what words IRRITATE you when reading restaurant reviews?

[glenn1]

"Authentic"

More likely than not, you have no clue what the authentic version of a cuisine actually tastes like. Enjoy what you're eating and stop pretending to be a connoisseur.

"Authentic" translates to "what I think it should taste like." When applied by someone of a different ethnicity, it means "tastes similar to what it did in the first restaurant I ever tried it." When applied by someone of that ethnicity, it means "tastes similar to how my Mom used to prepare it, even if she was a bad cook or it's not traditional at all."

For example, my wife would complain about a particular dish when at Korean restaurants because it wasn't "authentic" although it tasted fine to me (I spent a couple years in Korea in the military long before I met her, so was able to try lots of Korean food at the source). Turns out her Mom used to add a bit of oh-so-authentic Heinz's "Mr. Yoshida's sauce" to the recipe and that's how wifey thought the dish was supposed to taste.

 

[manimal]

Can't say I've ever gotten so emotional over a restaurant review...

this


If you guys want to rage then rage about something interesting. You have probably done more to reintroduce the word DELISH into the vernacular by posting it on ATOT. You are in fact feeding trolls by posting it.

 

[BurnItDwn]

delish would annoy the fvck out of me.

I have no problem with gem if it's applicable. (one good place in a town full of shitty places... uncommonly good)

 

[Fritzo]

"Authentic" translates to "what I think it should taste like." When applied by someone of a different ethnicity, it means "tastes similar to what it did in the first restaurant I ever tried it." When applied by someone of that ethnicity, it means "tastes similar to how my Mom used to prepare it, even if she was a bad cook or it's not traditional at all."

For example, my wife would complain about a particular dish when at Korean restaurants because it wasn't "authentic" although it tasted fine to me (I spent a couple years in Korea in the military long before I met her, so was able to try lots of Korean food at the source). Turns out her Mom used to add a bit of oh-so-authentic Heinz's "Mr. Yoshida's sauce" to the recipe and that's how wifey thought the dish was supposed to taste.

Yeah, authentic is tricky. The person needs to be an expert to make that call. It's good to see their other reviews in those cases.

Truthfully, I don't dive that deep into reviews. I look to see if the majority like it. If so, I'll try it. If not, I avoid it.

 

[Jeff7]

...
"paired"
Oh, you pretentious twit.
...

Pretentious?
Que?

What does "paired" mean in the context of food?

The quivering, ornately presented cylinders of seaweed, rice, and a paste-like roe were bedecked with fanned cucumber. When placed whole in my mouth, what I tasted amidst each opulent morsel's inherently sensual texture were the faint whispers of caviar, foie gras, oyster, and thus...the ocean

A literature major wandered out of his coffee shop.
Barf.




My reviews wouldn't be much different though, albeit on the other end of the spectrum.
"Good pasta, worth the money if you're in the area."
And that'd be it.
If I could plug into a wall socket for a quick recharge, I'd take that route rather than be required to eat constantly.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

"Authentic"

More likely than not, you have no clue what the authentic version of a cuisine actually tastes like. Enjoy what you're eating and stop pretending to be a connoisseur.

Its more of a problem in smaller cities. In the major hubs like NYC, LA, Chicago, I can deal with the word "authentic" but I still take it with a grain of salt.

 

[smackababy]

Nothing in restaurant reviews really irritate me. However, any time I read a product review on Newegg and they rate themselves as a 5 in technology, I automatically know they are retarded and know nothing. It also irritates me that they give low ratings because of shipping or Newegg's price. This is a review of the product, not a review of Newegg's crappy shipping or their customer service. Or, when they buy the wrong thing and then bitch about it. "Bought this HDD and apparently SATA isn't compatible with my Dell I bought in 1995! 1 star."

 

[zinfamous]

I disregard reviews by lushes. If the review discusses wine pairings or more than one drink with dinner then I assume the reviewer has compromised taste buds.

wut?

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

it doesn't help unless you show us your reviews.

the problem is most people are too lazy or don't care to leave a review. take what you can get. it's actually like 1 out of 10 will leave a review unless the owner goes out of their way to get a review. if someone gives you a 1 star review out of spite and your ratings drop below 4 stars it probably hurts to have a yelp at that point.

 

[yuchai]

The only thing that really bugs me with restaurant reviews is when the rating doesn't match the description. Sometimes you see people saying everything was great and then give a 2 or 3 out of 5 rating.

I've also noticed that people who are reviewing something that is not within their own area are generally more critical and give lower ratings, i.e. west coast people not liking the east coast stuff for no reason and vice versa.

 

[ethebubbeth]

Yeah, "artisanal" and "authentic" are the ones that roil my blood the most.

 

[jaedaliu]

The only thing that really bugs me with restaurant reviews is when the rating doesn't match the description. Sometimes you see people saying everything was great and then give a 2 or 3 out of 5 rating.

I've also noticed that people who are reviewing something that is not within their own area are generally more critical and give lower ratings, i.e. west coast people not liking the east coast stuff for no reason and vice versa.

Read a review last night where the reviewer knocked off 1 point because there was a fish tank in the front of the Chinese restaurant. She felt sorry for the poor fish and eels.

 

[CountZero]

Not a single word but a general phrase (especially on yelp):

"If I could give it zero stars I would!"

Well you can't, the lowest is one. That sentiment is pointless. If you could give it zero stars you'd complain that you'd give it negative stars if you could. Stop mentioning you gave it the lowest possible rating and move on to why.