How to Do Your Restaurant Reviews

Follow the assignment closely!  An restaurant review, like any other writing, has to have a specific audience and purpose, and you must carefully write it to serve that audience and fulfill that specific purpose.  Your audience is the UTEP community (fellow students, faculty administration and staff).  The purpose of your writing is for others to read on line,. to help them try new eating experiences.

1. At the beginning of each report, mention the name and type of restaurant, its address and location, the date of your visit, and what you (and your companion, if you were with someone) ordered.

Items to observe and questions to ask when writing a restaurant review include:

a. Location – Is it easy to find? What is the neighborhood or surrounding area like? What does the outside of the building look like?

b. Category - What type of cuisine is served? Is this a casual sit-down café, or linen-and-china fine dining? What are the prices like? Is the restaurant inexpensive, moderately priced, expensive, or very expensive?  Is one expected to dress up to eat there?

c. Ambience – What type of music, decoration and lighting does the place have?  What kind of customers does it generally attract (i.e., business people, tourists, students, seniors, young couples on a date, mall shoppers?)

d. Service – Is the staff courteous and friendly? Is the service reasonably quick? Are they willing to explain unfamiliar menu items if asked?

e. Menu – What do you think of the selection? (Be sure to include a brief evaluation of each section on the menu: appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages).

f. Hours – What are the hours of operation? What meals do they offer? (Ex. breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, special events, etc.)

Adapted from http://www.hssd.k12.wi.us/lineville/staff/allstarshouse/AS%20House/Items%20to%20Review%20for%20Restaurant%20Review.htm
 

2. How well did you enjoy the restaurant? Use examples to illustrate the quality of the food and service. Be aware that different cultures and cuisines may entail different tastes, experiences and expectations from what you are used to.

3.  To sum up, what is your overall reaction? Would you seek to experience something else like this, in the future or not?  Why or why not?  Next time would you invite your family or a friend to eat with you there? Would you like to invite someone there for a date? If not, to whom would you particularly recommend this restaurant? 

NOTE: Reviewing "critically" does not mean the same thing as "criticizing," in everyday language (complaining or griping, fault-finding, nit-picking). Your "critique" can and should be positive and praise the restaurant if possible, as well as pointing out possible problems and shortcomings, if any. 

CAUTION When writing a report or review, write as an educated adult, addressing other sophisticated adults and fellow scholars. As a beginning reviewer, if you write that a restaurant is terrible but other people think that it is great, readers will probably not agree with you that what you experienced is no good, but they may conclude instead that you are are too immature or uncultured to understand what a great place this restaurant is.  If you did not like a restaurant or an event, that is fine, but criticize it either from principle (it is dirty or too expensive or too unfriendly, or the service is too slow) or based on the taste or quality of the food (it is poorly prepared, is delivered cold, contains too much salt, is too spicy or too bland, or has too many tomatoes in it).  In each of these cases, do not simply criticize, but give specific examples. But, always beware as a beginning reviewer of criticizing any restaurant, food or event as "weird," "strange," "unfamiliar" or "scary," since your readers might simply conclude that you are too ignorant, simple or childish to appreciate it!

Important: If religious or cultural restrictions, a diagnosed medical condition or a disability would prohibit you from successfully completing this assignment as stated, please advise instructor as soon as possible so you can receive a modified assignment. This exception does not apply if you are simply a "picky eater," do not wish to spend the money, or are just scared to go to unfamiliar places. 

Refusal or failure to complete this assignment will mean failure in the course.

O.W. rev 8/08