Curious where the insiders of Dallas 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 deduce which restaurants 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 outposts are worth exploring this autumn.
Emilio's Mexican Kitchen
Open since summer, this Mexican and Tex-Mex eatery is trending, in comparison to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mexican restaurants saw a median 2.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Emilio's Mexican Kitchen saw a massive 200% increase, maintaining a convincing 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Mexican category: Mi Cocina has seen a 10.2% increase in reviews.
Located at 6243 Retail Road, Suite 400, in Lake Highlands, Emilio's Mexican Kitchen specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine made from fresh ingredients, serving dishes like chicken tortilla soup, shrimp tostadas, spinach and cheese quesadillas, brisket tacos, steak fajitas and sour cream enchiladas.
Emilio's Mexican Kitchen is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Sunday.
Rodeo Goat
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Rodeo Goat, the traditional American gastropub, which serves burgers and more, is a hot topic, according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, Rodeo Goat bagged a 26.2% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a strong four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.3 times more reviews than expected, based on its past performance.
There's even more trending in Dallas' traditional American cuisine scene: 3 Eleven Kitchen & Cocktails has seen a 5.6% increase in reviews, and Frankie's Downtown has seen a 3.5% bump.
Open at 9610 Wharf Road, Rodeo Goat offers an array of burger options on its menu, such as the Telluride with green chiles, poblano goat cheese, beefsteak tomato and green chili chutney; the Bodacious with bacon, American cheese, crispy onions, pickles, grilled jalapeños, barbecue sauce and smoked jalapeño mayonnaise; and the Chaca Oaxaca, which comes topped with a fried egg, avocado, pico de gallo, queso fresco and Tabasco-infused mayonnaise.
Rodeo Goat is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and from 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday-Sunday.
Taqueria La Ventana
Oak Lawn's Taqueria La Ventana is also making waves. Open at 3847 Cedar Springs Road, the Mexican breakfast and brunch outlet has seen a 12.4% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.8% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Taqueria La Ventana's review count increased by more than 300%.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Dallas' breakfast and brunch category: Oasis Restaurant has seen a 9.7% increase in reviews, and Toasted Coffee + Kitchen and Snooze an A.M. Eatery have seen 6.1 and 8.2% increases, respectively.
Taqueria La Ventana is known for Mexico City-style street fare. Menu items include all-day breakfast tacos and quesadillas, as well as various options for burritos, tacos, quesadillas and bowls with a choice of protein. Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy four-star rating among Yelpers.
Taqueria La Ventana is open from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 11 a.m.–3 a.m. on Thursday-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.
