What's Trending On Oakland's Food Scene?
By Hoodline
As fans of cronuts and cake pops can attest, food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending today?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which restaurants have been in the spotlight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Oakland 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 on a hot streak this autumn.
4505 Burgers & BBQ
Open since June, this traditional American spot, which offers barbecue and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Citywide, traditional American spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, but 4505 Burgers & BBQ saw a 36.8% increase, with a slight downward trend from a four-star rating a month ago to 3.5 stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the traditional American category: Here's How has seen a 35.5% increase in reviews, and Smokin Woods BBQ has seen a 5.3% bump.
Located at 3506 MacArthur Blvd. (between 35th and Magee avenues) in Upper Laurel, this outpost of the San Francisco barbecue and smoked meat joint offers guests a picnic-like environment with plentiful outdoor seating. The menu features quarter-pound cheeseburgers and platters of smoked ribs, chicken and sausage, with traditional sides like fries and coleslaw.
4505 Burgers & BBQ is open from 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m. daily.
Porque No? Tacos
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Rockridge's Porque No? Tacos, the taqueria and breakfast spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.6% increase in new reviews over the past month, Porque No? Tacos bagged a 36.7% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining an outstanding five-star rating.
Open at 5337 College Ave. since June, this daytime eatery serves up Mexican fare like tacos and burritos, as well as a full menu of sweet and savory breakfast options, from French toast to chilaquiles.
Porque No? Tacos is open from 5:30 a.m.–2 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday and 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
Mixt
Waverly's Mixt is also making waves. Open since March at 2299 Broadway (between Grand Avenue and 23rd Street), the New American and vegetarian spot has seen a 22% 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. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis, Mixt's review count increased by more than 160%.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Oakland's New American category: Rio California has seen a 0.5% increase in reviews.
This fast-casual spot — which has three additional locations in California and one in Texas — offers build-your-own salad bowls, with dozens of options for veggies, proteins, toppings and dressings. Over the past month, it's maintained a convincing four-star rating among Yelpers.
Mixt is open from 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends.
