Curious where Austin'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 discover which local businesses have been in the spotlight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Austin 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.
Frog & The Bull
Open since December, this bar and Iberian spot, which offers beer, wine and spirits and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month. Frog & The Bull only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
Founded by a former U.S. Navy Seal, the eatery marks a return to his blue collar roots, and the name is a nod to his military service.
"[That] explains 'Frog' in our name and my desire to pay tribute to my fallen comrades in our namesake," he wrote on the business' Yelp profile. "I wanted to tie Iberian and Texas culture together, and the bull is a revered symbol in both cultures, hence “The Bull.”
It's not the only trending outlier in the bar category: Salt Traders Coastal Cooking Zilker has seen a 36.1% increase in reviews, and The Git Out has seen a 21.4% bump.
Located at 4300 N. Quinlan Park Road, Frog & The Bull offers classic menu items like marinated olives, patatas bravas and grilled octopus. Chicken, fish and meat entrees include baked swordfish with a Spanish tomato sauce, Iberian tapenade, capers and saffron.
Frog & The Bull is open from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4–10 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4 p.m.–midnight on Saturday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4–10 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
The Breakfast Bar
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about The Breakfast Bar, the breakfast and brunch spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, The Breakfast Bar bagged a 42.3% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a mixed 3.5-star rating.
Here's more about the business, from its history section on Yelp: "We just started but our owner has been in the business for many years and is experienced at pull the most flavor out of any dish."
What's the business known for? "Our specialty is Lollipop chicken and waffles. We use a sweet cream pancake recipe that’s fluffy on the inside but crispy around the edges" — that's courtesy of its page on Yelp.
There's more that's trending on Austin's breakfast and brunch scene: Tacodeli has seen a 27% increase in reviews, and Bakery Lorraine and Donut 7 have seen 8.9 and 1.3% increases, respectively.
Open at 13717 Mopac Service Road since November, The Breakfast Bar serves up Southern breakfast dishes like jalapeño biscuits and sausage gravy and shrimp and grits as well as its famous Holy Cow breakfast tacos. Fruit-infused mimosas and White Claw Italian sodas are also on offer.
The Breakfast Bar is open from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. daily.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille
North Burnett's Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is also making waves. Open since spring 2019 at 11801 Domain Blvd., the steakhouse and New American spot, which offers seafood and more, has seen an 11.8% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.3% for all businesses tagged "American (New)" on Yelp.
Here's more about the business from its Yelp history section: "Famous for a mouth-watering, seven-finger high pork chop, butcher-fresh USDA-aged prime beef, table side carvings and vibrant Bar 79, Perry's provides a dining experience that is truly rare and well done."
There's more than one hot spot trending in Austin's New American category: Copper Restaurant & Dessert Lounge has seen a 1.4% increase in reviews.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille steakhouse fare along with flaming desserts and table-side presentations, with menu items ranging from a variety of steak cuts like bone-in filet mignon and prime ribeye to an iced seafood tower. (Check out the menu here.) Over the past month, it's maintained a strong four-star rating among Yelpers.
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is open from 4–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. on Friday and 4–9 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.
