ottawa foodies

I just left the premises of a relatively new vendor and found their wares to be inedible, full stop. I took a bite of each item, was unable to finish anything and placed the remains in the nearest trash can.

So why the hesitation to post a review? It's so hard to be in business for yourself, even more so when dealing with the public, that I just hate the idea of saying something negative on an internet forum that can be referenced eons into the future. I really liked the couple running this place, the place itself is very charming and I appreciate what they're trying to do, particularly given that they've got some stiff competition in this city.

But everything I ordered -- including one of their signature items -- was so bad it went into the trash can with me shaking my head in dismay. I'm inclined not to post about the experience because I don't want to be a naysayer and discourage independent business. Furthermore, these are relatively inexpensive items: in total I wasted $10.

Interested in what fellow foodies think about posting negative reviews.

IMO - as long as a review is factual as we can make it and not a personal attack on a business/person. Then I have no issues with negative reviews. I think that's what we should be doing. There is a way to write a review that while negative it can still be balanced. And from what I have seen of your reviews, I think you would be balanced

Thanks lovetoeat; I also thought about the fact that others have posted favourable reviews and really like the place. Additionally, I find that some items have a wide range of palates that they can appeal to -- for instance, just ask people about the best/worst coffee in the city, no shortage of opinions there!

Let's hear it! The good, the bad, the ugly!

Thanks for taking the time to post this and ask! I struggle with the same thing, especially when dealing with a new small vendor who I personally *want* to see succeed. In the past, what has worked well is giving my feedback directly to the owners, either via email or in person. Most small startup businesses are more than happy to hear customer feedback that can help them be successful! I make it clear to them that I'm on their side -- we both want them to offer the best product possible.

When I do feel motivated to post a negative review of a new business, I try to err on the side of tact. Even more so when the business is small (i.e. someone realizing their dream rather than someone just trying to turn a profit). I typically only resort to dramatic negativity when trying to counteract a number of existing very positive reviews. ;-)

I don't see any reason why not to write as negative a review as you would a positive one; this is a review site, not advertising. As long as the review remains within the realms of the factual I'm all for giving them a good pasting if they deserve it.

Personally I tend to take reviews with a pinch of salt anyway (pun intended), I know that I have thoroughly enjoyed restaurants that others have hated and I can't stand some places that others consider to be staples. Like the visual arts, the written word and musical composition, food is an almost entirely subjective topic and as long as your views aren't libellous or vindictive I don't think that there's anything wrong with sharing them. At least I hope not, as I know that one or two of my reviews on here have been somewhat excoriating.......

Johnny English, I've consciously (and perhaps too subtly) tried to position this site as a source of positive reviews rather than negative ones. The philosophy is that I think people would rather know where to eat than where *not* to eat. Also, negative reviews can be a waste of time as a truly bad vendor is less likely to stay in business. Plus, negativity makes one seem old and miserable.

Positive reviews: Win-win for customers and vendors.
Negative reviews: Waste of customers' time to read and write them.

The only real justification for a negative review is as a counterpoint to a positive one, so people know that the reputation of a vendor is controversial.

That's a fair enough position and it is after all your site, but I just feel that if you have a bad experience it should be shared just as freely as a good one. Otherwise, you'll end up with only one voice and the reviews end up being of little value as you've no idea whether the negative ones exist, or if they outweigh the good five to one but just haven't been written.

To each his or her own, but personally, I have absolutely no use for negative reviews. The risk that a personal business is slandered because a reviewer's subjective tastes don't align with the kitchen is just too big in my opinion.

I guess I am a bit cynical and find most restos mediocre anyway, so I really only want to know if something was deemed exemplary. I find a large quantity of negative reviews follow one of two angles:

1) OMG the fries at Corp. Pub XYZ Ltd. were soooooo soggy.

Of course they were. I suspected this without ever going there.

2) Everything was pretty good, but the service was so bad. I waited 15 min to place my order!

Some of us don't care about service, and don't see this as part of the package because the meal was paid for. All I ask is for good food, and please just don't spit in it.

My concern is that people are most often driven to post a review when they have had a bad experience. I go out for dinner with my family too often and most often we have an adequate experience. I am not motivated to write a review as it is not a wonderful or memorable occasion. It is usually simply nourishment for tired parents and hungry kids. When I have a bad experience, I suspect in most cases it is a one-off. I expect that if my expectations were high (anniversary dinner) and delivery was very poor, I might comment. It would only be if I felt that the vendor consistently couldn't meet expectations.

I do not post all of my negative reviews. As Tranciho pointed out, not all restaurants are below or above the bar. When I have previously posted a good review and things change, I like to post to provide feedback to the vendor and I often will say the same thing in person and like to have a discussion as opposed to me doing all the talking.

When it comes to customer service, I have to think about it a little more as if I added to the fire so to speak, I'm not comfortable blaming a vendor. It has to be a perplexing situation.

All in all, I want my reviews to reflect my pleasure and what I feel could use improvement to the vendor. I don't want to use the forum simply as a complaint vehicle.

I also ensure I read previous reviews to see what could have caused changes, if any.

Johnny English, what you describe is exactly the purpose of the Thumbs Down capability here. If you feel the need to share a negative opinion of a restaurant just give it a thumbs down. Nobody wants to read whining and griping!

A restaurant may have only positive comments (or no comments at all) but with a large number of Thumbs Downs... nothing more needs to be said.

I don't mind the odd negative review providing the reviewer offers constructive criticism - they add balance to what diners are saying about the restos in town. I especially like it when the reviewer recommends favourite dishes or what to steer away from.

I have a low tolerance toward people that trash a place though. I believe that if a meal is that bad they should sort it out while in the resto. When someone slams a place that badly or makes overgeneralizations ("I found a hair in my soup I will never go back!") I tend to overlook those reviews. One food critic in town recently trashed the dining services at one of our national museums. Although I have eaten at said resto and the food is mediocre at best I felt the tone unwarranted. #endrant

Getting back on topic if Johanna chooses to post a review I would love to hear what she has to say. Her reviews have been well-written and thoughtful and I am sure she would have something constructive to say.

I don't really agree. I think you can make negative comments but it depends how you go about it. Explain in detail your whole experience and understand that a bad meal doesn't give you the right to slam the resto in question and basically be an asshole about it..it's just food after all. Part of being a foodie (though I'm really starting to hate this word) is trying new places and dealing with the fact that we take more risks.

Johanna, having read your other reviews, I don't think anyone is worried about the quality of your comments, good or bad. I say go ahead! :)

As someone who tends to get a bit too heated and hyperbolic (sorry!), when I reread my rants and edit them down, I look at only one thing: is it a fact, or an opinion. Facts can be interpreted by each reader, but an opinion belongs only to one person: he who wrote it. Let the reader make up their own mind about whether an aspect of the meal is positive or negative.

Opinion: tastes like crap, loved/hated it, chicken wings suck

Fact: food was over/undercooked, greasy, too spicy or not enough, frozen Olymel wings tossed in Frank's Red Hot, etc.

Countless times, I've read a negative review and thought "sounds like my kinda place". Case in point: I can tell my tastes are diametrically opposite from Johanna's, so I just might try this restaurant *because of* the negative review :)

I don't like to slam a place, particularly a small independent vendor, but have on occasion given negative reviews. I try to be specific about what the problem was and whether it was corrected when I raised it with the management. But I have also had MANY more negative experiences than I would report here. The rule I try to live by is "was it really bad and did the management not resolve it?" or "Has it been really bad on multiple occasions?". With those guiding principles and sufficient detail to back up the opinion, I appreciate reading others' opinions.

I think any review that is honest and reasonable is fair game.

We don't eat out often, and we rely on word of mouth to find good places. That's how we found our current favourites. I take every review with a grain of salt, as others have said, but I believe there is significant value if I can learn, before losing $$, that a place should be avoided. Similarly, I also appreciate knowing if there are dishes to avoid in certain circumstances (i.e. if a dish is too sweet according to multiple people, I likely won't get it as a person without a sweet tooth).

I don't like to slam places, but I believe that honest reviews are highly valuable to owners who really want to know how they're doing. I have zero qualms about speaking to management (and in most cases that I have posted anything negative, I have already called/spoken to someone at the establishment). I believe any mistake can be corrected, and it's fair to give people a chance to do so. In some cases, following up has only made an experience more negative.

For my family, service and experience are almost as important as food. We love friendly servers and owners who are proud of what they're serving.

As for the original question, I would like to know beforehand if someone bought something so bad that it had to be thrown out. I'd say that's very valuable information.

"I can tell my tastes are diametrically opposite from Johanna's"

@Billco: ...so you DON'T like whisky??? Or craft beers??? ;o)

Hehe well now, I've only read a small sampling of your recent comments, and I can sheepishly state that the only place we have in common is Genji. I'm a "man food" kind of guy, which means I don't often stray into unknown territory. Pub fare, tex-mex, italian, indian, "canadian" chinese and most other take-out classics... That's where you'll find me. I'm just not a fan of seafood or game meats, so that sharply limits my menu choices at creative/ethnic restaurants.

But whisky and craft beers ? That's something we can agree on, or so the "How to Brew" book in my tote bag would imply :)

Well @Billco, FWIW Friday night dinner at home was ribsteak with a bernaise sauce, creamed spinach, mini potatoes and a Californian Shiraz... with a nightcap of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. How's that for "man food"? ;o)

As for everyone else, thank you very much for your input. Conclusion: my husband has been chastising me for not coming home with the inedible items so that he could give his two cents (they went into the trash can, remember?) So we've agreed to go back together, get his input and then I'll post if it seems appropriate.