Unsure where the in-the-know crowd of Dallas 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 and SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to analyze which local businesses have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we first looked at Dallas 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. Then, we analyzed foot traffic data from SafeGraph to validate the trends.
Read on to see which establishments are getting plenty of attention, right now.
The Crab Station
Open since July, this Cajun and Creole gastropub, which specializes in seafood and libations, is trending in comparison to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, but The Crab Station saw a dramatic 214.3% increase, with a slight upward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, The Crab Station's review count increased by more than 210%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the bar category: Babb Brothers BBQ & Blues has seen a 3.1% increase in reviews, and Doc B's Restaurant + Bar and Nori Handroll Bar have seen 8.8 and 6.7% increases, respectively.
Located at 2813 Commerce St. in Deep Ellum, The Crab Station offers an array of fresh fare from the sea, ranging from crawfish, lobster, mussels and clams to oysters, octopus, shrimp and multiple crab varietals.
The Crab Station is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Wednesday and Sunday and from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Thursday-Saturday.
Dibs on Victory
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Victory Park's Dibs on Victory, the sports bar and New American eatery is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, Dibs on Victory bagged a 38.5% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.5 times more reviews than expected, based on its past performance.
Open at 2401 Victory Park Lane, Suite 190, Dibs on Victory provides food, drinks and entertainment in a convenient location near the American Airlines Center sports arena. Dinner menu options include chicken wings, barbecue ribs, a fried chicken sandwich, steak fingers, queso dip and chicken pot pie.
Dibs on Victory is open from 4 p.m.–midnight on Monday-Wednesday, 4 p.m.–2 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m.–2 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.–midnight on Sunday.
Slater's 50/50
North Dallas' Slater's 50/50 is also making waves. Open since 2018 at 11661 Preston Road, Suite 153, the beer bar and traditional American joint, which serves burgers and more, has seen a 25% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Slater's 50/50's review count increased by more than 200%.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Dallas' traditional American category: Rodeo Goat has seen a 22.4% increase in reviews, and Maple Landing and Whistle Britches have seen 10.7 and 4.3% increases, respectively.
Slater's 50/50 offers burgers alongside an extensive beer selection with more than 50 different brews on tap. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid four-star rating among Yelpers.
Slater's 50/50 is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Velvet Taco
North Dallas' Velvet Taco is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch outlet by the numbers.
Situated at 11700 Preston Road, Suite 600, this well-established New American restaurant, which offers tacos, breakfast, brunch and more, increased its new review count by 6.4% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2% for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch." As for foot traffic, visits to Velvet Taco increased by more than 50% over the past month, according to SafeGraph data.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: The Henry has seen a 14.7% increase in reviews, and San Martín Bakery & Restaurant has seen a 11.4% bump.
Velvet Taco features a menu brimming with eclectic taco options, including spicy tikka chicken, shrimp and grits, Korean pork with kimchi slaw, Kobe bacon burger, falafel and crispy tofu.
Velvet Taco is open from 10 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 10 a.m.–1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. According to SafeGraph, it's usually busiest at noon, 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., and people visit Velvet Taco most on Saturdays and Fridays, so go on Mondays if you'd prefer to avoid the rush.
Luna's Tortilla Factory
Lake Caroline's well-established Luna's Tortilla Factory is trending, based on local foot traffic data.
While Luna's Tortilla Factory stayed in line with the median 2.6% increase in new reviews for businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp over the past month, visits to Luna's Tortilla Factory increased by more than 50%, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
Originally founded in 1924 and located at 2225 Connector Blvd., Luna's Tortilla Factory is known for its traditional Mexican cuisine, serving dishes like breakfast tacos, assorted tamales, enchiladas, quesadillas and more on its menu.
Luna's Tortilla Factory is open from 7 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m.–2 p.m. on Sunday. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy on Saturdays and Sundays and attracts a quarter of its total visitors over those two days, so go on Mondays if you'd like to avoid the rush.
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.
