Want the inside word on San Diego's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been in the spotlight this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at San Diego 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 increase their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention this spring.
Meet Fresh
Open since January, this spot to score desserts, coffee and tea is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Desserts" on Yelp.
Citywide, dessert spots saw a median 2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Meet Fresh saw an impressive 231.6 percent increase, maintaining a superior four-star rating throughout.
Located at 9420 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite C in Mira Mesa, Meet Fresh offers authentic Taiwanese desserts, including taro balls, shaved ice, soft grass jelly desserts and milk teas.
Tocaya Organica
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about University City's Tocaya Organica, the Mexican spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mexican" on Yelp saw a median 2.2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Tocaya Organica bagged a staggering 105.9 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, with a slight upward trend from a three-star rating a month ago to its current 3.5 stars.
Open at 4301 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 2003 since January, Tocaya Organica offers seasonal dishes, salads, bowls, tacos, burritos, desserts and more. View the full menu here.
About Fish
Kearny Mesa's About Fish is also making waves. Open since December at 4637 Convoy St., Suite 104, the sushi bar and Japanese spot has seen a 40.6 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5 percent for all businesses tagged "Japanese" on Yelp.
There's more than one hotspot trending in San Diego's Japanese category: Little Sakana Japanese Sushi Bar & Grill has seen a 28 percent increase in reviews.
About Fish offers edamame, sashimi, hand-cut rolls, sushi and set specials. Over the past month, it's maintained a superior four-star rating among Yelpers.
Machu Picchu Bar and Restaurant
The Gaslamp's Machu Picchu Bar & Restaurant is currently on the upswing in the bar category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp saw a median 1.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this bar and Peruvian spot increased its by 37.5 percent—and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars. Review counts increased by more than 300 percent on a month-to-month basis.
Open for business at 314 Fifth Ave. since 2018, the business offers Peruvian cuisine, complemented by Peruvian cocktails like the Pisco Sour, Maracuya Sour and Strawberry Basil Caipirinha.
NoW Cafe
Open since last April, this is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cafes" on Yelp.
Citywide, businesses tagged "Cafes" saw a median 1.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but NoW Cafe saw a 32.3 percent increase, maintaining a solid 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 844 W. Mission Bay Drive in Mission Beach, NoW Cafe offers an array of vegan cuisine including açai bowls, fruit smoothies, avocado toasts, focaccia paninis 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.
