Hungry for some of the best grub in the States? Well, if you trust Yelp reviews at all, you might as well skip New Orleans, or completely avoid Louisiana altogether.
This past month, Yelp issued its yearly list of "Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S."
Yet, none of these restaurants were located in Louisiana.
This year's list doesn't come as a shock, rather a disappointment: Yelp not having named a Louisiana restaurant on its list in 3 years when the Warehouse District sandwich shop Cochon Butcher was ranked no. 46.
Not a single restaurant in NOLA has been named since, despite being home to some of the most flavorful and popular cuisine in the States. New Orleans and great food go hand in glove. In reality, NOLA restaurants don't need an endorsement from Yelp to know their food is good. But how is it no restaurants from NOLA have made the list?
Louisiana being left on the list once again is anything if not baffling. So how exactly does Yelp come up with this list? How exactly has New Orleans been snubbed three years in a row?
Yelp decides the restaurant rankings based on ratings and the number of reviews across the country. The Yelp list is then finalized by a team of Community Managers, and includes restaurants from all over the states, from Hawaii to Oklahoma City.
Among the restaurants represented on Yelp's list, there is a food truck from Portland that whips up their own take on Cajun and Creole food, offering a "build-your-own" Gumbo. Moreover, it is not so much that Louisiana food isn't popular amongst Yelpers, but rather, food cooked directly in Louisiana.
All in all, if Yelp really thinks Portland can do Gumbo better than New Orleans, maybe it is for the best we were left off the list.
