Wondering where Los Angeles's insiders are 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 and SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to analyze which eateries have been getting a noteworthy increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we first looked at Los Angeles 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. Then we analyzed foot traffic data from SafeGraph to validate the trends.
Read on to see which spots are extra cool this spring.
Baja Catch & Grill
Open since January 2020, this Mexican spot, which offers seafood and more, is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "Seafood" on Yelp.
Citywide, seafood spots saw a median 1.3% increase in new reviews over the past month. Baja Catch & Grill only recently appeared on Yelp, but while many new businesses struggle to gain reviews, it has seen strong initial popularity.
Located at 12219 W. Jefferson Blvd. in Playa Vista, Baja Catch & Grill's menu include Baja fish tacos, grilled shrimp and fish burrito and fish ceviche tostada. Check out the full menu.
Baja Catch & Grill is open from 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m. daily.
SAJJ Mediterranean
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about downtown Los Angeles's SAJJ Mediterranean, an outpost of the notable chain, the Mediterranean and vegan spot is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Mediterranean" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, SAJJ Mediterranean bagged a remarkable 233.3% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight downward trend from a five-star rating a month ago to its current 4.5 stars.
Open at 630 W. Sixth St. since January 2020, SAJJ Mediterranean features falafel, beef shawarma and pomegranate chicken. See what else is on the menu.
SAJJ Mediterranean is open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. on weekdays. (It's closed on weekends.)
By The Way Burger
Sherman Oaks' By The Way Burger is also making waves. Open since January 2020 at 5162 Van Nuys Blvd., the burger spot is relatively new to Yelp, but has seen a surge of new reviews, while all businesses tagged "Burgers" on Yelp saw an increase of 1.8% for new reviews in the past month.
By The Way Burger serves a variety of burger options, including Kobe-style beef, chicken and salmon. View the menu here. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from five stars to 4.5 stars.
By The Way Burger is open from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. on Monday-Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
Pho Saigon 1
Chatsworth's well-established Pho Saigon 1 is currently on the upswing in the noodle category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "Noodles" on Yelp saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, this Vietnamese and Cajun/Creole spot, which offers noodles and more, increased its new reviews by 0.4% — and kept its rating consistent at four stars. The business saw visits more than triple over the same time frame, according to SafeGraph's foot traffic data.
Open for business at 21701 Devonshire St. since July 2013, Pho Saigon 1 offers vermicelli noodle dishes with charbroiled pork, stir-fried lemongrass beef and grilled pork patties. Check out what else is on the menu.
Pho Saigon 1 is open from 10 a.m.–9:45 p.m. daily. According to SafeGraph, it usually gets busy on Mondays and Sundays, and it attracts a quarter of its total visitors over those two days, with a slowdown on Wednesdays.
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.
