Restaurant Rating System

I rate restaurants on a scale of 0-4 in the following categories: Deliciousness, Ambiance, Quality of Service, Bang for Your Buck.  I also provide an overall rating based on these categories.  Each review is accompanied by a price scale to give you an idea of how much money you can expect to spend.

Here is some more detail on my rating categories.

Deliciousness

0 = Truly sub-par

1 = Just okay

2 = Good to very good

3 = Excellent

4 = A culinary experience like no other

Ambiance

0 = If you order food here, get it to go

1 = A “dive” or “greasy spoon”

2 = Pleasant

3 = A feast for the eyes

4 = A feast for all the senses; heavenly

Quality of Service

0 = Neither friendly nor efficient

1 = Either efficient but not friendly or friendly but not efficient

2 = Friendly and efficient

3 = Staff is welcoming, knowledgeable and professional; well above average

4 = Transcendent; staff is proficient at principles of fine dining service

Bang for Your Buck

This category is about how you feel after you paid the check; in other words was the overall dining experience worth the price?

0 = I was robbed and insulted

1 = I was robbed

2 = Overall experience justifies the price

3 = Great value; overall experience is better than the price indicates

4 = Amazing value; they should raise their prices

Overall Dining Experience

I use the rating system recommended by the Association of Food Journalists.

0 = Poor.  Below average restaurants.

1 = Fair.  Just okay.  A place not worth rushing back to.  But, it might have something worth recommending: a view, a single dish, friendly service, a lively scene.

2 = Good.  Solid places that beckon with generally appealing cooking.

3 = Excellent.  Superior.  Memorable, high quality menus frequently accompanied by exciting environs and/or savvy service.

4 = Extraordinary.  Transcendent.  A one-of-a-kind, world-class experience.

Price

I use the price category system used by Yelp.  Price range is the approximate cost per person for a meal including one drink, tax, and tip.

$ = Under $10

$$ = $11-$30

$$$ = $31-$60

$$$$ = Above $61