Want the inside word on New Orleans's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which eateries have been most discussed this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at New Orleans 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.
Nola Cantina
Open since November, this bar and Latin American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Bars" on Yelp.
Citywide, bars saw a median 2.5 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, but Nola Cantina saw a 57.1 percent increase, maintaining a sound four-star rating throughout. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Nola Cantina's review count increased by more than 400 percent.
Located at 437 Esplanade Ave. in Marigny, Nola Cantina offers street tacos, fried pulled pork, beef and chicken entrees, most of which are served with a combination of pico de gallo, guacamole, yellow rice and garlic yogurt. Drink options include margaritas, featured cocktails and spicy sangria. (Click here to view the full menu.)
Mr Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish House
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about the French Quarter's Mr Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish House, the seafood spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, Mr Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish House bagged an 84.6 percent increase in new reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a strong 4.5-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 1.8 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 821 Iberville St. since Oct. 28, Mr Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish House serves oysters by the half-dozen or dozen and come iced raw, charbroiled and southwest styles as well as seafood platters, Southern Creole dishes and po'boy sandwiches. (Give the menu a look here.)
Longway Tavern
The French Quarter's Longway Tavern is also making waves. Open since May at 719 Toulouse St., the cocktail bar and French spot has seen a 19 percent bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 2.2 percent for all businesses tagged "French" on Yelp. Moreover, on a month-to-month basis Longway Tavern's review count increased by more than 180 percent.
Longway Tavern provides a creative twist on nostalgic tavern fare with a menu that includes shrimp toast, a Wagyu steak sandwich and bolognese (pork and beef, spaghetti squash, ricotta and sage). Try one of the dozen signature cocktails, such as the Sidecar (Remy Martin VSOP, Cointreau and lemon) or the Greena Colada (El Dorado, Green Chartreuse and beach flavors). Over the past month, it's maintained a sound 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Warbucks
Irish Channel's Warbucks is the city's buzziest New American spot by the numbers.
The New American spot, which opened at 3218 Magazine St. on Nov. 10, increased its new review count by 16.7 percent over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 3.1 percent for the Yelp category "American (New)." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.5 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: The Governor Restaurant & Seafood Bar has seen an 8.7 percent increase in reviews.
At Warbucks, look for comfort food with an upscale twist. There's the This Burger with Swiss cheese and foie gras butter, a mushroom melt and the roasted tripletail that has jumbo lump crab, artichoke and sugar snap peas. The bar serves up frozen drinks, wine, cocktails and local and regional craft beers. (Click here to see the entire menu.)
Landry's Seafood House
The French Quarter's Landry's Seafood House is currently on the upswing in the Cajun/Creole category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Cajun/Creole" on Yelp saw a median 2.6 percent increase in new reviews over the past month, this Cajun/Creole spot increased its by 12.1 percent—and kept its rating consistent at four stars.
There's more abuzz in the world of New Orleans Cajun/Creole: Gumbo Ya-Ya has seen an 8.5 percent increase in reviews.
Open for business at 620 Decatur St., Unit 1A, since February, the business offers a wide selection of Louisiana cuisine. Try the blackened catfish atchafalaya (crawfish, capers and lemon butter, served with creole green beans and dirty rice), the broiled seafood platter (crawfish-stuffed flounder, a crab cake, a lobster tail, shrimp, oysters and brabant potatoes) or the filet mignon. Make sure to leave room for the Bananas Foster cake or the root beer float. (The full menu is available 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.
