How to Write a Restaurant Review
Read over the following steps before completing this assignment.
When you write your review…
Consider the following questions as you write. You do not have to answer every question listed under each component. Use these questions as a starting point.
1. Give your review a catchy title.
2. Let your personality shine through. No one wants to read a boring, dull review of anything, let alone a restaurant. Make your review highly personal and unique to you, using your own “voice”; readers will be much more interested and find your review helpful if it is genuine. Try to begin the review with an interesting hook with ideas that you can echo throughout the review.
3. Give the details of the restaurant you are reviewing. What type of cuisine does it serve? Where is it located? Is it hard to find? Is it a long drive? Do you have to make reservations in advance? How long is the wait on a weeknight? On a weekend? What hours is the restaurant open? What is the price of an average meal? Of course, you don't have to answer all of these questions. It's more or less a guide. There may even be some questions that I left out that you would want to answer in this section.
4. Describe the atmosphere. Is it kid-friendly? Is it dark? Is it fancy? What kinds of decorations do they use? Is it loud? The atmosphere of a restaurant is very important to me. Some people like low-key restaurants, where I can share an intimate conversation. Some people prefer noisy, trendy spots. A lot of your readers care about whether or not it is kid-friendly.
5. Describe the service. From beginning to end, describe the service that you encountered during your visit. Were the servers and hosts polite and helpful? Did they go out of their way to ensure a good visit? Were they friendly? Was the service efficient? If there is a specific server that was AWESOME, feel free to mention his/her name. (Mentioning someone in a bad light is usually not a good thing...) Did you have to wait a long time for anything? If you think that things should have been done that weren't done, mention them. What would you have done to make things better?
6. Describe the menu. You certainly don't have to list everything on the menu. You do, however, want to mention the different courses that they have. Do they serve appetizers? Do they serve desserts? What is the selection like? Are there any specialties? What are your recommendations? Is there a kids or a seniors menu? Are they vegetarian friendly? Is there an "early bird special" or a special "complete dinner" menu? What is included with the meal? Is there anything that people should avoid?
7. Name Specific Entrees. This paragraph can be included with the previous one, or you can separate it. What did you order? Did it meet your expectations? Be sure to be descriptive here. How did the food taste? What was the quality of the food?
Use Descriptive Adjectives. To really spice up your review (pun intended), use descriptive adjectives when describing your meal. For example, instead of simply saying that the grilled chicken you ordered was “bad,” tell why it was bad; was it dry, bland, too salty, etc? Was the chocolate cake moist and rich instead of just “good”? You can never provide too much detail in a restaurant review.
8. Recommendation. How was your experience with the restaurant you visited? Would you ever go back? Why or why not? Would you recommend this restaurant to anyone? What type of person would enjoy this restaurant?
9. Conclusion. End with a clever remark that echoes your lead.
10. Include your image from the restaurant. Be sure to place into your document at an appropriate place in the review.
Rubric
Requirement / Points Available / Points EarnedIncludes a catchy title / 3 points
Opens with an interesting lead that catches the reader’s attention / 4 points
Includes important details about the restaurant (location, hours, pricing, type of cuisine, etc.) ; This could be organized in chart form (see examples) / 10 points
Describes the atmosphere of the restaurant in detail. / 8 points
Describes the service at the restaurant in detail. / 8 points
Describes the menu, specifically the meal you ordered, in detail (using vivid adjectives and carefully chosen words) / 15 points
Includes a recommendation and explanation (REASONS!) / 8 points
Closes in a memorable, catchy way / 4 points
Errors in mechanics do not distract from the review’s overall effectiveness; the review has been polished / 5 points
Includes a clear and appropriate image of the restaurant, your meal, etc. / 5 points
TOTAL: _____/70 points