Eating a cupcake at MMMM Delicious Cupcakes in Tarpon Springs, FL If you’re looking up how to write a restaurant review it’s probably because you’ve looked them up for your own personal needs at one point or another. So you know firsthand just how helpful it can be to read a restaurant review before making your decision on which one will be receiving your business. Millions of people read reviews about products, services and even restaurants on a daily basis. We do this because we want to hear about other people’s experiences before we make the decision to choose one or the other. Sometimes one of the best ways to write any review is to determine what you look for when you are reading reviews.
I have read a few blogs about how people decide ‘what is the best way to write a food review’ and most will say “lose the narrative”. I still stand by the theory of writing your review for you and your audience. If your audience is used to hearing you talk about your mom joining you for dinner or you only go out on rainy days, then talk about it. If people don’t want to read your restaurant review then they will stop reading. This suggestion is mainly for blog restaurant reviewer. If you’re writing a review on a popular website like Yelp, Urbanspoon or Travelocity then you may want to keep the story line to a minimum and just discuss the facts. This again, is still up to you to decide how you want to be seen as a restaurant review writer.
I have read a few blogs about how people decide ‘what is the best way to write a food review’ and most will say “lose the narrative”. I still stand by the theory of writing your review for you and your audience. If your audience is used to hearing you talk about your mom joining you for dinner or you only go out on rainy days, then talk about it. If people don’t want to read your restaurant review then they will stop reading. This suggestion is mainly for blog restaurant reviewer. If you’re writing a review on a popular website like Yelp, Urbanspoon or Travelocity then you may want to keep the story line to a minimum and just discuss the facts. This again, is still up to you to decide how you want to be seen as a restaurant review writer.
First Impressions - of the restaurant and location
Start off by explaining what the general person can see when they walk up to the restaurant. People will want to know if there is outdoor seating, good or bad lighting (outside at night), easy parking or valet. They also like to hear about what to expect when they walk in. Is the hostess desk always crowded, was there anyone there to great you, did you have to seat yourself and what is the overall feeling in the room? This is where I say “Tell the story”.
Your readers are going to want to know how your food was presented. Did it take an excessively long time to receive your pasta dish or was it brought to you quickly? Was the food beautifully presented or were the plates messy and sloshed together? Talk about the temperature of the food and about the smell. When you talk about these things it gets the reader hungry. That’s the point right?!
Restaurant Décor’ – Was the restaurant decorated well?
This is an example of Restaurant Décor’ Typically I take a look at the overall restaurant dining area and determine how if it should be described as a place to take a date, my father on football game day or my mother after antiquing. (broad spectrum examples) This is where I tell people about how clean the place is or whether I was too afraid to use the restroom. I may even talk about how it smelled if it was noticeable and stuck out. You’re setting the mood for the story about the main event, the food.
Service Standards – Was your server at the restaurant attentive?
We all have our standards. When it comes to servers I’d like to think that we all have similar standards. This is where you talk about how your server treated you. Were they knowledgeable about the menu? Were they fast and efficient? Did you ask them a specific question about a menu item and instead of saying “I don’t know”, did they find out the answer for you? Talk about how they were dressed and about how they made you feel whenever they showed up at your table. I ACTUALLY like to hear people say “the waitress came and filled up our glasses and I didn’t even know she was there”. That is good service in my opinion. I like to hear those things because it will help determine whether or not I should dine at that restaurant with the company that I’m planning on going with. All of this is helpful in a restaurant review.
Food for thought – What does the restaurant offer on the menu?
Thai food with an A+ presentation While I like to hear about the types of food that a restaurant has to offer I don’t like to see it listed on a restaurant review. I can use the menu for that. You can always post a link for the menu within your review and that is truly helpful. Instead of listing the menu items it’s best to pick a couple that struck your interest and talk about what you and your guests ordered. Talk about the drink and dessert options too. Listing one or two specialty mixed drinks or a dessert will help engage your reader even more.
Presentation to Sensation – How was the food presented?
Your readers are going to want to know how your food was presented. Did it take an excessively long time to receive your pasta dish or was it brought to you quickly? Was the food beautifully presented or were the plates messy and sloshed together? Talk about the temperature of the food and about the smell. When you talk about these things it gets the reader hungry. That’s the point right?!
Smile. You’re on Camera – Take pictures of the restaurant and food
Take pictures! Don’t let people dive into their food until you’ve taken a picture of it. There is something called food porn that might be a joke to some people, but others, it can make or break their decision to eat somewhere. People eat with their eyes first and it can only help improve your story. If your meal was so delicious that you devoured it, then maybe you should take a picture after you’ve finished your meal as well. An empty plate means a second date (this reference can also work in the dating world)
Savor the Flavor – Be descriptive when talking about the food
Example of showing how good food can taste through a photo It’s time to talk about the flavors. Make sure to tell your dinner mates to save you a bite so you can talk about all the meals that were at the table. If you don’t like fish and that’s what they ordered then just ask them to describe it to you. Tell people about the flavors of the dish instead of just saying “wow it was awesome, totally cheesy”. Really? Instead try… “the goat cheese had melted just perfectly on the steak, giving each bite a creamy taste”. Better, right? When you start to taste the food and ingredients more you’ll notice that you automatically talk about the depth in the flavors as well.
Dessert? Yes please! - Save room for dessert
If you can handle it, I suggest getting a dessert. People love the idea of dessert and even if they might not order it at the end of their meal, they'll base their eating choices off of every aspect of the menu. Even if you can’t finish the dessert it’s a good way to talk about the presentation and delivery and flavor to finish off your review. Don’t forget to take pictures.
Don't be shy but be kind - Negative reviews can be done tastefully
If you wouldn’t say it in front of your momma then don’t say it in your review. Restaurant owners have every right to retaliate on you for writing a review that wasn’t in their favor. The truth is… these reviews really do have an effect on the restaurants and we’re not here to ruin anyone’s business. If you had a bad experience you should determine where the experience started and could it have been rectified? For instance, did you have a bad server who was clearly having a bad day and they decided to take it out on you. I can understand how pissed you must have been, but was the food on point, the restaurant clean and everyone else around you seemed to be having a nice time? If so, you may want to talk to the manager about your experience before you write a review (don’t threaten a bad review, that’s poor form) and give them a chance to turn the situation around. If they tell you to go to hell… by all means write that bad review and post it everywhere! Well, maybe not everywhere. I wouldn’t go writing it up in a competitor’s bathroom (or would I?) On a more serious note, just be conscious of how you write the review and leave it up to the reader to determine if your experience was a pleasant one or not.
Return Visit - Giving the restaurant a second chance is sometimes useful
This is where I tell people whether or not I’d return. Sometimes I can’t return somewhere because I was on vacation and unless they want to pay for my flight and trip it would be physically impossible. However, if I had that amazing opportunity would I want to go back there? If I did go back, would I eat the same amazing meal or try something new. I like to talk about this because it gives the reader an idea of home important it is to try that restaurant. Believe me, there are a few restaurants that I would never go back to and I make that clear. I let the readers decide if they’d ever take the chance on eating there. It’s my way of sugar coating a mediocre on the fence review.
I’d like to point out one more thing about doing restaurant reviews. Each situation is different and it’s okay to explain the differences or situations that happened during your dining experience. Recently I received a meal that was inedible and at first I felt guilty for giving the restaurant a second chance at making my meal correctly and reviewing about it. What I figured out was it was best that I get a new meal and allow the restaurant to handle it how they saw fit. In this case they brought me a newly cooked meal and it was delicious. I explained my experience with the poorly cooked dish by stating that I received my dish and it wasn’t to my liking so I asked for a new one. I then described the new one in detail without comparing it to the original poorly cooked dish. I’ve also had items removed from my bill because they knew I didn’t care for it and I made sure to point out these details in my review. It’s best to treat your dining experience just like you would if you weren’t doing a review. Don’t tell them you’re doing a review unless they ask why you’re taking pictures. If you tell them you’re doing a review it can change the way they treat you and the food and that only helps YOU. Remember that you’re writing a restaurant review to help others determine if they’d like to have the same dining experience.
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