As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston 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, right now.
Studewood Cantine
Open since September, this Tex-Mex restaurant and cocktail bar, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Studewood Cantine saw an impressive 900% increase, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Studewood Cantine's review count increased by more than 680%.
It's not the only trending outlier in the seafood category: The Juicy Crab has seen a 24.5% increase in reviews.
Located in the Heights at 1111 Studewood St., Suite A, Studewood Cantine offers Tex-Mex and New American fare, such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, stuffed avocados, chicken wings and more.
Studewood Cantine is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Sunday.
Pepper Lunch
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Sharpstown's Pepper Lunch, the Japanese steakhouse, teppanyaki and curry spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp saw a median 1.3% increase in new reviews over the past month, Pepper Lunch bagged a 33.3% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating.
Open at 9393 Bellaire Blvd., Suite C, since August, Pepper Lunch offers your choice of meats, seafood and vegetables to be served on a sizzling plate. Rice platters and pasta options are also available.
Pepper Lunch is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Hiccups
Briarforest Area's outpost of Hiccups is also making waves. Open since Sepetmber at 11700B Westheimer Road, the Vietnamese spot, which offers coffee, tea, juices and smoothies, has seen a 72.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.4% for all businesses tagged "Coffee & Tea" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Houston's coffee and tea category: Anonymous Cafe has seen a 48.8% increase in reviews.
Hiccups offers made-to-order, Asian-fusion meals, such as Thai fried rice, kung pao chicken, stir fried noodles and phở noodle soups. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers. Churroholic drinks and desserts are also available at this location.
Hiccups is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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.
