Yelp Reviews Worth Reading?

You either love it or you hate it, while the average diner love the usefulness that Yelp brings in helping decide where to dine by the "amateur" reviews, professionals in the food/restaurant industry hate it. I hate to say this, but aren't all reviews pretty much subjective anyway? I'm a consistent contributor of Yelp and have found it very useful when searching for places to go, so I may have a bias opinion about it. But every time I read an article about a celebrity, a restaurant owner or other professionals in the industry slamming Yelp, the reviews and its users, it makes me laugh because as an average diner with no professional training in...food tasting, I suppose, I try to shy away from the experts' reviews. Why? Well, because I know they don't have the same palate as me. While their distinct palate may seek amazing and exotic flavors, mine is pretty bland and boring. I absolutely love Taiwanese food because I grew up eating it, so what I crave and feel is authentic Taiwanese food may not be to a world famous Chef growing up eating burgers, pizzas and pasta.

While I don't go around putting down reviews of those who are trained to know everything about food, I definitely don't dismiss them either. Every once in awhile I may try to act fancy and splurge a little, spending $80 on a meal at restaurants offering specialty dishes like foie gras, daurade, and beef hangar steak and sometimes still walking out with an empty feeling of hunger. I still consider their opinion very valuable, it's just not as valuable to my wallet. So I use Yelp to help me find those cheap little hole in the wall places that I can afford more frequently based on the reviews of those just like me. There are more people out there who share the same taste and experiences as me and will value my reviews on Yelp, whether good or bad, and vice versa. And hey, sometimes just getting tips from other Yelpers, like where to park or what the happy hours are, is beneficial.

She may not be an expert but her opinion matters to me

As a Yelp user, you do get the opportunity to attend events hosted by Yelp, sometimes to be the guinea pig of a new restaurant opening or a new musical performing at the theater, so there are some perks to be a part of the Yelp community. Even though it's a place to voice your opinions and experiences, it is essentially a place to meet and socialize with others locally.

Yelp LA's Atlantic City Boardwalk Empire Event

So we may not be "qualified" to review restaurants, I wouldn't call Yelpers morons just because we have a voice and it's sometimes worth reading.