Yelp’s Bottom 10 Restaurants in “The Bubble”

[Michael 61]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

[Bogie Shooter]

To each his own……some that shouldn’t be there.

[Michael 61]

To each his own……some that shouldn’t be there.

I thought it was interesting -personally I’d remove a few and add some.

[rustyp]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

OK - Don't care. Not taking the bait.

[Michael 61]

OK - Don't care. Not taking the bait.

LOL - but you cared enough to take the time and post - I can always count on you Rust to comment and be engaged in anything I post. I guess I should be flattered that you have taken an interest in me.

[Keefelane66]

We don't do Yelp

[Stu from NYC]

Interesting.

Went to Beef O Brady lat week for first time and thought the burgers were better than average.

Is Gators dockside the one at LAL? If that one would make it #1 on the list.

Have not been to the Golden Corral here but we have been to others around the country and liked them.

[Bilyclub]

The only thing keeping Gator's open is all the tv's and football season. Good for viewing, but service is terrible.

[MrChip72]

Cody's shouldn't be there. Gator's dockside though, yep.

[retiredguy123]

Which Gator's Dockside are they referring to? There is one at Brownwood and one at Spanish Springs. The one at Brownwood has the most and largest televisions in The Villages, and it is very popular during football season.

[Southwest737]

Yelp is the sound you make when getting kicked in the nut sack.

[Ellwoodrick]

My wife and I have gone to the Golden Corral in the Villages. No it's not 5 star dining but it fits our life style. Nice variety of typical restaurant fair. Quick and easy. (Get their App for frequent flyer discounts LOL)

[jparsoneau@aol.com]

You missed the number one worst restaurant in the villages
WOB world of beer
Terrible food terrible service decent beers

[debmc]

I missed seeing the 10 top restaurants. Can you post that again?

[HoosierPa]

Golden Corral: BEST
FRIED CHICKEN IN THE VILLAGES !

[jimkerr]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

😂😂😂

[Bay Kid]

Yelp usually only gets bad reviews.

[asianthree]

OP posts something from Yelp. The posters are unhappy about the content. Again its yelp…it’s info coming from a website, that others post on about everything..read don’t read, will it really change your day?

[wbilbrey99@gmail.com]

Best fried chicken in tv metro diner.

[retiredguy123]

Yelp usually only gets bad reviews.
Maybe, but I trust Yelp a lot more than Google. I have seen business websites where they post 70 or 80 Google reviews and they are all 5 stars. And, none of the reviewers are identified by location. How does that happen?

[mikeycereal]

Long as I don't see my favorites on that list, I'm good to go!

:mmmm:

[Cobullymom]

OK - Don't care. Not taking the bait.
No one asked you to eat it...

[rustyp]

LOL - but you cared enough to take the time and post - I can always count on you Rust to comment and be engaged in anything I post. I guess I should be flattered that you have taken an interest in me.

Yes you should be flattered Mickey. I regularly search for your posts when I am at the peak of boredom. Thanks for filling the gap.

[Ken D.]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

Are you the daily orchestrator? Everyone has a different opinion.

[bilcon]

I was never a big fan of people who down restaurants. While some on your list aren't my style, I keep my opinions to myself. You obviously have never run a small business and experienced the problems that come with it.

"I have never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong."

[Stu from NYC]

Golden Corral: BEST
FRIED CHICKEN IN THE VILLAGES !

A reason to try it.

[airstreamingypsy]

I like Orange Blossom CC, their Butterfish dinner is delicious. I also like Golden Corral, I would eat there more often but its hard to find someone who wants to eat there with me, and I don't go to restaurants alone. My favorite things there are chicken livers and mashed potatoes. Delicious.

[b0bd0herty]

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

Please clarify. Is #1 the bottom or the top of the 10 lowest rated? Thanks in advance.

[MandoMan]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

I consider Ay! Jalisco the best Mexican restaurant in The Villages and one of the very best restaurants in The Villages, period. (I’ve loved Mexican food for fifty years and lived in Southern California for years, so I’m used to the spice.). Try their Cadillac Margarita. I love the Enchiladas Rancheros. It is also one of the few good non-chain restaurants open on Monday night. (Outside The Villages, south of Wildwood on 301, I recommend Casa Agave.) On the Villages Gourmet Club site, Ay! Jalisco has the same high rating as Coastal Del Mar and is half a point different from Chop House.

The difficulty with all of these rating sites is that while they serve a useful purpose, the ratings can be affected by people who don’t understand the food. That’s why it is useful to actually read what the reviewers write instead of going by the numbers. Some people give a restaurant 1* because there was no lemon in their water, or too much ice. Or the salsa was too spicy or not spicy enough, or the guacamole was different from how they had it at some other restaurant. (There are so many delicious but different ways to make guacamole.) Or the texture of the beans is different (not realizing that the runniness of refried beans shifts all day as they cook.) Or the rice isn’t the way they like. Go by reviews from people who know what they are talking about.

For example, Amrit Palace in Ocala has superb Indian food and draws a lot Indians to eat there. The waiters are knowledgeable and can guide you in your choices. But if you have never eaten Indian food, or you grew up in some benighted part of the country where people cook without spices, you may hate it. In that case, ideally, you should not be allowed to review the restaurant. That’s why I say, read the reviews and look for reviews by people who know what they are talking about. Discount the comments by cranks and those who have never eaten that sort of food. Some are legitimate, but others are overrated.

I’ve also enjoyed Cody’s a number of times. I’ve had much worse here in The Villages. I don’t have anything to say about the others on the list. But disliking Ay! Jalisco is perverse and just plain ignorant.

[merrymini]

Hardly ever listen to people who review restaurants because lots of people do not even have taste in their mouths.

[retiredguy123]

Please clarify. Is #1 the bottom or the top of the 10 lowest rated? Thanks in advance.
Yes, and which location is being rated? Several on the list have multiple locations.

[Jayhawk]

"I have never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong."

So then you DID make a mistake.

:pepper2::pepper2::pepper2:

[BostonRich]

Never had a bad meal at Beef O' Brady's (Mulberry) actually. I would rate that one of the better chains.

As far as Cody's goes, if this list includes the old Mulberry location then I can't agree more. That location was truly awful. A real embarrassment. I still don't know how they let that operation destroy their reputation. We went to the one in LSL the other day and it was good.

We used to go to Margarita Republic for trivia. Never would go there for the food alone. Crazy little detail: At one point they went to these really good mashed potatoes with flakes of skin. They were very tasty. About a month later they went back to the tasteless KFC ones. I'm sure it was only a supply issue but I was hoping they were making an effort to step things up a bit. They didn't.

[bp243]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

Thanks for taking the time to share! Somehow I missed the top 10. Would it be possible to list again or PM me?

[retiredguy123]

Never had a bad meal at Beef O' Brady's (Mulberry) actually. I would rate that one of the better chains.

As far as Cody's goes, if this list includes the old Mulberry location then I can't agree more. That location was truly awful. A real embarrassment. I still don't know how they let that operation destroy their reputation. We went to the one in LSL the other day and it was good.

We used to go to Margarita Republic for trivia. Never would go there for the food alone. Crazy little detail: At one point they went to these really good mashed potatoes with flakes of skin. They were very tasty. About a month later they went back to the tasteless KFC ones. I'm sure it was only a supply issue but I was hoping they were making an effort to step things up a bit. They didn't.
I went to the Colony Plaza Beef 'O' Brady's on a Sunday once to watch the Patriots game. The sign said "Sports Bar", but they didn't even have the Sunday ticket. Go figure. I have found the service at that location to be lousy, but other locations are better.

[ringmic88]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

These are based on Yelp reviews. I believe that people are more likely to write a review when they are not satisfied than when they are satisfied. I enjoy many of these restaurants that are on these lists. I would say to try them and draw your own conclusions. JMHO

[Michael 61]

Please clarify. Is #1 the bottom or the top of the 10 lowest rated? Thanks in advance.

China Wok is the lowest rated per Yelp - I’ve never been there.

[Bogie Shooter]

These are based on Yelp reviews. I believe that people are more likely to write a review when they are not satisfied than when they are satisfied. I enjoy many of these restaurants that are on these lists. I would say to try them and draw your own conclusions. JMHO

I agree, create your own list.
Yelp list is worthless……..

[fdpaq0580]

"I have never made a mistake in my life. I thought I did once, but I was wrong."

Um. Wouldn't that actually count as a mistake?

[golfnut]

LOVE Beef "O" Bradys at southern trace location. Never had a bad meal. Love their big catch fish dinner. Have been going there since 2005.

[richdell]

Which Gator's Dockside are they referring to? There is one at Brownwood and one at Spanish Springs. The one at Brownwood has the most and largest televisions in The Villages, and it is very popular during football season.

Not crazy about either of the Gator's Dockside or RJ Gator's in LSL.

[BumpaOompa]

Cody's shouldn't be there. Gator's dockside though, yep.

Cody’s absolutely should be on the list and I would argue they should be awarded worst restaurant in The Villages. Have been there several times to give them another chance but have never had a good experience. Overcooked steaks, dried out fish, salads swimming in dressing. One time I ordered a corn dog for my granddaughter. It took over an hour and arrived still frozen. They offered to take it off the bill on a day where kids ate free anyway. Laughable. Manager did nothing.

[ohioshooter]

Cody's shouldn't be there. Gator's dockside though, yep.

I agree that Cody’s Brownwood shouldn’t be there, it is our favorite go to place. I’ve only been to the LSL location a couple times and wasn’t impressed. No reason for me to go to Dockside.

[MrFlorida]

I'll go there and review it myself, most of the time these reviews are wrong anyway.

[Vermilion Villager]

China Wok is the lowest rated per Yelp - I’ve never been there.
I have.......Yelp nailed it on that one!!!:yuck:

[Geodyssey]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside


Yelp. Seriously?

Yelp is a for-profit scam (ask any small business owner about their tactics, like not posting positive reviews unless you pay) and is not representative whatsoever.

[Geodyssey]

Yelp usually only gets bad reviews.

They won't post positive reviews unless the business pays Yelp. Lots of articles on this.

Yelp is a form of blackmail: "pay up or people will only see bad reviews and your business will suffer".


Who is Yelp's CEO? I'm glad you asked...

Jeremy Stoppelman - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Stoppelman)

See early life, no surprise he's not Amish.

[bsloan1960]

Um. Wouldn't that actually count as a mistake?

Yes. It is intended as a non sequitur- an attempt at humor by having the second part of the statement cancel out the premise of the first part ("I wouldn't be a member of any club who would have me as a member").

[Carla B]

I like Orange Blossom CC, their Butterfish dinner is delicious. I also like Golden Corral, I would eat there more often but its hard to find someone who wants to eat there with me, and I don't go to restaurants alone. My favorite things there are chicken livers and mashed potatoes. Delicious.

Haven't been there in a few years but you reminded me of my favorite food at Golden Corral, chicken livers. Yum!

[bcsnave]

I don't give YELP about this

[Couponmeemom]

OK - Don't care. Not taking the bait.

Every restaurant here has an A+ to a B rating on life kitchen which is inspection related

[rustyp]

OK - Don't care. Not taking the bait.

Every restaurant here has an A+ to a B rating on life kitchen which is inspection related

Still don't care. Do you really care ? If you do then your "beef" is with Yelp. Will posting on TOTV change Yelp's survey ? The whole thread was started as click bait IMHO!

[Stu from NYC]

I don't give YELP about this

What about a half of a yelp?:bigbow:

[PugMom]

A reason to try it.

as a whole, it's a nice place to eat, with decent food not covered is salt to make up for flavor. you really should try it & imo have THE best waffles in the area :thumbup:

[PugMom]

I'll go there and review it myself, most of the time these reviews are wrong anyway.

exactly, someone you don't know telling you what you're going to like, lol

[MrChip72]

Which Gator's Dockside are they referring to? There is one at Brownwood and one at Spanish Springs. The one at Brownwood has the most and largest televisions in The Villages, and it is very popular during football season.

LSL Gator's was terrible when I've been. Brownwood location is much better and is like a different restaurant completely although sometimes you have to send things back here and there as they seem to undercook their fried stuff sometimes when it's busy.

[Charm1]

I totally disagree with Yelp on these.
They forgot all the excellent places in our squares and actually inside the bubble. What about ? Bonefish? ChopHouse, Nancy Lopez? Wolfgang? So many good ones that were not even mentioned, but they put in Orange Blossom? No way! I tried that one several times and felt it was mediocre at best. And they included Cody's? Bob Evans? You have to be kidding me! Those are mostly old folks' and cheapskate places. Not where you go for good or unique food. I totally disagree.:doh:

[Charm1]

In follow up to my post from a few weeks back, where I sorted and listed the top ten highest rated restaurants on Yelp in TV, I’ve done the same, sorting out the bottom 10 rated restaurants that are within the confines of “the bubble”, excluding fast -food type franchises. Here are the dishonorable mentions:

1) China Wok
2) Panera Bread
3) Cody’s Roadhouse
4) Margarita Republic
5) Beef O’Brady’s
6) Orange Blossom Country Club
7) Bob Evans
8) Golden Corral
9) Ay Jalisco
10) Gator’s Dockside

I apologize, I missunderstood the post. Thought that they were listing these as best, but they are listed as the worst. I agree with that.

[retiredguy123]

I apologize, I missunderstood the post. Thought that they were listing these as best, but they are listed as the worst. I agree with that.
LOL. Have cup of coffee.

[capecoralbill]

I

For example, Amrit Palace in Ocala has superb Indian food and draws a lot Indians to eat there. The waiters are knowledgeable and can guide you in your choices. But if you have never eaten Indian food, or you grew up in some benighted part of the country where people cook without spices, you may hate it..

I have eaten in several Indian restaurants in the United States, and I will never return to Amirat Palace.

[Velvet]

They won't post positive reviews unless the business pays Yelp. Lots of articles on this.

Yelp is a form of blackmail: "pay up or people will only see bad reviews and your business will suffer".


Who is Yelp's CEO? I'm glad you asked...

Jeremy Stoppelman - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Stoppelman)

See early life, no surprise he's not Amish.

I like Google reviews. I had my nails done and once I posted a photo, then for the next month or so every-time I googled that location, my review and photo came up. They also showed how many people viewed it. So in the interest of fairness it is best to review the good as well as the bad in your experience.

[retiredguy123]

I like Google reviews. I had my nails done and once I posted a photo, then for the next month or so every-time I googled that location, my review and photo came up. They also showed how many people viewed it. So in the interest of fairness it is best to review the good as well as the bad in your experience.
How does a business get 70 or more Google reviews to display on their website and every one is 5 stars, and they all sound very much alike, with no location for the reviewers?

[Velvet]

How does a business get 70 or more Google reviews to display on their website and every one is 5 stars, and they all sound very much alike, with no location for the reviewers?

Not sure - but in my experience relying on Google reviews have worked out for me. One time I remember husband listing a devastating review about a business (after giving them many chances to fix the problem). The establishment begged him to remove the review and they finally fixed what they should have done in the first place. And husband removed his negative review. Media has power.

[retiredguy123]

Not sure - but in my experience relying on Google reviews have worked out for me. One time I remember husband listing a devastating review about a business (after giving them many chances to fix the problem). The establishment begged him to remove the review and they finally fixed what they should have done in the first place. And husband removed his negative review. Media has power.
Just for fun, check out the Google reviews for this company. 83 reviews and every one is 5 stars.

United Jewelry Appraisals google reviews - Google Search (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=tablet-android-samsung-rev2&source=android-browser&q=United+Jewelry+Appraisals+google+reviews)

[retiredguy123]

///

[retiredguy123]

Not sure - but in my experience relying on Google reviews have worked out for me. One time I remember husband listing a devastating review about a business (after giving them many chances to fix the problem). The establishment begged him to remove the review and they finally fixed what they should have done in the first place. And husband removed his negative review. Media has power.
Yelp vs Google reviews for Frank Gay Services. Numerous complaints on social media, including TOTV.

279 Yelp reviews with an average rating of 2.1 stars

4,731 Google reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars

Who would you rely on?

[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.

[Stu from NYC]

How does a business get 70 or more Google reviews to display on their website and every one is 5 stars, and they all sound very much alike, with no location for the reviewers?

Wonder what they pay for a 5 star review?

[Velvet]

Yelp vs Google reviews for Frank Gay Services. Numerous complaints on social media, including TOTV.

279 Yelp reviews with an average rating of 2.1 stars

4,731 Google reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars

Who would you rely on?

My number one guide is TOTV with some of the posters. Over the years my experience has been the same as theirs. These are posters who regularly show good judgement and good will and I hope to emulate them myself.

[Escape Artist]

I have eaten in several Indian restaurants in the United States, and I will never return to Amirat Palace.

Can you tell us why? I love Indian food and make it at home myself and I have wanted to dine at Amirat Palace. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it.

[MrChip72]

Yelp vs Google reviews for Frank Gay Services. Numerous complaints on social media, including TOTV.

279 Yelp reviews with an average rating of 2.1 stars

4,731 Google reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars

Who would you rely on?

Yelp's business model for at least a few years was hiding good reviews as they were "filtered" for various nonsense reasons hence the lack of total reviews compared to Google. Then they offer the business more control over the filtering if they pay a monthly fee. I personally know some business owners that experienced this.

Yelp basically decided to be the mafia of business reviews websites. Personally I use Trip Advisor and Google most often.

[Stu from NYC]

Just for fun, check out the Google reviews for this company. 83 reviews and every one is 5 stars.

United Jewelry Appraisals google reviews - Google Search (https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=tablet-android-samsung-rev2&source=android-browser&q=United+Jewelry+Appraisals+google+reviews)

Wonder what they give you in return?