Deep Dish Creative

How to write a useful restaurant review

Have you ever gone online to read a restaurant’s reviews before making a decision about where to go for dinner? Millions of others have and for good reason. Folks tend to trust the opinions of their peers and like-minded consumers more than any advertising message. If Ms. Jones found it a particular resto a great choice for brunch, but not so much for her business meetings, that’s good information for others looking for the same.

There are a host of restaurant review web sites that offer information on past experiences by patrons. Sites like Yelp! and TripAdvisor also have mobile applications for the on-the-go dining decision maker. Other mobile apps that are becoming invaluable for diners are Foursquare, GoWalla, BrightKite, and MyTown. While not review web sites, at least one of these apps (Foursquare at this writing) has features that allow users to tap into tips about venues – in the style of mini- non-rateable reviews.

And don’t forget local review hubs like Seven Days here in Burlington, VT or your own local weekly rag or foodie publication. This is where the locals go to find out what other locals think.

Restaurant Week

In the spirit of the upcoming Vermont Restaurant Week (May 14-20, 2010) wouldn’t be great if every participant (diner, reveler, lurker, imbiber) took the time to submit a review to at least one of the restos they venture into during that week? Not only will reviewers be making an authentic contribution to the Vermont culinary scene by submitting their thoughts about these venues, the rest of us – those that didn’t get a chance to experience a particular place – will find useful info at our digital fingertips for the next time.

Did (or will) you participate in your region’s restaurant week? Why not contribute a solid review of your experiences and help others in making their own dine-out decisions?

Writing a useful restaurant review

Before you begin wildly tapping into your smart phone or covertly whispering into a lavalier mic at the table, let’s go over what makes a truly useful restaurant review.

Provide relevant information
Restaurant name. Where? Especially if there are several locations. Neighborhood? Are reservations needed and if so was yours honored – or at least within a reasonable time? Is there outdoor seating? Fireplace? View? Bar/lounge? Local procurement? Killer wine list or microbrew selection? How about kid-friendly? Parking tips? Happy Hour?

Type of cuisine
Does the menu live up to what’s advertised? What did you have, what can you recommend, what should people steer clear of and why. Do you find the food too salty, sweet, bland, or off in any way? Remember taste is in the buds of the beholder, so if you’re not into oysters, but order a couple anyway, don’t hold it against the establishment.

Quality for the price
Do you feel you got your money’s worth for the entire meal? Plenty of food for a doggy bag or not enough for a mouse? Take into consideration the freebie extras like bread, condiments, refills, fortune cookies, all the little things that make a meal complete yet aren’t itemized on the check.

Mention good and bad price points (hopefully there aren’t any bad ones.) No need to list actual prices, but a sense of budget is helpful. For instance: “perfect spot for a cheap date” or “you’ll empty your wallet, but its worth every bite”

Service
Aside from the food, the quality of service is probably the best info you can provide to future patrons. Describe your experience from beginning to end, from reservation or host stand, to check delivery and farewell. Did you see the chef out on the floor chatting with diners? Were you rushed from course to course or interrupted more than necessary by the server? Was your table maintained at a good pace (water refilled, crumbed, cleared at the appropriate moments?) Give praise where earned and hints on how the resto could have done better, if needed.

Atmosphere
How was the lighting? Noise level? Musak? Artwork? Was the dining area clean and inviting? Seats, tables, and dinnerware in good repair? Did the atmosphere make you feel comfortable and welcome?

Before you post your review, its a good idea to visit a place a couple of times before submitting. But if you feel your experience was so review-worthy it just can’t wait, by all means post it. Its also a good idea to check your facts lest a fellow reviewer be inspired to call you out on a minor detail, like validating parking, etc.

What NOT to write

Not to trample over Freedom of Speech, but rather write a classy and poignant review:

1) If you own or manage a restaurant, don’t review it. Fake reviews can be sniffed out a mile away. And although review websites can be a thorn in a biz owner’s side, they also can offer up tips and information about how they are getting it right or how they can better execute service, products, etc from a customer’s perspective. Take advantage of that aspect – and respond accordingly.

2) Bogus information Keep it real, here. Unless there really was a fly in the soup, don’t slander a place because you have an ax to grind or were slighted by the busboy. And if there was a ‘fly in the soup’ or any other major snafu, by all means bring it to the attention of the staff. They really do want to please their customers. If you’ve already left and taken the time to post a review – they can’t resolve the issue immediately.

3) Potty Mouth. Nobody likes a smartass…

Leave a ‘tip’ behind using location-based apps

Location-based applications for smart phones like Foursquare offer “tip” features. By checking in to a venue and leaving a tip, you can give an instant valuable piece of info for the next customers. Its also a way to leave a stamp of approval (or not) rather than submitting a full length write-up on a review web site. If something about your favorite haunt strikes you as must-have, leave a little gem of info behind using one of these apps.

If you are a restaurant owner, these location apps are a great way to find out what socially active customers are saying about you or advice they are leaving for others. A restaurant can also set up special offers on Foursquare, and show extra love to your venue’s mayors and frequent customers experiencing your establishment with these applications.

Find out more on how a resto can engage its patrons with Foursquare in this previous post >>

Sharpen your online pencils!

Don’t just wait around for Restaurant Week to get reviewing – plug a few of your fave places to see how it all works and then dig in for a couple of truly useful write-ups that others in your community will benefit from.

Can you think of any important points not mentioned here?