As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So, how can you tell which tastes are trending right this very moment?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we 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.
Read on to see which destinations are worth exploring this autumn.
Paradiso
This bar and Mediterranean bistro is trending, in comparison to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Paradiso saw a remarkable 662.5% increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today.
Located at 308 N. Bishop Ave. in Oak Cliff, Paradiso offers a selection of wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas, salads and entrees such as a hamburger, vegetable sandwich and smoked salmon fillet.
Paradiso is open from 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday and from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Thursday-Saturday.
Hero
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Victory Park's Hero, the sports bar and traditional American gastropub is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 2% increase in new reviews over the past month, Hero bagged a 31.7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
There's even more trending in Dallas' traditional American cuisine scene: Picasso's has seen a 1% increase in reviews.
Open at 3090 Olive St., Suite B110, Hero features an extensive menu of plates that include cheese fries, tuna poke, chicken fajita tacos and braised beef short rib, along with a full bar and entertainment options such as billiards, arcade games and live music.
Hero is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.–2 a.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.–midnight on Sunday.
Nelson's
Nelson's is also making waves. Open since at 17602 Preston Road in North Dallas, the steakhouse that serves seafood, salads and more has seen a 41.7% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "Seafood" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Dallas' seafood category: Fish City Grill has seen a 9.6% increase in reviews, and Vegan Food House and Billy Can Can have seen 17.5 and 5.7% increases, respectively.
Nelson's offers menu items such as shrimp poppers, scallops, crab cakes, fried shrimp and catfish fillet baskets. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Nelson's is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Elm Street Cask & Kitchen
Downtown Dallas' City Center District's Elm Street Cask & Kitchen is the city's buzziest breakfast and brunch outlet by the numbers.
The whiskey bar and Southern restaurant known for its breakfast and brunch, which can be found at 1525 Elm St., increased its new review count by 37.9% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 2.1% for the Yelp category "Breakfast & Brunch." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.8 times more reviews than expected, based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: Twisted Trompo has seen a 9.8% increase in reviews.
Elm Street Cask & Kitchen specializes in Southern-style comfort foods and features separate menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For brunch, try the almond ricotta pancakes, Texas pecan cinnamon roll, breakfast tacos, avocado toast or country breakfast platter.
Elm Street Cask & Kitchen is open from 6:30 a.m.–midnight on weekdays and from 7 a.m.–midnight on weekends.
Homewood
Oak Lawn's Homewood is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, this New American eatery increased its new reviews by 19.6% — and kept its rating consistent at four stars. Review counts increased by more than 170% on a month-to-month basis.
There's more abuzz in Dallas' world of New American fare: SkinnyFATS has seen a 17.8% increase in reviews, and Punch Bowl Social Dallas and Al Biernat's North have seen 17.7 and 7.6% increases, respectively.
Open for business at 4002 Oak Lawn Ave, Homewood serves elevated American cuisine in an inviting dining environment. On the menu, look for dry-aged beef tartar, melon gazpacho soup, charred octopus and wood-roasted Aquna Murray cod, served alongside smoked fingerling potatoes and matsutake mushrooms.
Homewood is open from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. on Tuesday-Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
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.
