Curious where San Diego's in-the-know crowd is eating and drinking? It's easy to spot lines out the door, but some underlying trends are harder to see.
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to deduce which restaurants have been on the tips of diners' tongues 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 extra cool right now.
Mystic Grill
Open since late October, this Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and halal spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Mediterranean" on Yelp.
Citywide, Mediterranean spots saw a median 1.1% increase in new reviews over the past month. Mystic Grill only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
"Everything we serve is made from scratch, using the finest and freshest ingredients of herbs, spices and produce," it states on its Yelp profile.
The menu features gyros and shawarmas, as well as seafood dishes and desserts.
Intrigued? Check it out for yourself at 6133 Balboa Ave. in Clairemont Mesa East.
Don TJ Tacos
Core-Columbia's Don TJ Tacos is also making waves. Open since early November at 744 Market St. (between 7th and 8th avenues), the Mexican spot is relatively new to Yelp, but has seen a surge of new reviews, while all businesses tagged "Mexican" on Yelp saw an increase of 1.4% for new reviews in the past month.
What's the business known for? "Don’s Taqueria was founded in by a family whose love for great food created a place where people can enjoy it too. With over 25 years of experience in authentic food, we provide every customer with an amazing time eating with friends and family " — that's courtesy of its Yelp page.
The restaurant's tacos include carne asada, chicken, adobada, veggie and fish. It also serves burritos, mulitas and quesadillas. Over the past month, the eatery has maintained a 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Don TJ Tacos is open from 11 a.m.–midnight Sunday-Wednesday and 11 a.m.–3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.
Animae
Marina's Animae is the city's buzziest bar by the numbers.
The bar within an Asian fusion spot, which opened at 969 Pacific Highway in mid-September, increased its new review count by 91.1% over the past month, an outlier when compared to the median new review count of 0.9% for the Yelp category "Bars."
Want to know more about who's behind the business? We found this on Yelp: Animae is the latest from Chef Brian Malarkey, who has created "15 wildly successful restaurants across the U.S."
In terms of specialties, "Animae is an interpretation by Puffer Malarkey Collective of West Coast Asian cuisine. A formal, seductive atmosphere sets the stage for highly theatrical dining on the ground floor of Pacific Gate by Bosa, downtown San Diego's newest ultra-luxury condominiums" — that's from its Yelp page.
Animae is open from 4:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 5:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Sunday.
Harumama Noodles and Buns
La Jolla's Harumama Noodles and Buns is currently on the upswing in the ramen category on Yelp.
While businesses in that group on Yelp saw a median 1.8% increase in new reviews over the past month, this ramen spot saw a surge in new reviews despite being relatively new to Yelp.
Open for business at 1250 Prospect St., Suite B10 (between Ivanhoe Avenue and Roslyn Lane) since early October, this is the brand's third location, and its ramen dishes include haru, flying pig and fat duck.
Harumama Noodles and Buns is open from 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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.
