Want the scoop on Los Angeles's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which eateries have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Los Angeles 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots have the momentum heading into springtime.
Julie Goes Green
This vegan and Italian spot, which offers pizza and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Italian" on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw review counts increase by a median of 1.8 percent over the past month, but Julie Goes Green saw a massive 119.4 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to 4.5 stars today.
Located at 11140 Palms Blvd. in Palms, Julie Goes Green offers an all-vegan menu of salads, pasta, pizzas and more. Look for buffalo cauliflower, avocado toast, vegan cheese pizza and fettuccine alfredo with homemade cashew cream sauce.
Cassell's Hamburgers
Downtown Los Angeles's Cassell's Hamburgers is also making waves. Open at 421 W. 8th St. since October, the diner and traditional American spot, which offers burgers and more, has seen a 48.1 percent bump in reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.8 percent for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis review counts increased by more than 140 percent.
Cassell's Hamburgers offers 1/3 lb. hamburgers with a variety of housemade sauces and add-ons, plus sandwiches, salads and milkshakes. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from 4.5 stars to four stars.
H Cafe
Koreatown's H Cafe is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The cocktail bar and breakfast and brunch and New American spot, which opened at 3200 W. 8th St. since November, increased its review count by 54.3 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median review increase of 2 percent for the Yelp category "American (New)."
H Cafe offers breakfast dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken and waffles, short rib hash, smoked salmon egg sandwiches and more. (See the full menu here.)
Lala's Argentine Grill
Downtown Los Angeles's Lala's Argentine Grill is currently on the upswing in the steakhouse category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Steakhouses" on Yelp increased review counts by a median of 1.7 percent over the past month, this steakhouse and Argentine spot, which offers sandwiches and more, increased its review count by 30.2 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 130 percent on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 101 W. 9th St. since September, the business offers steaks, chicken, seafood and vegetarian dishes, as well as pasta, sandwiches and specials like Lomo Lala's, a filet mignon with sauteed mushrooms in a light red wine cream sauce. (Explore the full menu here.)
Kues Restaurant
This Asian fusion spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Asian Fusion" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Asian Fusion" saw review counts increase by a median of 2.5 percent over the past month, but Kues Restaurant saw a 56.5 percent increase, maintaining a sound four-star rating throughout.
Located at 800 W. 6th St. in downtown Los Angeles, Kues Restaurant offers a modern Asian fusion cuisine. On the menu, look for a raw bar, oxtail stew, dim sum, crispy pork belly, meatballs with Asian chimichurri, soy noodle tofu salad and Wagyu beef fried rice.
