How to Rate a Restaurant Online: Ultimate Guide

It’s not just to show your appreciation or disgust why you should consider rating and reviewing a restaurant. It’s also your own little way to help customers searching for a restaurant make an informed decision.

Rating a restaurant begins with choosing the right restaurant review platform. Typically, a reviewer will have to begin by giving the establishment a number of stars. It’s also a good idea to write out one’s honest and unbiased opinion of the restaurant. In many instances, photos may be uploaded.

In this post, you will learn the basics of rating a restaurant as well as reviewing it using a popular platform.

Star Ratings and Quick Tips on Leaving a Review

Wondering as to what the different number of star ratings mean? Wonder no more — here’s a quick guide on how many star ratings you should provide based on your experience at a restaurant:

• One star: poor. Simply put, there is nothing about the restaurant that you find good. It goes without saying that you don’t recommend it and won’t be coming back to it.

• Two stars: okay. You find a thing or two that’s nice about the establishment, which could be the ambiance, service or food. Alas, that’s not enough to make you visit the restaurant again.

• Three stars: good. There is something about the place that’s agreeable. And it’s exactly because of this why you might consider going back to it the next time the establishment’s name or offering comes to mind.

• Four stars: excellent. Just about everything about the restaurant is great — from the food, staff, service to atmosphere. Needless to say, it’s a place that you highly recommend.

• Five stars: extraordinary. In a nutshell, a five-star restaurant meets your high standards. Everything about the place is commendable, which is why you will keep coming back to it.

Besides giving a restaurant the number of stars you believe it deserves, it’s also a good idea to leave an objective and informative review for the benefit of those who are thinking about visiting the establishment.

The good news is that you have all the details as a result of your first-hand experience. But using them effectively in reviewing a restaurant is very important, too. It’s a good thing that there are not a lot of rules to remember when it comes to leaving a review, and just about anybody can write one that works.

Here are some of the things to keep in mind when writing a restaurant review:

• Perform a quick background check of the establishment.
• Describe the experience in a chronological manner.
• Provide perspective as a customer rather than as a reviewer.
• Include some pertinent information about the restaurant.
• Consider providing both pros and cons.
• Maintain fairness and honesty all the time and at all costs.
• Finish the review with customer recommendations.
• Proofread and edit the restaurant review before submitting it.

7 Restaurant Review Sites and How to Leave a Review

And now we have arrived at the heart of this post — getting to know various platforms for reviewing restaurants as well as the different steps on leaving a rating and review.

Here are some of the most popular of the bunch:

Google My Business

Because Google is the largest search engine there is in cyberspace, it makes perfect sense that you review a restaurant using Google My Business. After all, more than 5% of views on the platform end in a conversion.

Here are the steps to take when reviewing a restaurant on Google My Business:

1. Use Google to search for the establishment.
2. Scroll down on the restaurant’s name.
3. Click “Write a Review”.
4. Sign in via the box that will appear if you’re not yet signed in.
5. Indicate the number of star ratings.
6. Write out your experience and recommendation.
7. Click “Post”.

Facebook

There is no denying that Facebook is the biggest and most popular social media platform around. And that is why leaving a restaurant review on it will allow your star ratings and sentiments to reach more customers.

Let’s check out how easy it is to review an establishment on Facebook:

1. Open Facebook.
2. Look for the restaurant’s Facebook page using the search bar.
3. Click “Reviews” — select “Yes” if you want to recommend the page or “No” if you don’t.
4. Write out your experience and recommendation.
5. Select any of the available tags if you want.
6. Click “Next” to select the audience.
7. Click “Post”.

Yelp

According to statistics, Yelp gets more than 178 million unique users per month. So, in other words, the platform is quite big and popular among business owners and customers alike.

The following are the steps to take if you want to review a restaurant on Yelp:

1. Open Yelp and log into your account if not signed in.
2. Click “Write a Review”.
3. Use the search bar to find the restaurant you wish to review.
4. Click the “Write a Review” button for the establishment.
5. Provide the number of star ratings.
6. Write out your experience and recommendation.
7. Click “Upload”.
8. Click “Post Review”.

Zomato

Formerly known as “Urbanspoon”, Zomato is one of the most popular review sites for restaurants. It isn’t surprising why you should consider leaving a review on it if you want your thoughts to reach a lot of customers.

Here are the simple steps to take on how to review a restaurant on Zomato:

1. Open the Zomato app or website.
2. Log into your account if not signed in.
3. Use the search bar to look for the restaurant you want to rate.
4. Start writing a review by clicking on the notepad icon.
5. Give your desired number of star ratings.
6. Write out your review on the text box that will appear.
7. Click “Submit Dining Review”.

OpenTable

More than 50,000 restaurants are on OpenTable. So, in other words, chances are that the establishment you wish to rate and review is listed on the platform, which is said to seat more than 130 million diners per month:

Take the following steps when reviewing a dining place on OpenTable:

1. If not logged into your OpenTable account, sign in.
2. Click on “My Dining History” on your profile.
3. Find the restaurant’s name under the Past Reservations section.
4. Click “Write a Review”.
5. Rate your experience based on various categories by giving your preferred number of star ratings.
6. Click the “Next Button”.
7. Click “Skip This Step” if you want to skip other categories.
8. Write out your experience.
9. Decide whether or not you would recommend it to a friend.
10. Upload photos if desired.
11. Click “Submit This Review”.

Foursquare

The vast majority of Foursquare visitors access the online platform in order to discover restaurants and read reviews in order to determine whether or not visiting a particular place would be worth their time and money.

Here are the steps to take if you wish to leave a Foursquare review:

1. Log into your Foursquare account.
2. Search for the establishment using the search bar.
3. Rate the restaurant by choosing any of the three icons — heart, neutral face and broken heart.
4. Write out your experience in the box that says “Leave tips for others”.
5. If preferred, upload a photo by clicking the camera icon.
6. Click “Post”.

TripAdvisor

As the name suggests, TripAdvisor is a place in cyberspace where just about anything related to travel is reviewed, and restaurants all over the globe are included — many use the platform to search for local restaurants.

Take the following steps if you want to review a restaurant listed on TripAdvisor:

1. Open TripAdvisor and log into your account if not signed in.
2. Click the search icon.
3. Write the name of the restaurant.
4. Select the geographical location of the establishment and click “Search”.
5. Under the Reviews section, Click “Write a Review”.
6. Indicate the desired rating.
7. Provide a title and write out your review.
8. Select the type of visit and visit date and answer the questions.
9. Upload images if desired.
10. Click “Submit Your Review”.

Just Before You Leave a Restaurant Rating

Thanks to the many different restaurant review sites on the internet, it can be quick and easy to share your thoughts on a restaurant you recently visited. If you are happy with the experience, giving the establishment a high star rating and a positive review can help it flourish.

But if you are unhappy with the experience, leaving a review can help save others from having the same fate.

Above, we talked about the simple steps on how to rate a restaurant using various platforms. No matter the site of your preference, always remain informative, honest, unbiased and objective.

Related Questions

How long should you wait before reviewing a restaurant?

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to review a restaurant as soon as possible. This gives the reviewer the chance to write the most honest and objective review as the entire experience is still fresh. Leaving a review several months or even a year after may compromise relevancy.

Can you get sued for a negative restaurant review?

The Consumer Review Fairness Act (CRFA), which protects the ability of consumers to share their opinions about a business, provides plenty of room for business owners to sue an individual or a rival business for giving false and defamatory statements about them and/or their venture.