Yelp! Inc.

The Top 3 Ways Restaurants Can Raise Their Yelp Rating

This week, I was on a panel at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in San Francisco. The panel was about restaurant criticism in the age of Yelp, and one of my fellow panelists was Morgan Remmers, Yelp's Manager of Local Business Outreach. The issue of how restaurateur ... More >>

LA Weekly Will Use a Star Rating System for Restaurant Reviews Going Forward

Beginning next week, LA Weekly's main restaurant reviews will come with a star rating. This week, in place of a restaurant review, I wrote an essay explaining the new system, as well as discussing how the decision to implement stars came about and why we think this is a good idea. An excerpt:

Tech for Food Nerds: Chefs Feed 2.0 Launches Today

Chefs Feed, the app that launched a little less than a year ago, released version 2.0 today with a bunch of new cities and more social media interaction capabilities. Chefs Feed aims to do much the same thing as our Where the Chefs Eat posts aspire to -- that is, let the food professionals guide y ... More >>

How to Ask a Food Blogger for Food Recommendations

What You'll Need: A general idea of the type of cuisine or specific dish you would like to eat, or not eat The number of people in your party A price range of how much you would like to pay for your meal The part of town where you will dine A note of any special considerations (i.e., kid- or dog-f ... More >>

The Best in Restaurant Signage: That One Guy on Yelp, Somewhere, Los Angeles, CA

In the case of popular restaurants, the odd grumble on the Internet doesn't sway a customer base. In the case of fledgling eateries though, a few brutal Yelp reviews can lead to shutters and a wretched gastropub setting up shop. Undaunted by the risk involved, one local restaurant -- its name remai ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 7/16 - 7/20

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Summer drinking is an endurance sport, after all, requiring stamina to get to sundown without collapsing in a heap on the passenger seat." Summer Drinks, Part II: The Americano. "There is so much wrong with this casting dec ... More >>

Fred Willard Caught at Filthiest Adult Spot in L.A. Committing Lewd Act -- LAPD

Top 5 Ways to Promote Your Restaurant: Flavor Flav Yelp Abuse Samples

Flavor Flav is hip hop's most legendary hype man, and he shows no sign of complacency in his oldish age. Last Thursday, on a Southwest jaunt from Burbank to Las Vegas, Flav commandeered the airplane's intercom to encourage travellers to dine at Flavor Flav's House of Flavor, his soul food take-out r ... More >>

Meet Your Food Bloggers: Drew Hubbard and Ben Waters of L.A. Foodie

Pair two affable, self-described "food dudes" living in L.A. -- digital marketing consultant Drew Hubbard with film and video editor Ben Waters, who has improv comedy training -- and you get L.A. Foodie. The site with the colorful burger logo and light-hearted tone delivers commentary on topics rang ... More >>

Top 10 Vintage and Second-Hand Boutiques in L.A.

Whether you're looking for 1960s Peggy Moffitt mod couture or 1980s stonewashed denim castaways from the Valley, Los Angeles has a vintage and second-hand shopping scene that's bursting at the old-school seams. In a city known for making old things look fresher than they really are, its no surprise ... More >>

Robert Rainey, Brother of L.A. Times Media Critic James Rainey, Found Murdered

Updated at the bottom with new details from the LAPD. First posted at 5:44 p.m. Thursday. A chiropractor found dead at his Venice Boulevard office was the brother of Los Angeles Times media critic James Rainey, the paper reports: It identified the victim as 52-year-old Robert Rainey. The LAPD coul ... More >>

Yelp Introduces Yelpy Insights: Find, or Avoid, Places Vegetarians and 20-Somethings Like

Thirty-something vegetarian looking for restaurants that other 30-something vegetarians also enjoy? Now, there's a Yelp for that: The site recently rolled out two new filters called "Yelpy Insights," which narrow search results based on eateries "liked by vegetarians," as well as those liked by 20- ... More >>

Top 10 Weirdest Stores in Los Angeles

Looking for a book about the Coney Island Amateur Psychoanalytic Society? Perhaps you need a Jolly Roger doormat for the house. Maybe you just want to pick up some time-travel sickness pills, a spray-bottle of barbarian repellant or a few fresh dinosaur eggs before you blast to the past. Whatever yo ... More >>

626 Night Market Organizers Respond To Community Feedback

For many, the 626 Night Market was a logistical nightmare. Tens of thousands of people poured into Oakland Avenue between Colorado Boulevard and Union Street on Friday evening. Lines for vendors were impossible to maneuver through and many compared the turn-out to that of Coachella and the Pebble Be ... More >>

Top 10 Strip Clubs in Los Angeles

So you're curious to go to a strip club, but unless your buddy is a regular and brings you along, how are you going to pick which one? Yelp? Give me a break. Thankfully for you, our L.A. Weekly experts have compiled the top ten strip clubs in L.A. But don't get too excited -- save it for the girls.

Alexander Merman, Russian-born Artist Stabbed To Death in Santa Monica, Was Victim of Murder-For-Profit Scheme, Police Say

Updated at bottom: police believe there may be more victims out there. First posted at 10:54 a.m. on Mar. 2. Police believe they have identified the man responsible for the death of Alexander Merman, the Russian-born artist who was found stabbed to death inside his apartment in Santa Monica in 200 ... More >>

Dunkin' Donuts Plans San Diego Branch

Dunkin' Donuts claims "America Runs on Dunkin'." Yet, its 6,772 U.S. stores are concentrated on the East Coast. An extra 2,988 are located in 30 foreign countries. Talk about false advertising. Yet, Dunkin' Donuts is now taking a step to living up to its slogan. The company has announced it will ope ... More >>

L.A. Tattoo Shop Stabbing Wounds 3 on Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard has come a long way from its Wild West days of gang crimes and streetside drug dealing only 10 or so years ago. But, despite the nightlife-oriented gentrification, the area seems to have way more than its share of shootings, violence and crime. Over the weekend three people were ... More >>

Openings and Closings Around Town: A January Restaurant Roundup

It's nearing the lunch hour, you're browsing Yelp and scouring the blogs. You come across a post on the closure of a long-admired restaurant in your community. "Rent increase ... management reorganization ... menu changes," the owner shares. Before the owner can clear out the sauce-stained aprons on ... More >>

Venice Barber Shop Shooting Wounds Two

Two people were shot and wounded after a suspect walked into a Venice barber shop and opened fire this morning, police said. It happened about 9:30 a.m. in the 1900 block of Lincoln Boulevard, LAPD Officer Richard French told the Weekly. One victim was shot in the foot and ...

50 Most Ridiculous Vanity Plates in L.A.

Forget 140 characters: try eight! In a city full of networking self-promoters and wannabe celebs, it's no surprise that ridiculous vanity license plates abound. That little space on the back of your car represents a precursor to the away message and the Facebook status, albeit a near-permanent one. ... More >>

In Search of Curly Fries, Like They Have in Missouri

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​Dear Mr. Gold: I have a hankering for some grease. I would like it to come in the form of a "brick" of Susie-Q french fries. I don't want any of these wimpy curly fries people talk about, looking like lost potato eyelashes on the plate. None of this ... More >>

Crockett & Tubbs' Days Inn at 3007 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica

The Days Inn at Santa Monica Blvd. and Stanford St. stands tall on its corner as a sickly pastel monument to long-tarnished Miami Vice dreams.

Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential L.A. Restaurants 2011

Art from the streets: L.A.'s most exciting chefs are reimagining street food, from the ramen bowl to the cheeseburger

Yelping With Cormac: The Author of Blood Meridian Reviews Taco Bell

Yelping with Cormac​At its best, Yelp help can help you find a lunch that won't ruin your day.  At its worse, the website is, if not a petri dish for extortion, a willful enabler of bad, whiney writers.  The first big problem is, according to a judge, no longer up for debate, but the second ... More >>

Chicken Mole at Los Poblanos

Los Poblanos is easy to miss. The tiny Mexican restaurant hides on Jefferson Boulevard in between a hardware shop and a narrow alleyway. Walk in and find three tables -- the 'dining room' seats 10, maybe 12, people. They don't even have a Yelp page. But, as evidenced by the painted words on the outs ... More >>

Local Pantry: Zeta Za'atar Lavash Chips (Say That 10 Times Fast)

JgarbeeZa'atar Zeta Hour​Hit your semi-specialty "local" national grocer (Whole Foods, we're talking about you) these days, and you can pretty much declare your local condiment duties done. But if we step away from the fancy Artisinal LA packaging and get straight down to tasting, finding top ... More >>

Jonathan Gold Reviews Starry Kitchen

Drunk Guy Crashes Car Into Sunset Room After Being Asked to Leave From 'Guitar Hero' Karaoke Night

YelpRAGE.​Karaoke night at the Sunset Room in Hacienda Heights: Never been crazier! "I miss the good ol' days of the Sunset Room," complains one Yelper. You know, when you could "see some of the old folks drunkenly singing along to some song that [you] never heard before on the karaoke stage, ... More >>

Ali Wong: L.A.'s Raunchiest Vietnamese-Chinese-American Standup Comic

​ Ali Wong is a cutesy-pie, potty-mouth, Vietnamese-Chinese-American comic. What more do you need to know? Here's our Q&A with her: You're hilarious. Were you funny as a kid? I constantly peed in my pants up until the 8th grade and wore an extra-large sailor uniform from kindergarten to 8t ... More >>

MAKE US LAUGH, FUNNY GIRL!

ALI WONG

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 6/20-6/24

Flickr/Lauren Manning​ In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "But keep in mind, I am not a trained physician -- I'm a guy who likes to justify an occasional shot of sotol or xtabentún." Ask Mr. Gold: Thoughts on Digestifs, or Drinking to Digest. "It's not ... More >>

Bloodlust and Beauty: Nam Prik Ong at Spicy BBQ

Matthew K./YelpNam Prik Ong, Spicy BBQ​ If Jitlada, despite its massive, unknowable menu and maddeningly languorous pace during peak hours, remains the standard by which other Southern Thai establishments are judged, our pick for Northern Thai is Spicy BBQ. Her hair bound in a kerchief, Nong, ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 3/7-3/11

Flickr/Lauren Manning​ In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "You're the porteño with the Ph.D. in literature. You tell me." Ask Mr. Gold: In Search of Salteñas, Revisited. "And the drink is named The Bitter End 'because we all know this isn't going to be ... More >>

GYM RATTING

Missing California Lottery Ticket Worth $200,000 Was Purchased Five Months Ago In East L.A.

Act soon, or your hard-earned cashmoney will go toward education​If you're going to waste a perfectly crisp Washington on a one-in-a-bagillion chance of winning the lottery, at least check to see if your impulse buy was worth the shame. One lottery hopeful (or not-so-hopeful) has yet to disco ... More >>

Two Cheers for Anonymity

Red Medicine panicked in outing Times' Virbila, but did no lasting harm

Restaurant Recognizes & Outs LA Times Reviewer: Red Medicine Hates Virbila

A screen grab from Red Medicine's Tumblr site.​Restaurant reviewers like to believe they operate incognito. That's no easy task in the internet age, and it just got much more difficult for Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila (@sirenevribila) who was outed by an angry restaurat ... More >>

Chef's Anti-Yelp Rant Leads to Predictable Backlash

Courtesy of Westword.​When our Denver cousin Cafe Society ran an interview with chef Scott Parker of Table 6, they talked about all sorts of interesting things: kohlrabi, deep-fried organic rosebuds, alleged salt allergies. But all anyone cares about are Parker's comments pertaining to a certa ... More >>

Time Capsule: The Yard

Au courant, and we're not talking French

Anatomy of a Murder

Cry for Yelp

The popular Web site stands accused of acting like a "modern-day Mafia"

Yelp Announces Changes: Are They Enough to Satisfy Class-Action Plaintiffs?

kaszeta/Flickr​Are lawyers in the class-action suit against Yelp smelling victory? Yesterday, Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman announced the user review giant would drop the "Favorite Review" feature and let readers see the reviews that would otherwise have been filtered out by its automated review ... More >>

Silver Lake's Territory BBQ Closes, Record Store Next

​Call the number listed for Silver Lake's Territory BBQ Records and all you'll get is a telling, "We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected..." Yeah, we're sorry too. West Coast Sound was excited when the perfect-on-paper double-sided dream opened up last year at the ... More >>

The Ride is Over: Citrus at Social Hollywood is Closed

It's official. Along with the Hollywood nightclub Social it's located within, Citrus, a California-French restaurant, has closed. Last month, a Citrus PR rep., who spoke with us on the phone, said the restaurant was transitioning, but could not disclose any concrete details at that time. A former em ... More >>

Q & A With Andy Cook, Part 2: Risotto as Object Lesson, Cooking to Jazz & The Importance of Google Image

Andy Cook, executive chef at both Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood and the month-old Boxwood Café, has been at the posh hotel since it opened in the summer of 2008. As we learned yesterday, Cook, a native of Birmingham, England, has become very fond of Los Angeles, of its weather and its ... More >>

5 Great LA Dive Bars: From the Lost & Found to the Wild Goose

A truly great dive bar is like a successful horror movie: it's a little gross, maybe a bit scary, but always a fun adventure, and filled with an eclectic cast of characters. Some dives are time machines, frozen in forgotten eras, while others make for the perfect spot to lose an hour or three or ten ... More >>

We Smell a Cover-Up: DJ Paul V's Thursday-Night Party at Stinkers, Plus More Thematic Atmospheres

In the Midnight Hour: Late-Night Goat Supper at Bulrocho

Dispensing chile-red comfort in a bowl of Koreatown goat soup

Deadly Coffee Shop Shootings

One man was killed and six other patrons of a San Gabriel cafe were wounded after two masked gunmen entered the Coffee House on East Valley Boulevard and opened fire. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune repeats a police description of the suspects as Asian males who wore bandanas at the time of the shoot ... More >>