yelp top 100
San Antonio cafe grabs No. 1 spot on Yelp’s list of top Texas restaurants
Fresh off of being named the best brunch spot in the country, per Yelp data, San Antonio’s Comfort Café is leading another Yelp list: the top 100 restaurants in Texas.
Yelp, the crowd-sourced review website, named the donation-based nonprofit Comfort Café tops for brunch, and now says it’s the No. 1 place to eat in the entire Lone Star State.
Based on Yelp ratings data, the list also includes six other San Antonio eateries:
- Gino’s Deli Stop N Buy, No. 5
- Nelson’s BBQ, No. 21
- Outlaw Kitchens, No. 37
- Pollos Asados los Norteños, No. 47
- Thyme for Lunch, No. 68 (also No. 57 on Yelp's brunch list)
- Papa’s Burgers, No. 100
Yes, it’s a little strange to see a list of the best 100 restaurants in Texas doesn’t include any of the state’s James Beard Award-winning restaurants, like Franklin Barbecue, Uchi, or Hugo’s. In a blog post, Yelp senior communications manager Brenae Leary says the website created the list by “using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1, 2016 and April 16, 2021.”
More than 20 Austin-area restaurants made the list, with Jewboy Burgers ranking the highest, at No. 7. The Houston area did well overall, with 21 entries on the list, led by Midtown pizzeria The Gypsy Poet at No. 2. And the Dallas area scooped up 20-plus spots on the list, with Tommy Tamale Market & Cafe in Grapevine leading that part of the state, at No. 8 on the list.
Farrah Akhtar, a senior community director for Yelp, provided some additional insight. She notes that a restaurant’s average star rating goes deeper than the number people see on a business’ page.
“On the back end, when our data scientists are pulling this data, they’re looking at so many things, including the star rating that goes to the ninth decimal,” Akhtar says.
In other words, even a four-star review can have a negative effect in determining whether a restaurant has the credentials to earn a spot on the list.
For Comfort Café’s part, the Yelp recognition will likely boost business for the restaurant, which helps support addiction-recovery programs. In the meantime, the cafe will continue slinging its beloved breakfast dishes, burgers, and specialty coffee drinks, and inviting diners to “relax, eat, and enjoy! Remember all profits go directly to help save lives.”
