Yelp and Restaurant Week

[Nahmeanz]

Does anyone else find that Yelp is riddled with wannabe food critics who go to expensive restaurants during restaurant week and then give the restaurants low ratings based on a limited menu? These people go to restaurants and pay for maybe half as much as it would usually cost for a meal there and are extra critical. How do they expect to fully experience and rate the restaurant when 90% of restaurant week menus have free-range chicken as the entree? I think Yelp as a whole isn't helpful because people tend to go there to post about their complaints rather than their praises. I guess I should expect it seeing that people go on Yelp to compare their local Taco Bells or giving 1 star ratings for having to wait for a table they didn't reserve.

 

[robin]

That phenomenon is not just limited to yelp.

 

[fcuknu]

annnnnnnd /rant

I like yelp. But I would never make a judgment based on what I read there. I use it less for the review and more for information about various venues that is not available anywhere else.

 

[Bradford]

I think you have to judge the Yelp reviews based on the entirety of ratings, not just individual reviews.

It also helps to find other reviewers with whom you agree and add them to your friends list so you can see when they have new reviews.

 

[Bartolo]

Originally Posted by robin

That phenomenon is not just limited to yelp.

Nor is it limited to restaurant week.

I take EVERYTHING in Yelp with a grain of salt. Most people are idiots, thus, most people posting on yelp are idiots. Why would I take THEIR advice??

Zagat isn't a whole lot better. Remember how the ratings / reviews get there.

 

[lexybeast]

Complicating it are claims from business owners that Yelp has become the online mafia. Even if those accusations are baseless, the reviews are pretty useless I find because frankly they have a lot of tasteless idiots on there. Funnier still are those among them who are snobby about Yelp and will only eat at places rated 4 stars or higher. Yeah, I know people like that. OK site for maps and restaurant info and that's about it.

 

[JesseJB]

I find Yelp ratings to be really helpful. But I have heard from people in the restaurant biz that Yelp can be pretty tyrannical and has way too much power to drive your customers away based on a couple bad reviews.