Want the intel on Dallas' most happening local spots?
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 uncover which eateries have been seeing especially high review volumes 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 spots are on a hot streak this autumn.
Hungry Belly
Open since July, this Japanese/Korean restaurant and sushi bar is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Sushi Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, sushi bars saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Hungry Belly saw a 27.2% increase, maintaining a superior 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the sushi bar category: Blue Sushi Sake Grill has seen an 8.3% increase in reviews.
Located at 2818 N. Fitzhugh Ave. in M Streets, Hungry Belly offers traditional Japanese and Korean dishes like udon and ramen noodle soups, bento boxes, and fried rice, as well as katsu, tempura and teriyaki dishes. Korean-style burgers and tacos are also available.
Hungry Belly is open from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4:30–10:30 p.m. on weekdays and noon–10:30 p.m. on weekends.
Jakes Burgers and Beer
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Northeast Dallas' outpost of Jakes Burgers and Beer, the well-established chain, which offers burgers, beer and more, has been getting a lot more foot traffic lately.
While Jakes Burgers and Beer stayed on par with the median 1.7% increase in new reviews businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp over the past month, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating, it saw a 30% increase in visits over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
Open at 6606 Skillman St. since 2007, Jakes Burgers and Beer offers classic New American fast food items, such as double-meat burgers, hot dogs and milkshakes, as well as salads, sides and chicken fried chicken.
Jakes Burgers and Beer is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday. According to SafeGraph, it's usually busiest at noon, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., and people visit Jakes Burgers and Beer most on Saturdays and Fridays, with a slowdown on Tuesdays.
Smithy
M Streets's Smithy is also making waves. Open since April 2018 at 2927 N. Henderson Ave., the well-established New American sports bar has seen an 8% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
Smithy offers internationally-inspired menus for brunch, lunch and dinner, with highlights such as sea scallops, wood-fired roasted chicken, short ribs and a filet mignon. There's also a full bar, and you can check out the dessert menu here. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Smithy is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on 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.
