Want the intel on San Diego's most talked-about local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to analyze which local businesses have been getting a notable increase in attention 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are getting plenty of attention right now.
Crack Taco Shop
Open since last spring, this taco spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Tacos" on Yelp.
Citywide, taco spots saw a median 2.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Crack Taco Shop saw a remarkable 228.1% increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
Located at 4242 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 28 (between Ward Rd and Caminito Pintoresco) in Grantville, Crack Taco Shop's specialty is its use of tri-tip steak from Cardiff Seaside Market. On the menu, look for breakfast burritos, quesadillas and bowls with fillings like pollo asada, Baja shrimp and grilled cactus.
Lima Restaurant
The Gaslamp's Lima Restaurant is also making waves. Open since February at 409 F St. (between State Street and Fourth Avenue), the Peruvian eatery, cocktail bar and beer bar has seen a 44.7% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.5% for all businesses tagged "Beer Bar" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in San Diego's beer bar category: El Antojo has seen a 42.1% increase in reviews.
Lima Restaurant offers Peruvian seafood and meat entrees, such as the fried or broiled white swordfish fillet topped with sautéed onions, cilantro and rice and the flambé stir fry with marinated steak, onions and tomatoes. Over the past month, it's maintained a healthy 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Cherry Wine Modern Asian Cuisine
La Jolla's Cherry Wine Modern Asian Cuisine is the city's buzziest Asian fusion spot by the numbers.
The sushi bar, Asian fusion and poke spot, which opened at 8008 Girard Ave., Suite 210 (between Prospect Street and South Coast Boulevard) in February, increased its new review count by 26.2% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 1.5% for the Yelp category "Asian Fusion." It outperformed the previous month by gaining 3.7 times more reviews than expected based on past performance.
Cherry Wine Modern Asian Cuisine offers noodles, seafood and poke dishes, as well as sushi rolls and entrees like the spicy beef and the golden coconut soup. (View the full menu here.)
Shake Shack
Carmel Valley's Shake Shack is currently on the upswing in the burger category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Burgers" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, this fast food and traditional American spot, which offers burgers, hot dogs and more, increased its new reviews by 22.9%—and kept its rating consistent at 3.5 stars.
Open for business since March at 3705 Paseo Place, Suite 1140, this eatery is a part of a chain that operates more than 220 sites in the United States, and 70 more internationally. This spot offers the Roadside Double — a double Swiss cheeseburger topped with Dijon mustard and onions simmered in bacon and beer.
Yoshinoya
Is Talmadge's Yoshinoya on your radar? According to Yelp review data, the Japanese spot is getting plenty of attention.
While businesses categorized as "Japanese" on Yelp increased their media new review count by 1.7 percent over the past month, Yoshinoya nabbed a 31.6 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a 2.5-star rating.
Part of an enterprise that started more than a century ago in Tokyo, the chain has since grown to encompass more than 2,000 locations worldwide, including this location at 5322 El Cajon Blvd. (between 54th Street and Marcellena Road). The restaurant's menu features rice bowls topped with barbecue ribs, steak, chicken, shrimp 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.
