Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right now?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which restaurants have been getting a significant increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Atlanta businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on the 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.
The Garden Room
This traditional American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month. The Garden Room only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
It's not the only trending outlier in the traditional American category: Sugar Factory has seen a 34.8% increase in reviews, and The Albert has seen a 1% bump.
Located at 88 W. Paces Ferry Road NW, The Garden Room boasts 4.5 stars on Yelp and offers lemon lobster rolls, black truffle pillows and more on the menu.
Rock Steady
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Marietta Street Artery's Rock Steady, the bar and Caribbean spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, Rock Steady bagged a 90.9% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating.
Here's more about the business, from its history section on Yelp: "Rock Steady is a modern Afro-Caribbean restaurant and bar experience located in West Midtown."
There's more that's trending on Atlanta's bar scene: Le Colonial has seen a 23.9% increase in reviews, and The Painted Duck and 26 Thai Kitchen & Bar have seen 5.5% and 3.7% increases, respectively.
Open at 907 Marietta St. NW since 2019, Rock Steady offers brown stew lamb shank, Suya shrimp & grits and more on the menu.
Fin & Feathers
Fin & Feathers is also making waves. Open at 360 Edgewood Ave. SE, the breakfast and brunch and traditional American spot, which offers soul food and more, has seen a 47.9% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.2% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Fin & Feathers's review count increased by more than 190%.
Regarding specialties, "Fin & Feathers specializes in soul food and American cuisine. We have a full bar, hookah and great customer service." — that's according to its Yelp page.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Atlanta's breakfast and brunch category: Cultivate Food and Coffee has seen a 5.8% increase in reviews.
Fin & Feathers offer grilled lobster tails, lamb chops and more. Over the past month, it has maintained a sound four-star rating among Yelpers.
Frost Bistro & Bar
The Frost Bistro & Bar is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The New American spot, which opened at 281 Peters St. SW in 2019, increased its new review count by 34.5% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.4% for the Yelp category "American (New)."
Want more about the business's specialties in the words of the people behind it? "Located in the heart of Atlanta, our restaurant serves authentic American cuisine in a casual bistro setting. Our carefully crafted menu, extensive wine selection, impeccable service and elegant, yet cozy atmosphere brings the best Southern hospitality to your dining experience." — that's according to its page on Yelp.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Velvet Taco has seen a 15.5% increase in reviews, and The hive buckhead and Blackbird have seen 10.8% and 9.5% increases, respectively.
With 2.5 stars on Yelp, the Frost Bistro & Bar offers Glo Jo's lobster tails, New Zealand lamb lollipops and more.
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.
