Google local restaurants and it is sure to return a dozen or more sites that host reader's reviews of restaurants. The likes of Yelp, city search, and active diner, all claim to allow patrons to give a critique of a particular establishment. This is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that the majority of reviews left on these sites are from people directly involved in the restaurants well being, or there competition. That is why the majority of the reviews are all five stars fluff talking about how truly amazing a particular restaurant is. More importantly, of the few reviews left on these sites that aren't written by the wait staff, the rest are written by someone that is upset because they didn't order chives on the baked potato, and it had chives. This bipolar combination of opinions leads most people to think that a particular restaurant is the worst serviced restaurant serving the greatest local barbeque. I am tired of trying to get a heads up on a new restaurant and being bombarded with impractical reviews.

All you potential reviewers out there, for the sake of all that is great food, please start being critical of the restaurants you write about. I have no problem if you feel a restaurant is deserving of a five star ranking, I just ask that your comment contain more than "Best Place Ever!!". Feel free to state why you believe a particular restaurant is the Garden of Eden of Hamburgers. Also, if you're going to give a poor review, ask yourself, is it because the restaurant itself is bad? Or is it possible that I caught it on a bad day? I understand that poor service ruins a dining experience, but too be fair to others, there are a lot of factors that can go into that service, was the waiter having a bad day? Was he understaffed? Was there a new chef in the Kitchen? Now, most good restaurants will recognize poor service and nip it in the bud as soon as it see's the light of day, however, it is impossible for a restaurant too not occasionally make a mistake. If they do, give them a chance to fix it, you may find that most places will. And then include that in the review.

Its hard enough to seek out great local small restaurants that don't have a Brinker chain sized marketing budget so don't add to the difficulty by posting restaurant critiques that are shorter than three words. Save the world the trouble. Also, be honest with your ratings. Five stars should be reserved for the best restaurant. Not just the restaurant that makes the German chocolate cake you like so much. If everything on there menu makes you weak in the knees, then fine, otherwise it's quite possible they are really a three or four star restaurant.

For the restaurant owners and there employee's, do your marketing somewhere else, leave these sites alone. You're not helping your cause. I am more likely to go check out a place when I don't see self servicing fluff pieces written on the Internet. Focus on making the best food in town and I promise the good reviews will follow.