Unsure where Phoenix's insiders 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 uncover which local businesses 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 getting plenty of attention this winter.
RKDA Kitchen
Open since September, this cocktail bar and traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, but RKDA Kitchen saw a 100% increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis RKDA Kitchen's review count increased by more than 160%.
Located at 3950 E. Indian School Road, Suite 140, in Camelback East, the music-themed eatery offers salads, protein bowls, sushi, burgers, tacos, pasta, chicken, ribs and seafood. Save room for the red velvet bread pudding for dessert.
RKDA Kitchen is open from 11 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Hash Kitchen
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Camelback East's Hash Kitchen, the popular breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, Hash Kitchen bagged a 17.7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.9 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Hash Kitchen is a local chain that has four outposts in Arizona. Open at 4315 E. Indian School Road since June, this location offers brunch favorites like French toast, waffles, eggs Benedict and poutine corned beef. There's also a build-your-own bloody Mary bar. (Check out the full menu here.)
Hash Kitchen is open from 7 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekends.
Luccicare
Paradise Valley's Luccicare is also making waves. Open since March at 4727 E. Bell Road, Suite 59, the popular Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, has seen a 14.1% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.9% for all businesses tagged "Pizza" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Luccicare's review count increased by more than 330%.
Luccicare's menu includes charcuterie boards, ravioli, Italian sausage, scallopini, shrimp dishes and pizza. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Luccicare is open from 3–9 p.m. daily.
EarlyBaker
Ahwatukee Foothills's EarlyBaker is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The well-established New American, Mediterranean and Greek spot, which opened at 4025 E. Chandler Blvd. in 2017, increased its new review count by 6% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.1% for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.4 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: The Collins Small Batch Kitchen has seen a 4.9% increase in reviews.
EarlyBaker is a family-run eatery that offers egg platters (served with side Greek Salad or fruit, roasted potatoes and toasted bread), sweet and savory crepes and sandwiches, along with specialties like the brioche French toast and breakfast burrito. (Find the full menu here.)
EarlyBaker is open from 6 a.m.–9 p.m. daily.
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.
