Yelp is back with its Top 100 places to eat in the United States, and it’s naming a brand-new No. 1 pick.
The company announced its 11th annual rankings, highlighting the best of the best eateries from coast to coast, which it determined after analyzing user submissions, highlighting restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions. The data was then used by an expert panel of community managers who finalized the rankings.
“From New York City to Houston, and Florida to California, Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat list celebrates the must-visit local restaurants across the United States,” Tara Lewis, Yelp’s trend expert, shared in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. “This year’s list embraces the unique tastes of our users and spotlights the beloved hidden gems across local communities.”
Without further ado, this year’s No. 1 spot is Tumerico, a vegetarian Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Arizona.
Owned by James Beard Award semi-finalist chef Wendy Garcia, the restaurant boasts a 4.8-star rating out of more than 1,000 reviews, with Yelpers citing both the food and the inviting atmosphere as top-notch.
“I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but this place was awesome. The food was prepared perfectly, and it was delicious,” one reviewer wrote. “I came in with a large group, and the service was fast and friendly. The salsa was served warm which was new to me, but very good. The chips were fresh fried and crunchy with a bit of chewy on the inside. Definitely eat here vegan, vegetarian, or not. It’s great food.”
If you visit, expect Mexican fare like Al Pastor Tacos and burritos (vegetarian style, naturally). But don’t expect to eat the same thing twice, as the menu changes daily based on what’s in season.
Courtesy of Yelp.com
According to Yelp, this year’s list saw “overwhelming representation from Asian, Asian Fusion, and Southeast Asian restaurants, making up 25 percent of the list.” That includes the No. 2 choice, Menya Rui in St. Louis, a noodle shop serving more than 200 bowls a day.
Joining these two spots in the top 10 is Sunny Side Kitchen, a Cali-inspired cafe in Escondido, California; GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine in Covina, California; and Fratellino, an Italian eatery in Coral Gables, Florida in the No. 3 through No. 5 spots, respectively.
These are followed by Broken Mouth, a Korean-Hawaiian comfort food spot in Los Angeles; Adela’s Country Eatery, another noodle joint using local Hawaiian ingredients in Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii; Sierra Subs and Salads, a decadent sandwich shop in Three Rivers, California; Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy, one more sandwich-focused destination in San Antonio, Texas; and at No. 10, Uncle Af’s, yet another sandwich heaven in Agoura Hills, California.
Courtesy of Yelp.com
You may have noticed a trend in the above. California is mentioned a lot.
“With 18 restaurants in the collection, California maintained its spot with the largest share of restaurants on the list,” Yelp added. “Florida followed with 13 restaurants, and Arizona and Texas both have eight spots across their respective states.” But thankfully, this list really is representative of the entire nation.
Check out if any of the top 100 spots are located near you at yelp.com.