Pros vs. Joes
In the hotel business, we consider user review sites to be essential component of our reputation, marketing and branding. Based on our studies, it seems that the majority of travelers (well, at least leisure travelers) are comfortable leaning on traveler review sites like Tripadvisor and Yelp to help them find the right place to stay when they travel.
My question to you, Dear Shefzilla Reader, is how you figure out where to dine. Do you listen to the professional critics & columnists, do you read the dining blogs, do you Yelp or do you strictly operate via word-of-mouth? If youdo your dining out research using all these sources, to which do you tend to lend the most credence?
19 Comments to “Pros vs. Joes”
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I tend to read a lot of foodie blogs, so their reviews are usually pretty healpful. If Im looking for something new I usually check out reneeandsteve.com first, then if they dont have a review I’ll read reviews from customers on google or elsewhere.
I eat out once a week. It’s usually a date-night, and since it’s a weekly thing, and we’re on a budget, we like coupons.
I will talk with my coworkers (restaurant peeps) and get some input, but as of late it’s been where the deals are.
I am willing to save up for a special night out if I hear enough word of mouth about how great a place is.
I never rely on Yelp or any sort of food.com site. I actually go there to read comments – just about as often as I read cards in the hallmark aisle and for about the same reason – to get a laugh.
I look forward to the day when I can bump it up a notch and dine at the finer establishments!
God bless Renee and Steve. They are the OG MSP Food Bloggers, and are the picture of consistency. I have yet to find an off-base review on their site. Their site is the last word in Saturday night dining for Twin Cities couples. http://www.reneeandsteve.com/
I also agree on Yelp. High comedy, especially when you encounter an aspiring writer trying to flex their budding literary muscles. Although I have found that in certain markets (SF to be precise) it can be helpful.
I just eat where my friends work.
In town? Word of mouth (which can include websites).
In another town? I ask around, since I only seem to go places where a friend lives or visits.
The comments on those food sites are as trustworthy as… as… I dunno, as the people who voted the Olive Garden the best Italian food in the TC.
Oh, by websites, I mean I read the reviews, not the comments. Basically I get all my local internet food info from here and Heavy Table.
I read a lot of City Pages to find out what is new, and report on what I eat at Chowhound. I visit the latter frequently enough to know who has good taste, and I use it more for selecting dishes than selecting restaurants.
The problem with Chowhound is that if you post a strong negative opinion, someone will get very upset and reply with immature blather. A board editor will then delete the entire exchange. The result is that one might get the impression that everyone likes every restaurant, which is not the case.
The food reviews at TripAdvisor are terrible, and almost entirely based on portion size. Yelp is helpful in aggregate, I suppose, though it’s contributors rate Al’s Breakfast as the best restaurant in Minneapolis.
I quit reading Chowhound because Chowhound is way too much of a Stepford echo chamber. They don’t want the truth…they can’t handle the truth.
I’m always leery of ratings and rankings. I read individual reviews becuase so much of what goes into star ratings is based on expectation. folks will give a dive 5 stars if it provides a decent experience, but a place like LBV can get hammered down to 2 or 3 stars for something as dumb as being “to pretenshus” (how’s that for Yelp-speak?)
I tend to go by professional reviews only. My experience with reviews (of restaurants, TVs, tires, whatever) submitted by non-professional commenters is that very few of them are worth much. Too many irate people crossposting after one bad night at a restaurant they’ve never been to before. Too many sock puppets. It’s just not worth the time.
I tend to put some stock in the wisdom of crowds, though I’m selective about who’s part of my crowd. I’m lucky enough to have a number of friends who enjoy good food, and so get some good word of mouth recs. (My first trip to Heidi’s came after at least three friends called me an idiot for not having been yet.) I also read a few blogs that review restaurants, but mainly for entertainment, and I never bother with Chowhounds, yelp, or any of the other free-for-all sites. And yes, I read the professional critics as well – I don’t assume that my tastes will always match up with theirs, but they eat out a lot more than I do, so it’s useful to gather the information.
To me, the best thing about the current food scene in MSP is how relatively affordable it is to experiment, especially for those of us who will never really have an interest in expense-account type restaurants. Tonight, I’m trying out Bar La Grassa for the first time. Based on what I’ve read and the people behind it, I’m guessing I’ll love it. And if I’m wrong, I won’t be out more than $30, $40 if I eat at the high end of the menu. Find me that kind of freedom of experimentation with chef-driven food in NY…
I read patron reviews more than professional reviews, but I also pay attention to reviewers that share interests and preferences similar to mine.
I trust the pros, but read blogs in the weeks prior to a place appearing in a major review. The web – in the aggregate – can give a hint as to whether or not a place is worth my money. I’m talking about people who post pictures and reviews.
I tend to not pay attention to negative web reviews early, however a critical mass of positive reviews will tell me to go try a place.
I don’t ever read Yelp or any site that tries to aggregate a score. Stupid.
Geoff,
i admire Renee and Steve and their tenacious commitment to their task and their concept, its a nice schtick, but i was suprised at your gushing. Many of their reviews lack nuance and frankly they are at their best when they speak to “their” audience which is clearly not you or me.
Pros set great context, but like movies, i trust my friends most.
AZ…I wasn’t gushing, I was having a MN moment by praising their work-ethic and consistency. read between the lines.
Agreed on R & S. Very comprehensive. Lot’s of “huh?” moments.
As far as friends go, one of the functions aggregated sites fulfill is community. I can get to know certain people, and get an idea for whether they have reasonable insights on food.
As far as hostile reviews go, if the criticisms are reasonable, I see no reason to keep them private. If the waitstaff treats a person like crap, that person should say something to potential customers. I can decide for myself if the criticisms are reasonable.
I only listen to Dee Wayne.
also, AZ, I’ve met your friends. trust them at your own risk.
I like yelp, and use it when I travel, not so much the others, in fact I don’t check in on any other sites at all, just opentable and yelp, and of course I read professional reviews. Word of mouth, in terms of local dinning, trumps everything else.