[Michael 61]

You have to take all review sites with a “grain of salt” - if there are only a few reviews (whether good or bad), then that is not enough of a sample for me. To me, the comments are more helpful than the actual ratings.

As I travel quite a bit, and often to cities where I am completely unfamiliar with the dining scene, restaurants review sites have proven invaluable. Yelp, for the most part, has been reliable in my experiences when visiting unfamiliar towns, and seeking out good, local cuisine that is not a chain or other franchise. Luckily, gone are the days (before the internet), when you walk by an unfamiliar restaurant and decide to give it a try, thinking it “looked” good. Yelp has helped me get away from popular “tourist trap” restaurants when traveling, and has guided me to small mom-and-pop local places with awesome food, usually only known to locals.

Example, last year, I had the best fried chicken of my life in New Orleans, at a run-down, but clean place in a neighborhood far from the central tourist area, that I would have never known about except for Yelp.

I understand, for those that usually eat at familiar chains when traveling, then Yelp may not be of any use for them. (And that’s Ok, to each his own) - but for those who seek out and plan their dining venues well in advance when vacationing, then Yelp is a helpful tool.