Survey statistics might not lie, but they sure can mislead.
Consider a recent report from the Pew Research Center’s analysis of all 788,018 U.S. restaurants as of March 23, 2023.
Its map graphic color-codes the number of Mexican restaurants per 10,000 population for every county in the nation.
Believe it or not, DeSoto County doesn’t even factor into Pew’s lamebrained map. Never mind that the county’s streets are dotted with authentic mamá-y-papá taquerias and bodegas; the map shows it as a barren gray space north of Charlotte.
Pew would have us believe that this place bustling with classic Mexican eateries like Arcadia’s El Charro, El Dorada Maya, Azul Tequila and too many others to name has too few Mexican restaurants that really matter.
POKÉ’S INCREDIBOWL BOOM
Pew Research Center also holds that only 12% of U.S. restaurants serve Asian food.
Its popularity among those in the know is another story entirely.
Yelp’s 11th annual Top 100 Places to Eat in the United States saw Asian, Asian fusion and Southeast Asian restaurants occupying 25% of its elite spots.