One of my favorite things about traveling is the food. I love experiencing new restaurants, especially new and local cuisines. I don’t fancy myself a food critic – I’m just a food enthusiast! I’ve found that most food critics write their restaurant reviews from a place of superiority that just never resonated with me. Sure, I have my preferences, but I don’t really care if your deviled eggs are topped with paprika or foie gras as long as they’re delicious.
I love leaving restaurant reviews! Primarily because I think my opinion is important (which is why I have a blog.) I also know that most people rely on other’s experiences to determine if they’ll try something new. It is what it is. Through the years of leaving reviews on Google, Yelp and TripAdvisor, the platforms always send me feedback that my reviews are some of the top-ranked and viewed. I think it’s because I’m fair and try to be candid and thorough. Most importantly, I try to be reasonable when I have a less than stellar experience. The few times I’ve left “bad” reviews have been due to egregious circumstances like blatant discrimination or unforgivably disgusting establishments. Those restaurant reviews will likely never make it to this site.
One day while reading my past reviews, I noticed a pattern; I had my own Black Girl Meets World Restaurant Rating System! I could tell you about my experience at ANY restaurant, be it a hole in the wall or Michelin starred restaurant, and knew exactly how my words would translate on a 5-star rating system because I rate my experiences based on five major components:
Food
This is obvious. Is the food good? Would I eat it again? Are there other menu items I’d be interested in trying? Would I want to bring people back to experience this food with me?
Drinks
I love a good cocktail. The more adventurous, the better! For restaurants that don’t serve alcohol, do they have a signature drink (e.g. secret ‘red’ punch.) If they do wine pairings, is the wine list impressive?
Ambiance
Does the establishment have character? Is it a charming space to share an interesting meal? I go back and forth between never wanting to leave the house and always wanting to be somewhere new. Does the space make me grateful that I opted to dine in instead of ordering to-go?
Service
No one likes bad service. While I’m not particular about if the waitstaff responds “my pleasure” to every expressed “thank you”, welcoming and personable service can truly transform the dining experience.
Pricing and Value
If life was fair, I’d have an endless budget to travel the world and order every tasting menu and bottle of wine that I could find. But alas, I am relegated to a monthly, self-imposed food budget, so I have to be mindful of how I allocate my coins.
I have a general understanding that the human and ecological cost of food means I probably shouldn’t have high expectations of a $1 cheeseburger. However, if I pay $25 for a cheeseburger, it surely should taste better than McDonald’s, right? Right. In short: does the cost of the meal align with the quality of the food and service?
There you have it! This is my standard approach to restaurant reviews… even before I had a blog. Do you leave restaurant reviews? What factors do you take into consideration?
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