Want the intel on Austin's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which eateries have been getting extra notice 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, right now.
The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen
Open since June 2017, this New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 2.9 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen saw a 54.5 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today.
Located at 11700 Domain Blvd., Suite 148, in North Burnett, The Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen serves fare crafted with fresh and locally sourced ingredients, including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items on the menu. Look for entree salads, pasta dishes, featured plates of fish, seafood and pork chops, sandwiches and special pizzas.
Cielo Bistro Mexico
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Cielo Bistro Mexico, the Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 2.3 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Cielo Bistro Mexico bagged a 25 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating.
Open at 7032 Wood Hollow Drive since last fall, Cielo Bistro Mexico features a menu that includes grilled shrimp in a mesquite honey chipotle glaze, Texas Wagyu flank steak in mesquite honey bacon butter and grilled mahi mahi.
Me So Poke
Me So Poke is also making waves. Open since March at 1700 W. Parmer Lane, Suite 240, the sushi bar and poke spot, which offers acai bowls and more, has seen a 26.8 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.8 percent for all businesses tagged "Sushi Bars" on Yelp.
At Me So Poke, you'll find signature poke bowls like the California bowl (rice, spring mix, salmon, wasabi, crabmeat, avocado, corn, cucumber, seaweed, sesame seeds and spicy mayo), the Vegeta bowl (quinoa, kale, spring mix, tofu, Asian ginger dressing, pineapple, mushrooms, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, seaweed salad and chia seeds) or the option for customers to build their own bowl. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Home Slice Pizza
North Loop's Home Slice Pizza is the city's buzziest sandwich spot by the numbers.
The well-established pizza spot, which offers sandwiches and more and opened at 501 E. 53rd St. in the fall of 2005, increased its new review count by 7.6 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.7 percent for the Yelp category "Sandwiches." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the sandwich category: Bird Bird Biscuit has seen a 9.3 percent increase in reviews.
Home Slice Pizza offers New York style pizza, which is hand-tossed, antipasti, calzones, subs and full bar. Pizza toppings come in traditional options like pepperoni and mushrooms, as well as special toppings such as fried eggplant, artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives. (View the full menu here.)
Terry Black's Barbecue
Bouldin's popular Terry Black's Barbecue is currently on the upswing in the barbecue category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Barbeque" on Yelp saw a median 1.7 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this barbecue spot, which offers salads and sandwiches, increased its new reviews by 5.6 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 1003 Barton Springs Road since June 2014, the business is owned by the Black brothers, Terry and Mark, and serves sliced brisket, beef ribs, sausage, turkey, pork ribs and chopped beef by the pound, as a sandwich combo and as a family pack. Indulge yourself with baked potato salad, pinto beans, Mexican rice and mac-n-cheese as sides. (Click here to view the menu.)
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.
