you'll find sushi offerings such as house, baked, maki and tempura rolls.
Charm BBQ Chicken
Charm BBQ Chicken is also making waves. Open since February 2018 at 12233 Ranch Road 620 North, Suite 104, the bar and Korean spot, which offers chicken wings and more, has seen a 54.5 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp.
Charm BBQ Chicken offers fried chicken (wings, drumsticks, tenders and boneless thighs). Chicken combo meals, kids dinners and sides like kimchi, pickled veggies and steamed rice are also available. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Upstairs at Caroline
Downtown Austin's Upstairs at Caroline is the city's buzziest cocktail bar by the numbers.
The popular cocktail bar and social club, which opened at 621 Congress Ave. in July 2017, increased its new review count by 12.1 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 4.2 percent for the Yelp category "Cocktail Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.7 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the cocktail bar category: Second Bar + Kitchen has seen a 5.9 percent increase in reviews.
Upstairs at Caroline offers plenty of happy hour fare like street tacos filled with fillings like braised brisket, quinoa cauliflower "chorizo" and more. You'll also find ceviches, chips with a variety of dips, and a chopped Mexican salad. Beer, wine and backyard libations like key lime fizz and the Prickly Pear Rita are also on offer.
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.
