Want the inside word on Houston's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses have been in the limelight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston 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 extra hot, right now.
Loch Bar
Open since June, this upscale restaurant and bar, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 2.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Loch Bar saw a notable 150% increase, maintaining a convincing four-star rating throughout.
Located at 4444 Westheimer Road, Suite G110, Loch Bar offers a raw bar an expansive menu featuring fresh local and Gulf seafood. Loch Bar serves local craft beer, a whiskey list and handcrafted cocktails, and the tavern hosts live music every day.
Katsu Bar & Noodle
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Mid West's Katsu Bar & Noodle, the Japanese spot, which offers burgers and noodles, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Japanese" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, Katsu Bar & Noodle bagged an imposing 207.7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a healthy four-star rating.
Open since June at 9296 Westheimer Road, Suite 132, Katsu Bar & Noodle offers a build-your-own Katsu plate dining experience, as well as Katsu burgers, ramen and udon noodles bowls, edamame, gyoza and chicken wings. Milk teas, fruit teas, slushies and smoothies are also on the menu.
Monument Inn
Monument Inn is also making waves. Since its April re-opening at 4406 Independence Parkway S, the popular traditional American spot, which offers waterfront dining overlooking the Houston ship channel, has seen a 2.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.8% for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp.
Monument Inn specializes in fresh Gulf seafood dishes, such as raw oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp and broiled crab cakes, and it also serves steak, chicken and pastas. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior four-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.
