And SoCal with 30. Do you have intel on any of these?
TKB Bakery & Deli – Indio, CA
Yo-Way – Gardena, CA
Falafelle – Belmont, CA
786 Degrees – Los Angeles, CA
King Mediterrano – Torrance, CA
Saigon Beach Restaurant – Newport Beach, CA
Yoshino Japanese Deli – Carlsbad, CA
Howlin’ Ray’s – Los Angeles, CA
The Red Dot Vegetarian Kitchen – Frazier Park, CA
Kech Cafe – Fountain Valley, CA
Playground 2.0 – Santa Ana, CA
Adobo Taco Grill – Lakewood, CA
FurnSaj Bakery – Los Angeles, CA
Daddy O’s Rockin Cafe – Upland, CA
T Deli – San Diego, CA
Sunny Side Kitchen – Escondido, CA
Sultan Bakery and Grill – Murietta, CA
Sandwich House – Cypress, CA
Papa’s Best Sandwiches & More – San Dimas, CA
Calhoun’s Texas Barbeque – Murietta, CA
Big Al’s Pizzeria – Maywood, CA
Poke Wave – Mission Viejo, CA
Beyer Deli – San Diego, CA
Bunz – Huntington Beach, CA
Appu’s Cafe – Long Beach, CA
Pizzamaniac – Vista, CA
Mini Kabob – Glendale, CA
Classics Malt Shop – San Diego, CA
NoHo Cafe – North Hollywood, CA
Yo-Way is basically your grocery store deli counter, selling very passable Boar’s head sandwiches.
And what’s truly sad is just down the street is At Home Kitchen which makes a very (excuse the pun) homey pork katsu and miso black cod, as well as a very yummy ice cream sandwich with Dango.
Mini-kabob,Glendale - regardless of methodology, this is a real deal hole in the wall mom and pop by sweet Armenian couple. Only two tables so it’s mostly take out, but their garlic sauce is better than Zankou’s and the eggplant Cavier is the best I’ve had. Hummus is top notch. Also, charcoal grilled meats. Totally different spots, but if I’m hankering for kebabs, in Glendale, I head here and not to raffi’s or any number of sit down kebab spots.
Ugh. The top Yelp reviewed restaurant in the entire US for many years was a barbecue place along the 395, in Big Pine. Copper Top. It’s on the way to Mammoth from LA (or to Yosemite in the summer).
i give yelp credit for using the word “top” as a disclaimer instead of using the adjective ‘best’.
FWIW, there’s a couple of yelp-ers whose comments i’ve come to respect in regards to SGV restaurant reviews, even if i don’t agree with them. and i always sort the reviews in chronological order newest to oldest. i also completely ignore the ratings. in essence, i’ve learned to use yelp as a resource once i’ve already heard about a restaurant to see if i can find out anything more,like food pics, etc.kinda like what i do here, except here i’m much more inclined to try a place based on the source and the content of the recommendation because i have a longer history, and less dross to sort through.
The only place I can comment on is Yoshino in Carlsbad. Sushi and poke bowls. Really good but super tiny place and he typically sells out real fast, lunch only.
I can’t speak as to this Saigon Beach joint, but there’s a small Vietnamese joint next to a butcher by Hoag that’s not too shabby. They make some pretty decent cha gio and bo luc lac. It works if you happen to be in the neighborhood and have a hankering for Vietnamese.
@set0312 The Vietnamese joint close to Hoag and in the same plaza as the butcher? Yes, it’s decent and cures a craving for
Vietnamese if you’re in the neighborhood. I’ve only tried their food and none of their pho/soup dishes though.
online restaurant reviews are significantly influenced by at least three factors that have nothing to do with the operation of the business:
Neighborhood demographics: Restaurants in neighborhoods with high education levels don’t get better reviews, but they do get more reviews. That matters, because Yelp’s top-100 rankings are based not only on average ratings, but on the number of ratings a restaurant has received. So a place with 100 five-star reviews will rank higher than one with 50.
Time of year: Restaurants get more reviews in July and August than they do in the winter, but the average ratings in the summer months are lower.
Weather: One of the strongest exogenous effects on restaurant ratings, according to the study, is the weather at the time of the review. As you might guess, warm temperatures and sunshine mean higher reviews. Cold temperatures or extreme heat mean lower reviews, as does precipitation of any kind. The researchers attribute this to weather’s well-documented effects on mood and memory.
I get useful information from Yelp. Ignore the ratings and look for reviews that suggest the person knows what they’re talking about, and maybe take a look at what else they’ve reviewed for context.
