Want the scoop on New Orleans's buzziest local spots?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are extra hot this autumn.
Mambo's
Open since June, this Cajun/Creole spot, which offers seafood, soul food and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Cajun/Creole" on Yelp.
Citywide, Cajun/Creole spots saw a median 1.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Mambo's saw a 38.5% increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today.
It's not the only trending outlier in the Cajun/Creole category: Gris-Gris has seen a 5.3% increase in reviews.
Located at 411 Bourbon St. in the French Quarter, Mambo's offers authentic New Orleans cuisine, such as chicken and andouille gumbo and Louisiana crab cakes for appetizers. Also look for the crawfish étouffée on the menu. (Check here for the full menu.)
Mambo's is open from 11 a.m.–1 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Ma Momma's House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about West Lake Forest's Ma Momma's House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles, the Southern spot, which offers chicken wings and soul food, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Southern" on Yelp saw a median 1.2% increase in new reviews over the past month, Ma Momma's House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles bagged a 7.2% increase in new reviews within that time frame, maintaining a solid four-star rating. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 2.2 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
Open at 5741 Crowder Blvd. since 2013, Ma Momma's House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles offers a variety of chicken dishes, including chicken and waffles and chicken strips with cornbread. You can also find shrimp and grits on the menu. (See the full menu here.)
Ma Momma's House of Cornbread Chicken & Waffles is open from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Monday, Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekends. (It's closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.)
Justine
The French Quarter's Justine is also making waves. Open since January at 225 Chartres St., the popular bar, brasserie and French spot has seen a 7.5% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp.
Justine offers such dishes as petite filet au poivre, which is peppercorn crusted filet mignon with cognac pan sauce and other menu items like duck confit. (View the full menu here.) Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from four stars to 3.5 stars.
Justine is open from 5 p.m.–11 p.m. on Monday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m.–1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Two Chicks Café - CBD
Central Business District's popular Two Chicks Café - CBD is currently on the upswing in the breakfast and brunch category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.5% increase in new reviews over the past month, this breakfast, brunch and traditional American spot, which offers juices, smoothies and more, increased its new reviews by 8.8% — and kept its rating consistent at 4.5 stars.
Open for business at 920 Gravier St. since September 2018, Two Chicks Café - CBD offers on the menu Under the Sea omelet, made with crab, shrimp, brie and green onion and a Cajun sandwich, with andouille sausage, smoked gouda, Creole mustard and pickles on ciabatta. (View the menu here.)
Two Chicks Café - CBD is open from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
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.
