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Any Tips on Finding the Best Restaurants?
I am going on a 3-week Pacific coast road trip, and I am really excited to try the best restaurants along my way. I really want to make sure that I don’t miss any of the gems in each city, but I am terrible at doing research and deciding where to eat. Any tips out there about finding the best places to eat (suggestions are accepted obviously, but I am really looking for the best resources/systems to figure this out on my own since I'm not sure exactly what cities I'll be in as of now). Please help me avoid eating at In-N-Out every meal!
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Visit Trip Advisor for the cities you'll be going to. We make recommendation every day for restaurants in and around Seattle, for example. But yes you need to know where you're going for that to work :-)
Yelp is one that you could use as you go along. |
I don’t know if there’s any one best resource for a city. do some research into what your destinations are known for. For instance; if I go to London or NYC, I’m looking for authentic Indian or middle eastern, because the options here can be grim. Chicago—steak, or meat in general. SF—vegetarian, Pan Asian. Seattle—seafood. Then look at blogs or local publications. Food tour companies often list their top choices on their websites. Bloggers do “top Ten” lists all the time. yelp has a suggestions aspect “see what’s nearby.” It’s totally useless imo. Often easier in smaller towns, like on the coast, to skim TA’s list and pick a place that looks good. (Don’t vase it on ratings. Coast tourists pick some of the worst spots as their favorites). |
Also on Trip Advisor you can find lists put together by locals of frequent visitors.
On Trip Advisor I use the *forums* sections not the *reviews*. |
I find both Yelp and Trip Advisor to be packed with fake reviews, so I don't look at those at all. Instead, I use Open Table. You are only invited to review a place after you have made a reservation on Open Table and dined there. Of course, the best resource is someone you know who lives in the area and knows your tastes, but that may be hard to come by!
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>> I really want to make sure that I don’t miss any of the gems in each city<<
Is that at all realistic? You are on a quick road trip on the West Coast and there are thousands of 'gems'. Just for example - every small town in Napa and Sonoma Counties twill have several 'must' restaurants. As for a one size fits all site - none that I'm happy with. It would be better to tell us what towns you will be in and we can give local recommendations. (And post the question/itinerary on the USA forum) |
I’m a little curious as to whether this is a “real” trip at all. It’s a little oddly phrased, a first post, and if you’re road tripping up the coast, how many places can you logistically hit anyway? |
Well you really have to get over “being terrible at research” and learn how to do it because others won’t do the research for you. The Internet is your friend. The easiest way to start is to do an internet search using your preferred search engine and type in subjects like “best restaurants in NAME OF TOWN” or “10 best dining options in NAME OF TOWN”. You’ll be directed to lots of links including lists from TripAdvisor, Yelp, Open Table as well as magazine/newspaper articles, restaurant critic lists, etc. You then read through the material and reviews and select the places that most appeal to you. Keep in mind that you’ll find lists for all types of restaurants ranging from simple cafes and diners all the way up through Michelin Star restaurant. There are “gems” in every category. It will all come down to doing your research so you have to resign yourself to learn how to get better at it. One last hint, while traveling use your smartphone - open your browser and type in “restaurants near me”. If you have the “locations” option turned on (do that in Settings) it will bring up a list of restaurants within a few miles of your location. |
https://www.sunset.com/tag/washington-seattle/
Sunset Magazine (online or in print) is a great resource for our area. |
I start with Trip Advisor because I like the layout and the photos. I don't get the sense that most of the reviews are fake, although I'm sure some may be. From there I usually go to the restaurant's website to check the menu, etc. But I also use Open Table (this won't capture all restaurants though) and I also just google the name of the restaurant and see what comes up.
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Quite honestly I don't find Tripadvisor (either the reviews or the forums) worth anything for restaurant reviews. Yelp might be slightly more helpful, especially on the fly, since the search feature is pretty good and there is a lot more participation than on TA which, really, most people only use for lodgings (and the forums are full of cliques so you'll only have about 5 of the same people actively participating at any one time). Some of them, likely promoting their friend's places as well. Sure ago ahead and ask, but then vet any responses carefully. I've also gone to absolute DOGS based on Fodorite recommendations from people I don't "know". Yes, you need to spend the time to actually read reviews. Some places may also be written up in local newpapers.
If you are really interested in "gems", maybe consider a food tour. Or trust your gut, read the menu, see if the place looks full, and give it a try. |
One post, no idea of where or when, budget, likes and dislikes...
Seattle? San Diego? Oxnard? Humptulips? July? February? C'mon, people. |
There are no In-N-Out Burger places in Seattle or Washington state, so you don't need to worry about that here.
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Chowhound.com, OpenTable.com. |
Ask the locals, like your hosts where you stay. Presumably you'll stay in accommodations that mirror approximately the quality of places you'd like to eat and they'll know. I've rarely had someone steer me wrong when I was clear about what I wanted. It really is part of their job and most will be able to point you in the right direction.
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Hi @suze! Thanks for the advice. Sunset Magazine looks really cool - I'll definitely check it out. Also, thanks for pointing out the forums part of Trip Advisor - I'm clearly knew to forums (as many others have pointed out haha), but that seems like a good way to go vs. reviews. I don't love reviews because they are a bit biased sometimes.
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Originally Posted by marvelousmouse
(Post 16927976)
I’m a little curious as to whether this is a “real” trip at all. It’s a little oddly phrased, a first post, and if you’re road tripping up the coast, how many places can you logistically hit anyway? |
>>Still early in planning my trip, so you might be right about it being too ambitious<<
When you can post again - tell us how long you are taking for this trip, and what time of year. Unless you are from the west coast or have been out here a few times . . . sometimes our visitors are overly ambitious re what is possible in a short time. |
I agree with prior posters that you should learn to do your own research and that you should definitely look at review sites.
When it's time to look at restaurants... I vote for Yelp and Chowhound. And part of learning to do research is learning to filter through the chaff. The people who pick apart a waitress for stupid reasons, I mentally throw that review out. That doesn't mean the other 50 are worthless. And by skimming through a fair number, I often begin to see a trend. When 10 different reviewers mention that the "service is a little slow" then I know what I'm in for. And when 20 people say "get the chowder" then I'm getting the chowder. But I do think you are premature to look at this topic. Pull together an itinerary. Map it out on Google Maps, and actually figure out your mileages for your stops. Then make a list, like this: Day 1 LAX--Sleep in Santa Monica Day 2 Driving Day--XXX miles to Malibu, Santa Barbara Sleep Santa Barbara (2 nights) Day 3 See Santa Barbara sights. Day 4 Driving day--XXX miles to_________ Sleep in |
I agree with that as a planning strategy! No sense talking about restaurants until you know where you are going to be.
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