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A restaurant is often only as good as its reviews. Whether we read an article recommending that new Italian place downtown or one of our friends won't shut up about it, most likely, we will still check out its online rating and read what other people think of it before deciding to go there.

However, the democratization of criticism isn't always a good thing.  And the subreddit r/YelpDrama features plenty of reasons why.

A popular category among its posts is ridiculous restaurant reviews that prove the customer isn't always right. We're talking trashing a joint that wasn't even open when you "ordered" your food, or a one star because they wouldn't allow you to order water and eat the meals you brought there yourself.

Continue scrolling and check them out!

#2

Ewww! A Gay Waiter!

Ewww! A Gay Waiter!

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wendillon avatar
Monday
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We should introduce ourselves like that once in a while just to see the reactions. "Hey I'm Barbara, your vegetarian bartender!", "Thank you for calling [company] I'm Jeff, your fitness enthusiast sales consultant!".

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Another problem is with platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor is the fact that they're full of fake reviews.

Plus, people are much more likely to leave a review when they've had a bad experience, distorting the overall restaurant's rating.

That can bring disastrous consequences, especially for smaller businesses that have just opened up – one 2020 study found that an early bad review can turn customers away in the long term, and that reviewing platforms actually have an in-built bias towards popular restaurants.

#4

I Don’t Know Who You Got Your Food From Tonight, But It Wasn’t Us

I Don’t Know Who You Got Your Food From Tonight, But It Wasn’t Us

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#5

A Not So Spicy Life!

A Not So Spicy Life!

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As Giorgia Cannarella pointed out in Vice, the only other alternative, it seems, is reading food articles and blogs, hoping to land on an honest critique.

However, if you're familiar with the complex world of culinary criticism, you’ll know these things can also be hit or miss. Sometimes a new spot will get stellar reviews only to disappoint once you get there.

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#6

Business Owner Claps Back On Yelp User For Leaving A Negative Comment On His Restaurant

Business Owner Claps Back On Yelp User For Leaving A Negative Comment On His Restaurant

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#7

You Wouldn’t Bring Mcdonalds Into An Olive Garden?

You Wouldn’t Bring Mcdonalds Into An Olive Garden?

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#8

My Food = More Important Than Your Life

My Food = More Important Than Your Life

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Different people value different aspects of a restaurant – the decor, the ambiance, the price, the surprise factor, but, according to Slovenian food and travel blogger Kaja Sajovic, there’s actually more to the story.

"We all know that food journalists don't get paid enough to cover the cost of a restaurant dinner, so press trips have become a necessity to do our job," Sajovic said. "And this creates a lot of ethical dilemmas. Can you really give a bad review of a restaurant you've been invited to, with flights and hotels covered? I think it's difficult, and maybe even a little bit unfair."

#9

“Influencer” Goes Out To Dinner

“Influencer” Goes Out To Dinner

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#10

“Politely Restrained”

“Politely Restrained”

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#12

User Writes 1 Star Review For Competing Restaurant

User Writes 1 Star Review For Competing Restaurant

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Of course, Sajovic is mostly talking about freelancers and bloggers. Journalists who get a steady salary and their expenses are always covered can be a lot freer when writing their reviews, but they are certainly the exception rather than the rule in the industry.

Food writer Paola Miglio, editor of Peruvian website El Trinche, said she's always made a point to be uncompromising with her opinions.

"If I don't like something, I say so. And I write it down, even when I’ve been invited [to the restaurant]," Miglio said. "In my three years as a food critic at a newspaper, I have only been bullied a handful of times by a restaurant owner or chef on social media. I've never felt the pressure to praise anything or anyone."

#13

He’s Just Enjoying His Meal, Karen

He’s Just Enjoying His Meal, Karen

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#14

”wtf, I Didn’t Want This Food, Why Would You Make Me Eat It??”

”wtf, I Didn’t Want This Food, Why Would You Make Me Eat It??”

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#15

The Post That Started It

The Post That Started It

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A*****e must’ve smelled his own booze breath blowing back in his face.

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#16

Some People Have No Shame

Some People Have No Shame

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"There are few chefs who respond well and in-kind to criticism," food journalist Gabriele Zanatta, who writes for the Italian web magazine Identità Golose, explained.

Zanatta thinks that’s because cooks have historically been mostly hidden figures. It was only with France’s nouvelle cuisine movement of the 60s, which revolutionised international cooking, that chefs have become famous and “even achieved celebrity status over the last two decades,” Zanatta explained. "No wonder they’re intolerant to criticism! They had never been on such a pedestal."

#17

3 Stars, Got Caught Shoplifting

3 Stars, Got Caught Shoplifting

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#20

One Star Because The Server Wouldn't Reveal Her Address

One Star Because The Server Wouldn't Reveal Her Address

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However, Zanatta also believes this chef-centric approach to food writing is slowly dying out. "We’re now paying more attention not only to the food but to all the other aspects that make a restaurant a restaurant," he said. In his experience, chefs nowadays are more willing to listen, provided that the criticism they’re receiving is not just a pretext for a food critic to flaunt their knowledge.

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#22

“It’s Not Their Fault”...gives Them 1 Star

“It’s Not Their Fault”...gives Them 1 Star

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varwenea avatar
varwenea
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Not their fault" but you penalize their rating anyway. Now, the author is at fault.

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#23

“I’ve Been Coming Here For Years And It’s Literally The Best, But During The Pandemic They’ve Sucked! Also I’m Racist”

“I’ve Been Coming Here For Years And It’s Literally The Best, But During The Pandemic They’ve Sucked! Also I’m Racist”

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Chiara Cavalleris, editor in chief of the Italian food news site Dissapore, thinks that food journalists are not to blame for the state of things, but rather the food press in general.

She believes that news outlets are guilty of colluding with restaurant owners, an issue that has also come up in a scandal involving three-Michelin-star Florentine restaurant Enoteca Pinchiorri. In October 2021, its 77-year-old owner Giorgio Pinchiorri was sentenced to 4 months in prison for stalking a former employee, peeling back the veil on his restaurant’s toxic work culture. But none of the mainstream food press in Italy reported on it.

So is there such a thing as an accurate restaurant review? Who knows. But there's no shortage of absurd ones.

#24

You Can’t Even Make Out In Public During A Pandemic

You Can’t Even Make Out In Public During A Pandemic

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#26

She Was Mad Her Tartare Was Undercooked

She Was Mad Her Tartare Was Undercooked

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#27

Guy Got Booted After Throwing A Fit Because He Was Asked To Turn His Phone Volume Down. He Was Streaming A Football Game In A Nice Restaurant Full Blast. But The Server Was The Inconsiderate One. His Partner Looked So Embarrassed

Guy Got Booted After Throwing A Fit Because He Was Asked To Turn His Phone Volume Down. He Was Streaming A Football Game In A Nice Restaurant Full Blast. But The Server Was The Inconsiderate One. His Partner Looked So Embarrassed

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#30

Trendy Asian Burrito Restaurant Near Me

Trendy Asian Burrito Restaurant Near Me

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Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.