Why Andrew Zimmern Thinks Yelp Sucks

When you're looking for a place to eat, it's natural to look online and check out reviews (especially if you're traveling and aren't sure where to start). While this makes logical sense, it might not be the best way to go, according to chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern. In an Instagram video, Zimmern talked about why he'll never look to Yelp for restaurant reviews — and why you shouldn't either.

At the start of the video, Zimmern puts it bluntly, saying, "Yelp sucks." And though he voiced his opinion on Yelp ten years ago, it hasn't changed. He's not a fan of how just anyone can hop onto Yelp's platform and leave a review. "It's crowdsourcing the mundane. I don't what to know what the average person thinks of a restaurant," Zimmern said. "I wanna know what someone who knows food thinks of a restaurant."  He said there aren't a lot of guardrails on Yelp, and it's tough to know if you're actually getting a legitimate opinion. Zimmern isn't alone in his disdain for Yelp; Anthony Bourdain said elite Yelpers were "entitled," "negative," and "universally loathed."

Yelp and other restaurant review websites can certainly be convenient, but they're not the end-all, be-all. If you want to follow Andrew Zimmern's advice to stay away from Yelp, he said there are other options to find great restaurants; he'd much rather trust the opinion of an expert reviewer, local chef, or recipe developer who knows their stuff, rather than a random person signing in to talk about their experience online. Zimmern himself does his part by regularly shouting out foodie cities and restaurants he loves around the world — some of Zimmern's absolute favorite food destinations include New York City, Paris, and Madrid.

Zimmern's tip for finding the best restaurants in any city is to check out what five or so local food critics have said and find the common denominators. If several critics are singing the praises of a restaurant, it's likely to be a hit. Remember, whether you're staying local or traveling, look to the professionals for guidance when you're trying to find a place to eat. Zimmern said it best summing up his thoughts in the Instagram video, stating, "Yelp sucks. It just does, and there are so many better ways to figure out whether a restaurant is good or not."