Writing Restaurant Reviews

“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.”
James A. Michener (Pulitzer Prize winner, Tales of the South Pacific)
 

A (Very) Brief Guide to Evaluative Writing

The basic breakdown of an evaluative review should include a balance of elementscriteriajudgment, and evidence.

  • Elements: The specific things that you are evaluating (i.e. food, service, restaurant cleanliness, etc.).
  • CriteriaYour ideal version of the element (e.g., extremely spicy food, kind service that isn’t annoyingly persistent, etc.). Criteria may differ for different individuals.
  • Judgment: Whether or not the element accomplished your criteria. Was the element good, bad, or somewhere in between (e.g., the food was bland although the waiter was helpful, etc.)?
  • Evidence: The specific details, observations, or facts that prove your judgment (i.e. the food was very spicy because my mouth burned for hours; the waiters were not very helpful because they seemed to avoid refilling our “endless” shrimp bowls).

Here are some guidelines for writing your review.
Restaurant Reviews and Specific Details

The previous unit emphasized that, often, the major difference between good and bad writing is whether the writer used specific (and sensory) details.

Thus, for this assignment, please do not simply write, “As expected, the expensive barbeque was pretty good,” and move on.

The reason diners enjoy restaurants is, primarily, the food itself. Similarly, the reason your readers enjoy restaurant reviews is the specific descriptions of the food itself. This is the time to break out a thesaurus and use specific, sensory, mouth-watering details to engage your readers!

So, instead, try writing something like, “The aroma of the just-baked bun seemed to heighten the tang of the rich barbeque sauce, cradling the tenderly unctuous, slow-smoked pulled pork. My mouth was watering in anticipation. Each tender bite simply melted in my mouth, melding the depth of flavors in the saucy, succulent pork and soft, pillowy bun.”

Similarly, merely writing that “The enchilada is delicious” would seem vague and might lose points. Instead, use specific, sensory details. Details can help bring your readers into the experience of what it’s like to dine there.

This might be better: “The flavorful Chicken Enchilada offered a blend of rich melted cheeses, layered over rolled corn tortillas, each filled with smokey grilled chicken. All were enveloped in a blended, spicy sauce, made with a melange of several chiles. The authentic recipe transformed every bite into an adventure as the flavors all seemed new to me. Yet, even with the raucous norteño music playing (too loudly) through the restaurant, I saw another smiling diner wipe a tear away from his eyes since every bit was so satisfying.”

Those examples might seem too effusive, but I hope you can see how specific details can help clarify your points.

In this way, you can help your readers “experience” the restaurant without spending a dime (yet). In contrast, if the restaurant is off-putting, then use specific details to showcase your disappointment.

You don’t need a good restaurant to write a great review. But you do need specific details!

Restaurant Reviews: Specifics

When writing a restaurant review, you should blend the criteria, judgment, and evidence seamlessly — while focusing on structuring the review on the *elements (more details on “elements” follow). For example, you might begin by discussing the element of the restaurant’s location, then the atmosphere, then the service, then the appetizers, the main dishes, the desserts, and so on.

Although the elements, criteria, judgment, and evidence should all be in your review, avoid addressing them in these terms. (In other words, avoid using the word “criteria.”)

Attempt to offer a balanced assessment, identifying both the positive and negative elements.

Avoid explicitly stating your criteria unless you have radically different criteria from your audience. For example, you don’t need to tell us that you like clean silverware; everyone does. But you should explain if you like your food extremely spicy, where most readers don’t share this criterion.

When comparing to other restaurants, be sure to compare them within “manageable categories.” In other words, if you go to a steakhouse, compare it to other steakhouses, not to a fast food or Indian restaurant.

You may refer to yourself as “I,” since it is your experience and opinions. But avoid focusing primarily on telling a “narrative” — the story of your evening: “We went in, and then they took our order, and then they brought the food, and then we ate, and then we left.” How would that help your readers? Instead, turn the focus away from you, personally, and your “story,” and direct it toward the restaurant itself.

Help your readers! What should future diners expect? Focus on long-term expectations, not that one waitress seemed out-of-sorts that day. Something like this might be appropriate: “The service seemed a bit slower than expected on the day of our visit, but that may have been due to the unusually large holiday crowds.”

Be sure to include “evidence!” Prove your points to be true!

For example, don’t just say the food was overpriced; rather, say, “The bland, uninspired food was overpriced at $35.00 a plate, whereas a similar — and likely better — meal at The Olive Garden would have only cost $15, and a similar-tasting spaghetti dish, made at home, would have only cost a dollar or two and a few minutes of my time.” See? Be sure to provide the reasons why — and explain why you’ve judged things so.

Toward the end of the essay, offer a conclusion — a short paragraph that wraps up your evaluation. Basically, state whether you recommend this restaurant, offering a short summary of why or why not, based on what you’d written previously.

*Later in this unit, you’ll find a long list of restaurant elements. You don’t have to mention them all, and you may also discuss others not mentioned here.

Remember, it’s an essay primarily about dining. If the bathrooms are filthy, those are the one kind of detail that is better told in summary. Simply note that something like “The facilities would have benefitted from increased attention by the staff,” or something similar.

Finally, try to use appropriate and relevant vocabulary. For instance, people who eat at restaurants are not just “people” or “customers.” They are “diners.” And, they don’t just “eat,” they “dine” at the restaurant — or eatery, bistro, cafe, diner, pizzeria, buffet, deli, cantina, etc.