# Foodies that post bad review and don't know what there talking about?



## jgraeff

Hey Guys,

we were talking about this last night at work and i have seen it happen at every place i have worked at whether good or bad. 

But the "foodie" customers that come in, judge all the food, ambiance etc, make judgments, then write a negative online review without ever mentioning a word while at the restaurant. 

I mean i am all for people writing a bad review if you get bad service and if you get food that was overall not good, its when they go into detail like discrediting the chefs and recipes when they don't even have accurate information. 

For example there was a review written for a restaurant i worked at about the truffle mac and cheese and how the sour cream is over powering and disgusting, there wasn't even sour cream in the recipe. I mean if they dont like it why not send it back? or simply put the mac and cheese was not very good or bland etc. 

What do you guys think? Just curious as to what others opinions on this are? The consensus was the same as mine but we all work in the kitchen.


----------



## cschoedler

This really gets under my skin. There is a lady in charleston who trashes 90% of the places she eats in for one thing or another and she doesn't have a clue what she's talking about. Because she set up a fancy blog urbanspoon gave her the title of top food blogger in chucktown. I wish there was a website that let restaurants review foodies/bloggers/urbanspooning/yelpers


----------



## panda

that seems to be the case in pretty much reviews of ANYTHING. pretentious people who don't actually know what they're talking about just jabbering on. i freaking hate foodies, they're so full of **** and have poor taste anyway.


----------



## Jmadams13

Watch Real Actors Read Yelp Reviews, makes all those bad reviewers look like morons,lol. 

We recently had on say their meal was ruiened by "our" trash out the window. It was garage day, and the trash was clearly our neighbors, as the only windows by seats look out across the street. This same guy reviewed the local Starbucks and said he wasn't going to go back because the barista had a visable tattoo. 

We also had someone state in a review that they wouldn't be coming back because our bread is not vegan, but then later say that the only enjoyable part of the meal was the 5 spice crusted duck breast. Can't let it get to you, and just laugh about it. 

The only people who actually complain during their meal here are people who know even less. Like our "spicy red curry chicken" is not real curry, or our chicken breast "tastes" like its not free range. I love food blogs, I read about a dozen regularly, but I think they also give some people an idea in their heads that they are gods gift to food or some crap like that. 

Yelp is crap, and urbanspoon isn't that much better. Can't say to much bad about urbanspoon though, we are #6 in PA and #1 in Hanover, lol. But even then, our bad reviews are hilarious. 

BTW, or chicken is free range, lol.


----------



## Slypig5000

I think some people are negative and it just shows through in everything, including their reviews. But I think the foodies that give the worst reviews are people who think to be discerning is to be super critical, which is really missinformed.


----------



## Lefty

It's pretty ironic that I, at times, hate reading blogs/reviews, because I gladly do the odd review and obviously post a lot on here. However, while I love food and I love that food's boundaries have been pushed, I can't help but think TV, the Internet and the ability to be read worldwide, even if you are uneducated on a topic has really made restaurants and food culture go a bit nuts. I don't need to eat chili threads or foams nor do I have to have a spiced cappuccino (I made that one up, but it makes sense when you think about food science). I miss regular old food, and I think a big part of why I like the chefs I do...celebrity or not. It's funny, I follow Graham Elliot on Instagram and find I love his non-food pictures and get irritated by his food pics. Meh, maybe I'm grumpy.


----------



## ThEoRy

A real conversation I had after a shift while I was leaving with my knife kit.


Them: "Ooh look here's one of the chefs."

Them: "Excuse me, hi we just wanted to thank you for such a great meal."

Me: "Oh that's no problem at all it's our pleasure really."

T: "Everything was so wonderful really and you know our daughter is quite the foodie too!"

M: "Well I'm glad you enjoyed everything, that makes it all worth it for us."

Daughter: "Actually, I had a question about the scallops."

M: thinking "Oh boy here we go with the foodie ****."

D: "What was the thinking behind putting the scallops and the squash together? Don't you think putting two sweet items together is a bit much?"

M: "Well, the squash were sauteed with roasted tomatoes, eggplant, kalamata olives, capers and a bit of anchovy so it was almost like a deconstructed ratatouille puttanesca. I thought there was a good balance between acidity, sweetness, salty and savory."

D: "I don't know, just the thought of squash with scallops doesn't seem like a good idea to begin with. They're both just too sweet."

M: Realizing I can't win with the all knowing foodie "Well I'm sorry about that, I guess we can't win them all. I'll be sure to tell the Chef and I hope the next time you join us your meal will be more to your satisfaction."

D: "As long as you don't put the scallops with the squash anymore I think I'll be fine."

M: "Well have a great night and thanks for the feedback."

T: "Thank you so much! Five out of six ain't bad hahahaha"

**** you *****! Whoever invented the word foodie can go **** themselves too!


----------



## JBroida

this is why i take pictures of the food and reserve comment... also, it helps that i just love food in general... not much to complain about for the most part


----------



## stereo.pete

JBroida said:


> this is why i take pictures of the food and reserve comment... also, it helps that i just love food in general... not much to complain about for the most part



Ditto!


----------



## rahimlee54

I blame Iron Chef and Jeffery Stiengarten :biggrin:. I can't imagine why average people would try go give tips to people that cook for hours on end daily for hundreds of people. The usual problem I see with online reviews is lack of ingredient knowledge, and the unrealistic expectations that come with that.


----------



## pumbaa

We get it all the time at work. People have no idea of the ingredients contained in a dish and complain about this. Our osso bucco at work is pork shank and clearly states so...review said it was the worst veal he had ever had-i would hope so. My last job a person said that the roasted beat salad was too earthy....really? have you had a beet before?


----------



## ecchef

ThEoRy said:


> **** you *****! Whoever invented the word foodie can go **** themselves too!



Couldn't agree more Rick. The audacity of some of these schmucks is unbelievable. But I guess that's what happens in a society where everybody is encouraged to believe that they're exceptional, unique individuals whose opinions really matter and deserve to be heard...by everyone. 
I wonder if prostitutes have to deal with this crap in their industry? :scratchhead:


----------



## heldentenor

It's much, much easier in our society to acquire the pittance of knowledge necessary to destroy things than it is to work to obtain the depth of understanding necessary to create them. Ask the freshmen in college who are "empowered" by universities to critique their professors' grasp of their subjects. 

At the end of the day, we'd all like to feel a semblance of control over our world--and in the world of Yelp and Twitter, that comes easier through vomiting our preferences at all and sundry than it does from actually creating anything. 

I'm going to find some Scotch...


----------



## jared08

@HELDENTENOR-- words of wisdom. well put my man


----------



## sachem allison

ecchef said:


> Couldn't agree more Rick. The audacity of some of these schmucks is unbelievable. But I guess that's what happens in a society where everybody is encouraged to believe that they're exceptional, unique individuals whose opinions really matter and deserve to be heard...by everyone.
> I wonder if prostitutes have to deal with this crap in their industry? :scratchhead:



We are whores, remember!


----------



## Lucretia

sachem allison said:


> We are whores, remember!



The trick is finding a position where you can be a high priced call girl rather than a crack whore. 

If that girl comes in again, tell her she should wear her hair in a long ponytail so that you have a handle to use when you try to pull her head out of her butt.


----------



## sachem allison

That's alright. I had six people yesterday return the spicy vegetarian chili because they didn't know it was going to be spicy. It clearly says spicy vegetarian chili stewed with chipotle chilies. This is spicy! idiot New Yorkers. Like my cook says," its called chili for a reason and not chilly for a reason."


----------



## slowtyper

Its laughable how wrong people are. And how strongly they assert their wrong opinions. 

Even worse I find are food critics. Its amazing how many things they get wrong. The place I work at now has had a few articles written recently, positive reviews, but their facts and descriptions are so off. And this is AFTER multiple fact checking emails and calls. It amazes me how people have no idea what they eat, especially when they are eating it for a living. Bunch of idiots


----------



## slowtyper

ecchef said:


> I wonder if prostitutes have to deal with this crap in their industry? :scratchhead:



There are definitely review boards for prostitues. I have the feeling they deal with the same thing.


----------



## panda

restaurant rated #1 - reviewer comments about their worst dish saying it's the best they've ever had talking about **** that's not even relevant to food quality.
restaurant rated #50 - reviewer comments about their best dish that everybody goes there for and says it's the worst theyve ever had because it's not rated high talking about aspects/flavor profiles that aren't even in the dish.

end of story.


----------



## Salty dog

Also, not all reviews are posted. If you have an established history of reviews you're more likely to have one published. Which just reinforces the douche bags ego. I don't read the crap but my daughter does.

We had a recent review where the dude gave us a thumbs down. Out of everything served to that four top he didn't like his T-bone. "he only liked half of the steak and didn't like the rest". Hello! Order the filet! Everything else was good. The kicker is one of the couples at the table were in again the next weekend? After reading the review we figured out who the server was, what night they were in and what table they sat at. Looked up their order, looked at the times each course was fired, checked credit card transaction (20% tip) and reservation. We know who they are. We try and track all of our reviewers.


----------



## slowtyper

big brother is watching


----------



## WildBoar

...and he has a lot of very sharp knives.


----------



## Miles

Welcome to the democratization of the media. You no longer have to have any training as a writer or any expertise in the topics about which you write. The only requirements for entry: ego and a computer. ullhair:ullhair:ullhair:ullhair:


----------



## mhlee

I agree with everything being written, and I'm not a food pro. My only real professional food experience was retail seafood for a couple of years, but, during that time, I literally cut and sold tons of seafood. I got to cut, handle, sell, and, especially, eat some really amazing seafood, including a lot of sashimi grade stuff like Boston Bluefin, Washington Mirugai, Santa Barbara Uni, California Halibut and Albacore, as well as a ton of California King Salmon, Dungeness Crab, Ling Cod, Rock Cod, etc. 

So, now, when I see a sushi bar review with crap like "my favorite is salmon", the fish "melts in your mouth", "I love the spicy mayo sauce", I just laugh. I think to myself, "You super douchey people have never gone fishing, gutted a fish, or even bothered to get your manicured fingers within anything remotely close to a whole fish, never gone to Japan or read anything serious about sushi, and probably will never cut a really nice piece of fish in your life. Shut up." 

I used to Yelp to give props to my favorite restaurants. Now, I don't bother. I'd rather not have more people go to my favorite restaurants because they read my Yelp review and then give a middle of the road review because they don't know *** they're talking about. I don't want the ignorance of a reviewer to hurt the reputation of a restaurant I like. 

Likewise, I really only feel comfortable talking about things I have personal knowledge of (or personally researched and taken the time to learn), but like a number of members have pointed out, "foodies" who have just a little knowledge, think they have to right to spout off like they're experts. Kind of like people who watch Law & Order and think they know enough about the law to question what a real lawyer would do. 

Personally, I don't even like using the word "foodie." Most "foodies" I know don't even cook. They're poseurs. So, when I tell people that I really enjoy food, etc., and they ask, "So you're a foodie?" My response is, "No." I'm a "home cook."


----------



## DWSmith

Not only do they complain about your food and service, they also think they are woodworking experts as well. I will get several each year who know they are experts and don't mind voicing an opinion, even if it is wrong.


----------



## WildBoar

We joined the local SlowFood chapter a couple years ago. We attended a couple events, and almost everyone we talked with rarely cooked, and used the group mainly for eating get-togethers. One function was a 'snout to tail' that only had dishes made from shoulder/ butt and the belly; nothing north or south of there. Listening to some of the comments people made about the food was pretty disappointing. Most thought pork belly was pushing the envelope. As a whole they push for educating children on good eating habits, but the lack of food knowledge of the average event attendee was a surprise. and no one we talked to even had a veg garden.


----------



## Sambal

mhlee said:


> Likewise, I really only feel comfortable talking about things I have personal knowledge of (or personally researched and taken the time to learn), but like a number of members have pointed out, "foodies" who have just a little knowledge, think they have to right to spout off like they're experts. Kind of like people who watch Law & Order and think they know enough about the law to question what a real lawyer would do.
> 
> Personally, I don't even like using the word "foodie." Most "foodies" I know don't even cook. They're poseurs. So, when I tell people that I really enjoy food, etc., and they ask, "So you're a foodie?" My response is, "No." I'm a "home cook."




Couldn't agree more Michael! The anti-social media have given rise to a multitude of instant experts with bloated 'hero' personalities but matched with dismal and paltry skills, experience, taste and good ol' common sense. This is taken out of context but I'm reminded often by Zappa's "Your mouth is your religion . . . you put your faith in a hole like that!"

The other side of the coin when 'celebrity' chefs and restaurants get raves entirely on their reputation, gets up my nose too.


----------



## mr drinky

The transaction cost of communicating displeasure in this day and age is zero. It's unfortunate, but D-bag restaurant reviews will continue...until Salty's Star Chamber hunts enough of them down to make a difference that is. 

k.


----------



## tkern

mr drinky said:


> The transaction cost of communicating displeasure in this day and age is zero. It's unfortunate, but D-bag restaurant reviews will continue...until Salty's Star Chamber hunts enough of them down to make a difference that is.
> 
> k.



First rule about Star Chamber: You don't talk about Star Chamber.


----------



## Crothcipt

lol we recently had a reviewer go on how our floor was trashed and needs to be re done. All though the building is over 100 yrs. old and there is quite a few things that is original, the floor being one of them. Also it is against the law for us to do anything with it. I don't mind the fact he had poor service, (we do) or he didn't like the beer. But 3 paragraphs on the "historical" floor was just wrong.

Last weekend we had a person ask to make sure sure our seasonings had no msg in anything. They ordered a salad with soy sauce made in the dressing so we didn't send it out. You could hear them screaming at the waitress in the kitchen.


----------



## jaybett

The line that always gets me is this food isn't authentic or real. Typically the review goes, I grew up or lived in, (Fill in country or state) and they would never, make, serve, anything like this. The best version I heard of this line came from a young lady in Mexico, who was trying to tell our group that tacos were not authentic Mexican food. We thought she meant hard shell tacos from the states, but no it was all tacos. In the end it turned out, the young lady was from Southern Mexico, and tacos were not common.

Jay


----------



## Zwiefel

jaybett said:


> The line that always gets me is this food isn't authentic or real.



I have come to hate the word authentic, particularly in the context of food. I never use it. I usually say, "traditional" or "typical" and try to contextualize that to "home cooking" or a given region/time period/style/etc. Authentic has come to imply anything else is "fake" or "constructed"...instead of just different from what they are used to. Seeing this word in any review (well, nearly any context actually) will cause me to regard the entire review much more skeptically.


----------



## Larrin

I may have a somewhat different point of view on this topic. I see Yelp and food bloggers as a necessary evil. I have little ability otherwise to determine where I should go to eat (without trying it of course). I'm poor so I don't want to waste my time and money. However, in my experience, Yelp reviews tend to be written by hipsters, and once a few good reviews come in the typical path is for the positive reviews to continue to pile on. Because they're hipsters, they hate all chain restaurants, even if the food is good. They also congregate around the restaurants that everybody else has already said are good. I'm often disappointed by the food I end up getting. I'm not talking about any real food reviewing or criticism. I'm just talking about food that isn't even that good.


----------



## MadMel

As someone who works on the line myself, I do get irritated by reviews that focus too much on what is being done in the kitchen to the ingredients and/or what is or is not in the dish. I believe that reviews, if written, has to focus on the taste and overall appeal of the dish, and be free of personal preferences. If personal preferences are included, it has to be stated as such. I do write reviews on occasion but only if the meal was memorable, weather in positively or otherwise.


----------



## scott.livesey

hope it is ok to continue this thead. I am not a foodie, I just like good food. And I think Top Chef and Iron Chef and related shows miss the point sometimes.
i am an old sailor, so i have had pizza in Naples, Gyros in Rhodes,Greece, Lau Lau in Honolulu. I have also gone 35 days when all that was served morning, noon and night was variations of ground beef and tomato sauce.
I don't eat out often. When I do, I want food that is better than what I cook at home. And I would like the basic stuff done right. Don't serve me 5 hour old baked potato or iceberg lettuce that is brown or gravy that tastes like it just came out of the can. 
Something I have found is small restaurants run by people serving their native cuisine usually serve the best product.


----------



## shankster

Anyone who even calls themselves a "foodie" should be regarded as an ass-hat and completely ignored..I hate that term


----------



## WildBoar

From what I have been able to tell, most people who call themselves 'foodies' eat out all the time, and have no idea what it takes to actually cook something. We met a couple like that at a friend's house a couple weeks back. They had lots of 'atta boys' and critiques of numerous area restaurants, and had almost nothing to offer about what they cook themselves. It's kinda weird.


----------



## SpikeC

I am a Foodist.


----------



## mr drinky

I don't care for the term 'foodie' any more, but it used to fine IMO. Foodie used to refer to people who were passionate about food (growing, cooking, eating) and now it often refers more to hipster restaurant goers. Before that it was 'gourmet' which no one uses anymore. All food-related names and words eventually 'go bad' once they become overused and misused. Farm-to-table used to mean something, but now it is a cliche -- though the concept of sourcing food directly from farms has merit. Molecular gastronomy had its day, and now is out of favor. Even basic terms like 'ingredients' are getting trivialized. If someone says, "Let the ingredients shine" one more time I am going to vomit in my mouth and then spit it at them. Even glorious bacon is becoming cliched. Every hack cook somehow feels they sound more intelligent and cool if they proclaim: "everything is better with bacon." Fcuk them. It is now quite easy to find dishes made much worse by bacon. It doesn't mean I don't love bacon (I do) and bacon often makes dishes better, but that is beside the point; it is becoming a food cliche and is now being used in ways that makes things worse.

So we are left to find substitutes and eventually we end up calling things differently and start the cycle all over again. With today's food entertainment industry in full swing, the shelf life for a catchy food concept or term is not very long -- as it quickly gets misused and adapted into some faux cooking show with crap happy 'cooks'. The velocity in which terms come and go now, seems to be quicker, and you could even see Bourdain struggling with terms in his last few seasons of No Reservations. After a while it seemed as if he just gave up and went back to calling people douche bags. That's ok by me. Foodies are douche bags, unless they are the foodies who like to seriously cook and own cool knives, then they are ok -- oh, but wait -- maybe they are using some knives that are no longer in style. I don't know anymore. 

k.


----------



## Jmadams13

I used to call myself a foodie 15 years ago, until I starting making food for a living... I was a beer snob until I started brewing for a living... Can I start calling myself a rum snob? Wait a minuet, we are starting to distill.... I'm screwed, lol


----------



## TamanegiKin

mhlee said:


> So, now, when I see a sushi bar review with crap like "my favorite is salmon", the fish "melts in your mouth", "I love the spicy mayo sauce", I just laugh. I think to myself, "You super douchey people have never gone fishing, gutted a fish, or even bothered to get your manicured fingers within anything remotely close to a whole fish, never gone to Japan or read anything serious about sushi, and probably will never cut a really nice piece of fish in your life. Shut up."



Sushi bar reviews are some of the best! We had someone walk out recently in outrage that we didn't have any deep fried or baked rolls.
They thought we were messing with them lol. I fully expect them to Yelp it and say "won't be back" haha.


----------



## ecchef

mr drinky said:


> So we are left to find substitutes and eventually we end up calling things differently and start the cycle all over again. k.



Sad to say just like every other aspect of American society.  

Karring, your whole post is absolutely spot on and I couldn't agree more.


----------

