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 minute?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which eateries have been seeing especially high review volumes this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New York City 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.
Pho Shop
Open since September, this Vietnamese spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Vietnamese" on Yelp.
Citywide, Vietnamese spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Pho Shop saw a dramatic 400% increase, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 141 W. 72nd St. (near the 72nd Street/Broadway station) on the Upper West Side, Pho Shop offers nearly a dozen varieties of pho and eight kinds of banh mi. Other menu items include Vietnamese favorites like spring rolls, bun noodle bowls and Vietnamese iced coffee. This is Pho Shop's second location (the original location can be found on the other side of the park, on First Avenue).
The Gully
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Astoria's The Gully, the "urban desi eatery" is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Indian" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, The Gully bagged an imposing 300% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight upward trend from a 3.5-star rating a month ago to its current four stars.
Open at 25-45 Steinway St. since September, The Gully specializes in South Asian street food and comfort food crossovers. Stop in for kati rolls, chaat, chicken curry, lamb biryani and one-of-a-kind creations like chicken tikka mac 'n' cheese and a lamb burger with cilantro garlic aioli. The menu also includes halal and veggie-friendly options.
Jardino Restaurant
The Upper East Side's Jardino Restaurant is also making waves. Open since August at 1159 Third Ave., the Italian restaurant has seen a massive 212.5% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "Italian" on Yelp.
Jardino Restaurant offers salads, pizzas and an array of traditional pasta dishes, like spaghetti and meatballs, penne and vodka sauce, linguine with shrimp and calamari and lasagna. Over the past month, it's maintained an outstanding five-star rating among Yelpers.
Jardino Restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Dos Toros
The Financial District's Dos Toros is the city's buzziest Mexican spot by the numbers.
This location of the fast-casual taqueria chain, which opened in One State Street Plaza (1 State St.) in October 2018, increased its new review count by a striking 183.3% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.7% for the Yelp category "Mexican." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 5.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Dos Toros offers build-your-own burritos, tacos, quesadillas, bowls, salads and nachos, made with your choice of proteins and toppings.
Dos Toros is open from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on weekdays and noon–8 p.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.
