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 analyze which eateries have been most discussed 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 are riding a trend this winter.
Vecina
Open since Sept. 12, this Latin American and New American spot 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 Vecina saw a 50% increase, maintaining an impressive five-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: EarlyBaker has seen a 7.6% increase in reviews, and The Collins Small Batch Kitchen has seen a 4.9% bump.
Located at 3433 N. 56th St. in Camelback East, Vecina offers a grilled pork chop, pork belly tacos and beef barbacoa tostadas as entrees on the menu.
Vecina is open from 4–10 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday. (It's closed on Monday and Sunday.)
Angry Crab Shack
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Deer Valley's Angry Crab Shack, a franchise of the famous chain, the well-established Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, Angry Crab Shack bagged a 16.2% 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. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.6 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 2501 W. Happy Valley Road, Suite 48, since December 2018, Angry Crab Shack is a fusion of Asian and Cajun flavors atop crabs, lobster, crawfish and more, as well as sausage, beef, chicken and vegetarian dishes.
Angry Crab Shack 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.
The Bread and Honey House
Camelback East's The Bread and Honey House is also making waves. Open since May at 4700 E. Van Buren St., the well-established cafe and breakfast and brunch spot has seen a 16.7% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Phoenix's breakfast and brunch category: Hash Kitchen has seen a 12.3% increase in reviews.
For breakfast at The Bread and Honey House, consider a chilaquile, crepe or build-your-own-burrito. The lunch menu includes a burger, fish tacos and salad, with Mexican bottled soda and green tea as beverage options. Over the past month, it's maintained an impressive five-star rating among Yelpers.
The Bread and Honey House is open from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
LaBella Pizzeria and Restaurant
Camelback East's LaBella Pizzeria and Restaurant is the city's buzziest Italian spot by the numbers.
The kosher and Italian spot, which offers pizza and more and opened at 6505 N. Seventh St. in 2010, increased its new review count by 9.3% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.7% for the Yelp category "Italian." It outperformed the previous month by gaining five times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Want more about the business's specialties in the words of the people behind it? "Delicious Italian kosher cuisine and pizzeria." — that's courtesy of its Yelp page.
LaBella Pizzeria and Restaurant features a menu ranging from pizza to pasta, fish dishes and sushi rolls. There is also a Mexican menu offered on Tuesday and Sunday.
LaBella Pizzeria and Restaurant is open from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 p.m.–midnight on 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.
