Want the intel on Austin's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 riding a trend, right now.
Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant
Open since March 2018, this Mexican spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mexican eateries saw a median 3% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant saw a 20.8% increase, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant's review count increased by more than 200%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Mexican category: Cielo Bistro Mexico has seen a 25% increase in reviews.
Located at 360 Nueces St. in downtown Austin, Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant serves soups, salads, enchiladas, fajitas, chile rellenos, tortas, margaritas and more.
Torchy's Tacos
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown Austin's Torchy's Tacos, which offers authentic Mexican food for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner in a casual, sleek setting, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 2.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, Torchy's Tacos bagged an 18.5% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating.
Open since last December at 110 San Antonio St., Unit 120, Torchy's Tacos serves up specialty tacos, burritos, salads, street corn and more.
Shore Raw Bar & Grill
West Oak Hill's Shore Raw Bar & Grill is also making waves. Open since February at 8665 W. SH 71, Suite 100, the seafood, Mexican and Cajun/Creole spot has seen an 18.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp.
Shore Raw Bar & Grill offers oysters, ceviche, peel and eat shrimp, lobster rolls, po'boys and fresh fish. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from 3.5 stars to four stars.
Carpenters Hall
Zilker's Carpenters Hall is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The New American cafe, which opened in the Carpenter Hotel at 400 Josephine St. last November, increased its new review count by 18% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.8% for the Yelp category "American (New)."
Carpenters Hall serves Tex-Mex fare for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, late night fare, dessert and drinks. You'll see ceviche, charred corn, mole salami, tuna tartare tostadas and more on the menu.
Mimi's Cafe
North Burnett's well-established Mimi's Cafe is currently on the upswing in the traditional American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 2.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, this traditional American and French spot increased its new reviews by 6.4%—and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 320% on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 10515 N. Mopac Expressway, NB Bldg O, since 2007, the business offers omelets, crêpes, quiche and more for breakfast and brunch, while soups, salads, sandwiches, roasted chicken, pasta, meatloaf and a classic French pot roast are on the menu for lunch and dinner.
Bar Peached
Open since June, this Asian fusion spot and cocktail bar, which offers dinner, drinks, desserts and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cocktail Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Cocktail Bars" saw a median 4.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Bar Peached saw a 13.2% increase, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 1315 W. Sixth St. in Old West Austin, Bar Peached offers Korean chicken wings, a banh mi sandwich, Malaysian fried rice and panko-encrusted fried fish on 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.
