I have seen numerous posts recommending one read chowhound.com for restaurant reviews. However, every time I have gone to that site, I find reviews that vary so much they are hardly useful. I also have some trouble finding what I am looking for, since all the reviews for a given area seem to be jumbled together.

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to use the site so that I can evaluate the reviews themselves and find things more easily. Thanks.

Chowhound isn't like a Zagat -- it's not a one glance sort of place. You really have to sift through a number of posts and read through them to figure out what they want.

I tend always to run searches -- it's probably impossible to find something you want if you just browse. Link through to the Board that you want then click "search this board." Type in whatever you are looking for ("best burgers") and start reading! Oftentimes, after I do that, I run searches for the specific restaurants named.

If you have a specific request for which you can't find answers, you can also post your question on the Board. People tend to be pretty helpful, though it of course depends on what city you're in. As one would expect, there are a lot of chowhounders in major metropolitan areas. In sparser areas, e.g., Richmond, where we're now living, the posts seem to be dominated really by 1 main poster, so it's not great for contrasting viewpoints.

Good luck!

I've found yelp.com to be a lot better than Chowhound when looking up restaurant reviews.

I post regularly on Yelp and have used it to find new restaurants based on other Yelpers' reviews.

Some reviewers are better at it than others, though. What I look for is a good description of why the reviewer liked the place or why they didn't. Especially when it's the first review of a place, I'd rather see more information about it. When there's 30 other reviews, a reviewer can usually get away with less specifics and more commentary.

General comments such as, "This is a dive bar!" can be vaguely enlightening, but I need more: "This is a dive bar: there's no Guinness on tap!"

For some very odd reason Chowhounds Mod's will not let me post there???
They say I have a password(I don't)and do not answer request for help resetting the password.
Too bad because I am very good at restaurant reviews

I use Yelp as more of a day to day research tool (e.g., I wake up on Saturday and decide I want to go for brunch and don't know where to go). I like Chowhound better for destination planning (e.g., I have three days in Austin, where should I go).

I value Zagat a lot more than Chowhound. Menupages.com is also a great site and there are tons of reviews by customers on there which is very helpful.

Personally I think many here expect chowhound.com to be something its not
(or intended to be) a restaurant review guide.
Its a community and should be treated just like one ( well as I THINK most here do... we treat Ftalk)

Do most here just visit Ftalk to specfically find how to upgrade to London?
or do you do as I do.. visit a number of boards just to read/hear what going on and maybe even help a member etc etc.

I love the the seemingly non-uniformity of chowhound.com as I wade through all the posts of the Southwest board for example, I can and will read what going on in Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Pheonix and have often found out about some great places in another city when I was really interested in someplace else at that particular time.

Chowhound requires some patience as you wade through stuff but how can you not be interested or fascinated about great food or at least somebody else opinion on the topic .

If you visit some boards regularly one gets an idea what going on in places you visit regularly or intend/might visit in the near future. For example I have some idea of the Las Vegas, Chicago or San Francisco dining scene by just popping over to Chowhould every now and then.
That way if I have to go to Chicago next week I have some idea of what i might want to try.


mike

Hey Zagat is good.. except its sometimes 6-8 months behind relative to new places.

Chowhound, IMHO, is filled with wannabe newspaper restaurant reviewers. In Los Angeles, the Chowhound Board is pretty dull and predictable. Ask a Chowhounder about a restaurant in West Los Angeles, and inevitably the same 2 or 3 restaurants appear. There are 2 which come to mind (which Chowhounders consistently praise), which are mediocre, at best.
As Chowhound is beloved by "foodies" it is a pretty good resource when looking for reviews about a newly-opened restaurant. So, as a traveler or tourist coming to Los Angeles and you want to read a review about a newly-opened restaurant, or one with "buzz", Chowhound is a pretty good resource. Also, Chowhounders love "tasting menus", so if one is looking for a "tasting menu" in Los Angeles than Chowhound will work.