George Bistro makes Yelp’s Top 100 Brunch Spots for Mother's Day 2023 list

Yelp just put up its Top 100 Brunch Spots for Mother’s Day 2023 and one Pensacola restaurant made the list, placing in the top 20.

If you haven’t guessed it by now, you only need to look as far back as March to see the last time George Bistro + Bar appeared at the top of a Yelp list. This time, the hometown favorite was ranked as the No. 18 brunch spot in the U.S. and was among 10 restaurants in Florida that made the list.

Yelp created the list by identifying businesses in the breakfast and brunch category with a large concentration of reviews mentioning “brunch,” and then ranked those spots using several factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning “brunch.”

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Any chains that appeared on the list were limited to one instance, using the highest-rated location. Yelp only included up to 10 businesses per state for geographical diversity, and eligibility required that the business was marked open and had a passing health score as of April 6, 2023.

George Bistro + Bar is a hometown favorite

George Bistro + Bar reopened at its new location at 6205 North Ninth Avenue on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018.
George Bistro + Bar reopened at its new location at 6205 North Ninth Avenue on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018.

George Bistro + Bar is passionate about food and offers a full dining experience. Starting from the moment you open the website to check out the menu, you’re met with a great design and quality photos of the food. George’s calls its fusion of flavors “South-meets-South,” drawing inspiration from South France and good ole’ Southern cooking many of us grew up eating.

The magic behind George’s is how it masterfully weaves together an elegant yet casual atmosphere, using its Southern charm to provide welcoming dining spaces like the communal table in the center of the restaurant, cozy booths, bar seating and intimate outdoor seating on its covered porch.

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And then there are the upscale flavors packed into everything from its handcrafted cocktails to its favorite menu items like the short ribs + mushroom ravioli and Bonita’s lobster roll.

George’s has also been around the block. When the restaurant first opened in 2015, it was located at 1124 W. Garden St., where former casual-elegant restaurant Cypress occupied before it closed in 2020. It occupied the space for about three years before owners George and Luba Lazi moved the restaurant to its more spacious location at 6205 N. Ninth Ave. And in 2020, the restaurant was one of seven Pensacola restaurants to receive a Golden Spoon award.

If you can’t get enough of George’s, you can check out its sister restaurant, Pearl & Horn, a quick-service concept that opened in the Garden food park on Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola in 2021. Plans to move and expand Pearl & Horn are already underway, and fans will be able to experience the revamped experience in a bigger spot at 1504 W. Intendencia St. later this year.

The grilled lamb chops are a fall special at George Bistro + Bar.
The grilled lamb chops are a fall special at George Bistro + Bar.

Florida’s best brunch spots, according to Yelp

Nine of Florida’s restaurants ranked in the top 50, with Crackings in Destin ranking near the top at No. 4. George Bistro + Bar in Pensacola and Mama Clemenza’s in Miramar Beach were two other Panhandle restaurants that made the list, coming in at No. 18 and No. 48, respectively.

In West-central Florida, Psomi in Tampa, Noble Crust in St. Petersburg and Another Broken Egg Cafe in Clearwater ranked No. 32, No. 40 and No. 44. Bulegreen Cafe Yard and Voo La Voo Cafe ranked No. 20 and No. 64 in South Florida and Le Petit Paris in Jacksonville and PK’s Roosevelt Room in St. Augustine ranked No. 29 and No. 41.

Many of these restaurants such as George Bistro + Bar and Crackings have had their fair share of time in the limelight as they were recently featured in Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants 2023 list. George Bistro ranked No. 14 and Crackings earned the No. 27 spot. And in 2020, Bulegreen Cafe Yard was named the No. 27 best places to eat in the county.

There’s still time to make Mother’s Day brunch reservations

According to yelp, 66% of diners made Mother’s Day reservations in the seven days leading up to the holiday, so there’s plenty of time to get your name on the list.

If you’re a last-minute planner, check your preferred restaurant for online waitlists. And if you can’t be with your mom this year, consider sending her a special meal from any of these spots that deliver.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Yelp’s Mother’s Day brunch spot list names Pensacola restaurant No. 18