Live Blog
Yelp, a website that allows users to upload reviews of various service industry businesses — most prominently restaurants — has become the preeminent source for dining suggestions. An increasing amount of diners are placing their trust in Yelp, and as the website’s customer base expands, we give Yelp great power, which, as we know, comes with great responsibility. If we’re going to trust a website populated by user-generated content to tell us which restaurants deserve our patronage and which don’t, we need to be able to trust the reviews we are reading.

Yelp has always used an algorithm to weed out false reviews; however, as of late it has become increasingly hard for them to cover all their bases as the number of restaurants reviewed increases and restaurateurs find creative methods to garner positive feedback, such as soliciting patrons to post in their favor.

“This pretty much breaks every rule in the book, not to mention it’s just wrong to mislead consumers with fake reviews,” said Eric Singley, vice president of Consumer and Mobile Products.

Therefore, when Yelp determines that solicited reviews have populated a restaurant’s page, a Consumer Alert appears above the perpetrator’s review section. This new measure shows that Yelp is committed to the integrity of the service they provide.

“[We] want to make sure consumers are making informed decisions,” Singley said.

But we still can not be sure that all of those who cheat the system will be caught right away. We must surf Yelp’s thousands of reviews with a critical eye. This guide will walk you through the three sections of each page that are most important when developing your own opinion about a restaurant and will help you to be a careful, informed Yelper.

Photos

Gastronomes love taking pictures of food they enjoy. Fortunately, this means stellar restaurants should have an array of photos. Take note of what dishes are photographed, and therefore ordered, many times. Furthermore, read the captions; a photo may be commending or offending. Photos allow you to see what you would be eating before you even sit down, which can save you from a dining disaster.

Rating Distribution/Trend

A good precursor to reading the reviews themselves, rating distribution will break down how many reviews have fallen into the categories of one to five stars. Use this to protect yourself from becoming enamored with one or two five-star reviews, as they may be outnumbered by scores of dissatisfied patrons. Trend will show the latest reviews as a line graph, giving you an idea of the quality of food coming from a restaurant’s kitchen. Trend will keep you from trusting the distant past over the crucial present.

Reviews

The most subjective category, reviews can either sell you on a restaurant or keep you far away. Note the nature of the review: Does the Yelper go into detail and articulate well, or do they skim through their experience sloppily? Ideally, trust reviews that touch upon the entire experience — the service, atmosphere, meal and drinks. Don’t let one negative aspect overshadow many potential positives.

This guide leaves you with three closing tips:

1) Listen to Elite members. They are frequent Yelpers who have been nominated by others and approved by Yelp.

2) Consider what you’re looking for. A terrible wine list doesn’t matter when you’re looking for great pasta.

3) Don’t go too far down the rabbit hole or you could waste a whole night looking for a restaurant and never even go out.

Yelp can walk you through a meal you’re dying to have or would hate to sit through. The website has proven throughout its existence that its employees are dedicated to providing truthful information, but we must always browse carefully. Dining is an experience that requires a little bit of courage and food is no fun if you don’t take a few risks.

Dylan Freehauf is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].