Want the scoop on Phoenix's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which restaurants have been getting a notable uptick in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Phoenix 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 have the momentum heading into the end of the year.
Native Grill & Wings
Open since June, 2018, this sports bar and New American spot, which offers chicken wings and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Native Grill & Wings saw a striking 225% increase, with a slight upward trend from a two-star rating a month ago to three stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: The larder + the delta has seen a 9.1% increase in reviews, and SanTan Brewing Company - Uptown Phoenix and Taphouse Kitchen-Phoenix have seen 8.6 and 7.2% increases, respectively.
Located at 2501 W. Happy Valley Road in Deer Valley, Native Grill & Wings offers everything from chicken wings to pizza, sliders, sandwiches, fish and more. Make sure to order the wings, which come in over 21 different flavors, including habanero mango, honey chipotle and spicy honey mustard.
Click here to see the full menu.
Native Grill & Wings is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Monday-Saturday and 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m. on Sunday.
Tru Burger
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Encanto's Tru Burger, the bar and traditional American spot, which offers salads and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, Tru Burger bagged an 11.6% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.3 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 2535 N. Central Ave., Suite 103 since February, Tru Burger features a menu that includes beef, veggie, turkey, salmon and ahi tuna burgers, homemade salads, sandwiches and much more. Yelpers recommend the whiskey barbecue burger, with cheddar cheese, bacon, onion rings and homemade whiskey barbecue sauce on a wheat bun and the hot pastrami sandwich, with melted Swiss cheese and topped with sauerkraut and mustard.
Tru Burger 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.
Centrico
Central City's Centrico is also making waves. Open since winter 2018 at 202 N. Central Ave., the popular bar and Mexican and breakfast and brunch spot has seen a 9.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.6% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Centrico's review count increased by more than 180%.
For breakfast, look for the Chile verde omelet, with pork, oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa, queso, beans and creama or the migas, which come with pico de gallo scrambled eggs, tortilla chips, queso oaxaca, avocado and salsa. For lunch, expect to find chicken, shrimp, beef, fish and veggie tacos, burgers and soup and salad. Over the past month, it's maintained a solid 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Centrico is open from 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. on Monday, 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–9 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–2 a.m. on Friday, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5 p.m.–2 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.–2 p.m. on Sunday.
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.
