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 discover which restaurants have been getting outsized attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at San Antonio 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 this summer.
Cowboy Sushi Cafe
Open since January, this sushi bar and New American eatery, which offers desserts, sushi rolls and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American restaurants saw a median 2.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Cowboy Sushi Cafe saw a 40.5% increase, maintaining a superior 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Cowboy Sushi Cafe's review count increased by more than 300%.
Located at 21025 Encino Commons Blvd., Suite 111, Cowboy Sushi Cafe specializes in traditional western cowboy-style food with an Asian flair, serving unique fusion items such as slow-cooked barbecue brisket presented in a sushi-style rice roll.
Chela's Tacos
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about River Road's Chela's Tacos, the Mexican food truck and catering business is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 2.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, Chela's Tacos bagged a 38.5% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a solid four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Situated at 3420 N. St. Mary's St., Chela's Tacos offers a wide selection of street tacos and other classic Mexican fare, including tamales, enchiladas, flautas and soup.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is also making waves. Getting its start in Denver back in 2006 and now with a San Antonio location, which is open at 1305 N. Loop 1604 West, the breakfast, brunch and lunch locale, which specializes in items such as pancakes and eggs Benedict, has seen an 8.4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 3% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is well-known for its breakfast fare, serving a vast assortment of sweet and savory pancakes, egg dishes, coffees and morning cocktails. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-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.
