Unsure where Phoenix'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 analyze which restaurants have been getting extra notice this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Phoenix 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.
Blue Seas Express & Catering
Open since May 2018, this traditional American spot, which offers fish and chips, tacos and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Blue Seas Express & Catering saw a 90.9 percent increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Blue Seas Express & Catering AZ's review count increased by more than 1,000 percent.
Located at 2426 E. Jefferson St. in Central City, Blue Seas Express & Catering AZ offers salmon burgers, veggie burgers and cod sandwiches, alongside tacos, fish and chips and desserts like banana pudding and bean pie.
The Bread and Honey House
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Camelback East's The Bread and Honey House, the cafe, breakfast and brunch spot 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, The Bread and Honey House bagged a significant 127.3 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to its current 4.5 stars.
Open at 4700 E. Van Buren St. since June, The Bread and Honey House offers an array of caffeinated coffee and tea beverages as well as light breakfast fare such as avocado toast, strawberry crepes and chorizo omelets.
The Sicilian Baker
Paradise Valley's The Sicilian Baker is also making waves. Open since March at 15530 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 140, the bakery and Italian spot, which offers sandwiches and more, has seen a 25 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2 percent for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Phoenix's Italian category: Pubblico Italian Eatery has seen a 6.7 percent increase in reviews, and Pizza Heaven Bistro has seen a 3.1 percent bump.
The Sicilian Baker features a build-your-own-cannoli bar, and offers pastries and cookies by the pound. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating improve from four stars to 4.5 stars.
Tony's Italian Delicatessen
North Mountain's Tony's Italian Delicatessen is the city's buzziest sandwich spot by the numbers.
The deli and grocery store, which offers sandwiches and more and opened at 536 E. Dunlap Ave. in October of 2015, increased its new review count by 12 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.1 percent for the Yelp category "Sandwiches." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Tony's Italian Delicatessen offers pastrami, turkey and roast beef sandwiches, as well as jarred peppers, fresh pasta, chocolate cannolis and more.
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.
