Want the dirt on Long Beach's most happening local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which restaurants have been getting outsized attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Long Beach 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 extra cool this spring.
Vibes Beach Cafe
Open since December 2018, this cafe and brunch spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp.
Citywide, breakfast and brunch spots saw a median 2 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Vibes Beach Cafe saw a 20.3 percent increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the breakfast and brunch category: PigBurd has seen a 6.4 percent increase in reviews.
Located at 76 1/2 62nd Place in Long Beach, Vibes Beach Cafe offers berry pancakes with a bourbon syrup, a spicy chicken sandwich with a paprika aioli and a salmon caviar pizza with goat cheese, red onion and chives. (View the menu here.)
Baja Cali Fish & Tacos
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Long Beach's Baja Cali Fish & Tacos, the Mexican spot, which offers seafood and more, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 1.4 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Baja Cali Fish & Tacos bagged a 12.8 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a convincing four-star rating.
Open at 940 Pine Ave., Baja Cali Fish & Tacos offers tacos, burritos, tostadas and more, with fish, chicken, beef and vegetarian options. (Check out the menu here.)
Plunge
Long Beach's Plunge is also making waves. Open since 2017 at 1900 E. Ocean Blvd., the traditional American spot, which offers burgers and more, has seen a 4.5 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7 percent for all businesses tagged "American (Traditional)" on Yelp.
Plunge offers avocado toast with egg and bacon, vegan chili with black beans and tortilla chips, macaroni and cheese with breadcrumbs and more. (View the menu here.) Over the past month, it's maintained a sound 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
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.
