I don't understand the value of crowdsourced restaurant reviews. When I'm looking for a dining establishment, what I care about are simple facts: where is it, what are the hours, what's the menu, is there a dress code, are there fees in addition to the listed prices.
The kinds of subjective assessments you'd typically see in a review such as "I liked (or didn't like) the service" or "the establishment was gross" are ultimately meaningless. They're written by randos with values and expectations that may not necessarily align with mine, so it's a waste of time trying to parse that out. And that's assuming an environment of honest reviews written in good faith, which isn't a realistic assumption.
What am I missing here? Why do people place so much weight on online restaurant reviews that establishments are willing to fake and game the system?
The kinds of subjective assessments you'd typically see in a review such as "I liked (or didn't like) the service" or "the establishment was gross" are ultimately meaningless. They're written by randos with values and expectations that may not necessarily align with mine, so it's a waste of time trying to parse that out. And that's assuming an environment of honest reviews written in good faith, which isn't a realistic assumption.
What am I missing here? Why do people place so much weight on online restaurant reviews that establishments are willing to fake and game the system?