An Explanation of How Restaurant Reviews
Are Determined

Our reviews are aimed at the busy diner who does not have the time or the resources to do restaurant research and analysis.

We take all this data and reduce it to a brief review and rating for the diner's benefit.

On restaurant viewers and owners who write to disagree with our restaurant reviews; This is a good thing and certainly understandable.

You would be hard pressed to find another website, magazine, or newspaper that does research and analysis and draws upon the views of the restaurant diners and professional restaurant critics to come up with the best review and rating of restaurants that are representative of the dining public.

We often hear about restaurant owners who say that they don't take much stock in restaurant reviews. For the most part we agree. They shouldn't rely on a review from just one restaurant critic. However, they are quick to put up the plaques at the entrance of their restaurant that provide favorable commentary from restaurant critics, even though many of the reviews are dated and from years past and many executive chefs past.

The Methodology Used to Determine Our Restaurant Reviews and Ratings

First of all, we recognize that all restaurants have off-nights and that all restaurant critics and diners have had experiences that may not be representative of the restaurants performance. We are careful to try and spot these comments and give them little or no value in our analysis. We also try to value the current experiences of the diners, looking out for dated reviews of restaurants that have since changed executive chefs, wait staffs that render these comments valueless.

We place a high value on what all diners have to say about a restaurant. Where there is strong consensus and consistency, the review is likely to be similar to what the prospective diner is apt to experience.

We begin the process with research from the internet and the print media to find what restaurant critics and diners have been saying about the restaurant. We comb many websites that have restaurant forums where past diners have an opportunity to share their experiences.

We strive to find consensus amongst the reviews and give little value to the review that is way out of line with the consensus, good or bad. We weigh the quality of the comments as well as the quantity of the comments.

We look for restaurants that have comments from many diners, and it is not too often that we will include a restaurant review just from a visit from New Jersey Leisure Guide staff or from just one professional restaurant critic. There would have to be a good reason to do it.

Our Policy on Sharing Specific Diner Comments
It is our policy to not share specific comments from the dining public, professional restaurant critics, or from the staff of New Jersey leisure Guide with restaurant owners. Specific comments taken out of context, or from the complete data, may not be consistent with the majority and therefore render the conclusions reached meaningless.