Trend alert: What's heating up Houston's food scene this month

As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, 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 local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.

To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston 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, right now.

Cielito Cafe

Open since April, this breakfast and brunch and Mexican spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp.

Citywide, Mexican spots saw a median 2.9% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Cielito Cafe saw a 76.8% increase, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today.

Located at 1915 Dunlavy St. in Neartown - Montrose, Cielito Cafe offers breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, eggs, soup and more.

Brunch favorites at this cafe include the cajeta toast (Mexican-flavored french toast cooked in caramelized goat's milk and topped with bacon and eggs, nopolitos (scrambled eggs mixed with cactus, tomatoes, red onion, cheese and peppers) and breakfast tacos. (Check out the full menu here.)

Watershed

Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Willow Meadows / Willowbend Area's Watershed, the German and New American spot, which offers beer, wine and spirits and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.

While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 2.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, Watershed bagged a 100% increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating.

Open at 4820 W. Bellfort Ave. since April, Watershed offers 30 beers on tap, along with a full menu of bar bites, sausages and sandwiches. Diners and drinkers can admire the feature wall made of cassette tapes while enjoying a smoked Reuben sandwich (smoked pastrami, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on toasted marbled rye) or fish and chips, among other options. (The full menu can be found here.)

Taste Bar + Kitchen

Midtown's Taste Bar + Kitchen is also making waves. Open since March at 3015 Bagby St., the well-established cocktail bar and breakfast and brunch and Southern spot has seen a 44.2% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 4.2% for all businesses tagged "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.

According to the business' website, "Guests to Taste Bar + Kitchen can expect comfort foods featuring an extensive chicken and waffles menu." Look for the smothered chicken & waffles (chicken topped with rich brown gravy and waffles) and the Nashville Hot chicken & waffles. In the mood for something sweet? Order the pecan praline or chocolate chip waffles. Over the past month, it's maintained a mixed 3.5-star rating among Yelpers. (Explore the full menu here.)

Boomtown Coffee Main St. Café & Bar

Downtown Houston's Boomtown Coffee Main St. Café & Bar is the city's buzziest bar by the numbers.

The cafe and bar has three Houston-area locations. Open at 300 Main St. since March 2018, Boomtown Coffee Main St. Café & Bar has increased its new review count by 22.2% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.3% for the Yelp category "Bars." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 4.0 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.

Boomtown Coffee Main St. Café & Bar offers eggs, tacos, sandwiches, salads, coffee and tea. Menu standouts include the Classic Breakfast with two eggs your way, plus roasted potatoes or latkes, and either bacon or avocadotoast served with seasonal house-made jam, as well as the Boomtown Burger with arugula, tomato, caramelized onions, aioli and blue cheese on a challah bun. The spot also has a full cocktail menu with all the classics as well as breakfast libations like mimosas, bloody marys and the Old Fashioned Breakfast with bourbon, maple syrup, angostura bitters and orange oil. (Check out the menu here.)

Blue Onyx Bistro

Afton Oaks / River Oaks Area's Blue Onyx Bistro is currently on the upswing in the steakhouse category on Yelp.

While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp saw a median 2.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, this steakhouse, sushi bar and seafood spot increased its new reviews by 7% —and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.

Open for business at 4720 Richmond Ave. since March 2018, the business offers seafood, steak and sushi. Start with the Blue Onyx pasta with fresh hand-cut pasta with shrimp, bay scallops, white fish and clams served in a Champagne cream sauce and topped with Parmesan cheese, before moving onto the Wagyu Baseball Cut Sirloin with a crab meat demi glaze sauce served with zucchini and yellow squash and Parmesan-crusted garlic mashed potatoes for the main course. (Check out the rest of the menu here.)

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.