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It's a Matter of Taste
updated: Sep 23, 2012, 7:07 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

There are a few sites online but they seem to be a collection of random "patrons" and I'd love to read reviews from someone who knows what they are doing as most other cities have. Any ideas?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 323426	2012-09-23 07:18 PM
Avoid any sites that use the words "awesome" or "amazing" when describing a restaurant. Hello yelp? Santa Barbara Dining is fairly good if you discard all the "awesome" and "amazing" posts and stick to those who know how to describe food.
COMMENT 323433	2012-09-23 07:31 PM
Yelp is better than any individual restaurant critic -- why depend upon the opinion of one random person when the community comments on Yelp give a much more democratic and fair assessment of any restaurant?
COMMENT 323435	2012-09-23 07:35 PM
Yelp is full of people with agendas, too. Not to mention the fact that you're relying on reviews from people who may not know the first thing about food or restaurants like a real critic. How can you depend on a review from someone who might think Olive Garden is great? I don't think there's anyone truly independent in town. :(
COMMENT 323438P	2012-09-23 07:39 PM
I received horridly bad service at a restaurant here in town (will remain unnamed), and I posted a legitimate review on Yelp that described the evening play-by-play, and it was "suppressed" by Yelp -- I wouldn't trust Yelp as far as you could throw it.
COMMENT 323441	2012-09-23 07:49 PM
There are many websites devoted to deleting reviews that have been posted on Yelp, VRBO, Angies List,etc. etc. by "Joe Public" that business owners use, to erase bad comments and reviews...I never trust Yelp reviews unless pictures are attached, to document the offense, such as filthy hotel rooms or bugs in food..eeek.
COMMENT 323443P	2012-09-23 07:52 PM
chowhound.com for chowhounds by chowhounds. posuers are quickly exposed and banished. no owner shills or responses allowed.
COMMENT 323444	2012-09-23 07:55 PM
There you have it .Edhat critics.They even criticize the critics.
COMMENT 323445	2012-09-23 07:56 PM
santabarbara dot com is a great way to learn about what restaurants are in SB and what people think. It is my go to site for when I want to try someplace new.
COMMENT 323454	2012-09-23 08:04 PM
Ok then, there is actually no way to trust any online reviews, as they mostly aren't real critics. I guess the answer is, "there is no resource for you."
COMMENT 323457	2012-09-23 08:06 PM
444, why not criticize critics? Are they immune to criticism?
CAPTAIN HALEY	2012-09-23 08:33 PM
The Restaurant Guy: http://www.santabarbara.com/dining/news/
COMMENT 323478	2012-09-23 08:46 PM
What about subscription-based Nippers and Arthur von Wiesenberger? Is that still going? He lost my interest and any credibility he might have had by co-publishing the News Distress with Ms. Wendy. But maybe there are other better informed opinions on that? Agree with 445 that John Dickson's SB dot com provides useful leads if you simply knock off one or two stars since the excellence bar is set so low by most contributors.
COMMENT 323479	2012-09-23 08:51 PM
Oof. I never knew that about Yelp, that any reviews could be "suppressed." I don't think the Restaurant Guy does anything but relay other diners' likes and dislikes. He is not a gourmand himself, that's well known. Still, the reviews by locals, if not "suppressed," should help if all you're trying to do is find good food and good service. I know I and my s.o. have had some disappointing meals lately, and all at places that have been in town for decades. It's all sort of "catch as catch can" of late. 436: at least give us the initials of the restaurant. So curious.
COMMENT 323484P	2012-09-23 09:12 PM
SB has restaurants worth critiquing? I did not know that. Do tell, which ones?
COMMENT 323493	2012-09-23 10:49 PM
I trust Yelp with a grain of salt. If you become familiar with the service and pay attention to the types of people that are reviewing it, I think you can find some gems. I have yet to be steered wrong when utilizing Yelp reviews. There has yet to be a time when a place was rated highly and I received terrible service. I personally post mostly favorable reviews and try to limit my review to that specific experience, but the negative reviews I've written have never been suppressed. Sad to hear such a potentially great service is being ruined in such a manner.
COMMENT 323494P	2012-09-23 11:07 PM
438P here again: What I believe is going on with Yelp involves a mixture of the following criteria: 1) A sprinkling of legitimate reviews, 2) a healthy dose of business owners pushing "awesome" reviews for a fee paid to Yelp and 3) Good old fashioned back end censoring. I know how review software works, and it's not uncommon for businesses to bury and/or suppress unfavorable reviews. My advice? You'll just have to plunk down the cash and visit the reastaurant in real time.
COMMENT 323497P	2012-09-24 06:17 AM
@478: VonWeaselberger? Are you kidding? "Nipper's" alleged reviews are completely biased and pretentious. The last time I trusted a VonCheeselberger review I thought he and I must have been at completely different restaurants. I agree completely with @445 about John Dickson's website. I'd trust the public over any one reviewer.
COMMENT 323511	2012-09-24 07:35 AM
Give it a go yourself and let SB know what you think. Pass your cash around. Everyone seems to have an agenda or they're a bunch of lurkers who gab about anonymously.
COMMENT 323514	2012-09-24 07:56 AM
Most SB restaurants are okay. A few are quite good. I agree, spread your money and dining experience around because most restaurants offer something on the menu that you will find worth the time and expense. Sometimes you just want to eat and sometimes you want to celebrate and dine - there is something for everyone around here. I can only think of one that I will never go back to because of its inferior food and unexpected high prices but what should one expect when they offer fish with a CocaCola marinade, but its remains quite popular so that is clearly a matter of personal taste. The Friday Scene section of the NewsPress has a credible restaurant writer who gives it a legitimate shot. Apparently the new Maggie's restaurant that took over State and A got yelp to pull its first rather devastatingly bad reviews.
COMMENT 323526	2012-09-24 08:34 AM
I'd rather read many reviews from various people and make a conclusion than a single review from a single person who had a single meal. Since restaurants can be hit or miss depending on the cook, the staff, the night, the meal...reading through a number of reviews give one a better view. If you read many bad reviews about things like service or cleanliness or freshness, you can assume that the place has an issue. If you read a single bad review among many good ones you can assume someone has an axe to grind or had a bad experience. Professional reviews are self centered and tend to focus on things that most people dont notice or care about. Read Yelp but read through all the reviews. You'll gain a pretty good view into the potential of a place. But like EdHat you have to take it all with a grain of salt.
COMMENT 323527P	2012-09-24 08:35 AM
The best tired and true way: If you need to wait to get a seat, or ir there is a line coming out the door, or if it looks like you can't find a place to park around the joint, then it is probably a good restaurant.
COMMENT 323534	2012-09-24 08:58 AM
Reading yelp is nauseating. They are nothing more than junk food reviews. The literary equivalent of GMO. Toxic to the appetite with their surfeit of awesomes and amazings. Dining well is not about waiting in long lines and choosing places that are hyper-busy. No decent restaurant with that level of mass appeal is that good. That would be reason enough to stay away. Mobs rarely show discernment; just the opposite. More celebrity worship is in play than actual dining discrimination. With today's flash mob phenomenon, even more reason to distrust this as appropriate criteria.
NMEYER	2012-09-24 09:02 AM
Yelp is a classic scam operation that unfairly filters (deletes) authentic reviews written by truthful customers, and allows damaging, vindictive, and untruthful reviews by "others". I contacted Yelp regarding this matter when it happened to our business (serving the community for over 32 years). Their response was unbelievable...and the "fabricated", repetitive review in question was allowed to remain. After speaking with many other business owners who have the same concerns, we are certain that if we were advertising with Yelp - the end result would have been much different.
COMMENT 323542	2012-09-24 09:11 AM
NMEYER, So because you dont agree with the reviews you think they're manufactured or controlled or edited? Yelp probably has 1m reviews a day (probably more like 5) and you think they bury certain ones? Now that's fresh. So there is no way that your food or service sucked or left people disappointed? HA! No, according to you its Yelp and its a conspiracy to undermine you and your business... too funny, too funny. Perhaps you should consider the reviews and make some changes to your business. That would be smart.
COMMENT 323548	2012-09-24 09:27 AM
You are right to take NO stock in the reviews. I questioned a "food cretic" about a write up he did on a restaurant that was BOASTING a Certified Master Chef Barbacue that was the exective chef. When informed that there is NO such title or position with ACF(American Culinary Federation) the governing body he admited that he just prints what the restaurant owner or person tells him. We tried the place before the write up and found that the food was pre cooked and frozen then just heated some what some of the meat was still cold in the middle. I have had better ribs from Ralphs take out for less money. I do not belive any local or on line critic.I wont go into the want a be service. I now try the restaurant and critic them my self on the food , service, and cost. Most fall in to the old addage there are three thing but you can only have two. quick, fast, cheep. But
GRANNYFRANNY	2012-09-24 09:42 AM
My favorite accurate review of SB restaurants was a one-liner from One Who Should Know: Julia Child said, when questioned about the local eateries: "I have found them to be perfectly nice." Now that's damning with faint praise!
COMMENT 323570	2012-09-24 10:09 AM
A book was just reviewed (Wall Street Journal?) recounting how the author made a nice living for years writing book reviews for money, later paying others to write reviews for various websites. He claimed that 60% of the reviews on the Internet were phoney. When you read reviews on Amazon and other places, doesn't it seem odd that most are well written, literate, positive reviews? Once in a while you "reed a revu ritten buy a reel riter" who demonstrates the writing skills of the general public. While I don't necessarily trust those either, they seem more likely to be real.
COMMENT 323571	2012-09-24 10:09 AM
"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Couldn't be more true than in evaluating a restaurant. I couldn't care less about the thoughts or opinions of others where such a subjective evaluation is the only option. My own (and only my own) tastebuds are the true "arbiters of taste" where restaurants are concerned. I will try for myself and then decide. All should heed such sage advice.
AQUAHOLIC	2012-09-24 10:10 AM
@GRANNYFANNY....that's a great quote! I think Julia became much less discerning in her older years. I used to see her enjoying, and she confessed to same, the Costco hotdog on occasion! The only real local source would be The Restaurant Guys blog and the rare occasion when LA Times critic Irene Virbila pays a visit to one of our restaurants.
YIN YANG	2012-09-24 10:34 AM
"The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy" NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/business/book-reviewers-for-hire-meet-a-demand-for-online-raves.html?pagewanted=all Enlightening!
COMMENT 323594	2012-09-24 10:55 AM
John Dickson
COMMENT 323604	2012-09-24 11:24 AM
John Dickson and your own opinion. If you don't like a place, don't return and if you do, go often.
COMMENT 323616	2012-09-24 01:01 PM
Oh Adam Platt...see there's a need for your tremendous services here...the weather's better...the food, alas, is what it is.
COMMENT 323648	2012-09-24 03:30 PM
John Dickson (The Restaurant Guy) is not a food critic - he says this himself. He got the label ages ago when the website dining section took off & he set up a reviewing system & had the Daily Sound column on what was going on (openings/closings/rumors) in the local eateries. That said, I actually pay more attention to his listing of restaurants & his blog than anything else. But I'm also not very discerning. I do like Olive Garden, after all (mmm, bread sticks...). No professional food critics in SB - although if you tell me where I can go to get certified so I can get a job to eat, I'm more than welcome to become the new local critic.
COMMENT 323700P	2012-09-24 04:56 PM
Restaurant Reviews? By someone who "knows what he's doing"? :-) Most big cites have one? -- Really knows? If you step out of the box and see all of the factors involved in judging the quality of a restaurant's overall product, you find almost endless factors. There is no disputing taste. One man's meat is another man's poison. To err is human. If you are seeking the products of million dollar research kitchens and the best taste tasters money can buy, go pop the can of any of Campbell's soups. Restaurant Reviews? What meal? Breakfast, lunch or dinner? What price? $1.50 for a BigMac today, Mondays? Fifty (50) times as much ($75.00) for a Biltmore Brunch yesterday? [You can get 4+ MigMacs for the tax on the Biltmore Brunch and about ten Big Macs for a good tip.] Restaurant Reviews are so entangled with individual tastes and marketing, and advertising and hyping that intelligent people here in Santa Barbara almost always prefer word of mouth from their respected friends and family. :-) ====== FOR WHAT ONE SB REVIEW IS WORTH One of the Best-All-Around Meals in Santa Barbara as reported among my own sources is the Swimming-in-Brown-Gravy Pot Roast $7.99 Luncheon Special at Farmer Boy on Upper State Street. But that is only on Thursdays from about 11 AM until they close at 2 PM. Just three hours a week. ====== Might Edhat readers all offer their one, specific, one-meal at one-time, best tasting, fair price, recommendation at a mentioned and recommended high, medium, or bargain price? Have YOU any specific-specific meal favorites?
YIN YANG	2012-09-24 11:02 PM
Why yes, 700P, I can offer several reviews, as I'm sure many others can. This deserves its own thread though. Not a bad idea.... Ed can store them in the food column linked on the left of the home page, which I wish contained many more reviews. But members may well get too contentious. :-)
YIN YANG	2012-09-24 11:13 PM
700P, I'm truly sorry that it took me two readings to laugh out loud at your post/your fourth paragraph. Bravo, applause! :D I LOVE a Farmer Boy omelette! But their hash browns are really bad. So if I could just combine the Farmer Boy omelette and Cajun Kitchen hashers... (I don't like "home fries.") And I only know of one restaurant that makes real, fresh, meaty corned beef hash: Max's. They even know what a basted egg is! (Honestly, I was stunned.) I lived in Carp when Cadillac Cafe was thriving. Best corned beef hash ever! But I don't go out much, so I am not casting aspersions on anyone. Does Esau's home-make corned beef hash?
COMMENT 324242	2012-09-26 09:49 AM
Follow LEMONJELLY on Yelp. She is a local, independent food critic that reviews restaurants in SB. She is quite qualified and has a following. She used to write restaurant reviews on Edhat.

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