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Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Here's to you and the next 10,000,000 reviews!
We are thrilled to announce that the OpenTable Reviews program has generated more than 10 million reviews by verified diners. Created to benefit both diners and restaurateurs, OpenTable is grateful to our diners for contributing authentic, timely reviews that reflect their experiences at the restaurants they frequent.
“OpenTable reviews provide us with valuable feedback from guests that we use in grading ourselves,” said Kevin Boehm, co-founder of Boka Restaurant Group which includes widely acclaimed Girl & the Goat, GT Fish & Oyster, and Perennial Virant. “Best of all, OpenTable reviews help us show our guests better hospitality by giving us insight into their needs, likes, and dislikes. And having the ability to reach out to guests via email gives us a valuable recovery tool if we have made a misstep.”
We checked in with Emilie De Leon, a frequent OpenTable diner, for her take on our reviews. She shares, ”OpenTable reviews have always been a part of my food adventures,” said De Leon, an avid foodie and foodtruckadventure.com blogger. “I can always count on and trust its reviews to be constructive, detailed, and to the point, and that helps me decide where to dine. They’re a must for the no-nonsense foodie,” she adds.
Thanks to every diner who has taken the time to share their thoughts with everyone on the OpenTable network. We look forward to your continued contributions — as do your fellow foodies.
Tags: Emilie De Leon, Foodtruckadventure.com, Girl & the Goat, Perennial Virant
Posted in Diners, Ratings and Reviews | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 2nd, 2010
* Marina O’Loughlin thinks meeting the chef is as overrated as everything else that’s overrated these days. [The Guardian]
* Can you stay slim if you dine out often? You can if you follow Ed Levine’s three simple tips. [Serious Eats]
* Portland restaurateurs discuss their different approaches to the art of noise in their establishments. [OregonLive.com]
* What should you do when your date orders for you? [Chow]
* Some folks think restaurants discriminate against twentysomething diners. Discuss. [InsideScoopSF]
* You can play games with your kids at a restaurant that don’t involve electronics. [Babble]
* In honor of the 4th of July, here are the Diners’ Bill of Rights. [Journal-Sentinel Online]
Tags: dating, kids, Noise, Portland
Posted in Diners, Etiquette | No Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Detroit Free Press writer Slyvia Rector gathered a list of common complaints diners have when visiting a restaurant. Frankly, I was shocked by what I read. Not because they were controversial, but because they seemed so banal (and petty). The top complaint of all was regarding diners being addressed as “you guys.” While this probably isn’t appropriate (or heard) at a white-tablecloth restaurant, if you’re elsewhere — say at a BBQ joint — is that truly offensive?
Other trespasses include servers who ask if diners need change when they’ve paid their bill, checks that are brought too soon, and the use of “the same dirty cloth all over the dining room.” The first two offenses probably depend on the volume of diners at a restaurant and, again, whether or not it’s a fine-dining establishment. The latter, however, is a problem of perception over reality. Every restaurant I’ve worked at, high and low-end, has had a bevy of bain maries filled with water and bleach, each with towels in them. It may have looked like there was one cloth on duty on any given evening, but, rest assured, there were many and they were returned to their bleach-y water after each use.
I had expected to read more grumbling about prices, portion size, waiting too long for an order to be taken or for food to arrive, lighting — and even temperature. So let’s hear it! What are you biggest complaints when dining out? Shout ‘em out here or share your gripes with your fellow Facebookers.
Tags: check, complaints
Posted in Diners, Etiquette | 5 Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer understands that not every diner can (or wishes to) tolerate noisy restaurants. In his ratings, in fact, you’ll find a special category that addresses noise levels, such as this from his recent review of Ristobar: “Noise rating: BOMB; Too noisy for normal conversation (80+ decibels).” (He very much enjoyed the food, however.) Likewise, Washington Post reviewer Tom Sietsema began rating noise levels in restaurants two years ago, writing, “More than bad food, more than tipping quandaries, more than someone wondering if a free meal should follow a rodent sighting in a dining room, the most frequent concern I get from readers involves loud restaurants.”
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Tags: acoustics, Michael Bauer, Noise, Ristobar, Tom Sietsema
Posted in Diners, Etiquette, trends | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
The folks who run the food and dining section of the Chicago Tribune probably dine out a lot, so it’s not surprising that they’ve got a complaint (or 10) about their fellow diners. Judy Hevrdejs compiled the list, which includes people who linger at a table long after their meal has ended and diners who bring their own salt to a restaurant.
When I was a restaurant worker, I had a lot of complaints about diners. A LOT! As a diner, though, I have just a few, one being people who monopolize the wait staff’s time at the expense of other patrons. You know the people I’m talking about — the ones who ask question after question about the menu, the specials (“What was the first one again? And what did the other one come with?”), or the server’s personal life (“You’re from Texas! How’d you wind up in New York?”), while you wait and wait (and wait) for your check.
What do your fellow restaurant diners do that drives you mad? Has another patron’s behavior ever ruined your dining experience altogether? Tell us about it here or over on Facebook.
Tags: check, Chicago Tribune, complaints, Judy Hevrdejs
Posted in Diners, Etiquette | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
From the “State Your Complaint” files…
* New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo has had enough of pizza mania, small plates, and even smaller snacks at Manhattan restaurants. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the menu this morning. [NY Post]
* A diner accuses wait professionals of sexism, but critic Michael Bauer says her seat — and not her sex — may be the reason she’s not getting the check. [SFGate]
* Phil Vettel’s reader’s react to his list of restaurant flaws. [Chicago Tribune]
* Phil Vettel reacts to bad brunch services. (Can brunch ever be really bad? You’re allowed, heck, even encouraged, to have a cocktail IN THE MORNING!) [Chicago Tribune]
* Eater had previously weighed in on restaurant design trends that need to go the way of microwave cooking. [Eater]
* Diners are feeling squeezed. Literally. [Star Tribune]
Tags: Brunch, Michael Bauer, restaurant design, sexism, Steve Cuozzo
Posted in Critic, Diners, Feedback, Service, trends | No Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
CNN.com recently ran a story about restaurant service with advice from our friend Steve Dublanica, the former professional wait staffer behind the snarky Waiter Rant blog and author of the book Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip — Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (HarperCollins). In it, he provides some tips for being a good patron, including not treating a restaurant as if it’s a day care center (Clean up after your kids.), not requesting an off-menu dish unless you accept the consequences (It might not taste great.), and refraining from showing up sans a reservation yet expecting the best table in the house (Use OpenTable.).
A few diner don’ts that come to my mind are things I’ve seen very recently. First, don’t ask a waiter to go through the entire menu with you. Use your reading comprehension skills and then ask specific questions. I saw a couple make a very patient server walk them through a five-page menu. It took 15 minutes on a busy Saturday night. This was not Daniel, mind you — just a lovely, unpretentious Mexican restaurant with entrees under $20 apiece. Next, if you have a food allergy, ask if certain ingredients are in a particular dish instead of giving your server a graphic explanation of your allergy. S/he probably doesn’t care, and it’s an overshare. Also, if you’re a picky eater, don’t make a face when the server explains the specials and they sound unappetizing to you. It’s not polite. Finally, if you don’t like your meal, speak up immediately (and kindly). Don’t wait until it’s too late to fix it and then simply rant about it later online. Give wait staff and managers an opportunity to serve you something you’ll enjoy.
What are your don’ts for diners when they’re out at restaurants? What have some of your past companions done to drive your server (and you!) crazy during a meal? Share your suggestions and stories here or on our Facebook.
Tags: Daniel, Food allergies, HarperCollins, kids, Mexican, off-menu, server, special, Steve Dublanica, wait staff, waiter, Waiter Rant, Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip -- Confessions of a Cynical Waiter
Posted in Children, Diners, Etiquette, Ratings and Reviews, Reservations, Service | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Tipping has been on my mind a lot lately. Yours, too, judging by the volume of comments we saw on Facebook when we raised the issue — not once, but twice. It’s on my mind again, as Slashfood’s Hanna Raskin reports on a restaurant (not on OpenTable) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that banned a bad tipper. It may sound harsh, but restaurants certainly aren’t the first businesses to fire their clients. In doing so, the restaurant’s management may have felt they were protecting their employees’ interests (and wages!).
What do you think? Did the restaurant go too far in showing the patron the door — permanently? And, did the diner in question go too far by retaining a lawyer? Share your thoughts on this touchy topic here or on Facebook.
Tags: bad tipper, banned, Facebook, gratuities, Hanna Raskin, lawyer, North Carolina, Slashfood, Tipping, Winston-Salem
Posted in Diners, Etiquette, Service | 26 Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
* Will a Twitter campaign take out your least favorite critic? Doubtful, but one tweeter is trying, taking aim at Los Angeles Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila. [Grub Street Los Angeles]
* Phil Vettel stews over restaurant design flaws. I would concur with the oversized menus being a problem. I never know what to do with them if I just want to enjoy a cocktail before ordering but am sitting at a tiny table for two. Suggestions? [The Stew]
* Menus are less-than-appetizing at many restaurants, as far as Baltimore Sun blogger Laura Vozzella is concerned. She doesn’t mention my new pet peeve, which is seeing the word “foraged” on menus (Way too precious and fetish-y for me, thankyouverymuch!). [Dining@Large]
* Restaurant websites come under fire for a few of the right reasons. [Eater PDX]
* Restaurants come under fire for all the wrong reasons, thanks to the Chicago Tribune‘s Christopher Borrelli and his resentment at (GASP!) being treated like a regular (when he is, in fact, a regular). Here’s a bit of free advice, Mr. Borrelli: If you don’t appreciate that restaurants or the barristas at your local Starbucks are able to anticipate what you’ll order, stop ordering the very same thing every time you dine out or grab a coffee. Live a little! Try something new — but not out of spite, because that’s just plain silly. That is all. [Chicago Tribune]
Tags: Baltimore Sun, baristas, Chicago Tribune, Christopher Borrelli, foraged, Grub Street, Laura Vozella, Los Angles Times, Menus, ordering, pet peeve, Phil Vettel, regulars, restaurant design flaws, restaurant websites, S. Irene Virbila, Starbucks, The Stew, tweeter, Twitter
Posted in Critic, Diners, Etiquette, Menus, Service | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Recent restaurant reviews from the news…
* S. Irene Virbila says the menu at Bruce Marder’s House Café in LA has “something for everyone.” [Los Angeles Times]
* Marzano and Garibaldi’s in San Francisco save the day for a large party of diners/fans of Michael Bauer. [SF Gate]
* The Prime Rib Grill by Hereford House in Kansas City bests its predecessor, according to Charles Ferruzza. [The Pitch]
* David Kaufman likes the show at SHO Shaun Hergatt. [Financial Times]
* Just like steak and wine, the Strip House in New York improves with age, says critic Sam Sifton [The New York Times].
Tags: Bruce Marder, Charles Ferruzza, David Kaufman, Financial Times, Garibaldi's, House Café, Kansas City, large groups, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, Marzano, Michael Bauer, New York, S. Irene Virbila, Sam Sifton, San Francisco, SF Gate, SHO Shaun Hergatt, Strip House, The New York Times, The Pitch, The Prime Rib Grill by Hereford House
Posted in Critic, Diners | No Comments »
