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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Yelp's 100 Top American Restaurants (And Other Great Places To Eat Worldwide)

Best places to eat yelp collage

Clockwise from top left: dishes from Le Bernardin, Da Poke Shack, Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, and Alinea

February 26, 2014

Yelp Data Reveals Top 100 Places to Eat: Bookmark These Babies Now!

Posted by Hannah C., Communications
Remember those lofty goals you made this time last month to eat better? Ha, we don't either. So now that we've all thrown those resolutions out the window, let's talk about the spots Yelpers have deemed the ultimate, try-before-you-die, food-coma-inducing, so-good-it-makes-you-want-to-slap-your-momma places to eat across the globe. Add these babies to your Yelp bookmarks STAT and worry about that unused gym membership later.
From cheap eats to $$$$, food stands to Michelin stars, this list runs the gamut of dining experiences. Leave it to Yelpers to be in-the-know on the spots you’ve heard buzz about (like the fabled Le Bernardin at #45 and Chicago’s molecular gastronomy masterpiece Alinea at #7), and unearth hole-in-the-wall joints the locals would love to keep secret (a food stand serving only sweet potatoes at #54, or the hot dog cart with reindeer, elk and rattlesnake options in Denver at #12).
How’d we make a list so all-encompassing? We dug in to our wealth of rich data to see what the numbers told us about which places Yelpers really love. Engineers on Yelp’s data mining team used a technique based on the Wilson Score to compile a list of highly rated places to eat. This method takes into account both star rating and number of reviews to reveal which spots not only have top notch ratings, but also which are most popular in the Yelp community.
Without further ado, we present 100 must-try spots in the US to get your #nomnom on. And don’t think we forgot about the other 23 countries where Yelp has a presence. Community Managers abroad shared a few hand-picked suggestions of places their locals love for both the cheap and spendy price points to make this munch-fest a global experience. Don’t say we didn’t warn you if your stomach starts to growl.


Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the US: A By-the-Numbers Look
1. Da Poke Shack, Kailua-Kona, HI
2. Paseo, Seattle, WA
3. Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue, Kansas City, KS
4. The Cinnamon Snail, New York, NY
5. Porto's Bakery, Burbank, CA
6. Dametra Cafe, Carmel by the Sea, CA
7. Alinea, Chicago, IL
8. Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX
9. Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA
10. Joe’s Falafel, Los Angeles, CA
11. Sushi Izakaya Gaku, Honolulu, HI
12. Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs, Denver, CO
13. Oscar’s Mexican Seafood, San Diego, CA
14. Coop’s West Texas Barbeque, Lemon Grove, CA
15. Tacos El Gordo, Chula Vista, CA
16. Cheese Board Pizza, Berkeley, CA
17. Ricky’s Fish Tacos, Los Angeles, CA
18. Ono Seafood, Honolulu, HI
19. Bogart’s Smoke House, Saint Louis, MO
20. Bakery Nouveau, Seattle, WA
21. Baguette Cafe, Las Vegas, NV
22. Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY
23. T-Deli, San Diego, CA
24. Built to Grill, Portland, OR
25. Alforon, San Diego, CA
26. Daniel, New York, NY
27. Hot Doug’s, Chicago, IL
28. Sal, Kris, & Charlie’s Deli, Astoria, NY
29. Blues City Deli, Saint Louis, MO
30. The Kitchen Restaurant, Sacramento, CA
31. Cream Pan, Tustin, CA
32. Dave’s Fresh Pasta, Somerville, MA
33. Café Besalu, Seattle, WA
34. The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
35. Turf N' Surf Po Boy, Austin, TX
36. Café Rolle, Sacramento, CA
37. Chama Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse, Downers Grove, IL
38. Yoshino Japanese Deli, Carlsbad, CA
39. Opal Thai Food, Haleiwa, HI
40. Lou’s Cafe, San Francisco, CA
41. Marukame Udon, Honolulu, HI
42. Monell’s Dining & Catering, Nashville, TN
43. Roxie Food Center, San Francisco, CA
44. Graham Avenue Meats And Deli, Brooklyn, NY
45. Le Bernardin, New York, NY
46. El Chato Taco Truck, Los Angeles, CA
47. Mr. Gyros, Seattle, WA
48. The Waffle Window, Portland, OR
49. Per Se, New York, NY
50. Geste Shrimp Truck, Kahului, HI
51. Frostbites Crepes & Frozen Delights, Cypress, CA
52. Sushi Ota, San Diego, CA
53. Arizmendi Bakery, San Francisco, CA
54. Sweet Potato Stall, Santa Clara, CA
55. Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY
56. Peter’s Kettle Corn, Oakland, CA
57. Johnny Pacific, Winnetka, CA
58. El Chilango, Arlington, VA
59. Ike’s Place, San Francisco, CA
60. Fishermen’s Grill, Portland, ME
61. Sabroso! Mexican Grill, Garden Grove, CA
62. District Wine, Long Beach, CA
63. Chama Gaúcha Brazilian Steakhouse, Houston, TX
64. Bludso’s BBQ, Compton, CA
65. Tiki Juice Bar, Anaheim, CA
66. Wally’s Cafe, Emeryville, CA
67. Vinh Loi Tofu, Reseda, CA
68. Mama D’s Italian Kitchen, Newport Beach, CA
69. Los Andes Restaurant, Providence, RI
70. Little Luca Sandwich Shop & Deli, South San Francisco, CA
71. Pho 95, Denver, CO
72. Garbo’s Grill, Key West, FL
73. Ono Tacos, Lahaina, HI
74. Mattern Sausage & Deli, Orange, CA
75. The Market Grill, Monrovia, CA
76. Urasawa, Beverly Hills, CA
77. Dat Cajun Guy, Haleiwa, HI
78. Los Agaves, Santa Barbara, CA
79. Outlaws Cafe, Van Nuys, CA
80. Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Chicken, Memphis, TN
81. Short Leash Dogs Food Truck, Phoenix, AZ
82. Pono Market, Kapaa, HI
83. Wafels & Dinges, New York, NY
84. Bell Street Farm, Los Alamos, CA
85. Uchiko, Austin, TX
86. Little Deli & Pizzeria, Austin, TX
87. Kokkari Estiatorio, San Francisco, CA
88. Kang Hodong Baekjeong, Los Angeles, CA
89. Komi, Washington, DC
90. Stuff I Eat, Inglewood, CA
91. Taste of Ethiopia, Pflugerville, TX
92. Hy Mart Sandwiches, North Hollywood, CA
93. The Codmother Fish and Chips, San Francisco, CA
94. Mastro’s Steakhouse, Beverly Hills, CA
95. Sushi Sasabune, Honolulu, HI
96. Bern’s Steak House, Tampa, FL
97. Postino Arcadia, Phoenix, AZ
98. Pappy’s Smokehouse, Saint Louis, MO
99. Uchi, Austin, TX
100. Zia Gourmet Pizza, San Diego, CA

Yelp Community Manager Picks for Best Places to Eat Around the Globe
AUSTRALIA
Gerard's Bistro, Brisbane
Esquire, Brisbane
Cumulus Inc., Melbourne
Is Donburi, Perth

AUSTRIA
lutz, Vienna

BELGIUM
De Godevaart, Antwerp
La Boule d’Or, Brussels
La Buvette, Brussels

BRAZIL
Meza Bar, Rio de Janeiro
Zazá Bistrô Tropical, Rio de Janeiro
Bella Paulista, Sao Paulo

CANADA
Rouge, Calgary
The Himalayan, Calgary
Red Ox Inn, Edmonton
DiRienzo's, Ottawa
Beckta, Ottawa
Enoteca Sociale, Toronto

CZECH REPUBLIC
Cafe Lounge, Prague
Čestr, Prague

DENMARK
Cafe Dyrehaven, Copenhagen

FINLAND
Café Balzac, Helsinki
Chef & Sommelier, Helsinki

FRANCE
El Nacional, Bordeaux
Bloempot, Lille
Palégrié, Lyon
Butcher, Lyon
Restaurant Peron, Marseille
Sur le Pouce, Marseille
Frenchie, Paris
Burger N’co, Toulouse
Le Bibent, Toulouse

GERMANY
Chay Viet, Berlin
reinstoff, Berlin
Le Moissonnier, Cologne
Lido, Dusseldorf
Mr. Kebab, Hamburg
Makassar, Munich
Belicious, Munich

IRELAND
The Pieman, Dublin
The Hot Stove, Dublin

ITALY
Se.Sto on Arno, Florence
I 2 Fratellini, Florence
Cracco, Milan

THE NETHERLANDS
Café Bern, Amsterdam
Lagaste, Amsterdam

NEW ZEALAND
The French Café, Auckland
The Lucky Taco, Auckland

NORWAY
Fiskeriet, Oslo
Maaemo, Oslo

POLAND
Pimiento, Krakow
Beirut, Warsaw

SINGAPORE
Aoki, Singapore

SPAIN
Bar Mut, Barcelona
Morryssom, Barcelona
Casa Federica, Madrid
In Situ, Madrid
Burguett, Seville
La Azotea, Seville
La Pascuala, Valencia
Montes, Valencia

SWEDEN
Gro, Stockholm
Ekstedt, Stockholm

SWITZERLAND
The Bite, Zurich
Loft Five, Zurich

TURKEY
Mikla, Istanbul

UNITED KINGDOM
Bodega, Birmingham
Woktastic, Birmingham
Martin Wishart, Edinburgh
Palmyra, Edinburgh
RARE, Leeds
Fuji Hiro, Leeds
Beigel Bake, London
This & That, Manchester

***

America's Best-Rated Restaurant Is a Tiny Shack in a Condo Complex in Hawaii

Da Poke Shack may not have a Michelin star, but it gets perfect marks from reviewers on Yelp.com.
Da Poke Shack may not have a Michelin star, but it has ridiculously fresh, raw Ahi tuna salads.
Screenshot / Yelp.com
If you ask the professionals, the best restaurants in America are fancy-pants establishments like Alinea in Chicago, the French Laundry in Napa Valley, and Le Bernardin in New York, where a meal will set you back hundreds of dollars per person. But if you ask the foodies on the customer-reviews site Yelp.com, you’ll get a very different answer—and, in many ways, a better one.
Will OremusWILL OREMUS
Will Oremus is a Slate staff writer. Email him atwill.oremus@slate.com or follow him on Twitter.

For the first time, Yelp has released its own list of the 100 best places to eat in America, based on reviews from millions of diners who use the site. To arrive at the rankings, Yelp’s data mining engineers looked at both the average star rating for each restaurant and the total number of reviews it received. The resulting list is a delightfully unsnooty antidote to theMichelin Guide.
Yelpers are suitably impressed by haute cuisine, and the site’s top 100 does in fact include Alinea (No.7), the French Laundry (No. 34), and Le Bernardin (No. 45). But they care just as much about traits like charm, authenticity, and value for the money—traits that tend to fall by the wayside when the pros draw up their best-of lists. And so those white-tablecloth critical darlings must elbow for room at the table alongside Yelpers’ favorite barbecue joints, taco stands, and pho spots, many of which are beloved as much for their cheap prices and homey service as their delicious fare.
On Yelp’s list, New York’s top restaurant is not Jean Georges or Per Se but a vegan food truck called the Cinnamon Snail that earns top marks for its vanilla crème brulee donut and maple mustard tempeh sandwich. Southern California’s best include Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, Oscar’s Mexican Seafood in San Diego, and Joe’s Falafel in Studio City, whose prices all rate just one dollar sign on Yelp’s four-dollar-sign scale. Denver's highest ranking goes not to Frasca, with its James Beard Award-winning wine list, but to Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs, where you can nosh on reindeer, elk, or even rattlesnake meat.
Best-rated restaurants on Yelp
Clockwise from top left: dishes from Le Bernardin (#45), Da Poke Shack (#1), Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs (#12), and Alinea (#7).
Image courtesy of Yelp.com

But the top restaurant of all on Yelp’s list is one that probably flies even further below the average food critic’s radar. It’s a tiny seafood haunt wedged into a condominium complex in Kona, on Hawaii’s Big Island. It’s called Da Poke Shack, and in Yelpers’ eyes it’s pretty much perfect: an average of five stars on 612 customer reviews.
Aficionados swoon for its poke bowls—salads that combine Japanese-inflected spices and greens like seaweed or kimchi with generous chunks of still-floppingly fresh, raw Ahi tuna. (This picture should give you a pretty good idea of the place’s primary ingredient.) They run about $8 a bowl, depending on market prices, and you can round out your meal with some garlic edamame and a can of Hawaiian beer and be out the door for about $15. A few caveats: Da Poke Shack is “wildly popular,” reviewers note, so if you come at peak lunch hour you should expect to wait in line for a bit. And there’s hardly any seating, so you might be best off grabbing your food to go—one Yelper suggests taking it out to the sea wall and watching the waves crash as you dine. Oh, and don’t go expecting dinner, because it closes at 6 p.m.
It’s safe to say that even Da Poke Shack is surprised to find itself atop a national best-restaurants list. When I called the restaurant to ask if they’d heard that they had garnered Yelp.com’s top overall rating, the on-duty manager replied, “Oh, cool. You mean best on our island, right?” No, I said. Best in the country. The line went silent for a few moments. “Oh,” he said again. “Wow.”
Are Yelp’s rankings definitive? Of course not. They’re shaped by the demographics of the site’s users, who skew young, middle-class, and tech-savvy. And while the sample size is large, there’s some selection bias at work. Da Poke Shack, for instance, seems more likely to be visited and reviewed by someone who already knows she loves poke than, say, a steak-lover with an aversion to raw seafood. Yelpers, by and large, tend to evaluate establishments on their own terms, which means that their top picks won’t necessarily appeal to the least common denominator.
That said, every restaurant-rating system worth its salt is highly subjective. And I’d argue that, in comparison to its buttoned-down brethren, Yelp’s list makes for a far better reflection of the glorious smorgasbord of cuisines and dining styles that you can find in America today. We live in a golden age of food, from $200 prix fixe feasts to divine $1.75 adobada tacos, and this list proves it. See below for Yelp’s top 20 picks, or click here for the full list.

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