Curious where Austin's insiders are 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 discover which eateries have been getting a noteworthy uptick in attention 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 on a hot streak this autumn.
Bao'd Up
Open since June, this breakfast and brunch and Asian fusion spot, which offers bubble tea and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Bao'd Up saw a staggering 111.1% increase, maintaining a sound four-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Bao'd Up's review count increased by more than 1,000%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Il Brutto has seen an 8.6% increase in reviews, and Mimi's Bistro & Bakery and Full English have seen 5.5 and 0.7% increases, respectively.
Located at 2222 Rio Grande St., Suite 190, in West University, On Bao'd Up's menu, look for items such as barbecue pork and vegetable bao, pork belly guabao, picked vegetable salad and apple curry or sesame noodle bowls.
Bao'd Up is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Fowler's Smokin Soul Food
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Pecan Springs Springdale's Fowler's Smokin Soul Food, the spot to score soul food and barbecue is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Barbeque" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, Fowler's Smokin Soul Food bagged a 52.6% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a sterling five-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.7 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 5811 Manor Road, Fowler's Smokin Soul Food offers brisket, sausage, ribs, fried and smothered pork chops, chicken wings, catfish filets as well as desserts like cheesecake and chocolate cake.
Fowler's Smokin Soul Food is open from 11 a.m.–7 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday-Wednesday.)
Revelry on the Boulevard
Highland's Revelry on the Boulevard is also making waves. Open since May at 6215 N. Lamar Blvd., the cocktail bar, sports bar and New American spot has seen a 23.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Austin's New American category: Twin Peaks has seen a 5.9% increase in reviews.
Revelry on the Boulevard offersoffers appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and salads. Menu highlights include the boudin balls, honey Sriracha wings and the short rib banh mi sandwich. Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Revelry on the Boulevard is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.–11 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant
Downtown Austin's Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant is the city's buzziest Mexican spot by the numbers.
The Mexican spot, which opened at 360 Nueces St. in March 2018, increased its new review count by 16.1% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.6% for the Yelp category "Mexican." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant offers soups, salads, enchiladas, fajitas, chile rellenos, tortas, margaritas and more.
Polvo's Downtown Mexican Restaurant is open from 4–11 p.m. on Monday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
Wonder Bar
North Burnett's Wonder Bar is currently on the upswing in the bar category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this bar increased its new reviews by 25% — and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars.
Open for business at 11500 Rock Rose Ave. since May, Wonder Bar offers specialty cocktails like the #FOMO, which features Bombay Sapphire, raspberry and lemon. The food menu features burgers, buffalo wings, fried pickles, tacos and more.
Wonder Bar is open from 3 p.m.–2 a.m. on weekdays and noon–2 a.m. on weekends.
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.
